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

rumples unfortunately January is out as I'll still be in England - which means timing pushes it out to late February. V annoying. I'd been banking on already being pregnant when I booked these flights!

Allchat yes I do always spot between ovulation and my period, but usually just for 1 week prior to AF whereas the month after my first IVF the spotting started the day after ovulation, so a full 2 weeks! But I was short protocol last time, and long this round, so maybe that will make a difference . So frustrating things aren't straight forward. I'm more and more convinced my issue is immune related, and that I'll try the predisolone (sp?) next time.

whittle yes I'm self funded too - am in Aus so the government contributes partially but all in all it costs a fortune!! Still, at least there's no waiting list.

So smidge where are you in your cycle now? And when are you next due on? I'm a bit confused. Are you spotting now then?

I'm not being offered any drugs for the natural FEt cycle. I've just looked up prednisolone online as I'm self funded but going through hospital so even getting to speak to consultant before next Monday would be hard and I doubt they'd give me prescription. So...looked online and you can buy it online without prescription and its in the erectile dysfunction section! Is that weird? I'm definitely looking at right thing on website called greAter London pharmacy.

What do you lot think? Mad to take a drug that isn't prescribed??? I think side effects are wait gain and sleeplessness but not really in short term. I'm just shitting myself I have immune issue, but I'd need to change clinics for the right testing and it costs a fortune.

Thoughts??? X

Hello!

Survived EC - 9 mature eggs, 6 fertilised, embryologist optimistic

I feel a bit achey in the ovary area but have feet up and a big cup of tea.

It just feels so weird thinking of my 'children' sitting in a petri dish in a lab 200 miles away. I keep wondering if they are boys or girls (I'm assuming this will be determined at point egg meets sperm?)

congrats on 6 embies hen, that's great. yes sperm have x or y chromosome which determines sex when they match with eggs x chromosome. xx = girl xy = boy.

Well done hen I bet you are glad you continued now? 6 is a good number to choose from.
Do you know how many you are allowed to have put back? Fx for you.
I was aching for a few days afterwards but nothing too bad

Thanks, I am a bit disappointed to be honest - I had hoped for a few more, bu t it is what it is.

I'm having 2 put back. Assuming of course I have 2 come ET day!

Allchat - yes, it is mad to take drugs without speaking to your doctor, and you know it is, really. It's so hard I know, but you have to have faith in your clinic. If for some reason you don't, then think about why, and maybe you'd need to change. But I really wouldn't go prescribing your own stuff. I think it's easy to get carried away with reading stuff online, and other posters who are well intentioned. But realistically we just can't have the knowledge the experts have. There is nothing to suggest you have immunity issues (unless I've missed something?), and so just try to take a step back. If you have to buy something online, make it much more interesting than some erectile dysfunction medicine! (I'm not thinking harder drugs, more like fashion/jewellery etc) I hope I don't sound harsh, I really know it's hard.

Hen - congrats on the eggs! Yes, 6 is a good number, and hopefully they'll be tough little embryos and a good few will make it though to ET. Great you're allowed to put two back. Good luck with the wait!

rumples Thanks for reality check!! I'm sure DH would have given me one when I got home - yes, i know it's a bit mad and it's easy to run away with things you read online, but I just don't get why I'm not pregnant. Maybe I am with wrong clinic. It's Guys in London which are amongst the highest success rates. I can't fault my actual treatment and the nurses are so so lovely, but I don't think they are investigative enough. If you fail, you just go again. I've only had one fresh cycle fail, so they just think plough on and put the frozens in. Maybe that is the case, but it's such a emotional and costly drain I just have all these thoughts whirring around my head!

BTW though. The drug (prednisolone) is prescribed to a lot of women with immune issues (and, yes I am self diagnosing). smidge mentioned it in her post too…..I'm not sure why it was in erectile disfunction section. I'll mull it over and maybe post thread on main board to reach more people. (yes, they will prob think I'm mad too).

Hen - 6 in fab! It really is quality over quantity so positivity!!! You've done the hard part now. Just relax over these next few days…no drugs, no appointments. I had the most awful cramping for 2 days after. The pressure on my bladder was horrible…it does dissipate though. Fingers crossed they all hang in there.

nuty - no bleeding? how are you feeling?

That's fantastic news hen well done you. How was the actual EC I'm dreading mine as I've never been put under before and am really scared.

all chat I agreed with rumples please don't self prescribe they might end up giving you weird side effects or make things worst. I know when it's not going well to just take the clinics word for it. In terrible at it even if they say it's fine I'm always worried they haven't told me something to stop me for stressing, then I end up googling it which is a nightmare. Fx you will be able to talk it all through with them and they can put your mid at ease.

How is everyone else doing? I've lost track over the thread as to who is where

Meant to be I know it's hard when it's not going well

allchat no bleeding yet and pains have subsided a bit but I have lots of spots come up which I always get around AF time

Thanks whittle. I found EC absolutely fine. Coming round from sedation was lush! It was like waking up from the best nights sleep and you are all relaxed and dozy. Then you get tea and biscuits! I was more freaked out about shoving the suppository up my bum before I left home. I nearly didn't do it! I personally preferred EC to ET, because although ET is not at all painful and it is just like a longer smear, and let's face it, the worst thing about a smear is having a doctors head right between your legs….Always hated men down there but you don't really have a choice when push comes to shove!

nutty ok, well one day at a time. Good that there is no bleeding so be positive about that. Hope you try and have a relaxed evening. I'm already massively into 'Im a celebrity', but it's not on tonight

Well, to be honest, it is all still a bit 'all systems go'! They are calling me on day 3 (thurs) to let me know whether I have to hotfoot it to London for ET on thurs, or whether I will be able to do a day 5 transfer on Sat.

I am about 2 hours away and have work commitments to fit around, but I think all will be ok, although really hoping I make it to Saturday as that would be logistically a lot easier.

Honestly, the GA is the best thing ever, so much so I am having the ET done under GA too. You just drift off and then wake up and it is all done - perfect! I even had a smear test done during my EC procedure, as there is no way anyone is coming near my nethers with a speculum while I am awake so thought I'd get my money's worth from the GA while I was at it .

I did wake up from the EC in some pain, like bad period cramps, but the lovely nurse gave me some tramadol in the recovery room and I was sitting up eating my lunch about 20 mins later.

Really, it is nothing to worry about at all

allchat I really think you need to get the immune testing done before you go any further, just to put your mind at rest if nothing else. We already knew our issue was with DH's swimmers, but I had a HSG/Hysteroscopy/check of uterine lining just for my own reassurance and I felt it was money well spent.

Forgive me if you have already said, but do you and your DH already have DCs together (or have ever conceived together?)

x posts - fx for you nutty

hen, yep we've conceived previously. We have a 6 yr old and a very long time ago we had another pregnancy. Guys hospital don't do immune testing though. They kindly did antibodies testing and thyroid again after the bfn, but they said I was in completely normal range. I think I'm just so desperate to get the frozen embies in before xmas, I'm trying to work it through in my head. If I went to another clinic it could be months before I can have another crack. I keep thinking that roughly speaking there is a one in 3 chance of it working (I'm 35) so I've had one go and 2 embies. Maybe I should put it down to bad luck and cross my fingers for other 2. Maybe it's natural to look for an answer for failure, but in reality it's just down to probability. See, this is what I do! Go round in circles….

I never knew you could be offered GA or sedation for ET?! That must make the cycle cost a lot more. Doesn't the anaesthetic have any effect on embie? I suppose it's so small and not implanted so it doesn't matter?

Perhaps get these embies in before Christmas and then start afresh with some more tests in the new year? I completely get that desire to at least have them on board for Xmas, not sure how well I will cope with a BFN just before Christmas which is a real possibility for us.

I'm not sure what the difference would be between us, but the Lister reckon if I get to Blastocyst, my chances are 50/50 and I am the same age as you, with a much lower AMH too. Why have Guys said you have 1 in 3 odds? (if that's not too personal a question) Your last cycle was pretty much perfect!

But then it might jut be down to luck. It's fucking hard to know what to do, isn't it?

Re the GA - it is an extra £500 or so, but I would happily pay 3 times that not to have to be awake!

There has been a very small study that showed an improvement in success rates from ET under GA, which then prompted a much larger study that showed no statistically significant difference. Anyway, I don't think it will do any harm.

Only slight issue is that I will be Nil by mouth all day, so won't have a semi-full bladder for the ultrasound transfer. I don't think this will be a massive issue - I'm quite slim, so I don't think I will need my uterus pushing up too much for good visualisation.

It's so fucking hard!!!! I am so fed up of wanting a bloody baby. I feel like a clock is ticking in my head every day!
Guys didn't say I had a 1 in 3 chance. I think I read it someone based on quality of eggs at our age. Funny, I was thinking of the Lister if I moved from Guys. It's so expensive. Our savings are being depleted. I know I've only had one bfn, but it's a shock when it happens. When do you have a chat about how many rounds do you do.
I'm tempted to put both embies in before xmas. Xmas could then be amazing or utter shit.
That would be seriously bad luck and I'd probably give myself alcohol poisoning with sherry.

Have a go at this...

www.ivf.org.uk/treatments/pregnancy-calculator

To be fair, I had my 35th birthday a few weeks ago, so am personally taking a bit of an average between sub 35 and 35-37.

Slightly more encouraging, eh?

FWIW, I would get those embies on board, I obviously can't tell you what to do, but I know I would spend the whole of Xmas kicking myself if I didn't in your shoes...

DH and I are going to do as many cycles as it takes, at whatever the financial cost. TBH, knowing that he is on board with that decision has taken a lot of the pressure off.

Do you have a mental idea of the number of cycles you would do?

I prefer to think of it as pickling my eggs in Chablis, thus preserving them a little longer

hen - have you had ET before? sorry, I can't remember if you've mentioned in this thread. Quite a lot of info and people! I'm really surprised they even offer a GA as it's pain free. I found the only slightly uncomfortable thing is the nurse pushing the scanner thing on your tummy, but it was completely bearable…

Sorry hen didn't refresh before I wrote previous one.

Yep, I came across that pregnancy calculator earlier. Didn't have my fsh, but I put in other stuff and odds was 63%. That makes it suck even more!

Thx for your advice. I think I will wack them in there and pray.

I don't think we would do any more than 2 fresh cycles (I'm banking on getting frosties if I did a fresh 2nd cycle). TBH though I seriously didn't think I'd even get that far without being pregnant. It scars me hugely. I honestly thought that because I'd been preg before, once I had an embryo in there it would just kick into action. I was being realistic, but quietly optimistic. I was really sad. I'm better now. x

It's not really a pain issue for me, more a psychological one - most hospitals will offer you it if they feel it is medically indicated (psychological reasons being just as valid!)

I completely get that hen. How do you manage for normal smears and stuff. I had to have a colposcopy this year. That was most definitely worse than ET, but they couldn't reach my cervix that time. Knock us out for everything I say. Sedation is lush!

Just to add that I also think you shouldn't self prescribe off the Internet Allchat. (Though I know you know that too!). Yes that's the drug my doctor has mentioned, but please be aware that side effects and risks include doubling the chance of baby being born with a cleft palate so you want to have an informed discussion with your doctor first (I think that still only makes it 2:1000 but it's still a bit of a scary realisation). I will be discussing taking it with my doctor today though, as I know I have the NK issues and clexane alone didn't work last time.