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

Nope, never actually used the supps angroa so I don't know about those. I've only ever been given the ones that go in the erm... front hole! Looking forward to hearing up your update tomorrow.

shell my supps can go in either hole

just had first scan. lining 0.3mm and ovaries doing nothing so I start menopur tonight! its finally happening!

Hi Shell and Lildottie

These supps can go either way so will see how I get on!

Great news you are finally getting started Lildottie!

Good news this morning I have 9 embryos that are grade 1 quality all growing at the same speed and size and 1 that is growing a bit faster. I hear tomorrow if they will transfer two tomorrow afternoon or if that will keep them going to blasto on Saturday x

Well done angora thats great news.

Angora (the cardigan)?! I mean Anroga!

Thanks Allchat

Alot of people on the thread like calling me by the cardigan name lol!

How are you doing? x

Yeah. I'm cool thanks. Just waiting for the big O so I can schedule FET. Should be today or tomorrow, so just want to get on with it all really!

I have 2 frosties. Not sure whether to put one or two back. I just want to give myself best possible chance and also not have to do this again or spend more money, but I'm scared of putting all my eggs in one basket so to speak! Also, twins is a bit of a scary option on all counts!
x

great numbers anroga! fx they keep doing well. are you expecting day3 transfer as you have so many doing so well?

Your nearly there then allchat - they are putting two back for me because of my age (38) me and dh were talking about twins last night eeek, I know what you mean, just one baby would suit me fine!

Will find out tomorrow Lildottie either tomorrow which is my day 3 or Saturday day 5 blasto x

Just dad my surge on day 14, so transfer 6 days from here!
Got few days to decide whether they defrost 1 or 2.
It's really tough. i just want to maximise my chances of success, but if neither stick the thought of doing another fresh is just so shit.

I'm not telling a sole this month. Last time quite a few people knew I was doing it and then obvs told people about the natural mc. So I figured, that if this FET is successful then it's like my secret whether it was ivf baby or not! Although twins may give it away if that did happen!

x

Nope I'm definitely not telling any fish! Meant 'soul'!!!!!

allchat there is no right or wrong answer on how many to defrost. however fwiw I would go with 2. that is based on nothing other than we've been told they would put 2 back on fet if single et were to fail on fresh cycle. apparently doing this gives the same odds of pg as putting 2 back on fresh cycle. I used to hate the idea of twins but I'd rather have 2 babies than none. if it happened you'd manage, and even if both took there are no guarantee's both will be OK - can't remember if it was nutty or whittle this happened to, I think nutty but sorry if I'm wrong.

lil - thats interesting your clinic said said they'd put 2 back if fresh failed. Although my clinic have said its my decision, they expected me to just put back one. URGHH it's so confusing. Just seem to go round in circles. I'm lucky I suppose that I have this problem though.

Pretty sure it was nutty, but unfortunately the weaker one didn't make it I think…sorry if I got that wrong. x

its something to do with policy to reduce multiple births allchat. they won't put two back in first fresh cycle but if it fails they fund a fet (only get one funded cycle here) with 2back (assuming there are 2)

Thanks for replying Allchat at and shell I went to the clinic yesterday and I have 3 follicles, my lining is 5.1mm and it was D10, I will come back on Friday and begin with cyclogest and clearane
Apparently I will have the ET next week. Regarding the number of embryos to be transferred, the doctor advised me to do the 2, and the chance of twins is low, but I think it's because of my age. So if something goes wrong I will have to begin again!! Fingers crossed I will have good luck this time. Good luck for you as well xxxxx

Can I ask how old you are?
I'll be transferring tues, meaning I'll only have to wait about a week after transfer to find out because my Luteal phase is about 14 days.

Hi ladies,
I have been following your progress and am keeping everything crossed for you all.
Just wanted to say that it was me who had two put back, saw two heartbeats at 6w but only a sack at week 8. So the weaker one didn't make it. However, I would still go for putting two back allchat to increase your chances. I haven't had any bleeding so I think my body has absorbed it. It was very sad seeing it on the screen but I'm ok about it now. My 12w scan is on Friday and that's a whole new worry!!!
Wishing you all the best x

wow nutty 12weeks already! that's flown by! glad to hear you're coming to terms with your loss. it will always be sad,but come Friday it will be a new chapter when you can tell everyone!

we had mil here today with the inquisitive "wait until you have kids" line. ugh

Thanks lil I looked up vanishing twin syndrome and it's actually quite common. We only know about it because going through ivf means you have an earlier scan or two. Most people wouldn't even know.
You poor thing with the mil comment. We had that all the time until I said we didn't want children! People are going to be very shocked!! Got to wait a bit longer though for the ds tests to come back

anroga, 10 fertilised is fantastic! I wish I could produce that many. I am 37 and with 9 IVF attempts, the most mature eggs I ever got was 5! Wonder why we are so different? Wish I was more like you! Great that they are calling tomorrow with details for transfer as it means you will get another embryo update. Keep us posted.

allchat, I can totally understand you being scared of transferring two embryos and putting 'all eggs in one basket'. I guess it depends on what your plan B is. You sound like your gut says you will do another fresh cycle if FET fails (as crap as that is), in which case sooner is better with age being against us so then perhaps that would help you decide to try transferring 2 to move things along quicker. Good luck with deciding.

All sounds well gcerron. I am sure your lining will thicken as your follicles grow and estrogen surges. So another scan Friday? Are they going by scan to determine ovulation and when to schedule FET? Different to allchat who was responsible for detecting her own LH surge.

Well it's all happening for everyone on here and I am wishing I was in on some of the IVF action instead of impatiently waiting til Mid March for me to try yet again. Have an appt on 30th with IVF Dr so at least that feels like something.

Hi Shell

It is not fair that you have had to do 9 Ivfs attempts as I said yesterday hopefully 2015 is the year for us all even though I am sure it is so hard for you to keep trying to be positive. Don't know how we are different being a similar age as from your posts it sounds like you have done more to aid IVF than me.

Just spoke to the embroylogist this morning and I have 6 that are still of a good quality and still all growing at the same size and speed. She explained that this makes it difficult for them to choose 2 as none stand out so they will keep them going until day 5 blasto which is Saturday so I go in then at 9-30am for transfer.

The other 4 are growing at a slightly slower speed.

She asked me how many I wanted to put back? So I explained that the consultant had advised 2 because of my age it would increase my chances so I have opted to be guided by him and put the 2 back on Saturday.

Back to you I bet you are heading towards the 30th as then you are back on the journey again.

Hi everyone thought if check in and see how you were all doing!

anroga wow sick whole embryos and another potential 4 that could catch up is great! Very excited for you on Saturday!

Shell I'm glad you have a plan and are going to see the doctor soon. March really isn't that far away (I'm planning a surprise birthday party for DH in March and can't believe how soon it is!) and keeping busy will make the time fly by, I'm sure. I've booked a while bunch of stuff for when we have out 2ww to keep my mind off things, just silly free stuff like walk up a hill and look at the city, and visit some national trust places I googled and cook a bunch of stuff from a cookbook we got for Christmas. I dunno if it will help but I always ind keeping busy makes time fly by!

nutty how fantastic that you have your 12 week scan soon, positive stories like yours really give me hope, so thank you for checking in with us!

dottie sorry about the mil comment, that sucks. Hope you're doing ok

Sorry I can't reply to everyone, on my phone as usual and scrolling up is hard, but I'll try and sneak in a proper post at lunchtime when no one is in the office!

Afm I am back from the clinic this morning after a scan, lining looks good and they have started me on gonal f - the nurse got me to do the first injection right there to make sure I can use the thing (it looks like an epipen, seems much easier to do than the suprecur injections which are syringe and different needles!) so I am injecting with both in the morning from now on. I go back for another scan on Tuesday to see how my follies are growing. She said they would have a better idea of when they would do EC after that scan.

Thanks Toes am pleased with the progress so far.

You are going down just the same road as me, my lining with nice and thick when I had my scan and then they started me on the gonal f pen. Its very easy to use, as you say less than faff that those suprecur injections!

I did both mine at night and it was fine, did start to bruise a bit but thats normal. I then had a scan on a Monday to see how they were doing and then did the injections until the Friday, had another scan then and was all ready to go so did my trigger on the Sat then my ec on the Monday.

So glad it is all going ok for you too x

anroga how exciting, your little embryos are cooking right now and sound like they are doing soo well! Thanks for the reassurance, I am getting a bit nervous about it, buts its still a long way off, only starting stimms tonight now!

When you say suppositories??? I've got this crinone gel upstairs which I have to use at some point, is that it? Its vaginal progesterone gel or something like that - to use for about 3 months?

I am reading and following everyone else stories with interest! I struggle reading and replying to everyone on this! I'm not used to forums!

My own update is nothings changed for me yet, start stimms tonight and first scan next wednesday then we go from there! I don't have a scan before starting stimms - is that normal? Looks like some of you did?

Hi Verkey. I've had the Crinone gel for my last two attempts (and will be using it this time round too). Crinone is vaginal only. (Think that makes it as 'pessary' rather than a 'suppository'?). The gel is better at staying up you than some of the other progesterone creams I believe, and is a lot more expensive (so I presume in some way better? Will have to google to find out why I'm given that instead of the cheaper brands (I pay fixed price so can't believe they're giving me the expensive stuff without good reason)). However, be warned that after a couple of days or so on the Crinone you will find really gross looking white lumpy clumps of the stuff in/around/coming out of your vagina! It is gross (think a cross between cottage cheese and papier-mâché). Hubby and I gave up trying to have sex while I was on it. I was too embarrassed to let him near, and the one time we did try it had made me so dry down there it really wasn't fun.

I've only ever been given 2 weeks supply of the stuff. But maybe if you get a BFP they want you to stick with it for longer.