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 😁

@AliceAbsolum Thank you I'm so glad for forums like these as it helps feel we aren't alone in it. We also had a break after miscarriage, it's so heartbreaking especially after all we have to go through with ivf...

I am on a horrific amount of progesterone! Before today, I was on 800mg suppositories, 600mg oral, 2 other suppositories but I'm not sure of the amount and an intermuscular injection 3 times a week. They have now added an extra 400mg suppository and 2 lubion injections my progesterone levels are 62, they want 100... They really over medicate so I'm not really happy about it, but it worked last time so I feel I have to just grin and bear it and hope my "lower" levels don't affect anything. Last time I didn't need to add additional progesterone to get the levels they wanted, so my body isn't absorbing as well this time..Is your transfer on Monday? Wishing you all the best of luck with it! X

I had my call early this morning from the embryologist to say that 6 had fertilised overnight and we are now booked in for the ET on Wednesday afternoon. I’m still feeling pretty sore to be honest but perhaps I’m just being a wimp 😂, I’ve stopped bleeding so hopefully I’ll feel much better tomorrow. (I didn’t have a pessary after the EC yesterday)
Starting progesterone this evening (think someone asked how much other people were on - the box says Crinone 8% and each one is 1.125g ).

@PMAmostofthetime great news on your embryos! Hope you’re able to relax a bit more this weekend.

@LT103 how are you feeling today?

@LuckyNovember have you had an update?

@Herewegoagain881 welcome! Fingers crossed over your TWW

@AliceAbsolum good luck for Monday!

@Pcosfighter67 here you go :)

Welcome @Herewegoagain881 good luck with the 2 WW- I've only just had my first EC so can't help today but ET is Mon or Wed so I can let you know then. I am on 400mg progesterone pessaries twice a day- first one was last night.
Sorry to hear about your MC :(
Amazing news on your DS and your age shouldn't be a factor as your egg is from before :)

@Steph2345 sorry to hear your uncomfortable- I am achy and can't bend very easily without it pulling.
I had a suppository which gives pain relief so I think that's helped and I've been taking paracetamols regularly.

Amazing news on your 6! And for ET Wed. I bled a yesterday but nothing today, except pessary mess  I have needed a nap though and I'm eating but because I should not because I'm hungry.

@LuckyNovember hope you had good news today.

No good news for me I'm afraid: only one viable embryo 😔 I'm pretty devastated, I really don't know what happened... last time we had 2/3 maturity rate and 100% fertilisation but still BFN, this time the eggs are terrible, out of 9 only 1/3 maturity rate and only 33% fertilisation... I just don't understand how the egg quality can change like that in 2 months 🥺

Anyway, if it even survives (!), 3 day transfer on Monday. I'm feeling so negative about it I'm not sure it's even worth 2 weeks of gross pessaries 😖

Would love any good new stories of:

• 1 good egg in a bad cohort;
• 3 day transfer success stories;
• total turnaround in egg quality from one cycle to another - but in a positive sense! (And if so how??!)

Anyone else transfer on Monday? OTD already fixed for 8th April, DH's birthday... maybe things will turn around 🙂

And I have to second @Herewegoagain881 when all of this is really shit, these boards keep me sane 🥺 Thank you all!!

@LuckyNovember Yes we have the same ET and OTD!
My friend had 4 cycles. First one she got 2 blasts, 2nd one 0 blasts, 3rd one 1 blast (all bfn or chemical) then she did her 4th cycle, 5 blasts! She's now got a 5 week old little boy and 3 in the freezer.

@Steph2345 thank you! Wishing you the best of luck for Wednesday!

@PMAmostofthetime thank you yes even though I'm 40 my embryos are 34, it's quite strange really that they're already 6 years old!

@LuckyNovember I'm sorry that your cycle results weren't as what was hoped for.. I have a friend who had a successful transfer with a 3 day embryo (I'm not sure on the quality), and met a cardiologist last week who is pregnant through IVF where only one embryo made it to transfer. I hope it goes well on Monday, I think my test day is also 8th! X

@LuckyNovember I know it's cliche but it only takes one- and this little one has made it to blast :)
I know it's disheartening getting 1 but it's better than none and although I would really like some in the freezer- I would take one over none any day. This one was mature and a 3rd at blast is average out of the fertilisation rate.

I hope Monday goes well for you you and @AliceAbsolum will be transfer buddies- I may be joining you too but I won't know if it's transfer Mon or Wed until Monday morning.

@Steph2345 that’s great news. Hoping they grow nicely over next few days!!

@LuckyNovember so sorry to hear you only have one. But here’s hoping it’s a strong one!!! It really does only take one!!!

Good luck with all the transfers!! If we get any frozen my transfer won’t be until may/June. I’m actually ok with that given how rubbish I feel still. Still sore if I do too much or try and bend. Not sure how work will go on Monday, hoping it’s gone by then!!

Anyone else on 12 hour pessaries?
The clocks going forward an hour in the morning is really a pain.
I'm going to do it half an hour early tonight the half and hour early in the morning.

Welcome to all the ladies who joined since I last posted: I took a break from the thread just to try and forget about IVF for a bit!

I had my FET last Monday: everything was so much more efficient and smooth than our old clinic. I've had to start clexane again in addition to everything else, so I'm im beginning to look like a pin cushion.

@PMAmostofthetime I asked the nurse at the clinic about so much of the pessaries coming out - she said to lie down for half an hour, and pretty much everything that's needed will have been absorbed by then. They're still grim though.

@AliceAbsolum I had intralipids for my last three transfers: yes, they're mainly egg and soya. For a one-off hundred euros I'd absolutely go for it: for my last transfer I had to have two infusions at £400 each. We switched clinics for this transfer, and I said to the consultant that I didn't think they did anything (while I used them on the cycle I had DD, I also miscarried on them and got a BFN). He doesn't think they're supported by the science, but as they do no harm he'll prescribe them if patients want them. We passed.

@Coops0406 have you tried the oestrogen patches? I'm on 6mg plus a patch every 48 hours - serious weight! I'm on medication that stops my body absorbing oestrogen efficiently, so they have to throw everything at it.

@Herewegoagain881 I'm in a similar position - aged 40, but embryos are 36! It's weird to think of it like that. If I could turn the clock back I would've done genetic testing, but we initially had IVF because of MFI so the doctor said there was no reason to given our youth!

@ginandtonicformeplease I'm also on interlipids, similarly because they don't do any harm and we had a successful transfer with it last time. I think I had a blood test which showed I may be a little high on those killer cells, although not super high. How old is your DD? My DS is 2 yrs 3 months.

I was trying to remember our IVF journey to date as 6 years is a long time ago! But we were very lucky and grateful with our egg collection, out of the eggs collected 11 were mature and 9 made it to day 5 or 6. I have pcos and there is male factor too, I had a high amh and at risk of ohss, which mildly happened. I had 2 failed NHS transfers as I think my progesterone meds were too low (I think low progesterone is my main fertility issue). Then I had a bfp with my next transfer which ended in miscarriage. We were still lucky to have 6 left but I was really traumatised by the miscarriage (and I had medical complications afterwards too) so we ended up getting the remaining 6 tested. We lost one through testing, and 3 of the 5 came back good. One is my now son, and so we had 2 left, but they are day 6 rather than day 5 which the doc said may mean we have a bit less of a chance.

How is your 2ww going? I'm finding it tough with a toddler and the additional progesterone/cost of meds I'm now having to take. My DS accidentally kneed me in the womb yesterday when climbing up to sit beside me on the sofa.. definitely not as calm as my last transfer!

DD is 20 months now. I'm finding it tough lugging a big toddler around when I know I'm supposed to be taking it easy! I had a BFN last November, and I'm not sure how much more expense we can justify. When we started our IVF journey all NHS funding had been stopped in our area, so we've done the entire process self-funded.

My doctors put the first miscarriage down to one of those things, but after a next transfer resulted in a BFN they decided to test killer cells, which were elevated. I still had a second miscarriage with all that though, so I'm sceptical on how effective the treatment is. Not to mention it makes it even more expensive!

I'm on a tonne of progesterone too - lubion plus pessaries.

@LT103 glad you are feeling back to normal now, you feel like it's never going to go and then suddenly you can do everything again!

@Steph2345 how are you doing? Has the pain and discomfort gone yet? Great news with 6 fertilised!

@LuckyNovember sorry to hear your disappointment, it does and can only take just one. I know someone whose daughter in law wasn't even going to be able to go for EC as follicles didn't look big enough but pushed and they got one egg, which ended up in BFP and had their first scan last week. I know it's hard but try to remain hopeful🤞🏾 with regard to egg quality varying from cycle to cycle, I honestly think if you are doing the same things, it can just be luck of the draw, which is not helpful as there is no consistency! My consultant told me that although about 30% of eggs at my age end up as stable embryos, he said that I could have none of good quality in one round! And then in another I could have more than expected. One round with 17 eggs resulted in 6 very good embryos (which after testing gave us 2), the next with 16 eggs resulted in 2 good embryos, (which after testing gave us 1)! Exactly the same was done for both but drastically different results!!

@AliceAbsolum how are you feeling about tomorrow? Have you managed to have a chilled out weekend so far? Great that you have 2 going in, really hoping for the best from this for you 🥰
I hear what you're saying about the full bladder, last time I went I had drunk far too much water and had to go for a wee beforehand! Then had to top up! Realised I only need to slowly sip my 500ml bottle in the half hour before!

@HJen22 nephews and nieces really are the best medicine!! Hope you've had a lovely time with family! We were supposed to be in Center parcs this weekend with family but half of them have covid so we had to cancel!

@MollyVanDer the biopsies are done during a dummy run FET, so for me it was a medicated cycle started on day 1. Oestrogen first then when lining ready add on progesterone (my lining is ready but they can't do the biopsy until 4th April so I can only add in progesterone 5 days before which is Wednesday). They are also waiting for the progesterone blood test result to come back. I had asked about NK cells testing but they said because I hadn't had any miscarriages it wasn't something they would recommend to me. There's no sedation for the biopsy, they just say take a paracetamol an hour before.

@PMAmostofthetime excellent news about the 5, keeping everything crossed they all make it to day 5 🤞🏾
Pessaries, I found so much came out! My friend said try back way as it's less messy...I'm still unsure but may try it this time so it's less messy when they do the biopsy!

@Hopingforamiracle11 the PGT-A is a lot, but at my age there were bound to be more abnormal than normal so we just had to go for it. We were allowed to add it on to our nhs cycle but only had 1 embryo on that round so didn't do it!
So I'm just drinking an actimel a day then on some probiotic tablets from purolabs, I recently showed them to the doctor and he said that as long as they had lactobacillus in them they were fine. Although I hear people use specific female ones which should contain the right stuff (canesflor I think is one).
I wished I'd done some research after our one and only nhs cycle failed...I just got swept into getting going but really should have looked into going abroad, it's all just so expensive!!

@Herewegoagain881 good luck for everything this round! Sounds like it's tricky with all the meds you are on but good that they are making sure those levels are where they need them to be! My clinic said that they have recently started checking progesterone levels on day of transfer as it's become a big thing with ivf and fertility so I'm glad as last time I know I wasn't on enough progesterone! At least the next time they will check!

@ginandtonicformeplease Congrats on being PUPO! When is OTD? I haven't heard of the patches but I might mention it to them when we look to do my actual FET. I think my body struggles to absorb most of the hormones as normal levels just don't seem to do the job!
What are intralipids?

I hope everyone is feeling okay this Mother's Day, sending everyone lots of love 🥰

@ginandtonicformeplease Thank you, that's reassuring.

Good luck with you 2ww, when will you test?

@Herewegoagain881 good luck with your 2ww when will you test?

@Coops0406 Thank you I wish there was an update today the stress is insane! I have to do back way on day of ET-
But the label says for aiding conception the front way is best, so I will probably switch back then.

@LT103 @Steph2345 how are you feeling today? After an initial good start I now feel awful.
Sorry for TMI but I now have gone from constipated to really bad clear Diarrhoea and my stomach is killing. I've been up most of the night and been drinking loads of water although I probably should have drink more yesterday before I got like this and have been taking dioralyte. My stomach feels strained. I've not called the clinic yet I'm going to wait until 12 then call if it's still bad.

Now worried that even if I get any blasts, they won't be able to do it or it won't work as my insides are inflamed

Definitely recommend using cyclogest rectally if your clinics approve, it's so much less messy and you don't have to lie down afterwards. The only thing is go to the toilet before hand so it isn't excreted..! Though it absorbs in 20-30 mins so I guess it shouldn't be an issue as long as you don't have to go to the loo right away!

@ginandtonicformeplease the cost is awful.. I'm also skeptical about interlipids, and it really does stack the costs up..my clinic also sell all the meds at such a high price, I had to buy off them yesterday as I needed to start taking the additional meds immediately, but I was horrified! Usually source at Asda, so much cheaper

Thank you @Coops0406 @LT103 @PMAmostofthetime @Herewegoagain881 @AliceAbsolum 🧡

I feel a bit better today - it really took me by surprise just how brutal that felt yesterday ❤️‍🩹 and out of character; I'm generally pretty stoic about this (aren't we all 🙄) and chronically optimistic, I guess it just caught up with me badly yesterday.

Thank you for your stories!! They really help me... and I'm getting back on message now: each egg is 50:50 and I have a 50% chance this month, which is more that it might have been 🙂

(I also spent all night ordering expensive supplements online for a probable round 3; the dreamy combo of having a plan to move forward and the instant gratification of spending money!! It takes the edge off 🙈)

So... progesterone... certainly haven't missed that 😂 Literally feels like the "bad" day before my period... but every day!! It makes me swell up so that my clothes don't fit... before starting IVF no-one had ever mistaken me for being pregnant... TWICE since, collègues have randomly touched my belly and asked me when I'm due 😫🤣 couldn't make this shit up 😵‍💫

Hope you all have a nice plan for Sunday and good luck to all those trying not to pee in the doctors face tomorrow 😬

@PMAmostofthetime today I’m finally feeling pretty much back to normal.
Have had like horrible trapped wind type pains and lower tummy cramps since egg collection

Not sure what info you got away but abdominal pain and diarrhoea are both on my list of symptoms to watch out for for mild ohss so I’d def give clinic a call and keep up the drinking!! Hoping it passes soon!!

I know what you mean about the wait. I’m trying my best to distract myself but it’s so hard. I’m also back to work tomorrow and worried that I miss the call!

Another thing it says is to weigh yourself daily so you have an idea if retaining any fluid if weight increases daily so maybe worth doing that.

@PMAmostofthetime cross posted before I saw your update... you poor thing!!
Sometimes violent tummy things can clear up very quickly, they kind of burn themselves out... drink, drink, drink, water and ORS and try to rest a lot, even more than you think you need on both counts. 🦾

@LuckyNovember I think each egg we lose is brutal so your allowed to feel sad and angry. But your still in the running and once transfer is complete your back to the same odds as us all who's having 1 transferred :) if we get that far.

I feel you with progesterone swell- jeans are not my friend.
I'm glad it's getting warmer so I can live in smock tops and dresses.

@LT103
Glad your feeling back to normal
It's all stopped now but I've not eaten yet so I will eat then give them a call so I can give them the full picture.
I'm going to check the info I have now too thank you. The OH was like,
You can't go through this again so I told him that of course I can and will- he hates seeing me ill.
I wonder if they will freeze all of I have OHSS?
I'll reluctantly weigh now too- thank you I had some fluid on my right ovary on my first scan and it remained so it's possible.
I'm WFH tomorrow as my morning call will decide if it's a ET tomorrow- Wednesday not at all or freeze.

I wish they would just text an update- I'd pay extra!

@Coops0406 Good idea about sipping water, I think I overdid it last time too. Made the whole thing so much worse.
I'm feeling OK about it. Looking forward to getting it over and done with. DH and I brought snacks for tomorrow and taxi is booked, so good to go really.

Our IVF Vlog comes out on youtube today at 3pm. Glad we did it. No regrets. But a bit nervous about how people will respond.
Vlogging #Vanlife when you're faffing around having fun in Europe is one thing. Filming being upset about all of this is yet another.
We will see!

@PMAmostofthetime I want a weblink to the embryoscope! Haha

@LT103 Ha! Yes that would be awesome. Or awful! Not sure 😅