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!

@GemmTryTTC I had been wondering how you were getting on :) Great to hear your update! Glad everything has been going smoothly so far :)

Congratulations @GemmTryTTC!

We're hopefully having a girl too, and I've found the past few months have gone by so fast!

That's fantastic @2mumlife! I remember that wait until the 8 week scan being torturous! We booked a scan in between for a bit of reassurance, I think it was at around 6 weeks if I remember right.

@itsmschanandlerbong I thought clinic would have scanned sooner to be honest. I'm reluctant to go anywhere else though for an earlier scan in case something isn't right - would rather than my clinic nursing team be there if its bad news rather than a stranger somewhere else

@2mumlife they might bring it forward if you let them know how anxious you are feeling?

@GemmTryTTC so happy to hear your pregnancy is going well! A wee girl, how lovely

Hi. How is everyone?

I finally got dates for starting my next cycle today. Norethisterone on 5th Feb, first scan 28th Feb. Really pleased to be going again.

Hello ladies could I please join?

I noticed @Kamiros you are due to start same time as me! This is my first cycle at Aberdeen, norethisterone from around 16th Feb (dependent when my period comes but due end of the month) and first scan 28th Feb too! Nervous but for the first time, a tiny bit positive and I never thought I'd say it - but excited to get started. Think having the dates after waiting has made me feel a little better!

@2mumlife massive congratulations to you!! 🥰

Sorry I've been so quiet, going through treatment has not been great but I finally had my transfer today! I have a query though so hopefully one of you will be able to help me but I got 6 eggs at collection, I then ended up with 4 and then on Day 3 there was still 4 but they weren't good to transfer so waited until today, the grade I got today was 1BB and that was the one that we transferred, the other 3 are going to be left until tomorrow to then decide whether to freeze or not. I know BB is good but I'm just worried about the 1, that's making me feel like it won't stick. I got a lot less than what the Dr's had been anticipating as well, I got told by my Dr that I'd probably get 10+ eggs and I know since it's round one they can't guarantee that but I'm just confused as to where it's sort of went wrong .

Welcome @HJen22. Oh its nice to have someone on the same timescales.

This is my 3rd round at GCRM. I have very low amh so I'm on flare protocol. My first round I got 1 egg and transferred a grade A blast but it didn't take. 2nd round I didn't respond and didn't make it to egg collection. Could go either way this time but I have to have hope.

@Kamiros oh I'm sorry, that's quite a journey you've had so far 😞 I also have low AMH and AFC so I've been doubtful of success (and given single figure chances sadly) but I'm trying my best to remain positive. I was reading about GCRM today.

I really hope you have a successful cycle 🥰 and nice to have someone on the same timeline. I'm so scared, more of it not working that the meds etc.

Did you do any NHS or is all GCRM private?

Hi @connal - well done at getting through treatment and congratulations on your transfer. 💜

Your egg collection and embryo progress seems quite similar to mine in terms of numbers (6 eggs, 3 embryos, 1 suitable for day 5 transfer). I'd been expecting higher numbers due to my AMH and AFC, but had a rubbish response to stims. I think the first round can be a bit "trial and error" as people don't respond to the medications in the same way. I was feeling really down about the cycle, but it really does only take one - don't give up.

The clinic wouldn't transfer an embryo if they didn't think it had a chance of becoming a viable pregnancy. While a day 5 grade 1 is an 'early blastocyst', it's still got a chance, and will likely do better with its development in a safe, optimised uterus than in a lab. There are lots of cases of B and C graded embryos going on to be healthy babies.

Good luck!

Sorry @Connal I missed your post when writing mine earlier.

I'm sorry it didn't go as expected but there really is a chance if you've had a transfer and you never know what the others will do. As scirocco says the first round is a bit of trial and error, definitely speak to your clinic and get their thoughts on what happened. Wishing you loads of luck.

@HJen22 Yeah its been a journey but I'm doing ok most of the time. I've made my peace that we may need to move to donor eggs at some point and we've made enquiries with a clinic in Spain to do that. My amh is 0.4 and I got an egg so there really always is hope. I haven't done any NHS, I'm 40 later this year and I didn't want to wait. Do try and stay positive, just a step at a time.

@Kamiros thank you for your kind words. If you strong ladies can go through multiple rounds I just need to be brave, and as you say, each step at a time. I have counselling through the clinic which helps and I've been trying to think positive. I didn't want to know my AMH as I knew I'd google and upset myself, but it coincides with my AFC of 6.

Oh yes I was reading about clinics in Spain. They sound really good. Its a hard thing to happen, and I'm sure is the last thing any of us expect, but you'd love that baby unconditionally and you'd be able to tell them just how much they were wanted ❤️ I hope with everything that this round has a happy ending for you x

Hey folks. @itsmschanandlerbong I've been quiet as I had a dramatic week last week - had a massive gush of blood last Wednesday, got seen by the fertility clinic on Thursday for an emergency scan with everyone expecting the worst, and by some miracle we found sticky bean still there and a heartbeat visible 🙏. Most distressing 32 hours of my life. They saw a small area of bleeding on the scan (actually not near bean) and think that the gush was a hematoma coming away. Thankfully since then I've seen less and less brown discharge and my progesterone goop is now back to almost completely white. I'm back in for a scan on Monday on my original scan date to check everything is ok before hopefully being discharged into the care of the NHS.

@Kamiros Great you've got dates sorted. Keeping everything crossed you respond enough to get to egg collection this time.

@connal I responded very poorly to stims on both cycles (4 eggs first time at 31, 6 eggs second time when I was 32) - I have normal to high AMH, no health issues, no reason to respond to poorly. Clinic said I was just at the very low end of 'biological variation' in respond to stims. All I can say is just to readjust expectations and ignore everyone elses egg collection numbers (because seeing how many other people got just upset me). I also started focussing more on quality than quantity. As others have said a 1BB just means its going at a slightly slower pace, but when it comes to blastocycsts just a few hours can make a difference! so try to remain positive. Hopefully there is something for you to freeze today (though in my second round sadly none of the embryos they left for an extra day were suitable to freeze)

@HJen22 Congrats of starting first cycle. Keeping everything crossed, though keep in mind first cycles are kind of like a recce sometimes! Hopefully you get some eggs and something to transfer. In terms of using a donor, we've been using a sperm donor as my partner is also female - your child is your child, no matter if you're biologically related or not :)

@2mumlife congratulations ❤️ and I'm sorry to hear you had a dramatic week. That sounds so worrying, I am glad all is ok. The worry doesn't stop does it.

Thank you for your well wishes. Scary but it's so good to hear success stories and know that you ladies have gotten through it. Yes for sure I completely agree, that child is your child no matter what 🥰 and will be loved so so much. It's such an amazing thing for people to donate sperm and eggs to allow us to have our dreams when things aren't so easy or plain sailing for some of us. Can I ask how many cycles you had?

@2mumlife Oh I'm so pleased everything is going ok, I was thinking about you. Thanks, I'm going into it fairly matter of fact now but also very hopeful

@HJen22 Thank you. I'll feel happier I hope once we have the follow up scan next week. From what I've read the hematoma (SCH) is more common in IVF pregnancies, but it can lead to complications, particularly as the hematoma normally forms under the placaenta. Luckily mine seems to be further back, but its still a bit of a worry. I had 4 rounds of IUI (all BFN) as I "don't have a fertility issue" according to all my prelimary tests. We then moved to IVF. That first round of IVF only 2 of the 4 eggs collected were mature. I had a 5AA fresh transfer (starting bleeding only 4/5 days after transfer, BFN) and a 4AA FET ended in a chemical pregnancy.

Second egg collection we got 6 eggs, all mature, all made to day 5 but only three suitable for freezing (was a freeze-all cycle). Tranfered the best emrbyo (5AA) in a FET cycle in December which seems to be sticking so far 🤞🤞🤞 The two in the freezer are a 3AB and 3BB.

I'm very grateful for our donor. We went to the European sperm bank for our donor as you get a lot more information about the donor that in the UK - so we have a letter written from the donor to any children concieved, an audio recording of the donor talking about themselves etc. It was really important to us when choosing to use a donor to be able to give any children information about the donor if they wanted it. One of the reasons we chose the donor we did was that they were needing donor eggs for starting their own family - for us it felt like they were donating from such a place of altruism, and should and child seek them out, the donor would be understanding if they suceed in having their own children through donation.

@Kamiros I think its natural you become more matter of fact about things after disapoints on this journey x

@HJen22 Also can I just say, I'm massively pro FET - I found the FET experience physically and emotionally much better than a fresh transfer.

@HJen22 Also I made an error above, we have a 3BB and other is a 3BC (not a 3AB unfortunately!)

@2mumlife I hope your scan next week goes well. I can imagine every part of IVF including after a BFP is a worry. We become so much more aware sadly of all the things that can cause bumps in the road compared to a natural conception. But I really hope that this is your time ❤️

Oh that's lovely, they will know exactly how it feels then to be looking for a donor and making that decision. It's good that they give you plenty of information compared to the UK. And that's great you have another two in the freezer!

I've felt bad about being a bit on the negative side but I just know all the hurdles. It's hard to explain to someone who doesn't know all the details just why I'm so negative, like when family or friends say things and mean well. I've decided to only tell my mum and sister and best friend when actually going through treatment. Any advise on that front? I had thought about not but I think I'll need their emotional support xx

@Kamiros that's great you're getting started again soon, best of luck for this cycle!

Welcome @HJen22 hope this cycle goes well!

@connal I had similar results both cycles despite having a good AMH - 8 eggs collected cycle 1 and only 1 viable for transfer, a 4CC which ended in a chemical. Cycle 2 I ended up with 7 eggs but again only one viable for transfer, a 4CB and I am currently 23 weeks with that one. As others have said, they wouldn't transfer if they didn't think it was in with a shot! The best environment for it is in your womb.

@2mumlife that sounds so stressful! I am glad your scan went well, that must have been a big relief. I've read heamatomas can be fairly common during IVF and it's good it is not near the baby. Best of luck for your scan on Monday!

@2mumlife oh sorry to hear you had such a frightening time but delighted to hear you have a heartbeat 🥰 x

@HJen22 we done the same, we only told close family. I think it's just down to what you feel comfortable with. It took us a bit of time to come to terms with having to go through IVF. I needed to keep what we were going through quiet to protect ourselves in case the worse happened. I'm a fairly private person anyway. But I understand other people feel better having more people know what they're going through and feel more comfortable being public about it.

@HJen22 just read back my comment and I wasn't very clear! what I meant was close family and friends knew before we were going through it and they knew our dates too for when we were getting started etc. For me, that really helped, having some support and even them just checking in to see how we were. But it is totally down to personal preference and what you feel comfortable with!