Anyone starting IVF soon? Join me (3)

[purplemeggie]

Ha! I was just about to post the last message in the old thread linking to this, but I'm too late, we've already filled it up! I'll do the same as last time and send PMs to everyone who's been on the thread recently, but everyone's welcome

There are several science based articles on the net Darkchoc if you google 'estrogen gwoth rate', but here is a not so scientific link where someone has posted step by step instructions on how to set up the chart in Microsoft Excel... or I am happy to email you the chart that I have already made up so you just have to enter you estrogen levels if you want to PM me your email address. I am not far away from egg collection you are as I think it's the levels in the days closer towards egg collection that count.

Ewww ranch, no sign of your overdue period...I feel BFP vibes coming from you.

Oops, Darkchoc - I meant to say 'I am not SURE how far away from egg collection you are' and not 'I am not far away from egg collection'.

BFN x

So sorry Ranch - not much any of us can say other than we understand your pain and disappointment and we're here for you x

I'm sorry, Ranch. I hope you and DH are continuing your day of pleasant things, although totally understandable if you're not.

Oh no Ranch I am so sorry. I love how positive you have been over these last few weeks, I really hope you are able to get a good nights sleep tonight and then plan your next step.

I'm on my phone and have a super crappy memory so thank you for all the support shellster, dark choc, purple, Karou and trixie, I wasn't a lucky one, and that is the end of the road for me and DH. Adoption or a miracle is the next step.

Ranch I am so sorry it hasn't been your time. I hope you have the right people around you both to support you, and are taking comfort in each other. Does your clinic offer counselling? Is it something you would consider?

I have made appointment for DH and I- we're good with communication but he has been super supportive and saying "I'm more worried about you". It is a safe environment to get everything out.

My brother sent me the most throat spasm-ingly sweet message- he lives overseas. It put in to words my thoughts and feelings about how we will go forward and I would love to share it with you guys:

Oh dear Bedouin! I'm so sorry. I wish there was something I could do to fix it all. I'm here for you always and forever when u need me. I love the idea of adoption and I'm sure that you will find the perfect little soul that's meant to be yours and they'll be so lucky to have you. And that's something beautiful to look forward too.

So I'll keep popping in to see how you're doing lovely ladies. Cat and Karou have wonderful pregnancies, and I hope you all catch up with them SOON!!!
I'm going to crack open that bottle of Pol Roger I put in the fridge last night

I'm crying (of course, what else?) reading today's posts. Bedouin and Ranch for you and a big .

Ranch I hope your DH is being as wonderful as he usually is, and that you have plenty of support.

Bedouin your brother is amazing. Good friends of mine adopted two years ago, and it's a story written like a fairy tale, they have the most wonderful daughter now.

Karou how are you doing?

Thinking of you both ranch and bedouin

I'm struggling today, a good friend just had her third dc, a beautiful little girl and I'm so pleased for her but it made me quite tearful getting the text as I feel so alone. Had to go and sit in my room for a bit, had a good cry and ate two bars of chocolate so that's ruined my healthy eating plan as well and now I feel crap about that too.
Still no 'proper' AF either, I'm wondering if my body will ever feel back to normal

Hugs, Bedouin - and what a lovely brother you have! Please stay in touch...and I'd love to hear how the adoption adventure goes, when you're ready to embark on it.

In the meantime, take time to look after yourself and grieve. This process is a cruel mistress xxx

ranch, I am so sorry that I was giving you false positive hope as I cheered you on. The progesterone is so cruel for keeping AF away and giving false hope.

bedouin, your brother's message brought a tear to my eye. What a lovely family you have; a mother who has brought you up with her arms always open so that you are free to have a good cry on her shoulder, a husband who cares for you and the most amazing brother. I know that doesn't take away from the pain of this. xox.

waiting. I so understand where you are coming from. I've done exactly the same thing of feeling depressed, then eating crap, then feeling depressed about that too! At least your embryos are safely stored away so don't feel too guilty. Have you tried any meditation or hypnosis? I have one I paid a few dollars to have emailed to me so I can forward it on to you if you PM me your email address if that will help. Or a walk in the fresh air. I know I am a hypocrite. Watch me turn into a stress head next week as my own IVF starts up and you'll have to parrot this advice back to me!

Thanks all. We got trollied in the sunshine

We will pick ourselves up and try again. Time is against us but we will do what we can and enjoy life together whatever happens.

Thank you for your lovely comments and support

Really sorry to hear your news ranch and bedouin. Having been there a few times myself I recommend wine, chocolate and plotting plan B. Thinking about 'what next' always makes me feel better for some reason.

It's 6.30am in Chicago and I've been wide awake with jet lag since 5, am going to take myself off for a run in the fog. Purple are you heading to CZ on Monday?

Really not sure what on earth is going on with my body, egg collection was April 26 I then had a lot of bleeding on April 30 for about a week (like a normal AF as mine are very heavy) a few weeks later a couple of days with very light spotting and now, for the last few days brown spotting, today some red so I thought AF was actually here but it's tailed off again to brown.

I know it's not a normal period at all so even if I wanted to I wouldn't know when to start medication for fet.
I want to wait till I've had at least one 'proper' period but I'm not sure what my body is doing. Has this happened to anyone else or have your cycles got back to normal quickly ?

I'm feeling really tearful and depressed. This may be tmi but I've been passing a lot of stringy brown clots as well and I feel crampy but things just don't seem to be getting going at all.
I can't believe that it's been over three years now of wanting another dc yet these last few weeks leading up to FET seem to be dragging so much and I'm so so desperate for AF to arrive properly as I feel like I need to be doing something positive not just waiting

Definitely sounds like you need to wait for a proper bleed waiting to have optimal chance for your FET, as frustrating as waiting is. This has not happened to me - after egg collection, I always get my period after about two weeks, as though my body has processed egg collection as ovulation and I go through a normal length luteal phase. Sounds like your hormones were out of whack to have bleeding just 5 days post EC - did you down reg? I do not. Perhaps that is the difference?

No it was a short protocol ivf cycle but I was meant to continue certitude for five days after ec due to having so many follicles but I bled on day four and the clinic said to stop the certitude then. They had told me to expect a bleed about ten days post ec so they were surprised too.

I think I'm just worried things are all out of sync now and won't go back. Is that stupid? I'm just so worried. I've been having reflexology and I'm wondering if I should try acupuncture too?
I've kept my weight up too as usually am a bit underweight naturally so have tried really hard to keep a normal bmi in the hope that will keep things as they should be but obviously not working

Certitude ??? Autocorrect. Should be cetrotide

Sorry it was cetrotide for three days post ec and clexane for five days post ec

That's right, I remember that now waiting. Again though, this wasn't part of my protocol so not something we can compare. Definitely sounds like the IVF has mucked things up a bit for you. I know stress doesn't help but it's so hard not to stress when you have no idea what is going on. The one time my cycle went wonky for 3 months was when I got the shock of my DH's 0% normal sperm infertility diagnosis and the fact that we would need IVF. So I have seen first hand how stress interferes with the cycle. There really seems to be nothing you can do except for wait for things to settle down, so hopefully you can find something to help relax you and keep you sane while you wait.

My AF is now 3 days late. (Day 28 was Thursday) Having some really weak dark brown discharge but no blood. Is this the start? I'm presuming things will be a bit odd first AF after ICSI. Had really low mood last night so presumed I'd get AF today. Nothing really obvious though.

hi guys, a little bit of advice needed here also. i started IVF in feb 2015 but only went as far as EC as hormone levels were too high so couldnt do ET.

Im now about to start a fresh new cycle of IVF. My monthly menstrual cycle used to last for 7 days... few days starting off light and then heavy for 2 days and finishing off light. However since my EC in feb my cycle has now become shorter (3 days) and very light. at first i thought it was my body recovering from all those drugs but we're now in june?

my period is still very regular (every 28 days)... but shorter and lighter? do you think anything to worry or is this normal?

any advice will be appreciated x

Hi there, sorry I haven't been on here for a while. I haven't had chance to read back and catch up yet but I just wanted to post this incase it helps purple or any of you other lovely ladies.

I can't remember if I said but I recently sent off a sample for the hidden infection tests at Serum in Greece. I've had the results which have come back positive for hidden c and bacterial load. DH and I have both been prescribed 25 days of doxycycline. They expect this to help improve his SA but they have said that because of the infection which would cause inflammation they would expect my nk cells to be high so have said I will need to have steroids and intralipids on my next treatment. I don't think they have ever seen anyone get a bfp until they have cleared these infections so it could be why my 2 really good blasts last time did nothing at all. It well worth giving it a go as really easy. You just need to send off your sample and wait for the results. They had told me previously that DH had borderline sperm samples and had classed us as unexplained infertility whereas I had always thought it was because of dhs sperm. Now I'm wondering if this could be a reason why we've never even had a sniff of a pregnancy in all the time trying naturally! Don't know if it's any help for anyone else but I have found them all pretty good and am really pleased I have a reason to add the intralipids now as will feel like I've tried everything I possibly can!

Hello. Quick post from Gatwick airport as I wait for my delayed flight to Prague. Hoping I end up there and not Copenhagen because the tannoy announcements about our gate do not tally with the screens above the gate. Ho hum.

Thanks Lucie, that definitely sounds worth doing before our next cycle. Although a month of antibiotics fills me with horror. I don't know if they still have frozen sperm from DH - if they do there doesn't seem much point in him getting tested. Was there any advantage other than quality? I think I'm relaxed about that since we had good fertilisation rates and good numbers maturing to blastocyst stage. But definitely could explain why I have now had six excellent blastocysts - plus three day two embryos fail to implant. Certainly another 'what if' to eliminate.

So what did you have to do? How on earth do they maintain the integrity of biological samples in the post to Greece? Mind you , they can deliver love sperm from Denmark can't they do I guess there's no reason why not.

Ha ha ha! Best autocorrect failure yet! Live sperm, not love, obv

Well it's a bit unpleasant but you need to send a sample of a few drops of blood from your AF to them. You mix it with some sterile water to stop it drying out. I think they analyse the DNA in it so it doesn't have to be fresh. Your DH won't need to send a sample but it's assumed that if you have an infection then he will too and you will both be prescribed the antibiotics. We also have frozen sperm but they said because it's washed etc before the ivf it should be ok unless there is a high % of dna frag. They said it's very unlikely to get a bfp with infections and extremely unlikely to have a live birth. I just thought our fertility is not that bad so could be a reason why we have never had any success and could possibly be something to look into as to why your seemingly good blasts don't implant. It costs about £200 altogether.