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

[BlueKarou]

Took too long in writing that!

Congrats on your two blasts, lucie! Do you know when you're going to be testing?

[lucieloos]

Thanks Blue, I'm an early tester so wi probably start around 5/6dpt which will be next Wedn or thurs x

[purplemeggie]

Great news Lucie and good luck to your little beans. I've got my cheerleader pompoms out :-)

Karou - breakfast is definitely the hardest meal to be low carb. I'm lucky to have a work canteen so I grab some mushrooms and a couple of poached eggs when I'm in the office. weekends are easy - I tend to do some fish, steamed spinach and two poached eggs, but you're right - it's the quick breakfasts that are toughest.

My solution so far has been to make myself a protein shake with 2 beaten eggs, some milk and yoghurt and either a spoon of raw cacao (with a spoon of honey if you can't bear the bitterness) or some blueberries. The raw eggs would of course be off the menu for most people if they did get pregnant, but a friend of mine is a micro biologist and he told me that it's almost impossible for an unbroken egg to contain salmonella - it is all about contamination from the shell (i.e. chicken poo) getting in when you break the egg. So if you wash the shell with anti -bac soap it's pretty safe.

As one who has battled with my sight all my adult life, I've found that now I'm strict about my carbs to the extent that I've almost eliminated the sugar (I do slip on that front sometimes!) I really don't worry about the fat but my weight is much more manageable. But when I was on holiday and ate lovely fresh pasta every day I immediately regained half a spoke that I'd lost!

[Darkchoc]

Lucie congrats on the blastocyst transfer, that is really brilliant news and I am wishing you the very best of luck for when you test! I never thought to ask whether my 2 blastocysts where hatching or not. Are you really going to start testing 5/6dpt...is it possible to get a positive so early? I have seen mixed messages by the UK fertility prof and the USA fertility prof on when to test. I've been told day 10 is the test day but now wonder whether its worth testing sooner...

I am now wondering when others tested?

Must say this 10 day wait is hell. Busying myself with my DC, walks, work and light gardening...the potted plant variety. Don't think my garden could cope with any more herbs.

[BlueKarou]

Purple - It does seem like it's an either-or on the carb/fat front; if you eliminate one then the other doesn't have to be as strictly monitored. I have PCOS which is insulin/sugar related, so cutting out carbs completely is probably the best route for me. It's just a big adjustment to my way of eating!

I think I'm also going to be always watching what I eat. I spent a lot of last year losing weight in order to be accepted for the IVF and I know it'll go back on really easily if I'm not careful.

[lucieloos]

Yes I will start that early choc I will test when I get home tomorrow to make sure the trigger shot has left my system. I am on a fb group with other women from the clinic and the majority have found out by 7dp5dt. It's the equivalent of 12dpo in a natural pregnancy. I want to know if I have a chemical or anything also for future cycles. I think knowledge is power.

[Edenviolet]

Great news lucie glad it all went well and fingers crossed for your test next week

I am having ec on Sunday at 10.15 am. have to do my buserilin trigger at 10.15pm tonight then no more injections till after ec! I then have to start clexane for two weeks as they said they will need to monitor me as my ovaries are so over stimulated. I was under the impression that with a non hcg trigger and no transfer I'd be fine but they said they can never be 100%.
Today on my scan there were about ten follicles that are big enough to contain mature eggs and loads of others of varying sizes between 6-17 mm some of which may catch up they are not sure (there are about 20 of those)

[Darkchoc]

Thanks Lucie, that doesn't bode well for me then. I tested this afternoon and its negative!!! Kind of waiting for the shock to lift.

[Shellster52]

That's the problem with testing early choc. Now you're in panic mode and needing to test twice a day to see if it's changed. I really don't think it is common to get a +ive that early.

lucie certainly sounds like you're in with a fighting chance having two top quality blasts transferred! Did they other 4 embryos make it to blast but just weren't of the right quality to freeze, or did they stop developing before hand?

waiting glad you're finally having EC and you can return to normal. Must be frustrating having to wait for transfer to get an outcome but it does seem like you'll have higher chance of success without this abnormally high level of estrogen in your body.

Karou, I too spent time recording my food to get my percentages right. The study says greater than 25% protein, less than 40% carbs and the rest from fat. I've read other studies (I'm study obsessed!) saying that high mono fat diets are really good for fertility and I've also read low fat diets are bad for egg quality. So I don't care what % was fat, as long as the carbs and protein were within range and the fat is coming from good sources (eg, avocados rather than chips). But I do try to make sure I keep my total calorie intake within a range I've set for myself and I seem to be slowly losing weight by keeping that in check. All very time consuming but it's helping keep my mind occupied until my IVF. Oh, and I too do a protein shake for breakky. Mine consists of pea protein powder, LSA (for good fat), cacao, wheat germ (supposed to be good for increasing ovarian response according to Dr Malipani's website) super greens, a banana (for some flavour) molasses (for iron) and almond milk as it's got much lower calories than cows milk and I'm personally not convinced dairy is good for fertility.

[Shellster52]

purple, you're sounding super healthy. Swimming a mile, fish spinach and poached eggs for breakfast!

Forgot to mention, period arrived this morning. Feels like one step closer as I can now count down to day 20 when I start estrogen in prep for IVF next cycle.

[lucieloos]

Sorry choc, hopefully it is just too early for you.

Shell great you can make a start on your estrogen now. The doc told us we have a 50% chance of success with the ones we had transferred. Im not sure about the other remaining 4 I think most made it to blast but they said the fragmentation was too great for freezing and they will only freeze those of a very high quality. Would have liked one or two frosties but our aim was to have two transferred so at least we have achieved that.

[Blackandwhitecat3]

Gosh lots of healthy eating going on.

Congrats Lucie on your transfer. What''s your official test date? Is this your first cycle? Is that why they transferred two?

Shell, glad you are "in the zone" at last.

I seem to be spending my evening worrying. Hoping they make it to blasts. Also, does ET hurt? I'm deeply suspicious of nurses who tell you something will be "just like having a smear" after a traumatic coil fitting some years ago.

choc that does sound early to test. No FMU either...lots to do in my garden if yours gets too tidy

[Blackandwhitecat3]

And I forgot cyclogest this morning, just counted up to check. Hope that womb lining holds out!

[purplemeggie]

Sorry Choc to hear about your -ve, but as others have said, it might just be too early. Ds didn't show up until the day AF was due and that was with a 5 miu test. x

Shellster glad you're on the countdown again.

Cat I'm sure once won't hurt.

Safe journey home Lucie.

I've got the house to myself tonight - DH and DS are camping with the cubs and I'm home with the dog. its just in the next village so I'm going for the day tomorrow and DH and I are swapping places tomorrow night.

[Shellster52]

I can understand Lucie wanting to have a plan B with some in the freezer. Well, these two high quality ones will just have to implant then instead! Was your plan for 2 transfer because you would like twins to complete your family, or just to up the chance of one implanting?

Cat, my transfers did not hurt at all. Although I have had DS so things are probably pre-stretched down there. Perhaps Lucie can reassure you. What time is your transfer? I am 11 hours ahead so if I check in tonight at 10pm Sat (11am your time), perhaps you will be able to update by then.

Nice to have some time to yourself purple. Hope you enjoyed it.

[lucieloos]

Thanks black my OTD is 6th may and yes it is our first ivf cycle. It was our choice to have two put back, they are pretty good like that here and leave it up to you to decide. It was a bit of both shell, we wanted to up our chances of it working but would love twins as well but would be equally as happy with just the one working, we just want a baby! We feel a bit more reassured now that our sperm and eggs are compatible and can make good quality blasts, this was something we have never known before as we have never managed a pregnancy so at least if it doesn't work this time hopefully it will in the future. If I were to do it again I would get them to up my dose of Menopur from 225iu to 300iu so hopefully I would manage to get a few more eggs from the follicles that were just slightly behind being mature this time.

[lucieloos]

Oh and sorry black I meant to say I know exactly how you feel as I spent the night before transfer worrying whether any had made it to blast too. It's a horrible time but fingers crossed you will be fine. ET was really good, mine were really easy to put in and I thought she was just getting started and she said all finished. It literally took about 2 minutes. I don't think you have anything to worry about there. We got a nice picture of them on the screen and could see the one hatching out of its shell and the other fully hatched. Amazing stuff. Enjoy it sweetie x

[Blackandwhitecat3]

Morning all, thanks for all the messages. ET is at 11.30 so in no hurry to get up this morning!

Will check back in later

[lucieloos]

Good luck will be thinking of you x

[Edenviolet]

Good luck for ET blackandwhite

[Blackandwhitecat3]

Well we have two back on board! I don't think they're supergrade as they wouldn't say what quality they were, but glad to have them back in.

The other two are still going and they're going to continue to culture them overnight and then ring us tomorrow to let us know if we've got anything for the freezer. They're already a bit deteriorated so I don't think there's a high chance.

They lied though- it did hurt! Ah well, over now, and welcoming our two blasts home for the first time

[lucieloos]

Well done black, I guess everyone is different and maybe they struggled a bit to get yours in. Mine was easy though and no pain. That's amazing you have two blasts on board too. Really hoped your frosties pull through. Welcome to the pupo club

[Blackandwhitecat3]

Oh and my test date is 6 May too...

[lucieloos]

Yay Will you test early or are you waiting until 6th May?

[Blackandwhitecat3]

Will see how my resolve holds out, and also whether there are any symptoms