Cycle buddies Oct/Nov 16

[Hope2409]

Hello,

Is anyone else about to start a cycle?
I start down regulating on Sunday, estimated embryo transfer week beginning 21st Nov, this will be my first round of IVF/ICSI after 3.5 years trying to concieve.

Mixture of emotions, excited to be starting after waiting so long to get here, nervous about side effects of drugs and injecting and terrified it wont work! The joys of infertility!

Xxx

Custard ah ok, sorry I thought all clinics ran the same!
Hopefully you get a scan date today then!
Im off to work today, then slimming world group tonight, 2 injections tonight then back to the hospital for another scan and blood test tomorrow morning.
I'm literally covered in bruises and I feel like a pin cushion.
Oh the joys of infertility ay .....

I'm a bit confused..

Tmi warning

The nurse told me to start merional on the first day of my period. So today I woke up with a bit of bloody discharge and a little bit of red blood when I wiped sorry tmi, this normally happens when I'm about to start bleeding properly. Is this classed as day 1 or is day 1 only when I've bled properly?

I'm confused coz I called the nurses and the first one said it is day one and the other said it's not and to call back when I'm bleeding properly. She also said I have to take the pill - oh the irony - until I can get in for a scan to see if the cyst I had has disappeared with the bleed so my understanding is she don't want me to take a pill until I'm bleeding 'properly' is that right??

liberte oh that's such a tricky question. I guess it depending on what the gap is between your spotting and bleeding. If it's within 24 hour then I'd wait till proper bleeding. Basically play the grey area ... our body won't know. When I did it I actually started bleeding properly on a Friday, and didn't take the pill till Sat morning.

Let's hear what others say. I honestly don't know for sure.

kez it's funny how whenever the word infertility is said or read, I always feel like it's an accusation. While in fact, I keep telling myself this is not my fault. It shouldn't though, it only describes a medical fact, like "headache", but I can't help feeling that way. Do you guys feel the same way?

Liberte if bleeding is full flow by mid afternoon, count it as day 1, if later, count it as day 0. If full flow doesn't start today, wait until it does. As Ekam says, it's not an exact science but I think that's the general advice. Annoying that you got two conflicting advice.

AFM, my scanxiety was running high this morning but all was ok, my lining was thin (4mm as opposed to 9.8mm last Thursday) so I can start stimming...straightaway! They want me to jab in the morning so I thought they'd start me tomorrow or the day after but they want me to start today, as soon as possible, and come in for a blood test on Saturday. That means I've got to pop into the office for a team meeting and arrange with my manager to work from home for the afternoon. Otherwise it'll be quite late by the time I get home from work. Tentatively booked a scan for next Wednesday but I'm basically on standby to go in whenever they want me all of next week... Progress at least!

Kez I had no idea how much IVF differs from clinic to clinic, it's all so confusing. I've been told that they don't scan early so that women don't worry about the size of the follicles, but I would like to know what it is going on!

liberte sorry you've had confusing advice, is it worth seeing if you get a full flow this afternoon or not and calling back?

ekam I suppose it sounds so final, whenever I discuss it with people I always say we have a 'problem' rather than use the word infertility

Blue that's great news! Hope you can get out of work quickly

blue that's excellent news. Let's hope for only progress from now

custard you're right. Never thought about it that way. It does sound very final.

Does anyone know what is counted as ovulation day when we're on a cycle? I read that they count EC day as ovulation day, is that right?

I'm on the train home now! Will have to remind myself how to do Gonal F and Menopur (YouTube!) when I get back.

Ekam yes EC is equivalent to ovulation so 9dp5dt (9 days past 5 day transfer) is equivalent to 14dpo (days past ovulation).

I think of it as "I suffer from infertility" rather than "I am infertile" - that sounds very final!

I have a question...

So, I'm 6 days post transfer and in my head I'm focusing on test day. The way I've been thinking of it is - if I get to that day and don't have a period, I will be pregnant.

But is that the case? Could the pessaries/previous meds just be delaying my period?

Could I get through to next Tuesday without a bleed and still get a negative?

glass i was thinking the same thing, hence the question abt ovulation day. But I suppose nothing is normal this month. Last AF and the previous one was only 21 day apart for me, my AFcycle is often 26-27 day without fail and if it was normal I would have had my AF today. Yet it's not here and I still can't be positive abt pregnancy for another week. So weird. Did you doctor tell you to test on Tues? Mine said 6th Nov which is this Sun.

Glass I think the pessaries can delay periods unfortunately, in my last cycle my test day was going to be a Sat but I had a tiny amount of spotting on the Thurs, the clinc advised me to test on the Friday. The test was negative but the spotting had stopped, I was told to stop taking the pessaries and that it may take a few days for my period to start properly. My cycle was 30 days long on treatment and it's normally about 27 days.

The clinic have called with my blood tests results and it seems I am actually responding this time as my gonal f dosage is being reduced, I'll be going in for a scan on Friday.

Ekam & Glass I noted down key dates for me from the appointment I had and while it may be different with different clinics, what I have noted is that 14 days post Egg retrieval is when they test, as that is basically when you 'ovulate'. Fingers crossed for you both having good news soon xx
Anyone know if feeling queasy can happen on the pill? I called the nurses and they said it would usually only happen the first couple of days, but I'm 8 days in... so I've probably got a bug :(

Yes drugs can delay AF. My clinic calculates OTD based on 16 days after EC regardless of transfer dates. I have heard other places test much later and then there is a risk of starting a bleed before OTD. Relax and wait until OTD (easier said than done, I know).

I started my stims! It took almost an hour to get myself ready, I watched the Gonal F and Menopur videos twice each before taking them. I just wasn't expecting to start today and I'm out of practice but I'm sure I'll pick it up again quickly. It was a different Menopur to what I had before - I mixed the powder and solution today and will use it for 8 days rather than mixing each day which I had to do before. So many variations

Thanks for the info lady. Weirdly, I don't feel the calling to test early. I almost don't want test date to come. Fear of failing I guess. The way I see it, I'd rather get my heart broken once when I see the result rather than again and again if it's negative.

Custard that's great news. Congrats.

Hobble lots of sickness going around at the moment. Hope you'll feel better soon. It could be just the pills still though. We all react to things differently.

blue how does it feel starting stimms? You are right, so many variation on everything, not just the drugs. I'm so clueless being the first timer and all. Thankfully you ladies are here. Really appreciate you guys xx

Think I had a crossed post earlier.

Custard that's great news!

Hobbes I don't remember feeling sick on the pill but it has all sorts of random side effects. Maybe after yourself just in case it is a bug though. Re lifting your 3yr old, I think the advice is to refrain from lifting - if you can!

Ekam I'm the same as you, I have no temptation to test early, I want to know for sure, not be thinking is it just too early

Kez good luck for your scan tomorrow.

Kmmr are you still out there? Hope you're doing as best as you can under the circumstance?

I'm going to take 2 weeks off work - first week for treatment, second week of actual holiday. Haven't had a break since May. Needs to be cheap (moving house soon), not too far as I can't fly and with stuff to do in November weather - any ideas?

Hi everyone else

Thank you ladies so much. Was worried it was a really silly question-feel like I know so much less than everyone else.

Test date for me is the 8th, which is 14 days since the eggs were mixed!

My AF should have been 2 days ago!

Good luck to all those on Stims - it's really interesting to hear other people's experience! X

blue what type of thing do you fancy? Something chilled? Not sure where you are or distance away, but what about Edinburgh- beautiful strolling city with loads of good food!

Kez yes something chilled, just feeling so stressed at the moment, I want to go away and spend quality time with DH, I can tell he's suffering too. We live in London but have a car. I like the idea of a seaside break... but it's so cold, doesn't seem like a good idea. Last time i went back to work after ET, but we had gone away in Dec and cycled through Jan/Feb, very chilled.

Hobbes hope you feel better soon

ekam I'm the same, almost don't want to know!

Kez hope the scan and blood test go ok, I'm also covered in bruises and I'm going to acupuncture later so will look like a pin cushion!

Blue personally a seaside holiday sounds lovely, but I love wrapping up warm and long walks along the beach. Otherwise a city break could be nice, might be a bit far for you but Newcastle or York are lovely this time of year.

blue we did a 5 day cycling from town to town (they're all very close together) in the cotswolds and it was beautiful. But yes it could be a bit too cold and windy now. Long walks long the beach like custard suggested sounds lovely, too. We hiked along the Jurassic Coast earlier this year and would strongly recommend it, although stay off the long hike and just do beach walks and town/village wanders?

I'm still here, thanks for asking blue. Getting back to normal, and feeling ok. The specialist called today, and said they don't really know why a good embryo doesn't implant, and that although the transfer was really difficult, the embryo and endometrium was undamaged, so that shouldn't have been an issue.

He said, even if I was 28 there is still only a 1 in 3 success rate, so I should still be hopeful about the remaining 2 embryos. But he wants me to do the surgery on my cervix. So I'm taking a break until the new year. I'll contact my surgeon and hopefully be seen before Christmas. I'm also restarting my diet as I feel so horrible, bloated and fat at the moment.

Unfortunately this whole conversation took place with my toddler screaming the place down as I was taking him away from the trains he wanted to watch! So I'll call again tomorrow and get a real plan of action.

glass things sound really positive for you! Progesterone delays periods, but in my case I get a little breakthrough bleeding if it fails. And not if it works. :) Fingers crossed!

Sorry I've lost track of those in the 2WW, but fingers and toes especially crossed for you!

kmmr glad you're feeling better. And that's great there's a plan of action for next steps.

I'm also on 2ww but I'm pretty positive I'm out - haven't had any symptom so far, if anything I just keep feeling better, like I never started the treatment. No more bloating, no more sore boobs, etc.

Feel like I am back at square one. Another scan today on day 1 to see if the cyst I had has disappeared so I can start stims. Obviously not why did I expect any different! Yet another delay. Take the pill for two weeks, come back for another scan if it's disappeared you can start, if not ul have to wait for ur next bleed which could be at any point in 2017 because I have pcos so periods are nearly non existent!! Why did I get my hopes up thinking it was my time. I know it's pathetic but I'm now negative Nancy.

kmmr - thanks for that. Useful to know. I've had nothing so far, and I'm taking that as a positive sign.

ekam - is this your first time? (apologies too long thread for me to read back now). Loads of people don't get symptoms - so I wouldn't say that's bad. All my symptoms are period ones (bloating, spots, sore boobs), so I don't see them as a good sign!

kmmr glad you're feeling better and are starting to have a bit of a plan.

ekam don't give up hope just yet, not everyone has symptoms

liberte sorry to hear that and it's only natural to be upset, hopefully the news in two weeks time will be better. I don't know much about pcos so sorry if this is a stupid suggestion but can they not give you anything to bring on a bleed if the cyst is still there?