IVF October/November 2021

[TheSnufflet]

I can't see that anyone else has started one yet, so I thought I may as well!

Just got my calendar through today and will be downregging in three weeks time, starting stims in late October, with EC provisionally in early November. This is my second round, which will now be ICSI-only after my last one ended up with a total fertilisation failure

Anyone else on the same sort of timeframe?

@ExhaustedPigeon1988 wow you’re very organised! I forget which side I’m injecting most days ha ha! I know what you mean I can’t accept that it might work I always think well what if I don’t get any to freeze then I’ve got to go through all of this again so soon!

Had my scan today, number of decent sized follicles has gone from 7 to 3.

I’m on day 6 of STIMS...the gap is huge...3 at 10mm and the rest under 6mm...they won’t catch up. We are going to Paris in December, if this doesn’t work which I’m feeling like is increasingly likely. I’m going to drink all the mulled wine and eat all the bratwursts I can muster

@Shaj123 It is so hard isn't it, I will be exactly the same. I'm currently only 3 days past a day 2 transfer so I know there is no chance of a true positive test yet anyway, but it's so hard when you get to that "what if....?" window and are just dying to know.

My clinic were very firm because the hCG from the treatment can stay in your system for quite a long time, and it could give you a false positive if you test before 2 weeks. I just think that would be so devastating, so I'm going to do my best to resist!

@ChocolateinBrugges I'm so sorry to hear about your follicle count. It's so hard to remain hopeful when you feel like your chances have just been slashed. I was similar when only one of ours fertilised but it is now inside me so we got to that stage at least. You just never know so don't give up xx (mulled wine and bratwurst in Paris sounds delightful though!)

Thank you everyone re the OHSS, I have taken an extra day off work today so am taking it easy and rehydrating.

I've been reassured it doesn't affect anything with the embryo, so that is helping me to keep positive :)

@ChocolateinBrugges aww sorry to hear you scan didn’t go so well! Just never know what will happen on this journey! Wishing you all the best! Ooo Paris sounds lovely!!

@want2bemum glad you’re feeling better! And that’s reassuring that the little embryo won’t be affected!

Hi @Smile1234 I'm so sorry for your losses, what a difficult thing to go through
Wish you lots of luck with this cycle

@ExhaustedPigeon1988 Sorry you're dealing with headaches throughout all this. I feel very fortunate to be on a short protocol, so just straight to stims with no down reg. They are going ok- last time I was feeling ready to pop by this time, but this time I have fewer follicles growing, starting to feel some twinges today though. I'm impressed you are putting social events in your diary through this- I just become a complete hermit, which is not good for me at all, but won't be for long.

I have a habit of thinking negatively to protect myself from disappointment, but I overdid it last time and it really got me down, so trying to just think this, welll, it might not work, but it might. No point being depressed about something that hasn't happened yet, I'll be depressed enough when it does happen

@PositiveeVibes What day are you up to with your stims now? Have you got any scans this week?

@Gensola My doctor thinks that with a blastocyst chances of it implanting are always about 40%. I know that's a bit at odds with some data you can find online that takes grading into account, but could be that you've just been a bit unlucky and on the wrong side of that statistic so far. Really hoping this is your lucky transfer. I would definitely do a double if it would increase my chances too

@Shaj123 like @want2bemum my clinic says not to test within 14 days of taking the trigger as it can lead to a false positive because it has HGC in it. Not sure if this varies depending on what kind of trigger you use those. The wait is so hard, it's very tempting to test. I think the progesterone will usually stop periods arriving anyway, although some women do get their bleeds despite that. But they say effects of progesterone are exactly the same as pre-menstrual symptoms so we shouldn't read anything into them. 🤞for you

@ChocolateinBrugges I'm sorry to hear about the follies- I would have though this early there was still a chance they would catch up.

I'm similar to you though - they could see 10 follicles on my scan this morning, but varying in size so much - two of them ready for trigger already and the rest nowhere near. The nurse thinks im looking at 3 eggs only, which is 10 less than I got last time. Just got to hope one of them is good enough to go all the way

Glad your getting to put your feet up @want2bemum

@KatRee that’s what the big cheese at OxFert said to me, he basically just said you’ve been unlucky and you have to keep going.
They’ve called now to confirm my transfer on Tues 16th at 12, so I have to rebook the day off. The nurse this morning said it would def be Monday 15 so I booked that off. Sigh.
Progesterone from Wednesday, nervous for the Lubion as I know it’s meant to be a sore one.
@ChocolateinBrugges Paris sounds amazing, it’s so good to have something to look forward to!
@want2bemum you have all my sympathy, I had OHSS first time round and it was awful. Defo rest as much as possible, hot water bottle helped me plus lots and lots of water, herbal tea and (for me) codeine!

@KatRee I always think negatively but I can’t do anything to change the outcome so kinda gotta go with it! I am on day 5 today and got first scan on Wednesday!
Aww sorry to hear about your scan! I hope they make it all the way!

Good luck @KatRee and hopefully there’s the good egg for you even if there’s 3. Didn’t know about the progesterone possibly stopping periods, good to know.

@want2bemum when do you get to test?

Probably tmi but need some reassurance as had lots of egg white discharge tonight and isn't that a usual sign of ovulation! Does this mean the injection to stop ovulation is not working or is this normal.

Trying to read over everyone's messages too @smile1234 so sorry for all you have been through and hoping ivf brings you a positive outcome.

@want2bemum @Shaj123 good luck on your testing soon fingers crossed for bfp!! @want2bemum hope you are recovering after your hospital visit x

@Gensola good luck in your upcoming egg transfer

@KatRee it only takes the one good egg so hopefully your eggs are good quality ones. I know of someone who just had 2 eggs collected and went on to have success but I know it is easier not to think positively I'm doing that myself. Scan on Wednesday for me to see how mine are doing. I'm on day 8 of injections. X

Thanks everyone

@Tiger86 I don't think ewcm is a concern as I believe it's caused by the estrogen which is produced by your eggs growing and is not related to the LH that triggers ovulation. I had it during my first cycle for days before EC and all the eggs were there waiting to be collected on the day

@Shaj123 thank you, let's hope you tww flies by and ends with a bfp, how exciting :)

@PositiveeVibes I'm trying not to get too hopeful, can't deal with the crash after, but would really like to try enjoy atleast a couple of days of hope after transfer, for some reason I just knew it hadn't worked last time, I remember 2 days after transfer turning to my other half in tears telling him, obviously he told me to trust the process and that it's too early to tell- again obviously he was right, but I just had a gut feeling. I'm hoping to be able to pretend for a little bit longer this time lol

@KatRee mine a frozen transfer, and they have really stretched it out, start progynova tomorrow and I'm hoping that's going to make me feel a little more human. If it wasn't the run up to Christmas I would defo be hiding away, instead I have a girls shopping trip, and a works Christmas meal, plus various friends I need to drop pressies off to, as I'm preparing for the worse afterwards, and want to be able to hid away lol. Atleast if it's good news everything's done, but if it's bad I don't have to face people and can blame Christmas on being permanently drunk lol.

Wishing everyone an amazing week, I hope it passes quickly, sending love and baby dust :)

Hi,

@Tiger86, I had white discharge too before my egg collection and everything went fine.

I did the first response pregnancy test this morning and it was negative. No traces of HCG left in my body and most likely not being pregnant. I just woke up today with less bloating and feeling a bit normal so just didn't feel pregnant.

@Tiger86 I had discharge too, don't worry, I think it's normal :)

@Shaj123 Sounds like you're feeling a little disheartened. It's still early for testing though. You are still only 5+5 days right? I know it's so hard but it really is best to wait xx

I'm struggling too - my OTD is Wednesday next week so still a way to go for me yet! I'm also having negative feelings about it already, but I know logically that I can't possibly know and just have to wait.

Hi @want2bemum, yes 5+5 but felt there would be a faint line at least since my real testing date should be this Saturday. But since they don't do blood tests on the weekends, it's been booked for Monday morning.

It really is hard to not feel negative but I know how you feel about the wait.

@Shaj123 Yes the wait is horrible isn't it!

I don't want to get your hopes up, but some people don't even get positives until day 16/17 or later. You just can't know for sure until you get the blood test or your period. It's a waiting game and is torturous!

I am just trying to fill my days with as many distractions as I can at the moment!

Hi @want2bemum, thanks for making me feel better!

I guess I just don't feel pregnant but tbh I didn't feel pregnant with my daughter. I just became unwell and I realised my period hadn't started but since trying for baby no2 all I do is symptom watch.

@Shaj123 I know what you mean, I keep thinking I don't feel pregnant as well. But I've never been pregnant before so I have to keep telling myself I don't even know what that means! Lol.

Everything crossed for you. Try and do some self care or distract yourself with something. I'm in the middle of a good book which is helping xxx

@ExhaustedPigeon1988 I know how you feel! Hopefully you won’t write it off too early this time and you get your positive

@want2bemum aww I bet it’s so hard not to test you just want to know the answer! It feels like the longest wait ever doesn’t it!

@Shaj123 aww wishing you all the best! It’s hard to not look for symptoms that you think you should be feeling.

@shaj123 @want2bemum and @katRee thanks for getting back to me just had a slight panic last night but good to know it is nothing to do with ovulation.

Hopefully scan shows good signs tomorrow x

Hi All - can I join please? I just finished my first ivf cycle, which resulted in a day 3 transfer of two embryos on Tuesday (one 8 and one 9 cell - doctor said quality was “average” so not exactly a ringing endorsement…) and I am already losing my mind second guessing whether it will work or not!

I am 35 and my blood work was SHOCKING - FSH was over 13 and when I found out I was inconsolable (I read somewhere that lots of clinics say they won’t even treat anyone with FSH over 12) . We had short protocol and ended up with 7 eggs, 6 of which were mature - all 6 fertilised and by day 3 we had 5 left. My clinic strongly suggested we go for a day 3 transfer because we don’t have many embryos so I had what the doc said were the strongest two put back yesterday and we froze the other 3.

I put on over 4kg during the ivf process and I’m really struggling with not being allowed to do my usual exercise until after the TWW (clinic were pretty insistent on this).

Does anyone have any tips on how to stay sane? I know that realistically I am very unlikely to succeed on first attempt and with average at best embryo quality but I am trying to keep positive for now.

Sending everyone so much luck in this stressful process x

@Fingerscrossedfor2021HK as a veteran of three IVF TWWs, all of which ended in failure, I can only say keep busy (without exhausting yourself!) as I spent a lot of time agonising and googling success stories (I think I’ve read all of baby Center going back to about 2003!!). It then felt a huge waste of time when I got my BFNs.
I’m due a double transfer on 16th next week and I have taken the 16th off work, but I will be back in the following day and trying to live my normal life and keep busy.

My transfer has been moved back a day to 16th, started Lubion and pessaries today, need to get some panty liners as the pessaries are so messy. I’ve heard Lubion hurts some people but DH did a great job and didn’t hurt me at all.
What are people doing about supplements post transfer? I am currently on pregnancy multi with the natural kind of folic acid, vitamin D, vitamin E, probiotics, NAC and alpha lipoic acid and l-arginine. yes I rattle when I walk

@Fingerscrossedfor2021HK hello, hope you’re doing okay. I have struggled as I like to do exercise etc but I have to remind myself what I am doing it for! I think keeping as busy as you can and try and get on with normal daily life! Wishing you all the best

Had first follicle scan today all seems to be well and they are all growing in a cluster! Have more on left side and some are already past 11cm! Should have another scan Friday! 🤞

@PositiveeVibes that's great news!