Infertility investigations/IVF in Scotland - thread 3

[itsmschanandlerbong]

A thread for those of us undergoing infertility investigations or treatment in Scotland.

Thread 1 - www.mumsnet.com/Talk/infertility/3742246-infertility-investigations-ivf-in-scotland

Thread 2 - www.mumsnet.com/Talk/infertility/4138992-Infertility-investigations-IVF-in-Scotland-thread-2

@florafoxtrot Whooo! That's great news - congratulations!

@florafoxtrot that's fantastic, congratulations! Keeping everything crossed for you over the next 10 days ❤️

Congrats @florafoxtrot that's great news.

Also officially PUPO with a grade A blastocyst
Still kinda in shock to be honest - I fully expected it to be cancelled so everyday is progress even if we don't see our BFP this time I feel it is at least possible now!

@florafoxtrot Brilliant news.

@Kamiros - sounds like the same lady, she was very scathing of GP and EFREC about their management of my TSH levels and prolactin and told me to drop her a line when I get my BFP for her to adjust my levo levels for pregnancy. Which was reassuring as I'm not convinced the GP would have the 1st clue! Glad you had a good experience it's such a rough journey being bounced around so much!

@Scirocco so pleased it is heading in the right direction - relax and enjoy your pregnancy!

@comiston34 Congratulations. Everything crossed for you. Yeah she said the same to me. I got her letter in today and I'll definitely be seeing her through pregnancy if we can ever make it that far. I'm finally starting to feel the positive effects of my thyroid being properly managed - it's like a whole new world.

Congratulations @Comiston34!

Happy PUPO @Comiston34!

Just catching up with things after being away in Ireland to see DPs family. Was good to get away and just not think about IVF for awhile. But its starting up again this week, as have review consultation tomorrow to discuss our CP and make a plan for next EC - I'm really hoping we can get going again on next day 1.

Tried to catch up with everyone but sorry if I've missed any important updates!

@Scirocco How exciting to be discharged from the IVF clinic. Sorry to hear you had some bleeding but it sounds like everything is still going well.

@Kamiros Sounds like a really positive outcome from endocrinologist for you.

@Comiston34 Congrats on your embryo transfer! How are you finding the wait so far?

@itsmschanandlerbong I was meant to start accuopuncture this week, but the accupunturist is self isolating now, so will be next week instead! Good to know you felt first session was good

@florafoxtrot Congrats on your mebryo transfer! How are you feeling?

OMG - 3dp5dt I swear I am driving myself insane. Very crampy/sore lower back and convinced period is on the way. I need to stop googling cramps as there are no conclusive answers some end in BFP and others BFN so it's totally pointless.

I won't cave and test as I fear it will be the trigger from Sat if it's a BFP and tbh I fear seeing ANOTHER BFN. Not sure I could face that so I'll be good and wait for bloods next week. Unless I am clearly out before then!

I have no concentration and I have no clue how I am going to get any work done over the next week,

Needing some moral support ladies! Had my day 2 scan on Friday and had 3 tiny follicles. Had my day 6 scan this morning and 2 of the follicles have disappeared, I just have 1 follicle which is progressing well. Another scan due on Friday then looks like we'll be collecting 1 egg early next week. The consultant doesn't seem worried, he says I'm on the 3 cycle package so we are aiming to collect 1 egg per cycle. I think I need to massively adjust my expectations as I was really hoping we'd get 2-3 eggs per cycle with a hope of getting 1 embryo per cycle, so we'd have 3 embryos to try transferring with the hope that one of them would make it. If we are only expecting 3 eggs over 3 cycles then we might be struggling to get even 1 embryo to transfer, let alone a good one. I'm trying to stay positive but it's starting to seem a bit hopeless 😢

@2mumlife So glad you had a good break and are ready to go again.

@Comiston34 Hang in there; it's so difficult not to symptom spot I know, try and do something to take your mind off it even though it's impossible.

@Kitekat81 I'm sorry that it's not going how you expected. The only hope I can give is that my one egg made a lovely 4AA blast - I know it didn't result in a bfp but you just never know. Everything crossed for you.

Thanks @Kamiros I am trying to keep busy but the stabbing pains don't really help.. Now on knicker-watch. Argghh! Still massively bloated so look preggers which seems cruel!

@Kitekat81 Pleased to hear you are getting going again, I think Create really do focus on getting that 1 egg each cycle - that's not to say you won't have x3 embryos by the end. They are good at what they do and as you know will not move you forward on a cycle unless they feel confident. Unfortunately this whole IVF thing is a roll of dice with each stage. It's difficult but have faith.

I know several ladies who collected one egg and that wee egg made it to embryo stage.

I went into collection last week hoping for x2 eggs as that was what my bloods suggested but 4 eggs appeared. 1 follicle doesn't mean only 1 egg it might contain x2?!

Wishing you good luck and all the love for the journey ahead.

@Comiston34 the TWW is the worst part of this, I swear! I def think holding off testing is the best idea, it's too early anyways and you'll drive yourself mad.

@Kitekat81 this is so difficult, but you have the 3 cycles, so 1 egg per cycle will be fine. Keeping everything crossed for you 🤞🤞

I managed to get booked in for cycle 2 yesterday! I have an appointment in 2 weeks to sign paperwork and then I'll begin stims the first day of my next cycle. Today should've been my scan for the chemical pregnancy which sucks. I have been dreading today, but it's almost over.

@itsmschanandlerbong Good luck on cycle 2 - You can do this. :) Sorry about the chemical.

I think it was less stressful as I kinda new what to expect in terms of stims. I didn't make it to egg collection last time, so this time round I remained convinced the same would happen so I've been gobsmacked with any tiny bit of progress.

Thanks ladies. Sorry I was being a negative nelly yesterday. I need to be optimistic, my three eggs could totally become three embryos! I just have to stay calm and have faith in the process.

@Comiston34 keeping everything crossed for you in your 2 week wait!

@itsmschanandlerbong that's great news about starting cycle 2 soon!

I’ve been away for a bit from here! @Kitekat81 we all have been in your shoes in one way or another, sometimes I need to let myself be negative and sad to be able to pick myself up! It might be something weird I do but it works for me!
We are still waiting for the planning FET appt on the 26th, my period should arrive just about then but I doubt it would go ahead on that same cycle. Otherwise we will have to wait until at least September, as at the end of august we are going away for a few days with my partners family… I don’t want to wait any longer! I know in the grand scheme of things it’s ok, but I really don’t want to wait any more. Oh well… it will be what it has to be I’m afraid.
In more positive news, we’re away for three days on holiday today!!! 😊 and also we found a grasshopper in our bathroom the other day (I almost had a heart attack), I think it came with us from mugdock country park, and o read they can symbolise fertility, good luck… so I’m crossing my fingers that it was a good omen!

@Kitekat81 Its really hard to have to adjust expectations. I think we all have to lower expectations on this journey, its a really long hard slog.

@Comiston34 Try to enjoy the bliddssful period of time where there is hope

@itsmschanandlerbong I hate the milestones when you think 'if it had worked X would be happening now'. Just be kind to yourself.

@GemmTryTTC Enjoy your break!

I had review consultation today, and feeling really taken aback. Consultant was late, and it was a consultant we've never spoken to before who did the review and not the consultant I'd made the appointment with. She was really informative though. The information wasn't good though. I finally found out that on my last fresh cycle, when I had 7 follies over 14mm and they triggered me that my estrogen levels were only 1600. She said they'd be 750-1000 per mature egg, so they would only have expected 2 or 3 mature eggs to have been collected, which I was never told and really wish I had been, as I've felt this whole time that there was something wrong with the trigger etc but actually my freaking bloods predicted we'd have a really crap outcome for my AMH. I feel quite pissed off they knew we'd not have many mature eggs and didn't communicate that before now (we got 2). She agreed with what we've previously been told that my response to the stims was not expected given my AMH was 18.8 when last tested, but she quite frankly said she doesn't know why.

After my fresh cycle, a different consultant told us we could move to a Flare protocol for next egg collection, and now it seems that was total bollocks. Got told today to move to Flare my AMH would need to be lower than 8.3.

We're going to recheck my AMH level to see if someone fucked up in the lab and my AMH result of 18.8 was completely incorrect (which would explain my shit response last time).

If it comes back similar, they said they'll consider letting us move to a short antagonist protocol, with high dose Ovaleap to push my eggs as mcuh as possible, with a mandatory freeze-all. Apparently the cut of for this is normally AMH over 20, but she said if Im still close to that threshold we could still opt to give it a try. They've also agreed to push me for longer on stims next time (I stimmed for RIDICULUOUSLY few days on my first fresh cycle...).

I feel really annoyed I wasn't told half as much information as this at my review consultation in March after the fresh transfer, really pissed off she said it will now take a few months before we can even do the next cycle, and really disheartened that it doesn't look like IVF works well on me, and I feel I don't have much hope that we will get many eggs on next egg collection which will be our last.

Sorry to be a joy kill, but we started this journey being told we didn't have a fertility issue, and I just feel like I'm going to be coming out of this having spent 25+k to feel shit and childless

@2mumlife

I'm sorry your consultation was disappointing, it can feel like: "why are you still kicking me when I'm already down?".

I had an unexpectedly poor response to stims too, despite an AMH above 20, and like you, I would have preferred them to have communicated that to me at the time, instead they just kept saying it was fine and told me to trigger after a short period on stims.

Interestingly, Flare had been suggested for me at one point too, despite my AMH...

It's such a psychologically and physically gruelling process. And can feel like such a gamble...

@Scirocco I feel all they ever do a slap a smile on and pretend everything is ok (I actually find the Disney-land level over-optimism really annoying) . I'm glad its not just me, but sorry you've had a similar experience.

I just find it a huge 360 when I we had a review letter and everything last time saying lets do a Flare protocol, and suddenly I'm being told thats really not on the cards at all? I feel at least the consultant we saw today seemed to know much more about our history, and said it would take longer to get our post-review letter as she wanted to talk to the director about somethings as well.

I just hate that whether I even get to try for a baby or not isn't even in our control, that we've to wait until the clinic has space yadda yadda. Its just completely disempowering at the moment.

Hi all

Nice to read some of the positive updates, good luck and fingers crossed that things remain positive and for good outcomes for those currently waiting.

Sorry to hear some of you are not having such a great time. @2mumlife I'm the kind of person who likes to know all the facts, give me as much information as possible, so I can imagine I'd be feeling as pissed as you are about the lack of information but also the incorrect information you've been given as well around your options for different protocols. Some aspects of this journey are really infuriating. Hopefully this consultant can make things clearer, sounds like they are more thorough which is good.

Well after 3 failed IUI's tail end of last year, early this year, I have finally started my injections for my very first round of IVF. Started with menopur today for a few days then will be adding fyremadel, witg first scan and bloods scheduled for next week. I really hope things go to plan...expecting a good response given my high AMH and follicle count so fingers crossed the next couple of weeks don't throw up any unexpected surprises!

@ally99101 I'm an information gatherer as well, and a 'fixer', so I just find it really frustrating they can't even tell me what the problem is and what I need to do to fix it.

I tried 4 IUIs before IVF, its quite an intensitity increase I found. Fingers crossed your first scan is looking good.

@2mumlife I'm sorry you're going through this. Does sound like they've not properly informed you. I'd be annoyed too.
Why the delay now? Because of the things they want to check or because of space issues?
It does seem crazy that I got 2 follicles with an amh of 0.3- only 1 egg, no idea what my bloods predicted though, you wouldn't even know to ask that.

@Kamiros I'm absoltuely asking what my estrogen levels next fresh cycle after any monitoring appointments from now on, so I know what outcome I'm actually expecting.

I've managed to book in for AMH bloods on Tuesday and been told they take 10 days, then a consultant will need to review and confirm which protocol they will let us use. Then I'm sure there will be yet another round of consent appointments. Its just the slow moving process of it all, and having to wait for a 'space'. I'm just going to need to make myself an absolute pain in the ass and keep phoning them to push for the next appointment/step to be made.

Review letter they've now uploaded is reassuring - letter says they agree to move me to the antagonist protocol, with high dose FSH to try to supercharge my ovaries, let my follicules grow for longer and do a delayed egg collection after trigger to give my eggs more time to mature, as long as my AMH comes back above 8.3 (which it should do unless someone totally screwed up my original AMH result). If it does come back as less than that, I'll get moved to a Flare protocol.

I'm a bit frustrated they've said the antagonist protocol will be a freeze-all no matter what, as thats an extra £800 surcharge to pay Access Fertility for the pleasure, and another delay in getting to try, but in other ways my AF started just 4dp5dt and I do NOT want to waste another precious embryo on a fresh transfer to have the same happen again. Our FET is the first BFP we've ever had even if it did in in CP, so at least I know that has a chance of working for me where IUIs and fresh transfer have totally failed.

@2mumlife I am also a need to know ALL the info kind of person - so much so that after each scan this time round I requested they email me a copy of my follicle chart and E2 levels so I could track them myself. After my cancelled cycle I was really paranoid about the numbers. It's your info so you are entitled to have a copy.

That being said when it came to collection the bloods suggested 2 eggs and 3 appeared so the number can only tell you so much. Our bodies are funny and don't follow what is expected.

I was shocked to get 4 eggs with an AMH of 1.3 and being continually reminded that 1 egg would be a good outcome! I was on Flare too.