IVF March/April

[Hopingforbabyd]

Hi ladies
I’m hoping to find a cycle buddy or anyone who has been through IVF before. We are due to have our appointment for our plan at the end of next week and I just wanted to hear any stories/advice anyone may have as my mind is very busy with questions.
A little background from me, I’m 28 and been trying to conceive for 3 years now. Last year I was diagnosed with severe endometriosis which sadly affected both of my tubes. I’ve had them removed in November and all endo has been removed. We have been told the chances of conception are against us due to the severity of my condition but I’m holding onto hope. Are there any ladies who have similar stories who can give me a little encouragement? I’m quite nervous to start IVF but excited at the idea this could be our chance!
Thanks 😊💛 xx

@daisymay25 definitely tell the nurses. They are so great. I am afraid of needles and she held my other hand when they were putting it in.

Also under sedation you only need to keep yourself relatively calm for around 5 minutes as they put you under pretty much straight away when you go in - that’s what I experienced anyway.

I read a book on coping with IVF and they said to use a mantra. They suggested saying ‘ Positivity Starts With Me’ in your head while touching each finger in turn to your thumb on each word. I’ve found it does help and did it the whole time I was walking over to egg collection. It’s an easy one to do in public!

@Chester6 I gave the meditations a go today at work and they seemed to help a bit to make me feel more positive.
Think am finally over this horrid bug now as I’m starting to fancy my food again.

@DaisyMay25 do I remember right that you are at Birmingham Women’s or have I made that up??
I was there last wed for my EC & I have horrible anxiety, but I told the nurses and they couldn’t have been lovelier. They hit me up with extra anti sickness meds during it so I felt fine when I woke up just a bit groggy. They were chatting all the while prepping to put me under - I think I only had about a second to think about it before I was passed out! I hope, I’m sure you will have, a similarly good experience.

@AnnaSteen well done you for going into the healthy kick with such positivity but remember to be kind to yourself. This is so much to put our bodies through, you need to treat yourself and do things to make you happy too.

@RedPandaFluff I'm having a scan to check lining tomorrow and thee earliest ET will be is Thursday. Been taking progynova in preparation. Not sure when the dreaded pessaries will start!

@Wesstywoo if all goes to plan, my ET will be Wednesday, so we might not be too far apart. I'm dreading the pessaries too - hate them, so messy! I also have the joy of Inhixa injections this time round. I thought that was the one positive of using donor eggs - no injections 😄

@Brambles7 really pleased. They recommend they do them every day.

@DaisyMay25 I know it won’t help much but last Friday was my second egg collection and I get anxious like you but I can honestly say it was totally fine and I actually woke up feeling disappointed the lovely sleep was over 😉.

Thank you so much for your positive thoughts @Mouse1234567.

@Annasteen really sorry to hear none of your other frosties made it. All I can say is that a friend of mine was in the same position only having one embryo survive (I don’t know what quality) that they put in and she now has a beautiful almost 3 year old little girl.

I have had heartburn all day but think it might be the pessaries or the prednisolone steroids I have to take. I keep worrying it will harm my embryos but I hope I’m just being silly x

Thank you everyone, you've made me feel better. I will have a chat with them tomorrow about my anxiety about it.

@Brambles7 I'm at Yorkshire fertility, over to Leeds for EC and ET, they are very lovely there though.

Now I've done lots of pregnancy tests in my time, but the one the clinic gave me was all kinds of complicated 😂. Nearly cut through the absorption pad, didn't know where the test window was, had to double dip. Stress, honestly!
Anyway it's official test day, and I'm officially up duffers.

Thanks everyone so much for your support on here. I'm rooting for you all in your own cycles. I'll keep reading and posting on here too as I don't want to miss all your updates.

Mwah!

@Twiglet2353 I'm so pleased to hear - official congratulations!!!!!! Xx

@Twiglet2353 congratulations🤞🏻 You’ve started a trend of BFPs

Congratulations @twiglet2353

Congratulations @twiglet2353 this is fantastic news!! 😁 xx

Massive congratulations @Twiglet2353. It’s wonderful news! Is it your first time? You must be delighted! I hope @2019isouryear is right and you’ve started a trend 🤞xx

@Twiglet2353 congrats!! Very exciting!! Hopefully more to come!

@Hopingforbabyd Yay cycle buddies! What a birthday present!

DH has never worked away, ever. He will not work away again in the immediate future, but he's away for the London marathon 2 weeks after AF is due, and therefore won't be able to nip back to the clinic, so we won't be able to go ahead with the cycle if AF comes even 1 day early... The timing is just insane.

@twiglet2353 CONGRATULATIONS CLOMID FRIEND. So happy for you. Are you going to join a grad thread? Because I'll follow you there soon OK?

@AnnaSteen sorry to hear about your frosties. Such a horrible process sometimes.

I read "it starts with the egg" 2019 updated issue yesterday (after reading the book 2 years ago and hating it. Till receipt what?)
and am now considering putting off my cycle intentionally My clinic encourages a low carb high protein diet with No snacks during stims, but the evidence actually shows its effectiveness in the months leading up to ivf. There are also (as I'm sure most of us know) a really decent evidence base for a couple of supplements. I've been taking the eye watering expensive Zita West IVF pack joking that it's "an expensive placebo" whereas actually it's probably quite beneficial. Plus I've been taking them once a day instead of 3 because I didn't bother reading the packaging.
I'm a vegan and I follow a lowish fibre diet because of IBS so I do generally eat refined carbs in most of my otherwise healthy meals. All in all I'm wondering whether another month of taking supplements and eating to the evidence base would be a help. OR my AMH is so low I'd be talking about a 10%-12% it something change. There is no way to know.
Also BPA! 😭
#rantover

@Twiglet2353 congratulations!!!!! That’s brilliant news!

@Aliceabsolum I didn’t realise they’d brought out updates to that book. I found some parts of it helpful but have partly driven myself a bit nuts about the diet part. In the end I’ve stuck to a mostly high protein diet but without making myself miserable (I love carbs just too much!!). I don’t know if it’s helped or hindered but at the end of the day I think you just have to go with what will make you happier and makes you feel like you’ve done the best you can.
I find it interesting that your clinic actually has a view on diet, mine doesn’t care!

@Brambles7 It's worth a read, she's made small changes manageable.
This is the thing about clinics,.its all based on the opinions of the different consultants and postcodes. But the evidence for avoiding refined carbs appears to be significant.

@Twiglet2353 massive congrats on reaching OTD! So exciting!

@AliceAbsolum I have read the old one of that book and it was in the earlier days of ttc. I think there is lots of great advice but I don’t know if you are anything like me but I’m so up and down with my self control-can have a good few days in the week and then the weekend hits and I fancy sugar!! It’s hard getting the balance isn’t it! I wish I had the self control to stick to it for three months but it seems impossible for me!! I find food so joyful!! Good luck deciding whether to delay or not.

Baseline scan in an hour -finger crossed we will be good to go. Bleeding really heavily-I know they have seen it all before but hate having scans this early in my cycle. Also wondering whether fellow endo ladies have had terrible period cramps after norethisterone? Mine were awful last night!

Happy Friday everyone!

@Twiglet2353 congratulations on your BFP!!!

@AliceAbsolum thanks, I might give it another read as it’s been a while. Bother about the carbs though. Why can’t the best diet be sugar, alcohol and carbs instead of all this healthy stuff!!

@mouse1234567 good luck with the scan today, hope it shows everything is going to plan.

@AliceAbsolum -also intrigued about no snacking during stimms-is this because of blood sugar?

@mouse1234567 yes everything about norethisterone was just horrible! Good luck with your scan, I've got mine this morning too xx

@mouse1234567 Yes the nurse told me it was very important to mature the eggs.

Follicles are doing nicely but not ready yet, back on Monday and hopefully EC on Wednesday. How's everyone else doing?

Scan didn't go well my lining isn't thick enough so everything delayed by a week. Waiting to hear if I need extra medication

@Wesstywoo sorry you didn't get a great result today 😞