Starting IVF/ICSI this month - anyone want to join the journey?

[Rumplestrumpet]

After over 2.5 years TTC, we're FINALLY about to start our fertility treatment this month (ICSI). My nurse and husband forbade me from chats and forums, but after following MN threads over recent years I think it would be a great help to share the experience with those going through the same thing.

Anyone else want to share the joys/terrors of belly injections, hormonal madness and a series of medical professionals poking around your nether regions?! And, of course, hopefully a BFP at the end of it all

A line is definitely a line - I've seen enough pics on MN to know that (sadly not from my own experience!) AND no AF is no AF... So congratulations rumples!!!! That is fantastic news .

Thanks guys, great advice from you all. I'll certainly look into some of those options tomorrow. Rumple; yep I'm not impressed with my clinic to be honest; communication very poor! But rumple; you have a faint line! I'm very hopeful! Pray for good news for you tomorrow.

Battery ; I'd def continue if I was you. I had the decision to make a while ago. Had 7 follicles. It turned out they contained 7 mature eggs, all fertilised. 7 made it to day 4, 3 made it to day 5, 1 transferred back in and 2 frozen.
I've been told fewer eggs tend to be higher quality and more likely to reach blastocysts.
Obviously it's a hard decision to make, but I'd go for it. Good luck. Hope it goes well whatever you decide :)

Hi there, looking for confirmation of your positive result rumples. I need cheering up as I've had my usual pre-AF belly ache all day. Definitely not the same as the mild cramping from the progesterone, this is way too familiar. . I'm so disappointed. After the ET went so much better than first time round I was feeling hopeful. I know you'll all tell me it's not over til it's over, but as ever it doesn't look as if I'll even make it into the same week as OTD. The run up to my period always takes a standard path of belly ache a week before, then 5-7 days of spotting/light flow and a day of more painful period pain before the official 'day 1'. Would be nice to make it to OTD (as effectively, if I made it that far I'd know I must be pregnant).
C'est la vie.

I shall take joy from tail and rumples and their wonderful news though, I am truly so excited for you . And FX I'll be able to join you in pregnancy threads at some point over the next 8 months!

Thank you so much everyone for the congratulations. My ovaries aren’t quite over the EC yet so I’m still in quite a lot of discomfort which is stopping me getting properly excited! But in a week and a bit DH and I are going on holiday, which I think will help us adjust to what’s going on. Even if I won’t be drinking!

Rumple, I really hope your second test has a proper line, and that yesterday was a sign of good things… my fingers are crossed for you.

Nutty, gosh, two back, how exciting – good luck with the two week wait!! Hope you’ve got things lined up to do so you don’t just have to think about it.

Seb, I’m SO sorry about that dreadful bill surprise. I think it’s the five year bit of the freezing that surprises me the most. Our freezies are expensive, a couple of hundred a year I think, but we only pay a year at a time – thank god, because we’re in the same boat as you, we just couldn’t pay all that at once on top of everything else.

My clinic didn’t even give me a PG test, they just said “off you go and good luck”. As far as they’re concerned their job was done at ET! Had to buy my own stick to wee on. Though honestly I’m so over needles, bit of a relief…

BatteryPoweredHen (like the name, by the way, think we’re all feeling a bit like that) – you’ve got to do what feels right for you, but FWIW, I think follicle numbers can go up between scans quite a lot. But eight is a good number I think… we’ve all been going by the mantra “you only need one egg” and I really agree. I think I’d continue in your shoes… but Smidge is right, ask your clinic, mine talked about increasing doses at one point if the response wasn’t high enough.

And Smidge, really good luck to you too, I hope the cramps are a false symptom. Good luck x

Well it seems you are a smart bunch - a line IS a line, and after peeing on 3 sticks AND a blood test showing 700 hcg levels, it appears I am actually pregnant ! I honestly can't believe it - it definitely hasn't sunk in yet - I've had no symptoms ! I was sure I was getting my period...

So don't give up hope Smidge - you have to stay positive - we're all rooting for you!

I'm off to flick through the pregnancy book that's been gathering dust for 3 years in the hope it'll start to become more real...

Thanks for your wonderful support and encouragement ladies, I'm praying this will be the most successful IVF thread Mumsnet has ever known!

congrats again rumples. bet you'll be peeing on a lot more sticks in the weeks to come until it sinks in! I'm interested to know what happens next re clinic, do they just discharge you now or do any other scans? and will they keep you on the prog? please keep us posted.

smidge look at rumples 90% certain AF was arriving! you have to remember your not in a normal cycle, you've been fed hormones so you can't trust your body. I assume otd is optimum test date? when is it? we'll help keep you sane until then!

Congratulations Rumple!!!!!

Official test date (I think that's the term) is 14th Nov. A good 6 days away yet.
Thanks for your positive vibes all the same.
rumples you were sure you had normal pre menstrual feelings weren't you? I am scared every time I go to the loo as I have had what normal pre-AF belly ache all day. Traditionally this means spotting will continue to appear over the coming days.

smidge just remember AF symptoms are exactly the same as pregnancy hormones because progesterone causes both. and you've been fed progesterone! it can go either way but until you have full blown AF or a second line there is no point trying yo second guess it. have faith.

Yes Smidge I was adamant it hadn't worked, it felt exactly like pre-AF cramps, heaviness, etc. Seriously, I was so convinced that I didn't recognise the line on the test - looking at it now, it is CLEARLY a double line positive, but last night I was so sure I was about to get my period that I just didn't believe the line! Part of me feels silly - I thought I knew my body pretty well, and just thought I would KNOW when I was pregnant, but in reality the whole IVF process, drugs, pessaries, it all plays tricks on you.

Congratulations rumple ! So so pleased for you, you must be over the moon

Thanks also for the support yesterday...I've had a chat with my consultant and we are continuing with a slightly increased dose of gonal f. Next scan on Monday, so hopefully a few more follies will have hot their acts together . Started cetrotide too now and aiming for EC fir or sat next week (eek) all feeling a bit real now!

I hope everyone else is well and where they want to be in their progress...

Huge congratulations rumple. Enjoy this special time and take care of yourself. All the very best :) xx

Battery im pleased you came to a decision you were happy with, I think to be fair that keeping positive and feeling comfortable and confident with your decision is the most important thing.

I know it's a lot of money as we are in the same boat as you but my thought if it was me would be potentially that it could be the same at every cycle and they say it's quality not quantity and it only takes one!!

I hope your scan on Monday goes well....I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.

tails and rumples can I ask for a reminder of what your fertility issues were and did you have ivf or icsi? just intruiged and trying to draw parallels to your bfps so I can gain PMA about my own impending stabbing

Haha, of course lildottie . We discovered that DH had poor quality sperm after about a year TTC. We did 3 different tests, saw 3 different docs, each told us ICSI was our only option. I can't remember the results exactly, but it was poor motility and poor morphology and low sperm count I think. We also had to rule out any problems on my side, and there were none (regular ovulation, tubes fine, hormone levels normals etc).
Given that all signs on my side were good, we were told ICSI should work for us, but opf course we're always clear that we'd probably need a few rounds.

That was my reasoning too frazoz if it were the same next cycle too! and I had abandoned this one I would be gutted.

Tails and rumples, I love hearing about your success - I know that rationally it has no bearing on my own chances but it really makes me smile to think of you having your lovely Christmases with your little beans on board, so happy for you

Random ! In there - pesky iPad

Rumples and tail, can I be reeeeealy rude and ask how old you are and what your AMH is please?

Thanks rumples. I've spent a day googling and seen that pink tinged remnants of crinone gel is very common, but I can't shake the feeling that the type of pain I was getting yesterday was my normal pre-AF, and being coupled with the pink colouring (which I had last time and a BFN) means I am going to be a very unhappy bunny in a couple of days. But I will try to believe.... Aargh, it's so hard.

Are you doing daily pee sticks now to watch the line getting darker? I know I would I am imagining you walking around the house with a big smile on your face!

thanks rumples. we have similar issues. dh has low morph and motility but good count. I'm OK with amh 40 so hoping we will get lucky first go as we only get one cycle funded here. we've been told success 35% likely which seems low but I'm hoping that my being fine and our ages (I'm 29 dh 32) raise the chances above that average).

Hey, lildottie. We were unexplained infertility after 2 and a bit years of trying. IVF, rather than ICSI.

BatteryPoweredHen, I don't know my AMH, but I'm 35. DH is 34. Thanks for the kind words :)

Just popped on Rumples to say CONGRATULATIONS! Well done to you for getting there! Wish you all the health and happiness over the next 9 months - definitely make the most of lazing around! x

Many thanks Allchat , I just wish we could all have BFPs! I'm hoping your next go will bring you the BFP you deserve.

Hen - We're both 34 and I had a very high AMH, around 40 I think. I know it's not rational, but when we first started treatment last month I googled "sucess rates first round of IVF" - I just had to know it was possible. I think we all have to come into this with our eyes open on the chances of success, but if you don't have any hope then I don't see how You can get through it.

Of course now I have to recognise that there's still a chance I won't make it to the 8 week scan, and so I'm just going to enjoy this while it lasts.

Sending everyone positive vibes!

Hi everybody, so sorry I've not been on for a while. I've been lurking every now and again but have been too busy to properly respond.

Some fantastic news rumples and tail and sorry it was unsuccessful allchat, hope you're well. Fingers crossed for those in the 2ww and those in the process.

So, I've been stimming for 7 days and had my first scan today which showed I wasn't responding as well as they would like, but I have potential (the nurse mentioned 7 possible follicles on one side and 9 on the other). So they've doubled my dose of Menopur and I go back on Wednesday which will be day 10. Has anybody experience of a slow response? I believe you had some issues stimming too battery? Was originally looking at egg collection the end if this week but now they're not sure on the approx. date. Things are never easy are they?!

I'm pretty stressed with work at the minute so don't know if that's having an impact but trying to remain positive!