IVF/FET October/November 21

[2021babyhope]

I think I'm a bit early on some of the other threads so starting one for October/November 😊

1st fresh cycle in august ended in CP.

Booked for follow up consultation 30th September so hopefully I'll be able to transfer late October early November 🤞🏼

5 frozen blasts. Hoping to transfer 2 this time round but I'm not sure they'll let me 😬

Oh and I am quite gassy - I remember having this really bad by day 4 so I'm wondering if it could be the utrogestan causing this maybe x

@strawberrysummer19 yes, some needles were ok but others really weren't and I had to push it hard to go in! Not great.
I feel OK. I don't know how you are meant to feel but I just feel bloated. And sometimes I feel kind of like how you feel with mild period pains. Not cramps but you can feel its there, do you know what I mean? Tender. I feel gassy too.
I keep thinking about mine! Picturing them there, sat in a dish. I've no idea where they are really sat. But they need to be doing something productive.
Do you use utrogestan in the day? I'm meant to use 3 times a day but the one during the day is awkward. Morning and evening isn't so bad as I can lie down after. I do wonder if the day time one will work. I didn't have to start mine until this morning though, no idea why. Why anything. 🤣

@paintfairy yeah I feel the exact same as you do. Hoping tomorrow I'll feel better - last time I was well enough for transfer in the end so here's hoping

My bladder is just so weak so that's not a nice feeling either!

Oh I know it's the wondering isn't it.

I'm 3 times a day too - I was told to start after egg collection.

Are you eating anything in particular? We've been so healthy but I'm craving a McDonald's!! X

@strawberrysummer19 mostly eating as normal, but we did have pie and chips last night, which isn't exactly healthy. 🤣 Whilst on stims I didn't really eat cake/sweet things and I love it. So I have eaten a couple of things this week but I'll be good again for transfer. I haven't actually craved it though. I wonder if the McDonald's is a salt thing? I feel I'm craving salt.
My bladder is crap and whilst I feel like this, sometimes I feel desperate for a wee, but actually there isn't that much there.

@paintfairy we've been on such a good diet the last 3 months so today and yesterday I've been a bit naughty! Never craved McDonald's so much but I read its not the worst thing in the world! I'll try be good from now on leading up to transfer.

I hate my bladder! X

I have have completed my first cycle of IVF and only have two frozen embryos- one Day 3 and one Day 6. I need to decide whether to transfer the better quality Day 3 embryo or wait to see if it develops into a blastocyst after thawing. As I only have two embryos I am unsure what is best. Has anyone experienced a similar situation and advise me at all? Also, I am unsure whether natural or medicated FET is best and would appreciated your input. Thank you

@ExhaustedPigeon1988 hope you’re feeling a little bit better today. Having read your protocol above I think what they’re doing is eliminating the need for a baseline scan by having you down regulate for longer to ensure that your ovaries are fully suppressed when you start your meds on November 9th. Maybe they have a backlog and are they are trying to clear and have altered protocol. It know it’s frustrating but the 29th will be here before you know it😀

@Chrischross I wish they told me these things, I just don't really understand FET, unlike full ivf where I researched everything and made sense of it, just feel I'm a lab rat atm with no understanding. The headaches and now mild sickness is daily, but I can cope with physical side effects, it's the mental drain I'm struggling with... like you say it comes around, just feels like a lifetime away x

@ExhaustedPigeon1988 if I'm honest, i don't understand FET either. I haven't tried to but it seems so varied?
@strawberrysummer19 I'm planning on having post transfer McDonald's if we make it that far!
@JLo81 I literally have no idea, so wouldn't want to advise! I'm yet to be convinced its beneficial leaving them later though, even though that is the current trend. Go with your gut feeling?

@paintfairy I'm the worst into looking into everything too much, but I'm not happy unless I understand the process, how are you doing? X

@strawberrysummer19 and @MrsC2018 congrats on your numbers. You must be relieved. Fingers crossed for the rest of the process.

@ExhaustedPigeon1988 Buserilin was brutal but I found most symptoms disappear when you start the oestrogen. I actually much prefer FET. I’m sorry you’re having such a tough time with it.

This is my 3rd and my protocol has always been:

Down regulate for 2 weeks, then have a scan if all is good we start the oestrogen, 10-12 days later we have another scan to check the lining is thick and ready for transfer. Then start progesterone for 1 day more than the embryo you have so 6 days if you have a day 5 blast. Then it’s transfer day.

@ExhaustedPigeon1988 I'm the same. But with all this stuff I knew I'd drive myself batty if I wasn't careful. So I've only allowed myself to look into stuff so far along the line. I've paid no attention to FET at all. But if we got that far then I'd be on it! 🤣 I'm quite an obsessive person.
I'm OK- trying to keep distracted. 🤪

@VenusStarr glad you have one and are taking the right steps. Hope this time goes quickly for you.

@ExhaustedPigeon1988 I'm on my second FET and agree. It seems as though the clinic don't even see them as a big deal and just assume you know everything. I'm on a medicated cycle so the way I see it it's mainly everything except for egg collection. The process itself does seem really long though and different people follow different protocols which confuses me.

I'm on day 5 and progynova is officially kicking my arse. My in laws have all been struck with covid so I'm also paranoid I won't even get to transfer and will have to cancel mid cycle if I end up catching it.

Is anyone on lubion? I've never taken it before, but for this FET I'm on lubion and cyclogest. My stomach is bloated as anything, soon I'm not going to be able to do up my jeans. I've been on hefty doses of cyclogest before but never had the bloating.

DH also says I'm grumpy, but I don't believe it

@Chrischross mine is similar but longer, it's no where near as intense as a full cycle, but it feels like you are left out in the big wide world on your own. I liked that you have so many appointments on fresh as you always have something close to count down to. Are you doing FET atm?

@paintfairy I'm also very obsessive, which isn't a great trait during treatments lol. I'm also quite a negative person, but I do think that's safer than being too positive and dealing with disappointment- that's what works best for me anyway lol

Oh @Hufflepuff1 I feel for you, I was the same with fresh cycle I was terrified I was going to get covid and EC would be cancelled, I bailed out of work 3 days earlier than I should have anyway, as I just couldn't cope wi tbh the pressure, I was much calmer once I was isolating- you just have to do what's best for you. I'm gob smacked the clinic send all these drugs and leave you to it for practically 2 months with no contact, to me that's appalling. Not sure if anyone else expected contact, or got contact from their clinic, but I would expect atleast a fortnightly call/email. Or even just when something changes, ie starting or changing meds. It's such a shame you do have 1 contact who is responsible for a set amount of clients that they check in with in a regular basis. Rather than seeing someone different every time, whenever I have asked questions previously I am made to feel a nuisance.

Out of interest, anyone else super late in November for transfer? I'm so excited for Christmas, but dreading it at the same time. My test date is 9th December, followed by a repeat on 16th December, meaning if it fails I will most likely be bleeding over Christmas and super depressed- just feels like I can't plan anything as no idea how anything's going. We normally host Christmas but have told everyone is cancelled this year to be safe. Hate not having everything set and sorted, but guess I can make decisions after 16th x

I'm on lubion @ginandtonicformeplease first time as bled early in my fresh cycle. I think it's what's made the difference this time. Its expensive, but if its working I don't care. Grumpiness is all in your dh's head! 😂 😏

Thank you @Hufflepuff1 my book came last night and its got a one week countdown to a triggering event, so going to try the activities each day to help me feel a bit more in control.

Hi @JLo81 I've not been in your situation but I think clinics would normally say go for the better quality first. I did a medicated FET so unsure about a natural approach but that's worked well for me. I found the FET quite passive and I was quite detached from it but I would have been quite stressed checking for ovulation etc on a natural cycle. You just need to take more meds for a FET, so I'll be on estrogen and progesterone until 12 weeks.

Hope everyone is OK xx

Keep going ladies . We got this !!

Can anyone advise me.

Following my negative test I had my last shot of progesterone on Sunday night, Im Not sure what happens now ? Will I have a bleed ? I did have a heavy bleed after my test turned positive then to negative so I'm not sure if I'd have another one ?
Also where in my cycle am I? I have no idea if that was start of my cycle . I rung the unit yesterday and waiting for them to call me back.

I also spoke to someone and took some advise about how to appeal about funding as I think we will be decline due to age.

I'm going to ask the unit about some counselling as we both feel a bit low. And the wait of 5 months is making it worse x

Fingers crossed for all you girls growing embies x

@lucymills1234 hi just checking in seeing how you are doing? Xx

@ExhaustedPigeon1988 I'm negative too, as is my DH. Which makes it hard sometimes. But we are like- if it's meant to happen, it will. However, that falls down suddenly when there's someone on the phone telling you things and so I know I won't take it well if they call with bad news.
@Justawannabemam how heavy was the bleed you had? You would expect to have a period after that was at least 'normal' but probably heavier than normal given everything going on. The drugs mess up everything though so I think any predictability goes out of the window. AF likely turns up when it likes?

@JLo81 I've always done what my clinic advises (maybe I'm too passive!). I had a natural FET based on their advice but they did say that I should only agree to that if I'm confident that I ovulate and that detecting it with an OPK works we'll. My cycles are very regular and I get a positive opk at the right time. I probably would have opted for medicated if that weren't the case.

@paintfairy it was a period flow bleed. I'm very emotional so I hope its coming soon x

Be positive girls. 💖

@Justawannabemam I had heavy bleeding from 7dp5dt to 11dp5dt. My darkest test was 12dp5dt but my hcg dropped by 16dp5dt. I didn't bleed again. I ovulated a week later than normal and my next period arrived on cd34 (usually I'm 25 days). X

@Justawannabemam that might have been it then?

@Justawannabemam, I had 4 fails and each time my body seemed to treat the withdrawal bleed from the progesterone as the period - I then ovulated 2 weeks later and had a natural period 2 weeks after that. I'm sorry you're feeling so low. Sometimes the only thing that would get me out of that funk was planning the next cycle, hope you can both regroup soon ♥️

@paintfairy
@venusStarr
@MrsC2018

Sounds alike a waiting game. X

I would love to start thinking about my next one . When ever that may be x.