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

Did anyone still have spotting once they had starting their stimms? If so how long did it last? The nurse said it's normal but would have thought it would be over by now never had AF this long before.

shellster my next scan is next Thursday so fingers crossed it's still all good. Had to do my first still today wasn't too bad but having to do 2 injections everyday is no fun.

Did anyone have any side effects on gonal f that I should look out for or tips to avoid them?

Hi everyone. Well, my scan wasn't great. Nurse said follicles are growing but very slowly. She spoke to the consultant who said to up my dose (again!) and so I'm now on 450 of Menopur when I started off at 150! I'm back on Monday but I'm at the point now were I've had enough. I thought this bit would be easier (I do have pcos after all!) but doesn't seem like it's meant to be I will keep going and hopefully my ovaries will start to realise what they should be doing!

Hope everyone's well

Awww, Leopard I'm really sorry to hear that. How many days have you been stimming for now?

I had a real crisis moment after about 6 days of stims but the little chaps got their act together in the end...

Can they add a bit of Gonal-f in there too?

I know how dispiriting it feels though, completely out of your hands

I've been stimming for 12 days now she just keeps saying I have a lot of potential so she's not giving up yet. They don't actually tell you much though do they so don't really know how many I've got or what size they are. Will just have to keep fingers crossed. Feels like the world is against us, 4 and half years with not a sniff of a bpf and I can't even grow some follicles. Well and truly depressing sorry for my moan!

Oh, Leopard, I'm sorry to hear that. That's really tough - no doubt you expected to have some embies in a petrie dish by now! Was your down-regging too intense? Did it put the ovaries into hibernate mode, and now they're having a hard time waking up? If I were you I would ask for more information next time - I think most women are told how many follicles they have, and what size they are, and they should share this with you. Not that it makes a huge difference, but knowing more might help you feel better.

But you shouldn't look on this as a failure - if it's anyone's failure it's the docs for not getting it right! But the first cycle is always a learning process, so if this doesn't work they might decide to hold off on this cycle, and start again with a short protocol. Either way, it's not over yet - you'll get there eventually!

(sorry, Whittle, no spotting advice to share, hope it stops soon).

fx they get their act together leopard

AF has turned up 2 days early so looks like I'll definitely be joining you all with the stabbing party. waiting to hear back from clinic.

Whittle I didn't have any spotting either, not any side effects from the Gonal-f. I found the cetrotide injections quite itchy though...

Eeeeeeek!

Just had call from Clinic, I have to report at 7am on Monday for EC!

Yikes!

yay battery that's so early in the morning exciting. good luck for lots of eggs!

Good luck battery at least you have the weekend to prepare, hopefully you can relax and not be too nervous

Whittle when I was down regging my period lasted for 9 days of taking stimms - I thought I might still be bleeding when they collected the eggs! But it did eventually stop.

Thanks everyone for the words of encouragement. And that's excellent battery, good luck!

So it seems i overlooked the pessaries. Checked the diagram the nurse did and it says 2 weeks of pessaries after EC. Got my appt to learn how to inject today. Going in on 16th. Gulp!

Morning ladies hope everyone is having a good weekend

Does anyone know what exercise is ok to do whilst stimming? I normally walk lots but the weather is so awful don't really fancy it. Does anyone know if yoga is ok?

whittle not sure what rules apply wilw swimming but for general ttc its OK to do exercise you already partake in. I guess if you are used to walking something low intensity like yoga would be OK but that's just imo.

auto correct fail. while stimming! not swimming!

That's true lildottie, think I'll give it a go. When do you start injecting?

28th December whittle. bcp starts tomorrow. must remember to take it! have to say its a bit odd having bcp next to folic acid on my bedside table

At least you are on you way now which is good

yep, let the fun commence! have my fridge full of healthy food ready to get started on my self constructed ivf diet and will be starting some exercise up again this week too.

lildottie, I am like you. Was never into mind over matter but will try anything for this IVF to work. All past IVF attempts have been based on research articles and while I have seen improvements in IVF outcomes from taking this advice, still no BFP. So the last thing to add is the mental stuff. Quite tricky. Easy to eat an avocado - harder to listen to a hypnosis CD and allow yourself to zone out. Hard to think positive when all you know is failure. But like you I will try anything. Can I ask, what is a neak plan that Zita West recommended???? Also, whats on your IVF diet menu? I am doing high protein low carb but would love any extra tips from info you have read.

Any more news Leapordspots? When is your next scan? Like the others say, it's really the clinic to blame for not getting your protocol right rather than you blaming your body. Is there a reason they put you on Menopur instead of Gonal F/Puregon with your PCOS? I thought that meant you already produce excess LH and therefore, Menopur would be avoided? Perhaps at least a question to ask and something new to try for your next IVF if this one gets cancelled. Always helped me to have a plan B up my sleeve while doing IVF in case things didn't work out.

Speaking of having a plan B, Smidge, that is an awfully long time to bleed 9 days into stimms - and I gather, not normal for you. Could this have affected the outcome? Do you know your lining thickness at the day of trigger? I have reading that 9 or 10 to 14mm correlates with optimal implantation success. I am so sorry things didn't work out. This will be my 9th IVF attempt so I know all about the pain of failure.

As for me, today is CD22. Time has been going glacial slow but it finally feels like my IVF cycle isn't too far away. Taking estrogen twice daily now in preparation so it feels like I'm doing something, but just wanting to get to my first scan to see that my follicles are growing more evenly on my new protocol as this has been an issue in the past. So wanting to get past that hurdle.

shell I bought mp3 of a bonnie groessl relaxation CD and also a sleep one. relaxing without being weird and not too expensive. As for food I will be alternating between weerabix and porridge for breakfast. will have banna on the weetabix and I've done stewed rhubarb and strawberry to go in the porridge. have made carrot and lentil soup for lunch but will also have things like cheese and mushroom omelette, mozzarella melon and parma ham salad. dinners include cod salsa with avocado, spinach lasagne, salmon and pea frittata, bean enchiladas, roasted chicken with roasted veg, chicken and sweet potato curry. snack will be fruit, dried fruit, seeds, ryvita with things like mashed avocado and salmon or peanut butter and banana, peanut butter on wholemeal toast, natural yoghurt. I've tried to get at least 1 portion of full fat dairy in per day (by including the yoghurt and switching to full fat milk on my breakfast), 3 whole grains (brown rice/pasta, ryvita, wholewheat wraps) and 2 portions of fish a week. will make that 2 oily fish when I find more recipes but not a fish lover so a bit tricky! I'm trying to include at least 1 avocado a week and more if I can. its going to be tough to stick to but I'm feeling pretty determined atm so fx I can keep it up.
also trying to increase the water in take and coupling that with the positive thinking of imagining the water plumping up my ovaries

not sure what you mean by "neak" plan, haven't finished book yet

It was you that wrote 'I am devising a neak plan'. It's on the very last post of the previous page/page 13. Perhaps it was a typo? Perhaps there is some other plan you are devising?

The diet sounds very healthy, thanks for all the tips. My diet is actually a bit different to yours in that I am trying high protein / low carb, so while you are trying to include whole grains, I am going out of my way to avoid them. I am having Ryvitas though as I pile the avocado on them. Is the diet based on advice from Zita West or any specific research to include these food in particular? Sorry for all the questions... this will be my 9th IVF attempt so you can see why I am trying to do everything as perfect as possible to finally get it right!

ahh think I meant meal lol!!

In the Zita book it lists examples of recommended foods next to each vitamin so I made a list of them all and tried to include as many as I could across the week. I'm trying to up the protein and cut the carbs but I struggle with no carbs. Zita says to eat carbs with protein to stop them causing spikes in blood sugar as much, and also the whole grains don't affect blood sugar like refined carbs. can't remember if it was in Zita but read somewhere "slow carbs not no carbs". I think the high protein low carb idea comes from the blood sugar spikes issue so following a low GI diet and eating regularly is fundamental to getting it right. Zita also said to not eat too much red meat so I'm limiting to 1 meal a week, and am also having 1 meat free night. I seem to have bought a lot of cheese, but I guess that's protein! lol

I'm trying to get out of the habit of having a carb on my plate at dinner but that's tough. I once saw Jamie Oliver suggest chopping cauliflower up really small and covering with cling film then microwave for seven minutes before serving instead of rice. hadn't tried it with a curry yet but had it with salmon burgers and was nice.

I also read something about avoiding heating olive oil where you can, is for a said just put it on as it is as it dies something to the fats when heated.

I also read somewhere that although full fat dairy is recommended for women its not recommended for men as has opposite effect on fertility.

Zita says to choose decaff drinks using a water (?) method to remove caffeine because of chemicals used to remove it in others so I'm trying to reduce my decaff tea intake to 2 a day as part of increasing the water.

hope this is helpful!

Yes, very helpful dottie and thank you. I actually got the high protein low carb idea from a study that showed women who ate least 25% protein and less than 40% carbs daily for I think two months prior to IVF and during the IVF cycle increased the percentage of embryos that make it to blast from the average of 30% up to 50%. They then had women with poor embryo quality follow this diet and repeat IVF and the same result occurred. I don't make many eggs during IVF stimming - the most I ever got was 5 mature over my 8 attempts. So I figure if quantity is low, hopefully I can at least improve quality.

Thanks for the reminder about the olive oil. I have actually made stir fries with this but remember it becoming bad in some way once heated... going to research this now.