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

Next Scan on Monday shell then if everything goes ok EC on Wednesday, yikes! I'm glad your injections went ok. Mine was a lot better today think because DH was with me. Sounds silly but obviously the psychological thing of not being by myself makes me relax more. Still stinged a bit but don't know if that's because my dosage has been uped? Again I think it's a mental thing but feeling really full/bloated so hopefully that's a good sign.

Hope everyone else is doing ok today?

Hello,

Well, am back at home and, as they say, PUPO!

So, I had 2 blasts transferred (after signing a 'waiver' form re risk of multiples!).

One was graded 5AB and the other 2BC - the oddest thing is that they actually gave me a framed photo of my 2 blasts to take home with me! Not just ultrasound images, the actual pics from under the lab's microscope! (would you like me to post a pic of them on here?)

Not sure about possibility of frosties yet, will have to see how the rest develop over the next day or so

The worst part of the whole day was that when I was in recovery and just coming round, the poor woman in the bed next to me had just had an ERPC and was sobbing quietly into her pillow. Just awful - I wanted to give her a big hug, but that couldn't really have ben any less appropriate! so horrible, I really felt for her

I'm feeling a bit more optimistic now, I even bought a dress online that arrived yesterday and is a bit too big. I was just filling out the returns form to exchange it for a size smaller but realised that, even if not this cycle, then at least in the near future I am likely to be 'expanding' and will need some roomier clothes before actual maternity-wear so decided to keep it. That was a bit of a 'moment' - It might actually happen!

Whittle How exciting - all kicking off for you!

Shell Thanks for your concern about me, I hope you are feeling positive now that it is all starting for you?

Nutty How are you? Any symptoms yet? Soooo excited for you.

Rumples and tail How are things with you two ? Have you had your first scans yet?

ooh hen yes post a picture! that's incredible! glad it went well (except for that poor lady) and fx the tww will go fast for you. time is dragging here. I just want to start stabbing!

Can I ask what a ERPC is hen still haven't got all the acronyms. Really pleased it all went well for bet your so please to be in the 'home run' section now. At least you should have an outcome before Christmas and hopefully have something to really celebrate

Hi Hen I'm so glad it went well. So you had two put back like me!! I'm really rooting for you. The next two weeks will be torture!! I found this the hardest part!

I only had a couple of symptoms from transfer. The main one being a pulling sensation behind my belly button. Then at about 10 dpt they went and got af pains which I thought was the end. Have painful nipples but have had this since starting the pessaries so probably not a symptom.
This afternoon I stood up and had a really sharp pain lower down on my left hand side. It took my breathe away and lasted about 15 seconds. This happened twice today but no pain now??!! So I'm now convinced it's an ectopic pregnancy!! I must really stop googling. However, it did/does, really worry me. Will see if it comes back

whittle, ERPC = Evacuation Of Retained Products Of Conception.
Awful for that poor lady. But very happy to hear your news Hen! Mm, not sure I am feeling positive even now that I am starting stimming. I am being a bit of a hypocrite here. I remember when you were stimming and convinced things weren't going well and I was trying to reassure you that they were. Now here I am stimming and I too am being negative! I usually have a few dominant follicles and lots of smaller ones that don't grow, hence my skepticism. But the protocol has been changed this time to try to improve this. Wednesdays scan will reveal all.

nutty, I am suffering secondary infertility and I remember having pains and pulls and tugs. So hopefully that is some reassurance to you - even though if I get a BFP I am sure I will be just as paranoid as you are now!

what happened to that clean slate shell? mind over matter. imagine your ovaries plump with lots of follicles all the same size, and your mind will make it happen! hopefully!

I am just reading my health screening questionnaire for day surgery and getting really nervous about EC. I know it's all fine logically but am really scared as never had to go into hospital for surgery before or be put under. Would anyone who has had EC being willing to describe exactly what happened so I can relax a bit? Sorry if I'm asking tmi just think if I know the details of what will happen might be less scary.

Hi Whittle. I'll give it a go. First I arrive and have to sign more paperwork and have a wristband put on. Then they take me into a room and give me a white gown thing that does up at the back, with a dressing gown to put on the top the normal way around. They give me a key to a locker where I can put all my clothes. My husband is with me. We are both given blue shoe cover things and although naked under the robes I have to keep shoes on with the blue covers.

We're then called in to the next area where we sit and await a nurse to check wristband, ask if I'm allergic to anything, then say the aneasthetist will be through next. I read the free magazines in the meantime. Anaesthetist then comes in and also asks if I'm allergic to anything and how asleep I want to be etc. he then puts in a cannula into my hand and tells me to wait for the Dr.

Dr then sees us and checks all is well then gets us to come into the room. My husband can come in with me to watch the screen and see how many eggs they collect.

There are heaps of people in the room. I take off the dressing gown under their instruction, and they undo the back ties on the other gown and I sit in the chair with legs in stirrups.

The nurses and doctor talk and check my wristband agrees with the paperwork. I say my DOB for about the 5th time.

The anaesthetist connects the cannula to something and tells me I'll start to feel like pins and needles/feel cold in the arm and will go into sleep. I feel fine and keep talking then am completely under! Husband tells me later I continued talking a bit and wasn't making much sense but literally only for another sentence.

I wake up in a different room with nurses asking if I feel ok and then sending husband off to give his sample.

First time I felt fine (anaesthetist had given me anti nausea medication in with the anaesthetic) but second time I felt really sick and had to hang around for a while.

They gave me something to eat/drink before being told I can leave.

Hope this helps!

That helps massively smidge thank you so much. I think I'm a bit of a control freak so start to panic if I don't know what's going on/going to happen. Makes me chuckle about the booties tho . I'm glad they let you husband come in the room hopefully will be the same for me. That's more or less what I expected from what the basics he clinic told me but it's nice to hear from someone who as actually done it. Really appreciate it

I also found that helpful smidge, control freak here too whittle. I've been told dh has to go in and has to confirm they've done what they've said they've done by watching screen. not looking forward to being put out!

Me neither lil but I guess it doesn't take very long be over before we know it. When are you due to have EC do you know?

smidge can you remember how long you were in for?

WC 26th Jan whittle. time seems to have stood still since this cycle started. I guess because I'm no pissing on opks or temping every morning or contemplating the consistency of my cm I can't track time by any of that so it just seems to have stopped!

I know what you mean when I was waiting to start time dragged so badly I've never wanted my period so much since starting ttc haha

Hello all, glad things are moving forward, and 2 blasts put back, Hen that's exciting !

Very interesting description of EC Smidge. Mine was different as I didn't have general, only local anaesthetic, a gel which only really numbed the needle going through the vaginal canal, but I could still feel the whole EC, draining the ovaries, etc. I hated it and would definitely go for general next time. Plus my DH wasn't allowed in the theatre so I only had a nurse to hold my hand and it just wasn't the same. But it was a very very small price to pay for my BFP, so I'm not complaining !!

I still have zero symptoms and DH is insisting I see this as a good thing and not a sign that something is wrong. But of course, easier said than done!

Fingers and toes crossed for you all!

Rumples. I am currently doing IVF for secondary infertility. When I FINALLY got pregnant with my son, I had cramps and was convinced I was going to miscarry. So it seems we stress if we get symptoms and stress if we get none! I guess after all we have been through, we are just going to be nervous nellies.

lildottie - yes - not sure what happened to that clean slate! I think as my scan draws closer, I am getting more scared to think positive and imagine lots of follicles, as I worry I am going to come crashing down harder when the scan shows otherwise. Hopefully the scan this Wednesday will be positive and help me think a bit more positive from there on.

Totally agree with the wait until IVF starts as taking forever. The 2 weeks of stimming is a bit quicker as you are always doing something - injecting - blood test - a scan every few days. I think the two week wait after the transfer takes just as long as the waiting to start but I haven't been there in a long time to remember.

Battery, what happened to you other four embryos that weren't transferred in the end?

shell it would suck however far you fell, so what's the harm in a bit if PMA so you feel like you've done everything? no regrets.
on the diet issue I thought you'd be interested to know my %s for the week were 43% carbs (usually around 55%) and 23% protein (usually around 15%) so although not the perfect 40%/25% I'm quite chuffed with that. I think the only way I can improve in it is to get more protein into my breakfast as my cereals are carb heavy.

So quick update from me had my last scan today and my follicles have got bigger so the extra dose worked. Got 6 follies and 3 other ones but she thinks the 3 will be too small. So it's all go for EC on Wednesday! Eeek still nervous but also a bit excited to see what I've been growing hopefully will get good eggs. Best part is tonight is the last injection def won't miss them. Hope everyone else is having a happy Monday

I don't think any of you are going to believe me. Today I was going to have my period and then I did a test. And now I am being told that I am pregnant. I can't really write. I'm sweating and shaking at the same time.

Oh wow oh wow allchat that's amazing. How it that possible I thought you had a negative blood test too?

Pregnancy from natural cycle I just had. Bleed on 25th Oct after ivf bfn. We are unexplained so we just gave it another crack this month and took up acupuncture (??!!) and I was expecting period today or tomorrow. It's absurd. Completely fucking amazing though. It's slowly sinking in.

oh my God allchat! I wonder if the ivf meds kicked something in to touch! that is amazing news! no wonder your shaking!

That's what I'm wondering. I did read up after the bfn, if it meant your chances were increased, but there was absolutely nothing about it. I did bleed loads and loads when AF came, so maybe it cleaned me out?! Nice new shiny womb lining maybe. The acupuncture is more than a coincidence too!

That is fantastic news I'm so happy for you what a fantastic early Christmas present

Amazing Allchat I hope that will be a second chance for many as well. I got EC on Sunday, today the embriologist said that I got 4 fertilised embryos and I must go on Wed for the ET. Reading some posts people said that some embryos can die in the next days, which has sense. What Do you think? Why my clinic is not waiting some more days and why they gave us already appointment for Wednesday??? Fingers crossed everything will be fine but at this stage I have more doubts than before, and this time because my husband took the calling and he didn't ask further!! any comments girls??? Thank you and I wish everyone luck in this process