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

@windy2909 exactly how I feel too! Not helped by my birthday this week and the passing of yet another whole year of my life where I'm not a Mum.

I think what makes me really sad is the longer it takes the less time I will have with any children and grandchildren? And I won't live to see them be as old.

Morning ladies! Such nice weather here today, just a shame I don’t fit in my nice summer clothes as I’ve gained so much weight from the drugs!!!! Is it just me? I guess mine has been over two years and 5 cycles as I was on 6-7 weeks of menopur even for iui!

@Southernbella pleased that you are starting to feel better. My headaches have gone now too and funnily (or not!) I’ve had a virus that has made me feel grotty. One week today till our scans 👍

I feel the same as all of you, time passes slowly (even worse in 2ww) although for me this FET will be by far the quickest if all goes to plan.

@Hoping2018 happy birthday to you!!! I hope you were spoilt at least!

I’ve got a fertility massage later today so will report back! I’ve not had anything like acupuncture but thought I’d give massage a shot!

Xx

@Windy2909, same here! Another birthday seems to be approaching quicker than this IVF journey! 😩

@hoping2018, oh, no! Don't say that! According to my DH, they are working on technology to help people live well beyond 100...but I'm not sure I'd sign up for that either! Happy birthday nonetheless!

@Summerloving, 1 week!? Yikes! I hope everything is going well and we can both keep to the original plan.

But then I'm sure I'll be going crazy during the 2WW, then until the first scan and all the other ones! I'm afraid I'm not going to relax until I have my baby in my arms.

But going to do my best to keep as busy as possible. I have lots on, so shouldn't be too hard, but you never know.

I hope you ladies are all having a lovely day! The sun is out again

@hoping - it’s my birthday too this week!....think that’s why I’m particularly feeling it just now. Happy birthday x

@summerloving - the weight gain is a nightmare! Hope you enjoyed your massage. Interested to hear how you found it. I kept been drawn to the idea of acupuncture but haven’t tried it yet, as struggling to find anyone local who does it.

@southernbella - keeping busy sounds like a plan. I need to try more of that to try to pass the time and stop thinking about babies!

@hoping happy birthday! Hope you've had a lovely sunny day

@summerloving I hope you enjoyed your massage, sounds so relaxing

@windy I am getting acupuncture and I enjoy it, too soon to know if it's had any effect but the person doing it does a lot of fertility work and I have read that it can help to have on day of transfer.

I start my stims tonight! Excited! Which is ridiculous!

Good luck with your stims happy hedgehog! It is exciting because you finally feel that you’re moving forward. Let us know how you get on.

I’ve had acupuncture previously for an injury and it was excellent. I think I definitely want to give it a try. Will need to keep looking. I contacted one woman who was quite local and got price details. I then contacted her back to explain my situation and to ask for more information and she never got back to me. Was disappointed and will not be trying to contact her again! X

Can I join in?

I'm starting my stims tomorrow.

This will be my third egg collection. I've had numerous FET and IUIs in the past. I've become pregnant 3 times but always miscarried before 12 weeks.

Im a bit worried as I was told I'd have a period before I started stims and I haven't.

@findingmyfeet12, of course you can! It's nice to have ladies to chat through your experience as you're going through it, so welcome!

I also thought you couldn't start stims unless you had a bleed. I was over a week late this cycle, and I never used to be late. I called them and went for a scan. They told me to wait 10 more days - 10! - and if nothing happened to ring them back! Luckily, AF arrived 2 days later, so 9 days late in total.

I'm going for my first ever transfer, which will be a FET early next month....fingers crossed. I go for my first scan next Wednesday to see how my lining is looking.

@Happyhedgehog247, I hope your first injection went okay.

Good luck to everyone else!

@findingmyfeet12 - hello and welcome! It might be best to give your clinic a ring tomorrow to see what they say. I know it’s different with various protocols but I know that I wasn’t told to start stims until a couple of days after bleed began x

I feel like my period is about to start so fingers crossed for tomorrow

My period is due today but no sign of it - last cycle it was 2 days late due to downregging but I downregged for WEEKS last time (I think fitting in with clinic as it had been Christmas) so this time there's a bit more pressure for it to come on time!!

Hoping for nice and punctual AFs for you @hoping and @finding

My bemfola stung a bit but am so happy not to wake up with the headache I was getting from being on the downregs alone. 2 injections a day and no other action until next scan on Mon now. Although am taking so many supplements I rattle!

Thanks Happy

We phoned the hospital and they said to start the stims and not to worry if AF shows up later.

Good luck with yours hoping

@finding welcome too and so sorry to hear you’ve had such a rubbish journey too. Hopefully this is the one that sticks!!

Hopefully AF arrived for both of you today or is shortly arriving!

I started spotting a bit this morning which has sent me into panic mode as I’m supposed to be building my lining not losing it!!! I messaged my consultant and he said just to carry on as normal till the scan next week. Now I’m googling and obviously panicking my oestrogen is too low so going to need more drugs which will delay transfer. Please stay away blood!!!

Can’t believe this weather, insane!! Xx

Did anyone have an endometrial scratch before they started their cycle

Hi @Summerloving17 sorry about your spotting - not because I think it means anything but because we all know that google stress. I'm sure things will be ok - when's your first scan?

@AniSL I had a scratch a week ago today. Painful but brief. I had a bit of spotting afterwards but had gone by the weekend but I did have awful cramping the day after and a bit thefollowing morning. I had to leave a party early and it made me cry! I was googling but couldn't see anyone else complaining of this so I don't think it's common! I'm hoping it means it did something!

X

Thanks hoping. I read that it can cause cramping and light spotting but for those who have difficulty with implantation it's a must and improve IVF success rates. My clinic however have said no way to me getting it done

I'm having my IVF in France and no one has mentioned a scratch.

I wish I'd thought to ask about it at my consultation.

@Summerloving17, I'm sure things will be fine. It might be a side effect of the progynova. But if your clinic were concerned they would probably get you in sooner. Try to relax and enjoy this lovely weather...and stay off Google!

I'm still recovering from Sunday and now both my ankles are swollen! Need to check the side effects list again...

@AniSL, I've only heard about the scratch from MN. No one at my clinic has mentioned it. @hoping2018, did you request the scratch or was that something offered to you as part of your treatment plan?

I did some research on the mountain of extras that are available with IVF and found that embryo scratch increases pregnancy and live birth rates
It does have side effects of bleeding and cramping because you are disturbing the lining and the body starts producing all sorts to heal it.
My clinic are against it for me so will go with what they say

Sorry that was meant to say endometrial scratch

Hey all, I asked for it based on my reading. The reason our first cycle failed was due to poor quality but I just want to feel like we've done everything possible. It's £150 and it was done on the day I started down regging.

I don't think there's conclusive evidence yet but there have been some studies suggesting it's helping so I thought why not?! I'm taking loads of supplements they've told me too where there's not much eveidence either but I'm desperate!!

I asked about it at my clinic too but consultant said to me not to bother as I’d recently had a hycosy and said that has the same effect and it didn’t work for me!!! I do find it so strange how there are such varied opinions out there! From what I’ve read it does seem to be a positive thing in general and even on HFEA website of recommended extras.

I would have had it anyway if I could!! Xx

I do find the difference in information between clinics and Countries very odd, some will swear by a procedure some will say no.
The issue on multivitamins is also one for debate. My clinic told me to not take the multis but take folic and ubiquinol, apparently there is evidence to suggest that use of multis before pregnancy has increased the risk of miscarriage

That's very interesting. I was told to take DHEA 75mg per day, Vitamin D and folic and i could continue taking vitamin C, but I had to stop taking primrose oil. My FS begrudgingly allowed me to continue taking my low dose aspirin, until I started Clexane last Saturday.