Rumples IVF/ICSI thread continued

[lildottie]

Our thread was originally started by Rumples who now has her bfp, as have a few other ladies along the way. Here's hoping the next thread holds a few more bfps!

shell you must rattle! I agree about not telling people ivf dates. I wish I hadn't.

back. on. the. diet. tomorrow! didn't have dominos pizza for tea, honest!

Looking forward to hearing how your appointment goes lildottie. Will you set up another IVF cycle in that appointment? According to that high protein low carb diet study, women who had poor embryo quality did it for two months before repeating IVF to produce that studies results of 80% success. So if your next IVF is 8 weeks away, I think you should be fine if you get back on the diet now.

But even in these all important 8 weeks, I've had 3 bad days so far. I frustrate myself. Also frustrating is that despite 18 out of 21 good days, starting a newspaper delivery to make me walk 2 1/2 hours a week 1 pilates class and 3 yoga classes, I've only lost 1 kg / 2.2 pounds.

well today I had 2weetabix with whole milk and sultanas for breakfast scrambled egg with spinach, roasted red peppers and a tiny bit of cheddar followed by a lemon greek yoghurt for lunch and cod, mash, peas and parsley sauce for tea followed by another fruit Greek yoghurt for tea.

problem is I also ate 2 lindor chocolates, 13 packs of parma violets and a huge piece of birthday cake. so day 1 not so good!

not really sure what will happen about booking in next ivf tbh shell. interesting to know the 8 weeks thing though, thanks for that. I will probably leave 8 weeks clear of my exam which is in a few weeks. also need to do some research to see if I want to stay at same clinic. no frosties so nothing tying us to there. no reason to leave but feel like I should check out all my options if I'm paying this time!

2.2lbs is good! you just have to keep it up. remember it doesn't matter how much you lose, its the fact you lost. and its as important to keep it off as it is to lose more. I lost 3lb and have put 2.5lb back on

Sounds like a good idea to do some research on different clinics. I chose mine because they do

• HA sperm selection
• Calcium injection into the egg when they inject the sperm to increase fertilisation rates.

Hubbys sperm is dud so HA sperm selection helps pick the best of a bad bunch and because I don't produce many eggs, calcium injection is important to me to increase the fertilisation rate of the few I do produce. So I guess it's all about knowing what your particular fertility issues are and then who offers the technical stuff to suit.

Don't be too hard on yourself with the diet. You've got all that left over food in your house which I wouldn't be able to resist either. I just don't have it in my house now as I know I couldn't resist. Hopefully the 8 weeks thing will help you feel better that you can enjoy your cake (chocolates and dominos!) without too much guilt. I've only got 5 weeks until my IVF starts so that's why I am doing it now.

But yep, I know the depressing feeling of taking it off and putting it back on. I actually put on 4.4lb after my last IVF failure with 2 weeks of emotional eating. So even though I've now lost 2.2lb, I feel like I have to lose another 2.2lb to be back at my starting point, let alone feeling like I'm losing weight.

Doesn't seem fair - took me 2 short weeks to gain 4.4lbs, yet 3 weeks of hard work has only seen me lose half of it! Ho hum.

Great idea to tell family that we're having ivf but not giving specific dates. As much as we love them I don't think I could be arsed to go into all the intricate details over the phone.

Interesting about the 8 week timescale for high protein, low carbs in the run up it ivf. I reckon we'll be starting in the next few months so fingers crossed will help towards our first go.

Totally agree on the unfairness of weight gain shell!!

Non that's what we are going to do next time too. Telling my mum I was pg just to tell her i thought i was going to mc 3 days later was heartbreaking for us both, and she's not a very open person with her emotions so her ignoring it to deal with it upset me more at the time.

So I could start my next IVF as soon as my next cycle if I wanted to! We are going to hang fire for the minute as we are moving house, i have an exam and with DH's improved numbers we'd like a couple of goes ourselves again first just in case we get lucky and can save a few g's!
They are giving me a blood test for something (can't remember what but it began with a!) to test for some mc risk thing. Pleased they are not ignoring mc and just blindly doing it all again. I can also join a clinical study looking at whether raised TSH levels, even at high level of normal, can mean antibodies increase the risk of mc. I get a blood test and if levels high i get given a tablet to take, if not then I know i dont have high levels!

We are thinking about doing cycle in August but as i'm LP i'd go on BCP in July, giving us just 2 goes at naturally ttc before the next IVF. Do you think we should try a bit longer or just go for the IVF as soon as we are ready?

Yes, hopefully the high protein diet you are also following non will help for your first go and you won't have to experience IVF failure like lil and me.

It's such a difficult question to answer lil. On the one hand, if DH has improved numbers and that is the only issue, it makes sense that if you try naturally, it should happen over the course of a few months. But perhaps it won't - there's just no guarantees. The study sounds interesting. Really sounds like your clinic is up with the latest research and ahead in the reproductive field. Not sure what that A... blood test is. If you find out, you'll have to let me know. No harm for me to get that blood test too and cover all bases since it's the last attempt I can afford. Good luck with your decision. Do you have to give the clinic an answer now or could you just see how you feel at the end of the two months of trying naturally and if you are fed up or wanting to try naturally longer?

I am on day 23 of my cycle here. I did make sure we did the deed right before ovulation but I have zero hope. Just waiting for my period to show up so I can get into the next cycle and start counting down to day 21 when I start the estrogen in prep for IVF the next cycle. At first, I was all distracted with my diet and exercise, but it's been over 3 weeks now and it's all getting pretty boring and time is really starting to drag!

Just came home from work to find a letter from our ivf clinic. Now have forms to fill out to take with us, just need to ring up first day of period to book a preliminary scan , SA and blood tests ( yes, I have to have them done again). Fingers crossed will be starting in a few months!

so annoying they have to repeat tests non but at least you are moving forward.

dh seems uninterested in shagging so thinking it may be best to just get on with the next ivf!

shell you're in that mid way point. don't lose sight of the end goal and you'll get through it. any joy getting dh in board with the healthy eating?

I made DH a healthy breaky before work yesterday and a healthy lunch for work. That's the only way he's going to eat some healthy food - if I do all the hard work (and some how not get resentful that he can't be arsed putting in any effort himself!). Did I mention he's been sick for a week. I just feel frustrated rather than sympathetic as his crap eating isn't helping his dud sperm and making me do IVF in the first place, and now I worry his flu which gave him a fever for two days is going to affect his IVF contribution in 6 weeks time and ruin my IVF too.

Glad to hear things are moving forward for you Nonconformist. 'A few months' still sounds like a long way away when we want this over with yesterday. Hopefully they don't have a long wait to book you in for these tests and your IVF cycle isn't that far away.

My period arrived this morning. So now I can start counting down to taking estrogen later this cycle in prep for IVF next cycle. I'm just confused on one point. I'm doing the EPP IVF protocol. This is where I take estrogen later this cycle before IVF next cycle. The standard time to start the estrogen is day 21, because that's when the body has recognized no pregnancy has taken place and starts growing follicles for the following cycle. Taking estrogen stops your body from developing these follicles so they are all at the same size when I start the stims on day 2 of the next cycle and they grow at a more even pace.

But while I ovulate late (day 15/16) my cycle is only 24-26 days long. My cycle just gone was 25 days long. Does that mean my follicles for the following cycle are being recruited earlier and I should start the estrogen earlier than the standard day 21 start? My Dr has no idea since she has not heard of this protocol but it's something I've researched and wanted to try. So I can't get her advice and can't find any answers on Dr Google.

shell if you ovulate late and have short cycles have you considered leutal phase defect? if you ov cd16 and have a 24day cycle you only have an 8day leutal phase. less than 10days is considered insufficient for implantation. of course cd15 ovulation and 26day cycle would give you an 11day lp which would be fine.

but on the oestrogen I would definitely say that this should be tailored to your cycle, but that is my opinion not based on anything. I'd you think that getting your progesterone blood test on day21 if you are a late ovulater could give you a false negative result for ovulation, it follows that your oestrogen levels don't be in the right place on cd21 either. if you had a 14day lp I'd say take it from 7dpo but as you have a short lp maybe start a bit earlier? not sure.

Yes, I have come to the conclusion that I have a luteal phase defect. I have taken progesterone in the past, thinking this could be the reason I am not falling pregnant naturally, but once we got the 100% abnormal sperm result, I gave up with home remedies and focused on IVF.

I emailed a friend in America as her clinic does this IVF protocol as standard and they must have experience with women having different length cycles. She is seeing her clinic Wednesday and will ask and report back to me. But in the meantime, I agree with you. I have temporarily decided I will start the estrogen on day 20 instead of day 21.

How are you going lil? Have you come to any definite timeline decisions about your next IVF cycle now that you've decided to go ahead with it since sex isn't happening. This baby making pressure really does seem to dampen the sex life.,,, seems to be something lots of women comment on, so your hubby must be feeling the pressure too.

glad you have found a source of info shell! will be interested to know what they say

we will wait for blood test results before setting definite date I think. since my moan at him the other night he's provided the goods twice! hoping to ovulate in the next few days but think my cycle is still wonky from mc. hopefully he'll keep with the programme!

glad you have found a source of info shell! will be interested to know what they say

we will wait for blood test results before setting definite date I think. since my moan at him the other night he's provided the goods twice! hoping to ovulate in the next few days but think my cycle is still wonky from mc. hopefully he'll keep with the programme!

Blimey shellster that oestrogen stuff sounds very complicated, hope you get an answer as to when to start it. Interesting reading what you all think about telling your families. I haven't told my parents yet cos it makes me well up and don't want to be a blubbering mess. I have told my closest friends tho. I think I will tell my mum soon, maybe over the phone (we live 2 hrs away) so we can't tell how upset each other is! I'm having day 21 progesterone bloods Monday then appointment for all my results on may 5th. As for having a few more goes lildottie I think it's deff worth a try, I know 2 people at work who got pregnant waiting for IVF....you never know!

It's all very emotional stuff isn't it Laura. It's individual for everyone and you just do what's right for you when deciding who to tell and when. The 5th of May isn't too far away so at least it must feel good that you will go to that appointment and get the next step in place to get you one step closer. Looking forward to hearing how you get on.

Glad to hear you're hubbys on the ball lil. Definitely sounds like you do have a chance of natural conception with hubby's improved sperm, and you saw first hand that his sperm was able to fertilise your eggs in the petri dish without ICSI. I do hear stories of women conceiving after a failed IVF or miscarriage, as though this ramps up our fertility afterwards, so definitely no harm in trying while you wait.

hi shell, how's things? mad busy here. exam and house move next week and also helping my mum out with mortgage stuff as my step dad left her last week. suffice to say diet not brilliant. could be worse though. not going to worry about it until we are in the new house now though.

That certainly does sound mad busy. Sorry to hear about your mum and step dad - sounds like a very emotional time for everyone. Good luck with your exam.

Nothing happening at my end. Just waiting til late May when this current cycle ends so I can get my IVF started and see how things go for my final attempt.

Hi Shell and Lil, hope you're both ok? Sounds like a lot is going on for you.

I'm just waiting for AF next weekend so I can ring the IVF clinic to start preliminary tests. Looking at my dates, may be starting our first cycle start of June which seems forever away.

I just have a few questions for you wise ladies. How much time did you have off/ would recommend for EC and ET? I work in healthcare, my job has a a fair bit of bending and twisting plus I have patients already booked in with me for months in advance so want to give a bit of warning of the amount of time I need in advance.

hi non I am self employed and work from home so didn't have to worry about time off. I did find that the first 2-3 days after ec were quite uncomfortable and I just wanted to curl up in my PJs. et was fine though. barely felt a thing and was over in seconds. I would say test date is a day to have off. if its bfn you'll want to wallow, if its bfp you'll not be able to think about anything else. they do say to take it easy physically after ec, not to do nothing but not to over exert yourself, so if your job is quite physical you may want to book the whole time off. the other thing to keep in mind is you won't know when ec/et is exactly until a day or 2 before. I was phoned at 9am and told to be in at 12noon for et, and my ec was delayed by a day to give smaller follicles a but of a chance.

Thanks for that Lil it was really helpful. Although I'm the boss in my own business too, I still have commitments. I will have my part timers on standby to cover my appointments, if not they'll just have to be cancelled. My medical appointments are more important! I've been prepping my patients saying that I'm on standby to look after my Mum as she's due to have surgery. Oh, the lies I have told!

oooh good lie non!! glad to help

Hi All. Jumping on the thread - but apologies - haven't been through & read it all.

Ready to start Gonal F in approx. 12 days for short cycle ICSI. First time round.

Desperately trying to not stress (impossible with job I have) and put this first above everything.

Any last minute advice? I've been told baggy pants as I'll swell up like a balloon (low egg reserve at 40 so on max dosage). What about days off work around egg transfer? I'm hoping I'll be off work anyway on egg collection day but wondered about transfer?

Also trying to not make decisions right now about how many to put back as I don't even know how many blastocysts we'll get.

First & only free cycle so want to make the most of it, whilst also being realistic that the chances of success are pretty low.

hi ranch welcome and sorry you are going through this too. see my post about 3back re time off as non just asked same question fx it works for you. my 1 and only funded cycle was bfp in Feb but I mc at 5weeks. now getting ready to start round 2!

Thank you. That's really useful. I'm a teacher so I'm hoping EC will be over half term. Work are great and getting time off isn't a problem, it's more about not letting the kids down right before their exams, especially as I'm practically paid by results! ??
Thankfully a number of colleagues have gone through it so they understand. Good advice about results day though.