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?

@Cauliflower82 not at all haha...they are our possible babies so i'm super attached!! Well if i'm honest I thought that I was full to the brim until I went for my scan on Wednesday and found out there were only 2 good ones....I felt like I had 500!! I'm hoping that I will end up with 4 tomorrow...fingers crossed!! There was 3 injections for me on trigger day because I needed some extra days on the stims...what a disaster that was! I accidentally pulled out the wrong side of the solution that you mix with the powder Menopur and lost about 75% of it all over my leg!! Mixed what I had left and just hoping for the best! I debated licking it off my leg hahaha!! I think PMA is the best solution...keep up with your talking and reading :-)

I feel for you not having an inch to pinch (also slightly jealous at your obviously lovely stomach tee-hee!) the things we put ourselves through ay! My husband says he feels nervous about going back into that room tomorrow to do a sample and I was like HHHEEELLLOOOOO are you for real!!?? They have literally ZERO idea!! That's why it has been so nice to find you ladies, nice to have people that genuinely understand what it's like

I mean.....how is it even possible to explain to a man what it feels like doing this????

The only way I could explain to my OH was saying it's like going on the worlds biggest rollercoaster, dressed in a whale costume in the dark with your eyes closed...you have no idea what it will be/feel like in the next 3 seconds! Never mind the next 10 minutes, hour, day!! You have no idea if you will ever be able to touch your toes again or even get into normal trousers again....and i'm actually a slim woman!

Anyone else had to get creative to explain what this process feels like?

p.s @KittyKatSmile that's a very good mantra to have :-) I also have a super stressful job in Finance and it's been tough to relax. I like the sound of those podcast things!

What has acupuncture been like? I too scoff at those things however now I think I should maybe have given it a try!

Thinking of you mouse1234567 I would be cautiously optimistic. I think the doubling is meant to happen every 2-3 days so it sounds about right. Maybe try and take it easy between now and OTD just for peace of mind. :)

Haha I'm loving the chat about talking to follicles cauliflower82! The thought never occurred to me but since I have read these posts I have tried to give my ovaries a little shake or massage to see if that wakes them up. Feeling no side effects from the stims yet so I think they are still asleep.

My thighs are horribly bruised again now with the injections and the past couple of days the burserelin has really hurt :(

kittyKatSmile I like your mantra, I think there is a lot of truth in it and I try really hard. I have actually been thinking with work...what's the worst that could happen...I could get sacked (v unlikely anyway)...ooh and then what....I would just get another job. When it comes to this I think...the worst that could happen is that I could miss my chances of having a baby of my own at the expense of stressing about work. When I put it like that there is just no comparison.

BellaD85 I had acupuncture after about 18 months of ttc and like you and KittyKatSmile I would scoff at those kind of things. After about 3 months of it I got my only bfp (natural) but it turned into a cp. I carried on for about 3 months after that and nothing. I found it quite relaxing and made my periods lighter. The cost added up quickly though which is largely why I stopped. I think if IVF doesn't work this time I may have a few sessions surrounding our next IVF.

I have just not entertained my husband when he gets annoyed about having to go in the wank room as I now call it. It is nothing in comparison to us lying down, legs apart and all kinds of poking and prodding going on!!

@Zest11 @BellaD85 acupuncture has been really good. I had been off and on when ttc naturally largely because of the cost really but when doing ivf I figure you may as well chuck a bit more at it  Plus my acupuncturist is the most amazing woman ever. @BellaD85 if you're in London (not sure that I know that, sorry) then try the London Acupuncture Clinic. It's basically an expensive nap, but one you can explain away to work by saying you've got a doctor's appointment! That's how I view it and I've really liked it. Oh, also, if you go to a fertility one they are really knowledgeable so are quite often able to help you out with things you don't know or forgot to ask your clinic xx

Hi all! Sorry not kept updated, I haven't felt great these last few days, so have had a freeze all due to the OHSS.

Kitty im joining you .... I should be injection free and I'm on the same ones as you ... I'm finding them strange and miss the other ones !!! (Never thought would say that?!)

So I think now I wait for a period (apparently a period will make me feel better .... Never thought I would say this but I'm looking forward to a period for first time in a long time!) then the clinic arrange my to go in, and then start a freeze all cycle. Nurse ringing me again tomorrow.

@KittyKatSmile I think you’ve absolutely 100% got the right attitude and I am going to try SO HARD to have that attitude too especially when it comes to work. Enjoy your acupuncture tomorrow :).

@BellaD85 my first scan check is Thursday but on my original plan I was having eggs collected Wednesday, but the buserelin needed over four weeks to shut me down so that’s why I’m so behind 😭. Are you feeling pretty chill about tomorrow? I am just relaxing today :). Can we drink full sugar coke and eat chocolate when stimming? I need some coke but I’m refraining from drinking but it’s all I can think of. I must stop! Yes, I’m with you - the men have it SO easy. Although my husband is now like my slave 😂 he insists on doing all the housework and food making until we get results. I think he must have come from a really good egg 😆.

@zest11 how do you find injections in your thighs? I’m considering branching out but new things and change terrify me. I’m not sure if the side effects are all in my head - I’m a bit like that. Are you now jumping on the bandwagon and talking to your follies too? 😂. The wank room too, very funny. My husband gets all shy about it. I was asking him a couple of months back whether they had porn from each decade for different tastes 😆 it appears they don’t.

@DawnK77 I’ve just seen your new update. Are you taking time off work at all? Im sorry to hear you’re on extra injections too - this is so unfair on you and @KittyKatSmile I just feel like a written complaint to the ivf people are in order. Bring on AF... hopefully not too long to wait.

Wank room lol, I always ask OH loads of questions about his time in there haha I don't know why, I think its to deflect attention away from me bring poked and prodded.

I had all last week off sick , I would like to go back tomorrow, but lazy day today in the hope the ache subsides , a lot better than yesterday, I couldn't stretch the torso, I was walking hunched, and I've gained a lovely 6 pounds so far! Doctor did say on Fridays scan it was all the fluid and the ovaries are huge. Today I can walk at least! (Just slowly ) and I need to find a top to wear, I feel like all my clothes are fitted and I look pregnant with the swollen stomach area.

Cauliflower, just been reading about your injection fear, are you doing belly or legs? Xxx

@DawnK77 sorry to hear about all this hassle and pain for you x I'm not going to talk about Clexane on here but YES I miss the stims and feel free to join my thread 'Clexane - the work of the devil?'!!

@DawnK77 bless you! It sounds like you absolutely need to take more time off work. You need to look after yourself. I had no idea you’d been in that much pain.
I’m doing belly. I’ve never tried thigh :(.

I can't believe it either, must just be this OHSS, my insides are just huge it feels like.

Maybe try thigh, I had an op in Jan and had to do injections after in my belly and hated it, now I'm on injections again they've said must be belly, but I did all the Metopur and burselin etc in my thighs and found a massive difference not just in how it felt, but in my brain it feels easier to inject ... If this makes sense xxx

Dawn77 I am sorry to hear of the pain you have been through recently, sounds horrid! Wishing you your period comes soon!

Cauliflower82 I find the injections in my thighs generally okay. To be honest I hate the thought of injecting in my stomach...I think it would be more sensitive. I think there is more meat on my thighs and if I get too bruised on one, I can do the next set on another!

I didn't realise we were meant to be careful with what we eat whilst stimming...shit!! I have just been eating normal. What should I be avoiding or having more of?? Hopefully if I start now it won't be too late...I am only on day 3...

And re "wank room" I have asked my husband what it's like too but he doesn't like talking about it all. He says he hates going in there because everyone knows what he's up to! And he also says when he sees men in the waiting room he knows what they've been up to as well! As well as wank room we also have heroin! So wrong but when my husband is making up the injections he's like "here you go, here's your heroin" and calls me an addict!

@DawnK77 okay, I’m going to try thigh tonight. Will keep you all updated. 👍

@Zest11 oh no, I hope I haven’t worried you unnecessarily. My clinic just told me to ensure I was eating healthily and by that, lots of protein, vegetables and fruit and to limit my sugar intake particularly fizzy drinks. I have managed to stick to all except the sugar... I still have one to two bars a day 😭. It’s my lifeline. BUT I’m sceptical about how much diet can really help us here??!! Anyone really into nutrition and stuff like that to give advice?
And yeah I ‘shoot up’ every night at 7 😂

@DawnK77 Sorry to hear you've had OHSS and a freeze all. Hope you're feeling a bit better.

@Cauliflower82 Try the thigh and see how you get on. I've been bruising a bit on my tummy but I've got plenty of inches to pinch!

I don't talk out loud to my follicles but I do in my head. I can feel them in there. I stimmed 11 days this time and 12 last but I was only 11 now as my dose was dropped.

The trigger injection is the same size. I had ovitrelle for my trigger and it is a massive pen so looks like a big injection but it isn't and is the same sort of size needle.

@Cauliflower82 I'm a bit sceptical on how much diet will help over all and I can't believe that a few slips aren't going to make a massive difference. The important thing is to drink lots of water and eat lots of protein and cut down alcohol and caffeine. Brazil nuts are meant to be good. The only thing with coke is the caffeine level so limit how much of it you drink.

@BellaD85 Good luck tomorrow.

I'm at the hotel ready waiting for collection tomorrow. We have to stay as we are 3.5 hours away from the clinic and I have to be there at 7:45!! At least I don't have to go without food and drink for that long.

I am feeling so worried about it now in case the follicles are all empty or they've vanished over the weekend or something so just want it done now.

Cauliflower82 you haven't, it was just a knee jerk panic! I specifically asked my clinic and they said no, they know I'm in the healthy range otherwise I wouldn't be eligible. They said more about after ET. I have tried to up my protein over the last few months and eat more avocado, brazil nuts etc anyway. But yes, like you I love sugar and that is tough to cut back on. Saying that I will try and ease it off this week :( I love cakes and dessert!

Regarding ovitrelle. I used it for IUI in the past and it's absolutely fine. Looks frightening in all the packaging but it's a thin needle.

@CornishMaid1 @BellaD85 good luck for tomorrow, I'm excited for you both.

@Zest11 @Cauliflower82 I was 'encouraged' (made) to see a nutritionist as part of my treatment (I have a BMI of I don't know, 22 so it's something they put everyone through). Most of the stuff sounded a bit too hard and I'd done a lot of it already (caffeine, alcohol) so I just adopted the things I thought I could fairly easily which ended up being protein, including powder once I'd started stimming, and tomato purée bizarrely, which I'd been eating when I remembered. I saw on here a while back that if someone told a woman going through ivf to do a headstand naked in the middle of the road, she'd do it

@KittyKatSmile I’m going to do that right now 😂. That is so true. We’d do pretty much anything to boost our chances even if just by the slightest amount. I didn’t drink the coke in the end, I just thought about it all day 😋. I have been upping my protein - I’m sick of eggs but I eat like two a day now, along with chicken, salmon and all that ‘good stuff’. Although I make up for the good stuff with the sugar. I’ve had two bars today ☹️. Must do better.

@Zest11 absolutely, it does look frightening in the package. Is your scan Wednesday? Are you hopeful you’ll only need to stim for a week 😂. I am. I’ve kind of convinced myself I’m stopping on Saturday which would be ten days in total of stimming. I’m probably completely wrong but that’s my dream right now.

@CornishMaid1 best of luck for tomorrow :). Big day for you! I’ll be thinking of you. I too get dressed feelings of the follicles just disappearing. I don’t know 🤷🏼‍♀️ this process sends us all a bit crazy at times. No coke for me - I was good.

Yeah, so, thigh isn’t for me 😭. I don’t find thigh good ☹️

On the plus side, I’m fre for another 23 hours :). This is my favourite time of the day 😂

@Zest11 Thanks for the info on the Acupuncture, I might give it a go if we have to start round 2. Can you have it after ET? do you know?

@KittyKatSmile Also thanks as well for the info on Acupuncture. I live in York and have googled place to go but just never got round to it! I'm glad it has helped you in the past :-)

@Cauliflower Bless you on the wait, I think you are exactly the same as me when it comes to making a plan and sticking to it!! I too had in my head that I would be ready for egg collection on the first scan but here I am with 4 additional days on the stims! The time has flown by though so I hope it does for you too xx Keep yourself busy and in a good place in your head. I wasn't told about sugar and have full on gone for it with the chocolate...oooppsss!! I think the main things are caffine, alcohol and smoking that we all need to not do 100%. That's nice that your OH is your slave..so he should be at this time :-) Mine has been amazing at meals too and everything has been carefully thought out for maximum potential! He has sprinkling salt on everything, making me eggs galore and putting every vegetable imaginable into every meal for nutrients!

@DawnK77 i'm so sorry to hear you feel so unwell, take care of yourself and put you first...work can well and truly wait!! I hope you start to feel a bit better soon!

@CornishMaid1 Yay glad you are all settled in for the evening now, WOW 3.5 hours is a long way away! We live about an hour from hours which I thought was bad enough! I hope you ordered something delicious for tea and had a pudding! Good luck for tomorrow, i'll be thinking about. I too am getting a bit anxious about how many eggs they will get from the follicles...will they be empty? What happens if they have grown but are poor quality!? What happens if none of them fertilise...all of this will have been for nothing and it will be over before we have even begun! I think they are natural feelings that every single woman must have the night before though and on the day. Let's not be too hard on ourselves. I'm desperate to have the conversation with the Embryologist!! Please let me know how you get on.

On the Wank room convo - my husband said it was just creepy in there!! The nurse that took him in casually opened the drawer while she was talking to him as if to do it and he wouldn't notice ha ha!! She apologised because the lamp they had for "mood lighting" was broken! He said he peered over into the drawer and they were really tatty magazines, he daren't touch anything!!!! He wouldn't even sit on the sofa bless him because he just had images of everything being covered by all the men before!! I think it's probably the most least enjoyable wank of their lives!!! Poor guys........NOT!!

Well that's me ready to head to bed shortly, I've had to frantically turn my living room into a make shift nail salon to get these extensions off before tomorrow - look horrendous but I think they will have to do! Not sure how they will tell if I am doing well of not by the colour of them ha ha! Hope you all have a great Monday and i'll post an update as soon as I am back in the land of the living again :-)

Take care all.

Good luck tomorrow CornishMaid1 and BellaD85 hope it all goes well for you both!

KittyKatSmile thank you for the diet advice. Interesting how clinics say and do things differently. Odd that they made you see a nutritionist as well!

BellaD85 I think you can have fertility acupuncture after ET. I haven't had it as part of an IVF cycle before but I think people have it when they start down regging, stimming and also before and after ET. And about the wank room, my husband says the same...the magazines are horrid and he doesn't want to touch them or even sit on the sofa!

Cauliflower82 sorry the thigh didn't work for you. I don't think I will be stimming for just 10 days. My EC is pencilled in for the 26th June but that can obviously change. My scan is on Thursday so I will probably find out then. I hope the rest of this goes smoothly and perfectly for you, you completely deserve after the extra down regging you had to do.

Have a good Monday everyone and best of luck again to those of you with big days!

Heading off for ET now. So surreal. And slightly scared about the update on my embryos.

Good luck to @BellaD85 and @CornishMaid1 today. Have a lovely sleep and take care of yourselves x