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 😁

@LT103 excited to hear about your scan today? Remind me is this your first round?

@Brightertimesahead I totally get that you don’t want any further delays. Please try not to worry about covid affecting your health - it seems that there is no evidence that covid affects fertility. Now you’re covid free and have plenty of antibodies to keep you safe from contracting it anytime soon :) It’s going to be your lucky round I’m sure xx

@HJen22 that’s great - I feel like following the same protocol takes away a bit of stress as you know exactly what you’re doing :) Good luck x

@AliceAbsolum you’re absolutely right - this morning the clinic rang me to say that there are 10 growing nicely (the remaining 8 are still in the running but not great) and so they decided to reschedule my transfer for Wednesday. I’m guessing maybe my clinic routinely gives provisional egg transfer date on day 3 just in case? Though when they rang on Saturday they never told me that day 5 transfer is also a possibility. I’m confused but also relieved that I still have some more time to recover (I’m still sore after EC).
I personally find watching YT videos on IVF very inspiring - it’s great you’ve decided to share your journey - I think many people will find it useful including myself! It’s such a difficult time and it’s important for people to know that they are not alone. Please PM me the details of your channel - I’ll definitely watch your videos and leave some likes! :)

@LT103 I think going private is the best way if one can afford it - I feel like doctors can then do more and suggest more options. With my NHS funded cycle I was told that I cannot have any extras such as Embryoscope or embryoglue even though I wanted to pay for it (it’s the clinic’s policy that only non-nhs patients can have those extras). During my appointment with the consultant I asked about various things such as prednisone (somehow I feel like I may have implantation issues) or blood thinners and all I heard was no - I guess they are all constrained by NHS guidelines (not that it’s a bad thing as those are made for a reason, but I still felt like I was not being listened to and my concerns were not addressed).

I’m so glad I booked a week off work so can now await the transfer without having to worry about work. Now all I stress about is having anything survive till Wednesday..

@Hopingforamiracle11 Ah glad 11 are growing nicely, I bet you get 5 or 6 in the freezer :)
Trouble with NHS guidelines is that they take so long (sometimes 10 years) to be out into clinical practice. Which is great in that they don't flip flap about with sub-par evidence, but not so good when there is a rapidly evolving field of research. Plus the NHS will pay for the absolute minimum!

My clinic certainly has a "throw everything possible at it" attitude, and I really like that. My Dr the only person to have ever got me pregnant in 4 years of fertility treatment. So I trust her enough.

@AliceAbsolum i loveee watching others ivf journey on YouTube, please do share your channel name so we can get following and support x
in terms of what not to say to people TTC or going through ivf:
Just relax it will happen
Leave it to god, god's plan is better than ours (im religious and i agree with this 100% but cmon, at this stage i rather people not even state the obvious to me)
you are young whats the rush
be grateful for the life you have
you can babysit my kids if you want (at an attempt that it may fill a possible void! no thanks!)
you think ivf is hard, try looking after a baby (wtf - my friend said this to me after i told her i was glad to be done with my ivf injections and she very rudely said this in an attempt to point out that it gets harder from now onwards)
it worked for me on the first go, it will work for you dw. - this is after my first transfer failed :/
Try to cut out sugar and fried food (this ones a good one, like i love how people try to be useful and put in random obvious healthy diet tips to make convo)

All the above has and will continue to annoy me because i find it all insensitive for people to say. Either the tone, the timing of it, one way or another its been insensitive for me.

@AliceAbsolum that's amazing, I'd love to follow your journey too, please do send the details. I find everyone so inspirational, this is one strong community and it really has helped me. I will be eternally grateful for every single person who's had advice and support x

@Hopingforamiracle11 that's great news about your 10, and you're going to Day5 transfer. Glad to hear you've now got some time off work to relax before then. Feet up and lots of self care x

Had my first scan today. Around 33 follicles of various sizes but around 16 at the 8-16mm size. Couple already bigger that will probably be lost. I have to trigger tomorrow for collection on Thursday. Just hoping we get enough to the right size for some little eggs 🤞🤞

@LT103 that sounds great! Remember, lots of water to keep follicles nice and plump and helps with risk of OHSS

@SUMMERTIME02 I have a litre next to me as I type haha

I know have the fear they’re all going to ovulate before Thursday. Does the panic ever go away or does it just transfer to something else!!!!

Hi All, had scan this morning, lots of lovely follicles growing around 20 but they have larger specifics 3 at 11mm 6 at 13mm 2 at 14mm 1 15mm and one 17mm.
I have some fluid under my right ovary so I have been put on a high protein diet of 60g of protein a day and have to drink 3 litres of water a day to prevent OHSS. @Hopingforamiracle11 I wish I'd spoken to you sooner and I could have already been doing this.
My lining a a triple lining so very good for implantation they said.

@AliceAbsolum I have not tried any of that, but I am willing to try- where can I get more information please?
And yes please PM me your You tube channel :)

Some other ideas that people shouldn't say
'Everything happens for a reason' ( this always makes me feel like I shouldn't be a parent).

@SamTTC I definitely couldn't even attempt to do it myself right now. Maybe next round.
I forgot to ask about my AMH I was worried about the fluid.

@Hopingforamiracle11 I wish I'd booked more time off, I'm going to speak to my boss tomorrow and see if I can tomorrow- great news about your 10 :) and 5 day transfer. How are you feeling?

@LT103 how exciting :) sounds like you have a lot there ready and waiting.

@PMAmostofthetime Yeah needle phobia is completely treatable and you can get it free on the nhs. You can self refer through your local primary care service. Google IAPT and put in your postcode.

@PMAmostofthetime sounds great!!! Have they given you a date for collection. I just spoke to them there. Estradiol is 7600 so I have tonight and tomorrow mornings injections as normal then trigger 8.30 tomorrow night and collection 7.30 Thursday morning. Feeling nervous now!!

Hi everyone

Hope it's ok for me to join you!

I am doing my fifth and last ever cycle of IVF and feeling a little nervous to be honest.

The embryo is a morula (pre blastocyst) so we aren't holding out much hope that it will even defrost/be viable. We got 5 embryos from my fresh cycle back in 2017 - the first two cycles resulted in my little girl and boy 18 months apart and then I had one failed cycle and one miscarriage last year. We decided at the outset that we would give every embryo that was frozen the same chance and what will be will be so we have to gear up as if it will go ahead even though it's not the best quality embryo!/might not be viable!

Lovely to read alll of your stories. Good luck to everyone cycling right now. I have my transfer booked for this coming Friday so, If our morula defrosts, I may be joining some of you in the 2ww next week....

Xx

@Bobtat

Hi everyone

Hope it's ok for me to join you!

I am doing my fifth and last ever cycle of IVF and feeling a little nervous to be honest.

The embryo is a morula (pre blastocyst) so we aren't holding out much hope that it will even defrost/be viable. We got 5 embryos from my fresh cycle back in 2017 - the first two cycles resulted in my little girl and boy 18 months apart and then I had one failed cycle and one miscarriage last year. We decided at the outset that we would give every embryo that was frozen the same chance and what will be will be so we have to gear up as if it will go ahead even though it's not the best quality embryo!/might not be viable!

Lovely to read alll of your stories. Good luck to everyone cycling right now. I have my transfer booked for this coming Friday so, If our morula defrosts, I may be joining some of you in the 2ww next week....

Xx

@Bobtat Keeping my fingers crossed for you and wishing you all the best! xx

@AliceAbsolum having one to transfer and some to freeze would be a dream! x i can't wait to find out on Wednesday what the outcome is - hopefully I'll be pleasantly surprised :)
That's totally right about NHS - i get where they are coming from and how important evidence-based practice is, but from the patient point of view it's really frustrating. Hopefully i won't have to do any private cycles (look at me, trying to stay positive), but I have to admit that I have started looking both in the UK and abroad. I want to be prepared whatever the outcome and trying to stay in control is the only thing keeping me sane (let's face it though, ivf is completely out of my control). I know that some clinics routinely use embryoscope, but unfortunately mine is not one of them.

@SUMMERTIME02 i read your post about someone saying 'you think ivf is hard, try looking after a baby' - that's so rude, it's crazy how insensitive people can be.. It makes me really upset when some of my friends who don't know that I've been trying for many years say things like 'it's different when you're a parent or you don't understand because you're not a mum'. It's just so heartbreaking. If anything, my journey taught me to always be kind and considerate of others - you just don't know what is going on in people's lives even when they smile and pretend to be alright.
Your clinic sounds amazing!

@HJen22 thank you x Yeah, I'm really glad that I booked a week off as don't think I could actually cope being on my feet all day (still kind of sore). How are you doing?? :)

@LT103 33 follicles - woow that's fab news! How exciting you're only three days away from egg collection :) I had fear of ovulating before the collection, but I guess we're just all used to being stressed due to our journeys. I wouldn't worry about it though, the meds you're taking atm make ovulation impossible as level of LH is low and following the trigger it takes between 36-40 hrs as they need to mature and go through process of meiosis. I knew that before my trigger last Wednesday, but still panicked anyway - I'm beyond any help

@PMAmostofthetime that's lots of follicles - amazing news! x When is your next scan? :) Don't worry about it - with proteins and plenty of water i'm sure you'll be fine x To up my protein intake I've started eating peanut butter, i feel like i ate about 1/5 of a jar today
Great news about your lining! That's definitely a good idea to have some time off xx I feel much better, thank you, still experience some mild cramping following egg collection but that is nothing paracetamol could not resolve xx I'm now using progesterone pessaries - it's just so messy and I'm worried if it's actually working and absorbing well- i checked my temp this morning and it was 36.63 which is not really that high.

@Bobtat it's amazing you've had success twice already! xx Good luck on Friday! Considering you got pregnant 3 out of 4 it seems to me that you have a really high chance of baby no3 :)

@AliceAbsolum unfortunately I'm in Wales and we don't have IAPT :(

@LT103 no date yet will find out Wednesday

@Bobtat Welcome, so lovely to hear about your little ones :) fingers crossed your family will be expanding soon.

@Hopingforamiracle11 my next scan is Wednesday.
Protein is a nightmare for me I'm not a big meat eater- eat hardly any now actually and I hate peanut butter. Today I've had eggs, Tuna and protein powder mixed in yoghurt.
I've drank 2.5 litres of water too.
My headache is really bad today nothing ( that I'm allowed to take/use) is touching it. Currently had a kool strip on my forehead and am counting down until I can next take paracetamol.

Protein is really difficult for me too since I've mostly gone off meat. I do eat a ton of hummus at the moment though haha. And salmon! And then usually eggs or yogurt for breakfast. I think that's plenty honestly.
@PMAmostofthetime I'm so sorry about your headaches, do you reckon it's a side effect of the stims? Have you spoken to the clinic about it?

@LT103 oh my gosh the fear of ovulation is horrible! I did ovulate early in two of my IUI cycles so naturally I was convinced it would happen in IVF too! But it is actually super unlikely to happen, as they time things much much better than with iuis. Do you take an antagonist shot?

Must be my imagination but I feel like AF is on its way, still have about a week left though so it must just be because I'm impatient. I'm just eager to get started again. This month's wait has been much harder than I expected. I definitely am not spending it being productive, I just want time to pass (which is a horrible way to go through life!)
On the bright side, barring cysts, thawing issues -and of course pregnancy which just seems so out of the realm of possibility right now-, I can expect back to back transfer cycles for the next three months now, as I've got two transfers and then, if I need it, another EC and fresh transfer.

Just like you @Brightertimesahead I also cope by planning next steps. It just makes it easier to cope with, thinking about this as a long process where you might get lucky early, but you're already fortified in case it drags out! I'm already thinking about my potential next collection and wondering how much I should challenge my doctors on my stim protocol. I don't like to speak up, because what do I know really? But I am still questioning why I had such a steep dropoff of antral follicles from 16 to 6 follicles retrieved. My clinic kept saying I should be happy with this result but I honestly just don't believe them? 16 is not a lot to start with, so I don't see why we shouldn't have been aiming to get them all. Realistically I'm also aware that

@SamTTC my AMH is low too (10 was my result 4 weeks ago) and I’m currently looking like 4 follicles will be at a decent size, the others just aren’t growing much. Just want to get the best possible chance as this is our only NHS IVF and struggling with PMA/optimism today

@SamTTC my protocol is menopur and fyremadel. The nurse explained that the fyremadel is there to prevent ovulation so I know I’m being ridiculous but it’s so hard not to jump to worst case scenarios!
I have one more injection this morning then a buserilin trigger tonight and I’m done! Can’t believe we’ve made it this far!! It’s al going so quickly

Welcome @Bobtat

@PMAmostofthetime Oh how annoying. Maybe your GP can refer you? You could also go private through the BABCP. Would probably only need 4-8 sessions.

@Bobtat welcome to a great bunch of ladies, here to support you every step of the way!

@PMAmostofthetime I hope you are feeling a little better?

So remind me where everyone is at,

@LT103 @PMAmostofthetime and @Steph2345 are stimming and coming up to EC

@AliceAbsolum in Cyprus and preparing for your double embryo FET

@Hopingforamiracle11 you're waiting for ET,

@Brightertimesahead you are preparing for your FET

@Ems123456789 is currently in the TWW after Saturday transfer

@SamTTC you're waiting for AF to begin meds for your FET,

@Coops0406 higher dose of oestrogen and waiting to start progesterone for FET

Apologies if I've missed anyone or said the totally wrong this as to where you are at; after my drama filled week last week I want to make sure I know where you are all at and can return the support and kind words you have all given me along the way x

Oh well done @HJen22 I bloody love a summary :D

I thought it would help keep us on track :)

Things change so quickly (or more often, very slowly) it's good for a wee group update x

Love it @HJen22!!! How on earth did you remember it all!! Perfect summary!!!!

@LT103 it involved a bit of scrolling haha!