Jan/Feb IVF/ICSI/FET here we go...

[sometimesalways]

Hello, starting a new thread for those of us starting a new cycle after the holidays.

My background: one successful round of ivf a few years back resulted in my lovely DS and now trying for a second. We are about to go for round 3, following 1 bfn and 1 mc.

At the moment I am waiting for af to appear. Seem to be about to ovulate according to opk. So guessing should expect af in about 2 weeks time.

Going for natural FET with progesterone support. The question for me is whether to add steroids too. A little scared of long terms risks so we will see...

@Russkispy @itwasalovelydreamwhileitlasted @Christabelle89
I remember from previous threads you were doing, or thinking of doing another round in Jan?

Everybody welcome to join, wherever you are on your journey. It's a tough business, keeping company helps. Good luck!

@Hatawa83
Don't despair that still a great number - I've always had better quality the less eggs I've collected 🤞🤞🤞🤞

Aw thank you ladies... you really do make me feel so much better and you are all right...I should know as 33 eggs last time only resulted in 4 blasts so clearly quality is more important. You are such star support! Thank you xxx

Eeeek so excited for all of you on 2ww. Let’s see a load of good news in the next few weeks xx

@Russkispy I'll try not to! My husband has stopped me buying any tests! It's just I know from experience how awful the 2ww is.

Well done @Hatawa83 it only takes one and its certainly quality over quantity xx

@Hufflepuff1 it never bothered me, really. And I know I'm in different mindset this time around. Maybe because I engaged a fertility hypnotherapist who taught me self hypnosis and turned my mind around. More positive , more meditation etc who knows!

@Hufflepuff1 @Russkispy hooray for PUPO! Fingers and toes crossed!

@Hatawa83 great job, you've done it!! Last EC. I cried on the table during the procedure. So much pain. Don't feel bad xx

I had a really surreal day. Last night, after a good few gins, I took to Facebook to talk about miscarriage. How common an experience it is, and how it's still so much in the shadows. I shared that we are having our 5th loss and that we are having IVF. I cannot tell you how extraordinary the response has been. Lots of kindness and support but also scores of DMs from people wanting to privately share some genuinely heartbreaking experiences. We are so not alone.

We got the call. Sadly only of the eggs were suitable for ICSI...BUT % fertilisation success so all 3 are now day 1 embryos. So relieved and couldn't have hoped for more, really. So now we wait for the update on Monday, hoping to get at least 1 to blastocyst status for an ET on Wednesday morning. EEKKKKK!!!

So we have 3 ladies in the 2ww now? EXCITING!!! Can't wait to see good news in the days to come. Good luck @Russkispy@Hufflepuff1@sometimesalways

@BettySwoll0cks so glad you found great support in that group. It really is incredible, and quite sad, that miscarriages are still a taboo subject. Of the 3 friends I have confided in about my miscarriages, only 1 (a nurse) was very comfortable talking about it and finding the words to comfort me. The other 2 looked so uncomfortable and awkward that it put me off telling anyone else. Good thing we have online forums like this or we'd all be suffering in silence. There is so much to be done with raising awareness of the physical, emotional and psychological effects of miscarriages. Women just don't get the support they need ie free counselling etc. That should be something they offer every woman after a mc!

@Hatawa83 I'm crossing everything for you on Monday!

AFM, slept badly! Think prednisolone messed up my sleep! Will be switching over to morning intake! Also my cold is driving me insane and I had a diarrhea around 4am! Wtf! Sweet sugar, it better be good when it's OTD!

@Russkispy thank you hunny xx
I’m on exactly the same steroids and not sleeping great / feeling hyper! can’t wait for the good ol’ diarrhoea to start 😂 Don’t you just love this shit we put ourselves through!

Hi all!
@Russkispy I'm the opposite, I slept 11 hours on Friday night, I think it caught up with me and I just needed a long rest!
Feeling ABSOLUTELY NOTHING not even a twinge.
Obviously I've convinced myself that it hasn't worked. Not even a slight twinge. Getting paranoid that it "came out' after I needed a wee so badly and punishing myself for not paying more attention during the transfer but I just couldn't get my mind off the waterfall wanted to burst out of me.
Anyway as a result I don't even want to test, not sure I'll be able to handle the rejection.

I rested Friday and yesterday but back to normal today, no point restricting myself if it hasn't worked.

Hope you're all doing better xx

@Hufflepuff1 Try not to worry too much (easier said than done ha) I don't think the embryo can be affected by bowel movements or peeing, my nurse told me this. And at 2dpt it may not even have implanted so doubt there'd be any symptoms. Hang in there...

How are you feeling @Russkispy ? Back home? And you @Hatawa83 ? I am told insomnia is the most classic steroid side effects I am afraid... only thing to do it ride it out unfortunately argh

@BettySwoll0cks we are def not alone re: mc. I know plenty of people that have experience sadly. It's just that nobody talks about it. Thank goodness for these threads. I hope you are ok..

@itwasalovelydreamwhileitlasted any news re: new cycle timings?

@mincedpea how are you? X

@Hufflepuff1 please please don't stress! It's too early for anything right now! With all my treatments I never felt anything and was pregnant every time albeit MCs later. Please don't overthink, it's not good.
@sometimesalways I'm good. With all injections I'm doing now, I completely forget I had a transfer and it feels like I'm preparing for transfer just now! It's so weird! But I'm good otherwise . And how are you? And everyone else?

@Russkispy I am alright, thanks! I started my progesterone and with it all the lovely side effects - pincushion stomach, gassy, bloated and so on. Lovely
But otherwise not too bad at the moment..

I wonder, what does your clinic advise re: massages during 2ww? Mine doesn't say anything, but my acupuncturist advises against it and I didn't know last time and had one (shoulders/head only) post transfer. And of course now I am wondering if it might have contributed to the mc? Prob overthinking it again?

@sometimesalways
I'm cycle day 3 - starting 150ml bemfola tomorrow evening and have my first scan tomorrow morning and pew booked the others for Wednesday and Friday so I can get the 730am slots before work 😬
I think egg collection will probably be next Wednesday as It usually seems to fall on cycle day 13 more often than not - luckily work is quieter this time of year with not so much travelling to meetings x

Oh exciting @itwasalovelydreamwhileitlasted so you might be transferring mid March or so? Or will you freeze all and try next cycle?

@sometimesalways I didn't ask my clinic as never thought I'd go for a massage. Will contact my acupuncturist and reflexologist to book an appointment this week, for a little chill out

@itwasalovelydreamwhileitlasted good luck for the scan tomorrow! 🤞🏻

@Russkispy
Thanks!

@sometimesalways
My package "deal" is for a fresh transfer after this next collection - I really don't want to do another freeze all as we are seriously running low on money now and we would have to pay for it. And whilst it's gone quick I don't think I could bare the waiting any more - Part of me is ready to start moving on. If we get another 2 blastocysts out of this final collection that's 3 double transfers so by June/July if it's not going to work for us then I want to book a holiday and start putting it behind us x

Yeah I totally get that @itwasalovelydreamwhileitlasted I hope everything goes well for you 🤞🤞

@itwasalovelydreamwhileitlasted me too! 🙏🏻🙏🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻

First scan this morning - so I have around 8 in total all around 5mm but I also have 3 corpus luteum cysts presumably left over from last retrieval - apparently they can release progesterone and inhibit follicle growth and also make the uterus environment less hospitable for a transfer so got to wait until this evening to hear back if my levels are too high to proceed with the cycle this month 🤞🤞

How's everyone else today? Was anyone testing today/this week? X

Oh sounds annoying @itwasalovelydreamwhileitlasted but they sound exactly like that cyst I had, which was actually tested and fine, so it's perfectly possible it will be ok! (And I woke up feeling particularly optimistic today)

Hi ladies :-)

@sometimesalways Yes, it really is annoying. I was wide awake at 4am this morning and feel like I'm permanently plugged into an electric source... and don't get me started on the gas and bloat from the progesterone butt rockets fun times!

Anyho, day 3 embryo update. One of the three is not developing correctly but the other two are doing really well so fingers crossed we will have a nice blasto on Wednesday. If we are insanely lucky we may even have one to freeze. Had a lovely reflexology session this morning that was so relaxing. I've never been this calm before a transfer so it must be working :-)

Afternoon all!

@itwasalovelydreamwhileitlasted I also had additional cysts so I wouldn't worry too much, hope you have good news soon.

@sometimesalways not long left until transfer now!

@Hatawa83 that's brilliant!! Really happy to hear that, fingers crossed 🤞 for your 2 blasts.

@Russkispy how are you doing?

So for me it's 3dp5dt, not felt anything, trying hard to stay calm. Decided it is what it is, I've done all I can, everything has gone as well as can be so if it doesn't work there must be some major devine reason! Nevertheless I will never look back and think I should have done this or this because I've already done that and there was nothing I could do anymore of!

💜💜

@Hufflepuff1 if its of any comfort, each time I got pregnant (including the one that worked) I felt absolutely nothing until at least a week after 5dt and even then just tiredness and dull headaches much later. Crossing everything for you! I have exactly the same mindset. It is our last attempt and I will have no regrets as we really did try as best we could to have another child so what will be, will be. I feel almost relieved in a strange way, but I think maybe its the thought of never having to go through a miscarriage again and finally being able to move on to another chapter. Sending you a ton of baby dust x

@Parkandride Really sorry to hear about your BFN, it's so rubbish, I know how you feel. I hope you're OK.

@BettySwoll0cks Gutted for you too, it's really a miserable time, but good on you for speaking out about miscarriage. You're definitely not alone in it, and I also think the more it gets spoken about the less of a taboo it is.

@sometimesalways I don't seem to get notifications any more but I definitely still lurk on here to see how you're all doing. Good luck for transfer, is it this Wednesday? Good luck to you too @Hatawa83.

Wishing you swift TWWs @Russkispy and @Hufflepuff1! You definitely can't pee out the embryo, I was also worried about that!

I'm 10+1 today but still spend a lot of time worrying something isn't right. I don't think any amount of scans and tests will make me worry less, but I do try to be positive, no news is good news and all that.

Anyway, sending good wishes to you all.

Not great news my end - e2 level is really low - only 44 which they said suggests the follicles won't be great quality - I was supposed to start stims this evening but they've said to wait and fo for another scan and blood test on Wednesday but odds are this cycle will be cancelled and I'll have to go again next month 😢

Feeling bit rubbish as have been cycling almost solid since January 1st and am soooo ready to do a transfer. Plus if we do get a BFP next month it will be a Xmas baby although to be honest I don't care as long as I get to go home with a baby this time x