Anyone starting IVF? Join me (5)

[waitingimpatient]

I don't think anyone has started the new thread yet? Apologies if so and ignore this one if its already been done

I'm hoping by the end of this thread I'll be waiting and impatient for a new arrival fingers crossed

Hi H2016 good to have you back on here and I hope you are feeling ok. sounds like you have a good plan so fingers crossed it works ! Are you doing natural or medicated FET?

I had acupuncture today. I wasn't going to do it again (had a lot of sessions last year and around time of FET in October) but that didn't work and it was an added cost so I gave up. However a friend recommended a different practitioner so I thought seeing as we are throwing everything at this next cycle I would start again. I felt very relaxed afterwards and I'm hoping that it helps relax me and balances everything out as I've been stressed

Hi it a medicate cycle. Someone told me to try reflexology have you ever tried that? I've not tried acupuncture or anything. I'm trying to stay positive. 3rd time lucky I hope. When do you have your next egg transfer ?

Medicated *

Yes reflexology is great I go once a week and it really relaxes me I thoroughly recommend it

I am having another mild IVF cycle in June as have no embryos left. We will be doing a cycle and freezing any embryos, waiting a month then doing FET. We are waiting till June as want at least 3 months of supplements and diet change behind us in the hope of getting some better quality eggs/embryos so hopefully it will work as the last year has been really difficult. Trying to be positive though and keep telling myself it's just a numbers game and if we keep going we will be lucky at some point

Hi ladies, will reply to you all with personals, just updating you with the news from this morning

So the genetic testing showed our baby was chromosomally normal

It’s possible there were microdeletions, tiny chromosomal changes that are too small to be detected by cytogenetic analysis, but no obvious genetic abnormalities

Our Dr said he and his wife had also had a miscarriage where the testing showed the baby was genetically normal, and no obvious cause (and subsequently went on to have healthy pregnancies)

There are no clear answers for why we lost the baby. The best theory we have is to do with the quality of the endometrium. My lining has been a consistent problem in all my natural cycles, it just doesn’t grow (because of sleepy oestrogen receptors) - although I’ve been ovulating, I haven’t really been menstruating. So although it thickened up in response to oestrogen, if the lining never properly regenerated, it’s possible the foundations essentially weren’t strong enough to go the distance.

We don’t know if this was why the pregnancy failed. But it’s our best guess.

The research by Prof Quenby & Brosens into repeat miscarriage being due to the regeneration of the endometrium during menstruation before fertilisation even takes place, determining whether or not a pregnancy will miscarry, seems to point to this as a possibility

Because my endometrium did thicken up, once my hCG levels fall, for the first time I should have enough to shed, so we can have a proper clear out.

The hope is that my body has learned how to be pregnant, and that if we start from a clean slate, that the lining can regenerate, hopefully with stronger foundations.

So quality as well as quantity it seems is as true for lining as it is for eggs.

We know I didn’t have implantation failure. And we know I had a decent egg in there that made a good embryo.

My immunes tests didn’t know any major immunological problems or thrombophilia. Tests showed marginally elevated NK cells, which seem unlikely to have been the root cause of the miscarriage. But we’ll treat with prednisolone, intralipids, clexane and aspirin next time to suppress any NK cell overactivity, and to ensure increased blood flow.

PGS wouldn’t have made any difference to this pregnancy, as we seem to have had a good seed, but unfortunately the soil just wasn’t right this time.

Just very, very sad

We are repeating the beta on Friday, then probably again next week

If it’s not going down fast enough, we will do a hysteroscopy in 2 weeks time, so he can go in with a camera and check out the uterine environment, see if there are any tiny fragments of tissue left behind

He’ll do a scratch while he’s in there, to help support implantation for our next transfer (although implantation wasn’t our problem)

As soon as my hormones are back to normal, we can start stims ASAP.

Just have to wait for my body to let go of trying to be pregnant

So sorry banana it must be so hard but at least you know the probable cause

Is there any other medications that can improve the lining? My acupuncturist (previous and new one) use heat over abdomen area to improve blood flow I wonder if it would help with lining issues. I've also heard about 'fertility massage' maybe that has a similar effect. I ha. Reflexology too and I do believe it helps although how much I'm not sure as its alternative stuff

Your doctor sounds lovely I'm glad you have someone so knowledgeable, kind and sensitive looking after you x

Thanks waiting - the really hard thing is that we really don’t know the probable cause, which is terrifying - if we don’t know what went wrong, how can we try to ensure it doesn’t happen again?

Normally because 75% of miscarriages are due to chromosomal abnormalities, it’s simply assumed that your first miscarriage is ‘just bad luck’ - and that you’re likely to go on to have a healthy pregnancy because you’ll hopefully get a good egg next time.

Except it appears we did have a good egg. We had a healthy embryo. It had the potential to become a person. It was a good seed. My soil let it start to grow. But it couldn’t nourish the seed, couldn’t let it put down deeper roots so it could blossom and grow. It just feels like my body has failed my baby

In terms of improving the lining, I’d tried pretty much every trick in previous cycles. Acupuncture. Heat packs. Massage. Red raspberry leaf tea. Pomegranate juice. L’Arginine. Vitamin E. Aspirin. Vaginal viagra. Nothing worked at all

Because they’re all designed to improve blood flow, and actually my uterine blood flow is fantastic! The issue for me was that my ovaries weren’t producing enough oestrogen, and that the oestrogen receptors (antennae, my Dr called them) in the endometrium were sleepy, so what little oestrogen was there, they just basically didn’t respond to.

And thankfully, we cracked the problem — once we threw boatloads of extra oestrogen at it, my lining plumped up beautifully! And did exactly what it was supposed to - supporting implantation and the growing embryo.

Our best guess is that the issue may have been the months and months of crap lining before the cycle.

I ovulated every month, but as my lining never really grew, there wasn’t much to shed, so I never had a proper period. No real bleed, just brown spotting and some brown/black clots.

So it’s possible there was some old, dead lining that never got cleared out - so although the lining did eventually thicken up once we threw a boatload of oestrogen at it, maybe it was growing on crap foundations, that couldn’t sustain a pregnancy.

So, ironically, the ERPC may actually have been quite therapeutic, potentially giving me the clear out I probably needed, and never had.

We have NO idea if this is the reason. But it could well have been a factor. So I’m trying to be hopeful that if the slate is wiped clean, we may be able to start anew, with lovely fresh soil ready for when we come back to plant another seed…

I'm sorry banana I misunderstood, I thought you meant it was the probable cause. It must be so difficult. I do think that Immunes/clexane etc is the way to go to cover everything

Like you say too, hopefully the ERPC has cleaned everything out, any old lining and it will regenerate and grow thick and healthy

Hi,
Just wanted to pop in to say hi to you all and let you know I'm thinking of you and praying for you X

Thankyou indecisive i hope you are doing ok too x

Ive been doing more research the last few days wondering about the pros and cons of hcg trigger in a natural FET cycle. We have used it twice and both times failed. Opk tests are unreliable for me but part of me wonders if not using the trigger and going completely natural would be better as things would be in sync completely ?

I definitely wouldn't avoid the trigger

The risk of missing the implantation window would be too risky IMO

Thanks banana I think it's just my mind trying to work out what we could possibly do differently in future that may have an effect.

Like you say though it would be a gamble and I may miss the lh surge and then miss implantation window. It's just so difficult wondering and all the what ifs
I'm pretty sure that it's the trigger or without it wouldn't make things out of sync would it but just brings things forward a day or two. I had trigger on day 18 I think last FET when lead follicle was big enough. I'm assuming had I not is ha e ovulated a few days later anyway but the trigger just brought things forward ? Lining was the right thickness so that's the main thing isn't it?
I think im over thinking again. Feels like a long time till June ....

Hope everyone is well

Had reflexology today, acupuncture tomorrow. TSH yesterday was 3.2 so better than last time.still eating healthily and walking lots and wanting June to hurry up and be here!

waiting that sounds terrific - about the destressing and about the TSH. Nice one missus!!

Right. Operation ‘get me out of miscarriage limbo so I can start my next cycle asap’ is GO

Hysteroscopy is provisionally booked for next Weds (27th)

Consultant agreed it was silly to keep coming in for betas

I’m to come in next Tues (26th) first thing for bloods - assuming it hasn’t magically fallen to zero, I go in for the hysto the following day,. (which will be a D+C too, as he'll do 'endometrial curettage' while he's up in my grill, to gentle remove any tiny fragments left behind, now he can do it with a camera rather than going in 'blind' via ultrasound). And as soon as my hormone levels are normal (please, please), I can start stims

If by some miracle the hCG is zero (unlikely!) then we cancel the procedure and we can crack on with the cycle

So hopefully one way or the other I will be un-pregnant-ed before too long, and really really hoping to be starting IVF #3 in the not too distant future!

Glad you have a plan too banana , sometimes I think it's all I'm running on-plans and lists and ideas! Just to get me through to the next stage. I prefer 'doing' as when I'm doing a cycle I feel I'm getting somewhere and doing something not just waiting!

I'll keep my fingers crossed for you that your hcg is zero! If not though sounds like you have it all in hand and then hopefully you will be able to get on with the next cycle

The doctor has put my levothyroxine up a bit but wants it rechecked soonish in case it's too much. He said as we are waiting till June we have time to get it perfect (it's been 'perfect before-I once had a 1.7!! But it never stays the same) I'm wondering if my thyroid is just packing up as it seems to creep up and need more levothyroxine each time to come back down and maintain the level.
I feel like I'm juggling a million things and if I drop one it will all go wrong. Protein rich diet, supplements, reflexology, acupuncture, exercise, less stress, TSH level, etc! And then it'll be more when it comes to IVF and subsequent FET cycles (if we are lucky enough to get some embryos to freeze). It all feels so overwhelming but at the same time I'm doing something and that feels good and positive and productive.

I've been wondering how shellster is I hope everything went ok ! Can't wait to her the news!

Hope everyone is ok. It's so quiet on here now :(

I'm still plodding along with everything-supplements, reflexology, acupuncture and healthy diet and long walks. Recently I've felt very achy and have booked myself a massage as everything hurts, in sure it'll help me relax too. I've also noticed that all the supplements seem to give me a constantly noisy stomach! Gurgling and noises and a churning feeling since I've been on them! It's very odd ! At least they seem to be doing something hopefully they are doing something to my egg quality too!

Had a smear test today so that will all be up to date as well and having thyroid re checked in two weeks.

Hi waiting, how are you?

It seems all of the threads in this section are pretty quiet.

I am currently preparing for a fet so if all goes well I will have ET next week (hopefully ).

Hi vixx Iam ok, just really really fed up of waiting. I think the mistake I made was really believing that by now I'd have a baby or be pregnant. I honestly thought at my first appt in feb 15 that it wouldn't take this long. Still, just got to keep going.

Are you having natural or medicated FET? I had natural but had hug trigger with both. How many embryos will you have put back 1 or 2?

*hcg not hug !

Touching base to say hi! I lurk like a weird stalker still on these threads; just trying not to get too engaged as my wedding is in 5 weeks and don't want to look back and feel that was overshadowed by my Baby Brain.

Nonetheless I am planning a fresh IVF at Lister for July, just after I get married and cannot wait!!! And cannot wait to be with all you fabulous women again (who are here whether I participate or not and know so much more than me).

You may recall I tried a frozen round in March to see if I could get some quality blasts in the freezer - but we only have one (1 day embryo) frozen so will be doing fresh ICSI next - and have decided that will be July!

Although am waiting for my usually very regular period to start (today) and no sign yet!! Maybe my wedding diet making me late?

I am still going with ALL my supplements except the DHEA because that made me a greasy anxious (although nicely horny) wreck. Will overload on DHEA again after wedding.

Miss you all, and Waiting and Banana I still follow and cross fingers for you every day.

Does anyone know if Shellster had her baby??!

Hello all, just dropping back in to say hi. I had my EC yesterday following short protocol and this resulted in... 2 eggs. 1 more than last time on the long protocol. I was very disappointed yesterday as the Dr had thought they would get 4-5 eggs.
Anyway they've called this morning to say only 1 egg was mature and have performed ICSI, so ET is booked for Sat a.m.
I am feeling so deflated by this situation.

Am also worrying about ET because I am getting a train to go and visit family for the afternoon afterwards. I keep wondering if I should cancel, just go home and rest or if actually it may be better to do the visit to keep my mind off everything. What do you think?

Anyway I have huge respect to you bananafish and waiting as you both seem so on top of everything. And congrats to LHReturns on your wedding!

Hi waiting,

I can really empathise with you. I had my first appointment with the fertility clinic is September 2014! After all the tests etc I started ivf and had egg collection in October 2015. Then had to wait 5 months to start process for a frozen embryo transfer.

I won't complain to much as it was on the NHS.
I am doing medicated and have been on injections since 28th March.

Ivf is just one long wait? Actually ttc is just one long wait. Your username so apt . What supplements are you taking?

I am having 1 embryo put in because of my age (30). Have 3 5 day blastocysts in the freezer.

Glad everyone is ok !

LH not long till the big day then! How exciting and then starting another cycle afterwards-lots to look forward to!

elbbob I got train home (40min) after my last ET and the one before that I had got a taxi home. Neither worked so I dont think travelling/activity was a factor so try not to worry. 1 egg is all you need and you would probably find it was the one your body would have naturally selected that month anyway so hopefully it's a good one. Shellster referred to a good article once about how ever many eggs you get it always ends up being similar amount of mature ones as some are just not receptive to being 'forced' to grow. Like everyone always says it only takes 1. Let's hope this is yours!

vixx Iam on the following:
Ubiquinol
Myo inositol
Vit D
Vit C
Zinc
Ferrous fumarate
Folic acid
Vit b6
Levothyroxine (under active thyroid)
Dh is on well man conception, ubiquinol, dha, zinc and vitamin c

Great that you have some blastocysts on ice. But hopefully this one sticks for you I'll keep my fingers crossed x

Hi everyone .has anyone had IVF in IVF Spain clinic?

HI everyone . I am going for IVF in July. Has anyone tried IVF spain clinic. Please I need some information