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!

@Bluehawaii29 I have done Jury service twice and enjoyed it both times. You might even just spend time sat in a waiting room and not even be called to be on a jury.

Great to hear @Vslightlystressy and great news on the 5AA. I geared myself up that the transfer would be this really emotional moment but in reality I just found it so surreal too...legs akimbo while all the different staff make polite small talk. I was really pleased once it was done though and now in the TWW with my own 5AA.

@Dobcaty I may have bought some tests to arrive for Thursday morning..... It's so difficult to tell what are symptoms, what's the meds and what is just a reaction to all the stress of IVF isn't it? I've been symptom spotting like crazy but I'm certain it's all in my head. The main one has been extreme thirst, I just can't get enough water in me and usually I am awful at drinking enough water. This could just be a complete coincidence or as a result of introducing more carbs back into my diet recently, or could just be the progesterone.

@Newbee33 I am doing FET. I was on Letrozole 2,5mg for 5 days (Cycle day 3-7) so I don't really have stims. However, I will use Ovitrelle to trigger. I need to ovulate to release progesterone and get the uterus lining ready for the implantation. My doctor didn't seem concerned. She just said "you will ovulate a bit late". I don't want to use stims for FET because I had OHSS in December. I also don't want to loose my good blastocysts in the cryo for not so "optimal" cycle 😒

@PcosSOS 😅 Im sorry to be a bad influencer. 2 more sleeps haha

@Dobcaty @PcosSOS I do regret doing it now though because every little twinge I get I'm worried now!

Could anyone recommend any vitamins to take before a cycle please? I can’t remember if I took the trying to conceive or pregnancy ones last time around. I’m only taking vitamin d and folic acid at the moment.

@Mochii hi I am just taking pregnacare. I believe all the vits and folic acid are in that tablet

@Mochii I spent quite a bit of time comparing vitamins, I found that proceive powdered drink appears to be better, it's a bit pricey, but boots do it on the 3 4 2

Great news @Vslightlystressy and @PcosSOS.
@Cayandsimit they seem to do FET completely differently at my clinic-we just take oestrogen to thicken the lining then progesterone-no trigger and the oestrogen stops ovulation. How strange that they don it so differently.

All these messages in a day . I love reading and catching up

@Bec18x congratulations I was thinking it might have been trigger . But even better if you didn't have one.

@Mochii I was taking pregnecare but I read somewhere that taking individuals are better. Not sure how true. I've been taking folic acid . Vitamin D vit C and Q10.

I've been for my scan today . Start stims tomorrow night. I'm on maximum dose 450 overleap. I asked her if I would get.OHSS and basically she said because of my age (40) and time they went for max. And that bc that I only got 6 eggs last time the chances of going over would be slim so I felt happy with that. And hope I respond bc there is no where to increase. Anyhow I'm not thinking about that just yet.

I'm away to the gym before u have to start iverleap as they recommend not exercise in excess ..

@Mochii
I was advised by my consultant to take a multi vitamin, coenzyme q10(I take ubiquinol), dhea, omega 3,6&9,vit D folic acid and probiotics.
The multi vitamin does contain small amounts of coenzyme q10 and vitamin d & the recommended dose of folic acid, but I just take extra as it doesn't hurt. I am currently taking extra 5mg of folic acid that I got my Dr to prescribe after I had prenatal diagnosis of down syndrome, and had to have a termination.
I also take melatonin that I buy when I buy dhea, it's meant to help with egg quality, also magnesium. I'm suprised I don't rattle when I walk tbh.

I just wanna say that I'm really happy for everyone with their good grade embryos transferred and those with positive results.

@Bluehawaii29 I did jury service a couple of years back and enjoyed it, in some ways it may take your mind off things but if you have appointments during jury service then I don’t think it will work. Surely for health reasons though people can defer/refuse hopefully your letter exempts you x

@Cayandsimit Ah didn’t realise you were having a frozen cycle and didn’t know they monitor follicle sizes but makes sense to check you have ovulated x

@newbee33 How does it work if you do have appts. Can you not go in on those days? I called the nurse today and she said my estimated transfer dates would be first two weeks of March but that’s assuming my af comes on time in feb so I’m worried it will fall during the 2WW when I should technically be resting and taking the meds. It’s just bugging me now and in the back of my mind making me more anxious

It’s also not a local crown court. It’s at the Old Bailey so I’ve heard those are much bigger cases and I wouldn’t know how long it’s going to take/ means commuting on tube and exposing myself to potential covid when I might be pregnant at the time

@Bluehawaii29 If you are on a case you basically just have to be there the whole time as you can’t miss any of the trial. Sometimes we got early finishes or late starts if they weren’t ready but was adhoc and late notice but it’s all governed by then I don’t remember altering times due to a jury member. Surely they will be understanding they can’t interrupt treatment for jury service someone else can do. Try not to worry hopefully they will get back to you soon x

Hi @Coops0406. Only seeing your message now. I only retested again today and still positive. But I've had what I assume is my period and while it's a positive it still quite faint for what I think I should be getting. Clinic have told me to retest in 2 days and if still positive I'll come in for bloods to see what's going on. On 2 previous occasions I've had eptopics (they think) and started bleeding very early (around 4 weeks) and it has take nearly 2-3months to get a negative and i bled/spotted for as long. So maybe my body just takes along time to get rid of the hormone. Who knows. Will just have to wait and see.

Thanks @Newbee33 I’m hoping that they just mistook my request as wanting deferral rather than excusal and this time it will be read by an understanding person and I will be let go. It’s just an inconvenience at the moment and I didn’t want any delays this year given last year most of it was spent waiting to start ivf. I just have to pray my transfer happens on time and can get in a few rest days and then I guess time off work for jury service won’t hurt too much I’m not complaining about being paid for not working haha

@Bec18x amazing news! Hoping your line gets stronger and stronger 😊

@Vslightlystressy congrats on being PUPO! And with a fab embryo!

@Mochii I was told to take folic acid and vitamin D, one consultant said to take ubiquinol but no proven evidence for anything either way when I spoke to another consultant...but I started it from the beginning so just continued.

We have unfortunately only got 2 out of our 5 embryos today that have made it to expanded blastocysts so they are being biopsied and frozen. Absolutely gutted as it it so so unlikely that either will be euploid so now I feel like we just wasted time and money for no outcome on this 3rd round to try and bank some embryos 😩 I'm sure AF is also round the corner so my irrational head is firmly in place too!

@Vslightlystressy oh I'm glad ur transfer went well ✨🤞 my egg collection is Thurs and I'm most worried about the transfer if we hopefully get to that stage as I'm a nitemare with smear tests lol so I'm guessing similar or worse 😱 how long did it take?

Emailed my fertility clinic and they are able to prescibe me progesterone injections rather than pessaries but are mor expensive... Which I already knew... But I'm just relieved if we get to that stage that I can use injections. Takes the stress out the pessary situation for me! Dreading the bill for the injections 😱

@Frenchiepupmama that's great news. Must be a real relief. If you are prescribed Lubion then the cheapest I have found is Asda for £56 for a box of 7. My clinic charge £112 per box. So it is worth checking prices. If prontogest then it's not so pricey. Best of luck xxx

@Bec18x congrats xxx

@Frenchiepupmama I've never found transfers painful. Smears are worse. The only slightly uncomfortable thing is having a full bladder! X

@Coops0406 sorry about your news. For what it's worth over 3 rounds of banking I only had 4 blastocysts and 2 were euploid. So you never know. Fingers crossed xxx