IVF July/August 2021

[Bethpalmer20]

Hi everyone.

I couldn't find a thread for ivf cycles July/August 2021 so I hope it's OK to start one. I was on the March/April thread for my fresh cycle and it was so nice to have support from others going through the same thing.

My fresh cycle was successful but unfortunately I miscarried at 8 weeks pregnant. We are start a frozen cycle with one of our 2 frozen embryos. Aiming to start tablets around the 10th July with the hope of transfer towards the end of July.

Would love to know if anyone else is in the same boat or has any tips!

@hoping4baby21 this is my first FET so I have no idea about any of it haha I'm just going with what they say.
@Bethpalmer20 oh yeah I just have cyclogest but yeah doesn't feel like anything is happening I don't feel as stressed which is nice.
Fingers crossed guys! Hopefully we will be getting BFPs at the same time!

Evening all 🙋🏻‍♀️😊

Has anyone had low progesterone still after starting cyclogest pessaries in prep for the transfer?

I had to start Lubion injections last night for my transfer on Thursday, and wondered how much of difference they make compared to just using the pessaries?
For my last transfer, my progesterone was still pretty low and had to come in for a Lubion injection on the morning of 🧐 I'm dreading my blood test still coming back with low progesterone even after injections 🤦🏻‍♀️

Hope everyone is doing okay! ❤️

Hi everyone ☺️ hope it's okay to join - Ive got about 6 days left on norethisterone, 5 day break, and then start Gonal F! Should be doing egg collection 5th august all being well!

Currently unexplained infertility! This will be our first cycle of IVF so quite excited!

Hi @2021babyhope welcome.. hope you doing well. This will be my first round too. I'm guessing we'll be starting stims around the same time. I am due to start my period on the 23rd and then book my baseline scan. I received my meds today. Can't wait to get started.

So I got a call back they still don't have my blood test results back, so I'll get them tomorrow. Might be delaying my FET due to the small follicle/cyst they found. From my research it can negatively impact success and I'm not sure I'm willing to risk it. These cysts usually go away on their own after a few weeks so hopefully by next cycle it will be gone.

They said they think I will be fine to continue but with the understanding that if it gets too big or grows erratically they may have to cancel the cycle. if it grows steadily They would vary the cycle and I can take a trigger shot to rupture the follicle. My thoughts are that if it didn't rupture last trigger shot during my fresh cycle or my cycle just gone why would it trigger this time? I'd hate to have a cancelled cycle.

This process is a never ending rollercoaster of really tough decisions. We have no idea what we want to do.

@hoping4baby21 are you doing a fresh cycle? I always have cysts they are sooo annoying! I was meant to start my fresh cycle in Feb but I had a cyst that was too big so I had to wait till my next cycle. On my
Next cycle it was still there and still big soo has to wait for my next cycle. They only wanted to see if it was going down. Thank god by then it had gone but I had another one which was very small so they could have started but they were understaffed so then I ended up doing a fresh cycle in may where I still had a cyst but it was small enough. I also had a cyst when I did my first fresh cycle last year but they did a blood test and all was good. At my scan yesterday I had another cyst hahaha but because I'm doing an FET as I got some frozen ones last time they weren't worried. But yeah I wouldn't worry too much if your clinic want to continue. I would it made no difference to my cycles but yeah I'm a cysty person as they called me so I just had to roll with it.

@Csparkles yes I start Gonal F on the 24th ☺️ all very exciting! Feels like I've been taking tablets forever 😅

I'll have my next scan on the 30th and the final one on the 2nd august with the hope to trigger on the 3rd!

@Alexm06 thanks so much for your insight it is good to know other people have gone through the same thing. So I'm doing a FET so I think that is why they are ok with carrying on. I think the biggest affect cysts have are on egg recruitment and quality during fresh. They seemed to not be concerned because it was so small and they had a plan b if it grew. I guess my worry is if it does do something unexpected and they cancel the cycle.

What size was your cyst that was seen yesterday? Did they do bloods for you?

I won't get the call back to discuss my bloods until 4pm when they call back! I'm getting frustrated with their lack of availability for call backs. I know they are busy but the end of the day to even know what we should do or not. Another day of meds and uncertainty!

Guess I have to just wait around and sew what they have to say.

@hoping4baby21 yeah I made sure I asked what happens if I had a cyst as I obviously get them a lot and he said unless it's really really big it's all good to carry on as it doesn't effect anywhere they need, but yeah that's why I couldn't go ahead with the fresh because of the other follicles. I think it was 2cm but no didn't take any bloods only took my bloods once on the first fresh cycle.

Wow your clinic sounds like mine I feel like I'm always waiting for phone calls and I always end up having to call them. One time I waited 3 days for a call back! But to be fair they seem a bit better now but I've decided once I'm not doing NHS I'm going to move to another clinic.

@2021babyhope won't you be having a scan before you start the injections? I have been told by my clinic to ring them on day 1 and book in for a scan. Then I think I would start the injections that same day or the next day. Also will you be on just Gonal F

@Csparkles I had a scan on the 29th June as my baseline whilst I was on microgynon so thingk that's it now until the 30th :)

I'll also be taking cetrotide about 5 days after Gonal F ☺️

@2021babyhope ah ok.. hoping all goes to plan for us..

@Alexm06 3 daysssss! I would have gone crazy! Ok that really helps me feel better about it. Wish you all the best with your cycle ✨✨

@Csparkles snap - I'm on the same protocol and meds. Also same boat re our previous 3 cycles (long protocol and different meds, with ICSI) we had a very poor fertilisation rate in all three cycles no embryos survived after day three in the last two cycles. It was very disheartening, but I'm hoping that these changes in this cycle will make something work!

@tmc2021 hope your transfer went well 🤞

@Helene2019 Hi hope you are well. I can only imagine how frustrating it must have been for you regarding your previous rounds. Is your issue related to morphology as well? We have had zero morphology on all 5 semen analyses conducted so far. This will be our first round. Our consultant has advised my husband to take Proxeed as he also has high oxidative stress. Have you started your injections..

@Csparkles should be starting some time in August. We also have male factor issues (hence requiring ICSI), oxidative stress was fine. It's a good thing you've had all the tests done before the 1st round of IVF.

I heard back from the clinic it is a follicle releasing hormones looks like my body recruited a follicle early defying usual results. They will monitor it but expect it will either grow meaning my body is trying to ovulate through the meds. If that happens they will give me a trigger shot when appropriate to control my ovulation. Looks like ill be ovulating early this month if that happens. I just have to hope my lining will grow as needed by the time the follicle is ready to be triggered.

On the hand hand it could now be suppressed due to the progynova meaning it will stay at its current size and we won't need to trigger it anything.

They have brought my next scan forward to keep an eye on time and will give me instructions depending.

Might be a nail biting weekend tracking with OPKs and hoping I don't get a positive until at least Monday and that my lining grows thick enough fast enough.

I'm really relieved it worked out ok.

Hello!

I hope it's okay to join in the middle of this thread. I'm currently taking stims for my second attempt at IVF stimulation -- last time we cancelled the cycle because at my first follicle scan, it became obvious that I was not only a poor responder, but a nil responder to the drugs. I had been on norethisterone beforehand that time and I have endometriosis and accordant low-ish AMH for my age. My baseline AFC is usually 7/8.

We decided to give my body a couple of months to get the norethisterone out of my system in case having had my ovaries shut down completely made it hard for them to get going again. Started on a slightly different drug protocol last Friday evening. (First time we tried with just Ovaleap; this time it's Ovaleap and Menopur).

Anyway, today I went for my first scan of the cycle and was very relieved to see that something is happening this time, even though it's not exactly fantastic buckets of eggs. I have two big follicles and four smaller ones. Nurse says press on. I've been having some symptoms this time, namely period-ish crampy feelings and some bloating, and tonight a really terrible headache. Last time I had no symptoms at all because my body hadn't even registered the presence of the drug.

Any other poor/slow responders? While I'm very happy to see something happening, of course I was slightly hoping for a miracle and to be told that actually, I had fourteen booming follicles or whatever.

Now off to backread how everyone else is doing...

@girljulian Welcome! I’m on the same meds as you and experienced the same side effects. The headaches were excruciating and the only thing that helped ease them was lots of water. Apparently water helps the follicles to grow aswell. Also a big tip I got was to put a warm hot water bottle on your tummy every day. I don’t know whether this actually works but it has worked for me, this time last week I thought my cycle was going to be cancelled and I cried a lot!!

Strangely I also have the same number of follicles as you! I ended up taking a 17 days of stims and finally my follicles have sprinted to the finish line and did my trigger tonight with EC on Friday.

Don’t be disheartened with the slow growth, the nurses said slow and steady wins the race….

@girljulian welcome! Glad this cycle is going better for you! Glad they were able to switch things up for you aswell! Best of luck ✨✨

Hello ladies . I had my first IVF in march, only one blastocyst, fresh transfer and it was NEGATIVE . Second round in JULY, one fresh hatching blastocyst transfered and 2 frozen
currently 4dp5dt and testing negative 😢

@purplemichelle, this is all really useful and interesting to hear! I like my nurse but she's very much of the "let's be pessimistic so we won't be disappointed" school. I think she would have preferred billions of follicles and keeps telling me not to expect too much. So did they just keep you on stims until everything reached the right size?

I can feel my left ovary working at the moment and I'm thinking good thoughts at my stupid right ovary which only has two little follicles on it...come on right ovary! Get in on this!

Hi @hoping4baby21and thank you!

@miiaa hello, I'm sorry to hear about this but 4 days is probably too early for it to mean anything! Keep your fingers crossed!

My meds arrived today and everything seems so real now. I am on short protocol so start injecting when my period starts. It’s expected to be 23rd July but I started spotting yesterday I’m only on 8dpo.

Im having a massive panic attack about egg collection I didn’t sleep last night with worry. I’m just so scared it’s going to hurt with iv sedation. I’ve had 2 biopsies this year and I was in agony for both.

@XjustagirlX aaah that's exciting! When's your EC potentially booked for?

I was worried about EC and request GA for it which they were able to do but I honestly have heard it's really okay - I just tend to panic in those situations.

I've heard it's like a pinching rather than anything serious and it's over so quickly.

When's your first day of injections?

@2021babyhope i would start injecting on 23rd July with EC around the first week of August I expect.

How was your GA? What happened? What was the recovery like?