IVF in Feb/March 2020?

[waitingforarainbow]

Hello! I'm just wondering whether there are others starting their IVF journey in Feb/March 2020.

I am dealing with secondary infertility (male factor) and we have been TTC#2 for 16 months. We conceived naturally by some miracle back in July, but sadly had an early miscarriage (my third in total). We're now waiting to start ICSI IVF in early February.

Would love to hear from others doing the same. x

Thanks @PickleKid and @takingthistooseriously 😊 No I don't think it's implantation bleeding. It's very light, but seems slightly heavier the longer I go without progesterone. Just after I take the next dose of progesterone it stops for a while which makes me think the progesterone is just keeping it at bay. It's gutting because this embryo was top quality, uterus lining top quality...so what on earth is the issue!! We still have 6 more frozen which is great, but I need a break first I think!! Xx

Well done @jodesxx I hope your 5 are going strong and you get some good news tomorrow . I'm sorry ec was painful for you. I hope you are feeling better. I'm dreading ec! Though will be grateful to get there. X

@Youngatheart00 it's difficult to tell. I guess you can't compare an ivf cycle to a normal one. I'm sure it's nothing to worry about probably just the hormones.

Oh @PineappleC ! I'm sorry it's messing you around so much. Plenty of ppl think af is coming and then get a bfp. I really hope this turns out to be implantation for you. X

Sorry @Cmd20 20 I don't know much about embryo grading but the fact that you have one on board and 5 frozen is surely a good thing as @PickleKid says they won't freeze if they don't think it could be viable.

Welcome @HJF84 I have low AMH too but it's my first time. I read It Starts With and Egg and followed some of the advice in there. My clinic recommended some of the same things too. Who knows if it has made any difference but hey it's worth a try!

Day 5 of stims here. It's strange, the day after my first shot I could feel twinges in my ovaries and felt really nauseous but nothing since. Well apart from not sleeping well but that started towards the end of DR. Is this normal?

How are the other stimers getting on? X

Hi @SpyroC - day 4 here and a few twinges generally but only really felt queasy the first day after the first injection. Seems to have settled down and nothing more other than some twinges on and off that suggest something is 'happening' but not much else. Another meriofert lined up for tonight and tomorrow morning we add in morning injections and antibiotic cream ahead of first scan on Wednesday. Fingers crossed we can see something on wed to show what's been happening so far! Hope you are doing ok with it all.

@cmd20
My embryologist graded mine as 2 - and said grading is between 1-3, he told me they rarely give out a 1 and that's the best grade. Maybe grading is different in clinics because I wasn't given a letter after a number.

Just catching up from Friday @jodesxx
I hope you're feeling much better now?
Finger me crossed you get some good news tomorrow

Does anyone in a FET if they stop the egg release in a normal cycle? It's one question I haven't asked my consultant
Assuming they monitor the lining, do they take blood tests too?

@PineappleC I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you

@SpyroC thank you. I'm trying to just keep busy and hoping they are doing OK. Will be relieved to get an update tomorrow. Just worries if it's bad news how I will take it as will be in work as well. I was relieved after EC. I've had quite a lot of surgery in the past and I don't have a brilliant threshold either. As I've had the types of medication quite a lot in the past past i always knew it wouldn't affect me that much.

@youngatheart thank you as well.

How long have people left having sex after an egg collection? I'm deffo not feeling it at the moment but just wondering really. I want to get back to a bit of normality as the past couple of months have been stressful.

@WarriorSmith thanks! Still slightly bloated and odd twinge but much more normal today. Don't feel like a zombie and been out for a long dog walk on the beach which was needed!

@warriorsmith It depends if you opt for a natural or a medicated FET. Natural, they don't stop the egg being released, but they monitor your ovulation like a hawk as they have to time it right. Medicated, you have estrogen tablets to stop the follicles growing and an egg being released.

@granddesigns sounds similar to me. I wish I was being scanned on Weds my first one isn't until Friday (day 9). I'm worried I'm not getting my full dose as I always end up with 0.5ml less of the menopur. I'm going to phone the clinic TMZ. I've watched loads of videos and we can't see where we're going wrong. What us the antibiotic cream for?

@jodesxx I've only got my lap to go on and I was fine. They changed the anaesthetic as I said I get travel sick, he said id still probably be sick but thankfully I wasn't. 🤞🏻for tomorrow. I have obviously not had ec yet but I'm completely off sex with all this going on.

@cmd20 I'm sorry but I don't understand the gradings you've used, my clinic uses a different format and they've not gone through it with us yet. No need to be salty though, I think everyone is just busy. Why not ask your clinic for clarification?

@pineapplec fingers crossed it's just implantation. Fwiw when I got pg naturally I had no idea I was pg until 7 weeks as I thought I'd had an albeit light period. I then had spotting and light cramping every 4 weeks until about 20 weeks. Weird bodies.

@youngatheart00 if you've stopped taking all meds it could be your period arriving early. How are you doing now?

@hjf84 hi there, good luck for this cycle. I'm waiting for my af in the next couple of days so will be just behind you.

@jodesxx hope your update tomorrow morning is a good one.

Good luck to everyone stimming. What's everyone doing about exercise throughout this? I workout pretty intensively and weightlift 4-5 days a week just pondering if I'll be able to keep that up.

@Rumtopf thanks. Regarding exercise I am the same as you. We stopped prior to egg collection last time round as I wasn't responding to fotismon. I continued then but a lot lighter. To start off with this time I didn't but I spoke to the clinic after my first scan about it and they said it's ok if you are used to it but just to take it easier and they did tell me to avoid running or weights (risk of ovarian torsion I think). When I have been it's to a much lighter intensity. I've found it all so stressful that I needed that break. Usually I would go about 5 times a week and I walk my dog for 1-2 hours a day. But I was probs only walking about an hour and going about 3 times for 20/30 mins. I did go for a run night before egg collection which I probs shouldn't have done though!! I would deffo speak to your clinic first though! My worry is that if we don't get any embroys OK to freeze am I going to blame myself for stressing in work/doing too much?

Hey short protocol starting this month - bemfola 100! I’m terrified! Any tips welcome. X

Hi @lianne32 I'm going to be a short protocol too but I'm not familiar with bemfola? Good luck! Is this your first round?

@jodesxx ah that's interesting about the ovarian torsion, clinic didn't mention that! I run (jog slowly) 5km or do about 15km on the bike and then around an hour's weights or kettlebells session. Weighted hulahooping will have to stop too I think as my tummy will just be too sore. I've got dogs too and we normally get out for at least an hour a day (they're getting on a bit). Will do more research and talk to one of the PT's. How are you finding the reduced exercise though? I get a bit cranky if I've not gone.

@Rumtopf when I wasn't doing any for the first couple of days I was struggling a lot more, getting more stressed in work but I didn't find it too bad when I did start going. I don't think I could have managed with the full intensity stuff though as was quite tired. I'm 3 days post EC and was going to brave a swim tonight.

Had my update this morning. Out of the 5, there are three good quality and 2 not so good. They are going to continue and freeze what they can on Wednesday. They said they would expect they can freeze one. When she said that they were only expecting to freeze one I was a bit disappointment tbh. I know it only takes one but I don't like that idea of not having any back up. She did say that it's hard to say but typically with 3 they would expect one but then they may have more. Apparently on the poorer ones, one has 4 cells when it should be five and the other has five but has a bit of debris?? They will still check them Wednesday again though.

@jodesxx I can understand your disappointment, here's hoping the other two catch up and you can freeze 3, although we all know it only takes one. It feels like such a lottery and quite nonsensical at times. How long are you waiting for ET?

@Rumtopf I'm hoping so. Know it only takes one but nothing seems to have happened first time. I'm just being negative though. Think I'll be more relaxed either way on Wednesday. They said next cycle but not sure if that means like straight away i.e probs end of next week or the one after. They have a MDT on Wednesday and said they will be in touch after that as we will see consultant then treatment planning. I want to start straight away but then also maybe a couple of weeks break would be good as well

@jodesxx sorry, what's MDT? Roll on Wednesday and then you'll know, the waiting is the worst bit I think.
This is our first go ever so I'm inexperienced in how quickly things move.

We've not told anyone IRL as the pressure from families etc would be too great, although juggling commitments will be tricky, fingers crossed af arrives on the 12th as that should then bypass the few days I have to be working away from home for scans and EC.

@Rumtopf it's like when all the docs, etc get together I think and discuss cases. We did tell our families, not initially. My DP family have been brilliant, so has my mum but my dad not so great. It's hard juggling with work - I swear to god they must think I'm am really unwell or something with the amount I've had off!

@Rumtopf My clinic also advises against exercise during the cycle, but is okay between collection and transfer. It drives me mad! Even yoga is out of the question.

@jodesxx In my previous three cycles, we collected 12 eggs, all made it to day 3 and 3 made it to blastocyst, but interestingly, we had one cycle where none made it to blasto and I had two from the same cycle. It really is a game of luck!

@lianne32 I'm also starting Bemfola in a few days - I'm on 150 though, and taking it every other day. Are you doing Mild IVF?

Hey Hun, I’m with abc I think the low dose is because of my
Pcos and high Amh Hun xx

@HJF84 ^ sorry forget to add your name

@lianne32 I'm with Create - I know they see ABC patients too. I didn't realise it was low dose for high and low AMH. Good luck!

@HJF84 hey I was originally with create but couldn’t afford them, so they handed me over to sister clinic abc! I think they put you on Lower dose meds with pcos to try and avoid ohss. X

Trying to keep up with everyone's story whilst slowly filling up my sharps bin - it's a bit like visual progress as I can't see follicles eggs or any numbers yet! Finding the meriofert fine on an evening but the fyromodel (?) really stings- anyone else? Had to laugh last night - I am managing the injections fine but antibiotic cream in an applicator was another story and ended up in a tight mess! Hopefully some got in the right place and absorbed overnight and they give you more than you need! Think it's ahead of egg collection to kill bacteria but not 100% sure. Maybe I'll ask at scan tomorrow for more details and if there's a tablet. Already thinking pessaries will have to be rectal! You have to keep laughing as much as you can as this story unfolds, easier said than done when pumped full of hormones!

@granddesigns it does sting for sure. We called it Fyre Maiden.

Also wasn't given or told to use any antibiotic cream for either meriofort or fyremadel. I got eggs in the end so guess I'm fine.