start dr today

[tillyann2013]

After 5 years of secondary infertility we are at the start of our first IVF cycle. Nervous and a little bit excited at the same time. Will start buserlin this evening. Anyone else due to start?

Tilly - how did it go? Hope all's well?

Hiya, sorry only just sat down now, hectic! Yes pleased to say all is well, I'm down regulated so good to go tomorrow. Drop my buserelin from 0.5 to 0.2 and start on 250 of gonal f. Another scan booked for Wednesday next week and then another booked provisionally for the 1st April.
How are you getting on?

Great stuff! I've got a scan today to check what's growing so hopefully will get more information there. I know something's working because I can feel my ovaries but it will be good to see how its looking. I'm trying not to think too hard about it because actually this whole thing will be over now in two weeks and that's a bit of a terrifying thought.

Oh exciting little poot! Let us know how you get on. Lemonade, what dosage of gonal are you on?

Tilly glad to hear the scan went well! Have you done your first gonal-f injection? I'm on 200 and still on .5 burserelin. I've also got a scan booked for then Friday and blood test this Monday so see if they need to change the dosage.

Little- Good luck to day with the scan fingers crossed for you that there's lots of good eggs!

I was feeling really anxious about everything yesterday and had a crap night sleep so I'm back on the coffee. It think I might try one of those ivf meditation things have either of you tried them?

Also hot flashes have been waking me up in the night! is anyone else suffering with those?

Yes - hot flushes here too. And needing to pee all the time! I'm really knackered. Sorry you're feeling anxious though. It's completely understandable obviously, I'm just sticking my head in the sand and keeping busy and distracted instead. It works most of the time! Then every now and then I think "what if..." and feel my blood pressure rising so I block it out again....

I have downloaded the zita west ivf meditation thing which is quite calming. I also sometimes use a mindfulness app called Headspace which I love. I was luck to get a free subscription to it from work but I think you get about ten days free so that might see you through? I do it at night before I go to bed and it is really good at clearing my head. Haven't done it for a while actually so I should start again too.

Just had my scan and blood test. Still waiting for the blood results but all looks good so far. Lots of follicles growing and fairly even in size so I think that's good. Like I said though, I had lots last time and they were all useless in the end so while its a good start, I know there's still a long way to go. Next scan and test Saturday, then easter Monday, then they'll know when I need to trigger.

Glad to hear the scan went well and the follicles are evenly sized-I can understand it must be such a worry as you've gone through all this before I suppose the only thing you can do is take each day/scan/blood test as a small victory in the process and try not think too far ahead- although that's pretty difficult. I think keeping busy is the key and it's only the long weekend to go then you'll have a date for egg collection!

I just downloaded headspace and I'll try to find the Zita West one tonight. I'm trying to stick my head in the sand but sometimes it just pops up it's like a wave of awful anxiety as you say it's like I can feel my blood pressure rising and I need to hide under a duvet. I'm moving house this weekend which is bad timing but might keep my mind off things for a while!

God I'm so frazzled tonight - I've just snuck upstairs to hide in bed for a bit! Its all very draining isn't it? I'm finding it much harder not to think of next steps now I've seen the follicles and now they're starting to talk about egg collection. Must get head back into sand....

Not really had any symptoms apart from tiredness really. Have had a few mild flushes but nothing major and I don't know if with those ones I was just hot. Today I feel REALLY irritable and have just bitten my husbands head off over something stupid. I'm annoyed as well as he's bought a few beers for this evening, totally no reason why he shouldn't but it's annoyed me. I'm at work now which is probably for the best!

Off for another scan. Waaaaaaay too early to already be in a train to London, but at least it gets it out of the way. I'm getting my hair cut after so at least that's something to look forward to! I've got a big family party this evening so I need to find an outfit that covers my now very bloated tummy and think of some convincing lines as to why I'm driving not staying over and drinking. Its all getting a bit uncomfortable now so I'm not really in the mood but I was in charge of music for the party so I can't not go.

How are you guys getting on with stimulation? I guess you've got a couple more days before your ovaries start to feel a bit more delicate. Hope you're doing ok.

Morning little poot, good luck for the scan. How many day have you been stimming? Can't believe you can go on a sat, that's fab. I've just done two x 250 dose so haven't felt much yet. Think lemonade is the same?
Hope the party goes well. We have lunch with family tomorrow so will also be looking for excuses as would usually have a couple wines. Will your partner drink? It will look totally odd if my husband doesn't!

This is day 8 now for me (7 injections as I do them at night) so probably only 2 or 3 days left. Makes me feel sick to think about it (head in sand, head in sand). I think I'll be coming in easter Monday too so I'm looking forward to the bank holiday trains (not!). Dh will be staying home with ds tonight - we need our babysitter for egg collection so didn't want to use up too many favours in the meantime. The party is about 90 mins drive away from us so I've booked a b&b as I'll be too knackered to drive home and need to be able to do my injections. But I've told the family I'm going to drive straight home so that'll be my excuse. I'll just have to be careful not to bump into anyone at the b&b in the morning! Might be some cousins around. Dh isn't drinking either at the moment to try and get his little men count up (we're probably doing icsi otherwise). Don't know if it'll make any difference but at least he's sharing a tiny bit of the pain!

Oh gosh, hope you don't bump into anyone! It's tricky all this, isn't it? Not so much for me now as I quite often drive but when my husband gets together with his brothers they usually have a few.
I know what you mean about head in the sand, I can't let myself think that it will all be done in a months time really. Raises my blood pressure instantly!
Good luck with the scan and let us know what you see x

Hi girls, nothing much to report here, it's day 3 of stims for me today but can't feel my ovaries yet- kind of hoping I will soon! And have a blood test bright and early on Monday 😒 to see how it's going. I'm also irritable OH got as tummy bug this weekend and has been really ill. I'm secretly annoyed with him because I'm worried it will affect his spem and why has he caught it, he's obviously not taking enough to care of himself- I'm totally irrational.

Little- hope your feeling a bit better now. It's funny hearing about your plans for the party I can really realate to the making up excuses and subterfuge-it all gets quite tiring doesn't it! Good luck for the scan today and hope the haircut cheers you up!

Hi there, lemonade. Sorry to hear about your poorly husband. Rationality totally goes out the window doesn't it??
I meant to ask, are you eating anything specific during stimulation? I've bought lots of Brazil nuts but nothing else. I've heard the Skyr yoghurts are high in protein so going to try get some of those today.

I'm just trying to cut way back on carbs (although did eat lots of cake yesterday!) and uping the protein snacking on lots of nuts and Greek yogurt!

I've seen those skyr ones in sainsburys let us know what they're like!

I'm the same - high protein and lower carb. No sugar (ish- it is easter!) and as many fruits and vegetables as I can manage. The nutritionist at the clinic also recommends beetroot and pomegranate especially. Only so much of that I can eat though. Beetroot juice is disgusting!!

Scan went fine - more follicles than last time so hopefully that will translate into more mature eggs. Last time they harvested 21 eggs but only 14 mature and only 10 fertilised. So getting more to mature would be great. Obviously it only takes one, but clearly in my case I need to go through rather a lot to find that one!

And I completely understand your stress at your husband lemonade! I was the same last time when mine dared to get a fever while we were cycling.....

Another scan this morning but I'm a bit gutted I'm not ready to trigger yet. There's still a lot of them and they're growing but slowly and steadily so they want another scan on Wednesday. I'm getting really uncomfortable now. Just feels like I've got a belly full of rocks and I can't bend down properly. I was really hoping they'd have grown a couple more millimetres so we could get the buggers out. Funny that they've upped my dose of stimulation this cycle but I'll be collecting a day later. Then again, it didn't work last time did it so hopefully different is good.

How are you guys getting on? Starting to feel anything yet? Any news on blood tests and scans?

Hi girls, hope your haveing a reasonably enjoyable Easter and all the lieing about drinking went undetected! For me this has been really bad timing for healthy eating!

Little- Sounds like it's quite uncomfortable for you fingers crossed for trigger in Wednesday! Slow and steady wins the race so maybe that applies to eggs too! I also think it's good that they are trying something different this time- I would think it means you will get a different and better outcome! 🙏🏼

I had my blood test today and they said I'm responding quicker than expected so they need to keep an eye on me. Now have a scan tomorrow and no gonal-f injection. It's strange though as when I did ovulation induction my ovaries felt bruised and swollen this time I can't feel anything I actually thought they would increase the dosage! Hopefully they are just being cautious but I'm a bit worried about OHSS. anyway I'm going to load up on protein tonight and try not to have any more Easter chocolate 😥

Tilly did you have a blood test today too?

Good that you're getting a scan tomorrow lemonade to check what's what. Don't worry yet about ohss - its early on so I'm pretty sure they can keep things in check if needs be. You must be about day 5 now? I think by about day 4 or 5 I could feel my ovaries if I poked them but not just on their own. Just below the belly button and a bit to each side if you want to give it a go! Over the next couple of days it should start to get more obvious hopefully, but you'll see on the scan how its going. I'm day 10 now and I can definitely feel them. Especially when I need a wee. I think they're right next to the bladder. Let us know how you get on tomorrow anyway.

You ok Tilly?

I'm getting really bored of healthy eating and all the protein especially. They suggested this protein powder stuff for me but I'm sick of the taste! I JUST WANT TO EAT JUNK!!!!

Hi, sorry to hear you're not ready littlepoot, hopefully you will be come Wednesday. Lemonade, I can't feel a thing either, day 5 for you as well? No scan or bloods for me until Wednesday morning and then provisionally fri morning.
Yesterday was hard, I felt really poorly in the morning and was actually sick. I think it's a bug I picked up as our son has been ill as well. We had a big family lunch with everyone getting merry etc and I was just not on the same wavelength. Couldn't wait to get home!
Have spent most of today looking at accommodation in London for when we go, have either of you used airbnb before? We may need to be there for 7 nights so hotels working out expensive. Wondered if an apartment might be a better bet.

I used airbnb recently for a weekend in suffolk and the place was gorgeous! My office mate swears by it and uses it all the time. Apartments would be nicer than a hotel I reckon with a little one so you can set up all your stuff how you want it. Although a hotel has a daily cleaner which is a definite bonus.

Lots of exciting scan news coming up in the next couple of days then? It's all happening now.