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

Thanks all!

Trixie that would be great to be cycle buddies! I am waiting my booking in appointment with the nurses... X

hear hear purple!

Let's hope the good luck is contagious

Hi everyone,

I woke up feeling loads better today which is just a well because I had ET at midday where they put back 1 Grade A blastocyst! We managed to have 1 grade B blastocyst left that we are freezing. Would've loved to have both put back but now have future options.

Having my post transfer acupuncture later which I'm looking forward to then really will be in 2ww. Test day is Monday 3rd August where I POAS and contact the clinic with results. Really can't believe I've made it this far!

Heli I was bloated for 4 days post EC, I looked pregnant but so relieved it went down in time for ET. Can't tell you how much better I feel now. Sounds like you'll have a good crop of embryos.

Welcome to Pip too!

Really sorry, Pip - in the excitement of Shellster's news, I completely failed to say hello. Not in the least bit too late to join...plenty of us still to cycle - some for the nth time, some for the first time and all just muddling through this thing together.

Congratulations, Non - let's hope the good news continues on this thread and that little bean sticks tight .

Lovely to hear from you, too Karou - how's it all going? x

Aw good luck Non that is great your ET went well. Hope you enjoyed acupuncture too - is that recommended by folk here?

Do people still use the term "PUPO"??

Thanks for a bit of hope Non !!! I'm hoping it's just sheer internal bruising from big ovaries and not OHSS - feels like I've got a rock stretching my tummy - relieved a bit when going to the loo (both types!) so am feeling ok that it'll eventually go down. Doing about 3.5 litres fluids a day( water/lucozade/milk). Is that too much does anyone think??
Fab news on your Grade 1 Blast! - you must be feeling really proud!! Are you feeling ok after ET?

I'm having my first pre-transfer acupuncture tomorrow - missed out all the pre drugs ones as this all happened quite quickly so am hoping that at least having the pre-and-post ones will help. And hopefully it will give me some calmness too :-)

Pip welcome ! This is my first IVF cycle so I can't comment on what is/isn't used - I'm still trying to get to grips with it myself. I just had to look up PUPO!! My mind is racing full of questions all the time so I need this to keep me sane! I only know 1 other person who's done it and she's now in Australia so it's a bit tricky to just ring her up when I'm feeling a bit rubbishy and have cried into my dinner (like I did earlier!!! )

Hi ladies

I jumped on earlier to congratulate Shell but am wondering if it would be ok if I hung around?
I'm on cycle 1 of IVF (21ttc) but it has been abandoned after EC due to OHSS. Thankfully we have 5 lovely blasts in the freezer ready for when I'm recovered. We are unexplained.

Heli - my OHSS made me feel completely rubbish, I was constantly nauseous and unable to drink anything without being sick. How many days post collection are you (sorry haven't read back yet)?

And I've heard the term PUPO on another thread, can't wait to be it! Xx

Sammy - definitely hang around....the embryo fairy seems to be hanging with us at the moment, so it might just be a good place to be

I had EC yesterday sammy. So sorry to hear you've been so poorly with OHSS and had to be cancelled. But at least you've got some goodies in the freezer ready to go! Better for them to keep you safe. Were you at risk from OHSS?

Thanks Purple

Heli - they said slight risk because my AMH was 19, I'm young and no cause for infertility found.. But no one seemed overly worried, and I was on a fairly low dose so not sure what happened really. Ovaries were about 3x normal size with aprox a pint of free fluid

Oops, posted too soon.

I think it's normal to be pretty uncomfortable for a couple of days, but if you don't start to get better (or get worse) call your clinic and they'll scan you if they're worried. Xx

Oh shellster, so many of us have been waiting for this day!!! Amazing news I am filling up here! Congratulations lovely lady. Steely determination, limitless research and sheer bloody mindedness really does pay off !!! So happy for you Shellster Xxxx

Sorry for crashing thread, had to delurk. I was on this thread earlier this year. Waves to purple and blue xxxxx

Another former thread graduate popping on to congratulate Shell! You gave me so much help and advice when I was going through my second ICSI last year.
I know have a three month old son as well as my 7 yr old. Large age gaps rock and I wouldn't have it any other way. Sending you so many sticky vibes.

Welcome Pip. Have you been given any medical reason for why it's not happening after I assumed it happened naturally the first time? It's truly frustrating isn't it. Hope IVF is the answer for you.

Thanks for the reassurance on the progesterone Cat and Karou. I had low milk supply with my first and read that low progesterone in pregnancy can be the cause, as progesterone is responsible for breast cell development. So I planned to take it for first 12 weeks of next pregnancy anyway before I learned that I'd need IVF to achieve it. So I might just stay on it anyway! Karou, you are lucky to have no MS. I had it at 6 weeks with DS, so I expect it at that time again and trying to enjoy 1 1/2 weeks before it kicks in. If it doesn't start at 6 weeks, I'll worry is wrong - glass half empty person after all this saga!

liquorice, can't believe you've got time to pop in here with a 7wo! Thanks for the kind words.

15 fertilised is amazing heli!!!! I can understand you being worried about quality with age, so here's hoping your numbers ups the chance of a good one in amonst them.

Non, was it your choice to have the second embryo frozen, or was it your clinics policy to have only one transferred? Grade A must have been very reassuring.

Thank you all for the kind words, Annie, purple and everyone else. It really chokes me up. Might have to print this thread and keep it as a memento to look back on!

Thanks Shellster - yeah it's basically unexplained secondary infertilty. Took us a year to conceive DS naturally. Only thing tests have shown is a poor ovarian reserve for my age (AMH is 3.75). Although my last follicle count was pretty good (8 and 10) so I am hopeful.

Thanks for all the lovely welcomes - this is never a place I wanted to be, but I'm glad we are not alone. X

Heli - how are you feeling today? Xx

Tummy gone down a bit this morning thanks sammy and I almost managed to stand up straight without any pain - woohoo!! Measured it last night and then this morning it had gone down 9cm but then went up 3 after breakfast. This all fascinates me !! As I've got poss ET tomorrow I'm hoping that another day of more fluid and less food will help. And pre-transfer acupuncture at lunchtime may help ??

Interested to hear from anyone who's had to decide how many embryos to transfer back. Our consultant said we can do 2 but it's really going to be up to us. How on earth do you make that decision ? Have you had any guidance from clinic? Our initial thoughts are that if they're good enough and have some good ones to freeze that we'd do one now and then a FET should that one now work out or if we want to try again following a successful one. (We've always said we'd like 3 DC!!)

Annie! Really nice to see you again.

Hospital called - none of my 3 remaining embryos were suitable for freezing. I'm a bit disappointed but not too much - across 5 cycles I've only ever had one frostie (which failed to defrost anyway). Just need to stay hopeful that the ones I have in the oven implant and grow.

I've got a really bad cold which isn't helping my PMA today. 2WW is pants.

Pip I hear you! My consultant kept saying to us - "it only takes one egg and one sperm" so hopefully you're in the right place now. We were TTC for about 2.5 years for no2 before we embarked on this journey. I kept hope all the time until the last minute but now we're here it seems like its progress. You've conceived together naturally previously so I like to think it means you're compatible just needs a prod (same as us and I think many others on here)

Heli glad you're feeling a bit more comfortable. Most clinics have a policy about single embryo transfer up to a certain age, I think ours was 37, but I'm over that. They pushed single ET all the way through the process but by the time we got to ET DH and I were certain we wanted to transfer two - our age plus the alleged "signal" effect (presence of another embryo makes the first more likely to implant), and the low chance of both implanting (again given age, me 39, DH 40). We knew there was a "risk" of twins but secretly I'd have quite liked them. In the end we got to the clinic and they told us that of our 5 embryos, 4 had made it to blast but 2 of those were looking ropey, so they recommended transferring two, so we were all happy.

We used embryo glue too, and one stuck .

If I'd been a few years younger I think we would have been happy to transfer just one, and freeze the other. Clearly you have many many more embryos and I hope lots of them make it to day 5, so you have some choice.

Hi all. We had out pre-treatment appointment yesterday. I had a scan and my DP had an SA done. They gave us the results there and then. My results were fine but my DP's SA was borderline on a few points, though nothing which would immediately suggest infertility. Anyway, I need to call them on the first day of my next period (due next week) and then they will book me in for injection training. Will then start injecting on day 21. I'm very nervous, as we've not done this before, but the staff at the clinic are lovely and made me feel very comfortable.

My DP then asked if we could have two embryos transferred, as we only get one cycle on the NHS. I think he's getting a bit ahead of himself and I don't think he appreciates the risks involved! At least he's keen I suppose!

Just more waiting now - though to be fair to our clinic we've only had to wait about 6 months to get to this stage.

Fantastic numbers there, heli, fingers crossed they grow well and you get some frosties out of this, as well as a good embryo to transfer. Are you at OFU? That's where I had all my treatment, although I used one of their satellites for the scans and blood tests.

Welcome, Sammy, sorry to hear you got the dreaded OHSS, but hooray for the frosties; at least you won't have to go through stimms again next time!

Shell, I think your glass half empty attitude makes sense. I went in to my 7 week scan expecting to be told it was all a big mistake and that I'd done something wrong when POAS (all a hundred times!), and I've not been through the wringer half as much as you have. Seems sensible to protect yourself, but don't be afraid to have a bit of a celebration with each positive milestone!

When's your test date, Blue? The 2WW really is the worst part of all this. The drugs are all a necessary evil, but this is the real hard bit. I hope it passes quickly for you.

Same for you, Non, I'll bet the 3rd Aug seems forever away.

Thanks, Purple, it's all going well at the moment. I'm always tired, and struggling to cope in a non-air-con'd office, but it's not been unbearable; early nights and an electric fan have kept me going. I may have skipped the MS, but the last days of the Cyclogest had me feeling all kinds of queasy and thoroughly ruined my appetite, so I've lost a little weight - really not a bad thing! I'm just waiting for the hospital to send out my 12 week scan date and then I get to see the blob again, hopefully bigger and more recognisably shaped by now! I'm starting to find tighter clothes, particularly leggings, feel uncomfortable on my stomach now, so bit the bullet and ordered some maternity clothes. Just a few staples to begin with, my jeans are still comfortable so I'm not rushing to get everything now.

Massive congratulations Shellster! Tenacious isn't the word for all you've been through.

Best of luck to Blue as well.

Hi Newforest - you sound at a similar stage of things to me and my DH. Good luck!

Heli - no real advice on the ET, I guess just weigh everything up once you know the stage and condition of your embryos? I quite like the idea of implanting two, so we end up with 3DCs as I've always envisaged being a family of 5. But I'd be more than happy with just one! X

new our consultant recommended a powder supplement called Proxeed Plus for DH (can get on Amazon). He had low everything and after taking it for a few months his count went from 6million to 14million. Obvs we'll never know if it was that or any other lifestyle changes but it certainly helps a bit (my DH is 45). Hah - DH has always said we should def aim to have twins and ever since I was young I'd always wanted boy and girl twins but now it's a real possibility I'm not 100% yet!!

blue -yes I'm at OFU but at satellite (Chelt) for scans etc. Great to hear of a positive result from there :-) Maternity clothes is exciting!!! I remember I was gutted when I couldn't wear my maternity leggings anymore after having DD as they were the comfiest things in the world going right up to my boobs !!!

cat Yes because of age (me 41 DH 45) they're happy for 2. We haven't had much advice at all though - will the embryologist be able to advise us? I'm nervous that we'll get the call to go in tomorrow and we won't know what the best thing to do is!!

shell Interesting about progesterone. I was lucky for BF that I had plenty of good milk for DD but if this all works out then I wonder about the effects of the drugs now. I'm taking cabergoline for help with OHSS (Which so far I def seemed to have avoided) which is often used to stop breastmilk reduction according to the blurb and my boobs have definitely stopped hurting as much as they were before EC. But I guess all the extra progesterone in my fave butt bullets should even that out I'll try and fill your glass up a bit by reminding that every pregnancy is different. My mum was absolutely fine with me but was sick as a dog for about 6 months with my sister but I can totally relate to how every similarity is a good sign for you.