IVF/ICSI December 2021

[Cayandsimit]

Hi everyone,
I didn't see a thread for December so I created one. If it is repetitive please let me know. I can delete this one.

This is gonna be my second ICSI. We started due to male factor (Teratozoospermia) and along the way "discovered" mildly elevated NK, coagulation issues as well as subclinical hypothyroidism 😂😂 Hopefully the list ends here!

My period started later than expected so I started my stims 4 days ago. Retrieval/transfer will probably be early December. Is there anyone here in the same timeline?

@Alexm06 so sorry about what happened to you. It's so disheartening! Perhaps we will get lucky this time!
I am scheduled for an ultrasound next thursday to check lining. I had issues with it in the past. It doesn't thicken unless medicated, but this cycle we are trying a natural Fet. Last month we did a mild stimulation to thicken it and I got a 3cm cyst on right ovary and we cancelled everything.
Let's not lose hope! 🍀

Day 6 stims today, first tracking scan. From 29 AFC at baseline, they see 18 follicles growing. Apparently that’s ok so far. Starting fyremadel tomorrow am.

This whole thing is tough, isn’t it. I am def finding the additional medical involvement easier than trying naturally month after month though

Def feeling it in my ovaries, tender and certain positions and bending starting to be uncomfortable. Boobs still feel massive. Not had my prolactin checked I don’t think.

@Phrenologistsfinger as strange as it may sound I have felt relieved during IVF because I am so sick of planned sex. It has almost killed our intimacy and I really needed a break from all of that.
18 is a great number! 🍀

Hi everyone- was hoping they'd ve a thread for December IVf. We had a fresh cycle January 2020 which resulted in DS in October. Im 38 now so decided to try again as we have 6 frosties. Ive just started CD1 today for a FET the week before Christmas. But nervous. Ok, very nervous.

I got my last scan yesterday. Everything is just text book perfect. I was very pleased, so was my doctor. Egg retrieval is tomorrow morning. Size of the eggs, lining etc. look much better than my first time in the scan. However now anxiety creeping in. "What if fertilization rate is low like the last time?", "What if we got no embryo on the day 5?", "What if I have some hidden issues and no embryo implants" etc... I managed to stop my brain going to that dark path until now but somehow today is very difficult. Even the work doesn't help...

Hi all, I've just managed to get in for a FET cycle before Christmas 🤞. CD1 today, the clinic's cut off was yesterday to allow time for the Christmas lab closure, but they're allowing me to give it a shot. High risk of it all being cancelled if my lining doesn't develop in time, but keeping everything crossed!

I had my fresh cycle in Oct but had to freeze all and cancel the fresh transfer last minute because my progesterone peaked too high too early just before egg collection. We have 5 frozen embryos so really hopeful / nervous / scared for the next stages.

@CharlieBalf will be nice to have someone on the same time line.

@1stcycler im only one day ahead of uou- practically identical cycles! I have a scan booked on for the 9th, have you heard when yours will be? Well done for havibg 5 embryos- thats a great number ☺️

Hi Ladies! After 7 failed IUI's across 2 different fertility clinics, we've decided on IVF. Had my consulation and they had me complete modules on IVF which took about 6 hours. Cycle begins Dev 14th. Let the journey begin!

@aheadofthewind2010 hi there! Good luck with your IVF journey! 🍀

@Yuliaaa thanks so much!

Good luck everyone!

Day 9 stims scan today - follicle count gone up from 18 to 24, looking ok. Next scan on sat and they think trigger next w/e for EC next mon/tues. I am bloated/tired/hormonal and wondering how much more bloat to expect in last few days?

@Cayandsimit totally get the worries, I keep convincing myself that all my eggs will be duff ones (first timer) due to age and recurrent losses. It would be so awful to go through all this and get nothing to show for it. It’s my worries talking I know but the hormones make it overwhelming at times. I guess this is part of why IVF has a rep for being tough….

@Phrenologistsfinger for me the most bloated days started two days before the EC and stayed 1-2 days after it. I was more bloated in the first round (got 11 eggs). This time we got 14 eggs and in general they are bigger than the last time but I feel less bloated. I really feel like for me the game changer was Enoxaparin (same as Clexane) injections. I honestly think that the improvement in my lining, good estrogen levels and egg growth all thanks to Enoxaparin and better blood circulation. I asked the doctor and she said she heard it from other patients as well. Did you do coagulation test after the miscarriages? I saw in other threads that many women got Enoxaparin if they got more than 15 eggs in EC. Many of them didn't even have coagulation issues. It was just a precaution to minimize the risk of OHSS. You can maybe discuss this in your next appointment.

I don't know if this makes you feel better but now they checked and saw that you have NK and thyroid issues and you are on the way to fixing those. Thankfully there are medicines for both NK and thyroid. Those two might as well be the root causes of your miscarriages. I know at least two people in their 20s, who had miscarriages and found out they have high TSH and coagulation issues and once they got medicated they manage to give birth to healthy babies. Maybe your egg quality is not the problem, so please don't be hard on yourself ❤️ You are JUST 39 years old, not 45...

My worries doesn't stop unfortunately but at least I got EC done. Of course on the way to clinic our car broke down! 🤣 My husband literally had to push it back to the parking spot 🤣 I hope the high cortisol level didn't ruin the sperm...

We also got the sperm results back. 138 million, good motility etc. However morphology didn't change at all. Still 1%! He took 10 different supplements every day, didn't drink maybe more than 5 beers in the last 3 months and still no improvement morphology... I hope the quality of that 1% is good. The call about the fertilization tomorrow is now my biggest concern...

Oh wow @Cayandsimit that is a stressful start! 14 eggs sound great.. I'll keep everything crossed for a positive update tomorrow!

Good luck to everyone else with the Stims and EC! I could not believe how bloated I was around the time of mine, it was like nothing I had ever experienced before, and I only had 8 eggs collected.

@CharlieBalf, my scan is the 8th. Hoping everything looks good, but I think it gives me a bit of wiggle room to adjust doses if needed and still get the transfer in before the Christmas closure. Is this your first FET too?
I love hearing about IVF success and people coming back for siblings! Makes me hopeful that the emotional rollercoaster really is worth it to come back again for more.

@1stcycler I'll send some good vibes your way for the 8th! Yes, its our first FET, really don't have the funds for more than two rounds so hoping it will be enough.
I guess we are an ivf success story 🙂 4 years of trying but nothing, 2 years of meds and investigations (nothing medically wrong) three miscarriages 😢 and then one successful fresh transfer. Feel like ive aged twenty years.
If time was on my side I would have waited another year to try. But here we are. Not looking forward to the progesterone pesories again 🙄. After transfer I'm on Inhixa and Lubion... Anyone else on both?

Hi everyone,
We got the call from embryologist. 10 eggs were mature out of 14. We got 7 of them fertilised. I guess 70% fertilization rate is good. It is anyways better than the last time...
According to German embryo protection law, they cannot cultivate more than 5 until Day 5, so two of them are already in cryo.
If we have less than 3 left on Saturday, they will call us and we get a Day 3 transfer. I am now praying that we get more so I can finally get day 5 transfer in Monday.

Bloating is almost gone. I started the progesterone injections + Cyclogest pessaries last night. I also continue with the Enoxaparin injections. They will check my blood values next week and decide whether I should continue with it or not.

Wishing all the first timers better results than mine and all the FETs successful implantation 🍀🤞❤️

Hey all sorry I haven't posted much not a lot was going on and from my last FET had to wait a while for my lining to get there I thought it would be longer but not today! Had my first lining scan and its 8.5! I was actually shocked so Transfer is booked in for next Wednesday! How are you guys all getting on? X

@Alexm06 Great news! 8,5 mm is already great thickness and I am sure it will improve even more until Wednesday. Good luck!🍀

@Alexm06 8.5 is great. Good luck with the transfer! 🍀
My FET will most probably get cancelled because lining isn't thickening (I am doing an unmedicated Fet). I don't want to transfer if lining isn't good because it's our last embryo, so I guess I am out. I could do with a break because I am mentally exhausted.
Good luck everyone! 💗

@Phrenologistsfinger

Good luck everyone!

Day 9 stims scan today - follicle count gone up from 18 to 24, looking ok. Next scan on sat and they think trigger next w/e for EC next mon/tues. I am bloated/tired/hormonal and wondering how much more bloat to expect in last few days?

@Cayandsimit totally get the worries, I keep convincing myself that all my eggs will be duff ones (first timer) due to age and recurrent losses. It would be so awful to go through all this and get nothing to show for it. It’s my worries talking I know but the hormones make it overwhelming at times. I guess this is part of why IVF has a rep for being tough….

Hi @Phrenologistsfinger I had my day 9 stims scan today and had also gone from 18 to 24! What were your sizes like? The nurse who did my day 7 scan wasn't very open - I got given the sizes but when asking if they were normal she just said we'd have a better indication today. The nurse today, who was different, said "I see they were quite small on Weds" which made me a bit nervous!

They increased my stims dose on Weds but have said today that it can remain as it is! My final scan is Monday and then pencilled for EC on 8th!

@Cayandsimit fingers crossed for your embryos ☺️ 7 is a great number!

@Alexm06 wow 8.5 is so good for the first scan! How many mg were you on before?

I habe my first lining scan booked for cd 11 and hopong for good news too ☺️

@CharlieBalf I was on 6mg I did do acupuncture this time so this week was my 5th session. I am also taking 5000mg of l-arginine a day and drinking 2 glasses of pomegranate juice also with vitamin E I can't say what helped this time but something did haha I was CD10 so it is very possible! I've never had lining this good so early on. Hopefully yours will be ready too!

Hi guys, thought I join this thread, today is day 5 of stims for me. Had first scan yesterday. This will be my 3rd cycle of embryo banking which includes a transfer in this cycle, hoping it all goes well and I can have a fresh transfer this month while the others get tested. Good luck all.

Horrible news! I got OHSS with only 14 eggs and no PCOS. I have now follicular cysts on both sides (3-7 cm) and free liquid in abdominal. Basically spending the night in the hospital. The worse thing is both my husband and fertility clinic didn't think it was OHSS and kind of implied that I was exaggerating the symptoms! I am really pissed honestly! Until yesterday I wasn't bloated and today suddenly started having difficulty to breath. What else do I need to convince people that something is wrong with me!
Emergency gynocologist said transfer on Monday does not look impossible but possibly will be delay a month or two until everything settles down. Why is everything so easy for some people and we are all suffering here??! Basically I made myself willingly sick just to have ONE child!

I am so sorry that I burst out here and pull everyone's mood down. I don't know who to talk to since all my friends have kids and no one can relate. Clearly not even my husband...

@Cayandsimit oh no that's soo horrible. I feel my partner would do the same as he always calls me over dramatic (which sometime I can be). What are the hospital doing for it? I struggle who to talk to as well as some of my Friends have made some inappropriate comments about how I have done some things (one of my friends got pregnant a couple months after my miscarriage and I didn't take it well). I do have one friend who is going through all of this as well so that has helped me. Also just having a vent on here I think we have all done it. I really wouldn't worry. I hope you feel better soon x