Anyone starting IVF soon? Join me.

[Shellster52]

After 3 full failed IVF's last year, I am about to embark on my second last attempt. I started an IVF thread during my last IVF, and everyone got pregnant but me. So I swore I wouldn't do that again this time. But I find myself wanting to chat with people going through what I am, so I am starting the thread again. Join me as I seem to be a BFP magnet!

Okay, that worked. (Must have just been too sleep-deprived to get it right. I spent that last two nights on the sofa because DH is away and the dog was distraught. Last night, ds woke up from a nightmare and went crazy because he couldn't find me!)

I guess it's already Wednesday for you, Shellster, so hoping that today goes well for you. I don't think I'm going to do the ERG thing....I fear it would just be one more thing to obsess about and not be good for RaLG! But to answer your question, my clinic tests oestradial before confirming that you should trigger, but not throughout stims.

Blue - you sound so much like me....I'm not very good at sensible, obedient either! I'm taking aspirin the whole time. I started a month or so ago, after the failed FET, the consultant just recommended I start taking it and carry on for the foreseeable.

Good luck, Annie

Welcome GoBig

Thank you Missing Words

Shellster fingers crossed that things went well for you today

It's all happening on here since I last posted.

I take 600mg CoQ10 daily Blue. The first IVF was a disaster with my lone embryo not surviving to day two transfer. I then started CoQ10 amongst other supplements and have seen improvement in embryo quality with each IVF cycle since. To me, it is something natural that you have at least there's no harm in it. It isn't controversial like Aspirin so

Orange... you seemed to do really well with egg production during your IVF cycle. 11 follicles between 17 and 21 is very co-ordinated growth and 4 blasts is more than most end with. Albeit, that's not reassurance if you have two transferred and get a BFN. Is it rude to ask how old you are.

Purple, you are so right. I forgot about the RaLG philosophy the last few days as I gear up for EC. Thanks for the reminder. Breathe.

My lining was 10.1 today. Perfect. I had 8 follicles that will potentially produce an egg with the largest being 24, and the two smallest at 11 and 5 somewhere in between that size. I think the 24 will be overmature and break apart with ICSI again as that's what happened last time. And I don't know that the two 11's will contain a mature egg. So that leaves 5 potential eggs. EC is scheduled for Friday morning. Here I go...

That all sounds encouraging Shellster. Good luck for Friday. x

Thanks so much should. All out of my hands now. Just a waiting game.

Five is good, Shellster, five is good. And it could be six, seven or eight...

...Blue - I've just realised that my last post was a bit ambiguous: although I'm not very good at obedient, in the case of aspirin, I am in fact doing exactly what the Dr told me!

On another note, does anyone else here shop around for their drugs, or do you just get them from your clinic? For my fresh cycle and for the FET, ASDA was quite a bit cheaper - it made £123 difference in the fresh cycle (more than paid for my endo scratch!). Interestingly, this time round, I've just phoned and although most of the drugs are still cheaper at ASDA, the Gonal F is way more expensive (£141 instead of £108 per syringe!). I can't be bothered to get some drugs from one place and others from another, so I'm just going to get the lot from the clinic this time.

shellster five sounds really good to me .

I think I will start taking the CQ10 again first thing in morning. Might as well use them up.

Shellster I'm pleased for you... five or more would be great, right? Good news.

Thanks for the tips regarding aspirin etc. I'm going to check with my gastroenterologist (due to crohns disease) then get started. I'm also going to give the cq10 a whirl. Purple I've heard asda are good... my hospital refers people to 'healthcare at home'. Not sure how they compare but I thought their prices seemed pretty good.

Hi all! I am new to this and am reading all your posts to try and keep positive! Good luck to everyone!

Yes, will be okay with 5 eggs. The day after is what I am dreading... when they tell me how many little embryos I have; and then watch the one/two I am left with arrest as they culture to day 5. You guys on here that have been through IVF always seem have good fert rate and always at least to get to transfer, so I guess it is the 2ww that you hate and then the BFN. But for me, this is where it all falls apart so it's the next few days I dread.

With my poor history, I had the option of taking FSH at same time as trigger (recent research shows it improves oocyte competency and fertilization rate). I took the trigger at 11.30pm last night, but go so caught up in making sure I mixed it right, I forgot the FSH! Injected it this morning (8 hours later) when I remembered! Wondering if I should have just left it out as per standard IVF protocol and have now done more harm than good? So paranoid now that I have ruined everything and I have added extra dread that Saturdays phone call will bring bad news.

I know no-one can provide any answers right now and it's just a waiting game. Just need to vent so thanks for listening. Oh, if only I could drink alcohol right now! What does R7LG mean again?!

Annie - I'm in the US, so not sure how easy it is to get Ubiquinol in the UK, I ordered mine off Amazon though. The first bottle I had was the same 'Doctor's best' brand which you've got of CoQ10 though, so will be surprised if it is unavailable. I am obviously of the 'take everything' school of thought, and I suppose I don't know if it actually helped or not. But I certainly got more eggs and better fertilization than I thought I would. So would take the same again next time - if there is a next time.

The number of attempts I will be able to make will be limited too - though in my case by finances rather than by age - so I am desperately trying to do everything I can which might help to maximize my chances.

Best of luck with your cycle. I hope you get lucky.

Thank you for the link to that article on steroids in IVF blue - I had no idea it was something unproven which US doctors just do. I did ask what it was for when it was prescribed, and my nurse said it might help with implantation, so I obediently took it. But if my FET fails and I have to start another fresh cycle I will certainly research it a bit and then query their use of it.

Thanks for the welcome purple there is really a color scheme of posters emerging on this thread now!

Hi Shellster, no it isn't rude to ask how I old I am. I'm 33, so still sort of spring chickeny And yes, my doctor was thrilled with how well my ovaries had managed to work during the cycle, and said he really had thought once he'd done a lovely smooth transfer for me I would surely get pregnant first cycle. Alas he was wrong. It could well have been that my lining wasn't really good enough or something though, as I don't grow lovely thick womb upholstery like yours! I guess we've all got problem points in this whole process which we struggle to get past even with all these interventions.

Hopefully this will be your successful cycle - I think it is about time you were rewarded for your persistence!

I got my meds for my FET delivered today, and as I was checking that the pharmacy had sent me everything they were supposed to, I looked at the big fat evil needles and was reminded of how much I hate doing the big progesterone injections in my butt.

The little subcutaneous jabs in my stomach for down-reg/stim are fine and don't bother me at all, but the intramuscular ones really do suck.

Still, I actually did it to myself by being a penny pincher, as it was $17 for a 2 week supply of progesterone in oil with needles, or $220 for 2 weeks worth of Crinone progesterone pessaries. No contest really... It had better be worth it this time though!

What a difference in price Orange! I am in Aust and I paid a set price for all IVF treatment which luckily included Crinone instead of needles for my butt. So do you know how thick your lining was during your fresh IVF cycle? I have never had a day 5 blast and really thought once I got to that stage, I was on the home stretch and would be pregnant. You have me worried with 2 blasts and still a BFN - right after Blue on here had the same experience. So I guess I am just looking for reasons why yours failed so I don't spend the 2ww in panic mode that I will suffer the same fate.

Personally, I usually also have a thin lining when it is measured during IVF cycles too. And my period barely lasts two days. My Dr did 'the scratch' procedure a couple of cycles ago so I think that is the reason for my thicker than usual lining this IVF cycle if it is any help to you.

Okay, going to get ready to go to hospital and lay some eggs.

Okay, I know I was last to post, but just need to vent about my dreadful day.

I had 17 follicles at last scan, but was realistic in thinking they would get 8 eggs counting from two 11mm follicles and bigger, but perhaps the two 11's would be immature leaving 6.

Dr comes in before EC who I remember well from two years ago when I waited two hours to see him at a reproductive clinic for him to spend literally about a minute with me, cutting me short and getting me out the door. Now he is here doing my EC. I instantly felt dread that this was his personality and he would not be thorough with procedure. He chatted with me before procedure today in the same manner.

After EC, I am told 4 eggs of which only 1 was mature. Last time the EC Dr came out after procedure and spoke with me so I thought this would happen again and I could ask if he only found 4 follicles, or if only a few were flushed, but no, this Dr not to my surprise had to rush off.

I know that IVF brings with it a lot of emotions but even that aside, I find it hard to believe with a 24mm follicle, a few 18s and 19s, that he flushed all my follicles when all he got was 1 mature egg. Feel like I have wasted thousands.

Will get a call tomorrow to see if it fertilised.

Shellster I'm so sad to read this. You must be feeling utterly miserable. It's terrible that this doctor didn't give you any feedback or reassurance after such an unusual result. Given your previous history it's the very least he could have done - makes me mad!! I have my fingers crossed that this egg will fertilise and grow. Please don't lose hope. That said, whatever happens, I really do think you should complain about what happened. The clinic needs to be made aware of his bedside manner and spending 5-10 minutes with a distressed post-op patient shouldn't even be a matter for discussion.

Sending you some positive vibes - you're still in the running here, don't forget that x

Oh Shellster, I am so sorry you got such a disappointing outcome, and then didn't even get a chance to have your questions about the collection answered. That is disgraceful behavior from the doctor and demonstrates a certain lack of care for his patients. It must be tough having to explain to patients that the outcome of their retrieval isn't what had been hoped for, but it's part of his job surely? So ducking out on it is unacceptable. I would be having words with the clinic and letting them know I was feeling very let down.

Here's hoping that one little egg is The One though.

Thanks Blue and Orange. I did call the clinic after my vent here, thinking that I should resolve my concerns instead of spending the rest of the day (or my life) resentful. It took a lot of insistence from me but they did get him to telephone me. He couldn't even actually remember how many follicles he flushed though so I still didn't know if he only flushed four follicles or flushed more but the rest were empty.

Have since done some Dr Googling and have found my problem. Trigger injection matures follicles and releases them from follicle wall. When the trigger injection doesn't work/is done incorrectly, the result is fewer eggs than follicles and immature eggs.... exactly my case. The trigger (Pregnyl) really hurt to inject and left a painful red lump under my skin. So I really think this was my issue. I did everything according to instructions so no idea what went wrong - will ask nurse when I get a phone call tomorrow with update. At least that has helped me feel better towards clinic, but still feeling frustrated that I had best follicle response to date and then trigger doesn't work. I can't afford this waste of thousands of dollars.

Sorry for all the long me me me posts lately. I really do feel better venting here so excuse me while I get through this week.

Hi shellster, not sure if you remember me, I was on this thread back in April/May. I have followed this thread and felt so sad when I read your post today. I am very sorry you had a bad experience, it is totally unacceptable behaviour from the doctor/clinic! Even if he didn't have much time after, he should have given whoever escorted you to EC a full rundown immediately after when it was fresh in his mind. Good on you for following it up with the clinic, they absolutely need to know how their patients are left feeling.

Sending you a big hug, Shellster - this is so wrong, what a coward your doctor is. I am hurting for you, after all you have been through. But as Blue and Orange said - we're rooting for that one being THE one. xxx

Hello again Liquorice, hope life's being kind to you.

Sorry to say it, but your doctor sounds a bit useless to me Shellster if he can't even remember what he did (or didn't) do for you. Are you planning to try another cycle if your one little egg from this cycle doesn't come through for you?

If you are, is there any way you can request that you have a doctor you have some confidence in for such a sensitive procedure? Not sure how your clinic works though, and if that is remotely practical.

I was interested in the way you seem to manage to grow some decent follicles but not then get the eggs from them, so also did a little consulting of Dr Google too and found an article which I thought was interesting.

haveababy.com/fertility-information/ivf-authority/repeated-ivf-failure-due-empty-follicles-poor-egg-quality-case-report

So if you haven't already adjusted your protocol to something similar to what is described in the article it might be worth a go? Apologies if that is an article you have already seen before.

Or it could as you say be a problem with the trigger shot itself. Are they giving you enough of it? If you are reacting badly to one type of trigger are they giving you a different one next time? Gosh IVF is such a minefield!

Good luck today Shellster... feel like I've written that so many times on this forum, I really hope this is the one. Fingers crossed. Orange interesting article, I haven't heard that before.

Good luck Shellster - praying for you that this is the one. X

Yes I remember you Liquorice. How are you getting on?

That's very sweet of you Orange to be researching on my behalf. My issue isn't that I usually produce several follicles and not get eggs. Usually my body tends to get 3-4 dominant mature follicles rather than the 10-15 lots of other women get, but each mature follicle always contains a mature egg. This was the first time I had 8 mature follicles, and yet get only 1 mature egg. I have done this trigger before no problem-but I injected it at 90 degrees like all the rest of the injections. This time I followed IVF clinic instruction sheet to inject at 45 degrees. The fact that this time it was difficult and painful to inject the trigger and that I had a hard sore swollen lump the next day tells me that injecting it at 45 degrees this time instead of 90 degrees like last time has meant it has gone into my skin/fat rather than straight into my circulatory system and taken longer than 36 hours to reach my ovaries.

I was really wanting day 5 transfer so I could know which embryo had made it that far and then all it has to do is implant at day 6. But now with just one, transfer has been brought forward to tomorrow morning - day 3. Will get a call if it dies before hand.

How frustrating, all that trauma of IVF and a simple detail makes a big difference. On the positive side, it has made it to day 2, no reason it won't make it to day 3. Fingers crossed for you, let us know how you get on tomorrow.

I am good thanks, ended up having two fresh cycles both with bfns and just got my bfp from a frozen cycle.

Whoop whoop liquorice. A lot of people seem to get a BFN from the fresh cycle, yet get a BFP from the FET. Do you feel quite relaxed now or are you just panicking that something will go wrong after all the effort you went through to get where you are? I am telling myself once I Finally get a BFP, I deserve to relax and enjoy it... but I bet I won't. So just curious how you find it.

Yes, all the effort and a simple wrong instruction means one egg instead of eight. Not just effort but $$$$ - big $$$$. Anyway, trying to put that out of my mind for now and focus on this one. Will update again tomorrow morning once the embryo is safely inside.