IVF - May

[TheSnufflet]

Couldn't see a thread for May so I thought I'd start one!

Anyone else doing their cycle in May? I just got my calendar through and all the injections look extremely Not Fun (this is my first time doing it) 😕

@TheDutchess3 that’s really interesting! On my first cycle, I had 2 day 3 embryos transferred as I only had 4 in total and one of these became my daughter. I remember being devastated when I was told I was having a day 3 transfer as I had read so much stuff saying day 5 is better but my clinic said that the embryos actually have a bigger chance of survival in your uterus vs in the lab so they prefer to transfer on day 3 if there aren’t that many to choose from as you would probably end up with the same one transferred anyway on day 5 (if it survived). If however you have many (say 10), then it makes more sense to wait until day 5 and choose the best one to transfer. It’s a game of probabilities in the end...

I've got 2 3AA frozen blastocysts too, the embryologist just called ❄ ❄️ 🥰🥰 I hope this gives hope to anyone on here that is worried about low numbers... Xx

[quote Tarsette]@TheDutchess3 that’s really interesting! On my first cycle, I had 2 day 3 embryos transferred as I only had 4 in total and one of these became my daughter. I remember being devastated when I was told I was having a day 3 transfer as I had read so much stuff saying day 5 is better but my clinic said that the embryos actually have a bigger chance of survival in your uterus vs in the lab so they prefer to transfer on day 3 if there aren’t that many to choose from as you would probably end up with the same one transferred anyway on day 5 (if it survived). If however you have many (say 10), then it makes more sense to wait until day 5 and choose the best one to transfer. It’s a game of probabilities in the end...[/quote]
That is indeed the reasoning they have here! For the strong embryos it will probably not matter, day 3 or 5, but for the weaker ones it might be better to be transferred on day 3 as no lab environment can 100% substitute the woman's body.

@VenusStarr CONGRATULATIONS!!! welcome to to PUPO club👏😂 wow a 5AA is top top quality!! And that's great that you also have 2 more top quality ones in the freezer!! So happy for you!! 🎊Xx

@VenusStarr
Congratulations, 3 blasto is such an amazing result!

@VenusStarr huge congratulations to you!!! Amazing news! 😍 xx

Thank you, it's so surreal but I'm going to enjoy this ❤️ @Georgie87B @TheDutchess3 @Coops0406 just about to have my post transfer acupuncture x

@VenusStarr Hope transfer went well today! Utrogestan sounds gross! Congrats having two to freeze!

@DoctorBambino Exciting you have a faint bfp!

@FingersXssd83 I felt really disapointed when I only get 4 eggs my EC depsite normal AMH levels for age. Only 2 of our eggs were mature, 2 fertilised and I got a 5AA and 4AA by day 5. I know its hard, but try to stay positive and focus on quality not quantity.

@TheDutchess3 Really interestingly I had very similar first cycle to you - menapur stims for 7 days, told at frist scan to take trigger as lead follicues were 18mm but with a couples around the 14-15mm mark, and similarily got really low numbers (just 4 eggs for me). We're having a Flare protocol if we need another EC round, so hoping I'd be like you and have a much better result if we need to go through EC again.

@Louweeze Are you an IVF baby? How interesting you can chat to your mum about it all!

My AF is a right arse - just started some light bleeding so my CD1 will be tomorrow. When the clinic is closed . I KNEW she was going to do this @notyetamumbuttrying. Couldn't have just come this morning so I could have called clinic and got sorted, nooo! Stupid AF. So it'll be early morning call for me on Monday to get the go ahead to start drugs for FET.

Thank you @2mumlife has your af arrived today? Sorry she's being annoying! Hopefully you can get started on your meds - what are you taking for your FET?

Still feeling really happy and content today. Yesterday was like a dream :)

@2mumlife
What a coincidence! Hope yours will work the first time and you won't need another stimulation. What is a Flare protocol?

@Tarsette
Just wanted to add that I was always strongly for the 5 day ET until the results of the first attempt... I was expecting totally different numbers considering we only had a male factor. That's why for the second attempt we were already inclined not to wait until day 5 in case of a small amount of embryos.

@2mumlife how bloody frustrating!! You knew that would happen didn't you. Is it full flow today then?
@VenusStarr many congrats lovely 🥰

I'm just back from a lodge weekend in Cambridgeshire with my friends. Had a red wine with lunch yesterday and a prosecco the day before as they don't know about ivf. I just drunk tonic the rest of the time and made out it was gin and tonic. Kept my drugs in a cool bag and did the injections in the bathroom. Now feeling bad for having those drinks 🤦🏾‍♀️ I suppose time will tell if it makes an impact or not 😬

@notyetamumbuttrying yeah I’m in the same boat...I had a few drinks (3 to be precise) over the past week (1st week of stims) and feel really bad about It...I’m only taking stims for my lining but I still worry it could have an impact. But I have been more or less teetotal for 6 months now and doing cycles for 2 years so find it really difficult to not have a drink now or then...I think we should tell ourselves that it won’t make much of a difference in the grand scheme of things...

@notyetamumbuttrying @VenusStarr Yup official CD1 here. Having a sluggish AF though, not heavy at all (but then I don't really get heavy bleeds) but feel unusually crampy and tired for me. Call to clinic first thing to get ok'd for starting drugs. I'm on Fyremedal for 7 days, Estrelle solo (estrogen) tablets which I think start straight away, then at some point will add in Utrogestan suppositories and Lubion (progesterone) injections.

@TheDutchess3 Hoping this FET does the trick. So in a Flare protocol you don't down regulate - you take down reg drugs, but to use the pituitary 'flare' for stimulation (you get a flare before downregulation in a down-reg protocol) but the flare in a Flare protocol is harnessed so that your pituatary gland is creating its own over-production of FSH which you can then supplement with lower dose stims. It's got a higher risk of OHSS but is used when you haven't responded well to long protocol
Because you don't down regulate, you don't need nearly as much LP support - so just 1 dose of ovitrelle after transfer for LP support.

@Tarsette thanks for the reassurance. I really hope this is the cycle for you! 🤞🏾
@2mumlife I have fyremadel to take too but they haven't told me to start them yet. I thought I'd be taking it whilst stimming but they've kept me on low dose buserelin 🤷🏾‍♀️ I wish they'd tell me the reasons why! Will be asking at Wednesdays scan.
Wow never heard about a flare protocol before, sounds really interesting! Hope this works for you 🤞🏾

@notyetamumbuttrying I'm on a HRT FET cycle, so I'm just on fyremadel to prevent ovulation whilst they are building up my lining. You might just switch to fyremadel when you're getting close to EC? I had a single Prostap injection for down-reg in fresh cycle so not sure about buserelin cycles. Yeah the Flare protocol is interesting - I'd need to have another AMH test before they decide for sure. They also want to do a delayed EC next time, as eggs that should have been mature at EC weren''t, so they want to give trigger more time to work.

Morning all. I have my first tracking scan this morning and am not sure if I'm meant to have a full bladder or not. Can anyone help me out? X

@C1aire85 morning, empty bladder it is xx

@strawberrysummer19 thank you 😊

@C1aire85 they'll tell you to use the loo anyway, but good to be prepared! I hadn't even considered it so it's lucky she told me to go use the loo! Good luck today.

@2mumlife ah I see. Yeah I guess they'll get me to do a few days of it perhaps. My scan is on weds so I'll ask/know more then. I have a feeling my eggs don't get that mature as I ov early naturally. I often wonder if that's been the problem this whole time 🤷🏾‍♀️

[quote Georgie87B]@TheSnufflet we are with Bourn Hall in Cambridge/Bourn and luckily they are only a 5 min drive from us which makes things alot easier with trying to juggle WFH and all the upcoming appointments. I work in a team of males so don't really feel comfortable sharing my IVF journey with them so trying to keep it quiet.
Meds arrived in loads of boxes which was quite daunting but sure will get my head around it just focusing on one thing at a time. Do you know when you will receive your meds??

I know what you mean about this whole thing taking over your life I am constantly reading IVF books and other people's experiences in Instagram! Have you read the book "Get a life - his and hers survival guide to IVF"? As I am quite the IVF "newbie" I found this very helpful in understanding the process from both a male and females perspective and also made me laugh out loud in places!

@clolo welcome! I think there are a few of us doing ICSI on here. 😁 I know it's all nerve wracking our main issue is also MF but mainly due to motility and when i had my fertility test the nurse mentioned that my AMH was on the low side of normal and now I am panicking about it but it is probably not as bad as I am thinking! We just have to try and keep positive and trust that the embryologists will find the best swimmers for the job! 🏊‍♂️💪 Sending you lots of luck!! 🍀[/quote]
Hi Ladies, I hope you don't mind me joining the party late
@Georgie87B We too are with Bourn Hall, Cambs and are just waiting for my meds to be sorted and delivered. I've read the book Get a life, brilliant insight and some very useful tips. Even got DH to read and he actually enjoyed it, some very funny male humour involved! Have you felt the process with Bourn has been quite slow? I have no idea how quick the process should be but my Virology tests were done back in Feb? We to are having ICSI and just want to get the ball rolling now its been a long old wait!

So update from me day 5. I have one folicle at 14mm and everything else is at 3-5mm. We have no idea why this has happened. waiting for my blood test results to decide whether its worth trying to up the medication or cancel the cycle altogether

Looks like everyone knows their AMH level, is it tested routinely before IVF? Here they don't check it. They only check blood for infections and nothing hormone- related. As for the follicle reserve, they base it on the ultrasound results only.

@TheDutchess3 my clinic do a scan and AMH test as standard. but don't do FSH or E2 until you're actually doing a cycle and don't really tell you.

@Bells3032
Interesting! They have not checked any of my hormones in the two cycles that I have had...

@Bells3032
What medication are you on? Did you start on your day 1 of the cycle?