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!

Welcome @MrsMidge0505 I'm sorry your second fresh cycle has failed too - I'm the same. Two fresh cycles with VW, both failed (although very brief chemical with the second). Both times I was bleeding by 6dp5dt so found that very upsetting.
VW are very conservative and don't recommend any extras at all except the scratch after you have two failed cycles - I'll be doing that.
They also won't stop you taking aspirin after ET because although very little concrete evidence, there may be some consultants coming round to it. They wouldn't recommend heparin or any immune system etc at all for me.
Like you I have a few Frosties so will be doing a FET next which means we can't try Embryogen (can only do that on a fresh cycle). VW don't recommend natural FETs either as their medicated success rates are higher.
Because of my very early bleeds I've pushed hard for more progesterone for my FET. Still not 100% clear what I'll end up with but I simply will not cycle with just 2 cyclogest a day again - it doesn't stop my AF coming and it breaks my heart.
What are you thinking of trying?

@HWF4 just wanted to say I’m thinking of you and hope EC went well today as planned.

Welcome @MrsMidge0505.

@HWF4 hope today went smoothly & you’re being gentle on yourself now.

How are you doing @SP33? Do you have viability scan date booked in? Mine is next Tuesday.

@beepositive - scan booked for 13th, so 2 weeks yesterday. Feels like an age away! The first few days were hard as I was constantly symptom checking but I’ve relaxed a bit more now. Your scan isn’t far away at all! How are you feeling?

Hi everyone! Sorry for the radio silence - I caught a bad cold and was feeling pretty crappy on Sunday - Tuesday and then had EC yesterday!

Firstly, thank you for all your well wishes and also congratulations @SP33 on your positive test! Great news and fingers crossed for your scan on 13th!

How are you doing @BeePositive? Not long until your scan now.

Welcome @MrsMidge0505, I'm sorry you find yourself here after 2 failed attempts but I hope you find this group as helpful as I have.

@geeup I hope you're enjoying your holiday and letting your hair down lots!

So, yesterday - EC! They managed to get 12 eggs. Unfortunately I didn't respond well to the general anaesthetic and was very nauseous... I also fainted twice when coming round - so that was fun!
I just had the call to say that 4 have fertilised.. I'm a bit disappointed that the number has decreased by over half but am now putting all my energy and hope into these 4 embies. The embryologist I spoke to said the sperm were swimming really well last night but by this morning it looked like they had given up and couldn't reach the eggs... which is probably the reason why we can't get pregnant naturally. I'm glad we have an answer now and if we have to do it again then they will be doing ICSI (which is what I was trying to push for when we first saw Mr Riddle). Anyway, cross everything for me that these 4 are fighters and we can get to blastocyst stage!
xx

Sorry to hear you've been unwell @HWF4 but excellent news on 4 embies that have fertilised. Go go go to blast stage now, little ones! We were also very surprised when we got to that stage in our first cycle that doing 50/50 IVF/ICSI, none of the IVF fertilised for us. So we were very limited. And hence 2nd fresh cycle (3rd round) we went 100% ICSI to get better numbers. Hopefully you won't need to use this 'learn' and your embies are strong. Fingers crossed for happy ET on Monday hopefully! Keep us posted.

Oh @SP33, I can't lie, the wait is so long! Glad to hear you are managing to feel relaxed and try not symptom-spotting continuously. Well done!

I've been going slightly crazy, ha ha! This wait is too long and almost feels more heightened after having a positive result, as I'm so desperate for nothing to take that away as this is the farthest I've ever come. My breasts have become less sensitive and almost no cramping or pulling feelings. So I'm trying very hard not to get read anything negative into that and get scared. Just want to remain hopeful and positive for Tuesday's scan!

Hi all 👋🏼 sorry I haven’t been on for a little while so just trying to catch up!

Welcome @MrsMidge0505 as others have said, sorry you find yourself here but I all the ladies on here are super supportive and knowledgable!

Huge congratulations @SP33 that’s fantastic news! The wait to the viability can is incredibly hard...I remember doing tests every other day! I think I even continued doing some between my viability scan and 12 week scan...at least until I got a more consistent nauseous feeling!

Not long to go @BeePositive hope you’ve got something nice planned for the weekend to get you through the last of the waiting?!

Hope you’re having/had a lovely holiday @geeup and are feeling relaxed and positive about your first FET!

Glad egg collection went well @HWF4 although sorry to hear about your reaction to the general anaesthetic, hopefully you’re feeling better now? 4 is still a good number and I’ll keep everything crossed for a strong blastocyst.

Hopefully I haven’t missed anyone! Not much to report from me, 26 weeks now, feeling more movements which make me happy...although then stressed if I have a day with not so many! I don’t think I’ll ever stop worrying about something! 😀

Glad to know you're still keeping an eye on us @Flamingo44! Fantastic you're at your 26 mark now. How wonderful to feel all the movements, but not so nice with the nausea. Has that subsided a bit now? As you say, I'm sure we are all now ingrained to worry continuously, becomes what we do. Just keep smiling and enjoying those happy times too!

Thanks @BeePositive I am trying to enjoy it as much as possible...and obviously know how incredibly lucky I am to be experiencing it all!
Yes I was quite lucky that I wasn’t ever actually sick, and only felt nauseous when I was hungry (every 2 hours!!) from around weeks 7-13. So I didn’t have any symptoms before my viability scan!

Omg 26 weeks - that's gone so fast!!! Appreciate for you it's probably felt very slow though...

Well I'm back on the hamster wheel. Scratch done and first buserlin injection done. Very glad to be back cycling again as feel one day closer to being pregnant. As feeling so impatient but trying to focus on mini milestones - Christmas, new year etc. Guess it's the same when you're pregnant and you can't wait to meet the baby!!

How you feeling @HWF4 ?

Hi Ladies,

I’m getting closer to my initial appointment eek! I have been advised to take Co/enzyme Q 10, I think a few of you ladies have been taking this? Can I ask where you got it from? Big thanks in advance! Hopefully I will be able to join in more of the thread once I get started and understand more of the lingo!xx

Hi @Lizjulie1234 I take the Solgar 200mg one but they seem to have stopped selling it in the UK as the last two times I bought it from amazon it came from the US I think.

Welcome back @geeup! We missed you. Sounds like you’re ready & in the zone to for new cycle now. How was the scratch for you? I found it so painful, they had to clamp my cervix, which was the worst part for me. But believe a lot of people don’t find it’s too bad. I’m so pleased you had it done as you wanted it this time. Best of luck back now you’re on the injections. And as you say, keep focussing from milestone to milestone.

@LizJulie1234 excited you’re getting organised to get started. I recommend CoQ10 too. I took it for 2-3 month before/during my last cycle & do believe it helped the egg quality from my previous round. I took 4x capsules daily of the Health Thru Nutrition Ubiquinol 100mg 60 Softgels EAF CoQ10 (Enhanced Absorption Formula Coenzyme Q10 as Kaneka QH), just got them off amazon. Are you also thinking about trying Maca powder?

Ah thanks @BeePositive I found the scratch really painful but just for 2-3 seconds as they did it, then just period pain for a few hours. Definitely not my favourite part of ivf but worth it if it works!

Hi everyone! Happy Friday!

Just a little update from me - the 4 embryos have all divided and I am booked in for ET on Monday! I'm just crossing my fingers that we have at least one that is good quality and we don't get the dreaded call tomorrow morning. I'm still pretty bloated and constipated so have been taking it easy for the past 2 days. I've also been taking pills for OHSS and trying to drink lots of water. Is there anything else anyone recommends that can help?

@BeePositive - Tuesday will be here before you know it. Try and relax this weekend and keep us posted on how you get on. I have everything crossed for you!

@Flamingo44 that's amazing you're 26 weeks now and feeling lots of different movements. How exciting. When's your due date?

@geeup congrats on getting going again and i'm glad the scratch wasn't too unpleasant. You're right - it's definitely worth it if it works!

@LizJulie1234 great news your initial appointment is coming up! Hope it goes well.

xx

Great news @HWF4 !!

@HWF4 that’s great news, sounds like they’re doing really well!

@geeup I bet it’s nice to be cycling again as you feel you’re working towards something. It sounds like you’re doing everything you can for a successful cycle - will keep everything crossed.

@lizjulie1234 welcome!! Hope the initial appointment goes well and here to answer any questions you have.

I took CoQ10 for a while too but suffered from really bad hair loss so stopped! Did anyone else find this? I know lots of people who have used it and they really believe it makes a difference to egg quality.

@beepositive - how are your symptoms going? Mine come and go too which scares the sh*t out of me!! Some days I have cramping, sore boobs and feel feint and the next day I feel nothing!! You are so close to your scan now and seeing that little heartbeat, so not too much longer to go. How far along will you be then? Wishing you all the luck for Tuesday, let us know it goes.

Sorry you also found the scratch so painful @geeup but as HFW4 says, if it works, it's worth it. Fingers crossed it's another part of the puzzle that adds to a successful cycle for you!

Thanks @HFW4 I'm full of cold and have been doing nothing but relaxing/resting up. OHSS can be nasty, but I found the Cabergoline tablets I took (for both fresh cycles) really helped ease my bloating symptoms in a couple of days. I hope you finding the same now too? Lots of water is yes, definitely key too. Try keep moving around, to help everything keep flowing (out) and symptoms ease. Exciting for Monday! I'm sure at least one of your 4 embies will do it's thing. It's always nice to have others that do well and you can freeze, but you only need one! Try not to fret and may Monday go smoothly for you x

Yes @SP33, sound like we're the same... one day having symptoms and next day, nothing. It's a real mind f%*k! I'm not sure exactly how to calculate how far along I'll be on Tuesday (my transfer was on 6 November, 5 day blast) is 29dp5dt?! So I'm not sure what to expect from the viability scan? Or if I'll still have another one, and when, with Victoria Wing (all going well) before I'd get discharged to my local OB?

Enjoy the rest of your weekends ladies. Hope no one else is suffering with horrible cold too?

@HWF4 I hope ET went well yesterday and you’re doing ok on day 1 of the 2WW!

@beepositive - good luck with your scan today. Will be keeping everything crossed for you.

Hi everyone! How are you all?

Thanks for asking @SP33 - ET went well yesterday and I currently have one blastocyst on board and another in the freezer which we are very happy about. Test day is Friday 15th. I've taken today off work as I'm still very dizzy, bloated and have terribly painful trapped wind. These are all side effects from the OHSS drugs - I took my last one last night so I'm hoping to be feeling relatively back to normal in the next day or so!

@BeePositive - i'm thinking of you today! Everything crossed you have a great scan. I hope you're feeling better from your cold too?

How are you holding up @SP33? Not long until your scan.

@geeup I hope the injections are going well?

Great news @HWF4 - congrats on being PUPO!
Good luck with the scan @BeePositive - hope it all goes well.
How are you doing @SP33 ? My injections are going fine thanks. Can't believe how chilled I am now it's third time round. I forgot to do the second one as I went to the pub and had to drive home and do it 90 mins late - eek! I need to drink more water. Have totally forgotten to do so this time!!

Sorry to hear you’ve been dizzy & the other nasty side effects from OHSS meds @HWF4. Hope you’re having a gentle day off (wise!) after your successful ET. Great news you have a frostie too. Now the waiting and symptom watching begins until the 15th. Will be thinking of you.

@SP33 hope you’re holding up ok. I know Friday 15th can’t come soon enough for you!

So pleased you’re feeling calm @Geeup. And I’m sure you’ll get into the routine timings again soon. Yes, water, drink lots & LOTS!

My viability scan this afternoon went well. Not much to see but definitely a flicker of the tiny heartbeat, which is great. Now to start making sense of all the next steps & registrations, although I still can hardly believe it all.

@HWF4 - that’s a great outcome, I bet you’re so pleased and all the best for a restful and relaxing 2WW.

@beepositive - so pleased so hear the scan went well. It must have been lovely to see the little heart beat. My symptoms seem to have disappeared a bit and I did a clearblue week’s indicatior which suggests I’m 2-3 weeks when I should be 3+ but I’m trying not to panic (easier said than done!)

@geeup - glad to hear you’re relaxed, I hope it continues throughout your cycle