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

Welcome tillyann. I also have a nearly 5 year old son who was conceived naturally (although took us a year to get him) before going through 4 years of struggle and 11 IVF attempts to finally be currently pregnant with number 2. So I understand the frustration of secondary infertility and while I know there are others on here who are struggling to produce one child let alone hear women like us feel that we are letting our first down by not producing a sibling, I totally understand. How frustrating to be in the 'unexplained' category. Something is obviously going on for several IUI's to not work.

Waiting, wanting to write something to provide you words of comfort but know there is nothing I can really say to ease the anxious mind during the TWW. I was exactly the same as you - I always had to have a plan B up my sleeve so that I didn't fall to pieces when the current cycle didn't work (although I always fell to pieces and guzzled alcohol and junk food anyway!). If it's any reassurance, I read a study comparing the embryos women who only produced a few eggs on their first cycle, to their embryos in subsequent cycles when the dosage was increased for them to produce more eggs. The results showed that even though egg numbers were higher in the second cycle, there were still only a couple of quality embryos in the batch. So in your case, having 16 eggs and only a couple of good embryos is exactly in line with the study. The study concluded that this is what our body is designed to do each month - produce one or two good eggs and the first to mature are the ones that our body is naturally selecting. The rest are growing as a result of being stimulated by the IVF drugs but in a natural cycle would have died away. So don't count out this one top quality embryo just because you were stimulated to produce so many extra eggs that your body wouldn't have naturally chosen as your top quality ones.

Thanks shellster that makes a lot of sense and is reassuring. I did a lot of research into natural IVF but due to pcos I think it may be a risk to try it although it would give me the one egg my body naturally selects. I think if this cycle fails it will be another mild cycle but hopefully with doses tweaked a bit !

How early are u going to do a test waiting?

Last time when I had a 3 day transfer I tested at 7 days after the transfer I think which would be 10dpo in a normal cycle and every day after that.

This time I'm not sure as I need the trigger to be out of my system which if it is I would probably test maybe on Monday (I'm assuming by then it would likely show up)

It's all so technical and confusing isn't it!!
Luckily I didn't have to do the trigger etc as mine was on a natural cycle.

Mine was sort of natural except the trigger part! Due to pcos the opks are never reliable so rather than miss ovulation they just triggered me as soon as lead follicle was big enough but used the whole dose this time and it doesn't want to go!

Oh I see! I don't have pcos but I do have long cycles grr and do get the odd cyst on my ovaries, I had one this month and it was causing me a lot of pain!

I'm just having my lunch (early as have to take my son nursery then goin straight out) then gonna pop my pills lol

waiting I read the same as shellster I think on create's website where they have a diagram comparing mild IVF with a few eggs vs conventional IVF with lots of eggs

Obv with PCOS you get lots of eggs even on a very mild dose of stims!

Is they're a specific time to take buserelin? I mean does it have to be the same time each day?

I'm not sure as I only had one dose as a trigger

With my other medications (gonal f and cetrotide in mild cycle) I took them same time each day and with my FET meds now it's a same time daily

Buserilin best in morn and yes same time every day (well as close as poss) that's what I was told when I was on it before.

Thank you all, what side effects should I expect from down regging? All new to me

Hi tillyann..... I think SE's are supposed to headaches, mood swings, hot flushes mostly but I have been lucky and just got mild flushing and mood changes occasionally. Well so far, but I have taken buserelin for 2.5 weeks now

Thank you everhopeful. Sounds lovely! What dosage are you on? I'm only used to the gonal f pen so the thought of the vials and needles freaks me out a bit but I'm sure I'll get used to it. Are you stimming as well now?

Yes I ve done 4 days of menopur injections (high dose, 450iu), got my baseline scan on fri morning, but continuing to take buserelin nasal spray so I dont ovulate. I dont know if it makes a difference on the nasal spray or buserelin injections, but my experience has been largely positive. The menopur is making me much more loopy

Ah I see. How long did you take buserelin for before your af arrived? What's the difference between the spray and the jabs? How does it make you loopy? Sorry for all the questions! I'm intrigued. I thought the baseline scan was done before you start stimms?

I have some strange symptoms last night and today. Very similar to when I was stimming back in April last year.

When I had gonal f I could feel a 'buzzing' sensation where my ovaries are the whole time I was on it and now I'm getting the same in womb area and down my thighs and it's really odd. I wondered if it's the clexane and something to do with blood flow this time. I'm also getting a few hot flushes which may be to do with the progesterone I suppose. Very tearful too last night and today, I think it's all just got a bit much for me. Cried for hours to Dh last night and he was wonderful saying how we will just keep going till we are too old bless him. Then again in cafe today I felt tearful. I have a feeling that the combination of meds this time has made me a bit more fragile as last FET I didn't really feel much different at all. This time as well I know there's nothing left in the freezer so it feels like more pressure

Going to test maybe tomorrow or Thursday to see if trigger has left my system. Then hopefully hold out till sun/moon to start testing early

Sorry haven't been on in a while, just RTWT to refresh - so waiting are you currently on your own in 2WW land? Best of luck to you! .

I'm on day 6 of Menopur injections - I'm going to embarrass myself here trying to describe the dosage - from a 1200 whatcham'call-it I'm taking 300iui per night?? I'm clueless when it comes to the details.

When I read these threads I realise I'm embarrassingly ignorant of the facts and figures of IVF, I don't even know what 'protocol' I'm on? (I went from 6 months of Prostap to 2 weeks on nasal spray then started Menopur last Thursday, have my first tracking scan this Thursday).

One thing slightly worrying me is lack of symptoms on the Menopur - I feel great, is this normal? I hope they're working

tap that's a long protocol - the prostap down regulated you ie switched off everything so you won't prematurely ovulate

I didn't have any side effects from stims apart from absolutely enormous bloating. But I was on a sledgehammer dose of Gonal-F (450iu at the start) and the bloat a abated once my dose was dropped

It's all good!! Xxx

indecisive is in the 2ww too so at least I have company!

I sure am

Bit worried at mo tho because getting those horrible dull cramps I get before my period comes aswell as some sharp cramps and this crinone stuff isn't nice I have to wear a panty liner every day, and has been a bit pinky few times. This was same as my last FET and we know how that turned out!! Got no more frozen embryos left either :(

How are you feeling indecisive? Any symptoms? I don't have any pregnancy symptoms although it's probably too early even if it's worked!

I can't even start testing early as it's too soon, I really am waiting and impatient!

Could be implantation spotting? I know the feeling about no more frozen embryos left. I'm feeling enormous pressure wanting this to work as if not the thought of another cycle, whilst not awful just seems a lot