Starting the IVF journey - anyone want to come along for the ride?

[jemimafuddleduck]

I'm so excited and have to speak to someone other than my poor husband! No one even knows we've been trying, let alone heading along the ivf route so I'm feeling quite alone in all of this. Hence my MANY posts on MN, if you've seen any of them.

We had our first clinic appointment today, which I've been nervously/excitedly waiting for.

I have high FSH (17.4), and the consultant, although absolutely LOVELY, initially made me feel like I was pretty much in menopause.

Then she scanned me and said although she couldn't see lots of follicles, it was nowhere near as bad as she had thought.

However our CCG won't do IVF unless your FSH is under 12, so I'm out... unless I have AMH over 5.5.

I had an AMH test today and will get the results in a week or two.

If the result is ok, we'll go straight to NHS IVF immediately- no waiting list!

If it's bad... there are other options and this is already a long post.

Anyone want to share and keep me company? X

@jemimafuddleduck oh yes they are not pleasant! Especially the first couple of days after EC, when you get slight bleeding (at least I did) and...well it's not a nice cocktail! I apologise if I'm too graphic but the closest thing I can compare it to is...clay! It all gets back to normal colours after 2 days but I was like "what the actual fff is going on down there?!" haha
That was my worry too, I would love lots of babies but one at a time if we're so lucky you know? I would take whatever comes my way, and twins are in my DH family so... Never know! I read that it may be possible still for a blast to split in twins once implanted but I don't know what to believe...it was just Dr. Google!
I'm 28 :) well closer to 29 now but I'm denying it, closing up to the big 30 is scary!
Yep pretty much 2 weeks from tomorrow I'll do the test! Will be the longest 2 weeks ever, but I'll try to keep my mind busy!

I think it's easier to move onto donor eggs once you have tried yours first but I think it's sensible to consider doing it, for me my need to be a mother was greater than my need for a bio child, it's not even on my radar that he is donor now and wasn't from the day I tested, I do plan on telling him of course.

I never struggled working at the clinic, I used to be in pregnancy scans with 4 failed cycles/miscarriages under my belt and just get goosebumps that it had worked for people and I would think thank god thats one less woman battling infertility, I love my job and a lot of it's spent seeing people for first appointments and talking them through their options and helping them to decide if they should do donor/PGS etc. I had a 2 year break after 4 cycles once I started working there then decided to give it one last go and that's when I had my DS.

Has your clinic given you much info on IVF and donor eggs? I can send you some stuff across if you want me to? If you do PM me your email and I will email you some stuff across you might find useful

The clinics are targeted by the HFEA to keep multiple births to a minimum so if you are young/1st cycle/great quality blasts etc they often insist on 1, if they aren't top quality, you have had failed treatment or theres only 2 and 1 won't freeze due to fragmentation etc they usually let you have 2 back, 2 won't double your chances although it may increase them, the miscarriage rates are higher though and a multiple birth has higher risks in pregnancy and birth. That said... I always had 2 back! Most people do want 2 back

I agree the pessaries are grim but you get used to it, I had intramuscular progesterone which was painful but less messy

@jemimafuddleduck Yeah, they said we will have a seminar which is just a group of other couples going through IVF at the same sort of time, and it will explain it all from start to finish and the drugs and side effects ect. I'm definitely taking a notepad to that one! not sure if all clinics do it, I'm at Bourn Hall fertility clinic. NHS funded xx

@IceIceMaybeBaby Yeah, I'm 26 and been married 2 years to my husband, and as soon as we got married the baby questions came in thick and fast! so true! some people will never know the struggle, and thats so good for them, but so hard for everyone struggling through the process. Every pregnancy announcement at one point broke my heart, I'm a little more hardened to it now, guess I'm just used to it haha. Ah so have you had your egg transfer now as I've only just seen this??? how exciting!!! wishing you all the luck and well wishes xx

@IceIceMaybeBaby Happy transfer day! How did it go? How do you feel?!

@Kellyx aah that's interesting, I wonder whether we'll be offered that. Will have to ask at my next appointment.

@Lauren83 thanks so much for all the info, it's really useful to read. I would be really grateful if you have some more stuff but I'm not sure how to private message. I'm using the app.

Just sent you a PM

Hi ladies! Thank you so much for the kind words, I am happy to say the procedure was great! It's so straight forward, felt a bit like a smear test, the most uncomfortable bit being the full bladder!
There were tears of happiness too, you get to see the exact moment the wee cell goes up in the uterus. It looks like a little light!! They even gave us a little picture which we keep looking at :) the whole thing blew our minds!
Took is so easy today, feet up lounging on the sofa all day, and DH has been wonderful so far. The nurse told me to pretty much carry on as I am pregnant, so no pates and soft cheeses, no hot baths.... The long wait has started! It's so hard to not overtime every tiny twinge haha but keeping my mind busy with a lot of Netflix!
Hope everyone is well! Xxx

@IceIceMaybeBaby ah that’s lovely to hear glad you had such a positive experience makes me feel a little more relaxed. What was the egg collection like?! I’m so worried about that bit 😥. Definitely rest up and I’m praying for you Hun! Xx

Thanks @Lauren83 ! Got your pm and have sent you an email 😊

Ahh @IceIceMaybeBaby so glad it went well!! Fingers crossed for you xx

Thanks @Kellyx! Definitely so much better than the collection.
I don't want to scare anyone, everyone will have different pain threshold and also I know different clinics have different ways of doing it. I read of some being put under altogether, some being very sore and some who felt just a scratch. In fact, one of my close pals told me "you'll feel nothing, just a wee pinch". Well I say bullshh to that! I felt it, and it was strange and sore. Again, this was just me and don't want to scare anyone. I think better to be honest than coat it in fairy dust.
About 1 hour before, I took 2 x 500mg Paracetamol and 400mg Ibuprofen. They then give me 2 Temazepams and you feel awesome! Haha I was as high as a kite, kinda like after a few glasses of wine. They also got a cannula in my hand and once in the theatre, they popped in some more strong painkillers. Safe to say I was seeing double by now. Just want to give an idea of how sedated I was hahaha
She put the usual probe in and let me know when the needle was gonna go in. It genuinely was bizarre, such a strange internal pain. Suppose you don't always get an injection inside your lady bits so yeah, was painful. Then, as soon as she was in the ovary she had to move the needle around to reach each follicle. At this stage it felt like weird period cramps. She gave me a couple seconds break between the two sides, so I could have a breather.
The added pressure was that I had to stay as still as possible, so I don't disturb the needle inside, I can imagine it's quite high precision stuff! I forgot to mention, they did warn me from the start that I WILL feel it, I appreciated they were so honest.
I bled a bit afterwards, but nothing crazy. Was just like a bit of spotting, similar to first day of period. Was still dizzy all day after so I slept for ages.
Having all this said, genuinely if I have to go through it again (fingers crossed I don't), I would do it in a heartbeat. 15 mins of pain is really nothing in the bigger picture, so keep positive! We are all so much stronger than we think. I burst into tears after I came out, couldn't believe I had done it!
You can do this and will be a star! Xxx

@IceIceMaybeBaby wow well done! How are you feeling today?

@Lauren83 I had a good read through the egg donor info you sent through, that was really helpful, thank you so much x

So sorry you had a rough time with egg collection @IceIceMaybeBaby I agree it's better to be honest so people know what to expect but to show the flip side for anyone worrying.... most clinics use a very heavy unconscious sedation so you are put under by an anaesthetist before the procedure begins and a Dr aspirates the fluid from the follicles vaginally with a probe and fine needle under ultrasound guidance, you are given pain relief and aren't usually aware of anything until you come round in recovery or back on the ward, the meds usually give you memory loss too so people are often awake before they remember. I have had a few myself and been in on a lot and it's always scary when you have your first one but nearly everyone I speak to says it was nothing like they were expecting

How are you all doing? I had a massive wobble yesterday, I have been with friends with you g babies all weekend and have again been asked when we're having kids! I came home to DH and just bawled my eyes out.

It's silly as we're closer than we've ever been to having a child, with ivf hopefully on the horizon, but at the moment I just feel desolate 😢

Hi - I’m also waiting on ivf via nhs so would love to join and have some company! Hopefully starting in Oct and in the unexplained category, been trying over 2 yrs so excited/nervous to do something as been a long wait!

@jemimafuddleduck I hope you’re having a better day today. Ppl are so insensitive and have no idea. [Hugs]

Hi @SunnySky501! Thanks for your message. Hopefully we may be starting ivf around the same time then!

I was a bit better yesterday, but today have had quite a stressful day at work. Stuff that usually wouldn't bother me but I ended up in tears for basically no reason 😩

We have our next appointment next Wednesday so will find out then what my AMH levels are and whether we can do own egg ivf or go straight to egg donor 🥚

It’s every little thing sets you off isn’t it, I’m the same. Good luck for next Weds, fingers crossed on the AMH levels

Hi ladies!
I’m not totally in the same boat, but have been TTC for what feels like forever. I have other issues which make our journey a little different.
The last dr we seen said that because we are not 35+ we are not a priority and I found that upsetting! She was definitely trying to put us off starting IVF. (I’m 27!)
But that same as you jemima, I also have an appointment on Wednesday where I get many results back!
Good luck for your appointment, and to all you ladies!

Hi all! @jemimafuddleduck I remember you from a post about high fsh a few months back. Sorry to see you've not had any luck yet, unfortunately neither have I. My fsh is 11-16 and amh 5. Do you mind me asking how you got referred for ivf so quickly? I've been told we've got to be ttc for 2 years (so 2019) hence we're now looking at self funding ivf cycle 1, hopefully starting oct/nov. I am partly petrified of the ivf being a total fail due to low egg numbers but also want to know how it goes so we can decide re alternatives like egg donor. I have discussed my situ with a few close friends but no one really gets it irl sadly so its lovely to see friendly folk here.x

Hi @ChrisPrattsFace (love the name!) and welcome. Good luck for Wednesday too.

Not sure if it's just me but I feel like my life is a countdown to the next appointment, does anyone else get that?

@Booksandbaths1 Sorry to hear you're not having any joy as well, hopefully your cycle will go well!

Tbh I'm not sure why we've been referred so quickly, our GP referred us due to high FSH and when we were seen by the clinic 2 weeks ago we were told our options then, and if it was ivf we'd be cracking straight on with it.

I wonder if it's just luck of the draw in terms of where we live? Where are you? We are in Bristol. Our GP did tell us that we should have been trying for 2 years but said because of the high fsh that trumps it - it's more important to get going with the process.

Having said that, you can't get ivf on the nhs in our area if your fsh is above 12 or AMH is less than 5.4 - which yours is - so wouldn't get it on nhs anyway x

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Hello Ladies,

We have just started our IVF journey, started short protocol injections last Monday, so had first scan today.

Have been TTC for 3 years had a good few annoying complications, I have PCOS, had cervical cancer a couple of years ago which was removed fingers crossed clear smears ever since, had Endometrial Hyperplasia with Aytpia last year so had a have a coil for six months to let my womb lining return to normal, did 6 rounds of Clomid no success. Paying privately.

So IVF here we come!!!

I am trying to stay positive, after all we have been through we all could do with some positive news to reach our dreams of becoming mums.

Hi @PostiveThinkingRainbow

How are you feeling? Do you know when egg collection will be?

Where are you having the treatment?

Ps - it's my appointment tomorrow when I find out my AMH and will plan what's going to happen re treatment. I can't wait! Just want to know now.