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

Congratulations Nutty this is great, great news! So pleased for you, I think everyone will agree its great to get some positive news!

I like the 'if this 38 year old can do it so can you' as I turn 38 tomorrow eeek!

xxxxxxxx

Thank you smidge and anroga
Seeing the lines was amazing!! Might have to buy another one just to see it again!!!
Happy birthday for tomorrow, 38 is a good number

Yay!! Woo-hoo! Fabulous news Nutty! I'm so pleased for you. Pee on all the sticks you can find and enjoy seeing those double lines appear !!

fantastic news Nutty big congrats, must be the best feeling in the world.

Quick update from be had my second scan today and I had 2 follicles on either side and then 5 little ones on the right as well. Nurse said that as they are slightly smaller than they would like to see they are going to up my dose of gonal f to give them an extra boost. She said it was nothing to be worried about at but of course I went away and worried thinking they weren't saying something as to not worry me. Honestly when will I actually believe the professional?? :) Anyway the clinic phoned me back at lunch time to say what my new dose was with the bad news being that I have to top myself up today which means my third injection of the day!

I was worried that this might delayed EC which is scheduled for Wednesday but she said not. fx it won't.

How is everyone else doing? Sorry I can't remember specifics my memory has been shocking since starting this and the thread is getting big its hard to check. Hope everyone is feeling good

congratulations nutty. I had s feeling you'd do a rumples on us. fx all goes well.

whittle I was getting lost who is where too so here is what I hope is an up to date summary

rumples bfp
tail bfp
nutty bfp
seb bfn
smidge bfn
allchat bfn
moo was in 2ww but not posted since 23/10. hope ur OKif you're reading this moo
hen swimming, ec due 18/11
leopard stimming - scan tomorrow?
whittle stimming
shell due to start 9th round - not sure when
lil due to start down regging 28/12

think that's everyone but sorry for any missed or any mistakes.

clearly hen is stimming not swimming! although I guess she could be swimming

Haha I knew what you meant. Thanks for that lil makes it much clearer and good to see some bfps in there gives me hope.

shell starting 9th round today.

Just thought I'd add that close to dotties list as an update.
My period has arrived.

Every other time I focus on diet, exercise and physical things but I am a bit of a worrier during the cycle (who isn't!)
So this time I am trying to focus on staying positive.
A bit hard when my only experience is 8 rounds of failure.
But they were cycles in the past and have no effect on this cycle.
In fact, I have learned from them that Menopur caused my dominant follicles so I am eliminating it this cycle for more co-ordinated growth and more mature follicles
So my failures have helped this IVF to be the best yet.
Trying to pep talk myself here!

lil what a memory you have!

Nutty, I am SOOOO happy for you!!!!
Four years of nothing and now the potential for twins!!!!
My friend got pregnant with twins from IVF and they suspected it in the early days as her HCG hormone was rising more than average.
When will you find out what's actually going on in there?
CONGRATS!!!!

PS, on this side of the fence, I'd happily trade being pregnant with twins for the situation I am now in.
I have requested two be put back at my IVF clinic.
Don't know if it's just me being desperate and wanting any other outcome than the one I am in now.
Perhaps once I am in Nutty's situation and it's a very possible reality, it will be a different thing.

Anyone else on here planning on having two put back?

lil what a great list!! Well done

shell thank you for your kind words. It really hasn't sunk in yet and I'm just going to take one day at a time.

With regards to the twin thing. I'm not sure how I think about it, but you are so right, I would prefer 2 than none at all!!
I phoned my clinic today and they have booked me in for a scan on the 8th December, so who knows, maybe I will know a bit more then? Does it bode well if my mum had two sets of twins??!! As well as me?

I wish you all the luck in the world on your 9th attempt. This will be your turn. I won't be patronising and say don't worry so much, as we all know how stressful ivf is. You sound like you have a very good plan of action

nutty were they identical twins? if so you may have quads!

shell my clinic will put back one if we have 5 or more good embryos, 2 if less than 5. I'm 29 so they put less in for my age range I believe.
glad you are finally on board for number 9. definitely stay positive and look at the previous cycles as practice runs. are you starting bcp or do you go straight to injections? I'm not sure how what I'm doing compares to what others are doing so intrigued to know where there are differences.

and not a good memory, I looked back over thread

I love the idea that "doing a Rumples" is now a thing! And of course that it happened Nutty.

Fabulous summary Lildottie, just one correction - Hen has already had the EC and is waiting for ET now. Keeping all fingers crossed for those embies, hoping you get to be in Nutty's position and have the "luxury" of wondering if it's twins!

And it's good that AF has arrived, right Shell ? Now you can finally get started on your final IVF!

Good luck with the final stretch of stimming Whittle and Leopard - the fun starts here!

So note to all do not attempt your 2 injections at 7am when your tired by yourself! I just did and oh my god did my pen hurt me think I was too tense then the shock of the pain made me cry an the flood gates opened. Feel like an idiot but just feel so fed up the daily injections. I know it's so close to the end of them but think that's making it harder to mentally prepare myself to do it everyday. Sorry for a downer message when all is so good just needed to vent.

whittle I imagine I will be like that towards the end. I'm not a patient person! all you can do is remember its probably exacerbated by the hormones and pick yourself up again. you're so close, and it will be sooo worth it when you see that double line!

thanks rumples I used to hate the idea of twins. these days I'd be happy with triplets!

I'll update my list on my phone so it's ready when everyone needs another update.

Sorry to hear that Whittle - of course it's horrible, especially first thing in the morning when you're already a little vulnerable. Be gentle with yourself today, maybe give yourself a little treat? You're so close to the end, hang on in there.

I've just realised that Anroga was missing from the list - I think you're due to start the pill soon, then stimming early Dec?

So the 8th of December then Nut. IVF is over and still the waiting and counting down doesn't end!

lildottie, wonder why the number of embryos is relevant to whether one or two are put back? To answer your Q, I took 2mg estrogen tablet twice daily from day 20 of my previous cycle until day 3 of my current IVF cycle. Apparently at around day 20 is when your follicles start to develop for the next cycle. The estrogen tablets stops the usual process of your body selecting the few strongest to grow, so that when I start the stims on day 2 of this IVF cycle, the follicles are all the same size with no dominant ones so they all grow at a more co-ordinated rate. Hope my explanation makes sense.

So I will start my injections tomorrow... and I will follow your advice whittle- not while half asleep. You are so very very allowed to be down and let it out here. That's what this is for. And you will make me feel more normal when I have those days in the next couple of weeks as I follow in your steps.

Has anyone heard from Battery on any other thread???? Last I heard, she was cautiously excited about all 6 embryos making it to day 2. But no update since. I am a bit worried that the silence is a bad sign.

Thanks ladies it's good to be able to let it all out with people who understand what it's like. My friends that know and DH have all been really supportive through this process buts it's hard to explain and understand what it feels like if you have never done it

ain't that the truth whittle! don't know where I'd have been without mn these past 2 years! how are you feeling now?

Much better thanks lil just need to keep my eye on the end goal and xf it will all be worth it. It's funny when you start all the info says how hard it is to go through but it's not until your in te midst of it all that you realise how wearing it is. I think it's made worse by the fact that by the time most people get to this stage it's already been years of TTC naturally and he emotional dollar coaster

I think that's exactly it whittle - if this were the start of it all, we'd probably find it less stressful. But getting here has been so so stressful for us all, that it's just another level on top.

Hello, yes I'm still here, I've just been so busy running around getting projects finished, it's been quite hard not knowing when I would be called back for ET! Anyway, I'm now in hotel in London all ready for my day 5 transfer tomorrow!

I haven't had an update today, but as of yesterday (day 3) We had 5 x 8 cell grade 1 and 1 x 7 cell grade 2. Who knows what (who?) will still be in the running come tomorrow, but I will update then when I have a bit more time.

Also a massive wwwwwwoooooohooooo! to Nutty absolutely overjoyed for you

lil Quads????!!!! Jesus, you are scaring me now!! My mum had a set of identical and one non identical!!

shell no, the waiting still carries on!! Hope your injection went ok today.

whittle I expect we have all had a little wobble. I know I did. Once when I was just about to start ivf and another one on the night of my first injection!! Think it was the fear of the unknown on both occasions.

hen those eggs sound amazing. Much better than I had. Oooh I'm feeling positive about this!! How many will you have put back? And thank you for the congratulations.

rumples how are you feeling now? I've been having sharp pulling pains behind my belly button and bloating like you wouldn't believe today!! I look like I'm 12 weeks already!!

hen that sounds amazing numbers hopefully they will all be sticky for you and we will be seeing another BFP spon

Soon even haha

Glad to hear you're feeling better Whittle. When is your next scan booked. Might make you feel a bit better again if you can see some growth from those 5 little follicles on your last scan.

hen, please give even a quick update when you get a minute! I am just so curious to find out... thinking of you.

First injection went well thanks nut. The injections are absolutely fine. It's the emotional roller coaster that is the killer. My issue is being able to grow a good batch of eggs. Always seem to have a few dominant and then lots of little ones. Removing Menopur from the protocol this IVF after study showed it is the cause of dominant follicles. But I won't breathe easy until my first scan next Wednesday proves this to be true.