IVF Scotland - thread 4

[2mumlife]

Hi everyone,

Started a new thread for the Scotish ladies

@LouScot
@Scirocco
@MrsTMcB
@florafoxtro
@Hopewishprayer
@ScottishRach
@Kamiros
@LT103
@itsmschanandlerbong
@connal

Please @ anyone I missed!

@Kamiros thank you, I just need to go in with a positive mindset. And there is nothing I can do now about the outcome. I'm just terrified if there being no eggs.

Can you call in sick if you can't take a last minute day off? I spoke with my boss last night and asked if I could still have today off seeing as we had a very stressful weekend. Xx

@HJen22 Its OK, I'll just take Wed off and work tomorrow. Boss would be ok about it but we're pretty busy and I'd feel bad about leaving her to pick up my work too.

@Kamiros don't feel bad about it, I am sure your boss will understand and would be ok picking up your work given the reason. It's hard isn't it, with the not knowing exactly when appointments will be.

@Kamiros great you've got a wee embryo! Really fantastic, hope it stays strong for transfer Wednesday. Did you do the Chinese medicine for this cycle? Charlotte told me good things about it but GCRM were a bit down about it, said they'd heard anecdotal things that it made quality worse which goes against absolutely everything else I've read ( and the embryologist is saying yours is good!).

@HJen22 sounds so stressful! Glad the clinic didn't seem overly concerned, hope all goes well with collection.

@HJen22 I've had a couple of collections a few years ago ( froze eggs, but not very many as I'm a poor responder). I was so stressed about it first time around but honestly it wasn't too bad as @kamiros says.

The worst parts for me were the kind of bunged up bowels feeling afterwards (sorry!) and feeling quite emotional afterwards - I'm single and really just wanted someone to lie in bed with me that night and hug me - I'd barely slept the night before though so it was hard to tell what was due to that!

@LouScot thank you, I know so many of you have been through it, I just need to be brave. The unknown is what's been scaring me most, I know I won't be totally out like a lot of people speak about. But hopefully it's over before I know it. I'm for sure now more scared of the results.

Oh that must be so hard being on your own afterwards, and yes i can imagine I'll probably be quite emotional afterwards too. It's a lot to be dealing with isn't it. I'm feeling so bloated and have pain on my right side this evening.

@LouScot I did actually, I really didn't expect to get to egg collection with having the previous round cancelled so thought it was worth a shot. I stopped about 10 days before starting stims, Charlotte thought I should continue but I didn't feel comfortable doing that. I've no idea if it helped or not but it doesn't seem to have hurt. The only side effect I've had from egg collection this time is really bad heartburn, didn't have that last time.

@Kamiros I'm so conflicted about it, but you getting an embryo has really encouraged me. Do you mind me asking the rough cost of the herbs (not that it'll make any difference on top of what else I'm spending!!!) And is it absolutely disgusting?! How long were you on it before this cycle? (Sorry, please don't answer if you're trying to forget about things tonight x)

@LouScot No, I don't mind. I think it was £50 for the consultation then it was £33 I think which lasted about 5 weeks. I think its different depending on your formula. It wasn't pleasant to drink but it wasn't awful either, you can put a little brown sugar in it too which helps. I do think you need to be really careful with herbs and where you get them and I can see why Marco says no when he doesn't know specifically what's in it but I trust Charlotte. I started them in October after my last cycle was cancelled.

Hi Ladies, I am confused this morning and would be grateful if your opinions.
Today is OTD, I done a test last night about 5pm as didn’t want to be doing it before going out to work, got a strong positive line!
Done another today, it’s still BFP but the line is a little lighter.
I’m worried it could be a chemical, I assumed should be darker in the morning vs evening 😕
Pic below, top one is last night bottom is this morning x

@Hopewishprayer I'm sorry, I really don't know. It could just be that it's picked it up differently for some reason. Are they/ will they do a blood test for you?

@Hopewishprayer Honestly FRER are evil - are you getting a line on something less senstivie, like a clear blue? I had a chemical pregnancy in June and got a line on FRER at OTD but nothing on clear blue, so I would make sure you're seeing a line on a less sensitive test. Do remember that hcg double slowly, and you're testing very small amounts, so differences in urine concentration can make a difference, particularly with FRER which picks up such low concentrations (I still got a line on FRER when my blood hcg was coming down and was only 5). Does your clinic do a blood test to confirm? This was the only way I got my chemical pregnancy confirmed.

@HJen22 I personally wouldn't bother with a drink between collection and transfer, but I think its really down to personal choice. I didn't have to covid test for any of my treament - we did a lot of lateral flows though. Oh my goodness though, the incident with the trigger must have been SO stressful! Hopefully everything goes smoothly today for EC - you'll be absolutely fine with the procedure and just take it easy the rest of the day.

@Kamiros Its great you got an embryo!

@LouScot I had the opposite problem my first egg collection and had terrible bowel issues. It would be hard doing an egg collection as a singleton I think - I felt very weepy and pathetic after mine.

@Kamiros Hope you have a good update today and that you gt to transfer tomorrow

@2mumlife hope you are getting on well!
Thanks for your reply, I will try a digi later today. I am at GRI, I don’t think they do bloods unless have some bleeding which thankfully I don’t have. Hate how this process messes with your head, second guessing everything! X

@Kamiros how is your wee embryo?

Like you, we've only got one egg from collection today. Really really hoping that this one is a good strong one and fertilises. It was actually from the left ovary which I'd written off. I know if it doesn't work, it's not the end for us and we will to again, that might mean private but I'd already accepted that might be the case. Also been told if we do get to 5/6 day embryo it will be frozen and an FET later xxx

@Hopewishprayer I hope that line gets darker! Sending lots of positive thoughts x

@HJen22 It's doing well today and has compacted. Waiting on a quick call in the morning to confirm we have a blastocyst then probably transfer at 12.

Sorry you didn't get more but both my cycles with 1 egg have done well so there's definitely a chance with it- you really do only need one. Fingers crossed for you. How are you feeling after collection?

@Kamiros that's such great news! Everything crossed for transfer for you tomorrow!! How are you feeling?

Yeah, I'm trying to remain positive and hope for the best. I felt ok, had such long as we took the dog a nice walk to get some fresh air. Bit sleepy but doing alright. Bit of a shame if we make it to transfer it won't be this week and will likely be in a month or two FET, but I would be over the moon if we got that far.

@HJen22 I feel fine at the moment actually. I find transfer a bit unpleasant but I'm honestly so glad just to have got to this stage I don't care.

Everything crossed for you.

I meant had some lunch then took the dog a walk haha.

Yeah I know, I was thinking the same when I went for EC. Anything is worth it to achieve our dream!

Thank you, I'm trying to just be calm and accept whatever happens happens. Not sure I'll be like this tomorrow if the news isn't good though x

@HJen22 Congratulations on getting an egg! I much prefer frozen transfers - gives you time to recover physically and mentally. The next few days waiting to see what happens after egg collection is the worst bit emotionally of the whole process I find (even worse than a BFN in my experience), but I find it really stressful just constantly waiting for next update. Hope you good positive news today that egg has fertilised 🤞🤞🤞

@Kamiros Sounding really promising with your embaby. Keeping everything crossed for a smooth transfer today!

@HJen22 fingers crossed for that egg. Hoping you get some good news today!!

@Kamiros good luck for transfer

Thank you. We have an early blastocyst this morning. The early part makes me a little nervous but the embryologist didn't seem concerned so I'm trying to just go with it.

Thank you so much ladies, our one little egg has fertilised 🥰

I am so emotional and relieved. Not out of the woods yet of course, but the fact that the one we got (the smallest left ovary one that I'd so quickly written off) has been good enough to fertilise gives me hope.

Good luck with transfer @Kamiros I am sending all the baby dust xxx

@HJen22 Oh I'm so pleased for you, that's fantastic news. Thanks we're heading through now, we're an hour away so need to get closer to try and manage the full bladder situation 😂 Hope you have a relaxing couple of days until the next update.

@Kamiros thanks so much and for your kind words of support and hope, it means a lot that you ladies are so supportive.

Oh gosh yeah the full bladder! That cannot be comfortable!

He's going to call tomorrow afternoon he said. Trying to just enjoy the good news of today and not worry too much about tomorrow. Easier said than done isn't it!