IVF stories

[Smellysocks1961]

Hi guys,

Can anyone share any real life experiences of IVF as well as how long it can take from start to finish?

My friend says that it's pretty brutal side affect wise but I don't really understand what she means.

I would really love some real life stories.

Thanks all

With a strong caveat that everyone's experiences can differ widely, based on their personal physiology as well as the service /clinic, and of course luck.

Best wishes

Hi, as previous person said everyone’s stories I’ve met through IVF vary massively and it’s a very personal journal to go through.
However to answer your question, we were an uncomplicated IVF case generally - 28, fine health and unexplained infertility. No major issues found on our testing etc.
We had a short protocol. Started injections on the 5th August and had a positive pregnancy test on the 28th (maybe could have tested earlier but OHs bday was 27th and promised I wouldn’t incase it wasn’t what we hoped).
I was a bit needle phobic and dreaded the process but I didn’t find the hormones too bad. I felt quite mentally prepped for it being a tough process and had a good support group around me knowing I was going through it (mum and 4 close friends, two of whom I work with) so I didn’t find medication side effects too bad, just like PMS I would say. I found the waiting tougher, we only had one egg fertilised functionally so it was a tough 5 days given attrition levels of the process but that one stuck around and is happily kicking me now at 24 weeks.
It sounds weird to say but all my fears beforehand were definitely worse than any of the experience of the process but not everyone may feel like that. I wish you lots of luck for your journey and hope it goes well ❤️

As pp said, it’s a very personal thing. For me, I felt like I was finally doing something positive after ttc for three years. I was very lucky and didn’t suffer any side effects of the medication. I tried not to think about the next stage of treatment until I got to that stage and it made it manageable for me. I was also able to fit the treatment into my life and only took one day off work which was for EC. For me that was important, for others it works better to take a break from normal life. The hardest part of the cycle for me was after EC and waiting to hear how many fertilised and made it to the freezer.

We were so very fortunate and it worked first time. I imagine I would feel very different on a second cycle/multiple cycles.

As for timescales, I took tablets to suppress my cycle for 2.5 weeks. Then stims (injections) for 12 days, EC two days later. Transfer would have been after 5 days but I did a freeze all on my clinic’s advice and then a FET 2 months later.

For me its been physically and emotionally extremely hard and all-life consuming. After having an FET work initially but end in chemical, felt like a broken human. But some have luck first try and/or do multiple rounds but find it all quite manageable. It varies so so hugely!

Hi,

I just want to follow this thread. Myself and DH have been trying for about 18months now, I have had all checks done and everything looks normal. His sperm count is low.

We are waiting on a call from NHS to start the next stage. Which I'm guessing will be IVF. We are also going for a private consultation to see what they would recommend.

Our IVF Journey was triggered by DH getting cancer and having to bank sperm before starting chemo but we had had 4 miscarriages before the cancer diagnosis so I think we were heading that way anyway.

I have PCOS so they starred me on low doses and my follicles just didn't react so I was on stimms for a whopping 17 days before they had reached a size ready for collection.

Retrieved a good number but none made it to blast by day 5. I had one morula that they opted to transfer with the caveat that it would likely be unsuccessful but it took and we now have a beautiful 1 year old girl

IVF is a rollercoaster and is all consuming. You put absolutely everything you have in to it and there are no guarantees it either works or if doesn't however if you want something enough you just have to try and you will be blown away by your own strength and resilience

Wishing you all the best

I found the mental side of ivf tougher ( especially after egg collection) I found the drugs absolutely fine which surprised me, I had no side effects at all. I got my dh to do injections.
What helped me was going with a good clinic and trusting them to make the decisions and not actually analysing how much my follicles were growing etc just going along for the ride basically
I had a terrible prognosis, I think they were being generous saying I had a 5% chance.
I had my rainbow last year.
Best of luck op you can do this

Hi ladies,

Hope you don't mind if I join this group.

To introduce myself my DH and I are in our early 30s and are on the NHS waiting list for IVF due to start in Feb OR potentially later (March?) as the clinic has already forewarned us of a delay lol.

We have been trying to conceive for approx a year now - I have mild PCOS and I'm underweight and my DH has mild male factor (mild sperm count, everything else fine).

Since our initial diagnosis we have been trying to make changes to our lifestyle (sport, healthier eating etc.) and monitoring our cycles but no BFP yet.

We have decided to go with the NHS for IVF but I must admit I am a bit nervous of the whole thing (medical and administrative side). We don't live in the nicest part of town and therefore our clinic is not the greatest - reviews are sub-par and success rates are varied.

TTC has already been an emotionally exhausting experience so far and I am aware that IVF is a whole other ball game, so I am trying to prepare myself physically and mentally for what is to come. We haven't told our friends or family of IVF - my family know about our TTC joruney - but keeping the IVF part under wraps as I don't want have the added pressure and when I have opened up abt TTC in general, Ive always felt misunderstood and not really supported.

Anyway, sorry for my very long post and glad to meet you virtually!

I'm a bit hazy on some of the details now as it's 4 years since I had IVF but my experience was a very positive one. DH and I TTC for 5 years without a hint of a BFP we had various tests and were labelled unexplained so in May 18 we started IVF long protocol. I down regged on burselin from mid May and stimmed on menopur, I didn't respond particularly well to stims and only 6 eggs were collected of which 4 fertilised and 2 developed to blast, 1 of which went back in at the end of June 18 and I got my BFP in the TWW and DD was born the following March. When DD was 18 months old I conceived DS spontaneously. I didn't suffer any horrific side effects from either down regging or stims and breezed through IVF and physically pregnancy although I was incredibly anxious which eased off a little once I could feel regular movement. I don't think DS would've been conceived without the IVF having taught my body what to do.

Good luck ladies hope you all have equally positive experiences

My IVF experience has been extremely positive. The many years I spent unable to conceive before were dark and hopeless, but IVF rescued me aged 36 with unexplained infertility. Just being in with a chance and taking a pregnancy test knowing it could potentially be positive was wonderful.

I didn't think I could do the needles but did it with ease. The physical side-effects weren't too bad (and I had mild OHSS). The waiting after egg collection and after transfer is very difficult but unavoidable.

It worked for me first time so I have absolutely nothing to complain about. I can imagine it very easily turns brutal with even one failed cycle. Some people have many and that's a completely different experience to the one I had. I don't know how I'd cope with that.

We were 31 and 33 when we started. We had MFI. I was on the long protocol and had first injection on the 8th of September and my positive on the 23rd of October. I honestly didn't find the process that difficult. I hd no mood swings or any side effects from the hormones. Granted ours worked first time.