IVF/FET Jan/Feb 2022

[Juno231]

I know I'm a bit early but knowing that I get to start in January I think I'll go mad just twiddling my thumbs until then.

With Christmas clinic closures I think there's a fair few of us around waiting for Jan to start, so hopefully we can gather here for support in the mean time?

About me - 33 years old (although I turn 34 in Jan!), TTC#1 for two years with unexplained infertility. Am due to start my first ever round of IVF in January (NHS). I've been told I'll do short protocol and in terms of next steps I've got a trial embryo transfer in two weeks' time, and both OH and I have to get blood tests done in Dec. I can order my meds from the pharmacy in Dec as well so got that to look forward to ha.

I'm currently predicted to start my cycle on the 31st of Dec which would mean having to wait a whole cycle due to the new year bank holiday getting in the way. My cycle can vary by a few days though so I'm really hoping CD1 actually comes a day or two later!

@Justawannabemam

Haha made me laugh, I nap 2 hours already! I take it it's down your boby is overworking to make the eggs.

@Jennie154

Bless you, when do you find out what the next steps are lots of hugs

@Gracie2021

I've heard about DHEA on improving egg quality, so started taking it. It's a bit pricey. Haven't come across anyone else on here to report on if it helps or not though

Sorry forgot to add probably start injecting around the 26th. Got an appointment for drugs teach, bloods and scan that day but cd1 date not 100% certain. @NaomiNatNat

@Gracie2021 on the plus side mine are free this round, but it would still be super wasteful if I didn’t need them. I’m sure I will though! Hope springs eternal and all that.

Supplements wise I’m taking ubiquinol, omega 369, vitamin c, vitamin d (high dose as instructed by my dermatologist), b12, vitamin e, folic acid, iron and a hair and nails oral spray I like. Also magnesium when I remember it. I was previously taking a multivitamin and I’m convinced it was making my dry eye/infection thing worse and when I stopped taking them it improved.

My husband had really good results with impryl (amongst other things), he’s been taking them for nearly a year now. His morphology and motility improved, and women can take impryl too so I kind of regret not taking it. If this round has bad results I think I’ll start taking it too.

@Jennie154 So sorry it is so frustrating, this happened to me too with first cycle not responding at all to stims wasn’t really something I knew could happen was a bit shocked. Maybe changing from long to short or short to long or type of meds used could make a difference? Xx

@Jennie154 I'm sorry - this can be such a complicated journey for so many of us for different reasons.

So the thing I was told about FSH is that if your levels are high then that can prevent you responding well to stims. It doesn't mean that you can't conceive - it's just an IVF thing. The stim drugs contain FSH (some of them) so your levels need to be below a certain level for a good response. Your FSH isn't that high - but it is a little high. FSH also varies month to month so it could be 16 one month but 10 the next.

My previous clinic had a cut off of 12 and if your FSH was above that on baseline then they wouldn't proceed that month. They would suggest that you wait for a better month. This is unusual but that is their approach.

It may be possible to lower your FSH with things like wheatgrass. I was also prescribed DHEA which lowered mine (although that's not why I took it).

This could be an Avenue to explore so that if you try again, you're in a better position to respond.

I hope that's not too much information xxx

@NaomiNatNat @Gracie2021 just on the subject of DHEA. I've been on a couple of threads on here with women for whom DHEA really messed up their menstrual cycles. I was prescribed it after tests showed that my levels of free testosterone and DHEA were very bottom of the healthy range. After 8-9 weeks they were top of the range. If you haven't already, it's worth getting blood tests to check that you need DHEA, just to make sure it doesn't do any harm

Xxx

Thanks for the heads up on the DHEA @Janefx40 I'll proceed carefully and do some more reading on that one.

@thislittlebird feel better about my raft load of supplements seeing your list. Feel nuts some days as I guzzle down my fistful of pills 😂 have some for the hubby too but he's so bad about remembering to take them and it's not a battle I feel like fighting.... 🤷‍♀️

@NaomiNatNat have you had any impact to your cycle after taking the DHEA or any feedback from your clinic on it?

@Janefx40

Will ask about dhea tomorrow in my meeting with the nurse.

@Gracie2021

No problems so far however I've only been taking it for about a month. I have low amh and heard that dhea helps to improve that. I wonder if I can ask for another amh test as the one the nurses are using is a test result from a year ago.

@Gracie2021 I have some in oral spray form and some as tablets to mix it up a bit 😭

I did stop taking them all for a while because I was sick of it, but restarted at Christmas knowing ivf was looming.

Hey. Reading through posts from the last few days and sounds that some have really good follicle number which is brilliant.
Of my 5 mature eggs that were retrieved (2 fertilised) 1 made it to day 5 blastocyst and was graded average and was transferred today. The second was a bit slower and hadn't made it to blastocyst yet - they said they'd leave it time tomorrow (day 6) and see.
Just curious what progesterone support you have been given. I'm on crinone gel. I was on this last transfer as well and my period arrived when I was still on it. I thought it would hold of my period even if the transfer failed but when I asked the Dr about it he said that my period would come even if I was still taking crinone. When I asked the nurse about it today, she said she'd never heard of someone's period arriving whilst still taking it but hopefully as I'm taking it differently this time (was told to last thing when in bed) then it should be fine. I was asking was there any tests I can get down to make sure I'm absorbing it sufficiently, but never really got an answer.

Thanks

So…… they gave us the option of going ahead with egg collection for the 1 follicle or cancelling and having another funded round. However, I was already on max NHS stims so they weren’t hopeful that trying again would produce a different outcome. They suggested that we could look at a donor egg round with our funding rather than use up our NHS funding with this one follicle. We have decided to go ahead with the egg collection. Our next step was a private cycle anyway at a different clinic with different drugs so would be self funding that anyway. Thought we might as well give this follicle a chance

@Geep my period came last time while I was on the progesterone pessaries and other people in different threads have recommended I speak to my consultant to up the progesterone for the next one. When I spoke to him last there was a mention of maybe progesterone injections as well but on a freeze all right now so will revisit it soon. But may be worth pushing them a bit. I don't really know what the gel is though, may already be a higher dose? Good luck for your little embryo, hope it's nestling in nicely 😊

@Jennie154 it only takes one egg as many say so keeping everything crossed that this is your one.

@Jennie154 good to have options and wishing you the best of luck with this collection. You never know, it might be the one 🤞

@Geep I've been on crinone gel for two TSI cycles now and was taking one in the morning and one at night. For my IVF transfer they have me on injections and the crinone. Wishing you the very best of luck with this transfer!

@thislittlebird I took a complete break back in the autumn too just to forget about it all. Had to be done sometimes.

Thanks @NaomiNatNat I have lowish AMH too so hoping it wouldn't do any harm from that perspective 🤞

@Jennie154 that's so great that you have the option to continue. Sounds like the right decision. Will be crossing my fingers for that egg! Yes you only need one xxx

Only takes one egg @Jennie154 keeping my fingers crossed for you

@Geep best of luck with your little one on board! I have been given cyclogest in the past and am on that now for this FET. On other cycles I was given cyclogest plus prontogest or Lubion which are injectable forms of progesterone. Some clinics I've been to check progesterone levels at transfer and during the 2WW but others don't!

Thank you for all your messages of support.x

@Geep They have put me on 400mg cyclogest pessaries of an evening and 25mg Lubion injection in morning. First time past egg collection so can’t really advise either way on it.

@Jennie154 Sounds like the right decision, did you have egg collection today or is it in the coming days? Fingers crossed for you x

@Newbee33 Thanks. I’ve got to do trigger tonight ready for egg collection Friday morning. I’m not getting my hopes up.x

@Jennie154 It’s worth a shot, I know you probably feel deflated but at least there still is hope and carrying on could help with learning if another cycle is needed, it does feel a bit like trial and error. Good luck for Fri x

@Geep I used progesterone gel (Crinone) with my IUI cycles and the first time I had spotting between ovulation and af, second time had nothing, af arrived on time, third time af arrived a few days later after I stopped using the gel.
I have again Crinone after the egg collection, however now I need to use twice a day.

Update from me: today was my last scan, good lining and follicles numbers, tonight my trigger shot and Friday morning EC. Looks really unreal that the last 5 weeks went so quickly but I know the tww won't

I've just caught up of this thread it moves so fast! I'm CD 12 today (stims day 10) this is my first round of IVF and I have PCOS so was started on a really small dose so it took a few days to get me on the right dose to get my follicles growing. I'm now on meriofert 375iu and cetrotide. My oestradiol level today was around 5500 and my next scan and bloods is Friday when I'm hoping I'll be ready to trigger. Im really starting to feel it now and I have lots of follicles due to pcos. Im really worried about ohss but luckily being monitored very closely

Hello am new to this! Just looking for some advice am going through my first round of ivf through nhs I’ve been on my stims for 14 days now my follicles still aren’t big enough growing but slowly there giving me until Friday on the stims, has anyone had this problem but still gone on to egg retrieval? I have got lots of follicles but only a couple growing big very frustrating am drinking lots of water & trying no sugar any other tips on how to get them growing?

I also have pcos and was started on a low dose on a higher dose now and my follicles are growing but at snails pace been on my stims 14 days now and back on Friday to see if there big enough yet so reassuring it’s not just me! And it happens to other people am so ready to go on to the egg retrieval now!

@Jennie154 @Dobcaty good luck with the trigger and enjoy your injection free day tomorrow! All the best for EC on Friday for you both, will be thinking of you.

I have been in touch with my clinic and asked for a day 6 scan on Friday...not feeling much going on in my ovaries, i've just got headaches, tiredness and what feels like IBS! So just to put my mind at ease, or not, I'm getting a scan to know how many follicles are showing. My last cycle was delayed as there was a cyst from the first ivf round, this time they didn't check and we went straight into it so I'm worrying there may be a cyst blocking room for follicles.