IVF May/June Cycle Buddies

[Mrbay]

Hi

Couldn't see a thread for May/June - hoping that I'm not on my own for this cycle as its our 2nd cycle and feeling worried that I won't get to transfer.

Would be great to share the ups and downs with others, I'm starting buserelin next Wednesday (27th May).

[HJF84]

@MorgenMuffel Yay! That's great news. All the best for tomorrow

@BKB27 Like @ivfgottobepositive, I'll be going on blood thinning injections. I have a gene mutation that can cause clotting issues and can cause recurrent miscarriage or implantation failure. I'd have a chat with your doctor to see what they say about the low dose aspirin, or you could ask about the blood thinning injections?

@wesstywoo @MorgenMuffel @Mrbay Thanks for the advice. I'm going to continue as normal, but dial it down by 50%. I'll steer clear of the HIIT sessions and swap them for a gentle Zumba like class.

[UncleBrynsfishingtrip]

@HJF84 Glad you asked about exercise.

What are the rules about running and Pilates/yoga during IVF?

I’m starting injections again this weekend but I won’t cope well with no exercise between now and July (that is when my transfer is) but I do want to be careful if I need to be.

So much different advice out there. Xx

[HJF84]

@UncleBrynsfishingtrip My clinic say no exercise apart from a brisk walk. I'm going to continue with my normal routine, which includes a daily 15min yoga session up until transfer, and then I'll stop. I'll probably dial it down a fair bit, go easy on myself. My clinic say it's to avoid tearing an ovary or hurting them, but I'm on natural modified so not on a lot of drugs at all. I gave up all exercise for three months last year because of IVF and my mental health suffered. I want to make sure the same thing doesn't happen.

[Mrbay]

Today I had a good think about multi cycles and transfer, at the start of this I didn't expect that weight gain would be one of the long lasting affects - anyone else hating the new body they've gain?

I've gone through my summer clothes and most things barely get past my knees!

Also I feel like a totally different person, like the drugs have changed me

[ivfgottostaypositive]

@Mrbay

I definitely put on weight with back to back cycles but I think it was more through comfort/stress eating than the medication but that's maybe because I don't do down reg

I've actually enjoyed the past couple of months (lockdown aside) - with the clinics being closed I've had no choice but to put the whole IVF thing to the back of my mind and keep occupied with other things like eating healthy, losing weight, exercising. I'm also a LOT less snappy and stressed and now I feel guilty that I put DD through that the last 18 months and now it's about to happen all over again. I've found the medication makes me so angry! I think the fact that I'm almost resentful (don't think that's the right word but can't think of anything else!) that it's going to take over our lives again. Cancelling/stopping isn't an option as we've spent so much money now that we just have to see it through. I think perhaps that's a sign that mentally we are ready now to stop once these transfers are down x

[ivfgottostaypositive]

@Mrbay

I don't think I'll get the "old" me back. I tried explaining that to my parents/sibling that I won't ever be the person I was before. Losing 8 pregnancies and doing 5 rounds of IVF and nearly dying twice from ruptured ectopics has made me look at life and especially other people a lot differently than I did before

Some parts of the new me I don't like - the weight being one of them 😬 but I can't deny that I'm not stronger than I was - someone called me a "tough little bastard" when I drove myself into a&e with massive ectopic internal bleeding as didn't want to bother anyone and I guess I am! I don't take anyone's shit now 😂

[RosettaR]

Is it OK if I join? I'm starting down regulation for our first round of IVF on Saturday. I'm glad to be starting but also a little terrified!

My clinic hasn't given any advice on lifestyle other than "healthy balanced diet", nothing on exercise. I'm trying to loosely follow the Zita West guidance. She seems to like walking which is my main form of exercise anyway, but she also says to do it 20 mins to 1 hour 2-3 times a week which is nothing - and then she says no exercise at all after transfer! I worry I would go mad ...

[HT2101]

@HJF84 Re: exercise, like some others on here my clinic advises just to carry on as normal unless it’s not ultra marathons etc. I tend swap my runs for long walks once I’ve started my stims but that’s mainly because I feel so bloated and uncomfortable. Doing nothing would def send me crazy. Just listen to your body I’d say. Good luck!

[HT2101]

@UncleBrynsfishingtrip sorry meant to tag you in above message

[UncleBrynsfishingtrip]

@HJF84 thanks for the advice. Good advice. Listen to body is best as like you say somedays will feel like walking or doing something and others not.

@RosettaR
Welcome 👋 You are starting your down reg the day before me!
I did down reg before Covid and then obviously everything was on pause. Which injections do you have to have. I think mine are once a day initially but haven’t had my protocol sent through yet.

Any questions then ask as I was a bit anxious when I first started but I didn’t get any/many of the horrendous side effects that I have heard of some people getting xx

[MorgenMuffel]

Welcome @RosettaR 👋 easier said than done I know, but try not to be too nervous. I found it really wasn't as bad as I was expecting.

@Mrbay another one who is struggling with their weight over here. I am about a stone overweight and had lost a bit last year but almost back to where I started. Really can't shift anything at the mo.

I'm just so sad at the moment that DH and I have had the "normal" TTC experience taken away from us. No excitedly getting a BFP after only a couple of months, enjoying the pregnancy and being naive to all the potential issues. If we do manage to make it to a BFP I can only imagine how much worry there is ahead.

[RosettaR]

@UncleBrynsfishingtrip sorry you got caught like that by covid-19, must have been so stressful. I wasn't that far along but was hoping to start down regulating a couple of weeks later when they phoned me to cancel. Looks like i am taking nafarelin (synarel) which I am meant to sniff. Bit worried about that as my hay fever will be horrendous come next week but I will do my best not to sneeze it all out.

@MorgenMuffel I know I still get so sad about that too. A friend of ours visited while pregnant and ate a huge dark chocolate brownie. So some people just get pregnant before the desperate googling stage when you find out things like that are meant to be bad, and then have a much more relaxed pregnancy as a result. It's so unfair!

[Mrbay]

@ivfgottostaypositive - you sound like superwoman! But I don't think the clinics really explain/understand how much it changes you.
I've never suffered from low moods where I want to hide away, now, i have them every so often.
So sorry for your losses.
The weight gain wasn't something I expected plus when it did come on, I thought oh it'll jump off as soon as I go back to normal - nope! Guess everyone was right, losing weight in your 30's is hard work!

@MorgenMuffel - I've gain around a stone and a half, which I know isn't a lot but I've got lumps where I never had them and oh the boobs have expanded!

I agreed, IVF rips the fun out of the announcement - if you get that far. Our family's know that we are starting again and so they just want to hear the good news, you can see it in their faces. I have to keep telling them that it's more likely to be unhappy news but yet we keep ploughing forward.

I'm just all over the place about this cycle as I'm content with being childless but I don't think my DH is, we've been so lucky to be allocated funding for 3 full cycles (DH is in the army so there has to be some perks!) But I'm not sure that I want to make sure of them, then I feel guilty as there are others who would give their right arm (well only if they needed IVF, no one really wants to be here) to have the same funding.

Oh ref diets, the only thing I've changed/changing is more veg (lots of different colours), taken supplements for the past 3months, including vit d which is showing some promising research and upping my protein.

[MrsLouB]

i had lost 3 stone and was doing well then i got married lost my mum an had 2 back to back IVF and it i all back on. i am working hard to try to shift it but anyone that says you do nto gain weight on it is wrong. the fertility nurse said oh no not unless you are on steriods! i beg to differ i was so bloated and def gained weight along with it before any of the comfort eating. unfortunately at the moment i dont seem to be losing losing or gaining just staying the same which an be a big demotivater for me.

Also putting in all i can do to get my lining up, and if i go on tuesday and the lining is not anywhere near again i will be peeved

[elleceedee]

Hi everyone, I'd like to join in please! I'm having a FET in June and hoping for baby number 2 to join DD (also IVF).

I've previously taken prednisolone (no testing but had two miscarriages so my clinic prescribed it saying it couldn't hurt and then was successful with my daughter on that cycle!) but I'm pretty sure my clinic are going to say no to this due to it lowering immune system - has anyone spoken to their clinic about this?

[HJF84]

@elleceedee Welcome to the group! I had prednisolone for my last cycle, and was due to be on it again for this cycle, but my clinic has said no. I went for a blood test this morning to see if I need to have it or not. If not, then I'll complete this cycle as normal. If the tests come back and say I need it, then I'll have to freeze this cycle and wait until the doctors will allow it. My clinic was unsure as to when it will be allowed, but it could be 12 months away.

[MrsLouB]

hello and welcome @elleceedee

[Maestro7]

Hi all, another one here with weight gain and struggling with it. I put on a stone and half since we started our fertility woes and I don’t recognise myself in photos. I also struggle with seeing my friends who have kids snap back into great shape and think if I’m not having kids I should at least be slim and not be overweight! I hate it.

I signed up to slimming world and my plan is once I have the embryo transfer to start it and then if it’s a Negative in two weeks I might have lost a few lbs and then il try hard to lose more in the month until we go again as we are planning back to back cycles at the minute. I chose slimming world as apparently you can do it while pregnant so it should be ok to do during ivf

How’s everyone cycles going? Up and down here. Now on day 11 of Stims. Day 7 scan showed poor growth so they upped my meds, day 10 scan showed some improvement but not big enough for egg collection so I’m back for another scan tomorrow and really hoping there’s some improvement and I can do egg collection on Friday.

Planning to have some wine if so on the Sunday - with embryo transfer on Wednesday. I think that’s ok right?

[Tigerlily99]

I’ve also struggled with weight. Have managed to lose 1.5 stone since end of last year which just about takes me into normal BMI but am still a bit of a way off my original weight. Finally given up on my old clothes! Will try to be better with eating during treatment but it’s SO HARD to stay motivated especially with all the hormones flying around and 2WW comfort eating.

@Maestro7 I would have thought 1/2 glasses of red wine would be fine!

@HJF84 that would be really hard if they recommend a freeze all. But I guess you’d not want to try a transfer if they think steroids are necessary. 12 months is so long though...

@MrsLouB good luck with your lining. What are you trying to help it out of interest?

[RosettaR]

@HJF84 I have wondered about prednisolone because I have a condition that might be auto-immune (it's rare and no one knows), plus I have allergies. Since this is my first round I thought the clinic would just say no. Do you know what they are testing to see if you need it?

[ivfgottostaypositive]

@RosettaR

Prednisolone is usually for suspected NK cells or auto immune related

I'm the same as @HJF - normally take it but clinic has pretty much put a blanket ban in place and if you insisting on taking it then you have to wait.

I have been reading about an anti histamine that has similar effect and lots of women in the USA take it off their own backs in Benadryl (except in the U.K. Benadryl doesn't have the ingredient you need but believe it can be found in night time Covonia etc) so I may give that a go

[Mrbay]

Oh I loved slimming world when I did it last, so easy and I lost a stone in about 4-6 weeks (I was in my mid 20s tho!)

I think I've been lucky, I'm trying steriods this time around and I thought it would be a big no no but I've been prescribed them as I'm pretty much shielding and apparently young and fit! I don't think the docs see what I see!

[MrsLouB]

Thanks @Tigerlily99 well clinic have me on estrogen patches which helped last time but did take a while but i also take l-argnate, pom juice and baby aspirin red raspberry leaf tea along with doing fertility yoga and massage also i have got back into exercise and diet for my weight so hope this helps x

[MrsLouB]

@MorgenMuffel i hear you when we had our positive i was like ya but googling everything i could and couldnt have and others i know have been pregnant not knowing and been drinking all sorts and all turnt out ok, but as you say if we get that bfp again i will be a nervous wreck until 12 weeks atleast or if we get to see a heartbeat this time.

@Maestro7 well done you i looked into slimming world when i got pregnant as i wanted to lose or maintain and be healthy whilst pregnant but i cannot get my head round it all x

[HJF84]

@rosettar I have mild eczema and when I was on prednisolone last cycle, I was so amazed by how much my skin cleared up. It made me realise that my eczema is an immune response. I also suffer with allergies, so I've always wondered if it could be the cause. Today's bloods were Protein C, Protein S and Lupus. I'm not sure about C & S but the Lupus test is definitely for auto-immune. It tests for a wide range of immunodeficiency conditions, not just Lupus. Funnily enough, my friend had the same test about two years ago and they discovered she has Hashimotos.

@TigerLily99 I hope it comes back clear! 12 months is a long time to wait but if it's not going to work without it, then it's worth the wait.

I actually have the prednisolone already. They sent it to me before they stopped prescribing it. I could probably make a fortune from it on the black market 😂