Continued chat of all things IVF, FET & to feel sane...cycle buddies August/September -

[Bluemeadowbaby]

Hey ladies ☺️

A new thread to continue the one we've maxed out from the FET cycle buddies May/June. Anyone wishing to join no matter what stage you're at we're here to support you along the way.

A little background around me - I have a little boy who's 16mo from my second IVF round in 2019. I'm just embarking (restarting after covid setback) on my first FET cycle with the embryos I have in storage in the hope for baby #2 🤞🏼
I have severe endometriosis, hydrosalpinx tubes which have been removed so my only hope is for IVF to work again. It's been a long old journey but if I can give any hope, faith and a tonne of support to anyone who needs it I'm happy to share my story, updates on my cycle and be there to have a general chin wag ☺️

We've got this! ✨ x

Aww New Year’s Eve is really nice. Keep us posted how you are doing. Look forward to hearing some good news xx
Has anyone got pregnant without acupuncture who did ivf, I didn’t do any acupuncture this time round and just wanted to know if that had anything to do with my chances

Hi everyone, hope you don’t mind me joining. @Bluemeadowbaby we were on a chat a few years ago weren’t we -I think during our first or second transfer.

I’m really fortunate that our second frozen transfer worked and we got our 18 month old boy. By the way I have seen chat about embryo grading and he was a BB. They put an AB in first but that was a chemical. I spoke with my consultant yest and he really says not to pay too much attention to grading -I think so much of it is luck.

We did a transfer in August (interestingly it was an AB which is a higher grading than my son and was strangely put in after him -but actually that was the right decision as the AB didn’t work in the end! I really don’t think the grading is very predictive!) this summer which was successful but unfortunately I had a miscarriage at about 12 weeks in Oct. we then have been having a break and trying naturally because we really didn’t bother trying naturally before our transfer for a second baby and felt that maybe we should at least give it a few months. We plan to transfer a frozen embryo in April. I’m going to try and get healthy in jan and give trying naturally a good go and then focus on IVF. It’s been so nice tho to eat and drink and not think about it for the last few months. But now I’m happy to have a plan and hoping 2022 brings great things! Funnily enough I got my period this morn and have been reminded how depressing the monthly trying naturally cycles are!!

Wishing you all the best of luck. Good luck in your 2ww @2mumlife

Also to the person debating putting two back in for her second transfer -I would really think about it. They offered that to me on my second transfer (which ended up in my son) because my embryos were not top grade. I refused because I felt I had only tried once and I am quite risk adverse and freaked myself out looking at the data they give you re twins. Obviously hindsight is a great thing, but im so glad I didn’t put two back in as could easily have been twins. Although as someone else said, prob most clinics wouldn’t advise two in a second transfer unless very bad quality or higher age of patient. Mostly tho -I think don’t get too hung up on embryo quality.

Thanks for sharing your experience and I’m glad your frozen cycle worked out for you! Do you mind if I ask what your experience of your fresh and first frozen cycle was and any advice in hindsight that you’d give for when you had a successful cycle compared to your unsuccessful ones. Was there anything that was done differently etc.

Thank you

@mouse1234567 Congratulations on on your baby! Fingers crossed there is success for you again in the new year!

@Jags87 I've done everything - accupunture, mindfulness, Mediterranean diet, cutting out coffee, cutting out sugar, taking co enzyme Q10. I'm unconvinced any of it makes a difference to be honest! This cycle I'm just doing my normal thing, and trying to be more relaxed about it, as I don't feel there is a damn thing you can do really to influence things. I was chatting with another lady who had euploid tested embryos and it still took them 4 attempts to achieve an ongoing pregnancy

@2mumlife great advice! Totally with you. I think just gotta keep it real and not try too hard with all these things you read online for what to do and not to do. As long as you eat healthy and everything in moderation that is the main thing. The rest is up to the big man up there! x

A very merry Christmas to you all 🎄✨ have a wonderful day with your family and friends x

Merry Xmas everyone! X

Merry Christmas everyone!

Hope every had a good day.

My good day unfortunately got ruined today. DP's sister & son (8) were at family christmas gathering yesterday. They'd come without DP's sister's boyfriend as he was unwell, but had said he'd taken a covid test. Turns out DPs sister lied and he took a lateral flow covid test today which was positive (he's also unvaccinated.... eyeroll). DPs sister & son left early yesterday as both reported didn't feel that well. They've apparently both tested negative today (lateral flow) but can't trust what she says really can we? I'm absolutely raging that she's put the whole family at risk of covid exposure. So now if the odd position I'll be spending the remainder of my TWW (and beyond) testing every day for covid

Oh no I’m really sorry to hear that. You don’t need this kind of stress on top of waiting for your results. That’s not good of them to do that. Hope you are negative but it doesn’t help not knowing. Maybe do a pcr test to check instead of lateral flows so you can put it to the back of your head

Not long to go now till your OTD. Wishing you the best of luck xxx

@Jags87 Incubation period can be 2-14 days, so don't want to keep doing PCRs routinely. Obviously if I start experiencing symptoms I'll go get a PCR done as well as doing the lateral flowers. DPs sister & son are now (supposedly) booked in for PCR tests tomorrow, but not sure how much I trust her now to tell the truth about what the outcome is.

At least its a distraction from the TWW right!? Still feels like an age for OTD partcicularly as all my plans to distract myself with friends etc are on hold now

@2mumlife 😫 this is like the worst scenario! Why do people do this?! I feel your frustration I really do as we had something similar happen recently. It's just so thoughtless and damn right irresponsible! How are you feeling in yourself are you okay/negative lateral flows? I don't know if this is much help and I'm no means a scientist so I have no idea how it all works with covid but from having had covid before from being exposed/DP testing positive on lateral I then tested positive 4 days later. DP also tested positive 4 days after exposure. When we were in our situ recently - DP mum had been to my house to care for our son for a couple hours, said she felt a bit unwell when we got home and we made her do a lateral there and then, positive within seconds 🤦🏻‍♀️ when she said "oh I have two lines it's negative" I was like what the actual F?! How do you not know the result reading?! So she had actually had these 2 lines the day before but thought it was negative 🤦🏻‍♀️🤬 tested positive next day PCR. We were bobbin our pants but after 5 days of negative laterals our end and more so there after I felt I could breathe a bit after 5 days. I hope that makes sense and I hope you stay safe!
Literally nothing worse especially when you have such special cargo on board I totally get how pissed you are x

@mouse1234567 hello!! Yes I remember you! I'm so happy to hear your cycle was a success from the last board and you have your little babe! On the flip side I'm so sorry to hear you had to go through a loss, I can't imagine how hard that must've been for you and I hope you're okay. I experienced a chemical pregnancy last month and my god it was the hardest thing to wrap my head around so know that my thoughts and love go out to you ♥️
Wishing you lots of luck in April for your frozen transfer x

@Jags87 how are you getting on? I didn't do any acupuncture during my cycles but I've seen lots of ladies give it a go, some with success others not but if it puts you in a good mindset I say do whatever you feel will help you mentally. With my first round I did everything I could, eat well, no caffeine, spa break with a lovely massage, drink well, yoga, wishing on stars, rainbows, birthday candles you name it. That cycle didn't work for me but on the round with my little boy I was kind of in the mindset of "screw this bullshiz" and I just lived life how I wanted to in a way I hadn't for so long, I spent many years doing "the right thing" to get pregnant and to be quite honest had given up any hope. So I went out, had a drink, drank caffeine, ate crap and surprisingly that cycle worked for me.
Not saying go out and party or stop wishing on those stars 🤣 what I'm trying to say is, for me it gave me a bit of realisation that those embryos will find their way and your body knows what it's doing - it's a hard one to swallow when someone says trust the process but I promise, trusting the little one will do its thing is the most comfort to carry with you, to know it's not something you did or didn't do on that particular cycle ♥️ it's just frustrating, all of it, the fact we have to do this and I know we all try everything and anything to get to where we want to be. But we will all get there sometimes it just takes time but your time will most definitely come x

A small announcement from me - AF arrived on Christmas Eve...merry Christmas to me! 😂 and I'm so very very proud to announce it was the most peaceful period I think I've ever had!!! 🙌🏻🥳 no endo pain, no griping stomach, nothing! Just a big fat heavy period which didn't feel like my arse wanted to fall out at any given moment! Go body! Screw you endo! You haven't won yet! Let's get going little embie I'm coming for you 2022! 🤞🏼✨ x

@Bluemeadowbaby aww thanks so much for your kind message and thinking of me. Hope you had a great Xmas. We had a nice one and I’m feeling much better in myself. Makes me feel comfort what you said about just letting it be and if the embryo is meant to survive and grow it will. I have my appointment next week with the consultant to talk about our frozen cycle so hoping to have some good news in the new year too 🙏🏽 Xx

Sorry @Bluemeadowbaby I just saw your last message after I typed that. Hope you are doing ok. I’m really sad to hear that but don’t give up like you said. We can do this next year! Xx

@Bluemeadowbaby Thanks for describing your situ. SIL tested postive on lateral flow yesterday, so we're following guidance and testing every day for 10 days following exposure. So far both negative with is good (though my brain is franzzled trying to look for early pregnancy symptoms and covid symptoms at the same time, and there are crossovers just to make things worse). I don't think there is any evidence of covid affecting early pregnancy but you just don't know and its that which is really angered me that she could possibly have affected fertility treatment. That message though about needing to just trust the embabies to do their thing is what I needed today. Also, is that you allowed to g ahead with FET this cycle?

I'm 8dp5dt this morning and still holding out testing until OTD on 31st. Just 2 more days to get through. I kind of don't want to know to be honest, I don't have the energy for another negative result. No real symptoms here - had cramping for first few days, felt a bit nauseous on 5dp but that was boxing day so might just have been digesting unhappy with Christmas! Had no evidence at all of implantation bleeding. Been tired and thirsty last few days and had a headache last night but thats it (and now exposure to covid is mixed in I'm seeing most things as potential covid infection rather than pregnancy... fml)

I also have a MASSIVE spot under the skin on my chin thats festering away last few days. Not come to a head, just giant swollen lump. Keep putting this tea tree stuff on it but not really helping. Its bugging the hell out of me

Aww that must be really difficult. In my 2ww I had a change in my taste but can see how you can confuse that with potential covid if you have something like this hanging over you. I think the best thing is try to ignore the symptoms as in my 2ww I felt like I had everything to do with pregnancy and it turned out to be nothing at all. regarding the spot hopefully it’s just a hormonal thing. I had my covid booster 2 weeks ago now and only been getting arm pit pain on the side I had it since Monday but it’s also worrying me. It eases with neurofen but when I wake up in the morning I still kinda notice it. Hope it goes soon as well 🙈 xx

@Jags87 No changes in taste here really. I normally drink a lot of hot beverages, but not really done that last few days as I've more wanted pint glasses of diluting juice instead. The spot is just annoying as its so large its stretching the skin and everything. I held off getting my covid booster - only became eligible right before Christmas and everyone I know has been ill after the booster, so I didn't want to do it during TWW or over Christmas break to be honest. Arm pit pain just like your lymph nodes, which makes sense if your body is producing antibodies, but 2 weeks does seem a long time to have been feeling that. I only had my second vaccine in September (I got really behind due to arranging vaccines around fertility treatment) so I should at least still have a decent amount of resistance still I hope as I'm only just over 12 weeks from last vaccine.

Yeah I also delayed my booster, thought I’d squeeze it in before my next cycle. The arm pit pain has got better today luckily. It wasn’t for the full two weeks, just since Monday but I think connected to my upper back as I had a tender area there. I had a lot to drink over the weekend and I think I slept awkwardly on Sunday night which may have caused the back and referred pain but good thing is neurofen helps loads! And another pro I can take it now while I’m not pregnant lol
Just have to keep thinking of the positives I guess to get us through these times. I hope you have the good news you deserve on Friday. Keep us posted either way. We are all here for you xxx

@Jags87 Thats good your arm is feeling better. Embrace all the things you can do between cycles :) and thank you for the positive vibes x

@2mumlife how are you feeling? When is the testing day?

I am getting closer to my NHS appointment and feeling a bit nervous after all I have been through in September but full of hope that a change of protocol and a lot of new info on how my body reacts to medication might help!

How is the rest of the gang?

Hello ladies,
Hope you all had a lovely Christmas and looking forward to a new year and new babies hopefully for all of us! I am exhausted and my house looks like Smyths toys ... my children are running around like possessed cheese and snack monsters, causing carnage everywhere they go and refusing to sleep ... they demand chocolate for breakfast and appear to have forgotten what a balanced diet is! I am eating all the bad food in my house constantly as I feel the sooner its gone the better then can diet in the New Year ... maybeeeee

With regards my IVF ... so I was convinced I was naturally preggers this month ... but alas ... I was kidding myself as usual. I have now started to ponder and question the protocol that my clinic want me on next . Although going to Prague is essential for us due to costs we could never afford in the UK ... the problem is when I want to question something, its difficult as all over email and sometimes a language difficulty. My short protocol cycle with Pergoveris was a non starter ... they have kept me on Pergoveris for the next with the addition of 0.1mg decapeptyl as still a short protocol and I just dont understand why! I did two long protocols which were successful with my two babies but they will not allow me to do another. My bloodwork has not changed much at all in the last two years :( ... I feel really stressed about it as we have spent a fortune on Pergoveris (it seems to be the most expensive stimm out there!) ... I have to buy £1000 more of it for next cycle and what if it doesnt work again :( ... sorry for moaning on ...
Anyway, more importantly @2mumlife ... yay!!!! Everything crossed for you ... how you feeling? When are you testing?
@Bluemeadowbaby ... what are your plans?!

HI TO EVERYONE ELSE!!!!!! xxx