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 hey, just checking in, how are you doing? X

@ExhaustedPigeon1988 doing ok thanks just back in the world of work as a good distraction was hard to go back Monday. It was weird like it was a confirmation everything is over and I'm right back where I was but since then it has been good to be back. Finally stopped bleeding today after 3 weeks of it feels good for it to definitely be over and now just to wait. Clinic have scheduled an appointment just to go over what happened and to go over frozen transfer next so will see what they say at the appointment. Just hope all my frozen embryos aren't crap ones I hope there is one good one out of 4 please!!! And I hope I don't have to go through all this again before I find it 🙏. Hope your doing good too? Any appointments scheduled soon for starting again? X

@Tiger86 glad its come to and end, that was a small turning point for me too. Fingers crossed you can get another treatment planned, helps to have the next love in place.Im sure you will have a sticky one there, a lot of women find the lower grades work better, I think that's down ti having given up and the body being more relaxed personally. 1 am now scheduling for 24th feb. Meds start day 3 of period- so it's just a waiting game, but if I'm much later than Monday or Tuesday transfer will get postponed... so just waiting impatiently as always lol. Not sure I'm mentally ready, but feel there's no other choice :-/ just cracking on lol x

@Tiger86 how are you doing? Have you managed to get FET booked? Or are you taking some time off first? 2 and a half weeks and it's transfer day, I can't believe it's so close. I'm not mentally ready for 2ww, let alone the actual result! X

@ExhaustedPigeon1988 aww I'm excited for you! I really am wishing you all the luck in the world. I have a follow up appointment on Friday and will get my FET booked in then they said I needed to do this follow up first. Just waiting on my period arriving it will be 4 weeks on Tuesday never have I wanted my period to arrive so much as this month. Did yours return on time? Please keep me posted about your transfer and results x

@Tiger86 I tracked ovulation, which was slightly later than before, but my period arrived as predicted after that. Ohh wow, times flown by hasn't it, I hope everything goes well for you Friday, let me know how you get on? I'm trying to be excited, I have odd flutters of excitement, but mainly it's still fear. Thank you for your thoughts and well wishes, I hope this is both our times.... you maybe close to me too, would be good to be at the same time again x

@Exhaustedpigeon1988 how you getting on? Did you get your transfer? I had my follow up appointment and they said they will send me for some more blood tests before my transfer as I've now had 2 miscarriages just to check for more things can't quite remember what they are testing for think one is auto immune. Means I have to wait a little longer but I would rather be sure no underlying issues anyway. Have to wait 8 weeks for tests after miscarriage so mid March if all is well will do the transfer after results are back. If not have to wait 3 months to get the blood tests again so I hope that isn't the case. Good news though is that I got period so at least my cycles are back on track x

@Tiger86 so good to hear from you and so pleased you have a plan, that makes such a big difference doesn't it? I wish my clinic would look into my miscarriages, but as all but the last one were over 10 years ago I don't think they think it's relevant which is so annoying- I don't want to go through that again just to prove to them I need checking! My transfer is booked for 24th feb.... scan is tomorrow, I'm so nervous. It will be my first time back at the clinic, and I'm likely to be with Gemma, who is the nurse that told me to wait til my 8 week scan when I told her I was losing the babies. I'm liable to explode at her is she says one thing wrong, I'm still so angry over the whole situation! Can you let me know what tests they recommend please? As think I need to push for those too.... keep me upto date if you can, I often wonder how you are doing x

@Exhaustedpigeon1988 hopefully you will not need any tests and your transfer goes well this time but once I know what tests I will get I'll let you know. Hopefully I get a follow up letter with all the details as I didn't take any notes. Hope all goes well at your scan tomorrow and that the nurse aknowledges what happened and that she was in the wrong last time round. I think it will be difficult going back to the clinic too. Not long to go now though until that tww again. I honestly wish you all the luck in the world that it goes well for you. Do you have more embryos in storage? X

@Tiger86 thank you so much. Fingers crossed the test are over quickly and the results give some info. It maybe something really easy to change for next protocol, I have everything crossed for you :)
This is my last embryo, I feel really apprehensive, incase it doesn't thaw as it should Thursday, plus I really wanted a double transfer, but obviously I can't do that. Due to being with access fertility all embryos have to be used before another collection, which is a shame as this isn't a great grade. I would have preferred to do another collection and kept this one frozen- I wish I have fully understood the process when signing upto access.

@ExhaustedPigeon1988 I hope everything went ok with your transfer today? And now the wait is on again. I have everything crossed for you 🤞

@Tiger86 omg you amaze me, thank you for thinking of me today. Been a challenging day- wouldn't expect any different with bourn. So I was told this morning the embryo had made it through thaw but hadn't recovered. So obviously worried from 11 til 2.30 jay there wasn't going to be an embryo to transfer! Anyway, turns out the embryologist had just not put it very well, and it was all ok. Transfer was painful this time, but not unbearable, but it's done... shitty grade embryo, 5CB. But the best part of today was that Dr Thanos will be dealing with us going forward, so hopefully no more shitty drs! How are you enjoying you ivf free time? X

@ExhaustedPigeon1988 I'm glad all was well in the end and you had your transfer. Hopefully you will not need anymore fertility doctors and this will be it for you. I am just trying to have some sort of normality just now although still counting down the weeks until the next part as I am really wanting to get back up and going again. Just have next week to get through and then I can go for my blood tests so at least we will have some news. The thought of these tests being positive fills me with dread though as having to wait 3 months to repeat the tests will feel like a lifetime. All I can do in the meantime is try again naturally although I have no hope there after this long of trying but I just can't bring myself not to try even after this long. Please keep me posted when you come to test but I know even it is positive that you won't be able to have that hope yet. I think I'm actually more scared of a positive test again than I am a negative x

@Tiger86 next week is super soon :) that's come round so quickly :) although I'm sure it doesn't seem like it to you! I don't know, I think if I was having tests done to get an answer even if it meant a repeat I. 3 months would excite me- sounds like I'm a weirdo, but you can treat something when you know what it is. It does in me keep failing without a reason! I'm missing normality! Have a drink for me.... craving a bloody wine so badly! I'm with you on the positive being scarier than a negative, 1 is disappointment, the other is sheer fear! X

@ExhaustedPigeon1988 how you getting on any signs? Have you tested yet? X

Hey, @Tiger86 tested every day since Monday lol, completely negative. Frustrated at being told I have tested too soon and to be positive, and people who haven’t a clue telling me I should try to relax…. Clinic also won’t even book an appointment til 13th March has passed as apparently it could be bad for my health (all I want is a consultation, as the main surgeon has agreed to personally create out next treatment plan). As always there will be delays, and that frustrates me more than anything. How have your tests gone? That was this week wasn’t it? X

Sorry to hear about your negatives. You know from previous experience how things are so you will know in yourself what to think. So sorry if you have to go through the whole process again IVF is tough going and hopefully you donvwt put back on a long protocol. I hope they give you a treatment plan you will want and take in to account everything that has happened. Unfortunately I wasn't feeling well the day of my bloods so have to wait now until the 22nd when the next appointment was. I did find out what tests they are doing and basically it is just lots of antibody tests: They are Lupus anticoagulant, cardiolipin antibodies (ACA) IgG and IgM. I have been enjoying this month of nothing though. Going out tomorrow night and going to have a night of a lot of cocktails as will need to be good again soon. Weirdly I got my period again today which is only 18 days since my last so I think my cycles are going to be all over the place again after the miscarriage. Hopefully the clinic can help with that as I have no idea when the next one will be x

@want2bemum -
Hi, I'm so sorry I have just logged onto my account & saw there was a private message but I didn't know such thing was on there as it doesn't come up on my app for some reason so I'm sorry for not replying I wasn't being rude I just didn't know about it 😂 x

Hiya everyone, hope you are all doing ok? Just hoping for a bit of advise....

So after getting a wonderful consultation with Dr Thanos on Monday he has recommended a new direction. I am now starting a fresh cycle of IVF, but with the plan to do a natural frozen cycle after. He has recommended some tests before the natural cycle, but they are expensive and intrusive, and even he didn't sound particularly confident they would offer answers to my multiple miscarriages. But that they could..... so what experience do you ladies have of the following;

Endometrio – endometrial receptivity testing and culture Hysteroscopy
Endometrial scratching

Bacteriology/Virology/Immunology Covid-19
Lupus anticoagulant

Cytogenetic/Cytology
Karyotyping/cystic fibrosis/Y-deletion (together)

Any info, personal experience, thoughts are massively appreciated.... we are self funded and looking a a further £3.5k for these, which would me losing a round of IVF, worth it or not? Thanks everyone x

@ExhaustedPigeon1988 great to hear from you. I'm sorry I don't have much advice to offer as haven't had any of those tests and it sounds like a lot to go through for the small possibility of answers. Just had all my blood tests results and all came back fine so having my frozen transfer on my next cycle in May.

The only tests I've had is a hydrosonography I think and that was ok but I didn't have to pay for it. It is up to you obviously if you want to spend the money on the tests or save it for another round of IVF it is a big decision. Could you not do one more round now and then decide to take the tests if something were to happen?

I wish you all the best in whatever choice you choose and really hope you get there with a positive outcome x

@Tiger86 how exciting, I'm so pleased all is looking good for you :) my egg collection is booked 20th may, but last time was brought forward 2 days, expecting the same this time. I am going to do this collection and transfer the lowest grade, as Dr thinks the same as me, all the meds and stress is likely to prevent implantation- for me personally. Then I have to decide whether to test, or just go ahead with a natural frozen transfer, possibly using the last of the embryos.... I'm so torn, my history tells me there is a problem, but my head is telling me the tests are expensive and probably inconclusive.... they don't guarantee a result. I really don't know what to do.

I am going to speak to tommys charity and try get some advise, I'm just not sure.

How are you feeling heading into your cycle? X

@ExhaustedPigeon1988 it sounds like you have really thought through the best plan for you and I do feel there is so much stress around the fresh transfer that waiting could be the best thing. I'm starting to be excited again for the frozen transfer I feel like having this time has really helped to get over everything that happened and I do feel ready to move on. I'm just trying not to put so much pressure on things and I think with less people knowing this time round will help too hopefully. Looks like we could be implanted nearly around the same time again. Just hoping everything goes ok for the frozen transfer I just don't know how I will cope with all the waiting again especially if it is actually successful as I think getting through those weeks again will be so hard x

@Tiger86 I found frozen so much easier to deal with, as egg collection terrifies me. I'm dreading do it all again. I'm so pleased you feel more prepared. Hopefully it will help with a new way implantation. I get what you mean though, on my last transfer I don't know what worried me more a negative result or a positive lol x

@Tiger86 hey how are you doing? I sent you a private message as the old thread was full and I couldn’t reply, just found you in hear too, so thought I would drop you a message. How you are doing well? X

@ExhaustedPigeon1988 Hello! Yea I haven't been on here for ages! Thanks for the message. How are you too? Is there another thread you are on more recently? Being back on this thread is a reminder of how long I am into my IVF journey now as it is coming up to a year down the line 😱. Can't believe it. Although I am still only on my first cycle really. We are just about to use frozen embryo number 2. Number 1 wasn't successful so I am not sure where we stand with number 2 going any better. We then have 1 more frozen embryo in storage that is if they both survive. So we are on a natural cycle still so just waiting on ovulation probably a weeks time and then we will get our embryo implanted again. Wish me luck! How are you and where are you in your ivf journey? Xx