Trying to conceive baby#2 following ivf treatment for #1

[lucieloos]

I thought I would start this thread as I can't see anything similar. We underwent many rounds of icsi and following a couple of bfns, and an ectopic pregnancy we were finally blessed with our beautiful daughter last year.

We recently started thinking about baby no 2 and had 4 frozen embryos of which 2 had been tested and found to be chromosomally normal so are meant to have a better chance. We didnt have the other 2 tested.

A couple of weeks back we had our first fet with one of the tested embryos and got a bfp super early at 4dp5dt. Sadly by 8dpt the line was barely visible and resulted in a chemical pregnancy. I've been feeling really down about it as this was meant to be a super duper embryo with no genetic problems which they said was the main reason embryos fail.

I thought it would be easier trying for #2 and of course it is in a way as I realise how lucky I am to have had a baby but I can feel the infertility fog starting to descend again as I realise although I've had a brief respite I will never be like my fertile friends and I do really want another baby and a sibling for my little girl.

Im feeling a bit negative at the moment. We will probably go back for the other tested embryo in the near future but I can't see how I would ever get lucky enough to get 2 bfps in a row. These things just don't happen to me so just not too hopeful about it at all. We said that if we used all of our frosties with no success we would be happy with what we have but already I am thinking should I do more fresh cycles. I will be 39 soon though so time isn't on my side for that.

Anyway just wondering if anyone else is in a similar situation and would like to share the journey. Please come and say hi.

Good luck for Friday 🤞

It was ok going back. Sat opposite a woman on the tube with a Baby on Board badge and felt the rage, then remembered I didn't know what her story was and to calm down haha.

My boss was great and texted last night to see if I was ok.

She did the usual 'you can try again, you're young and healthy, you already have a son, blah blah blah', you know, all the stuff that people who don't know about IVF say.

Having a baby doesn't just mean having another child to me, it's the end of all this TTC crap and coming off the IVF rollercoaster. It's a sigh of relief. To go back is so disheartening.

I'm sure you all understand that!

Oh god yes people just don't understand if they have not been there! They just want to say something reassuring but it doesn't help most of the time. We went to see friends at the weekend who have had a very difficult journey becoming parents as they lost a baby at 21 weeks. They have gone on to have 2 children since then. Even they kept saying to us it will be ok you can try again if only it was that simple! Getting pregnant in the first place is the challenge

lucie that’s a great beta! My beta with my son on 10dpt was 254 and I remember being really pleased with it. FX you get some great doubling for the next one.

jen omg how confusing. What’s the implication of it being near your scar? That the embie won’t adhere properly? Or placental abruption later on? Am a bit terrified about this as I had a fairly emergency EMCS so my scar isn’t the neatest as they had to get in so quickly . Really hoping you “just” have a slightly slow starter and things will normalise. Did your consultant tell you next steps or is it just a case of wait and see (aka worst thing ever)?

Thanks snow I tested with frer again this morning and the test line is a bit darker than control line now and definitely darker than Monday so really hoping it means I will get a good beta today! How much longer until you start now?

Twinkle, I know exactly what you mean about coming off the infertility rollercoaster. That is the most draining part of it all and I'm sure something we are all looking forward to putting behind us.

Cupcakes, so sorry you are in limbo it's so hard. I really hope something positive comes out of this for you.

Good luck with your best today @lucieloos

*beta

Hope beta went well today lucie.

Twinkle that is EXACTLY how I feel. I have been told that if I can get some aspects of my health in check namely my autoimmune disease then there is a good chance that I could conceive naturally but it could take a year or more. So I'm working on my health.But honestly I'm so tired of all this that the possibility that I might get pregnant just isn't enough for me, or my DH for that matter. All I want is another child and then I want to forget about all this FOREVER!!! Last AF before FET today, starting oestrogen 14th May...

Hoping that great beta comes back lucie. Sounds like you’re in really good shape. Hurrah! Inspiration for the rest of us. Am hoping my period will turn up by mid next week so I can get started. Exciting!

jen I hear you re worrying about the maybes. A big part of why I decided to go for no 2 relatively soon was to “get it out of the way”. Then I can handover the part of my brain that knows about embryos and fets and progesterone levels and optimal thyroid levels etc etc and move onto more interesting things!

Good luck for today Lucie 🤞 hoping for a lovely high beta!

The consultant didn't really go into the problems but I know it's quite risky if baby doesn't move and pregnancy continues.

I hear you all on wanting to put all this behind me. I feel like an expert on all things IVF 🙈 I also need to make some lifestyle changes. I'm a bit overweight and don't always eat as good as I should. It's so hard with little ones though to look after yourself. My little boy still doesn't sleep through regularly

Good news! Beta went from 252 to 564 so a doubling time of 40 hours so I'm very relieved!

Snow, not long to go for you now then! Hopefully your second tested embryo will be the lucky one too!

That's fantastic @lucieloos!

🙌🏻 Lucie! That’s amazing news. And...exhale! So pleased. Yes hoping I am lucky like you!

cupcakes I am so with you on the lifestyle changes. I’m just “being kind to myself” (urgh, hate that phrase) right now - focusing on work, my son, my potential future baby, house hunting and sleep - I don’t have time for anything else right now!

You will be snow I know it. The odds are very high for a second tested embryos.

Thanks cupcakes

Hi girls. Great to see you are all going well.
I know that @lucieloos had PGS testing and I would lobe to hear about your experience.

I had an appointment with my FS today and she said the following:

Now that I am almost 37 she would like to start me on 300 gonal f (was 125 gonal f 3 years ago).
She advised that my egg quality drops from 68% normal embryos to 50% normal embryos so we can consider PGS.
We can decide if we are to go ahead with PGS once we know how many embryos survive post day 5. It costs$700 per embryo to test.

We will hopefully transfer a fresh one and then test and freeze the rest.
No idea how many we will actually get now that I am older but when I was 34 we got 14 eggs and then out of those only 2 blastocysts (5d). 1 was BPF and 1 was BFN.

Now just have to wait for my period to start and we will begin injections!!!

Hey pony most of my blasts that were tested came from age 36-37. We had 4 tested and 2 were good so I would agree with the 50% which is what we were quoted as well I think. From my experience with the tested blasts I would definitely recommend doing it. Both snow and I had one tested blast transferred last month which resulted in a chemical for both of us but I went straight back and had my second transferred and got a bfp. I think the odds of success over 2 cycles are around 85%. Although we had a chemical with the first one I feel like at least something happened rather than bfn. It will also drastically reduce miscarriage rates for you if you are successful so I'm a big fan!

Hey ladies, looking at my protocol for FET which has Utrogestan 400 vaginal pessaries, 1 per day. This is WAY less than I took for our successful IVF transfer, in fact I was taking vaginally x 2 and rectally at night. Is the amount of progesterone needed different on the FET? Nervous about doing anything different this time; we had 400 per day for our unsuccessful IVF 1 so I am nervous. Particularly as Hashimotos patients are often oestrogen dominant...any advice? Thanks in advance 😀

Jen that does seem a little low. At our clinic if using utrogestan it's 400mg twice a day.

jen are you doing natural fet or medicated? If natural then once a day is fine as you will be making progesterone naturally as well.

Aaah AF turned up tonight. Shorter cycle than “usual” - only 31 days - wonder if the chemical last cycle has helped with that. So will count tomorrow as cd1 as it’s come late today and then get going on the oestrogen. Here we go again!

Yay so excited for you snow keep us posted!

Thanks for tips re progesterone, think I will push for more. Exciting snow we start in 3 weeks...

Sod off Kate Middleton with your perfect life, and even managing to give birth on St George's Day!
(Obviously this includes the usual disclaimer that all babies that are born are a blessing, blah blah blah!).

Sorry for the silence, been wanting a break from it all!

How are you doing @NoCupcakesOrCocktails?

Well done on the beta @lucieloos and good luck to @Jenbot78, @Snowdayfet and @PonyPals for the coming month. Really hope you're all successful and we can meet on the Pregnancy boards

Thanks @twinkledag
Just waiting for AF to arrive!!!
Good luck to everyone

I'm not cycling till July so hoping you're all off this board by then