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

@Clapham4 good luck today! I think you will be pleasantly surprised that recovery is not as bad as you expect.

Haha getting a wax is worst too right! I'll remember that next time someone is worried about stims!

I've been taking it easy and today is the last day of barely doing anything days. Last time I had cramps 1DPT and 2DPT but haven't had that this time so that's different but then this is only the morning of day2. I'm having these weird cervix cramps but this must be from the progesterone. My boobs are sore but there were a little sore before so definitely the meds. So yeah nothing to report but it's too soon anyway.

It seems like we are all on the same page in regards to isolating. It really feels like a shift had come despite "freedom day" I'm seeing a lot of people being more cautious now than before. I feel less able to do things because there will be more people and less social distancing.

@lawandgin I'm glad your meds arrived not long left now!

@Mouseorchestra7 all the nurses have had mask on for me but do remember some people are exempt for genuine reasons so it might be that as opposed to her being reckless.

@Hopeful1234567 thank you!

@Clapham4 hope it all goes well today and you don’t feel too bad afterwards. Drink lots of water!

@lawandgin exciting that your meds arrived and you’ll be starting soon!

@Hoping4baby21 glad you’re feeling okay and taking it easy! I haven’t really had any side effects so far from the progesterone (except yesterday I was so tired I could have fallen asleep when I was lying down after my lunchtime pessary) so that’s making me worry that they’re not absorbing properly or something - just because I’ve read so much about how the progesterone can cause the same symptoms as early pregnancy. I think if I had sore boobs I’d at least feel sure that it was working properly! Did you have side effects only a few days in to the progesterone? There’s always something to worry about isn’t there?!

@kittyfantastico21 I worried about the same thing first cycle and now this time I do wonder if due to all the stims and what my body had been through etc my body just didn't respond to some of the meds. My boobs on stims got sooooo sore but after egg collection everything started to go away and of course I had a negative. This time they have been getting more sore as the days go on so I hope I'm absorbing or responding better this time. First few days of progesterone I didn't have much of a reaction or any symptoms (if I recall correctly the boobs were a bit sore before starting progesterone). So don't worry it's good that your getting tired that's a progesterone symptom. Everyone is different so we also can't compare. 🙂

@Hoping4baby21 Thank you. I don't think the nurse is exempt, as she wore a mask all through my last cycle. Think it was just oversight. Feeling a bit less panicky about it now. I just worried the last few days, as have been quite relaxed about Covid because I'm double jabbed, etc. Just need to get to the end of next week and EC! Agree about freedom day.. it makes it hard for those who still need to avoid covid at all costs. Going on trains, etc suddenly feels a lot riskier. Good idea to take it easy on your TWW and crossing my fingers for a positive result for you!

@Hopeful1234567 thank you. Yes, its so annoying. This is the major source of worry for me at the moment, as everything else appears to (touch wood) be progressing nicely. I'm doing this on my own (as a (hopefully) solo mother by choice), so it's just me. They did appear to be letting partners in when I was there (but just to the waiting room I think?).

@kittyfantastico21 I didn't have any symptoms on the progesterone for my transfer except for feeling a bit tired which in some ways I saw as a blessing, as I heard people could get really nasty side effects. But then I worried about not having any symptoms! From asking on various boards, loads of women have had success despite not getting any side effects. I also asked the nurse about it after my last transfer and she didn't think it was an issue and I asked the doctor that scanned me last week (you can tell I'm a worrier!) And she said it was good if I didn't have side effects. It basically doesn't mean that your body is not absorbing it, so I wouldn't worry about that.

Hi guys. Thanks everyone for the good luck wishes! It is so nice to have this group of support from people who get it. Got 5 eggs, which is more than expected! After the nurse said 2 or 3. So hopefully tomorrow it’s more good news and we have some embryos.

The drugs are fab 😂 really was a pleasant enough experience compared to what I had built it up to be🙈

Glad you’re both feeling okay @Hoping4baby21 and @kittyfantastico21 💕

@Clapham4 haha yes I forgot about the sedation it gives a lovely nap for sure!

Wishing you a smooth recovery be sure to keep hydrated and moving around every now and then. They say a salty meal helps to reabsorb any fluid in the body and is meant to help.

@Hoping4baby21 @Mouseorchestra7 thanks for the reassurance on not having symptoms, that’s good to know. I’m super tired again this evening (although that could be from not sleeping great last night) so maybe tiredness is my main side effect.

@Clapham4 well done! Great that you got more than they expected. I hope you’re feeling okay and make a speedy recovery. Also crossing my fingers you’ll get a good update on fertilisation! Haha yeah, I actually quite enjoyed the sedation!

@Clapham4 so pleased you got more than expected and the EC wasn’t too bad for you!
@kittyfantastico21 sorry feel like I missed the messages about you already having your transfer! Wishing you lots of luck with the TTW 💓
@Hoping4baby21 Can I ask you a question that you may have already posted but just interested to know what day your transfer was on and thickness of your lining at the last scan? Also, was there a difference from this time and last time with it? Only asking as anxious about this time around for me, last time mine was day 22 and day 16 my thickness was 6.9mm 🙈. I know we’re all different but just interesting to know someone else’s experience.
@Mouseorchestra7 Wow that’s amazing! Really pleased everything is going well for you atm. Not an easy process to go through let alone on your own but shows how incredibly brave and strong you are!

@Hopeful1234567 I haven’t had my transfer yet, so you didn’t miss anything! It’s on Tuesday. I’m just worrying about not having any side effects from the progesterone. There’s always something to get worried about! My transfer will be day 19 and my lining was 7.1mm on day 8.

@Hopeful1234567 so my cycle was a bit out of the norm. I had a dominant follicle despite taking the estrogen and then had an lh surge so was going to ovulate naturally. So as a result everything was pushed up earlier because my lining was ready. So on day 3 they found the follicle, on day 7 I had my first scan and my lining was 9.3mm or 9.4mm I can't remember exactly. Then the following Thursday I had my transfer and that was day 13. So very early but in line with what my body was doing naturally. I was surprised my lining was ready to be honest and was certain my cycle would be cancelled.

On a separate note I'm curious if the lining continues to grow between that final scan check and transfer. 🤷🏽‍♀️

I can already feel that this TWW will be harder than the last one I'm already convincing myself that it hasn't worked because I haven't felt anything. And whilst I know that thought is baseless and it's too soon to know either way plus last time I felt there was more going on but I had a negative anyway so it all makes no sense.

Got the call, all 5 fertilised! So we’re going for a Day 5 transfer on Thursday 🤞🏼 just need some of them to get to a blastocyst stage.

@Hoping4baby21 the TWW is always full of mindgames. Try and relax, you’re in with the same chance as anyone else 🤞🏼🤗 think positive - easier said that done! Xx

@Clapham4 that is great news!! 🤞🏽for the day 5 update.

@kittyfantastico21 I’m literally the same as you! Everything is a worry. Get worked up over the embryos not thawing out etc. I didn’t have any side effect either with the progesterone last time. Tbh didn’t have any throughout the whole process which made me work myself up and then it failed so makes me anxious about this time around.

@Hoping4baby21 thanks for sharing this with me it’s crazy how different it is for everyone and how our bodies are different month to month. So pleased you could have the transfer after that worry. I asked this question at my review about the lining becoming too thick and he told me that it doesn’t matter there’s never a too thick point (although I’m the worst google person out there for IVF and apparently it can get too thick) but I’m just trusting in what they’ve said. My proganova this time is x5 a day so nervous to see what they say on Wednesday if it’s benefited me or not. I am completely the same as you. I had no side effects throughout the TTW and it failed. I know this time I’ll be going crazy, it’s like I’m already accepting it won’t work before going into it. I think I naturally do that because I don’t want to get hurt although I most likely still will.

Fantastic news @Clapham4 - I hope the next few days pass quickly and fingers crossed for 5 beautiful blasts! I am a bit bemused this morning because I appear to have started AF at 7dpo.... I normally spot at 10dpo and start bleeding the next day. There's not loads at the moment but it was bright red earlier, so I guess I just keep an eye on it and if I carry on bleeding, call the clinic in the morning and start stims tomorrow night?!

@Hopeful1234567 yes I have read that it was too thick! I also stumbled across article about not having as many days of estrogen prep as well and I've decided to stay off of google and trust my clinic because for every arrow that says one thing there's another that directly contradicts.

I hope at your next scan you lining is exactly where it is needed. I know progesterone changes your lining and makes it "compact" and from what I have seen it can get a bit thicker but for some it doesn't. If anything I think it doesn't grow at the same rate as when you are just on estrogen.

@lawandgin ooo exciting might be a quicker start for you!

Hi everyone, my period has finally arrived (yay). But it's so late that now I'm worried whether I'll be able to start this month because we have a wedding on 7th Aug and are supposed to visit my partner's relatives in Ireland on the 9th August.

How long does the process take? Or how long did it take for you guys between period starting to transfer?

I'm trying to work out if it is feasible to stay now and would love some advice.

The pros are I'm a teacher so I'm not working at the moment and can attend scans any time without any worries.

I have PCOS so I'm worried that I'll get OHSS and have to wait for a frozen transfer anyway, so dates wouldn't clash with any plans but i might feel poorly for the plans.

Cons it stresses me out to think that i might go for it, the process take longer and i have to reschedule my flight to Ireland.

My partner hasn't seen her family for over a year so really doesn't want to delay the trip but also wants to be with me at appointments etc.

Also do they do any scans or transfers at the weekend? Just wondered as the wedding is on a Saturday so need to work out if they're is any possibility that if i start i can't go at all.

Sorry it's all a bit rambling, that's how my brain feels at the moment.

Hi @Becky105 that is tricky. I think you could be done with stims and egg collection by the time of the wedding and if you're likely to have a freeze all, it would be worth just getting started. However you might not feel great after egg collection and what if you get OHSS? I think there is a risk you wouldn't be able to fly. I understand most people have 8 - 10 days of stims (although I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong!) But how would you feel if you could have a fresh transfer but the timings just didn't work? X

@Becky105 glad your period finally arrived! That’s so frustrating about the timing though. I had EC on day 13 of my cycle and I had a freeze all, but usually ET would be 5 days later so around day 17 or 18. They don’t do scans on Saturdays but EC/ET could be on a Saturday or Sunday if that worked out best for your follicles. So the wedding might be a bit touch and go. It’s very unlikely your partner would be allowed to go to any of the appointments with you (due to Covid) so although it isn’t ideal, she could maybe do the trip to see her family without you or go ahead of you and you fly out later if you did end up having transfer that week? It’s such a difficult situation. If you waited a month would you need to repeat the initial scan? I think they are only valid for 3 months. But if you think it would add a load more stress worrying about whether you’ll be able to go to the wedding/Ireland or not then it might be better to wait.

Argh hit post accidentally!

@Clapham4 wow, all 5 fertilised is fantastic! Fingers crossed for your next update and 5 good blastocysts!

@lawandgin exciting that you’ll be getting started soon! Maybe the difference in luteal phase was an effect of the Covid vaccine?

I definitely think my tiredness is from the progesterone (almost fell asleep on the sofa earlier despite 8 hours sleep last night!) so that’s a bit of a relief to have a sign that it’s working a bit anyway.

@kittyfantastico21 yes I think that's possible, although I've just checked FF and I'm actually 8dpo not 7dpo, so not quite so tragic! It was bright red when I wiped this morning (sorry!) But now brown, so maybe tomorrow will be CD1...

I have my transfer tomorrow and I'm feeling quite anxious about it. I find smear tests very painful so I'm worried about how much ET might hurt. I have a retroverted uterus which I've read can make it a bit more complicated. Has anyone who's been through it got any advice or tips? How did you manage the water drinking? I just had my time confirmed and they said to drink the water an hour before, but I'll be driving then, as I need to arrive at the clinic half an hour before the procedure and I want to allow lots of extra time for traffic. Maybe I'll drink some before I leave and then drink more when I'm stopped at traffic lights etc and then finish it up when I get there, hopefully with extra time to spare...

@kittyfantastico21 I have had it two days drunk the 3 glasses of water 30 mins before and apparently it wasn't full enough. Then started 1 hour before slowly and I felt it was too full but they were happy with it. I do find the procedure uncomfortable but not painful but then I haven't found smears painful either. It's easier said then done but deep breath and focus on a point in the room, they have all been lovely and try to comfort you (the nurses anyway doctor is too busy!) I would say drink based on what you know about your bladder, I don't take much to need to go to the toilet so 30 mins before is enough for me.

If you put the water in a sports bottle it will be easy enough to drink at the lights etc.

The process is simple and quick also whilst the retro vetted uterus might be the reason for painful smears I imagine the doctor doing ET has much more experience with this delicate procedure even on retroverted uterus' that you will be in good perhaps better hand than for a smear.

Wishing you all the luck for tomorrow!

@kittyfantastico21 Good luck for tomorrow. It's understandable you are nervous. I also have a retroverted uterus and have found smears painful in the past, but I think that is because I had a cervical ectropian (treated this year). I can't say as I had ever really noticed my retroverted uterus before, so I'll be interested to hear how you go. My gynae said it was super common and nothing to be worried about and I'm sure the consultants will have seen it lots before. Let us know how you get on.

I am starting my meds today! Flow was bright red yesterday AM and after a short tail off at lunchtime, picked up again the evening. Called the clinic this morning and have my first scan on Friday!

@Clapham4 how are you feeling today? xx

@kittyfantastico21 excited for you tomorrow! I found the procedure completely fine tbh, felt abit of pressure in my back but that was it. I didn’t drink enough water before hand but I’m one of those people that I can’t hold it well. Ended up having to go and drink some water and they forgot about me so felt like I was going to pee on them 🙈.

@Hoping4baby21 didn’t actually know that the lining thickness slows down once on pessaries! Just makes me more concerned I wasted my first attempt with my lining only getting to 6.9mm. Hoping to see some difference with my lining on Wednesday but prepared for it not aswell. I know when I did EC that my lining got to 10.4mm. Feel like this is one of those things where if it’s meant to happen it will but still hard to accept. I have a 4BB embryo next but if it doesn’t thaw out my last two embryos are 4CBs. I’ve been told they are medium quality by abc but online it says that are poor makes me not want to waste any more money. My partner is 42 in September and he doesn’t want to have children past 45, he doesn’t want to be an old dad (he already has a 14 year old) which I understand but makes it feel like time is not on our side when we have trouble conceiving. I am 28 so makes our situation difficult as in my head I feel I have lots of time.

@Clapham4 That’s amazing! very excited for you!
@lawandgin so exciting! Wishing you lots of luck with your journey 💓💓.