July/August IVF/ICSI/FET

[TinyPaws]

Hi everyone,

Thought I'd start a thread for those of us undergoing fertility treatment in July/August.

I'm (hopefully) having a FET late July/early August, anyone else want to hop on this thread for the ride?

@Peanut1980 omg that’s disgusting! 😂 the things you have to swallow!!!

@elleceedee oh I’m so sorry it was a bfn! But otd is Saturday so still a sliver of hope if it is a late implanter perhaps? But obviously not the greatest sign. That’s why I’m not testing until otd, because I can’t take the uncertainty of not knowing 100% either way, but I know it’s SO tempting. Big hugs to you in the meantime.

@Peanut1980 A long weekend in the South of France sounds perfect. I was on menopur during my IUIs and my fresh IVF cycle and was slightly grossed out by the thought of injecting the extract of menopausal women's urine. However I'm that desperate for a baby I'm sure I'd've done even more disgusting things if I had to!

@Dlpdep Hope you enjoy the theme park! The bleeding did stop, thanks for asking.

@sometimesalways So, regarding steroids. My previous clinic doesn't believe in immune causes of pregnancy loss and infertility and that was one of the main reasons we parted ways. I've researched this thoroughly and found evidence of varying quality that steroids can improve live birth rate in the following groups of patients: 1) Thyroid autoimmunity 2) Recurrent miscarriage 3) Recurrent implantation failure 4) Other autoimmune conditions. Obviously it's too soon to tell how this pregnancy will work out but I believe I probably wouldn't have even got this far without the steroids.

@elleceedee Sorry this mornings test was negative. That really sucks.

@Fingersforevercrossed I visited Cape Town earlier this year, gorgeous place. We're lucky to be able to visit in the off season and save a bit of cash but hopefully in a few years we'll have school aged kids that will make things much more expensive. I'm on progynova too and having a bit of a stress about it as there's a supply issue with it and I'm having trouble getting my prescription filled.

OTD for me today and it's a strong positive (which will come as no surprise to anyone as I've spent the last week and a half peeing on things like a thing demented). I had a beta drawn yesterday as I had to attend the clinic for thyroid bloods (which were fine) and it was 639 which is encouraging (12dp5dt). Viability scan booked for 27.8.19 (earliest possible date at 6+2) and I'm already bricking it. Never had a good scan before - they have either been bad or extremely bad in the past.

@tinypaws that’s brilliant news. Well done to you. Virtual high five coming your way ✋ x

Um, I can’t say for sure but I think Crinone may be harvested from hamsters. I came across that somewhere. I’d take menopausal woman any day......

@TinyPaws -everything now crossed for a good scan! Does it ever stop being nerve wracking do you think? Or is it like this until there’s a live, screaming, healthy baby?

@Dlpdep - hamsters! Lol. The wonders of modern medicine. Hope you have a good time this weekend, and at least manage to enjoy your many glasses of wine.

I am one day to OTD and now have five, yes five cold sores in my mouth. Which makes eating and drinking a nightmare. Trying not to complain though, as hoping it’s a pregnancy symptom and not just the progesterone. Of course google tells me it could be either. I think I’ve read more two-week-wait-symptom-threads in the last twenty four hours than anyone needs to read in a lifetime. I know it’s stupid, because there’s no way to know until the test, but they’ve become my addiction. I think it’s my version of testing every day!

@Caityprice I think you’re amazing being able to wait until your test day. I’m on day 4 and already testing 😩 I actually can’t help myself. All still BFNs although I know it’s early still. My OTD is actually this time next week 🙈 I have no symptoms whatsoever. My body is so silent I think there is actually tumbleweed blowing through it. My skin and hair are oily so it’s making me spotty. What with the extra weight I’m feeling migghhhtttty fine right now 😩

Good luck to you tomorrow. I have a really good feeling you’re going to get your BFP xxx

@dlpdep hamsters?! Seriously the things we’re doing to ourselves 🙈

@sometimesalways yes it was a FET so even though the rational part of my brain says it’s probably still going to be bfn on OTD I still have the tiniest bit of hope that it could change.

@Fingersforevercrossed that’s good that you’ll have people around to support you whatever the outcome, not the same as DH though I understand. I found the side effects from progynova to be awful - headaches, cramps, etc. I hate it!

@Peanut1980 omg menopausal wee made me laugh!

@Caityprice only one more day until OTD! You’ve done so well not testing, I wish I’d held out as well. It’s frustrating isn’t it that the side effects from IVF medication can be exactly the same as pregnancy symptoms - so cruel! I’ve also been doing lots of googling... for me I’ve been looking at late bfn going on to become bfp - not many of those sadly! Wishing you all the best for tomorrow!

@TinyPaws your beta level is great! Hopefully that has provided you with some reassurance but I totally get that feeling especially when you’ve had bad news at scans.

@Dlpdep lol and I thought menopausal wee was bad enough but hamsters?! The things we do eh!

Thanks for your kind words everyone. I haven’t tested again, going to wait for tomorrow morning and hope that a miracle has happened although it’s obviously not looking good.

Hey ladies so I’m sitting in recovery after ec and just been told we have 10 eggs which I’m over the moon about and they managed to get to the other ovary with a little bit of discomfort so excited/anxious

Great news @lola124 ! 10 eggs is a great number. For comparison (not that anyone is ever the same) I got 9 eggs, 5 fertilised and 3 made it to good quality blast (eg, one on board and two in the freezer). Fingers crossed you have a similar - or better - ratio in the next few steps!

Just to warn you, I found the next bit the hardest of all - waiting to find out how many fertilised and kept growing. Especially because there’s literally NOTHING you can do but sit and wait for the phone call. So stay strong and distract yourself with some good tv! Oh and drink LOADS AND LOADS of water! I felt horrendous after EC but water saved me in the end. Although I was so sick of trying to drink over 3 litres every day. 😂

@elleceedee This whole process is a scientific miracle really, so they’re always possible!

Do you have a bfn plan as a backup? I’ve been discussing it with my DH. So far it mostly involves having several bottles of Prosecco on ice and a huge box of my favourite chocolates ready for me to binge eat...

Ewww, hamsters!

Fingers crossed for your scan @TinyPaws, I should find out when mine will be on Monday when I go in for my progesterone blood test but I'd guess it will be end of August. Driving myself nuts already worrying about how our little embryo is doing in there! Feels like it's been weeks already but it's only been 3 days since I tested!

@Caityprice got everything crossed for your test tomorrow.

@Peanut1980 I'm 4+2 (I think) and I've only just started having very minor waves of nausea and the occasional pain in my boobs so please don't worry about a lack of symptoms.

@elleceedee sorry your test was negative, hopefully just a late implanter.

10 sounds like a good number @lola124, everything crossed for you that you get some good embryos. I also felt pretty rough for about 3-4 days after egg collection, so much so that they were considering a freeze all incase it was OHSS. Take it easy and as @Caityprice says, drink lots of water!

Thanx ladies well at the moment I fill absolutely fine so hopefully that will continue they are ringing tomorrow morning to let us know how they are doing .

@TinyPaws fingers crossed for you!!

We had 22 eggs, 15 fertilised, 3 were good ones. It's all very random, I didn't understand it at all!! It didn't help that the embryologist called my husband with updates rather than me as I was at work - he was useless at explaining what they'd said!!

Last round I tested 2 days before I was supposed to (OTD?! I'm so bad with acronyms!!) and had 2 positive results but when I went into the clinic it was negative. Definitely won't be testing early again as the disappointment was too much.

@TinyPaws great beta number!! hope everything goes smoothly for the next 40 weeks!

@Fingersforevercrossed OTD = official test date. That must've been heartbreaking, maybe some hcg left in your system from the trigger or a chemical pregnancy. I was a bit worried about that when I tested.

@Lola124 that’s a great number and good news that they were able to get to the other ovary. Must be a relief to have the egg collection over and done with.

@Caityprice that’s good that you’ve got a bfn back up plan! It’s my sister’s birthday tomorrow so will be going out for a meal tomorrow night. I’m not much of a drinker anyway as I’m a total lightweight but I probably will have a drink or two if it’s a bfn.

@Fingersforevercrossed oh that must’ve been so hard to go from a positive test to negative. This is a tough process.

Hi everyone!
I've just started my injections this morning and it's my first round of treatment. I'm currently doing ivf and icsi. Bit about me... we were trying to conceive for 5 years and finally had fertility tests that show I am perfectly healthy. ( I have a child from previous relationship).
My husband is absolutely fine except he has antibodies at 100%. I hope I can join you guys through this journey.
Lil

Hi @lil221 - welcome! I hope you’re at the start of a good ivf/ICSI journey :)

Just to let you know everyone on this thread is quite a bit further along in the process than you. I think we are now all post egg collection pretty much, and a lot post embryo transfer. So you may want to also join this group?:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/infertility/2995888-IVF-Cycle-Buddies-August-September

I know it was so helpful to me to have support from people roughly at the same stage in the process, so just in case that helps you too! As I think they’re all couple of weeks further back.

But don’t feel you have to leave us at all. On the plus side there is LOADS of experience in this thread, so you can ask questions and someone will absolutely have an answer/advice :D I wouldn’t have made it through this experience as sane as I am without this thread

@caityprice thank you I did just check out the thread but unfortunately it hasn't been used since 2018. I have set a new thread up so hopefully someone will respond x

Oh @Lil221 I’m so so sorry!!! I’m an absolute idiot not realising the year 😂 definitely stay with us then unless you get loads of new joiners :)
So sorry again, my OTD is tomorrow and my brain can’t be trusted at the moment!

So I’m wide awake. Did another test at 5dp5dt and it was a BFN on a FRER. I know I’m a serial tester. I do also know that a FRER is unlikely to change from this point. I know my body so well and I know it just hasn’t worked this time. Of course there’s a tiny chance it may change but realistically it probably won’t. So tomorrow I’m going to start decluttering all my TTC stuff. I won’t throw it away but I need a break from it so will put in a box and store away. All the ovulation kits, all the paperwork, books. Just a good clearout so I can start to prepare myself mentally. Husband doesn’t want me to put my body through this again. I find it hard to accept that we’re just ‘giving up’. So I’m also going to contact my clinic tomorrow and see if I can set up a counselling session for when we return from France. I’m going to keep on taking all my meds but I’ll prob do my last test on 9dp5dt and will then relay onto the clinic.

@Peanut1980 oh lovely, I’m sorry. I know that feeling and I agree that a FRER can show from day 5 but it really doesn’t mean you’re out just yet. I’ve read so much the past few days about bfns going on to be bfps (wishful thinking on my part) and obviously the longer it goes on the less chance there is but quite a lot of women who test early don’t get a bfp until day 7. Please don’t rule yourself out just yet and test again on Monday. Please can you remind me is this your first ivf? Do you have any frosties?

@Caityprice hey OTD buddy... hoping you’ve seen two lovely lines on your test this morning. Thinking of you x

Well OTD is here for me and as suspected it’s bfn. I’m doing surprisingly ok as I’ve prepared myself for this over the past few days. Going to ring the clinic when they open and see if we can get a follow up booked.

@elleceedee I’m really sorry about your BFN. I hope you’re able to do sometime this weekend to give you the feel good factor. Big hugs.

It’s my 2nd cycle. First cycle I had my BFP and then a miscarriage. BFN with a FET after. I have no Frosties for this cycle. Only had the one shot. It’s just so frustrating having to go through all of this. I just wish we were able to have fallen naturally. It’s been a tough ride for all of us doing IVF. Do you have any Frosties? xxxx

@Peanut1980 I’m so sorry sweetie. As @elleceedee said there’s always still a chance, but I also get that planning for the alternative does make sense as well. Huge huge hugs to you in the meantime.

@elleceedee I’m so sorry :( fingers crossed for a good follow up plan. You seem to be taking it better than I think I would, but big hugs regardless.

So I did get my BFP! we are feeling incredibly, incredibly grateful today. Obviously it’s early days but to make it to this moment feels incredible and surreal. Going through this journey with everyone else I am so aware how hard it is to get to this point, and how lucky we are. Thank you to everyone for the support through this whole journey so far. This community has saved me going entirely insane.

Fingers and everything else crossed for those still with an OTD or a next cycle ahead.