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!

Sorry to hear that @itwasalovelydreamwhileitlasted
I can see why you're upset but try and look at it as a little break your body needs after the solid treatment you've had? This could be a good thing for you and as long as you get a baby out of it then that's the main thing. 💜

@itwasalovelydreamwhileitlasted I totally get your frustration! Waiting a couple more weeks is not ideal but if your doc says it means better chances - hang in there... how long are your cycles usually? I am sure it will go by very quickly!

Thank you @mincedpea yes transfer is coming really fast!
So happy to hear things are going well! I understand the worry. I think it's part of the ivf journey... it never quite leaves you. But gotta stay positive You are doing great

@sometimesalways
My cycles are usually pretty regular - around 28-29 days but I have a feeling because of all the medication I have to wait for another period this one might take longer to arrive 😬

We ll see what happens tomorrow! X

@itwasalovelydreamwhileitlasted fingers crossed for tomorrow!

In other news, I have been fairly calm till now re: transfer, but a unrelated unexpected expense came up yesterday and highlighted somehow how much we've spent on ivf this past year and now I am slightly freaking as it's looking very likely that this will be our last go... not sure we can afford another, unless I somehow come into money
Eeeek it's pretty nerve wracking!!

Same @sometimesalways that's why I can't help how I'm feeling as its just an additional pressure but I've just decided that it is what it is. At the end of the day I've done literally all I can to get a positive result and everything went well so if it doesn't work then I'll have to accept it just isn't meant to be. And I think that's the hardest thing about the whole infertility journey. It's hard to accept it just isn't meant to be when the thing you want is the only thing you want most in the world. Let's hope we both win the ivf lottery 🤞🤞

@sometimesalways The amount we've spent on IVF and other fertility treatments is also huge, I don't even want to think about the amount. I think we'd decided that if this time it didn't work, then we would take a break and maybe think about other options. Even though we both really want a baby, it starts to become unjustifiable in terms of cost (not just financial, but emotional and physical). As Hufflepuff says, I try to think to myself that we've done the best we can and what is meant to be is meant to be, there's nothing more we could have done.

@itwasalovelydreamwhileitlasted Fingers crossed for tomorrow, maybe the scan and blood test will be better than you expect. I'm sorry if you do have to delay for another cycle, it's all so long and tiring, but maybe a break will be good for your body and give you a chance to reset. Good luck anyway.

So far we've spent £33.5k - £20k funded from remortgaging the house and the rest via a 5 year loan when we decided to do this last 3 cycle package

It's a depressing thought that the repayments will be a monthly reminder even if it all fails

I know that I'm ready to stop soon - we've given everything we have physically emotionally and financially not to mention nearly dying twice so I'll have no regrets that there is something we could have tried but didn't

I've started to feel a bit sad though that I'll never conceive naturally again - I found out I was pregnant with DD the day I was due to start IVF 5 years ago and I guess I always thought that even if IVF didn't work we still had another chance at a miracle but now I have no tubes we won't even have that (I know so many people who got pregnant naturally after failed IVF)

It's sad but I can't remember the last time I had sex for fun! The last few years has always either been about ttc or keeping a perm healthy ready for the next sample 🤣

@Hufflepuff1 lottery is exactly the right word for it!

It really does sound like you have all given it your best shot - and that's all one can do right... I do think I have tried my best. My problem is that we will have 3 more embryos in the freezer after this try, which will make it so hard to stop if this one doesn't take. But I really do feel if we go on it will make us bankrupt! And we have DS to think about. Not to mention that if we do get pregnant after everything, I will have to start selling our furniture to make it through maternity leave and the nursery years 
Jokes aside though. With embryos left waiting for us it will be just so hard to stop! I suppose I will keep 🤞 for this try and cross that bridge when I get there.

@itwasalovelydreamwhileitlasted I am right there with you re: sex for fun. What is that?? I have completely forgotten

Gosh I know what you all mean. I’m lying here since 3.30am... wide WIDE awake thanks to these nasty steroids, wondering how the F the embryo is meant to have a chance of implanting when I’m so sleep deprived. I’m having period like cramps as well... which I’ve never had on transfer day so I’ve no idea what’s going on!!!
I’m also wondering when I last enjoyed life without a permanent countdown in my head...ticking the days away until the next FET or round. When was the last time I really truly lived in the moment?! And the money...so many plans set aside because everything has been about this for the last 11 years.
Well, I’m 1000% ready for this to be to be the last round. Wish me luck this morning ladies.

Omg just read this... seriously considering quitting these bloody steroids!!!
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/09/160908092830.htm

@Hatawa83 good luck and 🤞🤞🤞 for both of us! I hope you managed to get some sleep. I actually slept badly too, I am nervous! ET is early pm for me.

Steroids in ivf is a controversial topic in medical circles as I understand it. From my research, the dosage and usage are not long/big enough to cause serious problems apparently but I guess there is not enough scientifically proven research there that they help or how. But I suppose they wouldn't be so widely prescribed if they were dangerous? Ladies who have hyperemesis during pregnancy get them too. And if you have autoimmune reasons for infertility then there's more of a reason to take them apparently.

@Hatawa83 good luck!
And to @sometimesalways 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻
I'm taking prednisolone and it was before bed and noticed being awake from 3-4am! I asked my doc if I could take them in the morning and now my sleep is fine! Phew!

@Russkispy I already take them I’m the morning but doesn’t help :( oh well, pain for the gain and all.

@sometimesalways good luck today! On my way now. It really is last chance for us as just got the call that only one went to blasto but at least it’s top quality. What will be, will be!

@Hatawa83 crossing everything for you ! 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻

Thank you 😊 xxx

Good luck @sometimesalways and @Hatawa83 🤞🤞💜💜🍀🍀

Thank you everyone! 

@Hatawa83 one is all we need, great! good luuuuck

Thanks Hun! Transfer went well so let the madness of the wait begin! X

Aaaargh exciting @Hatawa83 !! Best of luck to you. I have battled insomnia in every pregnancy and it's made me want to despair! So now I tell myself that I may not be sleeping but I am resting my body and that counts for something. The Calm app is good as well for trying to relax.

For those of you who've had failed cycles in the past, can I ask what your clinic does next? Do they review anything, think about working out why it didn't work, change medications etc?

I have my review appt with the consultant in 2 weeks time. I remember her saying to me at the initial consultation that the ivf clinic is not there to 'treat' recurrent miscarriage so my fear is that they will just do the same thing over and over and hope it'll work next time. Is there anything else they can actually do?

@BettySwoll0cks
My clinics only answer to recurrent miscarriage was to try PGS testing for one cycle to see what was going on.

Good luck everyone transferring today.
I had a other scan this morning and not much happening (it's cycle day 6) so will hear back this evening whether they are going to cancel and try again next month 😢

@BettySwoll0cks I’m having fet after a missed miscarriage from ivf - they’ve put me on double dose oestrogen and said if it works I will be on progesterone for longer and have scans every two weeks.

I had to ask for everything though, they just said yes to everything I asked for.

@BettySwoll0cks After my last failed FET they increased my progesterone but also gave me the trigger to better time transfer. I assume you probably already have that though. They also let me transfer two as I said it was going to be the last time we wanted to do it.

Good luck @Hatawa83 and @sometimesalways, hope it's a speedy and successful two week wait! 🤞🏾🤞🏾🤞🏾

ET done, acupuncture done, and I am joining now the 2ww! OTD is the 11th. I feel quite relaxed now but I am sure that will change soon enough ha
Thank you for your wishes! 

@BettySwoll0cks my clinic does tweak the treatment following each failed attempt as needed. Some times by adding investigations if there's something they suspect, or by adjusting meds. I for example went from fully medicated cycles to 'natural' ones as it suited me better after a point. I never had recurrent mc (just the one - my issue so far has been that I never fell pregnant in the first place) so not sure what they'd do for that specifically but I know they are of the Chicago school of thought so add steroids and intralipid to combat immune related problems. They also suggest GDS but it was too expensive for us so we decided not to do it.