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?

@Tiger86 @PositiveeVibes @LivingonaPrayerandGin and everyone else who I’m too drugged up to remember. Got 19 eggs. Remains to be seen how many are good quality enough to be frozen but hopefully a good starting point. Actual procedure fine but needed a good bit of codeine for cramps! Not the funnest day out I’ve ever had but could have been worse I suppose.

@BlueSilver23 that’s a good number!! Get some rest and fingers crossed some good ones are there x

@BlueSilver23 that's a great number of eggs fingers crossed lots fertilize tomorrow.

I've not long finished my transfer and got 3 top quality embryos so 1 has been transferred and 2 frozen. There is a couple of more embryos that they are going to leave until tomorrow as they aren't quite sure what they are going to do yet so I'm really pleased. Just fingers crossed for this one to be a good outcome. The test date seems so far away though but I'm sure you can test before then. With my son who I conceived naturally I found out 10dpo with a very clear positive so I will probably cave by day 10 and test x

@BlueSilver23 that's a great number! Fingers crossed for some good updates this week, until then take it easy and some well deserved rest after cooking so many good eggs!

@Tiger86 congrats on being pupo!! Did you treat yourself to a maccy Ds?? 😅 That's great you've some to freeze and potentially some to catch up!

I started my 2nd lot of stimms this morning that went without a hitch thank goodness. However, sorry TMI but I'm getting an increasing about if blood when I wipe. Very very sorry for oversharing 🙈 I started my cycle on 13/11 but had to take the pill till Weds 17/11 to tie in with my EC. Period went as normal really but a few days after started with small amounts when wiping and now seem to be getting worse rather than better. Any ideas?! Assuming the pill just dragged it out a bit as seems to be dark but now worried ots getting worse rather than better...

Just spoke to embryologist, lost five eggs so 14 overall. Bit disappointed considering I had 30 follicles

@Tiger86 that’s amazing news! It’s going to be a long wait going to try and hold out as long as I can ha ha!

@BlueSilver23 sorry to hear that! But still got a good number

@LivingonaPrayerandGin aww sorry to hear that! Hope you’re okay

@BlueSilver23 that's still a great number!

@PositiveeVibes thank you, I feel fine though 😅

@Tiger86 great to hear the transfer went well! Keeping my fingers crossed for you.

I’m going to have a meeting with my consultant in a couple of days to discuss what went (slightly) wrong and to figure out hopefully how not to lose so many follicles/eggs next time.

Hi all, thank you for the welcomes and mentions.
@BlueSilver23... Good egg collection! Sorry u lost a few but its still great. My last retrieval was of 10 eggs but only 3 mature! Still can't believe I got my little girl from one of those 3 xx
@Tiger86.. Congrats on your great blasts and fingers crossed for a stress free 2ww xx
I restarted stimms last night, follicle scan booked for Friday and flights to Prague booked for a week today. Excited and nervous x

@firefly37 thank you. I don’t mean to moan, I know I’m very lucky to get 14 and its a good position to be in. Just slightly concerned about the drop from 28 follicles to 19 eggs to 14 viable eggs. So only 50% of the follicles were viable. Just worried it might signify an underlying issue with egg quality or something. Or perhaps starting me on the lower dose of the stims wasn’t the right thing in hindsight. Or maybe I’m over thinking it and still a bit loopy from the codeine! Anyone here had similar issue?

Also got warned about possible ohss and said I will likely bloat significantly with 19 eggs Retrieved. Wasn’t given any blood thinners though. Must admit the pain after was a bit more than I expected. But for now getting a Burger King!

Thanks everyone

@BlueSilver23... Lol moan away! That's what we are here for :)... Seriously though, I wouldn't overthink things. My first ivf cycle I had absolutely no idea what was going on... I just assumed it would work and it did! My second cycle... Again I still didn't know much and only got 3 eggs but it worked... Unfortunately now as I am preparing for final cycle 3, I know too much and its actually worse I think... I know my chances are not great (I'm 41), I know my FSH was too high a few months ago and worse I know what that means! I guess what I'm trying to say is just let the doctors etc do their job and live in merry ignorant bliss lol! U are very lucky to get a good amount of eggs and I hope they are good uns :) I've only ever had a maximum of 8 follicles on one side and 4 on the other... A good few of these don't make the size needed but it's still worked twice for me. Wishing u all the luck in the world xx

@BlueSilver23 my first cycle I had 25 eggs retrieved of which 22 were mature and only 12 fertilised, it’s normal to have a big drop off at every stage. We only got 2 blastocysts from that cycle which the clinic considered a good result as 75% of couples only get one or fewer from a cycle.
I think online there are a lot of high profile people on Instagram etc who have 5 or 8 embryos from one cycle but that really isn’t normal, it’s much more usual to only end up with a couple.

@Gensola thanks. I’ve heard that it’s about 80% mature eggs from the total number of eggs and then 80% fertilized and then 30-50% viable. So with 28 follicles on day 9 I think I need to look to into why we ended up with with 50% of the eggs rather than about the 80% we potentially could have retrieved. A 30% difference in what was expected to be is something to look into I think. Especially considering I was meant to be perfectly healthy and young going into this. It is worrying me but hoping it was the stim protocol rather than something else. Still considering whether or not to go ahead with the second cycle straight away. I am going to have a little bit of a break for a couple of months I think as this hasn’t been smooth sailing for me!

@firefly37 thanks! All the luck to you too! 🍀

@BlueSilver23 I think it’s not uncommon for some follicles to be empty - follicles don’t always have eggs in them. Try not to worry - I hope your consultant can reassure you, and in the meantime at least you have a great number of eggs, many more than most people have
I’m wide awake again - woke at 0353 😫 hormones definitely playing havoc with my sleep.

@Gensola also wide awake, hormones definitely mess with your sleep! Still in quite a bit of pain from procedure too which isn’t helping, codeine only marginally improving it. Can’t even walk properly, no idea how people go back to work the next day!

@BlueSilver23 if you are in a lot of pain just be careful - you had a lot of eggs so are at risk of OHSS, I had that after my first egg collection and I was really poorly. Drink lots of water (it helps to flush out the follicle fluid), I found a hot water bottle helped too. So sorry to hear you’re suffering, it’s horrible

@Gensola thanks, yes drinking lots of water. Think it’s one of the reasons I’m not sleeping, keep having to get up to the loo! Is there anything else I can do to help with ohss risk? I heard low carb can help?

@BlueSilver23 yes I think high protein diet is supposed to help too. It really is the pits - I found it improved after a few days of resting.

Hi girls, I’m back after about a week of spinning. We found out all our embryos didn’t go past 5 cells on day 3. I was devastated. Luckily one made it to blastocyst and I had my transfer on Sunday.

I’m now in the 2ww and a bit of a mess. I’m so scared my period is going to start. Luckily we have family staying this week which provides a distraction or I’d go completely nuts!

I am so sorry to hear a few ladies updates on cycles which didn’t work, this process is so painful, you’d think we would get a break sometime and something would be easy for once. Take time to recover and recharge. Sending love to you.

Hope you’re all getting on okay, it’s hard to keep up!!

@ChocolateinBruges I had mine on Sunday too! I am trying to stay positive and keep telling myself this will work!

@PositiveeVibes I need to do the same and get my positivity back up! I guess it’s easier thinking it’s not going to work in terms of handling any disappointment but then I could be enjoying this moment.
What are you ladies doing to relax and take your mind off the 2ww? X

I usually go for 10-15 mile walks in the evenings but feel like I can’t do that right now as it’s too much exercise...it’s the only way I know how to handle my anxiety

@ChocolateinBruges I have a peloton and I usually go on that but can’t right now, also love a hot bath, that’s a no too 😂 I feel like all the stuff I like to do is banned.
Basically I’m trying to keep busy with work but I’m struggling now I’ve hit the 7 day mark. So tempted to test early!