Sept IVF/FET

[Lemongrass1]

I can’t see a Sept cycle up yet so thought I’d start one. Currently TTC #2. Our March FET was postponed due to Covid and we had a FET in July which sadly resulted in a BFN last week. Had our follow up last night and to our surprise we can try again straight away so signing consents next week and starting down reg in 2.5 weeks. Told the cycle went perfectly and must have been an embryo issue so we aren’t changing protocol but going for double embryo transfer this time. Anyone else looking to cycle/ transfer in Sept? Or am I a bit early/ keen 😂

@peanutsandpinenuts - I'm just continuing to exercise as normal - I do home weights and HIIT classes these days, about three runs a week, and yoga when I can be bothered. Once I start stimming I will prob stick to dog walks until egg collection, then re-evaluate. My dogs will be happy.

Diet wise I'm trying to ditch sugar (massive sweet tooth here), and I'm usually vegetarian but I know I can have low vit d, vit b12, and folate from my thyroid issues and being veggie so I'm eating meat and fish until egg collection. It's no great hardship - we stopped for ecological reasons a couple of years ago, this is a good excuse for me to eat some steak and chicken kievs for a month or so. The vegan alternatives don't quite hit the spot!

Hi everyone 👋 can I join? Just waiting to hear back from my clinic (I get one nhs fresh round). I spoke to someone earlier today and might be going in tomorrow for my first appointment / scan 🤞 I'm due my period around 23 August so assume things will start then?

@79andnotout hello! Nice to see you here, pleased your clinic got in touch.

I've been on ubiquinol for over a year (I've had 3 losses, so started after my first), also on levothyroxine. I'm 36, nearly 37 and dh is 38. Feels like we've waited forever to get here, we were due to start just before covid hit, but then our ccg decided to change provider as well!

Ooh exciting @VenusStarr - glad things are moving for you too! When you get your treatment plan can you let me know if they put you on steroids (prednisone)? I've had mixed feedback depending on which doctor I've seen as to whether they put me on them, but the last one said I had to have recurrent miscarriages first - which is pretty unlikely given I can't even get pregnant and I'm nearly 41, what planet are they on? They're supposed to help with immune issues. My sister was given them by her private clinic and she is now about 32 weeks pregnant.

Hi all, may I join? Just started buserelin injections this morning for long protocol so egg collection at the end of Aug/beginning of Sept.
I've just scared myself looking through all the possible side effects of the buserelin and have a joke with my partner than I'm going to turn into a fat, spotty, bald monster over the next month. You have to laugh right!
This is our first IVF round and NHS funded for 1x round. We've been trying for 17 months and found we both have issues, mostly my DP sperm count is exceptionally low so virtually no chance of natural conception. Because of this we're also having ICSI as part of the collection and blasto stage.

I'm now mostly worrying about the drug side effects and maintaining a healthy lifestyle (not putting loads of weight on as I'm an emotional eater!) and thinking about exercise. I do yoga around 4-5 times a week so will try to keep that up at the very least and make sure I'm not eating too many calories as well!

Xxx

Thank you @79andnotout, all booked in now for scan and consultation tomorrow. We've just signed our consent forms!
I'll let you know what they say about steroid treatment. Someone I've met through Instagram is at my clinic but private and she will be doing steroid treatment as part of her protocol due to thyroid antibodies.
It's on my list of questions for tomorrow :)

Diet wise I’m having shakes, poached eggs, smoked salmon, avocado, salmon fillet, lean turkey mince chilli/spag bowl with wholemeal pasta/cauliflower rice. Also cut out sugar from tea. Walking every other day and combining Pilates/kettlebell exercise which is working up a sweat. Xx

Protein shakes is interesting, I've heard they affect sperm quite a lot so I would never have thought about us taking them to help

Hi cam I join please.
We are going to have our second FET some time in sep, I've just opened the consents & trying to work out when it will be! We had an FET in feb which sadly resulted in a missed miscarriage & so I had to have a medicated miscarriage at what should have been 7.5 weeks just before the viability scan after I had an emergency scan in a different hospital just before lockdown so went through a horrendous miscarriage during lockdown with a toddler & 2 active dogs (also IVF, but carried by my best friend as a surrogate for us) as my husband was fighting to keep our business going.

I'd love to try work out the dates but I can't as this protocol is different to last time. Just estriol hemi hydrate tablets 3 times a day. Has anyone had that before?

Good luck today @VenusStarr!

I hadn't heard that @ivfjourney5 - but I just read some papers on the topic. I think it's supplements that are packed with anabolic steroids in this country, not protein shakes, or not ones from reputable suppliers. But reading more deeply the soy or whey protein can potentially interfere in the androgens. Our protein shakes are vegan using pea protein and hemp, but still it has got me worried. It's mostly me who takes them as I use weights, but my boyfriend has it from time to time as a snack. Maybe we should lay off them for a few months. I guess if I'm eating meat for a bit then there's no need.

Hi Minister, sounds like a stressful few months! Not heard of that approach before. Hope it works out for you.

@79andnotout I didn't look into it to much to be honest, at the point I heard about it we had already got funding for ICSI confirmed, but my husband does use protein shakes, so if we need another round in the future he'll be cutting them out a few months before to try and help. Sorry for worrying you! I know protein is important for us, I've always just stuck to chicken as I've also heard about not having too much red meat. It's so complicated isn't it! Regarding the steroids, I think some clinics aren't wanting to use them due to Covid, which might be why your sister was able to have them before lockdown, hopefully you get some answers soon though 🤞🏼

@Minster2012 sorry to hear about earlier in the year, it must be so hard. What an amazing friend you have there! I hope they have been a support line for you as well. I haven't heard of those tablets so can't help out there unfortunately

@ThoroughlyForumed I got a few side effects from my drugs before egg collection, although I was on different drugs to you. I don't want to worry you, but my hair did fall out more than normal, nobody would have ever noticed though, but I clogged up the drain in the shower a lot! I think a lot of it was probably due to stress, but everything's back to normal now after egg collection. We also had ICSI although we have male and female problems!

@Papoy practical advice to spend this time... BFN podcast and Mindful IVF meditation! Also try to not stress (a lot easier said than done I know!) I bought lucky socks for egg collection which I'll wear again for FET, but you sound like you're all prepared!

@Lemongrass1 yes I've heard FET is easier, although my drugs arrived this morning... there's A LOT more injections than I had for EC 😯

All good @79andnotout :) I'll be doing mild ivf, not starting stims until September though, not sure why we can't start on my next cd1. I've actually got a 16mm follicle on each ovary ready to pop, so I think we'll give ttc naturally a go again. My amh is lower than average but she said based on my ovaries today she's expect 6-8 eggs.

I asked about the pred / steroids but as my bloods for recurrent mc were normal and I'm nhs funding, they won't do that for this cycle. But if it fails, I'm going to ask to add this in for our next cycle. She seemed pretty confident that our odds are about 35%

Next step is the consultation to discuss the protocol and meds / injections. Feeling shattered, it's a lot to take in.

@ivfjourney5 I love podcasts, I am gonna check them out now.

I bought a colouring book ... that will be replacing the mediation bit for me...

Socks are on my to do list 🙂 I bought a small make up bag type of thing with pineapples on them. It is for drugs but given that I hardly left the house for the last 4 months I doubt I will need it.

I might put the baby's stuff in it when it is born... (look at all that sentence, full of positivity, I am even making plans about future....

Hi @ivfjourney5 - chicken sounds like a good call. I've been craving chickens kievs for years since I gave up meat, and I've just harvested a load of garlic from my allotment.

@VenusStarr 35% is about as good as it gets! That's great news. Yeah, I thought you might be optimistic about starting on your next period. I suspect I will also have to wait until the following cycle. Guess they need to get their ducks in a row first. What was your AMH? Thanks for asking about the steroids. I think as ivfjourney5 says, they will be unwilling to offer them unless absolutely necessary in today's climate
as they weaken immune response (obvs), but guess we'll see what happens. They also turn you into a massive moon face. My sister was really happy when I told her it was due to the steroids and temporary, she's always been really slim and thought that was just her big fat face now.

New socks are a good call. Might get some nice bamboo ones.

@79andnotout 😂 that made me laugh about moon face! Your poor sister, but if it works. My amh was 9.5, so not terribly low, but not amazing for my age (36, but my birthday is at the end of August). But she said after looking at my ovaries today she was happy.

Hi everyone can I join. I am doing second IVF after failed first round in jan of this year. Unfortunately after a good start we had very poor quality blasts and transfered 2 with nothing to freeze. The clinic are only doing short protocol so am a little worried that we will have even less eggs (I know it is quality over quantity, ours was a sperm quality issue so I need as many eggs as possible!)
Drugs being delivered on Friday and then start on CD1 which will be mid Aug. Quite excited as it seems really quick in comparison to last time and I am inpatient!

@Minster2012 really sorry to hear your news. I recognise your from the last thread. Hope you have had the chance to relax and recuperate.

Was wondering if anyone has any advice/ experience.
Currently experiencing sciatica has been going on for around 3 weeks and getting worse (booked gp telephone appointment this afternoon)
Have been seeing a osteopath and doing daily exercises/stretches. I just need something to make the pain stop or reduce so I can do anything. I have spent most of this morning in tears (lack of sleep, pain and i couldn't put my socks on which is obviously an end of the world combination!)
I am worried about what I can take for the pain. Due to start IVF on CD1 which is about 2 weeks away and dont want to risk taking anything that will reduce our chances. I have been avoiding ibuprofen as advised during my last ivf but I am literally climbing the wall with the pain at the moment. I will obviously ask the GP but I feel they will say ask the pharmacist and i will end up with a prescription i cant take when i do and back at square one on a Friday afternoon with no chance of help until the Monday!

@UnicornPuff I suffer with sciatica a lot and have done more many years. I've also stopped taking anti inflammatories but you could get a prescription for 30/500 cocodamol. That's the strongest dose, there's also 8/500 and 15/500.

@Nichola2310 thank you. Do you find co-codamol enough to help you sleep? And do you know if you can take muscle relaxants and ivf?

@UnicornPuff when I was taking 8 cocodamol a day I could sleep.

I'm sorry, I don't know whats suitable for IVF.

Welcome @UnicornPuff - sorry no knowledge of sciatica here.

So I had my consent signing today and figuring out what I'm doing. It'll be short protocol hopefully starting on my next period if my scan and latest smear test results are done in time (they've all expired since I was last in).

They're whacking me on max dose of Menopur because of my age and ovarian reserve. Not sure that's the best approach but it seems to be the only approach at this clinic. I'll also be injecting clexane daily for my family history of blood clots.

By my reckoning egg collection is probably the second week of September. It's going to be an interesting couple of months. I hope it doesn't just throw up more questions.

Hope everyone's doing okay?

I start buserelin tomorrow! Today is my last day without injections for hopefully the next 3 months if it works out 🤞🏼🤞🏼

Hi everyone, so many people on here now it’s great 😁 Hope we all get started soon. We also had the consents today. It literally took 5 mins on video call for them to witness us signing the docs as we’ve done this exact protocol x2 before so there wasn’t anything to discuss 🤣
@ivfjourney5 I’m a week behind you, pick up meds tomorrow and start buserelin in 1 week. Have downreg scan booked for 4 weeks time. X

@79andnotout I’ve also been told ill be on max dose (450IU in total I think) but via a combo of Menopur and Gonal F.

As it’s our third cycle and my AMH suggests there’s ‘very little chance of overstimulation!’ To put it bluntly!

Hope those starting with down reg get on ok. I’ve always been short protocol so haven’t done that. I have another 6 weeks or so before our next cycle starts. We’ve had our consultant appt but need to book our coordination appt. just hoping I can get finances in order in time.

May I join you, ladies?

Today is CD1 of the bc pill cycle, starting it on Sunday, also baseline ultrasound and more bloods scheduled for tomorrow. I'm having IVF in Mexico, good thing it's considered essential travel and I need some beach time as I'm not even sure what month it is anymore with all covid isolations. Ivf is scheduled for mid-September and it'll be freeze-all as we'll be doing PGS testing and then come back probably in November for the transfer.

I had a consultation with their Dr and she was very insistent that I take 1000 mg fish oil daily, plus the regular vitamins I've been taking. I thought I'd pass that along since it seemed important. I'm not sure why, but I'm somehow so nervous to begin this process.

Hello to all, i also thought to join this thread. I am also doing a FET in september (last one was cancelled due to Covid). I have all consents done and waiting for my period day 1. Its seems my protocol is long with norethisterone from day 14 and buserelin injections from day 21 onwards. Then stopping the norethisterone / scan and starting oestrogen. I am currently taking Ubiquinol folic acid vitamin d and c and l arginine (but only 1000 mg). Fingers crossed as i only have two frosties. Also trying to lose some weight but very unsuccessfully! Since my last fresh cycle it seems impossible to shift the kilos. Best of luck to all!