Cycled/cycling with Victoria Wing Nuffield Woking for IVF - come join us!

[geeup]

Hello. Looking for other ladies (or men!) who are IVF cycling with the Victoria Wing at Nuffield Woking either privately or NHS to share what happens, how it's going, any tips (what's the car parking like?!), to support one another and success stories of course. My stats:
Geeup
Aged 34
Ttc #1 for 22 cycles so far (4 with Clomid)
OH has low morphology MFI (but it's varied)
NHS cycle - first appt 31st Jan with Dr Riddle
One question to get us going, anyone know what the policy is about having 2 embryos put in on first cycle? Thanks!

So I got a call from one of the nurses at VW and my oestrogen levels are high enough (even if my follicles aren't as big as hoped) so they want me to come in for egg collection still for Wednesday and not delay until Friday after all?! I can only trust them and hope this is the best plan for me to get enough good size eggs. Thanks for the thoughts geeup and flamingo.

geeup I'm now 39, so I know your concern about being in the later age bracket, but praying we all have our chance, when it's our time. Enjoy your acupuncture and time to relax. Don't think about work, it's your time to chill.

Sounds like you really didn't have the best support flamingo. I hope any future support you might need is dealt with much nicer and professional. You would hope for kinder and more supportive help from services that deal with such sensitive and important parts of people's lives. Hoping things continue smoothly and happily for you.

Thanks @BeePositive it wasn't so much that they were mean, I just think once you've been discharged (after your viability scan) they can't help you anymore. Otherwise I always had a great experience at VW.

Hi ladies,

@Beepositive, I was there too this morning! Sending your follies lots of positive growing vibes! I had my first pelvic scan and AMH blood test, she said my number of follicles were on the low side, 2 on one ovary, 4 on the other, I am therefore hoping for quality over quantity!!! Next apt is 5th dec with the consultant so I’m guessing that I won’t start till next year...? Congratulations @hopeful4ivf, i hope all goes really well on Friday so you can relax and enjoy being pregnant 😊. Stay strong ladies, this is a very rocky road xx

We probably sat across from each other in the waiting areas lizjulie Thanks for the positive vibes. I took my trigger shot last night and getting excited nervous for the egg collection tomorrow morning. You must be pleased to have the first scan done and know what you're initially looking at. I'm sure they will work with you to get you in best position for more and yes, quality follies as you move forward. Hope the wait till 5th December isn't too tedious. They will likely look to start you after your first period in the new year, just guessing though. You can enjoy a very festive Christmas at least

Good luck for the egg collection tomorrow @BeePositive and enjoy your injection free evening tonight!!

Thanks so much flamingo - funny how one evening 'off' the injections is definitely something to look forward to!! Take care x

Hi everyone!

@ Flamingo44 thank you for the tip! Remind me, did you have IVF or ICSI? I seem to remember you were under the 'unexplained' category - I'm sorry if I've got that wrong. We are doing bog standard IVF, I did ask if we could possibly do 50/50 but Mr Riddle said that based on our test results they want to try IVF first... I'm now worried that the reason we haven't been able to get pregnant is because my husband's sperm and my eggs don't like each other. Fingers crossed this isn't the case and we are able to get to blastocyst stage!

@BeePositive thank you so much for your lovely words! I will probably be on here all the time asking lots of questions. Wishing you the best of luck for tomorrow. I have everything crossed that they will be able to get lots of lovely eggs!

@Hopeful4ivf I also have everything crossed for your scan next Friday. I would say it's quite a positive thing that they want to monitor you more based on the past so try to relax as much as possible - the day will soon be here (I can't believe how quickly this year has gone!!)

@Lizjulie1234 that's exciting you're seeing the consultant on 5th December - who are you seeing? Like @BeePositive said, you will probably start in the New Year now so you get to enjoy Christmas without the worry of medication etc!

@geeup hope you enjoyed your acupuncture session! You must be off on your hols soon?

First injection with Buserelin tonight! I will let you know how I get on! x

Hi @HWF4 we were indeed unexplained and just did straight forward IVF. I was also worried that maybe our egg and sperm just couldn't get on but all of our eggs collected fertilised (only 8 'normally') so it obviously wasn't that! I guess we'll never know why it didn't work naturally! Good luck with your first injection...I remember being excited to finally be doing something!

@Flamingo44 ah thank you so much, that has reassured me. I'm feeling nothing but positive about it but do get the little niggles now and again so it's nice to know that it worked for you . I'm really excited about getting started too! x

Hi yes the acupuncture was lovely thanks @HWF4 - I woke myself up snoring! Had my chlamydia test after which slightly brought me back with a bump but hey it has to be done right!
Off on hols in a couple of weeks which LL be nice. Just got a busy couple of weeks to get through first!

Sounds blissful geeup nice you were able to enjoy your acupuncture session. Have you got a few sessions booked/lined-up? Nice to have holiday to look forward to after busy weeks ahead. Good luck.

On another note, I'm hoping to pick your lovely ladies brains... we touched on progesterone injection vs pessaries, and seems not much difference. What I'm now thinking is around dose. I've been suggested to take 2 per day (one morning and one night) but I've been googling (as we naughtily do!!) and there seems to be positive comments around more progesterone and no side-effects to you/baby, but benefits around early bleeding. I'd like to know if it helps (as it supports the lining) to take more, say 3 per day, to help with implantation? Any thoughts? Both my previous cycles I did not have success with embryo's not sticking...

The big question @BeePositive is do you bleed early before OTD? If not, I personally wouldn't worry about more progesterone as what you're taking would appear to be doing its job. The vast majority of women would get pregnant do so just on 2 pessaries a day. My only reason for upping the dose is I never make it past 5dp5dt before bleeding... but obviously pursue it if it might give you piece of mind.

Ps the progesterone doesn't help with implantation as far as I'm aware - it just stops your lining breaking down...

As always, a wealth of knowledge and support, thanks for sharing geeup. I have not had any early bleeds, so I see what you're saying it may not be something suitable for me. I've just never had a wiff of a positive before or any signs of embie trying to implant, or not, so I'm clearly clutching at anything (Google is that mine-field of insight you can get sucked into, and often more confused at the end of it all). Have a good rest of evening with the good vibes from your earlier acupuncture still lingering, hopefully x

Any time @BeePositive very late in the day for me to suggest this but remind me - have they discussed embryogenesis with you? It's something to do with culturing the embryos in a special gel or something which supposedly helps with implantation. They wouldn't let me have it for my second cycle so don't know anything more.

Embryogen*!

@BeePositive Good luck with egg collection today! Keep us posted how you are and how many they get. Take care and rest up after procedure. As Gee said have they discussed embryogen with you? That was something they were going to add if we went ahead with another fresh cycle, plus I also had the scratch with this successful cycle but will never know if that's why it worked or just the right embryo onboard.

@HWF4 we were also 'unexplained ' and like you I wanted to try icsi just in case but was told we didn't need to and in some ways it can hinder the process . We got 6 to the freezer after 14eggs collected, 12 did fertilise but by day 5 6 of them wasn't up to grade. I would trust in what VW say based on your test results, none of us will ever know why our egg & sperm couldn't meet naturally. Best of luck with this cycle!

Thanks for the thoughts, ladies. Yesterday went well. The team at VW were wonderful and took great care of me before, during and after my egg collection procedure. I'm back in the office today, feeling a bit tender, but taking paracetamol and the bleeding and cramps have eased.

Hopeful and Geeup yes, thanks, VW discussed Embryogen for me as this is my 3rd cycle, being 'unexplained' infertility and no previous success implanting, they suggested this might be helpful. Have to pay for it as not covered on NHS. I also had the scratch for first time with this cycle.

I'm very happy they were able to collect 16 eggs yesterday, and VW called me this morning to say 13 of them have fertilised. Last time we had 7 for IVF, and 10 for ICSI, but none of the 7 fertilised, and 9 of the 10 fertilised with ICSI, so we went 100% ICSI for this time. Now waiting to see how many of those will successfully divide and hoping to make it to day 5 blasts for transfer on Monday of a good quality embie.

Hope the injections are going well HWF4?

Any more acupuncture sessions planned geeup?

Flamingo hope you're feeling and doing well?

Waves to everyone

Hi @BeePositive,

That's great news that they managed to retrieve so many eggs and that 13 of them have fertilised. I have everything crossed that you get lots of lovely blastocysts!! How are you feeling?

My injections have been going well! I weirdly look forward to doing them each night...! I do feel slight twinges after but not sure if that's my mind playing tricks on me or not! I have some family coming round tonight so have to try and disappear quickly to do it later

Great news re numbers @BeePositive well done. Yep I am going to try and do acupuncture weekly. So relaxing!

That's great @BeePositive!! Keep my fingers crossed for lots of lovely blasts! Can't believe you were back in work yday! Well done you but make sure you get enough rest x

Morning ladies! So I think I did rush back to work too quickly. I was a bit dizzy and had pain all day. More of an uncomfortable ache vs anything more serious, but I should have rested instead of driving around, meetings and being in the office all day. I left early and got home and slept for 2 hours. Still some aches during the night and up to go to the toilet lots (as I've been drinking loads water). I'm feeling much brighter today and continuing to stay positive as VW embryologist called to say 11 of the 13 are dividing well. So looking good for transfer on Monday.

@HWF4 glad to hear you're doing well with the injections. You're also not letting family know you're doing IVF? It's tricky when you have to sneak off to do them. I've done them at family dinners, out in restaurant toilets, hoping people won't notice I'm taking longer and it's not ideal when you're not at home in your own space. I found the injections can sting a little, especially the Menopur, so I'm sure it's not in your mind. At least it's going in and doing what it needs to do. Good luck tonight.

Thanks for the thoughts @Geeup and @Hopeful4ivf. Hope you both have a lovely weekend ahead!

@BeePositive well done you for heading back to work but definitely try and rest up!! My retrieval is also booked in for a Wednesday (all being well) and I have now booked off the Thursday and possibly Friday too after hearing how you feel. I hope you continue to feel brighter today and look after yourself! I have everything crossed for you on Monday and hope you have a stress-free weekend! The weather is supposed to be lovely on Sunday!

We have told our parents and a few friends but the rest of the family know nothing... we are trying to ease the pressure and so aren't telling ANYONE any specific dates either... we figured if nothing goes right we can then tell people in our own time rather... we may change our minds later in the process though how did you find doing injections outside of your own home? I've kinda cleared my diary in the evenings for November so I can do them at home! xx

Morning all

@BooPositive How are you doing? Do you have transfer tomorrow? Wishing you all the very best and hope the 2ww isn't to slow. I know that feeling

@HWF4 Best of luck for EC on Wednesday! Let us know how you get on and fingers crossed for good eggs

Hope the rest of you are well? My constant nausea is really getting me down now but also know I wouldn't change it for the world if it means I'm having a healthy pregnancy. Scan on Friday, the wait after that comment has been ridiculous, to the point where I might call them tomorrow and ask why she felt the need to plant such a scary seed into my mind. Rather honesty at this point.

Thanks @Hopeful4ivf however my egg collection isn't scheduled until Wednesday 29th November sorry I should've re-worded my comment above!! I bet you can't wait for your scan now. Let us know how you get on if you call them.

My injections are going well but I am starting to feel a few side effects - I have stages of feeling so thirsty every now and then as well has having mild/ hazy headaches and generally feel a little 'down'. Did anyone else experience these? Luckily they come and go and aren't there all the time! x