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

Ha ha, yes, trying to give darling mother the minimum amount of info is never easy....

Fingers crossed one cycle will be enough for all of us!

Morning ladies. Hope you're all doing well - tailfeathers are the injections still going well? Meant to ask Nutty, does your treatment make you look like a glue sniffer or is it more subtle than that?!

Well it's been all go here, AF suddenly popped up (I say "suddenly", it was already CD 50 so about time too!), and the clinic advised me to start injections straight away! Not doing the stimms until Friday (moomoo think that's when you're starting too?), but taking something which is apparently supposed to prevent hyperstimulation.... TBH it seems that the want to put me on hold for a few days to match their schedule. But as long as it doesn't reduce our chances of success I don't mind too much.

So DH did the injection while I held tummy fat in place watched and I have to say it was almost painless! It was a proper needle (not one of the pens), so maybe that helped. It was a bit achey afterwards, perhaps as the liquid started to spread. But either way, it was really fine and I'm almost looking forward to the next one - it finally feels like we're doing something after 2.5 years of TTC!

Congrats on the first injection rumples! Hope all the rest are as easy and pain free!

I had a really good appointment today. As long as AF behaves herself next cycle I will start injections on 28th December. I will have one more natural cycle before I start BCP mid november (AF has to come after 15th November but before 10th December!! If I ovulate on my normalish cd18-20 that will be fine, but if I have one of my odd cd14 ovulation day cycles I don't know what happens!) They have given me dates of my 3 pre egg collections scans and egg collection should be w/c 26th January! I'm now counting down the days to become a pin cushion!

Oh and I'll be doing long protocol. :)

Wow, that's a very clear timeline Lildottie ! Great that they can plan that far ahead. My clinic haven't yet told me when I'm likely to do the egg collection, but I've calculated it should be w/c 20th Oct. I hope we're able to offer some words of wisdom by the time it's your turn.

Any news from the other ladies, Nutty, Seb tail ? I think you're starting stimms tomorrow moomoo ?

yeah I was really surprised rumples. they basically keep you on the pill until they're ready for you to fit into their schedule!

Eeek yay timelines ahoy lildottie that's great news gives you something to focus on and it soon passes!

Yeah I start stimms tomorrow rumple eek looks like we are both looking at collection w/c 20th!

I asked about being put on the pill and why. She actually said it's so all the ladies aren't ready for collection at the same time. I don't know whether it's the hormones from that or the fear/excitement that's building up but I've been a teary blooming wreck today. Like a teenager with pmt! I had a cry because I couldn't find a new dressing gown I liked bloody fool. Have had a word with myself now lol. I think DH is now a bit worried how I will be when the jabs start tomorrow evening.

My mum called again today (surprise haha) just to ask me if I'd managed the injection hahaha so despite asking me everyday for the last 12 days she still got mixed up haha gotta love her

Hi all,

Rumples so glad your first injection went ok. May it continue like that!! How long do you inject for? And no, I don't think I look like a glue sniffer!!

Good luck for tomorrow moo. I shall be thinking of you.

Nothing really to report my end, except for really bad headaches. Need to drink more water I think. Just started my down regging AF so hopefully all is working as it should. Will know more on the 21st. But by that time, moo and rumples should be at EC stage!! So excited for you ladies. I so hope I get to that part.

Lildottie I'm doing the long protocol too. Do you know if you will be using the nasal spray or injections for down regging?

I have to confess I can't remember what down Regging means...but I'm doing injections from 2nd day of withdrawal bleed for 16days, then adding in the FSH until the hcg trigger shot. does that mean anything? lol

Hi everyone, wonder if I could join? I start my down reg injections on Monday for long protocol ICSI after over 4 years TTC - it's definitely been a long time coming!

The mix of emotions on this roller coaster is crazy isn't it, and that's before I start on the hormones!

Hope those of you who have already started on the injections are finding them ok. I'm diabetic so used to injecting but it's still not the most enjoyable experience is it?!

Wishing you all luck where ever you are on this journey

Morning ladies.

Hi there leopard, you're more than welcome here. An emotional roller coaster really is the only way to describe it - and I have a strong feeling we're in for a lot more of that over the weeks and months to come! The injections (so far) have been really easy, though I have a lot of admiration for those of you who have this as part of your everyday life. Last night I was a bit achey around the injection area for an hour or so, but didn't want to moan to DH as he (like Moomoo 's DH) is already terrified about how he's gonna put up with me I'm going to cope over the coming weeks.

Like you Moo I was very teary lately (not really me at all), and it really didn't feel nice :( I don't think I cried over a dressing gown, but nearly cried when DH and I couldn't agree on a film to watch at the movies, which is just plain pathetic! Bless your mum though, very sweet. My mum's on holiday at the moment so it looks like I won't have to decide whether or not to tell her during the stimms. But she's coming to stay at what will probably be embryo transfer time, so not sure I'll be able to keep it from her then! Still, it won't be too bad, as she'll probably run around looking after me which I won't complain about!

Lildottie I think the down-regging is when they shut down your system (put your ovaries to sleep my nurse said!) so they can then start it all up the way they want. I'm also unclear on this, as they initially told me we wouldn't be doing that, then it sounded like we would, and they've since told me not to use the medicine we originally got for that purpose as we won't be needing it on this protocol ?!? I think I'll just have to take their word for it and do as I'm told (not a natural role for me but I'll give it a go).

Nutty Sorry to hear about your headaches that'll be the glue sniffing Hope they don't last. If I've understood correctly (and the nurse did repeat herself several times to make sure it was clear) I do my last "Orgalutran" tonight (prevents hyper-stimulation), then start stimms with a Puregon pen tomorrow. They seemed to think I should stimm for about 7-10 days, so take the trigger shot some time around 18 Oct. I'm hoping the Puregon pen doesn't hurt to much, but it looks rather more complicated than the simple syringe I've been using so far . In any case I have a scan and blood test next Weds to see how my ovaries are getting on, and they'll let me know more then.

Better on with procrastinating work. Wishing you all a great day.

in that case rumples that what being on bcp is for. she said putting me on the pill stops all my normal hormones so she can have full control! so I'll be starting that around 16th November.

surprised the pen is more scary, I imagined they would be easier than a real needle!

Hi guys, I'm still waiting for my period to arrive before I start stimms. I have the usual spotting arrive today so period should show in next few days. I'm actually feeling emotional. Deep down I was still clinging on to the vague hope that my period wouldn't arrive at all and I'd be pregnant naturally! Crazy I know. But couldn't help dreaming :)
But hey, looking forward to getting stated now.
I'm quite nervous about having the day 1-3 scan (during period) I'm dreading it! A vaginal scan during period can't be pleasant! How's everyone found this? I feel sorry for the nurse doing scan lol

You are certainly not alone in the clinging onto hope Seb - despite knowing that it's 99% certain it won't happen naturally, I still managed to convince myself last week "well maybe THIS month.... you never know"... and of course we've all heard those stories about people who go for their scan just before starting fertility treatment who discover they are pregnant... or get pregnant naturally shortly after an IVF baby.... I sometime wish I'd never heard those stories! But here we are, at least getting somewhere. I think you're also on the short protocol ICSI, so we'll be going through that together. I seem to have got off lightly though, as no scan needed during early days of AF... to be honest, I'm sure it's awkward, but nurses have dealt with so much worse, they really are chilled out about these things (my sis is a sexual health nurse and is so blasé about cringeworthy moments!)

And maybe I'm just worried for nothing about the pen injections, the faffing around with adjusting the dosage will probably be the worst but. But given how easy the injections have been so far, I shouldn't worry about the rest. I do feel I kinda deserve a gold sticker or a badge for being such a big girl about it all... don't quite think that's something DH is going to give me though, so I'll settle for the tasty my colleague brought into the office instead

Hey everyone!

Welcome leopard

I've just done my first injection and it was fine. I am so relieved!!!! Only a slight disaster when I dropped and ruined the first one I'd drawn up. Sigh. Will have to ask them to prescribe me another one. Clumsy bugger! I think it was the nerves lol

Thanks for the welcome! It makes such a difference being able to talk to people who are going through the same thing. It's not something that I find easy to talk about, feels like something we shouldn't share but in reality so many people struggle to conceive; I think infertility should be less of a taboo.

Well done to those of you who have started the injections. My diabetic drug is a pre-filled pen and is really easy, I'm dreading mixing the drugs and injecting properly! My husband is dreading the hormones too, I went a little bonkers on clomid so he's a little apprehensive to say the least!

All part of the process!

Yay moomoo well done on the first injection. It's amazing how much easier it is than you imagine, right? It was almost like an anti-climax for me - I'm not sure if I expected a baby to fall out of the sky, or my boobs to suddenly swell up... Did you inject yourself? I did my own injection last night as DH was busy and that was definitely harder. On to the stimms with the pen tonight, which, having had another look at all the pieces actually seems fine (plus thanks for leopard's reassurance).

I agree on the taboo point - it really doesn't make any sense to me why it's always so hush hush - I mean obviously we don't want to tell the whole world right now while we're trying, but there should be nothing shameful about it, right? I'm pretty sure a couple of not-so-close friends are also stuck on fertility issues, but I don't feel close enough to be able to ask them (tend to only have FB contact these days, such is 21st Century relationships! I actually told DH that once we have a healthy baby in our arms I'd like to be open to everyone about the fact that it was such a long journey, and hopefully lift some of the taboo for those still going through it. But he doesn't share my openness, and as the problem lies with him and his lazy swimmers I can't overrule him. And to be fair, other than that he has been great about the whole thing, not let it damage his sense of manhood and all that. I know it's often very difficult for men to deal with - probably not that different to women though ...

Let's see how they handle us when the hormones kick in! Do share any ridiculous tears/arguments you have!

dh and I have agreed we will be very open about our journey when we announce our pregnancy (WHEN!!) but we won't tell anyone the issue was his. as far as I am concerned we are infertile. I can't wait to make all the idiots who keep telling me I should hurry up and have a baby feel really bad for being so insensitive. hopefully I can spare someone else the pain!

Sounds like an eminently sensible approach lildottie, it sounds like you have a very respectful and supportive relationship . I realise my previous post sounds like I'm attributing blame, which isn't in any way the case (though we do both have a giggle about his lazy swimmers). And I wouldn't ever want tell people the detail of our problems, but just be open about the fact that we had to go through IVF, as you said, to make people think twice before they go on with the "don't leave it too long!" and "you shouldn't put your career first at your age" comments. But DH would prefer to keep the whole thing to ourselves and those I've already blabbed to close friends/family....

I think that's the one thing us ivfers have an advantage over others with...we know our relationships are strong and can withstand anything!

Hey everyone

We are quite open and won't mind telling people. I hear y'all about the insensitive folk who tell you to hurry up. I had one lass on Facebook who I haven't seen since school and even then wasn't particularly friendly with tell me "it's about time you had a baby, it's ace" you can imagine how many responses I typed and deleted lol. In the end I managed to keep the crazy in.

I did do my own injection yeah. I thought I'd missed hahahaha I screwed my face up and stuck it in but didn't feel it so was convinced it wasn't in lol was so relieved when it was lol. Am feeling much less nervous about it today and there have been no ridiculous tears hahahaha I don't care I don't have a dressing gown hahahaha

What I have developed is a stinking cold which is typical and had a horrible headache today which I would normally take ibuprofen for but that's off limits now so got home from work, hot bath with loads of Vicks in it and lots of water to drink and am feeling human again. If I'm honest it's because I hadn't had enough to drink today I think and I was told so is my own fault. Lesson learned decaf tea doesn't count hahaha

How is everyone feeling?

Hi everyone, how you all doing? I've had a nightmare today, started my period on day 19! I presume this means I can't start my down regg on Monday but there is nobody for me to ring I was literally inconsolable this morning. I should have started treatment last cycle but I was postponed as they had too many people already on treatment that month! So to more than likely be postponed again is hard to take and I've really struggled to pull myself up sorry for the me, me, me post. Hope you're all well

oh leopard so sorry to hear that! I'm not surprised you were beside yourself, that just seems so unfair ! Of course in the grand scheme of things it's a small set back, blah blah blah, but that's not the point - it must feel like the end of the world right now. Sending you big hugs!

I hope you can do something nice with your sunday and then get through to your clinic on Monday.
For what it's worth, I was distraught when my September AF didn't turn up for 3 wks (aside from the make believe that I was miraculously pregnant ! ) I thought it would mean delaying my treatment for another whole month but in the end the clinic adjusted the protocol and I started on CD1 instead. So don't give up hope!
And even if it does delay you by a few weeks, you're really near the finishing line now, so try to stay positive!

And hope your headaches have gone away Moo !