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 well finally AF showed up after a36 day cycle! Thank god! So am on the oestrogen now 🥳
How are you doing?

@AliceAbsolum are you going to Cyprus today or tomorrow? It will be such a great place to be whilst all your treatment is going on!

@Rosemary121 I shall keep you in the loop with when my FET is likely! Sounds like EC went very well for you...do you know yet how many you have frozen?

@PMAmostofthetime I bet you're glad to be off the norithisterone now! I found it one of the worst meds for me for bloating and putting on weight! When do you start stims? I got AF 4 days after stopping norithisterone on all 3 cycles .

@Freya871 I started with light bleeding 7dp5dt last time...I thought it could have been implantation but then the next day AF was there fully. They said that it shouldn't have come before I stopped the progesterone really so I'm guessing the lubion is to just get your progesterone levels up quickly to see if it helps? If this time hasn't worked, and there's still chance it has, then they should check your progesterone levels at ET next time (if they didn't this time) and May just start you with the progesterone injections rather than adding them in.

I hope everyone else is doing well and has a good week ahead of them 🥰

@Somatronic @Kittyyy85 welcome ❤️ I'm so so sorry that this cycle hasn't been a success for you 😞 I'm so glad to hear you have some Frosties to go again. Be kind to yourself, allow time to feel however you need to feel and rest. Sending you so much positive vibes, be strong and you'll get through this x

@PMAmostofthetime mine was 4 days after, surprisingly bang on time and behaved for starting stims. Hopefully AF arrives for you super soon and you can get started 🤞🏻

@AliceAbsolum you sound very organised! I hope it's not been too stressful and when you get there it's all smooth sailing. How are you feeling?

@Coops0406 great news! Glad it's arrived and you can get started on oestrogen! How are you feeling?

I'm doing ok, this is day 7 of stims. Added in the second jab on Saturday. They seem to be stinging a bit more than they did at the start but I guess my stomach is maybe just becoming more sensitive as we go on! I'm really hoping something is going on in there and the follicles are growing! Getting nervous now for my monitoring scan on Wednesday! I hope they find my other ovary too and there are some follicles there! Any extra would be a bonus! Emotionally (right now) I'm doing better than I expected, but that can change in a second! Im trying not to complain and the side effects could def be worse. Can't remember the last time I actually slept til my alarm went off though! Xx

Today. Currently having breakfast in Heathrow

@AliceAbsolum safe flight ❤️ I hope you are having something delicious for breakfast x

Full veggie extravaganza. I lost 3lbs for Cyprus so I could eat lots of halloumi guilt free 😎

@HJen22 aw thank you so much. Definitely woke up with an empty feeling this morning. Feels strange having gone through everything and then having nothing to show for it. Such a bummer.
Pleased you're stims are going well! They struggled to find my left ovary what with having a retroverted uterus in a funny position but with a little bit of pushing on my stomach, they managed to get to it. Good luck for your monitoring appointment on Wednesday. It's funny, I had different nurses for each appointment and every time, they found more and more hidden follicles so I'm sure that'll be the case for you too. Some nurses are more thorough than others, I realised!

@AliceAbsolum safe flight lovely! The start of an exciting journey for you

@Coops0406 so pleased you're starting again too! Definitely keep us in the loop with how you get on. I have no idea how FET works!

I've just called my clinic to arrange a follow up and the next date available isn't for another 3 weeks so I feel like I'm left in limbo a little. I can't help but wonder if I was private instead of NHS they might have prioritised it. Such a shame, I was hoping to get some answers and investigations done in the meantime. I was told on the day of my ET that my white blood cell levels were elevated so I can't help but wonder if I have some underlying immune issues that might have wrecked my chances (I have suffered with alopecia and uveitis years ago which are both auto immune things)
So having to wait until the 28th March before I can speak to anyone so probably wont be starting my FET until at least May I imagine 😔 sorry for the rant, just feeling a bit blah about it all. I'm not good without a plan in action!

Hoping you all have a positive and happy week xx

@Kittyyy85
@Coops0406
@HJen22

Thanks for the info guys, this is day two off Northesteroine and period cramps have started so hoping it won't be long.

I have to ring the clinic when I start AF for further instructions in when to start stims- anyone else have to do this?

Excited- nervous and worried I'll forget to do something and mess up this cycle.

@PMAmostofthetime fantastic! Not long now then!! 🤞

Yes, I had to do the same and call the clinic on cycle day 1. They then called me in for an internal scan on cycle day 3... yeah, while I was bleeding 😱 it was so weird 🤣 right after that appointment, I was sent to see the nurse who then gave me all of the info for stims and I got started soon after!! I was nervous about messing up too, but get your first couple out of the way and you'll sail through it

@AliceAbsolum yummy! And well done for losing 3lb! Enjoy all the halloumi! When is your first appointment when you arrive?

@Kittyyy85 I can't imagine how that must feel 😞 that's what I'm scared about, waiting all this time, finally getting started and to be "doing" something and then it not working. Which I know is a high chance for us. The Drs have told me a few times statically it's in the single figures, which hurts. I hope you are right 🤞🏻 the nurse did try pushing my stomach but my bowel was in the way apparently. My AFC was 6 before so the fact she said 6/7 makes me a tiny bit hopeful for someone on the other side. Unless I've one ovary and they just didn't tell me, but surely not?!

I'm so sorry that it's a few weeks until you can have a follow up. It's a shame that the NHS can't offer anything sooner. Of course you'd like some answers and investigations, I'd be the same. The waiting is such a struggle with everything infertility related isn't it. And you are not ranting! Your feelings are completely understandable ❤️ do you have counselling through your clinic?

Fingers crossed @PMAmostofthetime won't be long! I got all my meds at the baseline scan on the Monday and then when AF arrived the next day I called and they said I was good to start. Do you have all your meds already? Oh god same, I swear I've checked my protocol about 50 times to make sure we started the second jab the right day, to make sure we're still meant to be doing it etc and it's a one page word document haha not like it goes into any detail! I'm paranoid about doing something wrong too! Xx

@HJen22 I guess it's good to know stats but equally can be damaging and a bit of a head f* and actually often, it doesn't ring true.

I didn't even ask my clinic what the liklihood was just because I didn't want know 😬 BUT what I do want to say is if at any stage you find yourself doubting and going back to what they've said, pull yourself back out of it! It's taken me so long to admit defeat and finally try IVF, a couple of months ago when I was having a wobble and terrified of starting and thinking about if it didn't work, I remember a friend saying, once you've got one foot in the mud, you just keep going and she's right!

Also, a client of mine went through IVF and she was given a 2% chance of it working, and now she has her beautiful 2 year old!!! Anything is possible, ignore the stats, focus on you, those follicles and those eggs!

Call me crazy but I even spoke to mine! 🤪 they say if you speak to plants it helps them grow strong and healthy so I though WTF, it can't do any harm!

Also, remember, it's quality not quantity!!!! I thought it would be great to get loads of eggs but often that's not the case! You got this!! Xx

@Kittyyy85 thank you so much for your kind words ❤️ I know, it's hard when they say stuff like that cos then people don't really understand why I've not been the most positive about it! I didn't even ask, the Dr just kinda said "have you been told the chances" and we said no and then she told us. Then they put it down in black and white in a follow up letter 😞

You are so right though. I need to have hope and think positive. Positivity does no harm! And either way, if it doesn't work it's going to hurt. I have been so scared too, I have had so many wobbles between referral and now. The unknown and the "how the Eff is this happening to me"

I am going to speak to mine too, every little helps! I have been saying things like I hope they are growing in there 😂

I am so glad you have Frosties, You still have so much hope and opportunity so don't forget that ❤️ how many do you have? I have been trying to "manifest" numbers of eggs and embryos xxx

@HJen22 ugh, honestly, don't even think about what they've said! Put it to the back of your mind and instead think science and the human bodies are wonderful things! Keep taking your supplements and nourishing them with food! I was told by my acupuncturist that apparently drinking full fat milk makes the womb sticky (clearly didn't work for me 🙄), but I'm also following someone going through IVF with ARGC which is a leading clinic in London and during her egg retrieval she wasn't only told to drink a little and a half to 2 of water, but also a litre of milk a day too! So perhaps that helps the eggs! If you're not already doing it, maybe try drinking some milk!!

Also, it's funny how it randomly popped up last night, but if you have Amazon Prime, there's a documentary called "Beyond the Secret - The Awakening"... it's all about the Law of Attraction. Could be worth a watch for any of us! I wish I'd found it during my first cycle!

The wobbles are so real, right! But if we don't try, we'll never know. I'm so proud of all of us for putting ourselves through this! We're definitely putting the "action" in "attraction and it's where it all starts! Truth is, regardless of stats and outcomes, chances are by going down this route, you're giving yourself way more of a chance had you just kept doing the monthly baby dance and hoping! That's what I keep telling myself!

I have four Frosties. I done the same and was manifesting our final outcome and I was only one short!

So, I started off with being told I had 8 follicles, by the end I had around 17. 13 were retrieved, 11 fertilised and 5 made it to day 5. My clinic won't do anything less than 5 days which really gave me anxiety. How many more scans have you got before retrieval? Xx

@Kittyyy85 Yeah it's best just not to think about it. It comes down to science and a lot of luck at the end of the day doesn't it. I take lots of supplements and have upped my omega 3 intake with salmon (I can't wait to never have to eat it again 😂) and things. I'm drinking 3ltr of water a day too. To be honest since stims I've been terrible with snacking and chocolate but I've just done a click and collect shop that's loaded with leafy greens and fruit as I feel like I really need it!

Oh that sounds good I love things like that. I read a book called "The Magic" which was all about gratitude and manifesting. I've a new one that I've not really gotten into but that programme sounds great, I'll def give it a watch, thank you!

Exactly! Say 8 eggs is potentially 8 months worth of BD if you look at it like that. Which man; after 2 years gets tiring 😂

Wow that gives me so much hope you went from 8 to 17! The waiting for fertilisation and day 5 I think is going to be so hard. My OH keeps saying he thinks more follicles will appear so I am really hopeful. I have anxiety about making it to ET too, I'm not actually sure if they do 3 day or only 5 at my clinic, I will need to ask!

We have our first monitoring scan on Wednesday then another Friday. They estimated EC week beginning 14th March. I hope you have some nice things planned in the next few weeks to take your mind off things? Xx

@HJen22 I was the same with snacking! It's all about balance I think... do the good things, and treat yourself too! I'm veggie so didn't do the salmon stuff, I should imagine you're sick of the sight of it 😂 I took Zita West DHA for my Omega 3 and made sure I had lots of kale and veggies with my dinner every night.

And gosh, yes 8 eggs is like 8 BDing! Who can be arsed with that 🤣 See, there's definitely positives of IVF. I might try naturally this month, but by the same token, part of me thinks I've been poked and prodded so much down there, it could do with a well deserved break!!!

Totally agree with your OH. At each scan of mine, they found a few more! I totally didn't expect the numbers to go up but what I learned is that each nurse will see different things. They won't just look for the 8 they've already found, they'll pick up on more, so I'm really hopeful for you!!
And look, even if you did get 8, that's still a great number! I've heard of people who had way less, and almost ALL of not ALL got fertilised!! Low AMH doesn't mean your quality isn't top notch 😊 and you've got age on your side which is a fab thing to have!

Nothing much planned... naively when I planned this week, I thought if I'm preggers, I'll want to enjoy it... and if I'm not, I won't want to see anyone! Huge mistake!! Today's the last day of moping and then I do have a few clients in this week which will give me a reason to pull myself together.
Currently enjoying a black coffee and may push the boat out and even have a daytime bath now that I'm allowed one again! Living like a rockstar right now 🤣

@Kittyyy85 yeah I spent 2 months doing gluten, sugar, dairy free and it was so stressful it left me in tears haha. That was off the back of a nutritionist. I kept up the supplements and fish but I just found the rest way too restrictive! I really hope some of the egg quality supplements have helped 🤞🏻

I think because I was told 6 at my referral when she said 6/7 on one ovary I was surprised. So anything more than that is a plus! Yeah don't put too much pressure on yourself! It can be so hard to not focus on trying, and then be disappointed if we don't feel like we've hit the right days, but do give yourself a bit of a break after a lot of poking and prodding!

Fingers crossed 🤞🏻 I guess they just don't know how well we will respond til we try! Just have to trust the process and the Drs and Nurses and take each day at a time.

Oh I know, I'm sorry 😞 it's definitely not moping, it's taking time to process and heal and allowing yourself to be sad. I know for sure I'd feel the same. I recently told my boss above my line manager, and my OH had said it was a good idea because if things don't go so well I'm going to likely need some time off. It's so hard to know and plan with days and work isn't it. A bath along with a face mask some Netflix and some chocolate is a good afternoon plan xx

@LT103 We are similar!

I am very nearly 40 and just completed my first fresh transfer with BFN.

Have appointments this week to start the process for an FET. I am currently on day 20 (of normally a clockwork 28 day cycle) and really worry AF is on the way!??!

Has this happened to anyone after a failed cycle??

@TheHopefulEgg a nurse gave me a good bit of advice in an attempt to stay calm and minimise the rollercoaster effect (although i think it is impossible to avoid altogether!!). She told me, try not to think or news as either good or bad... just think of it as news. 'good' news gets your hopes up and can change, 'bad' news makes you feel sad and can improve. every cycle and person is different so it is just about trying to take each stage as it comes and dealing with the information you have... knowing it can be different tomorrow.

Not sure if that helps but i think it helped me not to get too high or too low in between appointments. Good luck!

Hello,

Thought I'd join this thread as I am due to start my second FET in March/April, just waiting for my date. I don't have a cycle so my timings are dictated by the clinic's availability. I had a failed cycle in February, hoping to be more successful this time!

A bit about me - I have ovulation issues. I have conceived before with IVF for baby #1 in 2020, so I do believe in the process.

Nice to meet you all.

@Kittyyy85
@HJen22
I have all my meds but I've only had one scan before Christmas. I think I start as soon as my AF arrives and I have to go in for Covid swabs on day 3 so unsure if they will also scan me then?
It doesn't mention any of this in my protocol, so that stresses me out, I may give them a call tomorrow just to put my mind at ease.
My protocol is a full booklet it says what to do and not to do before egg collection and ET what I can and can't eat and drink.
What to take with me, I think they tried to reduce the phone calls lol, there's always a question though isn't there.
Before I started all this I naively thought IVF/ ICSI almost guaranteed a baby- wish I could hold on to those positive thoughts.

They haven't told me my AMH or my percentage of it working but of course Iv googled it and my clinics statistics.

I'm really worried they won't be able to do ET , they are going to do a dummy run on EC as I have cervical stenosis (pinhole cervix) and a tiled womb and they couldn't complete a HSG after 40 agonising minutes of trying- I feel like theres so many unknowns.

@IE00 welcome to the chat- it's helped me a lot for someone who had a positive mental attitude most of the time this process really has sent me on a roller coaster but everyone on here has really helped me.
It's my first cycle my estimated EC dates are week commencing 21st March is AF shoes up on time.

Tilted* although I'm sure a tiled womb would also be tricky

@IE00 welcome ❤️ I'm so sorry your first cycle in February failed 😞 sending all the positive vibes for this next round. How are you?

@PMAmostofthetime seems every clinic is different! That's great you've had so much info! I think my clinic drip feed rather than all at once! I asked loads of questions at my baseline scan fearing the worse. And the nurse was very much like one step at a time. I'd been doing ok but had a wobble last night, started to panic about EC right before bed which wasn't ideal. My OH put baby orangutans on his phone and we watched them which cheered me up/made me cry 😂

That's good they are doing a dummy run at EC. Hopefully it's not a problem and they are able to access and that will be one weight lifted. The unknown is the worst isn't it! I didn't actually find out my AMH cos I knew I'd google, they did test it though but just said it was in line with my AFC. But I have low ovarian reserve so that's why I had the bloods done.

Any sign of AF? Any questions you have def give your clinic a call, they are used to it and I'm sure they'd rather you asked than worried 🥰 I emailed mine and they left a lovely voicemail when I had a query about the second injection xxx

@AliceAbsolum I hope you arrived safely in Cyprus xx

@HJen22 Yeah, having a 31 day long period was not awesome, but an iron supplement and this break between hormones has been nice and relaxed.
I hope your scan tomorrow goes well. They've always had trouble finding one of my ovaries too.

@IE00 Welcome to the group!! I'm sorry to hear about your last transfer. Hopefully the next will be your miracle. I had a failed FET this past summer and it's definitely tough.

They dropped the mask mandate at my school yesterday and for half of the day I'm going into different classrooms, where we have a few teachers who don't believe in opening a window for proper ventilation. it's making me paranoid since I only work with 1 kid at a time, so I've pretty much decided when we're 2 weeks out from going to the Czech Republic for our FET that I'll tell all the teachers that I will only work in my room.

Morning ladies!

Hope everyone's doing well today!

@HJen22 only one more day for you until your next scan! It's good to have a wobble and get it out when you need to but try and stay positive today. Keeping my fingers crossed for your beautiful follicle count update 😘

@IE00 @Hopeful199 I'm so so sorry to hear your last rounds didn't work. I completely feel your pain. It's only been 48 hours since my BFN and it's just so raw. The journey can definitely suck at the best of times but I'm holding onto the hope that it'll all be worth it for us all.
My follow up isn't for another 3 weeks so no idea when I'll get to start my first FET. I'm pleased you're both on the way to starting yours though 😊 Sending you lots of love ❤️

@PMAmostofthetime I totally felt as anxious as you! I have a tilted womb too and was told by one clinic that it's so severely tilted that the they didn't know if ivf would even be possible but hey, here I am after my first round!
I naively had no idea before starting IVF that there were so many hurdles to pass before even getting close to a transfer which caused no end of stress at every point.
I had a dummy run too and it went well. Try not to get yourself too worked up about your cervix, I think if there's something I've taken from all this is we tend to panic more than the clinics do! I'm sure it's nothing your clinic haven't seen or overcome before, it's what they do 24/7 and we all have such different bodies.

I'm struggling a little today. Found out yesterday that my cousins pregnant - happy but sad for us. What doesn't kill us, makes us stronger eh?! (Apparently anyway!)

Oh and Happy International Women's day! Sending positive vibes to you all xxx

@TommieNC glad it's been nice and relaxed! Not long now until you start meds, how are you feeling? Thank you, fingers crossed this nurse finds the other ovary 🤞🏻

Yes for sure just do what's most comfortable for you! I'm sure you could still wear a mask too if you wanted for some extra peace of mind and distance as much as possible if some others aren't quite as considerate. It's hard because I'm sure even after we stop wearing masks up here in Scotland there will still be people who do. What date do you fly out?

@Kittyyy85 thank you so much, fingers crossed ❤️ your kindness means a lot. I'm so sorry, a pregnancy announcement is hard at the best of times but that's really not what your heart needs 😞 it's ok to feel sad for you and happy for her. But one day soon it will be happy for yourself I am sure 🥰 take each day as it comes, be kind to yourself and give yourself another few days if you need them. Don't rush into trying to feel better.

Happy International Woman's Day to you all xxx

@hopeful199 thank you for sharing that great advice. That's something I will need to remind myself if and when we get to that point.

@ie00 Welcome! Best of luck to you on your next cycle

I'm on day 9 on stims and struggling with back pain. Feels like kidneys. I'm ok standing and lying but sitting is really uncomfortable. I'm got my first scan tomorrow and I'm really hoping they set EC for Friday. I can't be doing with this for another week!

Happy International Womens day all! Good to read your updates.

Statistics are so tricky. For each person its either 0 or 100% .... it will or it wont. Took me ages to get my head around that. Might as well hope for 100% I guess.

Cyprus is super warm which is lovely. We have a nice apartment and Larnaka has a huge Cafe Nero right on the beach.
I've been working today so its a bit weird, but thats travelling for you.

Doesn't Covid complicate everything! They randomly PCR tested the entire plane at the airport. I was bricking it! But luckily it was negative. for DH too. Phew!

I whatsapped my coordinator at the clinic so they know we are here and i'll whatsapp again when my period starts, should be in about 6 days. Never thought I'd be whatsapping a random man my period dates! lol.
The whatsapp thing really threw me at first but its so convenient to have your own port of contact throughout, hes on,his phone 24/7 too so thats reassuring.

@Kittyyy85 Sorry about the announcement :( thats never easy. Especially during IVF.