Anyone starting IVF soon? Join me (2)

[purplemeggie]

I see we've filled up the thread and thought I'd better start another one. How's everyone doing?

[GoBigOrange]

Oh wow, so many new people and so many new messages.

I was only gone a week wasn't I?



I'm not even going to attempt to go through and greet and comment to everyone individually, as I'd be here for absolutely hours I think.

But welcome to the new people, and all the very best of luck to everyone.

As for me, despite the loveliness of this thread and its posters, I am hoping very much to not be staying!

I got a BFP this morning! Actually, I got super-faint BFPs on Monday and Tuesday mornings too, but they were apparently too faint for DH to see, but he finally agreed I definitely wasn't seeing things this morning

First blood test on Friday though, so hopefully the blood tests will give us a better idea about if this pregnancy wants to stick or not.

For so long I haven't really looked beyond getting the BFP, and now I've got that, I have a whole new set of anxieties to contend with

[Cantbelieveimdoingthisagain]

Wow! I'm brand new but congratulations orange

[BatteryPoweredHen]

Yaaaaaay Orange! So many congratulations

,..and a very warm welcome to cant believe and claudiddy

Wow claudiddy it's all happening for you! how exciting! Are you having EC under sedation or GA? I so hope your trigger matures your eggs perfectly and you get a good clutch. Is this your first round?

cantbelieve I expect you will be able to have whatever you wish! you are the paying customer after all . I do think that most clinics like to run all tests as if there is something fixable, that would probably give you a better chance of conceiving.

Arm, 3rd day if stimms, just feeling quite tired really. Next scan and bloods on Friday so should have a clearer picture then. Quite anxious tbh, I hope there is something going on in there!

How is everyone else doing?

[Cantbelieveimdoingthisagain]

Thank you hen I'm hoping so as I would love to conceive naturally, but am not holding out too much hope..
I hope your appointment goes well!

claudiddy wishing you lots of luck. I don't know all of the lingo but all sounds very positive, PMA

[Frazoz]

Shells and battery sorry I've gone quiet the last few days I had the flu, EEVA is an extra £800 and exactly as described they can tell which eggs are the best quality basically.

To be honest Im not really sure just that they don't suggest it on the first round of treatment. I was wondering if anyone had IMSI?

I was supposed to have my flu jab back in Sept and didn't so do you think it's safe to have it now when my treatments going to start in 3 weeks?

GoBig massive congratulations!!!

Hope everyone else is keeping healthy

[Frazoz]

Cantbelieveimdoingthisagain

Your story sounds very similar to mine my Husband has the same issue and if the clinic do a second SA test and it's the same I'd expect them to advise ICSI as you need a certain amount of sperm to have IVF.

You'll need an AMH level and even though our GP did this so we didn't have to pay it took them 8 weeks to get the results so if your going private you're more than likely get the results back quickly our clinic charges £50.

We are both taking Pregnacare conception his and hers plus Eye Q x 3 a day as it was recommended by our consultant. I'm drinking 2 litres of water a day plus semi skimmed milk.

For your first appointment I'd just suggest writing down all the things your concerned about or have questions on so you don't forget them, also no question is stupid better to ask rather than worrying about it.

Everyone on here is amazing so don't ever feel like your alone and we are always here to help.

[Cantbelieveimdoingthisagain]

Hi frazoz

Thank you! I think I've found my sanity again since logging on here and writing things down if that makes sense. I will have to look into Eye Q - I've not heard of it. Will this be preparation ICSI?

Would you mind letting me know why the 2 litres of water & the milk?

I'm starting my little list but I must admit, I am afraid of sounding completely clueless!

[BatteryPoweredHen]

Can't, nobody expects you to know everything - that's why we are paying experts to inform us!

[BatteryPoweredHen]

frazoz sorry to hear about your flu, that's rubbish hope you're on the mend now...

[Frazoz]

Cantbelieve - I have my pack next to me and we are taking Eye Q as part of the Pre-conceptual diet this is instead of fish which is at least twice a week including some oily fish but not more than two portions of oily fish a week. This includes fresh tuna (not canned) mackerel, sardines and trout.

The water and milk I've read from others that it helps get mature eggs.

They may answer all your questions in the consultaion but I wanted to make sure I covered everything as I'm a bit of a worrier and trying to get the NHS to reply to e-mails was very stressful as they took ages to reply.

As you have Sperm issues ask the clinic if they do IMSI as this improves pregnancy rates by 10%!! Our clinic don't offer this unfortunately.

Claudiddy - you are at the same clinic we are, how did you find the whole process? I'll be having my scans at Basingstoke though.

Battery - can I ask how much the IMSI is? The difference between ICSI and IMSI?

[Frazoz]

Battery - thanks, slowly happening still got a horrid cough like I've been smoking 40 a day!! Doesn't help with my Hubby being in China and being fireworks week our poor doggy has been a nervous wreck

[Cantbelieveimdoingthisagain]

Oh that's great - it's all going down in my diary to question, glad to hear that about the eggs. I know I need to drink more water but this will make me now. And I love milk so good news for me! Thank you again!

hen this is true! And we are paying them well!

[Shellster52]

Welcome Claudidy
What a nightmare you've been through.
But it's all at a pivotal point now and in the next few days you will be getting updates with how your embryos are growing!
Keep me posted.
I am in Australia so not entirely familiar with your NHS system.
Is it rude to ask how old they consider 'too old' for treatment'?

Hen, also looking forward to hearing how your scan goes on Friday.
I have two more weeks wait before I start my IVF so I will live through you in the meantime.

Fraz, I'd never heard of EEVA until you mentioned it.
I am not a big egg layer and will be lucky to have two embryos to put back so no point me paying extra to select the best embryo when I won't have a selection to choose from.
You ask if anyone else has had IMSI.
I have not, be we are doing an alternative - HA sperm selection.
In natural conception, only sperm that expose their HA receptors are able to bind to the egg.
So they select the sperm by putting HA in a petri dish and seeing which sperm are able to bind to it.
In studies, the sperm that did bind had less DNA damage than those that didn't.
But just like IMSI, it all costs extra $$$$ of course!

Not sure if you're still here Orange or if you've happily left with your BFP.
But a big congratulations to you.
Everyone with BFP's seems to say they simply move onto the next stress about keeping their BFP after it's taken them so long to obtain it.
From this side of the fence, I will gladly swap - being up to IVF number 9 is getting ridiculous and making me wonder if it will ever happen.

Okay, so about two more weeks and then I start injection... AGAIN.
You still around Blue to endure this with me????
I need a fellow poor responder yet quality embryo producer to give me faith despite my low egg numbers.

[farfallarocks]

Hello can I join you too? Just waiting for AF to start so I can start the short flare protocol. Shellster I can be your poor responder buddy, have been told not to expect great things as my amh is low and my FSH is borderline. In fact my clinic waits until your FSH is 10 before letting you start so I am hoping to start but who knows!! In the meantime I am also taking fish oils, co enzyme q10, reservatol and trying to have a high protein diet :)


I am very very lucky to have a DD who is 2 who was conceived fairly easily after 2 miscarriages. We found the reason for the MCs and with Clexane I was able to carry to term. Getting pregnant had never been the issue so we thought we would be in for an easier ride this time. A year later we went for some tests for reassurance. DH fine, in fact has great numbers but I am heading towards premature ovarian failure and I am only 34! So we were advised to pursue pregnancy 'aggressively' if wanted another baby. SO here we are :)

[farfallarocks]

Sorry I forgot to say congrats to orange! The first few weeks of pregnancy are always nerve wracking and even more so when it has been a long road to get there but keeping all crossed for you :)

[bluemoonday]

Shellster do not fear, I am still here! I'm in Israel this week, the weather is fab. Chugging down water and trying to avoid caffeine in the hope that I can grow a few follicles by the end of the month. I'm not downregging this time because I'll be on a short protocol... haven't tried it before but apparently it's good for poor responders, straight to stimms basically.

Congratulations Orange, what great news. I understand your worries about the BFP perfectly... I've been in the same position (briefly) for my last 2 cycles . All I can say is take your progesterone, try to relax and stay positive!

Hello to all the newcomers!

[AnnieHoo]

Just checking this thread for first time in ages. Congratulations GoBigOrange !!!!

Need to sit down with a cup of tea later and have a good read later and catch up.

Hope everyone is doing ok and welcome to all the newbies x

[Paoseo]

Hi all.
Due to a serie of logistical problems we will have to start all procedure on the end of Jan and this makes me very worried. Yesterday we met the specialist who talked so fast, and I had to ask her many times questions about the procedure itself. I felt very powerless. She suggested me to undertake acupuncture as she said I am quite stressed. Since I live in St. Albans, has anyone had an experience of an acupuncture doctor here to advise me to go to ?
Plus, this morning I woke up
feeling very very hot under there and worried now to have got some bacteria.. Could stress affect "her"?

[inconceivableme]

Congratulations BigOrange!! Delighted for you.

I started a different thread before purple kindly made this one to share my BFP which I got a week and a half ago. Was so happy especially as I'd had spotting just before test day and was convinced result would be negative. Anyway, the spotting has continued ever since and now I'm increasingly worried. My early scan is booked for 17 November. I'm waiting a callback from my clinic, I say spotting but it's more than I ever had with my successful fresh cycle but definitely less than a period. Mainly brown but the odd bit of pink / red too. I'm officially 5w 5d pregnant so too early for anything to show on a scan. Just so worried...

Have more stuff to write in response to questions put by others so will pop back here asap to post them.

[naty1]

Are you still on progesterone?
Could you get blood hcgs done however may days apart to check its doubling?

[naty1]

Also i did read spotting could be dehydration so make sure youre having enough water.

I was just thinking if youre on progesterone you could increase or add other types of progesterone etc.
Maybe they could test progesterone blood levels

[inconceivableme]

Thanks naty. Interesting about the dehydration thing.
I'm on 2 x 400mg cyclogest pessaries daily and 2 x Elleste solo (oestrogen) tablets daily.
Not had any blood tests yet.

[naty1]

Theres so many things that can cause it. Apparently
twins,
cyclogest can irritate the cervix
'Implantation' they still call it that if its later too.

I think DSis had spotting after the 2ww with DC1 ivf.

If youre worried when you speak to them see if you can increase the cyclogest.

Ive been really careful about not getting up too soon after doing the cyclogest (with the clock change it was 6am so that meant i was in bed a while for it to absorb). It was a little obsessive in the end but i was trying to fix anything i might have done wrong with the bfn.

The attitude of my clinic seemed to be its relatively common after ivf and they didnt seem to take any action.

But i guess that doesnt mean there arent things that could help

[inconceivableme]

Spoke to clinic. Nurse said trying increasing the cyclogest to 3 x daily. Will do that. She said my description sounded like something they hear a lot and to try not to worry.
She said even a beta HCG wouldn't be v useful at this stage.
I'm doing the cyclogest rectally as I find vaginally too messy. Would it still irritate the cervix? If it irritates the cervix, will upping the dose reduce the spotting?
What's the thing about lying down after cyclogest? I wasn't told that so haven't been doing it.

[BatteryPoweredHen]

Awww inconceivableme I'd really push for the blood tests tbh, they will tell you whether HCG levels are increasing as they should, just to put your mind at rest.

I'm sure all will be well, spotting with progesterone is very common I believe...