Anyone just started/about to start IVF? Join me for support.

[Shellster52]

Tomorrow will be day one of my cycle and I will start IVF for the third time.

I know there are already IVF threads, but there are so many people and it moves so fast. So I thought I would start one for women who just started IVF or are just about to start, so there is a smaller group and messages do not get overlooked. Hopefully this will help us feel supported and remain sane (and hopefully a bit calmer to help our odds?!)

About me: TTC just over two long years. Found out hubby has 100% abnormal sperm morphology. Move on to IVF. First IVF I discovered I am a poor responder and only had two mature follicles and one egg retrieved (they forgot the other!!!!). Embryo disintegrated before day two transfer. IVF 2 I did the estrogen priming protocol after reading it was good for poor responders, along with higher dose of injections. Got 5 eggs, 4 were mature and injected with sperm, 3 fertilised but one was abnormal. The reamining two embryos were at two cell stage on day two, but they like to see them at four cell stage by day two. Both transferred at day two. I read many stories of women having success with day two embryos still at two cell stage but BFN for me.

Have since been taking Aspirin in the hope that I get more eggs this round. Have also been taking DHEA in the hope that the embryo quality is improved, but with hubbys sperm issue and junk food habits, I wonder if he is largely responsible for poor embryo quality.

It's funny how different clinics do different things. Mine suggests that patients do not poas because of false results, hence the blood tests, although I guess by Friday poas should be accurate. I'm on progesterone pessaries so maybe they're concerned that could make the test inaccurate? After all, they're the doctors they know what they're doing. I'm holding out until Friday - I don't think I'll believe it (either way) unless they tell me! Good luck everyone!

It's odd howw different clinics do different things.

The pessaries won't affect the result of a POAS test - they don't pick up progesterone.

My clinic always does a blood test - mine is tomorrow. I know it will be positive but I'm not convinced this is a sticky one.

Plucked up the courage to test today( scariest moment ever! ) BFP!!! I know it's early days but it's the first time I've ever got this far so am obviously really pleased. Things still ok with you euro chick? Anyone else any good news? Positive thought to everyone.

Oh wow Olive congratulations!!! So happy for you. How do you feel today?

I have a stinking cold tak1ngchanches but other that, great! Still in shock but but at least I'm not crying like I was when I found out. ( I think crying was inevitable whatever the outcome). I actually did another test today, just to make sure. How are you doing? Where are you up to?

Hi Olive - that's great news. Congratulations!

Eurochick Hope all is well with you. Thinking of you.

I got my bloods done on Friday. It's a positive and the clinic are very happy with the levels. Have a early scan booked in for Jan, so I don't think I'll be able to believe it until then!

Thinking of everyone.

Hello Elvista, Olive and Euro. Congrats to you all. I started this IVF cycle with high hopes, having learned from my previous two failures and thinking I was doing things perfect this time to get a BFP. Now it seems everyone got a BFP but me and having started this thread has made me more depressed watching everyone else get a BFP except me! LOL. I have to laugh or I will cry!

This may seem personal but can I ask all you BFPers a question:
1 Some sites say no sex/orgasm after ET, while others recommend it. Did you follow one particular rule to get your BFP.
2 Do you have heavy periods. Mine is always super light and only lasts two days. I had a great quality embryo yet still a BFN so if you all have heavier periods, I think my thin lining may be the problem.

Sorry that seems such a personal thing to ask. I just need to learn where I am going wrong.

Hi shellster, I m so sorry it didn't happen for you this time. Please don't give up though. A friend of mine went through 7 Iv f s and now has 2 year old twins. This thought kept me going. I'm also not counting my chickens yet as I know this is the uncertain time.
Regarding your questions, sex - well I must say after the constant trying for 2+years we kind of took a break. I think we did it twice between ET and now. It was probably about 3 days after ET and then I was a bit scared we might dislodge it or so something:-)
Periods. I think mine are pretty regular , heavy ish for about 2 days then not much. Over in about 5 days. I have always had a problem with spotting. I have always spotted about 6/7 days before AF arrived. Blood tests said progesterone was fine and doctors said it wasn't anybthing to worry about but I always wondered. I do wonder if the progesterone pesseries have been my godsend. Who knows! Maybe the progesterone was all I needed.
Anyway, I don't know if this will help you at all . It seems to me that it's like the black art. Who knows why or why not? Don't give up hope though. Hopefully your turn will be next.

Shellster, you are in my thoughts a lot at the moment. I'm so sorry, it didn't work out for you this time. I don't think there is anything right or wrong that any of us can do other than give it our best shot. I think it's tempting to look for solutions but at the end of all this it is just random and all we can do is our best.

Regarding sex - we haven't done it since EC, mainly because I was too sore and then ET and the 2 week wait made us a bit wary. Hoping to sort that out this week! As for periods, mine are heavy for one day then very light as they regulated over the last year and last around 3 days. I used acupuncture (good for regulating cycles, womb lining and just about everything).

I don't think there is any rhyme or reason to why it happens or doesn't. Surround yourself with those who love and support you and be kind to yourself.

Thank you for your replies Olive and Elvista. Wow, 7 IVF's Olive! My next IVF will be number 5 so I am about due to get some good news. I feel good about changing to a new more expensive clinic. The doctor at my old clinic had no clue and would ask me for suggestions! They were cheaper for a reason.

As you say, there is not always a rhyme or reason and I wish I had a camera inside me following my embryo to know exactly what went wrong! But if I had to guess, I really think that the problem lies in my 2 day super light periods. Yours are both heavy for a least one day.

I am forced to give myself a 3 cycle break before my next IVF, otherwise my ovaries have not recovered and do not respond. However I at least have an appointment on 7th Jan at the new clinic and hopefully I will get a good vibe from the doc and he will address my super light cycle so I can feel confident about my next IVF to give me hope to continue on.

Hi, any room for a little one?

Hi bunny girlie, where are you up to in the process?

Hi Olive We are about to start our first attempt at ICSI (short protocol). AF showed up this afternoon so gonna count tomorrow as day 1 and start jabbing NYE Really nervous!

Just read up the thread, congrats on your BFP!

Thanks. Still early days but staying positive. This thread was really useful, got lots of advice and support from others at exactly the same point. You might want to start one of your own for anyone starting the same time as you. We are all at the end of the process . The needles are not that bad and it's a really exciting time. Just think of the end result! Good luck!

Thanks Olive I did start my own thread but it doesn't look like anybody is doing it at the same time as me

I start tomorrow Aaaaaaaagh!

Hi all,
Sorry I haven't been posting - I had to step away a little myself, but have lurked now and then.

Congratulations and fingers crossed for all you BFP! It is lovely to see positive outcomes.

Sorry to hear it didn't work out this time Shellster Chin up, chick. Wish there was more I could say.

The clinic cancelled my treatment this time, which has knocked me for six for some reason. Hence the middle of the night posting, I suppose! Bit of a tough month. My sister, best friend and SIL all had new babies within days of each other before Christmas and I have (for the first time) struggled hugely. I feel very low and am annoyed with myself for it because if I feel like this now, I don't know WTF will happen if (and bloody when) I have the treatment and it doesn't work.

Am trying to work through anxiety now, but (as you can see!) my insomnia is back, I am having nightmares about people dying, etc and I think it is all to do with the delayed start to something I had geared myself up for that now has been taken away again. Lack of control, again!

Argh. Sorry for rocking up and dumping everything here when I haven't been around.

Bunnygirlie I'm on day 13 of down regulation. Have bloods Monday to then, hopefully start stim drugs tuesday

Hello ladies, I hope you are all well. I am here for a bit of help if possible...
I am a student, studying Midwifery and have got to do an independent project on a topic of my choice. My housemate and her partner are just about to undergo IVF and I am extremely interested in the process.
I have therefore chosen to do my study on age of women vs the effect of the treatment and how well the nutrients from the injections work depending on age. There may well be no correlation between the two but I would like to find out.
In order to do this I need volunteers (who can remain anonymous) to pass on their blood test results etc so that I can monitor the results from the process. I need to know age, and then after that just the test results.
I know that not many of you may want to help me out but I am hoping that there may be a couple of you. If so, please could you reply and I can pass on my details to you.
Many thanks for your time and I look forward to hearing from you.
Gemma Wright

Hi. I thought I'd join this forum to share experiences and get advice from ladies who are going through the same as me. I'm starting IVF next week and am feeling anxious yet excited. My husband and I have been TTC for 4 years. We had an ectopic a couple of years ago and have started private fertility due to my age (41) and my BMI! I'm well aware that it might not work first t e but am hopeful! Since going for our first meeting with consultant it has moved really quickly which caught me off guard! All test results came back good - me and husband - especially for my age, so no real reason for not getting pregnant, obviously just need a helping hand!

Hey Bodhi this is an old thread but come over to one of the current ones and you'll be very welcome!

Hello everyone..
I am starting ivf tomorrow.. im dreading the injections and im having so many doubts.. is anyone starting it this month..it would be great to have a friend. thankyou

hi everyone, relatively new here! I’ve just started a round of ICISI and was wondering if there was anyone on this journey right now that could accompany me through it! I’m 44, got pregnant last year naturally, but it ended in a miscarriage after seven weeks. Since then I have had a hysteroscopy, my blood results all are all over the place, but I do know that my FSH is raised and my AMH, unfortunately came back as 0.2. However, I’m not going to allow that to make me lose hope, so I have decided to give this a shot. My periods are all over the place, so when I had a scan done and the hospital decided that even though I on day 24 that my lining was still quite thin so I have started with the injections. Gonal F 300 every day alongside letrozole for five days. I’m at the lister clinic…

Hi @Miche243 I think this is an old thread, but there are a couple of current threads with those of us who have just started or are about to start IVF/ICSI if you'd like to join!

December IVF www.mumsnet.com/Talk/infertility/4673272-december-ivf

IVF/ICSI Dec 2022
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/infertility/4643614-ivficsi-dec-2022

Thank you @kamaha 😘