IVF February/March 2021

[Alexm06]

Hi

I’m due to start IVF mid February depending on when my period in January starts.
Had a fresh cycle end of august which sadly ended in a missed miscarriage in October.
I only had that one embryo so will be starting a new fresh cycle.

Would love to chat to any ladies starting then as I found the chats really helpful during my first round.

Thank you for the recommendations for the Rhod Gilbert documentary, watched it tonight and really enjoyed it, had a good chat (and I got the bbc to change the advert before hand ).

I had my endometrial scratch today (not something I fancy doing again any time soon!) and then start short protocol drugs next Friday. Anyone else looking at egg collection around the 3rd March??

@richmondlady1981 - I'm 33 (first cycle was 31, 2nd 32) my AMH is 1.9or 2.1i think. First collection 3 eggs and 2nd collection 2. 4 transfers, one made it to 5wks5d.

I should have an issue with needles, I'm covered in tattoos and have had loads of surgeries, oh and given blood so being poked doesn't bother me. It was just getting over the first one, reminded me of my first time. Is it your first time?

@39andabit - I think it's important to keep realistic during this process as it's a long hard road!
In regards to plan b, I don't have one really, currently it's either successful IVF or childless. Family members are in the process of adoption and it is just as mentally hard as IVF.

Regarding alcohol and diet, I'm one of the rebels I suppose!
Consultant has said that stress is a big factor so just focus on being relaxed and if a gin helps with that, have one!

@Motherofkittens28 - oh please try to not worry about that, it's not something you can control. Buserelin can give headaches, try to increase your fluids to flush it through your system 😊

@salacia - glad you found it useful, I always find humour helps! Care did an Instagram video about sperm tonight, it was reassuring.

Had my nurse chat today, I didn't realise that my egg collection could be a week on Friday- I'm a little shocked that it's so soon!

Those coming up to et, don't forget hot baths are hot, so treat yourself to a soak asap!

@dragonfly1978 I can’t say I’ve ever had one but I’ve heard they are not the most comfortable thing. I’m due to have egg collection March 1st but after my scan this morning depends on the size of my cyst. I’m currently on provera till Saturday but after talking to my partner I might stop tomorrow as the nurse thinks my period may take a bit longer with the cyst and I don’t think that it’s helping the cyst as I’ve never had one this big and this is the first time on provera. I’m only on it to control when my period arrived so I don’t think stopping it a day early will do anything. When do you start stims?

@Alexm06 I start stims next Friday, what about you?

@dragonfly1978 well I was due to start the 17th but yeah all depends on cyst and period. I hate the waiting! Is this your first cycle?

@Alexm06 it's my second, failed cycle in November (2 blastocysts put back but no pregnancy). How about you?

@Motherofkittens28 I worry about that too as my scans on letrozole were really low follicle count but I agree with @Mrbay try as hard as you can to focus on the things you can control like getting lots of sleep and looking after yourself. Easier said than done though!

@Mrbay oh really I am on the fence about having a wine once or twice, I have been good so far, I definitely will have one between egg collection and transfer if I feel like it as surely that can’t hurt! Good luck for the egg collection. My partner and I are referring to it as the ‘Harvest Festival’

@dragonfly1978 endometrial scratch sounds ouch! I’m also hoping for egg collection around the 3rd too. On day 8 of buserelin and scan booked for next Thursday. Wishing you lots of luck!

@dragonfly1978 it’s my second too! Had my first cycle end of august which unfortunately ended in a missed miscarriage and only had the one egg to transfer so yeah doing it all again hopefully to get some frozen ones this time. They have upped my menopur to get some. Hope this cycle works for you this time!

Ivf is hard enough as it is, without going the total before getting preggers! I'm not a massive home drinker anyway but sometimes I get an urge for a lovely g&t!

@Mrbay thanks for the details. Sorry to hear you lost a pregnancy. That must have been hard. I also lost a pregnancy at 9 weeks. Found out at my 12 week scan. My dr said to aim for 2 fertilised eggs (to keep expectations managed).

There’s a lovely lady in the Dec/JAN thread. She had only one egg collected and now she’s pregnant. Amazing. You just never know.

Haha you must be a pro with needles then! I guess it’s very different with tattoos as it’s your choice, and you end up with a pretty design at the end. Very different this time! Im Doing my first ones tonight. Got the bag of frozen peas ready! 😬.

@39andabit sounds like we will have our collections around the same time 🤞for both of us! This is my second round and I am just hoping that the egg collection isn't as painful as the first round, agony and the sedation had no effect at all 😢.

@Alexm06 that's exactly the same as me, I had 11 eggs, 7 fertilised but only two made it to 5 days blastocysts last time and I had them both put back so had nothing to freeze. I have had my stims increased this time as well and changed from menopur to a combination of three others in the hope I get some to put back and some to freeze. I am 42 but my AMH is very high so fingers crossed!

Sorry for being quiet, I haven’t had much to report! I went for FET vaseline scan yesterday, all looks fine and I’m good to start Progynova and Fyremadel when my period starts. Should be around 20th Feb 🤞🏻

She asked me ‘had I made a choice about progesterone’ and nobody had ever mentioned this to me before. At the moment I’ve been given just pessaries, but she said I can either have extra progesterone through some scary sounding intramuscular injections which are free, or I can pay £7.50 per day for what I think would be Lubion and they are smaller. I have no idea whether I need extra or not, I was like why ask me I’m not the doctor 😂 so I’m torn at the moment, but I think for our own sanity I would pay the money, I think it would be about £650, but my poor husband hates giving me the normal injections, nevermind these super deep ones for 12 weeks!

Hope everyone else is doing ok in these weird and stressful times

@Motherofkittens28 don't stress iv had headache the whole time on buserelin and please don't expect the first cycle not to work because my first cycle did, you ay surprise yourself.
Good luck today at your scan.

Can i just put it out there, i had acupuncture with a massage on Wednesday and im feeling really relaxed since, my body doesn't feel tense or stressed, im assuming that's what its suppose to do, but honestly what would normally stress me out im feeling im not stressing. The acupuncture Dr said its all about stress and if your body is stressed the blood doesn't circulate aswell through the body which can affect the implantation l, weather that is true or not i dont know.
But the acupuncture has made me feel relaxed and less stressful.

Just had my baseline scan and can start ovaleap tomorrow but she did a follicle count and I have half the number of follicles I had when they did an unmedicated AFC in December. I'm really upset and don't really understand how it could reduce so much so quickly.

@ThePurpleFairy progesterone is really important and ill be honest if I was offered extra as well as the pessaries I would go for it.
Every little helps if you can afford it.
When are you expecting to do the FET?

@motherofkittens28 don't be down, im sure that once you start stims they can boost even more new follicles, some people start with not many and then have a great number on EC. I didnt have any follicles in my left ovary at all, but hopefully with the stims it may give it a kick start and produce a couple.
Try not to worry, quality over quantity i do truly believe in this i know someone who had 20 follicles collected and non fertilised and it was awful, so try not to get down and stress about it. U just need 1 thats all I keep telling myself on my first cycle and the same on this one.
Keep us updated good luck with injection tomorrow.

Hey guys
Just wanted to get your opinion. So the nurse thinks my massive cyst is due to the provera but still wants me to continue taking it until Saturday even though she thinks my period may take up to a week to come because of it. I’m thinking I will just take my last one tonight as I don’t see why I would continue if they are the reason my cyst is so big but then also don’t want to go against the clinic. What do you guys think?

@Alexm06 have you had your bloods taken? If so do you have high levels of estrogen? I would take it for a little longer as it can sort it's self out, especially if you have a bleed.

@Alexm06 I think I would go with what the clinic ses because im sure they know what they are doing, and if it would be in your best interest to stop im sure they would say stop, do you think?
I would definitely go by what they advise if it were me .

@Alexm06 I agree, I think I would go with what the clinic said as well, even though it is frustrating. Fingers crossed it resolves itself.

@ThePurpleFairy are you having a fresh IVF cycle or FET? If it's FET you can ask them to check your progesterone levels the day of embryo transfer to check if you need it. If a fresh cycle there is no indication what level your progesterone should be at so it's harder. Have you had problems with low progesterone levels before?

On my last fresh cycle I bled through the pessaries, which indicated my progesterone levels were low, so the clinic have added the lubion injections for me for every subsequent round. They're not particularly pleasant, they sting and the side effects are quite bad, but totally worth it if that's what helps your body hold on to the pregnancy!

AFM my period has FINALLY started so I'll be starting menopur tomorrow. It's felt like a long wait this time so I'm very glad to be getting going again!

@Blessing12 @MrTumbleTumble
Thanks guys i know it’s only a day difference so not sure how much difference it would make stopping early anyway

@Kitttycatt I haven’t had bloods recently I had a cyst last time when they took bloods but all was normal so was able to start.

Just had my scan barely any of my follicles have grown past 6mm. They are still not upping my dose which I am confused about. Extended my meriofert until Monday then have another scan. The nurse suggested I wouldn't be ready for another week

Sorry to hear that @Reevalyneete. Hopefully a few more days will make a difference!