First cycle of IVF - buddies please!

[LS2020]

Hi everyone,

Been on the conception boards a fair bit but this is first time on the infertility section.
Bit of background - 28 and been TTC for two years for first child. Had one miscarriage about 10 months ago at 5 weeks. Had all our fertility checks and no major issues have been identified. Consultant suggested IVF for us so we are currently in that process.
Nurse consultation is 2nd July and then hoping it’s not long after then!

Looking for some buddies to keep me going through it all as hate all kinds of hospital things and to stop me over thinking about!

Thanks for taking the time to read 😊

@LS2020 there is something very satisfying in closing a sharps bin after dropping the trigger syringe in. Can't wait for tomorrow.

@Bryterlayter1 I really do hope so. My allergies have been playing up and today I felt I was going to spontaneously ovulate if i sneezed a little harder!

@dogmam thanks! I'm feeling slightly anxious but mostly excited. I have read horror stories of women getting ohss when pregnant and the nurse seemed so worried yesterday that I don't want to take any chances. What's a couple more months in the grand scheme of things? Especially if i have some frozen embies waiting. I am making a mental note of all the nice things I will be able to do by not having a fresh transfer.

I can't believe your OTD is tomorrow! I am keeping everything crossed for you.

Ladies, anything you would recommend I take with me tomorrow?

@Reeny122 welcome! I know you said you can't tell work but it might make it easier to explain the time off. As @Bryterlayter1 said it will depend on your clinic. I had 6 appointments in total since the beginning of my cycle. I always booked it for early morning before work and between scans, bloods and reviews with the nurses, plus the time to travel to work from the clinic, I always arrived at least an hour late.
I'm glad I'll have my EC on a Friday and will have the weekend to rest. Hopefully I won't need another fresh cycle but if I do, I will probably take some time off around the end of stimms/EC.

@Bryterlayter1 oops, the page hasn't refreshed and i missed your message. Thanks and best of luck for your test on Monday.

Ooh gosh lots happening! Glad to see everyone getting on well.

@dogmam best of luck for tomorrow!

@Bryterlayter1 you’re a saint for holding out!!

@Novavee I’ve been too scared to close mine, which is ridiculous as they’d give me a new one if I needed to do a new cycle 🤦‍♀️
I used none of the stuff I bought, the only useful thing were my thick fluffy socks and my comfy clothes I wore in. Take something with you incase you’re waiting around before though to keep you occupied. I listened to music on my phone but what works for you :)

@Reeny122 I seemed to have a lot less contact time - 2 scans day 9 and day 11 and then I need two days off including the day of my EC so if you do have a way of speaking with your employer, I would do. It’s medical treatment so should be treated as such. I also had to isolate after covid test on day 11 scan to ET so had to work from home so check those rules with hospital.

No news from me, scan is tomorrow. My progesterone pessaries were slipping out tonight though so I pushed them back in and proper banged my cervix so really annoyed at myself for that. Probably will make it bleed and freak out when I see blood tomorrow. I’m a nightmare 🤦‍♀️

Hope everything is well with everyone. Had my 6+4 scan and heartbeat was flickering away 🥰 they’ve said I’m measuring 6+3 but haven’t changed my EDD. Officially discharged to midwife so popped in doctors on way home to get ball rolling

@Bryterlayter1 they told me my remaining two weeks of pessaries are fine and I’ll stop at 8 weeks btw ☺️

Well official test day and it's positive! Can't believe it. I'm cautiously happy, line was fainter than control line though so eagerly waiting to test again tomorrow and praying for a darker line. I rang the clinic and I'm booked in for my 7 week scan and they told me not to be concerned with a faint line but it's hard not to be. I used a frer too. Honest this process turns us mad, never happy!!

@LS2020 aww wow your little scan pic, amazing. Bet you feel so much better.

@dogmam congratulations!!!! Don’t worry, I felt like it took ages for mine to get stronger than control, might have been about 13dpt now I think on it. I got my digitals every time I did them weekly and that’s what kept me happy. Was it FMU? I actually found my 4pm one on 7dpt was darker so you could always give it a go ☺️
Yes I’ve relaxed so much since seeing that little heartbeat, wish I’d filmed it! But I did ask for my time lapse and they said they do a memory stick video so my OH is ringing for that this pm so we can keep that too 🥰

@dogmam congratulations! That is wonderful news.

@LS2020, how wonderful to have your first glimpse at your little one. So pleased for you!

Thank you so much girls I still can't actually believe it. Doesn't feel real, first time weve ever had a positive! I've stocked up today on more frers and digital clear blue to see the weeks. Yeah it was very FMU as couldn't sleep with nerves so was up so early!
@LS2020 aw that's such a nice memory for you to have! How was registering with the midwife? Will you see anyone else now or just waiting for the 12 week scan?
@Bryterlayter1 not long until you test, everything crossed for you.
@Novavee hope today went well!

@LS2020 oh, look at that! Amazing that you saw the heartbeat!

@dogmam fab news! Congratulations!

So EC went well and I'm home in bed being spoilt by DW. Feeling a bit sore but very happy with our 9 eggs.

After a bit of a scare when the embryologist mentioned the sperm hadn't thawed well, they prepared it again and got great numbers, so we went ahead with ivf. We are getting a call in the morning to see how many eggs fertilised.

@dogmam if you test again in the morning it will be stronger and you’ll feel loads better, HCG doubles every 48 hours ish so you’ll feel like you see more change in those early ones because it’s jumping so much when you get to about 12dpt, it takes a couple of days to see a change I think.
I just went into my GP surgery as round the corner from hospital and told them at the front desk and they jotted it down so was pretty easy. Just the midwife. I’m away weeks 10-12 though so I’m thinking of doing a private scan on week 10 before we go and then hopefully my NHS one will be in for when we get back. Not sure how I’m going to wait 3 more weeks though!!

@Novavee so glad everything went well and 9 is an awesome number! Glad your DW is taking such good care of you 🥰 I still maintain those 5 days now have been the worst of the lot so make sure you have lots to do and keep resting up!!

Going to start Fertility treatment, any good recommendation of clinics, not sure which clinic to go with.

I'm worried, line is still faint and doesn't seem to have got any darker when I have tested again today with FMU. Wish my clinic would do bloods. If I rang them they would say not to worry and a line is a line but after so long seeing other people's line progression pics I don't think it's quite right.. I hope I'm wrong.

@Novavee 9 eggs is excellent. I hope you get good news on the fertilisation rate today xx

Top pic 9dpt and bottom is today 10dpt..

Got my call from the lovely embryologist this morning. Out of our 9 mature eggs, 8 fertilized normally. Next update Monday 🤞

@dogmam do you have another clinic nearby where you could have a beta if you feel it would be more reassuring? Before we knew we'd be a freeze all, I googled a few options nearby as my clinic is poas only, as standard.

@dogmam oops page hadn't updated. The bottom one looks definitely darker. Those are good lines, not squinters at all (i usually can't see the lines everyone always goes on about as being there!). Maybe compare the first test with a new one tomorrow so you have the 2 day difference as @LS2020 suggested and hopefully you'll see more of a progression?

@Novavee thank you, I hope so. I'll keep testing. And wow that is amazing 8 embryos! It's a really tough wait, waiting for your next update so try to stay busy if you feel up for it!

@LS2020 yeah a private scan is a good idea! And then just a few weeks to wait for your nhs one. When will you start to tell people? I can't wait until I can get to do that!

@Bryterlayter1 how are you getting on?

@Shana04 welcome! I was NHS and only had the one option so sorry I can’t help.

@dogmam have you done an evening test? Some women show stronger in the evenings for some reason but yes 48 hours should give you a clearer picture. You’re not peeing in the night are you? The control line isn’t as dark on the second one so it can be hard to tell with FRER as they can have different amounts of dye.
My mum and dad know I was doing IVF so that was easy. We were giddy after the scan and my brother was staying so we’ve told him now and the women at work know as we’re a full woman management group and I’m only one without kid so they all get it and have been a support through my IVF. I’m planning to tell my sister before 12 weeks and then everyone else will be when we get back from holiday I think ☺️

@Novavee fab development! The next 4 days suck but you’ve got a fabulous start and hopefully you will have lots of choice to freeze ❤️

BFN for me. Upsetting, but it just wasn't meant to be.

@Bryterlayter1 BFN for me too. Waiting list for new transfer is January. FML.

@Jkjellyhead I'm really sorry. I'm more upset than I thought I would be. It's positive that you have embryos to transfer, I have another cycle paid for (access) so I've got another opportunity as well. Meeting with Dr on Thursday, we shall we what he says.

@Bryterlayter1 I’m really upset too, it’s hit me more than I thought it would. Definitely some feelings of failure / guilt / shame. I don’t want to take away from the wonderful journey some ladies are in on this thread though, genuinely super happy for you all x

@Jkjellyhead I feel the same way. I'm old (in the scheme of fertility) at 40 to be doing this. It makes me think my opportunity has passed. The problem is that it would have been difficult to do this any sooner, my partner was very ill for several year (now feeling much better) and I was working on a PhD (stress city!!!) so from the age of about 32- 38, it really wasn't an option. We started looking into treatment when I was 38 and then Covid happened. I am truly happy for all the women on this thread getting their BFPs, but this BFN hurts. I actually started tearing up in a zoom meeting, luckily colleagues are great, ended up blurting out what was going on to one of them afterwards and she consoled me over a cup of tea .

@Bryterlayter1 @Jkjellyhead sorry to hear your news both. Hope you’re taking a lot of care of yourselves and letting OH’s/family support where possible. This thread is for everything, please always feel free to share here but I know after TTC over 2 years how painful it is when people move on with their progress so if you need to take space for your mental health, please do ❤️

Giving you the biggest virtual hugs and when you’re ready, wishing you all the luck for your next cycles.

@jkjellyhead January is insane though! Are you private?

@LS2020 thank you, that means so much. We're in year 4 of TTC now and felt so grateful post covid to finally get IVF so I think it's just been a huge build up too.

I'm with BARTS hospital in London, NHS. I'm genuinely thinking about going private in these 3 months as we could get a whole other cycle in... The worst of it is I just can't get to speak to anyone. When I call it just says all lines are busy & hangs up. When I email, they don't respond. It's really unfair.

@Bryterlayter1don't lose hope, 40 is so young and you have plenty of opportunities available if you want them. My friend said to me the other day you can still be a mum even if it doesn't have your DNA which genuinely made us start looking at adoption alongside IVF.