IVF/ICSI May/June

[Cauliflower82]

Hi everyone

I’m creating a new thread with the hope of finding people with similar dates to me. I am due to start medication on May 13th with the hope egg collection will be June 19th. I’m 34, female factor fertility.

Anyone else out there with similar dates?

@Weenumpty wow congratulations that’s amazing news !!

@mouse1234567 Thank you 🤞🏻

@mouse1234567 I'll keep my fingers crossed that it stays positive.

@Weenumpty Congratulations! That is wonderful news.

@BellaD85 The trigger is fine. I alternate sides so have space although with nearly 4 weeks of injections more I do look quite marked now. It is good once it is done as we get an injection free day tomorrow.

@CornishMaid1 woohoo really looking forward to an injection free day tomorrow! I hope you enjoy yours too and have a nice relaxing day ahead of Monday :-)

Thanks everyone! Felt very weird just phoning the clinic this morning and leaving a message to say the test was positive. They just called back and said my scan will be 5th July! Earlier than I thought so that's great will keep checking in to see how you're all doing but not sure if I should look for/create a thread for what now??! The wait between now and scan seems scary too! Don't get me wrong I'm over the moon but also so aware that it's super early. Thanks again for well wishes- means a lot xxx

That's interesting about what they tell you about the donors KittyKatSmile and regarding what they do in America, I am shocked!

Good luck BellaD85 and CornishMaid1 for your ECs on Monday!

Cauliflower82 how are you feeling? I have the prefilled injections and tbh I feel nothing so I don't know if they are doing anything.

weenumpty congratulations, that is brilliant to hear. Really happy for you! And thank you so much for sharing, I may be doing a 2dt as I'm not expecting to get many eggs so your story will give me hope.

mouse1234567 glad things are okay at the moment...I guess not long now! I hope it is hanging on in there!

@Weenumpty that's amazing news, so pleased for you!!!!

Hi all-bloods came back quick.

So if has gone up but is not doubling every 48 hours as it went from 43 to 76 in just over 50 hours. It seems the wait goes on. I don’t think we are completely out but also it’s not hugely promising either.

Going to try and leave the tests now and test on OTD on thurs. If positive then will try and stop tests and just wait cautiously for 6 week scan-remaining realistic that things are perhaps not progressing as they should.

Need to try and find fun things to take up my time. I have been eating so carefully and so restricted -making me more unhappy -all this has made me realise I should relax a bit -ultimately it’s going to stick or it’s not-and I will be more cross if I made all these sacrifices for nothing!

Have a lovely weekend all.

@mouse1234567 it is a positive sign that it is increasing.

We heard back that our other embryo didn't make it to the freezer 😢.

@Weenumpty that is bloody amazing news, congratulations!!

@mouse1234567 keeping my fingers crossed for you!!

I was interested in reading the pessary chat! I have cyclogest ready to start taking (hopefully!!!) after my scan on tuesday!!

@mouse1234567 fingers crossed for you and good luck testing again on Thursday!

@Helene2019 I'm so sorry to hear that your embryo didn't make it to the freezer :-(

Does anybody mind if I ask for a bit if guidance about what happens after your eggs have fertilised? What is the process and what are the stages of the eggs? Much appreciated x

@Helene2019 thank you. I’m sorry to hear your other embryo didn’t make it to the freezer.

@BellaD85 I can help you out here because I'm right in the middle of it all as we speak.

They fertilise them the night of EC or the morning after. The morning after EC (day 1) they call you to tell you how many have fertilised.

On Day 2 they call you to tell you how many made it to the next day and then also to grade them. These vary by clinic (1-4 or A, B C etc).

On Day 3 they call you with an update.

They would ideally like to transfer on Day 5 (bizarrely nothing happens on day 4 so they don't even call you) but they will make an early call based on how many you've got to start with because attrition rates can be pretty high.

I would say it can happen that they put a 2 day embryo in and then see if the other one gets to day 5 and then they would freeze that one. My understanding is that they can't freeze anything before a day 5.

This is all my understanding of it all. What have I missed ladies?

@RRoonilWazlib thank you. Good luck with the pessaries!!

@BellaD85 thank you!

@BellaD85 just to add to KittyKats-some clinics update you on day 2 about fertilisation and then not until day 5. My clinic updated us on day 2,3 and 5 but a friend of mine just got told how many fertilised and then only found out more on day 5-so I guess it varies. Good luck.

@BellaD85 ooh pockets of fluids around your stomach sounds incredibly uncomfortable - I hope you’re okay. I can imagine that must have been quite worrying. Yeah, I do my own injections but I just do buserelin and menopur, not the one you’re on. Do you think it’s still about the same size? At the moment I sit for about fifteen minutes plucking up the courage to stab. I worry that I’m messing with my timings but that just makes me worry more about the injections.

@KittyKatSmile is the trigger the same size needle? Oh god, I’m really starting to freak out over it. And I’ve totally lost my nerve at the moment. How are you doing? Enjoying being injection free?

@Weenumpty yay congratulations, that’s absolutely brilliant news. I couldn’t be happier for you. Best of luck moving forward.

@CornishMaid1 yes we have the plastic covers too and we’ve been okay for the past two days :). How are you feeling about the trigger and egg collection? How long have you been stimming? This is day 3 for me and I’m hoping I don’t need to wait too long.

@Cauliflower82 yes, the trigger was the same size for me and was absolutely fine. You've totally got this hon. I was only stimming for 9days before my trigger so you might be nearly there now.

I am sadly not injection free as I'm now on clexane (blood thinner. Don't even know why!) I'm not going to go into it too much but I'm not loving it!

@mouse1234567 that sounds like very positive news - you’re totally head in the right direction. I have everything crossed for you.

@Zest11 I mix the injection stuff myself - well my husband does, they’re not premade :(. I’ve started talking to my follicles 😂 in fact I’m becoming very attached to them. I’m hoping there is activity going on in there. I’ve not felt unbelievably different, just bloated and really. I think it’s all in my head that I can feel things growing 😂. I’ve started reading to them and playing music. I’m a bit insane like that.

@KittyKatSmile oh no! That seems so unfair - you should be free of the bastard injections now. I’m furious on your behalf.
Thank you - as long as it’s the same size then I can cope. I don’t know if it’s been from moving to two a day but my stomach is a mess. Also, it’s five weeks I guess of stabbing myself now and I guess it’s going to take its toll.

@KittyKatSmile @mouse1234567 thank you so much for explaining about the eggs and what to expect on each day I really appreciate it!

@Cauliflower82 It's been a bit of a strong one! I didn't get an answer to what it was until day 9 of my stims!! I went to the GP after the clinic said they had never seen it before and it then took another call to a Gynae at a hospital to say it was a rare reaction! Was so relieved to finally be told that it was ok, I also then didn't find out until yesterday that I was never at risk of OHSS! Been an interesting few days! Bless you with your injections, I was freaked out on my first night but then just went for it. I've never once been so relieved to have belly fat until this experience!! I did my trigger at 9.30am tonight YAY and it's the same size as the Menopur needle so absolutely fine :-) Where are you injecting if you don't mind me asking? Also I share your same experience of talking to your follicles!! I did that and little un made it! Keep doing it :-) I'm still talking to mine in the hope the grow more by Monday!

@Cauliflower82 tee-hee a strange one not a strong one...blooming typo's!!

@BellaD85 ha, so I’m not the only one who is getting rather attached to the follies 😂. At least you know you have some in there, I’m just going with a ‘feeling’. I just inject in my stomach 😭. I was doing so well but, for some reason, with the menopur, I appear to be bruising and bleeding and it has scared me into submission and fear. I wish I had ate more doughnuts and cookies before this process as there’s not really a lot of fat around there for me - something I guess I should be happy about but I’m not ☹️. I wonder if I’ve just reached the end of my tether. In my head I should be ready for ec on Wednesday but because if the extra week of buserelin and downregulation then it’s going to be an extra week. I need to get over that but it’s frustrating me. I’m so glad the trigger is the same size needle - I can’t go any bigger than that. Is it three in one day on trigger day?
How are you celebrating injection free day?

@Cauliflower82 not 3 in one on trigger day! No stims, just buserelin and the trigger. Happy talking to those follicles. Have you been doing the mindful IVF app? I am generally a huge sceptic about anything like that but I've done it every day since starting buserelin and a friend yesterday said 'I'm really happy that you seem so chilled about it all'!

@KittyKatSmile I’m pretty relieved to hear it’s just the two again 😅. I don’t got the buserelin too bad so I’ll take that. I have listened to a couple of the mindfulness ivf apps. Is it worth purchasing the extra add ons? I kind of wish there was one for every day rather than every stage. I might buy the anxiety ones. I think you are super chilled - I just get this impression that you’re a trooper and you’re doing so well :). A true star.

@Cauliflower82 I know what you mean about the day vs stage thing but actually once you get to where you're getting to they really sort of speed up and you listen to a new one every 3 days or so.

I am pretty chill now but I haven't always been this way. Work used to really stress me out (I've got a fairly hectic job in finance) until one day I just decided I wasn't going to let it do that anymore. My mantra became ' work (or anything) can only stress you out if you give it the power'. Full disclosure: I would normally scoff at anyone who dared say that to me but it's really worked. It's in my hands to decide how I react to things.

Just arranged for my double acupuncture tomorrow pre and post. Something else old me would scoff at (and I probably haven't admitted to people!)

Sending positive vibes to all of you. @mouse1234567 thinking of you lovely x