IVF at Guy's & St. Thomas' & general process/timeline

[Lill02]

Hi all,

This is my first ever post, but I've been following for a while. :)

After having all the usual tests, including a hycosy and hysteroscopy, we were diagnosed with unexplained infertility a while ago. We have now finally waited long enough to be eligible for IVF on the NHS. We've got an appointment back at Guy's & St. Thomas' tomorrow (we had to see the GP and ask to be referred back as we've now waited the required time frame).
I'm not 100% sure what will happen tomorrow, but I'm basically hoping they will agree we've waited the required time and suggest we get the ball rolling for IVF, i.e. fill in our funding application, etc. I'm really hoping this will happen, I can't face being sent away again after we've waited so long...
What have your experiences been? Does that sound like realistic next steps? Has anyone been at Guy's & St. Thomas' and can share their timeline?

Thank you!

@RiverRiot hope everything goes well for you today!
I bloody hope we're not far away from getting our call, it's been 6 weeks now so you'd expect it'll be soon 🙏🏼 feel like I'm really wishing the time away but I just want it to be here now. We had a BBQ yesterday for DPs birthday & all of our friends came with their little ones/pregnant & I just want it to be our turn now! People like "ooh when do you think you'll have kids?" 😒

@RiverRiot that’s amazing! Sending lots of snuggled in wishes for your embaby over the next couple of weeks!
@notyetamumbuttrying will be thinking of you tomorrow!
I feel like I’m back to the waiting phase again getting anxious for the FET which won’t be till at least middle of July (by our choice!) … want to get back to the chilled person I was before! 🙄

@RiverRiot been really sad today. Have AF pains and an awful feeling I'm coming on tomorrow! 😩
Ah that was so similar to me! One in me, 3 for the freezer and the rest I had to wait until
Day 6 but sadly they didn't make it. Congrats on being PUPO!
@Etonmess20 oh gawd hate those questions! Its with good intentions but god they have no idea do they! 😠 hope that call comes soon! 🤞🏾
@GJW2018 I might be joining you on that FET if this fresh doesn't work. Do they still switch off your ovaries for it? Is yours medicated or natural? Been looking into it as I'm now convinced I'm out! 😒

@notyetamumbuttrying yeah very well meaning but it's so awful. I kind of just half laugh now & change the subject cus what do you even say?!
Really hoping for a good outcome for you tomorrow 🙏🏼

@RiverRiot congratulations, that's a fantastic outcome! Sending growing thoughts to the others and thinking of the one on board ❤ all sounding pretty positive for you so far!

@Etonmess20 I really hope it is soon too. Life just feels like one big wait...I can't even remember how I used to feel or what I used to think about all the time cos now life just feels like one big lead up to ivf. My period has just come super early out of nowhere as well (maybe a Pfizer side effect, who knows) so i think it throws the hope of July off..

@notyetamumbuttrying so sorry you're feeling that way, you're in the worst wait of the whole experience. Crossing my fingers for tomorrow and if it's bad news, we are here. Stay positive until you know though x

@Vparisi yeah I feel the same, there's not a day goes by where I don't think about it. I just try to think that we're now a day closer to starting but it's hard to stay positive!
Oh that's strange, I was thinking the same about my July timing but it's all just guessing until they call isn't it?

@notyetamumbuttrying I feel like reading what you’re saying is exactly the same as the blog the BFNs girls were saying on this day in their wait and it was positive! It’s not over till AF shows you’re still in this!
With the FET I just have to start taking estrogen tablets day 1 of the cycle I transfer and go in two weeks later for a scan then start the progesterone pessaries I think? So not too major but those meds are supposed to make you feel nuts so not looking forward to that! I’m waiting till I come on again and currently waiting for ovulation, panicking that it will be delayed and throw the whole cycle off. I came on on 1st so if I haven’t ovulated by the weekend I will email and see if there’s anything they can give me to induce a period to get me started on time still 🤞🏻 Crazy how I was so chill and happy to wait and now I’m like I want it nowwwwww!

@notyetamumbuttrying Oh that must be so so tough. A lot of women feel exactly like that, some even bleed, and go on to have perfectly healthy pregnancies and babies so you’re not out yet!
Am sending virtual hugs though.

Tbh with the high numbers and stats I was (totally selfishly!) hoping for slightly higher numbers already but actually only about 40% of women get anything to freeze at all so we’ve both done really well to get to this point.

@GJW2018 Thank you. I can imagine you feel like you’ve taken a big step forward and two steps back. It’s weird how attached you get to the embies too.

@Etonmess20 Gah that’s the worst, piss off fertiles!

@Vparisi Thank you. Periodwise, not necessarily, you’ll be due on again by middle-ish of July right? There’s still enough time to get the call and the meds to start. And if it is later, you’ll hopefully get to have a spring/summer baby so that’ll be nice compensation at least.

@Etonmess20 that's what I do too! Hopefully they get it if you look sad as well. We shouldn't have to go through it. Makes me mad! Thank you 🙏🏾
@Vparisi ah I hope not re July!
I really am, this has been the worst of the lot cos it's so long! At least waiting for the embryo update is only days, not weeks 😩
Thank you, I'll try! Had to stop myself crying earlier, such a shit rollercoaster ride to be on 🙁
@GJW2018 oh really! I may re listen tonight so that I sleep! I'm sure I'll be up by 5 anyway 🤪
Ah so tablets and pessaries, at least not injections then, yay! All these drugs make you go nuts, so unnatural to manipulate our bodies like this, but needs must!!
Always the way when things are fast approaching! I've been pretty chill up till now and now I'm going out my mind 😆
@RiverRiot thank you, need all the virtual hugs I can get 🤗
Yeah totally agree! I do feel really grateful for the Frosties and that 1 attempt includes 2 frozen goes! I keep reading that women do better on FET too, seems weird with lower grade embryos but then this is all weird isn't it 🤪

@notyetamumbuttrying You can have as many as you like. 🤗
Yeah it’s so weird. I wonder if it’s because the body is a bit more relaxed/not also making all of the eggs on a FET?
We have to remember that grading is subjective too. Plenty of lower grades make babies!

@RiverRiot yay all the hugs 🤗
Yeah perhaps!
I've read loads of women with lower grade ones doing better. I wonder why they put so much emphasis on the higher ones? They were all like ooh you've got 5AA that's top notch etc, talk about setting me up for a fall 😆
Anyway I'll sshh now as I know I'm not actually out yet 😝

@notyetamumbuttrying stay positive! Fingers crossed for you!
Yes, I think the reason FET to be more successful is the body is relaxed. Howerver, there is still a good number of sucesfull fresh transfers. So hopefully you will be one of them!

@HereToLearnAndShare thank you 😘
Hope you're well?! X

Hi all,

I just started my IVF cycle at Guys last week (07/06/21). I was told I have pcos.
They put me on gonal f dose for 150 and on day 9 they only found 2 follicles out of 17 which were 16mm, rest were all small, the nurse said I should wait for my trigger so they can grow well, but got a call this evening that I should stop all medication and take my trigger tomorrow bec I might get OHSS.

Has anyone with pcos done IVF in guys? Would be keen to know what was the outcome

@Rj1988 Hi and welcome. I do have pcos but I haven't started my treatment yet. So you are a step ahead of me.
So how did they decide you are about to have OHSS? Did they do blood tests?

@notyetamumbuttrying I am good thank you. Still waiting for the call like @Etonmess20 and @Vparisi. Everytime my phone rings I hope is them, but not yet... Should find some distraction

@Rj1988 Hey! I have PCOS and had my first half of IVF with Guys last month. I did a freeze all and am hopefully having a frozen transfer next month. I think I had 2 mature ones on day 9 too but they let me go to day 15 I think for EC. They got 37 eggs and I currently have 17 frozen embryos so all good for PCOS IVF at Guys! Now just to see if one of them sticks! I didn’t get OHSS but had the freeze all because I had so many follicles/eggs was quite high risk.
Thinking of you this morning @notyetamumbuttrying ✨✨✨

Omg...it worked!! 😃 9dp5dt today making me 14dpo in natural terms and look 👀

@notyetamumbuttrying YEEESSS!! I bloody knew it. 🥳 OMG I’m so happy for you! Strong lines too. Amazing. Even more hugs for you! 🤗🤗🤗

Thank you gorgeous @RiverRiot I'm in complete shock! I still feel like I'm coming on, madness!

@notyetamumbuttrying yaaaayyy!!!! Oh I’m so happy for you! 😁😁😁 what an amazing feeling! Congratulations! IVF at Guys really does the trick! Xxx

Welcome @Rj1988. Like @HereToLearnAndShare my first thought was did they do a blood test?

Also, did they say how small the other follicles were? Sometimes, if they think they won’t catch up they’ll cancel a cycle and then tweak your dose for next time to get a better yield.

Did they tell you to DTD after your trigger or abstain?

@notyetamumbuttrying oh my gosh congratulations!!!! Those lines are beautiful 😍 so so happy for you xx

@notyetamumbuttrying It must be disconcerting but it’s very common. You may even have that feeling for a couple of weeks yet but YOU’RE PREGNANT! 🥳🥳🥳

@GJW2018 thank you! It really does 😃 xx
@Etonmess20 thank you so much! X
@RiverRiot omg I am aren't i, eek!! And guess what, if all works out well at the scans my calculated due date is Valentine's Day! I'll have to call it Romeo or something 😂