Join me if going through ivf now

[Over40ems]

I'm on the roller coaster journey they call ivf for the first time. After reading some threads on here where people at the same time of their journey could reach out to others in the same situation I thought I'd start my own.
I'm currently one week into stim drugs with an estimated EC in one week.
It would be great if ur at the same point to join this thread and share ur trials and tribulations and hopefully we can support each other through it.
X

Hi all I'm Waiting to start my first Ivf I'm currently on the list we will be doing icsi very soon after 6 rounds of failed clomid . I've Pcos and dh low Count he has just had a sperm retrieval (pesa) and has his sperm frozen ready for the cycle :) fingers crossed it won't be too long , good luck for Monday over40ems I'll be following the post to see how you all get on ! And get more ov an Idear of what it entails . Docs don't really talk much I have found lol. Xxx

Hi LucyTee - I had 6 rounds of clomid, too. It was such a relief to stop! How did you find it? I have found the IVF drugs much easier.

We also had ICSI, as DH's sperm had lower motility than normal.
Any idea when you will start?

We are same as you lucy, pcos and low count. (And now hypthroidism)
No op for retrieval though but we had to freeze, in case there was none on the day

Eggs Fx for monday.

Ohh I hated the clomid I was on 50mg first round but that am didn't work so went up to 100mg I had hot sweats wich I could handle but I got horrible visual disturbances if them so I'm a bit worried about the Ivf meds! Glad to hear there not as bad that's a relief , I have had a letter to go In on 18th feb I'm not sure how long after that I will start the meds but I will find out more wen I go ! I'm kind of exited I carnt wait to start but also anxious incase It doesn't work ! Sick of the disappoint of ttc! We are nearly 5 year but inf gives me hope!!

Do either of you ladies know what happens with Pcos regarding the down ref ext as I haven't had a period in 6 munth , will I need extra meds to induce a period or will they just start without one ? Xx

*down reg . Sorry stupid iPhone perdictive txt lol x

I didn't do down-reg, but my periods were more regular than that so they knew one would arrive at some stage. Think they can just start certain drugs if you have v irregular ones.

Honestly found the IVF ones easier than clomid! Hot flashes, vision disturbance and depression, looking back. And it didn't work, obviously!

Fingers crossed you get started as soon as poss. The waiting is so much harder than the treatment.

Ps thank for the crossed fingers and good vibes, naty

Just a little update: had two embryos put in yesterday (day 3 transfer) .
Wasn't planning on two, but they advised us on the day to put both in as they were dividing quickly. Am not too hopeful as this all sounds a bit panicky to me.

Let me know how you are all getting on - hope all is well x

No sounds good. I will go for 2 if given the choice.
( we have a 20m old from 2 embryos , so it can work out.
they were the only 2 that got to that stage)
Now its just waiting.
I start stimms tomorrow so then its about 2 weeks to EC

Thanks, naty, that's encouraging!

I am now off work with a horrible cold as well. And can't take any medication for fear if it affecting things! Don't feel like I am giving it all the best environment, but nothing I can do, of course.

This 2ww is looong!
Good luck with starting the stims - hope you don't feel too bad.

Oh great news eggsiseggs .... Sounds encouraging , how are you getting on After Embrio transfer? Fingers crossed for you ! X

Eggsi - a very big congrats on the transfer. Can dividing too quickly be a problem? My second IVF the embryo's were poor because they had divided slowly so I thought quicker meant better quality - sounds promising to me!

Can I ask you, of the 9 eggs, did only 2 fertilise? Obviously I don't mean to put a damper on your situation and it doesn't matter for you because you had enough for the transfer and I have a pregnancy vibe for you. Just panicky for my next IVF if this is the normal for only 2 of 9 to fertilise or did they say something specific happened that caused your low fertilisation rate? Sorry to bring you down with the details. Just want to learn from others before I do my next IVF. I already don't get many eggs and don't want to lower my chances more by having only a small amount of them fertilise so if you doc gave you any advice you can pass on to me, would love to know the reason why.

Am off work sick at the moment - awful head cold or virus or something! Don't think it can mean good things for my poor little embryos :-( Thanks for asking, though, Lucy!

Also - this is the first time I have actually ever done a proper 2ww, iykwim? As in - there is definitely an embryo. And it is loooooonnnnnng! Don't know how I will survive until next weekend!

Will try to answer your questions, Shellster - I don't mind you asking at all! The more information we all have, the better, I say.

Of the 9 eggs, they only did ICSI on 6, and only 2 fertilised. We didn't know they were going to transfer 2 until we were actually signing the forms before they did it. Bit of confusion and panic and my behalf, but they explained that they had weighed up the risks of multiples and viability against the risk of it not working at all, so I presumed there was something dodgy about the embryos then and just went along with it. So I thought it was because they had developed quicker than they were expecting? They had divided into 12 by the time they put them in.

They also said that 2 fertilising from 9 was a good result? Maybe they were just being nice to me!! I suppose we will get a chance to ask all these questions if it doesn't work. I am not very hopeful this time, to be honest - just pleased to have come this far and actually had some embryos. That was my goal for this cycle! Also, I have been really ill, so not giving it a fighting chance.

Feel shit on the progesterone as well now. Moan moan moan!

So let me see if I understand correct. So of the 9 eggs, 3 were not suitable to attempt fertilisation (immature or whatever reason)? Or was it that they tried natural IVF on the remaining 3 eggs but that didn't work?

What day transfer did you have when they were at 12 cells?

I know you don't feel very positive but from an outside perspective, it all sounds very promising to me. Have you heard of a hormone called early pregnancy factor? It causes your immune system to drop down a gear so that your body won't reject the embryo's when they try to implant. You often hear of women getting colds or flu's when they get pregnant and I guess this is why. So I am taking your cold as a good sign! Not that I want to get your hopes up because I have been there and know how hard you come crashing down?

Yeah, of the 9 eggs, only 6 were suitable for ICSI. They didn't try natural IVF (natural! Ha!) at all.
So then only 2 fertilised.
We had a day 3 transfer - they told us this would be the case when they rang about the embryos.

Obviously have googled the hell out of everything because I have been off sick, and the jury is out about the 12 cell division thing. On the one hand, a lot of opinion seems to say that if it is at 12 by day 3, the embryo is dividing so quickly it will 'burn out'. The fact that they put both in, in a clinic that has a one embryo transfer policy, makes me think this is the case with ours. On the other hand, some thoughts are that between 8 and 12 is a promising sign of good development.

Again, if they had put in one, I would be a lot more confident! But you never know, eh?

I hadn't heard the sickness thing: interesting! Although it was sort of brewing on the day of ET, tbh, when I look back.

I have sort of resigned myself that this cycle is a dummy run. Not being negative on purpose; I am kind of at peace with that.

What stage are you at now, shellster?

Haven't heard of the burn out theory. After my 2nd IVF where the embryo's were only at 2 cells on day 2 transfer and I was told they should be at 4, then I got a BFN I thought that quicker meant better. As you say, something must be on their minds for them to decide on 2 if their usual policy is 1. Guess you will know soon enough! Have you plucked up the courage to do a home pregnancy test?

I am starting IVF AGAIN next cycle. Usually a poor responder so I am trialling viagra pessaries this round in the hope that it gets more blood to my reproductive organs and hence more follicles for IVF next cycle. Something different to give me new hope.

Did they do ultrasound guided transfer on you Eggsie?? My last clinic didn't and on top of that, trainees did the transfers! So next cycle I am paying top $ for a more expensive IVF clinic. Hoping this helps. Can only try.

Eggs I had two rubbish embies transferred the same day as you. Tested today and bfn.
Have you tested yet? Have abandoned all hope.

Oh no, onelittlebugbear! That's disappointing. Is it not too early to test though?
I am not testing until the weekend

I was told to test on the 16th, so am going one day early on the 15th as DH is away on a work trip from Sunday onwards.

Don't feel any symptoms, don't feel 'pregnant', so have sort of set it aside, tbh. When that is confirmed, I am going to go out with my friends and drink shed loads of red wine! Could murder a glass right now!

No, shellster, they didn't do ultrasound. So many questions to ask for next time! I would be pissed off about the trainee. Fair enough, they need experience, but why risk it on someone who has been through the mill like you? The Viagra sounds, er, interesting! Hope it makes the difference.

So now I am wondering why the hell I haven't tested yet!! Dammit. Would it show?

Have you resisted the urge to test Eggsie? So now it is 11 days past fertilisation right? There seems to be no set date for when a home test comes up positive. Some have a faint line by now so you could test and get a positive and have the anxiousness over with, or you could get a false negative, get depressed, chugg down a bottle of red, then find out later you are!?!?!

I took a first response which reckons it is 98% reliable by three days before your period - bfn. Tbh our embies weren't great, I didn't feel very positive about the cycle from the start.

I've stopped the progesterone. It was giving me stomach cramps and I can't see the point in taking it any longer!

Yeah, I will be glad to stop the progesterone as well - it is not pleasant! Are you going to test again in a few days?

I am not testing until Saturday as that BFN is hard to see, but I will have to accept it then. If I do it before then, I will still be thinking 'maybe it's just too early?' - and you're right shellster I wouldn't be able to enjoy drinking my vat of red wine!

After Sat is another matter, of course

I am so sorry bugbear. I have been through 3 IVF failures so I know the heartbreak. Was that your first IVF. Do you get any more funded or what is your plan from here? I always found it helpful to have a back up plan to help stop me falling in a heap if things failed. Although I am starting IVF again next cycle and am all out of back up plan ideas so I am not even thinking about the outcome. Anything you have learned from your IVF and can teach me to improve my odds for next time????

Will be thinking of you on Saturday Eggsi. Somehow I just feel it in my bones that you are pregnant. Don't know why. Maybe because I found an email penpal and then she got pregnant on her next IVF. Then I started a thread here on mumsnet when I did my last IVF and everyone got pregnant but me. So I just feel like I throw out BFP vibes and everyone I speak to gets pregnant. Lets see if I can continue the BFP vibe on you...

Well, an just lying in bed waiting for DH to wake up so that we can test. Have had a shit night's sleep! Lots of AF en route symptoms and no pg-type symptoms at all, so am dreading doing the test, tbh.
Also have a christening party to go to later today - think I may have food poisoning or something...
Will post the result (pointless post, this - am going a bit mad!)

I am in Australia so different time zone to you. Going off to bed now and will wake up and be checking for your post!

Bloody hell, Shellster. You were right.
BFP.
Am shaking. Never, ever expected this.
In shock!