ABC IVF thread continued

[StarryHannah]

Our other thread is now full so thought I would start this one to continue the chat.

@Beaglemum91 I'm waiting for my period so I can start meds for FET so that is really helpful information about the embryo transfer process. Thank you. Did you have your partner on Facetime or anything for it?

@Icsi2021 so excited for you xxx

Seems like I need to go for a freeze all! So unexpected to be fair... @kittyfantastico21 are you doing a frozen transfer right? Do you have to do the injections again or take any medication when your period starts?

@sil19 9 eggs is pretty good and with mild stimulation the theory is that a higher percentage of them will be good quality (vs if you got 20+ or something, where a lower percentage of them would be good quality). I'm so sorry to hear you've had a tough recovery but it's good that the clinic are managing it. Drink lots of water and the extra injections the clinic gave you will help. My tip for the clexane ones (blood thinners) is to do them really, really slowly. I had read accounts of people finding them really painful but I did them super slowly and didn't experience very much pain at all. Hopefully your bleed will come soon and your hormone levels will reset to normal. I really hope you're feeling better soon and wishing you all the best with finding the right clinic for your situation.

@Francesmalin sorry you're getting an unexpected freeze-all. I felt quite upset about it at first - it's difficult to have to change your expectations and delay things further. But it took me a while to recover from EC so in the end I was glad because I wouldn't have been in a great space for a fresh transfer! I was given 5 extra cetrotide injections to do after egg collection and 5 injections of a blood thinner (clexane) as well as some tablets - all to help prevent OHSS - so I expect you will be given the same. They also changed my trigger injection from ovitrelle to buserelin.

After EC I had a withdrawal bleed 4 days later, and then I can start the FET cycle on my next period, so it's only a month to wait. The FET cycle is done with estrogen tablets, no injections - yay!

@kittyfantastico21 thx!
Well that's the thing isn't it when you are just freezing. Idk and won't know about the egg quality. So keeping that in mind, I'd feel better with more. If I were using them immediately I would be happy with 9.
I'd def go with ABC if I were doing full IVF, I think their quality over quantity approach and mild stim would be great for that and Id prefer that in that case.
Thx for the tip on blood thinners. Ive been given x5 cetrotide and x5 inhixa, my first shot of the latter def wasnt pleasant and im not usually bad with pain levels or needles. Wondering if I can take them in my thigh instead to give stomach a rest. Im quite happy with how on it theyve been with making sure Im alright.

Is there anyone here that did a fresh transfer? Cause it seems like there few people that are doing frozen ones!

Random question for anyone at Wimbledon... what is the best way to get into the car park as last time I had to leave DH waiting on the phone to the main call centre as otherwise I would have been late. That's not an option today as we're having bloods together!

@lawandgin there's a direct number - I've sent you a DM.

Hi all! Sorry I’ve not been keeping up, I moved house last week so it’s been busy. But had my treatment consultation and the drugs should be arriving this week to start this weekend 😅😅

@unCliche best of luck over the next few months lovely 🤞🏼

Hope everyone is doing okay! Lots of frozen transfers apparently and weirdly the person who recommended ABC to me also had that, planned a fresh but was told frozen after EC! So not sure if that’s more of a precaution they take? X

Hey everyone! Saturday cannot come soon enough for my period to arrive. So not only did my friend tell me she's pregnant (both times now it's been an "oopsie") FML, then on Monday I thought I got a positive cheap pregnancy test. It was faint and I threw out my urine because I expected it to be negative! I only tested so I could come to terms with it being negative well in advance of spending the weekend with said pregnant friend and her pregnant sister for her hen! But instead got a massive mindf**k.

Turns out I may have touched my OPK test to the preg test and the dye ran. Who knew that was a thing, did a "science experiment - definitely possible ladies so bear that in mind). Took a test this morning saw something but it is barely there and now it has dried I cannot tell. I shared the picture with a friend and it is clearly there, she sees it, my husband sees it. Took a clear blue negative, but also somehow convinced myself I see a shadow of something.

So basically I'm going crazy and seeing things and not getting any answers and all of this is actually going to likely make my period starting on Saturday WORSE which is what I was trying to avoid.

Sometimes I feel like I'm cursed. This could only happen to me 🤦🏽‍♀️🤦🏽‍♀️🤦🏽‍♀️🤦🏽‍♀️🤦🏽‍♀️

@Clapham4 hope the house move went well! So exciting that you'll be starting so soon!

@Hoping4baby21 wow that all sounds so stressful and upsetting. Maybe test again tomorrow and see if that gives a more conclusive answer. It must be so frustrating not knowing and having to wait to find out for sure. Can you plan distraction things to get you through the afternoon and evening and take your mind off it? I don't want to add to building up hopes in case it turns out to be negative, but I have everything crossed for you that it's a genuine positive and it's faint because it's still early.

@kittyfantastico21 thank you! I can barely concentrate but just have to wait until tomorrow. I really doubt if it is anything then maybe it was/is a chemical I think at 11Dpo it would be more clear.

I'm just trying to tell myself it is a no and leave it at that. Tomorrow is just confirmation.

I've attached a photo - can you guys see it? Photo one is this morning and photo two is the potentially contaminated test from yesterday. Both FMU.

Second pic test from yesterday

Just to say the bottom test in the second picture was dipped in water for comparison.

@Hoping4baby21 How exciting! I can see lines in both test!! Let's hope this is the real deal 🤞

@Hoping4baby21 I think I can see a line... fingers are crossed for you that it is - that all sounds mega stressful

@Clapham4 wow, that's so exciting, so soon! I am having my TC next Thursday, but not to start until 2/3 August - although I had my second vaccine on Sunday so who knows that that will do to my cycle! I really ummed and ahhed about what to do, but I definitely feel better going into this with the protection, especially with the unlocking from 19th. If anyone else wants to get theirs and can't get it before 8 weeks on the national booking system (which was the same for me) look up local walk-in clinics and give them a go. A lot will specify 8 weeks but as long as you are 21 days past the first vaccine, they should do it. There's also a super helpful reddit thread if anyone wants the details. Anyway, I'm so excited to hear about your next stage Clapham!

Thanks again for the message @kittyfantastico21 - typically the barrier was up this morning but I'm so grateful to have a direct number for the clinic as I've been able to pass it to our courier who is now in the process of agreeing a transfer date for our sperm from the London Womens Clinic

@Hoping4baby21 I think I can see a line on today's test. Be extra kind to yourself this evening and good luck for testing tomorrow.

@lawandgin I'm not sure it's a phone line that the clinic staff answer, but maybe a dedicated one just for people to ring for the barrier to be opened. When I've called it they don't tend to answer the phone, just lift the barrier. So it's probably best to ask the clinic for the correct number to give the courier - it may be the embryology team that the courier needs to contact anyway. That was who dealt with getting our donor sperm delivered. Great that you could get fully vaccinated before starting treatment! I'm having my second one next week so just hoping it doesn't interfere with my lining...

oops, thanks @kittyfantastico21 I will let the courier know! I was on a similar CD to my last vaccine (CD5) and I did have later ovulation by about 5 days, but everything else seemed normal so hopefully it won't affect your lining...

Nothing on the test today so not sure what happened.

Bring on the weekend so we can get started with this FET!

@Hoping4baby21 I'm so sorry, what an unfair rollercoaster of a week :-( But only two days to go until FET cycle for both of us! I'm so impatient to get started now.

@kittyfantastico21 I can't lie it has made me feel pretty shit. I am not looking forward to this FET, I'm feeling pretty flat as if having a positive outcome is near impossible (although I know that rationally this makes no sense statistically it based on our history) but o do want to get started because at least then there is a shot, however small. I think if this doesn't work we might do another retrieval because the younger the eggs the better put the embryos on ice and take some time out. I think not just fertility but my job has been pretty toxic for a while (I'm leaving in September - counting down the days!) the pandemic and now fertility on top has just taken a toll for the last 1.5 years and I'm feeling like I might need the time out from everything.

The fresh cycle worked well for us but we only have 2 embryos on ice and originally want 2 kids so not enough left. Unless we are majorly lucky!

Sorry not much positivity over here at the moment. But I really hope this month is a good month for us on the board.

We've decided to tile the kitchen and decorate our spare bedroom think we are both in need of some distraction and something non fertility to focus on!

@Hoping4baby21 hugs to you, I'm sorry you're feeling so low. I really hope this transfer will be the one for you - IVF often takes more than one try so there's every chance it could work this time. Doing another EC and then taking some time out sounds like a good plan if it comes to that - it's good to be strategic and know what you'll do if this one isn't successful. Also glad to hear you're leaving your toxic job! Definitely something to look forward to. Plus tiling and decorating sound like excellent distractions, and then you get to live in the niceness afterwards!

No need to apologise for not being cheerful all the time, this is such a tough process with so many ups and downs. I think I'm only feeling so upbeat about it all at the moment because this will be my first transfer, so I still have the naive hope that maybe it will work first time and I haven't yet experienced the heartbreak of a negative test. I keep trying to temper my hopes but it's so hard not to get carried away imagining.

@kittyfantastico21 what I will say is that the naive bliss and positively of first cycle was so nice and a much better way to experience IVF, despite the fall at the end. So I think enjoy it, I don't regret being so positive and hopefully at all. So don't try to wish the hope away too much. I think hope is what will keep pushing us forward either way. Hopefully you never have to experience and negative result 🤞🏽

@Hoping4baby21 the transfer is this weekend is it? Honestly everything crossed for you💕

@kittyfantastico21 can I have some of your optimism please😅 my drugs arrived today as did my pre period spotting and I’m really feeling like it’ll be a bad outcome before I’ve even started😬 Like it’s all a waste of time because I’ll end up with negative test after all this effort. I need to get my head in the game really! This journey is gruelling!

Hope everyone else is doing okay xx

@Hoping4baby21 - thanks, that's a good way of looking at it!

@Clapham4 happy to share my optimism with everyone! I hope you feel better about things when your treatment gets started. Hopefully at least the first scan will give you good news and then you might feel more excited. And even if you get a negative first time, if you get some embryos to freeze then it wasn't a waste because you don't have to go through stims/EC again. And either way the clinic will learn how your body responds to the drugs, which is really useful for a second cycle.

My period came a day early, and blessed me with full flow first thing instead of spotting for days and wondering if it counts yet. Scan booked for next Friday and will start on the progynova tomorrow - FET is go!

@Clapham4 no not transfer yet, I start meds this weekend. Transfer should be end of June some time. However my body is being a little weird and I've been having some discomfort/aches down below can't tell where it's coming from and now I'm potentially unreasonable concerned I have some sort of cyst or some other thing (god knows what) that is going to mean cancelling the cycle. I hate being an overthinker sometimes. I've taken another pregnancy test and nothing. But my pre period signs are not as they normally are. I definitely ovulated though!

@kittyfantastico21 I'm so jealous!!!!! I wish my period would just arrive so I could get out of my head lol! Yay for you and love that it was full flow first thing! fingers and toes crossed!

I found that journaling and affirmations really helped me keep positive. I scripted each step of the journey positively as well to help me visualise it going well. Perhaps that is something you can try? But I totally hear you on not being able to summon the hope that it will work. I'm right there with you. I almost feel like this cycle I'll be trying to ignore it mentally. As if that is goi g to work.

I have called the clinic waiting for another call back because of course I didn't get to the phone in time the first time. I'm wishing now we had a baseline scan before each and ever cycle because that would put my mind at ease.

@Hoping4baby21 I've had the same thing for the last week! I had a very mild ache on one side where I think my ovary probably is. I was also really worried it might be a cyst so I called the clinic and they said it could just be my body still calming down from the stims and that if it was a cyst that wouldn't interfere with a FET cycle anyway. I hope that helps put your mind at ease a bit. My ovary ache seems to have gone away now my period has started (or maybe it's just masked by period pain!).