August 2020 IVF - continued

[Lepatz]

Morning ladies!

We hit our 1000 limit on the original thread! That’s 1000 messages of support and advice, celebrating every happy milestone, and being there for uncertainty and bad news too. Thanks @Mseddy for setting up our little cohort :)

Will try to tag the regulars, apologies if I miss anyone. @Custardandcream @nextweek @kikisparks @StayingPositive8 @Bruce2 @CardboardCat @MrsT36 @loulamay @MsNoons17 Argh, my phone is refusing to autocomplete properly - I hope that works.

Wishing everyone heath and happiness - whatever stage of the journey you're on xx

@Lepatz sorry to hear it didn't work. It's so hard!! I think id be leaning towards a full fresh too. It would make me feel better knowing there was a frostie there if i needed it. Like a safety blanket almost.
Yeah I'm hoping when I'm in my tww it'll click a little more in the other threads, but it's a December Jan thread and it's full of people starting in Feb now even some march. My head just isn't with it to be chatting to first timers about what to expect in 3 months time. God reading that back sounds awful!! We where all first timers once! I'm just not feeling as peppy and excited as I did when I kicked it all off 2 years ago I guess!!

So sorry @Lepatz - I think you deserve something lovely, like a massage or a bit of retail therapy! (Not sure if the massage thing is possible right now over there!) I know how you feel about the fresh versus FET thing. But as @kikisparks says, you can give yourself a few days to decide. I mentioned to my Dr about how I was worried that the stats for older IVF patients looked so bad and although he agreed that age was a factor, he said not to pay too much attention because everyone is so different, responds differently to drugs, etc etc. Let us know what you decide! We're all rooting for you and for each other.

@MsNoons17 hope transfer went well!

I just had a scan today to check lining thickness and see if I am close to ovulating. My Dr said my lining was so thick that he thought I'd ovulated already but I'm only on CD12 and never ovulate this early. So I've had to have bloods taken to check progesterone and estrogen levels. If I have already ovulated it might mean we missed the window and I'll have to wait another cycle before we can do the endometrial scratch which means two more cycles now before FET. Argh! It's never straightforward!

So sorry it was confirmed @Lepatz hope you’re ok.

@MsNoons17 how is the TWW going?

@loulamay sorry about your lining thickness confusion, did you get the answer if you’ve ovulated?

I had a call from the doctor today, my thrombophilia test results were negative so just going to go ahead with the FET, can book it when my period comes. No idea when that will be as I didn’t seem to ovulate this month, didn’t get the usual signs. My app says it will arrive 22 December so hopefully it’s not late and I can phone then and get booked in for January.

That's good news @kikisparks! I won't be far behind you hopefully. Blood tests showed I hadn't ovulated yet (don't know why lining was so thick but I'm going to ask about it at my next appointment) and actually got a positive ovulation smiley face on my Clear Blue stick today, so I think that means we'll do the endometrial scratch a week from now. Then I'll be due my period at the end of the month, so FET in mid January. Have been diligently taking my supplements again and going to the gym, so feeling quite proud of myself!

Hope everyone else is doing ok! What news? xx

I'm on my way to my day 12 lining check and I'm so scared!! I feel like I haven't responded to the drugs at all. I'm pretty sure I felt ovulation pains a few days ago even though I'm only cd12. I'm finding the whole FET process quite hard because I'm not feeling it as much on my body even though I know this is probably a good thing in the long run! How is everyone getting on?

how was the scan @Mseddy? I started progesterone today (only 40mg and oral tablets - I feel like you were all on a lot more?) to mimic what we would do for the FET and then have my endometrial scratch and biopsy on Tuesday. Hopefully won't take long for results, and then depending on what they show we'll schedule the transfer for January after my next period, and I'll start back on the Clexane and estrogen/progesterone pills. Feeling a mixture of nervous excited and hopeful. Please let 2021 be the year for all of us!

Hi All!

Great to hear will be going ahead with a round of FET @kikisparks!
TWW is going as always thanks, the usual symptom spotting and anxiety but I’m pretty busy at the mo which is a great distraction. Not really feeling anything symptom wise so not too hopeful this round tbh.

How did your scan go @Mseddy? Yeah I agree FET is strange as your body feels a bit more normal than when you are preparing for an egg collection and you can pretty much get on with life when on the drugs.

Glad it’s all moving along for you @loulamay!
Yes let’s hope 2021 is the year!!!

Hope everyone is good! Xx

I'm sending you all positive vibes. Fingers crossed 2021 a successful year for FETs and new cycles.
I'll be following everyone's journey :) hopeful for you all.
Still sticking around on this thread. Good bunch of girls here! Xx

Hi everyone :)

I've been taking a few days out... only partly through choice! Bloody work went off the rails in the run down to year end. My life became a rotation of laptop and baths! With the occasional glass of wine thrown in.

How did the scan go @Mseddy?? I know what you mean re the FET - it's so low impact comparatively. I think I found the 2WW a bit more intense though - maybe something to do with the higher amounts of progesterone? But could be general 2020 weariness!

How's it going @MsNoons17 How many days past transfer are you now?

Oh, exciting that everything is starting again for you @loulamay!! And for you @kikisparks - and great that your test came back negative.

May 2021 be the year for us all!

I'm really happy you've stuck around @Bruce2. Agree, it's a good bunch! And looking back on 2020, it really does feel like we've been journeying together :)

@MsNoons17 sorry you’ve been anxious but as you say it is normal and it would be really hard not to be. Glad work is distracting you. I don’t think lack of symptoms means anything because it would probably be too early for symptoms caused by anything other than increased progesterone? Good luck and fingers crossed for you! When is OTD?

@loulamay good luck for endometrial scratch, maybe we’ll both be having an FET in January!

@Mseddy how did the scan go? I’m not really familiar with how an FET works, I’m interested to see once I get started.

AF arrived today so I called the clinic and should get a call in the next few days to tell me if I can be booked in for January.

Just after I sent that I got the call- will get started on FET in January

Great news @kikisparks! Something to look forward to in 2021! Yeah realise it’s way too early for real symptoms. Probably just preparing myself to be disappointed. Not a good attitude I know sorry!

Hi @Lepatz all good thanks. I sound pessimistic but I’m actually ok. Am prepared mentally to start another round of egg retrieval in Jan if BFN on Test day Sunday. 😬

Hi @Bruce2 good to hear from you! How’s all going with you?
Yes I agree is a great bunch on here and so nice to be able to share thoughts with you all. I haven’t actually told any family or friends about this round as was sad having to tell people when it didn’t work. So good to have this forum. Xx

@MsNoons17

Great news *@kikisparks*! Something to look forward to in 2021! Yeah realise it’s way too early for real symptoms. Probably just preparing myself to be disappointed. Not a good attitude I know sorry!

Hi @Lepatz all good thanks. I sound pessimistic but I’m actually ok. Am prepared mentally to start another round of egg retrieval in Jan if BFN on Test day Sunday. 😬

Hi @Bruce2 good to hear from you! How’s all going with you?
Yes I agree is a great bunch on here and so nice to be able to share thoughts with you all. I haven’t actually told any family or friends about this round as was sad having to tell people when it didn’t work. So good to have this forum. Xx

Oh I'll be thinking about you on Sunday morning 🤞🏻 All good here thank you. That's me 22 weeks and still haven't told family. Luckily we don't live close so no chance of bumping into them. I'd really like to get to 25 weeks before announcing anything. Sounds ridiculous doesn't it as there's no guarantee a baby would even survive at 25 weeks (high probability it wouldn't) but I just have this milestone in my head. So keeping all communication high level with everyone so no one asks too much 😂 x

@Bruce2 actually the odds at 25 weeks are probably better than you think they are (I'm a nicu nurse). Not that you are going to need to worry about that! It's your choice when to tell family so I wouldn't worry about it.

Thanks to everyone asking after my scan. After much stressing that I hadn't responded my scan went great. My lining was nice and thick and showed the triple layer they wanted so I started my progesterone with my transfer planned in for Monday. I'm on lubion injections as well as my cyclogest this time and I'm struggling with it! I'm a grumpy, bloated, spotty cow and even Im fed up of myself. Feel sorry for DH!

@MsNoons17 hope the tww is going OK. I'm dreading it and I've not even got an embryo on board yet!

@kikisparks yay for jan. A fet feels sooo much less intense, although since starting my progesterone I'm feeling more effects so it's feeling more real.

@loulamay hopefully you get to have FET soon too! Fingers crossed

Yay for good scan results @Mseddy! What is lubion for?

@Bruce2 - bless you, you must be hiding underneath big jumpers! Infertility leaves such a mark. It's almost like PTSD.

@kikisparks whoop whoop! Do you know what your transfer day will be? what is your protocol leading up to the FET?

@Lepatz so lovely to hear from you, I was worried when you went quiet. Sorry work has been so shite, I hope you get to finish up soon and enjoyed a relaxing, beautiful Christmas.

@MsNoons17 I have everything crossed for you! Don't berate yourself for your feelings. I think we all understand what it's like to guard your heart against more disappointment.

I finished work today for Christmas, using up the last of my holiday days in conjunction with the bank holidays so not back until 4th Jan! Yay! Had a glass of bubbles to celebrate (ok, three glasses). Bring on 2021.

xxxx

@MsNoons17 no need to be sorry! You feel how you feel, hopefully it will be good news, got my fingers crossed for you for Sunday. It’s good you’ve got a backup plan, I think it makes the TWW a bit more bearable.

@Mseddy so glad you had good news with your scan! Sorry the meds are tough but glad to hear overall the FET has not been as intense.

@loulamay yay to finishing work! I’m not off until Christmas Eve but I’m working from home so it’s not so bad. I don’t know what transfer day will be yet, probably mid February. All I know about the protocol so far is that I get a prostap injection and 2 weeks later my first scan then I’ll get my oestrogen tablets. Not sure what happens after that.

@loulamay the lubion injections are extra progesterone. I always felt like the beaver bullets (cyclogest) was coming out too much and because I bled before otd with my chemical my consultant suggested extra progesterone to support my Luteal phase. It's expensive though!

Thanks all for the kind words & thoughts!

Thanks @Bruce2 So glad all is going well with you. I think I’d be the same when it does happen with me. Must be hard keeping it from your family but I totally understand though think my family would be suspicious of me not drinking for that long! 😂

Ooh Monday! exciting @Mseddy. I was with the meds this round too! Had the same symptoms. Thought the spots were because of the masks at first before I realised it was all the hormones in my body! Felt like a right teenager! Fun for DH 😂

Enjoy those Christmas bubbles while you can @loulamay I would! Have a great Christmas break.

Thanks @kikisparks yeah agree planning ahead is helpful for tww. Good for the head.

Good to hear from you @Lepatz hope works calmed down for you a bit!

Thanks again to you all ladies. This really is such a helpful thread for the head! Xx

Currently sat waiting to be PUPO! The first of my 4 frosties defrosted well and is expanding so I'm feeling positive. We had a bit of a nightmare this morning because we needed to set off and hadn't heard from the embryologist if any had survived the thaw. So I rang the nurses and they where a bit sketcky on the phone asking what was the latest we could set off and to leave it as long as we could to wait to hear from embryology as she rang them and they said they needed more time. I instantly assumed all 4 embryos hadnt made the thaw and sobbed the first part of the journey. Then then rang with the good news but told me there was staffing issues and that's what the delay was so to come in 90mins later. My poor DH was driving and I was crying already and all I said back to them was "OK ok ok so we will turn around and go home then" bless him he thought it was bad news! Talk about a stressful morning! Hope everyone is OK!

@Mseddy

Currently sat waiting to be PUPO! The first of my 4 frosties defrosted well and is expanding so I'm feeling positive. We had a bit of a nightmare this morning because we needed to set off and hadn't heard from the embryologist if any had survived the thaw. So I rang the nurses and they where a bit sketcky on the phone asking what was the latest we could set off and to leave it as long as we could to wait to hear from embryology as she rang them and they said they needed more time. I instantly assumed all 4 embryos hadnt made the thaw and sobbed the first part of the journey. Then then rang with the good news but told me there was staffing issues and that's what the delay was so to come in 90mins later. My poor DH was driving and I was crying already and all I said back to them was "OK ok ok so we will turn around and go home then" bless him he thought it was bad news! Talk about a stressful morning! Hope everyone is OK!

Oh you poor thing, how worrying!

How exciting now though!! The very very best of luck 🤞🏻
Keeping you in my thoughts!! X

@Mseddy congrats! Although what a terrible drive that must have been! You poor thing. Hatching is a fab sign, too.

Hope everyone else is well. I'm off for my endometrial scratch this afternoon and will then get the biopsy results of that which will hopefully guide January's FET.

XX

@loulamay good luck with your scratch. Hopefully things will be full steam ahead for January!

Wishing you all a lovely Christmas Eve! Crazy to think that we've been chatting since the middle of the year but I'm so grateful to have had a place to vent, so thank you all.

Hope everyone manages to have a safe, peaceful time with as much fun and laughs as possible whilst being pretty bloody ready to say goodbye to one of the weirdest years in history!

Much love, Lou

Same to you @loulamay and everyone else!