IVF / FET March/April 2022

[AliceAbsolum]

Thought I'd start a thread for those starting rounds in the next few months.

I'm 36. TTC for 6 years. This will be my 4th transfer. It's a double embryo FET in Cyprus.

Welcome welcome 😁

@HJen22 the waking up early and not being able to get back to sleep was probably the worst side effect of all the meds I took over both of my treatment cycles. I can well remember getting teary on it too, so you're not the only one there! How many more days do you have left to take it for?

Must have been freezing with no power! We'll have charged through the alphabet in no time at this rate.

The fear of catching covid and it delaying things is very real. Usually I'm not too phased about it, but before or during treatment my paranoia levels about catching it increase quite a bit. Hopefully it won't be an issue for either of us

I'm currently still WFH, but I think I'll need start going into the office here and there. It wouldn't be that often though. I've dragged out WFH for as long as possible and wouldn't go into the office until after I've had this next egg retrieval. My manager is fully aware that we're doing IVF and has been very understanding about it, which makes it much easier. I hope your boss does just tell you to have the days off so you don't have to use any of your annual leave, especially as it's only a day or two that you're asking for. Xx

@TommieNC the storms have been a little crazy, I have to admit.

I'm glad you've had a good experience with your clinic in the Czech Republic. My experience of treatment abroad has so far been positive (I'm hoping it continues to be positive).

Our clinic is in Madrid.

Welcome @wholemeal121 I hope downreg is going OK so far for you. Sorry you're also having to live through this horrible limbo!

@CentaurChiron yeah the lack of sleep really effects me as I am normally (well before all of this whole TTC couple of years) a really good sleeper. I went to bed at 8pm last night though, sleeping by 8.30pm and didnt wake up til 6am so feel much better today and way less emotional - thank you for all being here on those days where I just feel so rubbish and you girls tell me its normal I take the last tablets on Thursday thankfully!

Yeah I am the same, I haven't had it or been too worried but now its getting so close to treatment and appointments I just worry that it could mess things up! Think other than going to see my family on Sunday i will isolate. To be honest I don't do much anyway!

Yes WFH during this is a lot better isn't it. I had said to my boss if we went back before/during treatment I wanted to stay at home and she was fine with it, although we are yet to have an update. We are Scotland and very much behind England in everything, still masks indoors up here. Yeah I am hoping so, I would hope if it were just the next day I could just take it off, and anymore than that I could take a days holiday. Hard to know what I will need and when since days aren't set in stone for EC or ET. xx

Hi all! So much to catch up on! Back from an amazing long weekend in Paris and we managed to forget about work and fertility for the whole weekend! It was bliss to feel normal for a few days! 😍 And by the sounds of it, we avoided some awful weather!!
Just waiting for AF to get on the oestrogen...I think I'm looking around the beginning of March, would really like it to be February as it just sounds like a full month earlier!

@CentaurChiron I definitely think 1 euploid from a cycle will be totally worth it! And it sounds like they are tweaking things for this protocol for the better. I agree with just chucking everything you can at it, stay healthy and away from the bad stuff and see what difference it makes. I was on ubiquinol 3 times a day and my consultant has mentioned probiotics (even as basic as an actimel a day) for hopefully helping with the good bacteria in the womb! Obviously, the biopsies will show whether they have actually helped at all! I might ask about the NK cells testing, especially if it's easily done by biopsy, they may as well do it at the same time!

@tulipsandsnow it's just so confusing!! My nurse said that they grade them from 1-10 based on the video from them being in the embryoscope...so mainly looking at the cell division I guess? She said anything they grade between 6 and 10 has a good chance of giving a live birth (obviously 10 has a higher % but there is not much in it between those grades). If they grade it 5 or lower the % decrease is a lot bigger. It's all so confusing, but it looks like it's following similar to what you have read. It's just so gutting that still, after all this testing, the % chance could still be so low!
How are you doing after your FET? When is OTD? I hope you are managing to relax a little! Sending lots of baby dust your way! 🥰

@TommieNC I have read about increasing your proteins for ivf which makes sense for cell growth and development, but when you're on meds all you want to reach for are the carbs!

@ginandtonicformeplease do you know whether you have to go to a specialist for NK testing or do you think it's something my clinic could do when they do my biopsies?
Have you had the second opinion yet on the cyst?

@HJen22 @AliceAbsolum how are you both doing?

@HJen22 it's good that you were able to get a much better night's sleep yesterday! Roll on Thursday. That's when I take my last pill too.

Catching covid is just another thing to worry about in all this. I guess you won't have to isolate for too long and hopefully you'll get to EC in no time without any issues.

It's much easier being able to WFH when doing treatment. I don't know how people juggled treatment before when having to be in the office all the time. It's quite difficult trying to work out when you'll need to take time off, but you should become much clearer on which date EC will happen as you move through the process and soon as you know the day you'll do your trigger shot then you'll know exactly which day you'll be having your EC. It's quite daunting not knowing when to expect things though.

@Coops0406 I'd be very happy to get at least one euploid, but two would be a dream! No euploids is definitely the worst situation. Preparing myself for that possibility, although I think the odds of getting one euploid is roughly 85% at my age (fingers crossed!). I think if we only get one euploid that we'll have to do another EC, as I know that just one may not work and I found it so stressful in the run up to my last transfer knowing everything was riding on just the one embryo. I'm also on ubiquinol 3 times a day plus a load of other vitamins (gotta get my kicks from somewhere when I'm not able to drink ). We've both been on them for a few months now. We've also been caffeine and alcohol free for a couple of months, exercise regularly and generally eat very well. Really hoping this makes all the difference. I did toy with the idea of taking probiotics too and I may decide to add that in at some point too. Makes sense to get the NK cells biopsy at the same time if you can. It'd be great if they could do them all in one visit.

I feel like such a moron (stinking’ bcp making me forgetful). I’ve been so focused on the storm, this cycle and a million other things that I forgot to get a PCR Covid test on Sunday and am having a tiny procedure tomorrow (not IVF related).
Going to do a lateral flow in the morning and claim I thought the rules changed, fully expecting them to cancel it. However On the 10th of Feb. My private hospital put up a post about only needing a lateral flow 24 hours before although my letter from a month ago says a pcr 3 days before. Fingers crossed they are following the website vs the letter.

Sorry for the rant, just beating myself up.

I hope everyone’s week is starting well.

@CentaurChiron that's why we did an extra cycle separate to our multi cycle, just to try and get one more euploid for peace of mind. Although all the symptoms and pain have got progressively worse with each EC, it's all forgotten now and we have that extra euploid there. Each round can be so different and you may even get 2 this round! Keeping everything crossed. When will your stims start?

@TommieNC I'm sure it will be fine...there have been so many rule changes and if your letter is older how are you supposed to know. I'd just have your proof of a negative LFT and I'm sure they'll accept it. Don't stress yourself out too much 🥰

@CentaurChiron yeah a good sleep really does make all of the difference during this rollercoaster of emotions! I slept well last night too although felt a bit queezy and ended up just having toast for tea. Yes roll on Thursday for both of us! How are you feeling?

Yeah I know, I'm glad I'm still WFH. Sometimes I think during TTC it may have been a bit easier and more of a distraction had I bee in the office but I'm glad to still be at home now treatment is away to start. Also glad as my colleague who I sat across from just had a baby and not sure how I'd have coped sitting with her for 8 hours a day 5 days a week! So every cloud haha.

@TommieNC don't feel like that! You've had a lot on your plate it sounds! I hope your lateral flow is more than enough for them given the rules have changed since your letter; fingers crossed! And don't apologise; ranting is encouraged in this chat! We all need it now and again!

@Coops0406 welcome back! I hope you had the most amazing break and enjoyed Paris! What did you get up to? I hope lots of nice food! And how was the weather? Really glad to hear you were able to take a break from things and just enjoy time! And February is a nice short month so March is very close ☺️

I am doing better thank you, didn't have a great start to the week and had a bit of a rough weekend but onwards and upwards! Xx

Hello, hoping I can join you on this thread?

I am on my third ivf cycle (frozen), with four years ttc and three miscarriages, age 34.

I have to make a decision whether to transfer one or two embryos by next week, and I can't settle on a decision. Some days I'm certain what to do and then I sway back the other way! I wanted to run it past you all to gather more opinions?

The clinic have said they will allow me two embryos: I don't meet the criteria where they would outright refuse me so if I want to, I can.

They obviously highlighted that they follow government guidelines and it's their policy to keep multiple births to a minimum. They also reiterated the risks of a multiple pregnancy.

The reason why I'm considering it because my embryos do not make it beyond 5/6 weeks and so I don't have high hopes for future cycles either. I hope that if I do two, I save myself another cycle: both money and time, if at least one were to stick!

We are completely open to the idea of twins, but hearing about the risks and reading stuff on the internet makes me fall back again.

What do you think?

Hi all, I’m new here. Start my first cycle Sunday starting with northesteroine -and egg collection end of March hopefully.
Been ttc since the end of 2016 and referral processes and tests and Covid didn’t help that process when nothing happened so hear we are over 5 years later, still not BFP.
I have a pinhole cervix so they couldn’t do a HSG so currently have explained infertility. This me more anxious about what they will find at the transfer- they are going to do a dummy at EC.
Currently very emotional one minute,excited the next and allowing myself to dream the next minute- so yea currently irrational and crazy.
No idea what to expect but after reading this thread bought some baggy tops and dresses incase I bloat.
Friends of mine all seem to be having babies and one just accidentally got pregnant- if only!

I am at the start of my first cycle, but I think if your open to twins and they will allow you too- I would try it. You will always wonder what if if you don’t.
Just my opinion, hope it helps.

@PMAmostofthetime

Thank you for the vote, I am adding it to my mental poll

@EasterBunny7 I know a lot of people who have the choice put 2 in and se more than 2. I’m not actually sure why lists of clinics and the NHS go against it. The pros outweigh the cons massively and increase success rates from what I have read good luck

@Coops0406 @HJen22 They had to ask a few people but eventually said I could come down since I had a negative lateral flow that morning!! Thankfully you were all right, thanks for the support!!

@Coops0406 I'm so happy to hear you had a lovely time in Paris.

@EasterBunny7 Welcome to the group!! My Dr. always said if your embryo's were tested and high quality that you should only put 1 in since 2 embryo's only slightly improves your chance of pregnancy, but up's your chance of complications and pregnancy loss significantly. However, if your embryo's are untested and personal history showed multiple implantation failures or miscarriages, that 2 shouldn't be an issue.

@PMAmostofthetime Welcome to the group!! The wait can be so frustrating and can take years of your fertile time. Leggings and baggy tops are my jam right now, ha ha!!

@PMAmostofthetime @EasterBunny7 welcome!

I don't have any experience of double transfer but I would go with what your gut is telling you. I'm sorry your embryos in the past haven't made it past 5/6 weeks, I think I would do it if it increased the chances of a successful cycle. Three cycles in and three miscarriages must have been very difficult, but you are strong and have got this 💪🏻

@PMAmostofthetime don't worry, if you've read all my recent ramblings I am very much up and down daily! I'm on my first cycle and just finishing norethisterone today with my baseline scan Monday! It's very daunting and now the time is finally here I'm getting more and more scared! Here to chat any time ❤️ the support on this thread keeps me sane (my OH may not agree I'm sane but I'm trying 😂) xxx

@TommieNC im so glad that it went ahead and was fine with your LFT. I hope you are feeling ok and recovering after it.

Speaking of Covid, my latest drama (always something isn't there) was after attending the kids party Saturday one of the parents there tested positive! I stood and chatted to him and he hugged me so I was in a total flap last night. I was even too scared to test but I did this morning and it's negative thankfully. But it's worried me enough to convince me to isolate now and see no one, can't be catching Covid and risk not being able to attend my scans let alone EC! Anxiety through the roof as it is so best I stay away from any risk! As I am still hearing of lots of people up here catching it xx

@TommieNC

Thanks.

Yes, my first was a chemical miscarriage and the next two implanted and made it to about 6 weeks development. None of my embryos are PGS tested. There's a niggle in my head that my embryos do implant so high probability two transfers would implant also. The other side of the coin is, after implantation, would either of the embryos then continue to develop beyond 6 weeks?

@HJen22

Thank you very much for your kind and supportive words.

So far, there seems to be an overwhelming majority supporting two transfers, which is encouraging. I honestly thought I'd be perceived as being unnecessarily risky. I suppose all the risk talks from the clinic and reading online have got to me.

@HJen22 oh no! That's an extra stress you could really do without. I think I will need to be extra careful. Fingers crossed you've avoided it!

@EasterBunny7 welcome! Sorry to hear about your early miscarriages. It's tricky about a double transfer. Atm I'd go for one at a time because I'd feel I was putting all my eggs in one basket (uterus ) by using both at once, but obviously that doesn't account for the extra time/cost/stress. I honestly don't know if I'd feel the same if I was in your position though.

@wholemeal121 yes it was stress I didn't need. I am finding it hard to rationalise and not panic about things so it wasn't so fun. So I'm just going to isolate now and that's one less thing to worry about.

How are you getting on with your down reg injections?

@wholemeal121

Thank you for your input anyways. Yes, being four years in and losing three pregnancies makes you feel like two would be awesome! But, my rational side does worry a lot. My partner is much more risk averse than I am and willing to pay the cost of another cycle. For me, time is just as valuable as the money. I have painstakingly got to this cycle after a 6 month wait. They wanted me to wait 3 months after surgical management. Then, I missed the cut off point for xmas closure. Then they extended the closure to late Jan, because they were having fire doors fitted. And that's all on top of me having meant to start my first ivf cycle back in April 2020 and the pandemic happening. My journey has been one big delay.

@HJen22 your just in front of me, good luck with everything.
Feeling slightly crazy that I’m this irrational before any drugs are even in my I think my OH is praying it gets better not worse 😂

@HJen22 I am the same so many people around me catching it.
I have to go out and see people for work but my boss is very supportive so if it’s gets too much I know I can ask to work from home. Avoiding everything else though which is getting more and more difficult as aside from my boss- no one else knows we are doing this. It’s easier for us that way.
We have quashed all the your turn next and when you having a baby over the last few years by simply saying we aren’t :( As it got too much for me, I just know that if we even mention this people won’t stop asking about it and sometimes I need the distraction to stay sane.
Anyone else not told anyone?

@HJen22 glad you managed to get a better night's sleep and yay to your last day of norethisterone! I'm feeling OK thanks, just anxious about my scan on Tuesday. My clinic thinks it should be fine after another stint on the pill but until I get the go ahead I don't think I'm going to feel confident. How are you feeling about things?

I know what you mean about going into work potentially being more of a distraction. I think the time would fly by as it'd be full on, whereas it goes by quite slowly WFH. Being able to WFH does make it much easier doing treatment though. My previous clinic gave me really specific times to do my meds and I'm not sure how I'd have managed that in the office and also travelling to and from the office. Being able to avoid pregnant colleagues is definitely a silver cloud. I've lost count of the number of colleagues who've fallen pregnant, been on mat leave and then returned from mat leave. It'd be much harder having visible reminders of that.

Does anyone know what Boris' relaxing of COVID rules means for those of us doing IVF? If you test positive, will clinics still go ahead with treatment since you don't have to self isolate anymore?

Welcome @EasterBunny7 so sorry to hear about your losses. Sounds like you've had an awful time of it! I don't think there's anything wrong with considering transferring two embryos, especially if they're untested and given you're history. I think it makes a lot of sense to do it in certain cases. But I think if it were me I'd want to speak to my consultant to see if there's any further testing that could be done to understand if there's a reason why you're having the losses. It may be that they've already checked that as far as they can and haven't found any issues (often it might not be possible to know the reason for sure), but I've found Doctors can sometimes brush these things off as just bad luck and that can mean things that should be looked into aren't.

Welcome to you too @PMAmostofthetime you've had a really long wait to start. Does it feel surreal now that you're finally about to get going? It's totally normal to feel a whole swathe of emotions. I can completely relate to everyone you know getting pregnant. It's relentless.

@HJen22 just read of your covid stress. That's not what you need at all just before you're about to start treatment. Must have been such a relief to test negative!