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!

Hi @Kamiros I'm feeling much better. Still not quite with it and back to work today (from home) so looking forward to getting a decent sleep tonight. Any word from Spain yet on your next donor?

@Kamiros I'm actually feeling ok now, but still testing negative this morning. DP seems to have dodged it which is good. How you doing?

Glad you're both feeling a bit better. Yeah I'm OK. No word from Spain yet but they were suggesting transfer late August/ early September so there's time. I think knowing we're going out in a couple of weeks helps cos I can ask questions easier face to face.

I haven’t posted in a while but just a little update. Unfortunately our second scan showed that gestational sac hadn’t grown much and there was a yolk sac but no foetal pole. We were at EPU today to decide on medical or surgical management so back tomorrow for an MVA under local with gas and air. Sad that it’s ended this way but our consultant has said it is a good thing that we got pregnant as it means there’s a good chance we’ll get a good outcome with one of our remaining embryos and that this is just one of those things. Just need to get through the next few days now

@Kamiros Hopefully you can get all the questions answered when you're next out there. Keep sending positive thoughts into the universe that your next donor is the one x

@LT103 I'm sorry you've not had a more positive outcome. Its particularly horrible when you've been left in limbo and having to go through management options. I know I didn't feel that way when I had my CP, but consultant is right - its a good sign. Hopefully the next time will work (it did for us!)

@LT103 sorry to hear that. Hope things go as smoothly as possible today - it's good that the consultant is optimistic for the future but hope this isn't too unbearable first x

@LT103 Oh I'm so sorry to hear this, especially given the time you've had to wait. Hard to consider at the moment but it's good there is lots of hope for next time.

How are you all?

@2mumlife we have decided we are going to do an FET with GCRM, this is what you had wasn't it? I hope you are ready and willing for all my weird and wonderful questions coming up.

Had our initial consultation yesterday so the ball is rolling, should get forms through this week then in for a planning app in 6/8 weeks x

@RMS0209 That's great you're 'in the system' and have your planning app set up. Are you doing an egg collection with freeze-all first, or do you already have embryos? Any questions as away and I'll try to remember everything (all the cycles sort of merge into 1 after awhile when it comes to some things like medications)

Great news @RMS0209 that's not long.

Thanks @Kamiros just excited to get the ball rolling, if you know of any time machines send them this way 😬😂

Hi @2mumlife
I just feel a sense of relief like the ball is rolling! Will need to do an egg collection as we have 0 this is us at step 1.
I'm a bit nervous and scared but also excited which is strange, he said he reckons I will react well to the meds so another positive.
I've been watching YouTube's etc so I think you have a few weeks until the questions start from me! I'm in 2 minds about trying access fertility for the two rounds or just going ahead and being optimistic about it working 1st time
How are you doing? X

@RMS0209 Oh I know, I so wish we could skip forward.

So I have a new donor and a new transfer date in August. We're doing fresh fertilisation so off back out to Spain on Monday. Fingers crossed this is the one this time.

@RMS0209 I'd say just take things 1 step at a time - so for now just concentrate on getting to egg collection. To be honest, no one really knows how you will react to a cycle until you're in it. My first egg collection I was 31, normal bmi, no medical issues, normal to high AMH, no fertility issues (we'd tried 4 IUIs with donor sperm with BFN but they were my only prior attempts to conceive). I looked like I was responding on scans with only issue being my lead follicules were going fast and a lot of the smaller ones they didn't think would get a chance to develop, but was still expecting 7-8 eggs. At egg collection though we only got 4 eggs and only 2 were mature. They couldn't extract an egg from my follicules (consultant said he didn't beleive in empty follicule syndrome, just that the eggs weren't mature so stuck to follicule wall). We were lucky that both our mature eggs made it to high grade day 5 blasts, but my period started only 4 days after the fresh transfer, and then our subsequent FET ended in a CP. All in all I had a far worse round than women older than me, with much lower AMH. It is good to be positive, but also there are absolutely no gaurantees. Our second round we changed protocol and tailored a lot of things to me personally (so we changed drug regime, they let my lead follicules grow bigger for instance, extended the time between trigger and retrieval) and got a better response (6 eggs, all mature) but I'm still essentially a 'poor responder' for unknown reasons. I would love if the frist egg collection worked for everyone, but just need to be prepared in case it doesn't, as I felt devastated after our first egg collection when we got so few eggs

@Kamiros That's fantastic news they've arranged a new donor. Hope August comes around quickly!

@Kamiros that is fantastic news! delighted for you. x

@2mumlife
Definitely taking things 1 step at a time, yes I am! I'm doing all I can to help my eggs and hopefully that is enough.
My AMH is on the higher side (58.5) so I am cautious but we have opted for the FET so I don't develop OHSS.
I did speak to the consultant about IUI and he didn't recommend it for me so here we are.

I think I'm going to look into the access fertility to give us more than one chance incase of.

I appreciate this very much x

@Kamiros fantastic! Hope you get a chance to relax a little in Spain too x

@RMS0209 In my second cycle the first consultant had said we could do a more aggressive dosage, but got overruled by a different consultant who said I was at risk of OHSS because of AMH - I just kpet thinking 'ha! yeah right when I only got 4 eggs first time!' but its good they are being cautious. Your AMH is higher though - I had mine tested twice first time was around 18 and second time was just below 30 I believe. I tried all sorts including accupuncture and high protein diet during my second cycle - no idea if it made a different but did make me feel like I was doing SOMETHING. Keeping everything crossed you have a fantastic first cycle and that it works first time for you!

@Kamiros that's fantastic news! How is Spain?

We finally have our follow up consultation next Thursday after me chasing numerous times. 99.9% sure they are going to say all they can offer us is a place on their DE list.

I have been doing some research. Such a minefield. Looked into some of the places in Manchester which do a more natural / natural modified approach. But going back and forth with whether we should try another standard protocol private with GCRM first and see how that goes. The natural seems like such a gamble with one egg at the most, if any. Really don't know!

How is everyone else? Xx

@HJen22 There are so many options aren't there, hard to know which is best.

So this cycle was even worse unfortunately, only 6 eggs. 4 fertilised. We're on day 3, all are still going but only one is good quality. We're not sure if any will make it. We may have to accept its a sperm issue now and will need to see what the clinic advise. Pretty low just now to be honest but it'll be ok.

@Kamiros it's so hard. I'd been avoiding looking as I needed time but now with the consultation looming and the inevitable end of NHS I thought I best start just to soften the blow next week.

Oh I'm so sorry, I pray that you have some embryos that make it. It can't be easy, you've been through a lot. Has there been sperm issues before or has it all looked ok in past cycles? I take it they also don't do day3 transfers? Xx

@HJen22 They only do FETs so we need them to make it to expanded blasts. There's never been a suggestion of a sperm issue before - both of the eggs I got through the 3 cycles made good quality blasts but I guess you never really know. I'm still not that happy that we only got 9 eggs last time and 6 this time, it feels very low. Its a question I need to ask if we end up with nothing on Monday.

@Kamiros sorry to hear it's not greater numbers. Fingers crossed for you. Is there anyway to tell if it's a sperm issue?

I paid for my IVF today. Am really struggling with my low chances of success. I'm so old, almost 44, fat and crap amh. Keep trying to tell myself it really does only need 1..

X

@Kamiros ah ok I see, sorry hadn't realised it was FET. I really have everything crossed for you. Hopefully the clinic can give some insight when you next talk to them x

@LouScot another step closer. Which clinic are you with again? It really does only take one. It can be hard to stay positive I completely understand that. The uncertainty is scary. But we have to have hope. I'm struggling a bit with that trying to look to round three with no transfer from the previous two cycles 😞 xx

Hi all!

@LouScot you are right, it only takes 1! Sending you lots of luck ❤️ where are you going for this round?

All good at GCRM today, had nurse planning appointment... so I'm ready to start, have to phone on cycle day 1 (which hopefully is next Friday... scary! But excited but scared still doing a frozen round x