About to start ICSI and feeling hugely stressed, any advice?

[leanandgreen]

I am about to start my ICSI journey for male factor, next week. It's all become so real now.

I am going through a stressful time at the moment with work etc. I'm worried about it failing due to stress.

Any advice would be so welcome. Do I cut my work hours down whilst I'm going through treatment or is it better to carry on as normal?

If you have anything that you can share that perhaps helped/is helping you go through similar, please share.

Ah Blondes that is an amazing story. So glad you have a happy ending x

Awww that is an amazing story blond. How unbelievably heartbreaking. I'm so happy that you met somebody and now you are pregnant. Life can be soo crazy!!

I did go to the interview, it actually made me slightly late for transfer, it was a manic morning and then by 11:30am it was all over!!!

These symptoms are frustrating. As soon I got home after egg collection I started experiencing them and there is no way that I'll be able to spot a potential pg symptom because I was having them all before transfer!!

I've been told to test on day 16. Were you told the same each time? I actually don't think that I will want to test early, I'm too scared of getting a bfn.

Blond that is lovely. Wishing you all the happiness and the healthy pregnancy you deserve.

That's fantastic lean! If you can at all (I know I can't) don't try to symptom spot - I think it makes it worse. Good luck!
xxx

Haha Raffles I know. I just can't haha!!! It really is the beginning of a loooong 16 day wait!!

Help! I have reached my mental crazy today, tears and everything.

My test day is Saturday and I have made my mind up that this cycle has failed :(. I've been getting quite intense period cramps for the past two days.

does anyone know how soon af arrives after a bfn? And can af start whilst your still on the pessaries?

I'm going to drive everybody mad and I'm so sorry for that but I'm having one of the worst days ever now and I have so many questions running through my head. Does anybody know what the chances would be with a frozen transfer? I have 3 blasts in the freezer and if/when I get my bfn, I want to transfer two of the frozen blasts as soon as I can.

Thank you for your well wishes. After dh died and I was almost 38 thought no way I would ever be a mum but miracles do happen 💓👶🏼💓

I was always told 17days after ec

3dt would be 2ww (14) so 17

5dt would be 12days past transfer

6dt (was frozen and left an extra day to see what happens) so 11dpt

11days past so 14 in all I bleed on 1&2 so knew failed and then had af

3cycle hadn't bleed at 11 (14) so really thought was preg :( so tested at 17days and pfn. Was crying and everything and clinic said to get a blood test or leave for a few days but in hindsight I know now if no pfp after 17days def not preg

Lean. 4&5 were a fet from cycle 3. Extra drugs and better technology including icsi got far better results abroad then uk so had 6 to freeze

4 failed but as diff medication the over all cycle was less demanding and fab no daily injections

5 is bubs - 31w tomorrow

I think fet work better as if they freeze and defrost without disintegrating then think they are a stronger embryo

It may be worth doing an era to see how your lining responds - turned out mine works better on more hormones so had extra days before implanting on 5th cycle

A fet is usually done within natural cycle or clinic controls you if need a certain guarantee time frame

Then on day 1 of period contact clinic and they will tell you what amount of progynova to take - I was 4mg think for 3:4 days then 6mg

On day 12:13 get scanned and if lining looking good then add pesseries will do transfer generally day 19/20

Aw that is amazing Blonde, you need to publicise that story somewhere! It's just beautiful.

I would be very interested in doing fertility treatment abroad. I was looking at a clinic in America with success rates at 70%+. It made me wonder why and how do they do that over there and not over here.

You are such a tough lady to go through this the amount of times that you have. I thought that I was doing really well and now I'm just cracking.
Thank you so much for sharing all of your knowledge, I'm so pleased that you got there in the end.

Just one more question (sorry!). If your af is due in the two week wait, do you know whether it is possible that it will make an appearance if the cycle has failed?

Fresh cycle you will have af if fails. I've worked out you should test this sun. That's 17days from ec

If you haven't spotted /bled by now I would say that's a good sign ....

Fet as have progynova you won't bleed till off tablets and pesseries

Abroad does seem to have better stats and technology tho some may disagree

If you have to do ivf again then research lots

Yes, I think I'm going to test Sunday, I want to put it off as long as I can tbh.

That's what I keep telling myself, I be so amazed if I manage to get a bfp with these cramps!

If I do do ivf again I am going to do loads of research, there have been a few things that I haven't been overly happy about with our current clinic and now I have more knowledge I will know what I'm looking for.

Thank you so much for replying, I have calmed down so much more now! X

Same as me. Chose my clinic as local to me. I should have researched more but TBH I didn't know anyone who had ivf in my friends apart from bf and that was 11yrs ago and NHS so was told where to go iyswim

Fingers crossed for you

Hang on in there lean. I felt so strange in the 2ww. Your hormones have been messed around so much you are bound to feel strange. Fingers crossed for you.

On going abroad and success rates, I think sometimes they will have more modern procedures because testing and approval procedures differ country to country. Just be sure you know how they are calculating their success rate and how that differs to the clinics you are looking at in the uk becaus, for example, they may be counting something different as success or leaving out certain categories from their calculation.

Thank you Raffles, I hope that you and little bean are well.

That's a very good point. There's just so much to think of. X

Guys, I need advice again, sorry to be a pain!

I've just caved and tested early, only because I've had quite severe cramps this morning and I just wanted to get it out the way with. To be surprise on a frer I have a bfp! I'm not getting excited though because the line isn't as strong as the control line.

What should I do? :s

That's fab. Congrats. What test did you use?

I found lines too confusing. Df and I were an I or not as our line was so faint. Went for the test that's says preg x weeks or not preg

Less stressful

Aww thank you. Fingers crossed it's all going to go well.

I used a FRER. Do you think I should call someone about these cramps or is it normal?

No harm in calling clinic

Will they do a blood test

Al I know about frer is sometimes they give hard /negative readings as like so dainty

Why does yours look like?

My clinic said to call them and if it's a positive they will book a scan in. They haven't mentioned anything about a blood test which I find very odd.

Ooh I have a picture somewhere..I want to go and get a digital test now for tomorrow morning.

Oh my, I just looked up FRER 'false positive.' Apparently it's the new curved one giving false positives, that's awful!! Every lady ttc needs to know about this.

I know :( hopefully in your case as almost time to tests and ad hasn't appeared that you are preg

Your line is stronger then mine was but that's why I suggest the ones that say preg or not preg

Saves confusion and extra heartbreak

Strange clinic won't do a blood test and a scan this early on won't show much

I had one at think 5w and saw a tiny sac but heart won't show till 6/4+ /7w

I wish I'd have thought about this before I bought the test. If I had used one that said 'pregnant' I wouldn't be over analysing this now.

I'm going to demand a blood test on Monday morning.

Also, is it correct that I finished my pessaries on Saturday? That equals 15 days x2!(a day).

If preg you need to continue pesseries till 12/14w

Hi leanandgreen. I just read your story - what an amazing outcome - congratulations!! How are you doing?
I start my icsi journey at the end of the month. Just waiting for AF to get my date to start stabbing!

lean how is it going? That frer looks positive to me!

Thank you Blonde - they have taken me off them after 15 days and won't give me anymore 😩

Geeup how exciting!!! It will all be over before you know it and I found the treatment very straight forward. Make sure you look after yourself and look after your mind, I have found the 'headspace' ap to be very helpful. If you have any q's feel free to ask me. Sending lots and lots of baby dust your way! X

I am 5 weeks and 3 days I believe. I think that I have just about gotten over the surprise of getting my bfp. I was literally about to buy myself a pack of sanitary towels the day before my result. Still very very anxious, I didn't think I would be this bad (with my anxiety) after getting a bfp. I found it very odd because I have had lots of period like cramps so the main thing that I have learnt is that you just don't know until you find out the facts. Now I'm not getting many symptoms at all and I'm panicking about that - but trying not to 😁

Thanks for asking guys. X