IVF July/August 2018

[Sunny1984]

Hey,

So like the title says really is anyone about to start an IVF cycle in July or August?

This is my first cycle and I’m excited/petrified!!! I would love to have some cycle buddies to chat to and for support. It’s all self funded as due to the postcode lottery we get no NHS cycles.

Just a little background. I’m 34, have been TTC for 2 and a bit years now, initial diagnosis PCOS and I had 7 cycles of Clomid which resulted in me falling pregnant in December but sadly I had a MMC at 11 weeks. I have since been diagnosed with endometriosis following an unexpectedly low AMH result. My right ovary is has a significant cyst.

I have an endometrial scratch on Monday and will begin down reg on Monday night. I’m a nurse so have no fear of needles but not sure how I’ll manage with injecting myself.

Really hope to have some company on this journey xxx

Hi @aandre26 and welcome, I’m on bemfola too (although on long protocol) and really struggling with the headaches! Annoyingly I’m not responding as hoped either so have to continue on it for longer than planned. I’ve also just started bloating (after 11 days) so maybe if you’re feeling bloated already you’re responding better than I am?

Thanks Elaydee for the positive vibes. Yes my embryos are a couple of years old so that’s something! Sorry to hear about your waiting room experience. Our first (failed) IVF we had a couple with a baby when waiting for egg collection. I found it quite distressing and just not what I needed at all. Clinics should have a policy on it in my opinion. For my baseline scan DH needs to come in to sign some form or other so we are taking it in turns with the pushchair outside the clinic and they have agreed to see us separately. The same will go for the embryo transfer, DH will probably wait in the car with DD! I wouldn’t want to put anyone else through that, it just isn’t fair. We could get childcare through a relative but don’t want anyone to know! So this is the best we can come up with. Nice to hear from others on the journey, feeling good to have some folks to chat to. Every cycle I have had I found it made a big difference to find a space to offload so thanks for making me feel welcome ladies 😊

@Sunny1984 - how did the scan go? Sorry to hear about your AMH drop too, for me it made the decision to crack straight on with IVF a bit more simple as DH and I were in two minds about carrying with IUI. Huge fingers crossed for you.

@35andcounting - I had something similar for IUI and it took an age (then three were ready at the same time and the cycle was nearly cancelled). It took a really annoyingly long time but they will get there! It sounds as if lots of follies are responding anyway which is positive.

@bjornesreborn - good news on the lining, I'm paranoid about my lining as it is usually too thin or it hasn't shed properly. I hope you have four lovely eggs on Friday.

@Elaydee - the kids in the waiting room thing is a real kicker. We went to one clinic which had two older kids and a baby in the waiting room and I felt really uncomfortable. Hope the scan was otherwise a success!

Hello @aandre26 - hope the injections go well for this evening and you settle into a little routine. Totally get the struggling to sleep thing, it is a really big deal though so we should all give yourselves credit.

Does anyone else get ovary pain in the luteal phase? I have a very sore right ovary which I have been ignoring for a few days but it is definitely there. It often gets endometrial cysts so hoping I don't have one of those starting which might delay my cycle (another worry to add to the womb lining one!).

x

@jenbot78 having children and babies around is bound to happen, can’t stop people bringing their children along and you should take yours, but I think perhaps not letting them run around in such a sensitive place would be a good start by parents. Small play areas or rooms to not disturb women going through treatment would be nice... ah I could fix all the worlds problems if given a chance :-P

I’m pretty much confirmed for EC on Friday. I’ve been really positive until now, and strangely even enjoying doing my injections... like I’m finally doing something proactive that could work! But today a bit of anxiety is creeping in. Researching the success rates isn’t helping me. Flashbacks of my miscarriages and ectopics is playing on my mind.

@35counting
Hello nice to meet you 😊
Sorry to hear your not responding so well! How long do you have to carry on for?
Fingers crossed for you!! 🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼

Im not sure if my bloating is psychological because i know its supposed to happen. Its early days still so will keep an eye on that!
As for the headaches....have you tried anything to ease them? I really dont want to take paracetamol etc. But not sure how long i can cope with them before speaking to the nurses!!

When do you next go in?

Xx

@ChocolateLab
Hello 😊

Hows your treatment going so far?? Ive read a little bit in the thread.

Thanks for the support regards the injections, they really arent so bad once you do them a few times. Although i might try and do my own tomorrow and let the other half rest.
We will see though.
Xx

Hi aandre26 and jenbot and welcome. Though sorry any of us are here really!
jenbot wish there were more women like you at my clinic, it seems every time I go there’s a small child in the waiting room. Doesn’t seem terribly right to me, especially as we’re all in a bit of an emotional mess in there anyway without added factors.
I listen to the mindful ivf app. It’s free up to a certain point (can’t rememebr what) but I paid £5.99 (I think!) on my last cycle. I find it really calming and helpful.
Looks like there could be a few of us for EC on Friday then!

Welcome @aandre26 and @Jenbot78

@35counting Sorry the follicles are still responding slowly, when are they planning EC for now? Have they upped your dose?

How was your scan @Elaydee?

Mine wasn’t great! I’ve shed a lot of tears today and just generally felt shit! The lining was ok, but out of my 9 follicles from baseline only 4 have responded. They are apparently the right size but there was talk of abandoning the cycle. Really don’t know what to think. Decision was to continue stims and rescan Friday to see if they are still growing.

Oh no @Sunny1984, why would they abandon the cycle, is 4 not enough? I really wish there was something we could do to help them along. I’ve been trying the hot water bottle across the stomach thing in the evening in the hope it works.

They’ve not increased my dose as apparently they’d grown enough over the weekend. Very frustrating though. Are you having ovary pain yet? Mine have been quite uncomfortable since the scan and I’m quite bloated now so it’s going to be a long week of floaty dresses trying not to arouse suspicion in work.

@aandre26 I just don’t know how long I’ll have to carry on for, have to scan every other day to check progress. It’s annoying as we can’t plan time off work but thankfully it’s fairly quiet at this time of year anyway. Back in again tomorrow!

Hey everyone! So i had my first scan yesterday and started stimulating injections on the short protocol. In the scan the doctor took so long to find my left ovary- this hasn’t Happened before and made me nervous! The injection for fine but a super strong headache followed ! I was hosting a bdy party for my mum and didnt enjoy it at all just felt like curling up in bed for my head to stop pounding. The antral follicle count was 12- much lower then expected! Hope they all grow!
Welcome to everyone that has joined! Its so lovely to have this support

Hi @A280, sounds very similar to my experience, what drugs are you on? I’m on bemfola and have been getting splitting headaches since I started stims! They also couldn’t find my ovaries after down regging and I had 12 follicles on first count (although that has now gone up). Hope you respond better to the stims than I am!

@35counting im on folitropin alfa 225iu. Your situation sounds so like mine! First icsi, same issues in scan, headache etc!! Glad the follicles have gone up for you. Hope you start responding better. Have you asked for a dose increase? Also eat lots of clean protein- its meant to help.

@sunny1984 sorry anout your scan. Keep positive! Hope its not a cancelled cycle!

Any advice on how to make my lining shed properly? It was too thick on my first scan yesterday

Morning Ladies,

Have just been catching up as had a busy weekend.

Welcome to the newcomers :)

Hi Ladies,
Thanks for all the lovely messages of support. I really appreciate them.
I’m doing all that i can to prepare for transfer Thursday. Acupuncture and lots of meditating - nothing hurts right.

Started the progesterone Sat - pessaries. So feeling really wired with the high estrogen, progesterone and I’m on thyroid meds (under active).

@chocolateLab - I’m with LWC too. 😊

How is everyone else doing ?

@hunter14 what are the pessaries like?? I start them on Saturday!

Hi ladies, hope everyone is well this evening. I've been popping in and out, keeping up to date with all of your journeys. I have a "what would you do" question if you don't mind. As my DR went on a week longer than expected, I hope to have a transfer a week on Tue. I then have a colleagues wedding to go to on the Thur. Would you still go? I'm worried that there'll be a lot of standing around, etc at a time when I should be resting. Any advice?

@sprinb0ks Personally I would still go and wear flat shoes and take a seat when I could and leave when I felt I had shown my face enough and spoken to the couple. You don’t have to be swinging from chandeliers Perhaps ask your clinic though as they know your situation best.

We will have guests staying with their three kids on the night of my EC and the day after (thanks to husband not thinking it through) and we have told them I am having a minor surgery that day as outpatient and I’m taking it easy all weekend and won’t be joining them when they leave the house. Perhaps you could tell the couple you’ve had a small surgery so won’t be staying long?

@Springb0ks
Hello, i would have to agree i would wear flats as you dont want to strain yourself too much during recovery.
Personally i would see how you felt after surgery and then make a decision as you might not feel up to it at all.
Good luck with ec! Fingers crossed for you.

@Elaydee hope all goes well with your ec. And manage to rest while your guest are there too.

Thanks @elaydee. I'll definitely check with the clinic. When is your collection planned for? I think you might be a few days ahead of me. I've been googling and everything you read says to sit/ lie down for as much as possible after transfer, don't shower/ bath for days, no perfumes, etc. I'm going to be the most trampy guest!

Ah @aandre26, the only problem with flats is that I'm only 5 foot 3! Did you manage to do your own injection this morning?

@springb0ks ahhh I’ve read that you can go about your life relatively normally... I should speak to the nurses then! I guess I am with the NHS and they don’t go into great detail!

It’s a tricky one @Springb0ks as you just don’t know how you’ll be feeling. @Elaydee my nhs guidance booklet says to rest, not wash and not be exposed to any chemicals (including perfume and cleaning products) for 2-3 days following ET and I was worried about going to work without showering in this hot weather! Will be even trickier at a wedding for you @Springb0ks!

@elaydee, my facts are entirely google based and I'm NHS too. @35counting, so useful to know what your leaflet says. I think I'm more likely to apologise profusely and not go to the wedding, if everything goes smoothly.

It feels like there's elves dancing in my ovaries at the moment, so my clinic have suggested scanning my a day early. So I'm off there tomorrow- keeping everything crossed that everything is on track!

Evening my loves, just quickly catching up! Had a bit of a down day but I’ve decided everything is out of my control so have to just go with it until my scan on Friday now!

Wow I did not all of that about post ET 😱😱 why no washing?!!

How are the stims going @Springb0ks when is your scan?

Good luck for your scan tomorrow @35counting

@sunny1984, we've just cross posted! Stims has been fine so far, a little sore so off for an early scan tomorrow which is day 7.

The no washing thing is because strong smells overwhelm the embryos, I'm sure they recommend no perfume or deodorant on the day of egg collection too? I checked with my clinic about whether I could dye my hair or get a massage during stims and it was a firm no as smells could linger on the skin. I think it varies between clinics though?