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

Yes I think so did burserelin injections for approx two weeks then added my gonal f for about 2 weeks. I found it ok got more headaches than normal around my period which also lasted longer. Other than that not too bad really just a pain doing all the injections. I made sure I was drinking a min of 2 ltrs of water everyday on top of other fluids like tea etc. I brought my self an Aladdin water bottle which is 0.6 litres so could easily track what I had drunk everyday. I don't know if it made a difference but didnt have many other side effects so possible. Still trying to keep to that as well. The only other thing I found towards the EC was felt bloated and full but that's it

Thanks for the advice Whittle, its more or less the same as what I am going to be doing except my first injections are suprecur. Yeah I thought the same 2 litres of water min plus the other fluids I will drink like tea, juice etc.

Good to hear headaches and bloating was your only real side effects - not looking forward to the injections as I hate needles but I am sure I will get used to it like you all have x

Ps - I would really like to make the rest of my fluids up with some nice glasses of ice cold pinot grigio but that is just a pipe dream lol! x

I know what you mean haven't had a drink since I started don't want to jeopardise anything

Me neither I feel just the same as you I don't want to have anything to blame it on if it doesn't work x

hi all. been so busy with work I'm struggling to keep up with you. can't remember if I said congrats to rumple re scan so congrats! in case I haven't

angora I'm doing same as whit buserelin and gonal f. start 28/12. only 25 pills left

smidge could it be ov bleeding? have they told you why its happening. seems like the sort of thing they should look at, could it be low progesterone?

time to sleep! hope life gets less busy before the ivf starts fat chance

lildottie and allchat no, I know nothing about why I spot. To be honest, before I came on to MN I assumed it was what happened to everyone. Figured that's why there's an industry of panty liners etc! I've always had several light days either side of a couple of heavy days in my period, and it just seems that now I'm tracking everything I notice I get spotting in the run up to the light days. (Only notice when I wipe).

I have mentioned it to my fertility doc but she didn't seem particularly bothered (only to keep telling me that Day1 is the first heavy day and ignore the others for counting / scheduling perspective).

I have been told spotting can be a sign of endometriosis but I've had a lap a couple of months ago and there wasn't any real sign of that.

I did wonder if maybe low progesterone but in all the blood tests nothing has come back out of the ordinary. And of course when doing IVF I'm on the pessaries anyway so that would sort it out then.

So i continue in ignorance!

This time I don't think it's ovulation spotting (it continues now til I get AF) - I've only ever had it start this early BOTH times I've done IVF. So I presume it must be some sort of after effect of the drugs?

smidge I would have thought it is just the drugs but probably worth checking with your clinic just to be sure.

I must say in sure it's just the hormones but I'm feeling so tired and emotional at the moment I don't know how I'm going to get troughs the next week and a bit. I really want to POAS next week but at the same time am petrified it will be bad news. Right now it's almost like being pregnant and ignorance is bliss. Equally I'm thinking if rather have some kind of result before my blood test so I can prepare myself beforehand and just have it confirmed. Does anyone know how likely it is to get a false positive from POAS?

whittle I think a false positive will depend on how many days you are past your trigger

smidge I sometimes spot before a period, but not almost. I think the maximum I've ever spotted before a period is about 3 days. I read up about it when ttc and there are some schools of thought that say it really needs a diagnosis. I wasn't hugely concerned myself because as I said, it wasn't every month. In your case though, is some of the drugs made it worse? I think you should definitely raise it.

Yesterday I did a cheapie pound shop test. There was very faint line after 5 or so mins. I was surprised, but thought it must just be taking hormone long time to go out of system. Anyway, it was 2 pack, so I did the other one this morning (second wee). The line came up stronger and quicker. DH was pissed off that I was using pound shop tests (although they are completely fine). Went out and bought CB. Positive 2-3 weeks. This is a head fuck now. I think it is remnants, but what has thrown me has the conception indicator has gone up. Last tues it said 1-2 weeks.

I've posted on MC thread over in conception. I don't think I am still preg. nothing could have survived that blood loss! But considering I was only 4 plus a few days, I would have thought hormones would only have taken few days to leave body…….Confused.com!!!!!

Oh wow allchat that would seriously mess with my head. Have you had a blood test to check actual HCG levels? When you bled did you have clots or just blood? I think in your position I'd go to the docs and demand a blood test - I couldn't cope with the potential of getting my hopes up again and then finding out it's just taking my body a while to re-adjust. Scuse my language but seriousl, what a mind-fuck. I hope the MC board can shed some light.

Hello all,

Whittle - it is a head killer, the whole thing. I had exactly the same thinking as you - wanted to POAS to put me out of the misery, but wanted to hang on to the "I might be pregnant" feeling for as long as possible. Once I'd got the BFP I wished I had taken Hen's approach and POAS from early on - it would have saved me several very teary days. But on the other hand, if it's negative, it's heartbreaking. I don't think there really is a right way - you just have to do what feels right for you. I think the chances of a false positive are only very early on (it's the trigger shot you took before EC that could give the false positive). That said, of course early on you could get a positive but it turn out to be a chemical pregnancy. Like I said, there's no right way - just pray for the best.

Allchat - I can't imagine how awful this must be. How can your body give you such mixed messages?! I, too, would have thought the pregnancy hormone levels would be going down now, rather than up. I suppose the only way to really know what's going on is to take a blood test - is this easy where you are? Your GP surgery should be able to help, but I know from experience that they can be pretty useless. I would probably work on the assumption that you are no longer pregnant (because, as you said, it would seem pretty impossible), and try to put other thoughts out of your mind. When are you due to see your fertility clinic next?

Smidge - I only ever really have spotting the day before a period, so not familiar with your experience. I would second/third previous advice to see if there's more to it - especially before you go for further treatment.

Pregnancy seems to be treating me well at the moment, though I'm waiting for the evil morning sickness to crop up at any time. For now I'm just a bit tired.

Haven't heard anything from Shelster - did you have another scan today? Have you decided on Thurs or Fri EC? Got everything crossed for you.

I called EPU. They've advised me to go in. I really don't want to, but I'm going to. God, I really don't need this. I'll update later. I suspect it'll be bloods as still too early for scan. X

Thinking of you Allchat . What a nightmare to be going through.

Oh allchat sounds horrible what an emotional roller coaster, hopefully you finally be able to get some definite answers to put you mind at rest one way or the other. Thinking of you, big hugs x

Our luck finally ran out got admitted to hospital yesterday with OHSS will be in for the next few days now and not feeling good.

I hope none of you ladies have/had suffered from this, had ET cancelled and will now need to do FET but feel that's best for my health and embie

Sounds distressing Fraz but certainly for the best. I guess your body was struggling to cope with all that ovulation (more than a year's worth in one go!). I imagine it's disappointing that your schedule is shaken, but it's better to take your time. You've got plenty of frozen embryos so can wait until your body has recovered. Take it easy.

Hi Frazoz

Sorry to hear about this and hope you are not feeling too bad. I know we have not messaged before but I have been warned about OHSS by my clinic because of my PCOS. Hope your feeling better soon xxx

thinking of you allchat how did it go?

faroz hope you recover quickly. I've been warned about ohss because of my high amh level.

rumples I hope the ms doesn't creep up too nastily, but I imagine to have it would be reassuring!

hen can I ask when did you start POAS?

arghhhhh. Took 3 hrs in EPU.
faint positive on urine.
Nothing seen on scan, so basically undetected pregnancy because there is nothing to be seen so probably miscarried and body passed it all. Had to take blood just to rule out ectopic. Meant to have results tonight, but nurse just called to say they were pending and they'd call me in the morning. Told me to go to A&E though if I started to feel unwell or had pain. I know they just need to say that to everyone, but it's still not nice to hear.

Just waiting for DH to come home and buy me a take-away. I'm pooped.

frazoz the disappointment right now must be all consuming. But ohss is really nasty from what I have read, so once these next few days have passed you will feel better that it was the right thing to do. If you got pregnant the ohss would get worse. Many women do better on the frozen cycle, and look at me, the next cycle I even managed to get pregnant myself so hopefully your body will be primed and ready. Get well soon. Hospital is rubbish

Hi to everybody x

Oh what a nightmare and having to wait till tomorrow too thoughts are with you

Boy, everyone is going through everything on here. allchat emotional roller coaster continues, fraz and the cancelled ET with OHSS, whittle going insane waiting to POAS.

Yes, I am still here rumples. Thanks for thinking of me :)
I have EC at 9am Friday morning.
I am hoping assuming they will collect 7 eggs that were between 11mm and 19mm on Monday.
But the largest two will probably be over mature and break apart with ICSI again so I am already counting them out.
That leaves 5. Last time I had 5 eggs and only 1 fertilised, so I am already dreading the phone call Saturday with another bad result and I haven't even had EC yet!

Oh shellster I know it's hard but try to stay positive I had 6 eggs collected and only two fertilised then only on made it to egg transfer. Remember it only takes one which I know is easy to say when you aren't in that position. I know I was really disappointed with my numbers but the aim of the game is at least 1 good embryo and better to have a good single embie than lots of poorer quality ones. Try and stay strong they might surprise you fx x

shell you are doing maths in your head! You know that its impossible to know. Every cycle different. I know its so so hard to be positive because of your past, but you have as much chance as the next person. Just keep telling yourself that. Yep you might get only one that fertilising, but we're all praying and hoping for you. And on Saturday we'll all be here what ever happens. Xx

Thank you for your kind comments. I guess I am just turning into a nervous nellie with my 8 IVF failures - and from here on in is where things start to fall apart. The trigger went wrong last cycle and I am now super paranoid it hasn't worked again. I think I will feel better if once they tell me I have a good number of eggs and even better the next day when a good amount have fertilised. So bear with me being a hen for the next 24 hours and then hopefully I'll start being more positive!