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Our Infertility Support forum is a space to connect with others in the same position, discuss causes, treatment and IVF, and share infertility stories of hope and success.

Original poster

IVF September/October 2021 cycle

376 replies

Coops0406 · 27/08/2021 17:18

Hi

I am just starting a new thread in case anyone else is falling into the September/October timings...I have been in other threads which have been so so supportive and a bit of a godsend really, but I'm a bit behind where everyone is up to.

I had a failed cycle in June unfortunately and didn't respond as they expected. Then was supposed to start again in august but unfortunately they saw a cyst on one of my ovaries so have delayed the next cycle to September (I think my stims will fall into October as they'll put me on norithisterone).

Be great to chat to others who are about to start soon 😊

OP posts:
Reefy · 02/03/2022 21:26

@Coops0406 yes much the same today. I've had a pain like a stitch this morning on my right side. Weird isn't it how some are good then get worse & some start worse & get better.

Reefy · 04/03/2022 07:32

BFN this morning but I knew it would be anyway.

Original poster
Coops0406 · 09/03/2022 12:04

@Reefy I'm so sorry to hear, how are you feeling about it? Do you know what your next steps are?

OP posts:
Reefy · 09/03/2022 14:09

@Coops0406 I actually feel ok this time which I'm surprised about, I haven't cried which I'm not sure is a good or bad thing. I find the Instagram page I've sent up very supportive which helps I think.
I've got a follow up on 21st March so will see what they say but I think we will do the 3 cycle package with access fertility.

Reefy · 09/03/2022 14:09

@Coops0406 how are you doing?

@pkp11 I hope you are doing ok.

pkp11 · 09/03/2022 23:51

@Reefy Just catching up on here and I'm so sorry for you BFN. glad you've got your consultation booked and your insta page is helping you.

@Coops0406 how are you doing? What's happening next for you?

I am well, just taken this time to get back into my exercise routine now. Feeling better than before, I felt so disappointed as I felt like everything went so well and I was so careful with my stress levels and diet. But hey ho, on we go. I had my consultation last week, and the doctors suggested we do pgt testing on my remaining frozen embryos. The cost is the same as a FET I really wish they told me they did this before and we would have had them all tested instead of maybe having 2 failed attempts where the embryo could have been the issue. So frustrating but I think that's what we'll do next month. The doctors also suggested I take aspiring next time around. Did either of you do this?

I've also decided to take a little break and go on holiday next month too so that we can get some sunshine and away from usual routine.

Reefy · 10/03/2022 06:13

@pkp11 I'm glad you took some time out. No they didn't say about aspirin to. Yes it's not to long so I'm getting my questions together for him. I'm glad you've had consultation & have other things suggested. A holiday sounds lovely, I don't know if to do this in June or to do another cycle instead I just can't decide 😂.

Original poster
Coops0406 · 16/03/2022 15:10

@Reefy how are you doing? Not long now until your consultation! Do you have Frosties or will it be another full cycle? I can't fully remember where you are with the cycles.

@pkp11 glad you have taken time and feeling better. I am glad we did the PGT-A as it has whittled down 7 good quality embryos that would have been frozen to 3! Having had 2 failed transfers that would mean another 4 that wouldn't have worked and I don't think I could go through that many!

Currently on oestrogen with a scan this Friday, then will add in progesterone like doing an FET, but biopsies instead...so I think maybe next Friday for that. So much waiting! I feel so lethargic as well on the oestrogen!

OP posts:
Reefy · 16/03/2022 18:21

@Coops0406 yes I'm ok this time, no tears this time I guess you get used to failure! Yeah I've got it on Monday. No I've never had any Frosties at all so it will be a fresh cycle. I can decide if to change clinics as seems to be a good deal in london but it's just the getting there like extra stress if train late & having to take the whole day off for scans & things. My clinic are amazing but I'm just researching.

Reefy · 16/03/2022 18:45

Sorry I took a call mid typing 😂. Are you nervous about the biopsies? Oh the whole thing is just wait wait wait. Make sure you get some rest.
I feel at the moment that I'm just hanging in limbo as I don't know what to do next. I called access fertility but they said the doubt they would accept me for the refund package as I've had 3 failed cycles already but I can apply. So I thought maybe I would just do the 2 cycle package as they include frozen transfers but as I've never made any frozen is it worth me paying for that but then again it's cheaper then 2 separate cycles at our current clinic.

Original poster
Coops0406 · 17/03/2022 16:34

@Reefy we did the 2 cycle package...we have only used 1 cycle of that but ran a separate one alongside it which we paid for. With all the tests I'm hoping one of these embryos work which means the 2nd cycle will be redundant. But, it pays for all the little extras like blastocyst culture, frozen transfers and seemed like to right option for us at the time. My stand alone cycle there was the standard charge plus some for blast culture...then will have to pay for the transfer if we need to use that 3rd one.

OP posts:
Reefy · 17/03/2022 18:54

@Coops0406 well I've never had any to freeze but it's cheaper then 2 separate rounds at my clinic & includes them if we were lucky enough to get any next time. My clinic don't do any embryo testing unfortunately so if we wanted to do that then we would have to move to london I think is the nearest. Have you stayed at the same clinic the whole time & May I ask how many rounds/transfers you have done in total? Sorry I hope you don't mind me asking those things I totally understand if you don't want to answer any.

Original poster
Coops0406 · 17/03/2022 20:39

@Reefy ask away! I'm completely open with everything.

We did 6 months of clomid which didn't work. Then got 1 NHS IVF cycle which resulted in 1 embryo which was transferred and failed.
We then paid for the multi cycle which was 2 cycles with blast culture and all frozen transfers. Did the first round, got 6 very good embryos, 1 back in and paid for the other 5 to be PGT-A tested. The one that went back in failed and out of the other 5 only 2 were euploid.
Then instead of putting those back in, we decided to run a separate stand alone cycle to see if we could bank one or 2 more euploids for backup or future proofing. So paid for an additional cycle and had 2 that we could test. We got 1 more euploid so have 3 euploids now in the freezer.
Going to have the womb biopsies then once they are happy that my womb is okay they will choose one of the embryos to go back in. My understanding is that they will transfer one, if it doesn't work they'll transfer another and if that doesn't work then we do the second cycle from the multi cycle and still have our last embryo stored for us for the future (or at least that's our plans!)
Ridiculously expensive but it's our only shot so we have thrown everything at it with the PGT-A and womb biopsies

OP posts:
Original poster
Coops0406 · 17/03/2022 20:42

@Reefy we are with Care but moved from one branch to a different one after our failed nhs cycle, mainly because the consultant at the first one wasn't great, we had a bit of a bad experience with our consultation and review so we moved to be under Professor Kingsland at a different branch who is pretty well known in the North West for fertility

OP posts:
Reefy · 18/03/2022 08:18

@Coops0406 thank you. Im so grateful & lucky with getting 3 nhs rounds, but I do think it's unfair that it's not the same everywhere. I can't fault my clinic in the slightest they are so good. I only looked & saw it cheaper but means going to london each time which is then £30 a time each on the train a whole loss of wages as will have to take the day off then hotels for EC & stress of trying to get the train which is 2 hours say it's delayed or cancelled when you need to be there on time so I think it's doesn't sway me enough. My clinic is doesn't have any other branches but I think one decided I'm going to stay there then try the 2 cycle multi package as the cost is less then 2 cycles there & hopefully will get some for the freezer. I'm getting my list of questions together for Monday so see what he says

Original poster
Coops0406 · 19/03/2022 07:35

@Reefy it's crap that the funding is allocated so differently! And with the high dose of meds I've had to have, PGT-A testing and biopsies, we are in excess of spending £20k now! If we had extra funded cycles it would be about £6-7k!
Yeah, of you're happy with your clinic then no point moving. Have you had your 3 nhs rounds?

OP posts:
Reefy · 19/03/2022 10:08

@Coops0406 absolutely it is. Wow that's so much money! So ours changed from 2 to 3 rounds but I think really it should of been given to people who only get 1
So that everyone gets 2! Yes I've used them all now all fresh cycles as I've not had the frozen ones that entitled too as none frozen.

pkp11 · 25/03/2022 14:43

@Coops0406 @Reefy hi ladies hope you're both well. Nice to catch up and see you both still active on here. I've just taken a complete break and we've had 3 deaths in the family so going to funerals. It's sad but also makes me think maybe a positive outcome from my last cycle wasn't meant to be because I had to be involved with all of these arrangements.

Still not been away, hopefully after Easter we will get away.

How are you both doing?

Reefy · 25/03/2022 15:02

@pkp11 yes still here! I'm so sorry to hear that. I hope you do find the time to go away. We are just in the car now & going away till Monday just an hour from home with my parents for a little caravan break & lots or drinks 😂. Had my follow up on Monday & we are going to do an enhanced male fertility screening as OH sperm wasn't good last time & we needed ICSI so going to check. I'm in two minds if to do NK cell test? What are your next steps do you have anymore frozen embryos?

pkp11 · 31/03/2022 22:56

@Reefy hi! Hope you had a nice break. We will be contacting the clinic to do the PGT-A testing of our 5 frozen embryos. Hoping we don't lose any but I guess I have to be realistic and accept thats a big reality.

How about you. Have you booked the testing?

Original poster
Coops0406 · 01/04/2022 06:53

@pkp11 @Reefy I hope you are both doing okay.

@pkp11 it does sound like you've had a lot on your plate if recent, how stressful for you. I'm glad we did PGT-A, I felt gutted we lost a lot that were classed as good or very good embryos but they would have been false hope.

@Reefy have the clinic suggest you test for NK cells? I asked mine but they says I haven't had miscarriages so at this stage they wouldn't suggest it. People say it's just a blood test so I'm going to ask again!

We have our biopsies on Monday finally! After an extra week on a higher dose of oestrogen my lining was finally there! 🥳 my body is definitely not reactive to normal doses of hormones!

OP posts:
Reefy · 01/04/2022 08:54

@pkp11 it was lovely thank you & the weather was fantastic all weekend! We are having the enhanced male fertility screening next week. It's so hard isn't it as you don't want to lose them but you want to give yourself the best chance

@Coops0406 yes all good thank you. Glad you have got the biopsies booked in. Bloody bodies ay! No they didn't suggest it but I asked but he said it's red on the HFEA website but he won't stop me if that's what I want to do. Im just not sure. We are booked in for the enhanced male fertility screening next week as my OH sperm wasn't so good last time for some reason but he did have a migraine that day so not sure if could of been for that too. He did say NK cells was to do with miscarriage too which I've never had 2 lines on a test so I'm just not sure. I do however have something called pernicious anaemia so maybe NK cells would help.

At the moment we aren't moving forward with anything until we have the results back from OH test as we may need some meds then wait for sperm to sort itself out which they say is 3 months so just hanging in there at the moment. It's hard as I feel like im doing nothing about it with not having anything booked in.

Original poster
Coops0406 · 01/04/2022 21:53

@Reefy I'm exactly the same, never seen a positive but also don't want to waste these euploids in case that could be an issue, but I don't think they'll do it! Each time I've been recently I've seen different doctors and a different nurse to normal so I don't feel I can fully speak to them about it...I might ask on Monday when they do my biopsy and see if they can do it in a blood test.

Waiting around for tests and then results is hard, just in limbo and not really sure what to focus on..,but the tests will come around quick enough so hang in there

OP posts:
Reefy · 02/04/2022 13:26

@Coops0406 sorry do you mean you want to test for NK cells? I know it is just the stuck on limbo. Trying to plan things to pass the time. I'm off to a friends tonight & few of us going so going to have some well deserved drinkies!

Original poster
Coops0406 · 03/04/2022 20:43

@Reefy yes I was thinking I should push to ask then to test for NK cells...I would be mad if all looks fine but then I we waste our 3 euploids because we didn't test for that.

I hope you had a good night with a few drinks! 🥂

OP posts: