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!

@dragonleo yeah glad Ive found someone in the same boat. I feel the same as you, but scared about taking a blood thinner like aspirin just for the sake of it, have no idea if it could effect things negatively so my gut feeling says to leave it and just let it be

@Bluehawaii29 I think I'm in the same mindset as you. Would hate to have actively sabotaged our chances. I only got 3 eggs and luckily 2 made it to day 5. Maybe if this transfer doesn't work out I'll try it on the last attempt (1 blastocyst has been frozen). What stage are you at?

@tulipsandsnow did you have to wait for day 6 for all of your embryos? Could they do a scan to check everything before deciding whether to go ahead this next cycle?

@Bec18x great news on the 6 frozen!!

@Geep how was your test today?

@Bluebonnet3 how are you feeling with this round being so close to your last round?

@slowresponder what's your AMH? I responded terribly in my first round, one consultant suggested duostim but the other one said with my AMH level I shouldn't need it...my follicles just stubborn and needed max dose of meds. Went from 2 eggs first round to 17 second round

We had a call from the embryologist this morning. We have 5 embryos from the 7 at early blast stage...they need to be at expanded blastocysts stage to do the biopsies and freeze so will update us tomorrow now

We had a fresh transfer with 5AA blastocyst in December which didn’t work so had 4 frozen after that cycle. Planning on using two this time for our last funded nhs cycle so that’s going to be happening in feb. Presuming don’t lose any in the thaw we would have 2 left for any further transfers if this wasn’t to work. Using embryo glue this time as been told can improve chances a little bit for implantation so just going to try what I can. When is your transfer happening

@Coops0406 my AMH was 10 which for my age is in the normal range, albeit the lower end of “normal”. I was on a short protocol of max stims 450iu meriofert on cancelled cycle and only 1 follicle was over 10mm. They then tried max times on long protocol (menopur this time) when they got the 5 eggs but 4 too small. So whilst I’m trying to remain positive for the one that’s back in I’m also tryin to remain realistic and get as much information as possible if it doesn’t stick.

Wishing everyone the best of luck who is undergoing a transfer, collection, or any sort of treatment this month ❤️.

I know having fertility treatment is a privilege, but that doesn't discount the mental, financial and physical stress involved with the process.

Hoping everyone here gets their perfect babies soon and comes out of this with their own health intact as well.

On another note, I've found an interesting IVF account to follow on TikTok (of all places!). Her username is Mrs.caitlyn_oneil. She's TTC and documenting her IVF journey. Bit of humour but also some interesting tidbits about what her doctor is trying, etc.

@Bluebonnet3 thank you for replying to me about the medication, I think I probably did the injection too fast and then also removed it too soon, at my scan today the nurse told me to hold the trigger shit pen for 10seconds afterwards.

I've just been for my final scan and I have 2 follicles about 25mm and 5 smaller ones. The nurse said that I may find that I have an extra follicle behind one of the bigger ones because it looks a strange shape, but we will have to wait and see. She said I might loose the bigger two which is a bit rubbish. I'm hoping to get atleast 5 retrieved on weds.

The nurse also said that I have got fluid in my uterine lining, which from what I've read is not a good thing, has anyone else had it at this stage? Did it disappear before transfer? It's a bit rubbish to be honest.

@Aimz40 hi I’m sorry to hear you’re not feeling too good after the scan results. Try to keep positive as hopefully those two follicles will still give good eggs and the other ones will get some mature ones too. The fluid in uterus is a bit more worrying if I’m honest. They may recommend you after egg collection to skip transfer and do a frozen one which may suck right now but often the body is more ready and in sync on frozen cycles and chances can be much more instead of wasting embryo when your lining is not ready

As far as I know fluid in the uterus can be from inflammation, possibly the ivf meds and that will in turn negatively effect implantation if it stays like that but ultimately it’s egg collection day they can have the best look at how your body is responding. Hope it settles down x

This is my third cycle now, my previous two I didn't good quality embryos, so I doubt I will get the chance to freeze them and try once the fluid has gone. I suppose I can't do much about it, so I'll just have to wait it out.

@Coops0406 no I did get some day 5 blasts, but there were two more that showed signs potential to become freezable for day 6 so was waiting news on those. The day 6 morning update was that they were both 4BB and would biopsy and freeze, then got a follow-up call in afternoon that they were able to biopsy and freeze one as 4BB but the other when looked at it again was more of a 3CC, so let that one go as didn't look like it would biopsy or freeze successfully.

@slowresponder sounds like the duo stim would be worth speaking to your consultant about then

@tulipsandsnow ah okay. None of mine this time we're ready today whereas last time 3 were then 3 caught up the next day. Just panicking a bit now as all 5 aren't ready.., all this waiting! And then the wait for the PGT-A results! 😬 could I ask you, did you have to take progesterone at all in case there was nothing good enough to biopsy? I've been on it but stopped now and just wondering how long until AF will come.

@Coops0406 I'm afraid my clinic judge that if they can't culture an embryo to a freezable state by day 7, they don't think it will lead to LB so to them freeze-all cycles don't have any risk of missing out. I know other clinics feel differently though!

(Incidentally I personally can never do a fresh cycle no matter what as can't take more than 200 progesterone a day- so restricted to natural FETs where body also producing P)

@Coops0406 forgot to ask, did they tell you what grading of each embryo was today (i.e. morula, '1 - -' , etc?) or just that none expanded enough yet? I remember last cycle I had I think a 3CC on day 5 so they left it going, but i rallied to be a 5AB on day 6. That's the only 'good' embryo I've ever made in terms of morphology, but it was anueuploid!

@tulipsandsnow I'm inclined to agree with them, not really sure why they made me take it but I think it's maybe something they do rather than getting rid?
Bizarrely I have never had any embryos graded properly. Just on the day 3 update either good, average or poor. Then last time once they had all reached expanded blast they said they were all very good. Today they haven't said much...but the 2 that weren't in the running they did mention about being morula and don't look like they are continuing to develop past that. So I have no idea! I don't even know what the grading system is! The first time the only one I had that was put back in they said was 6 on a scale of 1-10, 10 being the best!
It's so confusing, I don't know why they don't all just use the same grading system, but then it can be subjective I guess, one person may grade it as something whereas another embryologist may grade it different 🤷🏾‍♀️

Had my 2nd baseline scan and got a call this afternoon to say EC is Thursday 😱

Very nervous and excited. Really hope it's a good dose of sedation!!!

I've only got the Thursday off work, wondering do you's think I will be able to return to work Fri or will I be too sore!?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

@Frenchiepupmama

I think it will depend how it goes for you. My first egg collection I got absolutely no pain what so ever, I could walk about and would've been fine going to work. The second one it really hurt afterwards and I had a bit of bleeding, the consultant told me to take the next day off so I called in sick, Dr's orders!

@Aimz40 thanks this is my first EC so unsure what to expect. Might have to fone in sick on the Fri. Hopefully be OK as just one shift then weekend.

Hi everyone! I hope you don't mind me joining.

I will soon start my frozen transfer from the 2. ICSI round. We started this journey due to male factor (1% morphology) and along the way "discovered" mildly elevated NK, coagulation issues as well as subclinical hypothyroidism. In December I had the 2. ICSI but couldn't do the transfer due to OHSS.

I got my period on Jan 16th. This time I was prescribed Letrozole 2.5mg for five days. I will have my first scan tomorrow. If everything goes well, I will have the transfer sometime next week. Is there anyone here on a similar timeline? We can be transfer buddies ☺️

@Frenchiepupmama how exciting! It will be here in no time!! The first EC I had I felt nothing and was absolutely fine as soon as I came round (but only got 2 eggs). The second one I needed paracetamol for the rest of the day and was uncomfortable but fine the next day. And this time I was in pain, bloated and uncomfortable for the whole of the next day too! I think they recommend taking the next day off, and after sedation they talking about not driving for the next 24 hours.
Hope it goes well on Thursday!!

@Coops0406 thanks, got bit of stress headache tonight lol just the unknown of it all, stil more hurdles to get passed. How r u?

@Frenchiepupmama good luck for your collection.

I was fine after mine. Cup of tea some toast and I was good to go.

We got 6 eggs .

Got baseline scan tomorrow. Hoping everything is going to plan. Theyve upped my stims so I'm hoping we get a few more . We're having ICSI.

I've bn on bursellin for 3 weeks now. Starting to hve some side effects x

@Justawannabemam thank u. Good luck for baseline scan tomorrow 🤞 I was surprised as my first baseline on Fri she showed me on a graph where the ideal would be before EC and said to continue at my dose until 2nd baseline (today) and showed me on graph and my left follicles had went above the line and that was only with three extra injections. I couldn't believe it. My right side lagging behind abit but we shall see hopefully get good few on Thursday.🤞
I havent been on brusellin, hope side effects aren't too awful. I've just been on the norethisterone tabs, Prostap injection , then ovaleap injections.

I've got to do my trigger shots in 20 minutes, I'm feeling a bit nervous.😥

Good luck @Aimz40! Everything is crossed for you! Xx