IVF/ICSI June/July 2018

[cannonball8726]

Hey, all! We are starting ICSI hopefully in June for MFI. I'm 32. Been TTC for around 14 months. Starting treatment privately as we wait for NHS investigations/referrals. Keen to get started but nervous - especially about getting the time off work during treatment - and about how much all of this is going to cost. Trying to prime my body for fertility treatment. Generally eat pretty well and exercise regularly (cardio, strength train, Pilates, walk a lot on my commute)- but could improve my diet. Consultant advised me to increase my protein intake so I'm working on it! Luckily the weather is looking up so a bit easier to stick to healthy lifestyle :) Have cut out alcohol and coffee (still on tea - but will limit myself to one cup/ day). Supplements wise, I'm on Omega 3, CoQ10, Pregnacare. Doubt any of this will make any difference in time for first cycle though...

Would be great to hear from others due to have treatment in June/July 2018!

@Beherenow32 i feel it’s better than stressing! I don’t drink caffeine or smoke and have cut out the alcohol. I talk to someone who had 22 eggs collected and didn’t change her diet at all.

Anyone doing cetrotide: aloe vera with lidocaine (it's actually meant for after sun) is saving my life right now. That one is so so itchy!!

Ginandtonic 31 - gonal f too gave me a false sense of security!! I was thinking: this is a breeze!

Critter tamer - I'm really sorry you felt so low. I did too. In the last year: my parents are getting divorced after 42 years of marriage and selling the family home, a fire and then mudslide destroyed my hometown, I changed my job and then quit teaching altogether because I was getting complaints from entitled little brats, and then two family members have had some pretty traumatic health stuff going on. I was definitely having suicidal thoughts when work stuff was at it's worst. Anti-depressants have really helped me and I've felt in a better place in the last two/three months... It really is shit and infertility has been far shitter than all the other crap. It helped that my cousin had IVF over 10 years ago, but at least she understood the emotional stuff.

@Physicskate I will get some ordered today in time for Wednesday! I’ve been thinking it’s all a breeze with Gonal. Is it the actual injection that hurts with cetrotide or just after it? Are you putting the aloe on straight away?

I’m so sorry to hear things for a few of you haven’t been great. You’re all very strong. I can’t even begin to imagine as we are doing ivf for genetic reasons so haven’t been through anything like most of you.

It's really interesting/terrifying hearing about the different drugs & injections and how they effect people, I've got all this to come yet, hopefully starting in July. I'm going to have natural cycle IVF though because the clinic think it will be a better course of action for us due to my V low AMH & follicle count (NHS has said our only option is donor eggs) so there are drugs but they'll be different ones. Is anyone on here doing natural cycle? It's also really reassuring to hear how other people struggle with all this as well (Not that I'd wish it on anyone, but it's nice to know I'm not alone) I've had bouts of depression and anxiety, and a proper full on panic attack where I thought I was having a heart attack (disagreeing with my partner about the interpretation of some graphs of saliva hormone tests we'd had done - it brought me up sharp & made me realise how stressed out I was!) I've always been a genuinely cheerful, laid back person, untill all of this started getting on top of me. It's brought me & my partner closer though, he's been amazing! He's struggled with depression in the past, which I never really understood (I do now!) We've been together 18.5 years & are closer now than ever, so at least if we never have children we've got that, but I still want it so much!... good luck everyone who is on with it now, I really hope it goes well for you all, I like hearing the happy stories, they give me hope

@Ginandtonic31 it's the cetrotide itself. I use the same type of syringe for both the injections (no fancy pen). I've used the aloe right after injecting today and it didn't get as itchy. I avoided putting it over the actual puncture though. Today I had one massive hive bump about 3 inches long!!

@Ginandtonic, physicskate and Katjones, thanks for your amazing supportive messages - as awful as it’s been it does help to know that you’re not the only one that’s gone through it. My DH tried to persuade me to see a doctor a few months ago but I was terrified of anti-depressants - was convinced they would make TTC even more difficult or something! I’m glad now i held off as the IVF has given me so much hope I feel I’ve turned a corner- not sure what will happen if it fails though!

In terms of painful injections, someone here suggested icing the area beforehand and I tried that last night and it really helped with burn and pain afterwards.

@Ginandtonic - glad you enjoyed your anniversary steak - I’m vegetarian so struggling a bit for protein at the moment - think I will start to look like an egg soon if i eat any more of them LOL

I think I got a bit cocky tonight. Decided to sit down to jab. It hurt more and when I took the needle out some dripped off so obviously didn’t hold it in long enough. Must try better tomorrow! Bit worried I feel absolutely nothing yet and that my 150 dose is too low.

Hi @ginandtonic, admittedly it was a few months ago but when I was on the Gonal F, 150, I had pretty much no side effects. It was only at the few days before trigger I started to notice bloating and fullness. I kept asking the nurses if it was normal and they told me to count myself lucky! I responded well to stims so don’t worry, having no side effects doesn’t mean it’s not working. X

@Ginandtonic31 when is your next scan? I’ve always felt quite full early on during stims, and the nurses didn’t think that was very common. So, it’s still early yet! Xx

And I think my fullness is more from bloating from hormones, than actually big follies 😟 has sore head last couple of days. Next scan on tues for me. It’s goinf so fast!! Xx

Thanks @Tigerlilly99 and @Beherenow32 - that puts my mind at ease a little! I was worrying I should be feeling things. I wish I did feel full, I might stop eating then 😂 my scan is Friday. Meant to be having EC the week after but if I haven’t responded well in a week I’m not sure how much upping it would do before the next week. I have to trust the nurses I guess!

Hey all, checking in. Been really busy with work which is a good distraction from IVF! Glad things are going well for everyone thus far. I am sooo behind everyone:) not even started downreg yet! Don't start downreg until 19th June which still feels ages away. Got a nurse appointment tomorrow for injection teach. Really want to get started now. Why is long protocol so.... long?!

Glad to hear about group's protein consumption! I had a Dominos pizza yesterday- plate full of carbs- yay?! Had a rubbish few days with food (coinciding with my period) but back on track today!

What is everyone doing in terms of exercise? I'm still exercising as normal. Have spin class tomorrow but wondering if high intensity workouts are really that good an idea and whether I should stop them now. Hmm. Does anyone here do yoga? Are you planning to continue?

Have a good few days, ladies, and good luck with the stims/upcoming ETs! Positive thoughts xxxx

@canonball I was wondering the same about exercise. I like to swim, which I imagine would be ok, but I have a stationary bike that the arms go back and foresrdbon that I like to do for half an hour every day. I haven’t done it since startin Gonal in Friday as I don’t know if I should, but I want to carry on to keep my weight in check!

Cannonball and Ginandtonic, I train a lot so asked the clinic nurses what was ok (because I had read something somewhere about it being an issue with menopur) and I was told to cut out high impact exercise once stims had started. No running or jumping, but swimming, cycling, walking and gentle yoga all ok. This is because once the ovaries start to swell they are at risk of torsion with any kind of high impact exercise. I did my last run on Thursday so now walking, cycling, golfing, doing fertility yoga and using elliptical trainer and stepper gently only. hope this helps you xxx

Perhaps I will try and just swim every day rather than the bike just in case. Thanks for the advice.

Thanks both. Will switch to cycling, elliptical and gentle yoga from time of stims. And then nothing but walks during 2WW. Exercise lifts my mood otherwise I find all this pretty depressing!

Critter, I used to be veggie too. Started eating fish a couple of years ago - and I'm still struggling with protein intake...!

@physicskate- how long did it take for you to notice any changes on thyroxine? I've been on it for a couple of weeks and haven't noticed anything new yet.

Hi @cannonball, I don’t start downreg until 24 June for long protocol FET so you’re still ahead of me! I already had my teach in May and have all my meds so I’m literally sat twiddling my thumbs waiting to get started. I naively thought FET would be faster but it’s turning out to be longer than the fresh cycle!

Wow you guys are all so healthy, I’ve done a grand total of zero excercise. Got as far as buying some exercise clothes but they are still in the drawer.... I’ve also had my family visiting for a few weeks so been eating far too much rubbish. Finally back on the healthy eating this week.

Ah Tigerlily, I assumed the same about FET! What's the rough timeline for long protocol FET?

I have to exercise otherwise I just feel crap. Sometimes my husband just sends me to the gym if I'm being low/ cranky (it works!). Exciting - new exercise clothes!

How does a clinic choose between long or short? I’m on short and long or short wasn’t discussed, I just assume it’s short because well it’s short but what are the advantages of long over short and vice versa?

Haha, I love new exercise clothes 😊 5his might be a stupid question, but this is my first IVF cycle and I don’t know all the lingo yet....what is the difference between short and long protocol and why are they used? The clinic told me I’m on short agonist protocol but don’t really know what that means.

LOL @Ginandtonic - our posts musts have crossed 😊

Long protocol FET takes about 5-6 weeks from start of down reg. Start buserelin CD21 and use for 2 weeks. Then a scan to make sure lining is thin. If all ok, start oestrogen patches to build up lining followed by another scan after 2 weeks. If lining good then progesterone pessaries start with transfer roughly 5 days after. With long protocol IVF/ICSI you down regulate first to turn off your ovaries so to speak. With short you skip that bit and go straight to stims. I think they tend to use short protocol if they think you are more likely to get OHSS or have poor response to stims (don’t quote me on this though as my clinic didn’t explain anything to me and it’s only from what I’ve read myself). I have NO idea why they use long and short protocol FET though! I thought I was having a natural FET so I didn’t pay attention when they were discussing the medicated options and regret it now 😳. Anyway it’s taken me one teach and 2 calls to the nurses to get my head round my upcoming protocol!

@Tigerlily99 - thanks for the info. That kinda makes sense they said they were slightly worried about OHSS.because my AMH was over 10, I’m down regging at the same time as stimming which I thought was odd but I guess it’s just to prevent natural ovulation.

@cannonball8726 I'm on a super super low dose (25 mcg). I didn't notice big changes with it but very slight changes maybe after four or so weeks???