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

@kitekat81 Great news. @comiston34 Congratulations- so happy to hear this- hope for us all yet.

Just waiting on day 1 here. Work has been chaos which is a great distraction but now hard trying to keep up with the posts.

@Comiston34 Congratulations! How exciting for you!

@ally99101 Really enjoyed the accupuncture actually, my legs in particular went totally dead to the world and completely relaxed, so I've signed up for a block booking for another 4 sessions to keep with it and see how it goes.

@Kitekat81 Hopefully the second one catches up by day 5 - it is promising it was still doing things at day 3!

Nothing from me. I took a day off to meet friends/colleagues for a swim in the sea and some hang out time, and its was absolutely fantastic and so needed. Trying to do more things I used to enjoy before lockdown and fertility treatment took over my life!

Hi ladies, hope you all had a good weekend. I had my virology appointment this morning, just made the BMI requirement 😅😅 I'm being switched from Menopur to Gonal F and will be scanned on the day of my booster. I'm guessing that's to make sure my eggs are mature enough for retrieval. Feeling both excited and terrified to be starting again (probably the end of next week!)

@itsmschanandlerbong Oh thats soon, so exciting. You must be so ready to get going.

That's really exciting! Keeping my fingers crossed for you.

Thanks @Kamiros and @Scirocco - definitely feeling a mix of things.

@Kitekat81 how did the second embryo get on?

@Comiston34 how are you doing?

@2mumlife did you get your results back for your AMH check yet?

@itsmschanandlerbong Wow how exciting! Good luck! Still waiting for AMH results to come back. Had bloods taking last Tuesday, had a phone call on Saturday needing payment for the bloods to actually get them sent them off rolls eyes so blood spent most of last week just sitting around. Still should have them back next few days though.

@itsmschanandlerbong that's great that you'll be starting again soon!

Sadly our second embryo didn't make it, so we just have the one day 3 embryo in the freezer. It was perhaps a bit too much to hope for that the second one might make it as well!x

@Kitekat81 That's still great news you have the 1 for the freezer :)

Thanks @2mumlife 😊 Any news yet on your AMH results? Whereabouts did you get your test done? I had mine done at GCRM in February and it inexplicably took 2 weeks to get the results instead of the 3 days they said it would be 🙄

@Kitekat81 I'm with GCRM was told 7-10 days and got today at day 11 (after messaging about results).

AMH is inexplicably jumped to 32.3 and noted as high for age with risk of excessive response to drugs.

But my AMH last March was only 18.8 and considered normal for age.

Also, after 4 IUIs and a crap IVF round I know my response is definitely not "excessive" it's pants. So I've no idea what to think

@2mumlife that sounds similar to me - my second AMH level came back higher than the first and I had a poor response to stims. When I tried to explain that I wasn't responding as predicted, the nurses at my clinic didn't do anything about my concerns.

Because it was my first round I didn't have anything to compare it with, but you've got the evidence from your previous treatments - maybe bombard people with that at your next appointment? The clinic might want to try a different medication plan, so you might respond better to that plan?

@Scirocco Interesting to hear you experienced the same. At consultation few weeks ago they said had I been AMH above 20 on my original AMH test I'd have been on the antagonist protocol (instead of the agonist long protocol we did last time). I have told them in my 20s I got an ultrasound done and was told my ovaries had a polycystic appearance, but that my GP said there was no point pursuing a PCOS diagnosis if I wasn't trying to conceive (which I realise now was stupid of GP).

When clinic kept saying to retest AMH it kept sounding like they thought my AMH had tanked and that's why I was having such a poor response. What I think now though is they are maybe mistaking cysts for follicules, as last time they could see 7 big "follicules" but my estrogen levels only indicated 2 or max 3 mature eggs (and we only got 2 mature eggs).

What they agreed at consultation was (subject to AMH being above 8.3) we could move to antagonist protocol, with high dosage FSH (so 300iu instead of 200) and letting my follicules grow bigger before trigger, and delaying egg collection by an extra hour after trigger, all in the hope that would give us a better outcome. But will need to see if they keep that plan or not.

I've asked GCRM to get a nurse to call me to discuss plan as my day 1 today and I'm desperate for then to let us get going on the next cycle

@2mumlife That's frustrating and seems really odd. I sometimes really wonder about the accuracy of these amh tests. I didn't have the best response at all but with an amh of 0.3 I shouldn't have had any at all. Hopefully they come up with a plan for you that works.

I was expecting af yesterday and still not here, really want to get going with cycle 2. Typical how our bodies mess us around.

Feeling a bit low and stressed just now, and like I'm falling between the cracks again. Had some pretty uncomfortable lower abdominal cramping pains over the past couple of hours, which is very similar to what I experienced last year (when we lost that pregnancy). EPAS won't see me because a) they're closed and b) they've already confirmed it's not ectopic. MAU won't see me because I'm not far enough along. The IVF clinic discharged me weeks ago. According to MAU, my only option if things get worse is to go to A+E, but they won't be able to scan me or properly assess me and would just refer me to EPAS. Who are closed and wouldn't scan me anyway.

So, I'm at home, with good old paracetamol and baths, waiting for what feels like the inevitable to happen again.

@scirocco I'm so sorry you're going through this. Surely there's something they could do to check how things are going- it seems madness. How are you feeling this morning? Really hoping things are OK.

@2mumlife I wonder how accurate these tests are, or how much if a reliable predictor they are. When my AMH was first tested it was 9, the before starting our first round it was tested again and it was 18, but during treatment one ovary didn't respond at all.

@Kamiros hopefully she comes soon 🤞🤞it's typical that when you're waiting she takes longer!

@Scirocco I'm so sorry to hear this, it must be such a stress. How are you feeling today?

AF due middle of next week, I'm just casually hanging around waiting to get started cycle 2 😅 having a busy weekend and I'm off work until Thursday because we're going to a wedding, so at least the time won't go in too slowly.

@Kamiros thanks for checking in. The pain's eased off overnight, I'm still really worried but trying to not assume anything. My 12 week scan is on Friday, and I'm terrified - it was at a routine NHS scan that we got bad news last year at almost this exact time of year - and I don't know how I'll cope going through that again. The disinterest and lack of support was heartbreaking last time - it was as though because our baby was still too small to have survived, people didn't care that much. And going through the medical management without decent analgesia was the most painful experience of my life. Basically, I'm not coping very well at the moment and feeling really guilty about that too. :-(

Cross-posted with @itsmschanandlerbong - thank you as well!

@scirocco Don't feel guilty at all. My miscarriage was at 6 weeks and I didn't need any medical intervention and the thought of going through it again almost makes me want to not try so I can't even imagine how it was for you. It sounds like the staff were worse with you but I do remember it was "oh its really common, go try again, bye now" like it's just that simple and wasn't really our baby. Single worst experience of my life. Sending you all the love.

@itsmschanandlerbong She's here so now just waiting on GCRM to call me back, suspect it'll be tomorrow though. I actually took a test this morning, just in case, then started about 30 mins after my most recent bfn - so typical. Seriously can't wait to get going. I need to know if this is going to work so we can start thinking about other options.

@Scirocco I can totally understand why you're struggling to cope, it must be so much worry and stress. Don't be too hard on yourself ❤️

@Kamiros that is typical, and a sure way to bring on AF! What happens now? Are you able to start stims this month or will that be next month?

They said before I could just get started so I'm really hoping that hasn't changed- it'll be next month when I actually start stims though with flare protocol. So all going well it'll be norethisterone on day 19 for 10 days then stims straight after the next period. I was 10 days of injections last time so I imagine it'll be much the same- unless my amh has finally dropped off a cliff and nothing responds. I has 2 follicles last time, 1 egg so they're predicting 0-2 eggs this time.
It's just never ending waiting wherever you are in this process.

@Scirocco hope you are ok. We are here to support you until Friday ❤

@itsmschanandlerbong @Kamiros excited for you starting again soon!

I got my period / withdrawal bleed today so will have a day 2 scan tomorrow to see if I can start again too 🤞 Have been a bit stressed as when I was discharged from my EC they said I might be able to start on this bleed as I had ovitrelle as my trigger, and on the follow-up call with the consultant he said the same thing, but then when I emailed the nurse on Saturday she said I would have to wait until next period. I hate conflicting information! I've got the scan booked for tomorrow so I'm going anyway, but I might be going all the way to Manchester for nothing. Clinic is closed on Sunday so no one I can speak to about it today! 🙄

@itsmschanandlerbong @Kamiros It is odd. I'm not sure how accurate these things are either. Plus AMH does vary month by month as well, so its only an indication really I guess. GCRM doesn't seem to use AFC which seems to be a much better picture of how many follicules you actually have avaialble to recruit!

@Scirocco Hopefully everything goes ok on Friday. I think do whatever you need to make yourself feel better and reduce the anxiety until then.

My period also just arrived, so I'm hassling GCRM to confirm if we can get going with next cycle (I think antag protocol starts from next day 1). I just want to get going, its so frustrating only having had 2 attempts at TTC this year, I just want to get on with it!

Hi everyone

I had messaged a wee while back when I was waiting on my Hycosy app. I got a cancellation last Thursday where they assume my left tube is blocked. They couldn't find my left ovary as they said it was too high up at the time and because I had some pain at that side during the test they've said the left tube is blocked although I query how much they actually seen of that.

Anyway I wanted to ask what everyone first AF was like after Hycosy?

The Hycosy was done on day 20 of my cycle with my cycles usually being between 26-28 days. Day 23/24 I've had some light bleeding that I've assumed AF had come early which is unusual in itself. Day 25 (today) and bleeding is much heavier and has alot of clotting in it. Feels more like this is day 1 of AF although heavier/more clots.