Cycle buddies April/May

[Summerloving17]

Hi ladies, just wondered if anyone wants to hold hands as we go through a cycle?

After a failed fresh cycle earlier this year, I’m starting my progynova today with a planned FET for May.

Would love some company x

@bangsaklove, I’ve been doing yoga too, the Yoga with Adrienne YouTube is great. I did it before all this anyway but I would recommend it for some gentle exercise and self loving.

Thank you I will give that a whirl @cirodemarzio I’ve been going to classes but also doing acupuncture and the costs mount.
Currently on commute to work, late, feeling sick as a dog I officially HATE DOWNREGGING. Bring on my baseline next week 😭

Good luck for today @picklesandpetals !!

@Cobblestones great news on your eggs but sorry to hear about the smear. My understanding is hpv is the most important thing and changes not related to that are unlikely to be serious but would need monitoring. So not sure if your consultant will care or not?

Hope everyone's 2ww's are going ok. Sorry you're feeling dejected @HappyHedgehog247 - did you get any frozens if this doesn't work?

I'm also feeling dejected today - last time we had 14/20 mature eggs and 100% fertilisation rate. This time we had 22/22 mature eggs but only 13 fertilised. Just feel like we had 14 at this point last time and still no good quality blasts at the end and this time were starting at 13 so logically we're going to be in the same boat by day 5..... I think the next few days will kill me. Much worse than the 2ww for me - as if we don't get any good quality blasts I'm worried they're going to push donor conception whilst if we get a good blast at least there's hope for the future, even if it's a BFN this cycle.

Hope you're all feeling more positive than me today! Xx

@picklesandpetals good luck today

My bloods came back as having low RBC. Suffering with a terrible flu too. At my clinic waiting for my 4th Follicle Tracking scan

Good luck @picklesandpetals. Hope it goes really well.

@Cobblestones that's great news. 15 eggs is fantastic. Hope you keep well and avoid OHSS.

@HappyHedgehog247 sorry you are feeling low. I think it's natural to feel pessimistic about it working because we've all been through a lot of disappointment to get to this stage, and it's a way of protecting yourself. Will still be keeping my fingers crossed that you do get good news when you're ready to test.

I'm now scheduled for transfer on Sunday, which will be day 5. Of the 19 fertilised eggs, 12 are still doing well, and the other 7 are growing but less fast and so probably not in the running. The embryologist was optimistic that we should have something to freeze on Sunday, which would be a huge relief in terms of taking the pressure off the fresh transfer. It would be great not to have to go through this stage again!

Ladies excuse my lack of knowledge but I had wondered...if lucky enough to freEze any extra embryos and then doing a frozen transfer what do you go through in terms of drugs? Do they just scan you and transfer! Excuse my ignorance im just getting my head around this 1st stage at the mo

@bangsaklove I was reading about it this morning. At my clinic they ask you to down regulate again, and then after you've had your bleed they give you drugs to build up the uterine lining, and when it's thick enough you do the transfer. I'm assuming you also have to take the progesterone pessaries for that too. I'm guessing it's a lot better because it was the bloating and sore ovaries that I struggled with, and at least you avoid that part. But I think there are clinics that offer natural transfer (where they just work out when you ovulate and then put it in).

@hoping2018 I’m sorry you’re feeling pessimistic about the outcome. Was it your dh who has the surgical sperm removal? If so, could that not help your chances this time round? Really hoping this time the outcome is different for you.

@rainylake 12 good embryos sound amazing! Is it on day 5 that they provide some kind of grading of embryos?

I had the call from the lab. 10 out of the 15 eggs have fertilised and they’ve provisionally booked me in for transfer on sun (day 3) but they will make the call on sun morning if it should be stretched to day 5. I won’t hear anything from them in between. This wait is a different ball game altogether! A real test of patience 🧐

I had the same idea about FET as @rainylake. Was it @summerloving who is on FET this cycle and could provide more info?

Ah man I wanted to avoid the down reg as it’s not agreeing with me! But thank you for the info it would be worth thinking about for sure. At this stage I’m worried about getting a decent amount of eggs due to my age so we will see xx

@bangsaklove are your cycles usually pretty regular? Because if you know exactly when you ovulate then maybe you wouldn't need the drugs for FET. I guess it all depends on managing to catch exactly the right moment (I've never managed to test positive with a home ovulation test despite having been told that I do ovulate so I don't think I'd be a good candidate for that).

@hoping2018 sorry you're feeling down. But if sperm quality could have been what caused the problems last time, maybe it will be different with SSR.

@Cobblestones 10 is great - must be a relief. Yes the waiting is hard, and you start imagining all sorts of situations. But it does go quite quickly, especially if you can find something to keep busy with.

The information sheet I got from the clinic was quite helpful - it said that transferring on day 3 vs day 5 doesn't make a difference to how well an embryo develops or its chances of success - the benefit of waiting till day 5 is just that it gives them a better chance of grading the embryos and so identifying the one that's most likely to take. By day 3 they can't tell as much about the quality. So they said that if by day 3 it is very clear which the best 1 or 2 embryos are, there is no point waiting till day 5 and they may as well transfer then. Whereas if by day 3 there are a bunch of embryos that all look the same, they're better off waiting till day 5 as some of them will realistically start to look less good by then and can be weeded out.

I know the clinic is really fussy about freezing, and they'll only freeze blasts they consider top quality (whereas they'll put in fresh ones that are less good than that if you don't have any other better ones). The nurse said it was because if they aren't top quality it reduces their chances of surviving the freezing process.

@rainlylake thanks lots of good info there, DH and I are unexplained fertility and my cycle is regular ovulate like clockwork, it just so far hasn’t meant to be....hopefully we just need a helping hand :-) I try not to overthink and be happy for my marriage and what I do have xxxx

@rainylake we were told the same info re: quality and how to pick a blast, however interestingly our front runners on day 3 didn't turn out to be best on day 5!! Which has made doubt everything they say!!! Totally convinced no one has a clue about any of this!

Hey ladies, sorry I’ve been MIA, I’ve just started back at work and feeling really crap as got a BFN in my birthday yesterday at 8days past transfer so I’m out again. Just really don’t understand how two supposedly good quality blastocysts failed to implant completely. Feel very lost and am also so ashamed of how I look as fit into nothing!

Re medicated FET yes you just down reg and then take progynova for c 2 weeks till your lining is thick enough then start progesterone( I am on cyclogest and lubion) for 5 days pre transfer. It is a lot better in that no egg growing collection and bloating, however I’ve felt really awful on the additional progesterone injections.

I wish you all the best and more success than me 💕

Iam taking a break as just don’t have my former enthusiasm! Xx

Summer really sorry to hear that. I hope you can take some time to recharge and look after yourself.

I totally understand losing your enthusiasm. It's such a marathon and you can't feel up for the challenge all the time.

I've been having treatment for 4 years and I've felt different levels of enthusiasm along the way. I hope things work out better for you if you decide to try again

Good evening ladies, wow this has been a busy thread today

Had my EC today. They got 9 eggs, just gotta wait for the call in the morning to see if any are any good 🤞 EC itself was fine actually, stayed awake throughout and chatted with the anaesthetist. Feel very woozy, felt nauseous all afternoon. Tummy sore and bloated still. It's done though

@CiroDiMarzio Wow you are keeping your mind preoccupied, hat off to you walking the commute to work 🙌 I'm going to look to take pilates up given how grumpy my back has been just being bloated. I'm missing the gym atm and Zumba

@bangsaklove sorry to hear that you're having more side effects, this process isn't a walk in the park is it. Not done yoga myself, I'm not that fit 🤣 plus it would disintegrate into fits of giggles . What was the mindful app called? Also good question re the frozen transfer process, I have no idea either

@hoping2018 understand how you feel but this cycle could be totally different hun, try to keep positive

@AniSL how did the scan go? Sorry you have flu 🤧

@rainylake great news, Sunday will come round quickly enough I guess, and sounds like you might have some to freeze too. How're you getting on with pessaries? 🙈 I've got that joy tomorrow 😬

@Cobblestones that's a brilliant number, great result there, really pleased for you 🎉

Hope everyone else is doing well today xx

@picklesandpetals not the news I hoped for. Seems as if the flu and high temp has had an impact, the 9 potential on my left actually slowed growth so none have made it to the 18 mark, right is faring better. They have given me at least 3 more days of Cetrotide and Gonal, another scan on Monday to see where we go.
Good news on your 9, keeping my fingers crossed for u

Oh @Summerloving17 I'm so sorry to hear this - was it your second transfer?

Have you anymore funding? It's so shit xx

@summerloving17 it’s uber shit, I feel for you. Although I can’t imagine how you’re feeling being New to this all but sending a hug. It’s so frustrating isn’t it the great bloody unknown.
@picklesandpetals it’s literally called mindful ivf. I did giggle a bit at the voice on it and feel a bit of a dufus but it’s still good once you get over that. :)

Ps ladies sorry I’m crap at keeping up with this thread! But am rooting for you all!

@Summerloving17 sorry to hear that. Take care of yourself.

@picklesandpetals well done on your nine eggs. That's great.

@AniSL they gave me another the days of gonal and cetrotide as well. It sucks, I'm sorry.

I have a question about embryo transfer and progesterone please. I'm finding the progesterone really messy, my embryo transfer is at 9am tomorrow. Would it be best to do the progesterone afterwards? I can't imagine the doctors want to fight their way through thick white gunk to get an embryo in.

@Summerloving17 so so sorry to hear that. Take care of yourself.

@summerloving17 oh I’m so sorry does the 8 dp definitely mean you’re out? I hope you can take some time off and recover. hug

@picklesandpetals oh wow you had the EC on local? Bravo!! Glad to hear it went smoothly. 🤞for the call tomorrow.

re cyclogest - I tried the rectal route this morning and thought i had aced it but the last few hours I’ve had so much residue I don’t think I did it right! I thought the rectal route was supposed to be less messy! Sorry for a very gross qs (I think we all left our dignity at the door when we walked into this haha) but can someone pls advise how far up approx inches we’re supposed to push it up via the rectal route?

@AniSL sorry about the flu. Hope the next few days result in some development.

@rainylake the info on embryo selection was really helpful!

Si1ver, i have always been told to use my progesterone on the morning of the transfer. They "clean" you before inserting the embryo as they are expecting progesterone "gunk".

I always take the meds with me and they tell you to use one directly after you've had the transfer.

@Si1ver my clinic told me to do progesterone before transfer but to do it at least 2 hours before.