IVF - egg collection June (starting down regulation in May)

[Luz192]

Hi ladies, would be great to chat to anyone who is about to start down regulation, in prep for stims later in the month and egg collection early June.

I start Norethisterone tomorrow. Will be at UCLH/CRGH, first ever IVF. We have MFI.

Mostly terrified of the needles! I have this irrational fear that I could puncture an organ - someone tell me that's not possible?! lol

@Luan82 thank you ❤️ hope ur TWW flies and u have a BFP soon 🙏🏻 I feel the same as both of u! I watched these forums for ages and was so nervous to post. But I've really enjoyed talking to people, u have all been so lovely and helped me get through! I actually feel fine tonight think I'm all cried out. I'm having a large wine and plenty snacks! Before I have to get these few extra pounds off for round 2. I'll definitely be keeping an eye to see how u all get on, u get so invested in everyone's journeys don't u xxx

Thank you for your kindness and positive comments! I thought of coming back here with an update as I read many threads before and found it useful when the person provided an update.

I got a day 3 call to advise that all three embryos were developing well and two of them were top quality! The embryologist was hopeful that at least one of them was going to get to Day 5. We were delighted to hear that two of them developed into blastocysts! One was rated top quality and the other one good quality - they chose the first one to be transferred today and the second one to be frozen. I have now started my 2ww and hadn't imagined last week that we would get to this stage!

Don't be disheartened if you get a lower number of eggs in your second cycle! IVF is a numbers' game but lots of eggs don't guarantee fertilisation or development into blastocysts. I read my threads in this forum of ladies who had three, four eggs retrieved and they have all fertilised normally and stories like my first cycle, in which I got nine eggs retrieved and none fertilised. Fewer eggs might mean better quality and it is possibly what happened to us this cycle. Indeed, we had ICSI to help with fertilisation but the embryologist told us on Tuesday that sperm quality was the same as before... We'll never know!

Good luck to all the ladies in this forum and thank you once again for your kindness and support!

@ivf2021 @Coops0406 I'm happy to hear you both are doing ok, and staying positive through this. Like fabso saud the next round can be very different, as mine certainly was. Good luck abd all the best on the rest of the journey. X

@Fabsco congratulations on the transfer!!! Hope the 2ww goes well for you. Quilty wise sounds so So positive. All the best.

@ivf2021 so sorry to hear that 🥰 I felt okay on Friday when we did the test...then yesterday I spent the morning crying!! I think it all hit me suddenly...and maybe a sudden drop in hormones from stopping the progesterone!! Hopefully we see each other on here when we start out next rounds ❤️ look after yourself! I have completely overdone it with the prosecco this weekend and back to being healthy again tomorrow!

Thanks @Aim2912 💜

@Aim2912 Thank you so much for your support! I agree that the next cycle can be very different - @ivf2021 and @Coops0406 we are here for you and will support you in the next step of your journey!

@Luz192 had my follow up yesterday, CRGH prefer a medicated FET then a natural one, but they do give you the option for the natural one. with the medicated one they have more control of the estragon and progesterone levels but it is a lot more intense then i expected.

unfortunately we wont start on the next cycle but hopefully the cycle after as we have to have more tests done. i was told yesterday that im a thalassemia carrier, so OH will need to be tested as well and if we are both carriers we need to do PGS testing on the embryos. :(

so fed up of the 101 issues that keep coming up, its different thing every time.

@Aim2912 thank you for updating. Did they only recently find out that you're a thalassemia carrier? (I had to google what that is). As in how did they test for that and only just find out this week? Hopefully your hubby comes out negative and then you don't need the PGS testing. I can understand it's frustrating and time-consuming - although, on the flip side, if you do end up having to do PGS, it can also give insight as to what embryos are 'normal' - so could mean better chance of implantation with one of those? Instead of potentially transferring an abnormal embryo.

If you don't end up needing PGS, will you transfer in September? That will come around so soon - it's already July now, so only two months away. And I keep seeing it as a chance to enjoy the nice summer weather and go out and do things that you maybe wouldn't feel comfortable doing while pregnant. I have a close friend's wedding this weekend, and I'm actually glad I can have a glass or two of wine (and I rarely ever drink!).

That's also positive that they did give the option of a natural, even if it's not their preference. With the medicated, is the protocol the estrogen tablets, and then both pessaries and lubion progesterone injections for 12 wks (and blood thinner injections)? I was doing that for a few days after my egg collection and I found it way harder than the stims protocol lol - the injections just hurt more, but from what I've read, people get used to them eventually. Do you think you will go with medicated or natural?

@Luz192 yep thats correct thats what they give you for medicated cycle, but from day 14 of the cycle before they start you on norethisterone and the buserelin, its this part of the medicated cycle i dont like. but i will be going for medicated just in case my cycle goes funny on a natural cycle and they cant transfer. As the consultant said transfer cancellation rates are higher with natural cycle. but if your cycles are all normal and like clock work then it should be fine. mine sometimes go funny when im stressed, or i randomly miss a cycle. so now planning on transferring 1st week of September, they should be able to PGC test by then to, if needed.

It was not mentioned to me before at all, my full blood count was abnormal so they did a further test, which showed that im a carrier. in the past i was told i just had an iron deficiency when my blood count was abnormal. i have an appointment with my GP tomorrow as i want to be re tested as well, and ask her why ive never been told i could be a carrier.

i remember you saying you would like to go natural, i think they still can give you some medicated support if needed on a natural cycle to help the lining, as along as you ovulate naturally.

@Aim2912 as frustrating as this all is, if it's really the case after the re-test, it's amazing that CRGH caught that, if your own GP didn't. Always better to be safe, and hopefully the additional testing they will do for your husband, and potentially the embryos, means that you will get peace of mind. And at least now you're sure when transfer will be, regardless of the test outcomes.

Thank you for the details - I definitely think medicated gives better 'guarantees' that everything goes smoothly, and for many it's the best choice. My cycles are normally regular, but I'm hoping that nothing has changed post stims - we'll see how long my cycle is this month to see if it's back to normal, or if it's going to be a bit off after all the previous hormones. When I have my appt on Tuesday, I will also ask them what 'cancellation of cycle' means- would it just mean I can't transfer that month and have to try again the following month (which is a small risk I'm willing to go with). Or if it means they would thaw my embryo and then cancel, in which case it means losing an embryo?? Which is obviously much more severe.

@Ofpalestsilver how are things with you? All ok? Do you have a viability scan booked in?

@Fabsco @Luan82 hope you're doing well on the 2ww!

@Luz192 thanks for checking in!! Slowly losing my mind tbh ... the symptoms (which I know are progesterone) are pretty intense for me aside from the huge painful boobies- horrendous indigestion, heartburn, gas and cramping ... oh my!! Not long to go till test day but I'll feel a little miffed if I'm taking these pessaries putting myself through these symptoms and I'm not even pregnant !! 😂x

@Luz192 Thank you for thinking of us! Like @Luan82 I am also going mad with this 2ww hahaha No symptoms at all apart from the occasional twinges but think they are due to the ovaries recovering from all the stims. Looking forward to taking the test next week and will return here to let you know! As I said earlier, I read lots and lots of messages in threads and it was useful to know the outcome for each case. Hopefully someone with total fertilisation failure will come across my messages in the future and learn that it is not the end of the road!

@Fabsco totally agree - I want anyone with low numbers to see my posts and take comfort that even with such low numbers at egg collection a transfer is absolutely possible and to not lose hope ! No matter what happens this cycle I'll be grateful to have competed the process this time round and will be ready to start a fresh cycle if I need to x

Hey, sorry I've been quiet. I've been insanely busy at work and when not working, I'm sleeping because I'm so tired.

@Luz192 Viability scan is next Tuesday so we shall see what's happening then. Hopefully something good!

@Fabsco @Luan82 how is the 2ww going for you both now? Hopefully test day coming soon!

@Ofpalestsilver thanks for checking in! ❤️ I'm ok - test day tomorrow... Thought I would have already tested by now but tbh I've been happy sitting in my little pregnancy bubble! 🤗 being honest - I've been really struggling with the cyclogest pessaries- I'm not sure if anyone else has experienced such strong side effects but here's a list of mine just for info I know everyone is different and these can all be explained by progesterone rather than pregnancy so not getting my hopes up but you can see I've had a tough 2WW!!

Headache - bad after ET for a few days now just come and go but not severe
Nausea generally late on a morning this is a new symptom and usually subsides after I eat - no vomiting
No bleeding or Spotting whatsoever (I'm 12dp5dt)
Cramps - day after embryo transfer very bad cramps like AF had to lie down for half an hour since then been coming and going mainly on a morning as am constipated too
Quite intense sharp stitch like pain this is only when I move in bed in a certain position like stretching - this one had me worried because of the previous ectopic but could be ovaries recovering
Breasts VERY painful and nipples super sensitive has been since transfer
Thirsty - waking up with dry mouth and peeing two or three times during the night and in the morning
Libido is up (which is awesome as can't do a jot about that one)
Piles and a bit of thrush (sorry tmi) from straining bit thrush seems to have gone now
Hot flushes on a morning
Swollen stomach
Think that covers it - can't believe two little wax pessaries can cause all that!! 🙄x

Oh and terrible acid reflux, wind and indigestion after I eat, this is starting to get a bit better now.... sorry for the marathon post !! 😂x

@Luan82 they are unbelievable! Honestly. I found them such hard going. I couldn't believe that they could cause so much damage!

I also found that my libido went up during the second week of my 2ww. Flippin heck. I thought it was just me.

Hope that tomorrow brings nowt but good news. I'm sending all my good thoughts your way and that's a lot of good thoughts!

@Ofpalestsilver glad it's not just me then!! The libido thing is weird ... especially when it's also the last thing I need with all the indigestion, cramps and gas!! 🥴 thanks so much for the well wishes it's appreciated! Xx

@Ofpalestsilver Thank you for thinking of me! My test day is on Wednesday and, honestly, this two week' wait feels like a two month wait! I'm 8dp5dt today and I don't have many symptoms apart from mild cramping and twinges here and there. My acupuncturist told me that these are caused by the progesterone pessaries so not sure if they are pregnancy symptoms or not!

Like @Luan82 I don't feel like testing early. I had a chemical pregnancy in October 2020 and only found out because I tested at 12dpo. Hopefully this little embaby will stick and give us a positive pregnancy test on Wednesday!

Good luck tomorrow @Luan82 ! Good luck with your scan next Tuesday @ofpalestsilver !

@Fabsco omg we are so close for OTD dates !! Wishing you all the luck in the world for Wednesday too... so sorry to hear about the chemical too 🌈❤️🙏🏼

Glad I waited till OTD day now... but I can honestly say I have never been so scared turning that test around ... 🌈❤️🙏🏼....

@Luan82 have been briefly catching up on this thread and just seen your test!! So so happy for you!!! What an amazing feeling it must be 🥰

@Fabsco good luck for tomorrow! 🤞🏾

@Ofpalestsilver I hope you are doing well 😊

We have our review meeting today which is so quick!! Looking forward to hearing what they have to say and what our next steps will be! And got a meeting with my own gynae in preston on Monday to discuss everything and possible misdiagnosis for polycycstic ovaries. So all moving in the right direction 😍

Oooooh @Luan82 that’s such amazing news. I am so happy for you!

@Coops0406 glad to hear things are progressing well. Hopefully you get some useful information that will help you for the next round. Yay.

Thanks everyone! As I've had a previous ectopic puts me at slightly higher risk so the next step is to make sure the bean has settled in the right place ....will feel like I can relax after the first scan- i'm absolutely over the moon that my one little embryo is sticking around for the moment at least !! Had already geared up for another cycle tbh. 🤞🏼🙏🏼❤️🌈

@Luan82 What amazing news! Super congratulations! Sending stick bean vibes your way and please continue to update us on your embaby!👶🌈✨

@Coops0406 Thank you for your kind wishes! It will be a long night but hopefully we'll have some good news tomorrow.😍