November IVF/FET

[BambiOnIce80]

... Too soon?! 😁😉

Been waiting on a FET since we were put on July's list and I've heard from our clinic this week that I've to call them when AF rocks up in October for a November FET. We had our fresh cycle in January, had a BFP, but found there was no heartbeat at the 11 week scan in March (MMC) - it's been a bit of a roller-coaster so far this year (as if covid craziness wasn't enough!).

Found having a thread to go through it all with a massive emotional support, so looking for some MN buddies to do it all again with. Good luck ladies and looking forward to 'meeting' you 🍀🙂

Yes @granddesigns, I was wondering if I 'recognised' you from the TTC #1 boards from a couple of years ago 😄 I've been over here on the infertility threads for a while now, but do occasionally come across some old names 🙂

I think prostap is a mega dose of buserelin, isn't it? I ended up with a cycst on my right ovary from our fresh cycle (found it on the 7 week viability scan) and I think from some twinges I'm having I've got another one going on at the moment... hoping prostap doesn't tease some more out of me too! It sounds like you've got a thorough drug regimen ready to go for or your next cycle 👍 When are you likely to start?

I had my appt with my consultant on Monday and he wants us to get going as soon as we can. So I have my nurse consult booked in for 15th. My consent already came thorough by email so after nurse consult we should be good to go. I'm due on any day now, so hoping I can get booked in for my next bleed end of October. My consultant has said I'll be on short protocol although I'm not sure what that entails yet until I've had my nurse consult. Ive still got everything crossed that I'll be cycling before Christmas!

Hi Ladies

I hope you’re all holding up well. Sounds like some of you have had a lot of IVF experience and others are new to this like me. I’ve been lurking around waiting for a November IVF board that I could join. Just seen this and happy it has started early as would really appreciate some women to share this intense journey with. It’s been hard to get my head around but I think I’m getting there!

I’m 35 with a low AMH (4.5) and low AFC (2). Only found out about both in September and was told by the clinic to undergo IVF due to my low egg reserve and getting older. I’m a bit concerned they didn’t look into why I can’t conceive naturally past initial basic tests but I guess they wouldn’t give me IVF on the NHS if they didn’t think it was urgent?!

I have my appointment with the nurse (zoom) to learn about the drugs this month with the plan to start next month. Seems like a very quick start but I suppose there’s no time to waste with low AMH?! I have read that IVF does not have much success with low AMH so I am worried it will not work due to my low number of eggs. But I guess I won’t know until I try so trying to stay positive and not work myself up over it.

Xx

Hi Ladies

I thought I would join you as I am planning on having a FET November. I had my eggs collected and Frozen in January as I had to have an operation on both ovaries and the doctors were concerned it could leave me infertile but luckily it didn't.

I had an appointment at the clinic on Monday and I've decided to do a natural cycle so I just need to call them when AF arrives in November. There is a chance this round could be abandoned if the transfer day falls on Sunday but I'm willing to take the chance and try again January.

Looking forward to following all your journeys and sharing along the way

@BambiOnIce80 I remember you from the Jan group, so sorry to hear about your MC ❤️xxx

Welcome @Jane1284! The quality is more important than the quantity. With a low AMH you might produce less eggs but at your age you should still get good ones. I started IVF when I was 35 (same age) and my first round failed (miscarriage) but my second round worked for me!
Try to keep your stress low, practise yoga if you can and enjoy family and friends time. There are lots of ups and downs in this process! Best of luck 😘

Good luck @Melissa1983. My period arrived earlier and I'm getting ready for my frozen transfer! It might be in October!!!

Thank you @Maya0202 Just what I need to hear. Other people’s success is very encouraging. Keep telling myself it only takes one good egg and one good sperm 🤞🏻
I hope your frozen transfer is successful x

I remember you too @Melissa1983! Lovely to hear you're getting ready for your FET too 😊 I'm so glad you had your op and everything worked out - what a relief.x

Welcome @Jane1284 👋 Like @Maya0202 says, a low AMH does not mean low quality so try not to worry (easier said than done, I know!). I know someone who had a low AMH, got 3 eggs which all fertilised, put 2 back and her daughter is nearly a year old now 😊

Oooh, so you're up and running already then @Maya0202 ?! Very exciting! 🤩 What kind of FET are you having - natural, down regulated or modified HRT?x

Not long to wait for your nurse consult then @Mseddy 👍 I think short protocol might be the modified HRT protocol (which was the one I think I would have preferred 😏), so maybe starting the oestrogen pills on day 3 of your bleed? Must be a relief to know you're starting soon 🙂

T-13 until the prostap injection here (not that I'm counting! 😂). Off this week and trying to keep busy, so hopefully those 13 days will go a bit quicker 🤞

@BambiOnIce80ine it's a medicated one as I have just stopped breastfeeding my daughter for the treatment :(. My period was not as regular as before giving birth. I feel so guilty ....It was a very difficult decision to stop breastfeeding to go through another treatment but I'm 37 and I think the sooner I try the better as the age is so important for IVF.

I really wish I was a normal woman that can get naturally pregnant but sadly this has not happened yet. I had to sacrifice a lot (emotionally, physically and financially) to get to this point.

Hey can I join in? I was hoping for a November thread as I've been on the Oct and Oct/Nov ones and they're all way ahead of me! Got my consent and nurse appt plus pre-bloods on 21st Oct, mock transfer on 27th Oct and hoping to start meds around 5th Nov. I'm on short protocol as have high AFC and high AMH - borderline PCOS so at risk of OHSS which is scaring me. Male factor so we are doing IVF with ICSI. I'm 39 so just missed out on NHS funding in my area and am awaiting the result of my appeal but we thought we'd crack on and fund ourselves through an Access package.

@BambiOnIce80 same - I was really hoping for a last minute miracle this month so we didn't have to put ourselves through this. But here we are so I'm trying to stay as positive as I can.

Welcome @MF1981 👋 The post code lottery is both crazy and upsetting 😔 I'm in Scotland, so very, very fortunate in what we are entitled to. We decided to self fund with our NHS clinic to get going sooner rather than later for our fresh cycle, so our frosties are made with my 39 year old eggs 🥚 Now I'm 40 and our NHS funding has come around, so all our FET's (if we need all 5 of them 🔮) will be on the NHS. It boggles my mind that the rules depend on where you happen to live. I hope your appeal is successful 🤞

I'm so sorry that you've had to make such a difficult decision @Maya0202 💐 I wish I was normal too.x

Hey to everyone.
I'm not feeling very positive that I'll get to cycle in November! I had a call today from one of the secretaries saying she had an email from my consultant asking her to book me in for a baseline scan and nurse consult. However due to the increasing risk of covid they are stopping all nurse consults for FETs and unfortunately they couldn't give me an appointment right now and wouldn't tell me when it could be. I let her finish before I told her that I had rang up 10 days ago and booked a nurse consult as my consultant had advised and that since it's booked in surely that doesn't fall into the "not making new bookings" category. She agreed with me, but I've got a feeling it'll either get cancelled or when I do have the appt they won't schedule me in for the transfer for a loooong time!! So I've still got everything crossed that we will be a November transfer but I doubt it!

In other good news though AF arrived yesterday. I'm usually a 28 day cycle and it was day 30, but I'm pretty happy that my chemical hasn't kicked me out of whack too much. I'm also happy that in the follow up letter my consultant sent me and my GP it confirms my chemical, so its down on my medical records should we (really hope not!!) need any input from the recurrant miscarriage team in the future

Hi everyone! I'd like to join in. (I think this is the right month for me!)

I am 41, and had my first fresh icsi cycle in August (after three years TCC and treatment for male factor infertility). Good amh and follicle count for my age - though can't recall the specifics.

I had a round cancelled in March due to Covid, then the August one was a bfn. But got two 5BBs in the freezer which we were happy about.

I came on yesterday and the nurse confirmed today I'll start my FET meds in two weeks. Though I haven't had my paperwork or protocol sent through yet - so still not quite sure what to expect! Starting on norethisterone and buserelin- so I guess it's not the short protocol.

Looking forward to journeying with you all x

Thank you @BambiOnIce80. That’s really encouraging. I hope you are enjoying your week off and taking some time to yourself. It’s easy to feel like we are constantly waiting and counting down the days. For me it’s all still unknown at the moment, trying to get my head around how it all works. Trying not to automatically presume the worse and be positive 😆 it’s almost like being slightly negative protects me from more disappointment but I know that’s not the right attitude to have!

@Mseddy I really hope Covid doesn’t cause any more delays. I was thinking that there was no way they’d cancel ivf procedures again after the last lock down but now I’m not so sure. My nurse appointment is end of October too so fingers crossed that doesn’t change for either of us 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻

Hello @Jane1284 👋 I'm new to this too and similarly have a low AMH (6.3), although I am a little younger (31). I'm having up and down feelings after reading info re success rates but am focusing on quality over quantity like some of the other ladies on here have said!! I've been taking ubiquinol and vitamin D since March so hope these might help.

@Melissa1983 hope you're timelines all pan out smoothly for you 🤞

@Maya0202 you are very reassuring! Thank you! I do a bit of yoga and do find it relaxing so think I will try to do this more regularly now we're getting closer to our cycle hopefully.

@MF1981 we have our consenting and nurse appts on the 21st too. What is a mock transfer?

@Mseddy all fingers crossed it does get to happen for you in November 🤞 Covid is such a pain! I work in the health service so exposure risk is high - I'm so worried about catching it and derailing our cycle 🙈

@Lepatz great you've got 2 embryos on ice but so sorry about your BFN 😢 hoping this cycle is your cycle 👍

Sod's law the one month I'd quite like AF to turn up it's keeping me waiting. CD 29, usually 24 day cycles. Definitely not PG (negative test 3 days ago) so just waiting for it to turn up. Hopefully it will arrive the next day or 2, otherwise we might need to move some of our appointments. I do sometimes feel my body is just extremely uncooperative!! I had a sneaky glass of red tonight in consolation, for the first time in about 6 weeks! 🙈😂

Hi @MGee123 👋🏻 Will be interesting to hear if we both get put on a similar protocol with our low AMH. At least age is on your side so even if you get a few eggs hopefully they will be top quality ☺️ I am on so many supplements I think I must rattle while I walk these days. I went to see a naturopath last month as soon as I found out I needed to start IVF and she’s put me on a load of supplements. Who knows if they make a difference but at least I feel like I am doing something. Been doing daily meditations as well which I feel helps with the stress. Also reading lots of books to give me some hope. Just finished ‘inconceivable’ by Julia Indichova which gave me hope. Xx

Oh I'm definitely a 'expect the worst but hope for the best' kind of girl too @Jane1284! Or a realistic optimist, I guess 😄

Welcome @Lepatz 👋 It sounds like we might be on a similar time scale for our FET's 🙂 I'm going in to have my prostap injection (flipping great dose of buserelin, apparently 💉) on the 20th. It'll be interesting to see if we're on similar protocols.

And welcome @MGee123 👋 I'm watching my cycle (temping 🌡️) like a hawk this month and praying I don't have a wonky cycle where I ovulate late! It needs to be out of the way before the prostap injection on CD22 (and normally would be), but we've got various stressy non-IVF things going on at the moment and I've got a horrible feeling it's going to throw me out of whack 😥 I never used to stress so much about things that haven't even happened yet until we went through IVF! 😏 I hope AF turns up for you soon 🤞

Urgh, that's worrying @Mseddy 😟 Are your clinic thinking of stopping FET's as covid gets worse? I wonder what their logic is for that?!

Hey @MGee123 - mock embryo transfer. They couldn't do my hsg because the catheter kept being pushed out so they want to check I will be ok with embryo transfer rather than getting to the day and realising there's a problem. Hopefully there won't be and I just had a spasm on the day.

Ah I see. That sounds stressful @MF1981 - hope it goes okay for you this time.

We got all our paperwork through today to read (consent forms etc). We will be doing a short protocol. And AF started yesterday (finally!) so feel we're on the countdown now. I need to move my baseline scan as late AF has messed the dates up a bit, but only by a few days. Looking forward to getting started and weirdly feel kind of excited. I'm sure that will change soon after starting though! It just feels good to be starting to do something after 18 cycles ending in disappointment with no hint of a BFP. At least with this one I know there is a chance it might work (if we get to that point!)! Weird emotions all round really.

I've totally given up tracking my cycle - it is so variable anyway, and I have (weirdly) managed to relax a bit more these past few months since being told about my low AMH. I did find temping worked okay though.

One of my biggest worries now is catching Covid. I work in the NHS so there may be now avoiding it in a few weeks time, as we may have positive patients on our ward. Trying not to think about it too much for now though.

@Jane1284
Just curious what supplements did your naturopath suggest you to take?

Hey Ladies!!

I’ve just had my FET Monday 5/10 after 2 failed FETs last year I’m really hoping this one is third time lucky 🍀

I did feel period type in my stomach and lower back for a couple days afterwards and have some waves of sickness these past two days but I think it’s too soon for that really, don’t help I’ve been ill with a bad cold so it might be that come to think of it.
I’ve got the 6 day itch tho and I’m tempted to get a pregnancy test!! Do you think it’s too soon to get a positive result?? Xx

@Chicasimona hey, I was taking a pregnacare multivitamin as well as omega 3, ubiquinol and royal jelly all in the morning. She has asked me to stop the royal jelly and start taking different supplements which she says are better quality and rather than taking them all in one go I spread them out. So now I take
3 x prenatal with folate rather than folic acid
3 x ubiquinol
2 x minerals
1 x vitamin d
2 x vitamin c
1 x vitamin e

Not cheap but I only get one round of IVF on NHS and then I have to pay so figure spending a bit of money now to get my body in the best condition is worth it. 🤞🏻 Fingers crossed it makes a difference 😀

Hi @Jane1284
I wish you the best of luck with your upcoming treatment.

Can I ask which minerals have you been recommended? Is it like tissue salts?

@Chicasimona thank you. Very much appreciated.

Of course. The mineral brand is called Pure Encapsulations and the product name is ‘Mineral 650A 180's‘. I take two with breakfast and two with dinner. Ingredients are: Magnesium, calcium, potassium, zinc, ascorbyl palmitate, iron, selenomethionine, copper, manganese , potassium iodide, chromium picolinate.

I have done some tests to check if I am deficient in anything but these will take a couple of weeks. I figure she wants to put me on a supplement since I should be starting treatment soon and didn’t want to risk waiting for the results.

Are you taking any supplements currently?

I've been taking tons of supplements previously but now I only take pregnacare, fish oil, D3 and additional methylfolate. I agree with you all the supplements cost so much but it is still nothing to compare to a cost of IVF. X