Day 7 of stims IVF and I can't feel anything!

[Ra12345]

Cycle day 9. Started drugs on day 3. I felt so bloated after I started with period pains and now I feel nothing. Maybe a bit gassy but not much. Scan yesterday showed only four follicles were a good size (out of 10 at my baseline scan) and I'm just imagining they've all stopped bothering. I don't have another scan and blood test until Thursday with egg collection pencilled in for Sunday.... If there's anything to get. All feels hopeless.

Ok so all three still going but not all equal.

1 at 8 cell stage
1 at 6 cell stage
1 at 5 cell stage (tho she said this might be at 6 since this morning)

First two are graded 2+ and 5 cell is 1-.

I don't really understand the numbers. Need to Google.

She said she expects 30percent to make it to blast so maybe one on Saturday??

@Ra12345 it’s a lot of info, my clinic gave me none which I think I’m happy with. I can’t fret over it that way. Just that they were good and one top. Honestly it might be fine, they might catch up and like @GodspeedJune said it’s not all numbers, it only takes one and all that. Will keep my fingers firmly crossed for you for Saturday.

Well I'm feeling very deflated. Nothing to freeze today. They're going to see if one develops enough overnight to freeze tomorrow, but the other two look duds. But yes unlikely we'll get anything.

DP and I already at odds while chatting about what's next, when and how on earth it will be paid for.

@Ra12345 that sucks I’m sorry, can you transfer one of them fresh? I know they do day 3 or 5 transfers and I’d ask if it’s an option maybe?

Was this your funded round? I can’t remember what your fertility issues were, I think you mentioned lining and sperm? Might be worth getting DH more tests before you try again, assuming you haven’t exhausted them all?

Thanks @thislittlebird. Today is day 5 and I haven't done any of the fresh transfer drugs since they told me not to bother and that whatever would come back would definitely be frozen.

DP had not great sperm - he had high DNA frag and a varicocele on a testicle he's had a small op on to fix.

Perhaps DP could do another DNA frag test. He made some 'lifestyle changes' - I wonder if it made a difference.

I've been pregnant three times in my life - all one night events most recently a couple of years ago (while DP and I had a brief split) and have therefore assumed I'm ok, albeit old. Thin lining might explain why two ended in miscarriage.

This was our one funded shot. Ah well I've got some drugs leftover I guess!
Tonight I'm going to drink some wine, and worry about what's next on Monday.

Are yours all frozen now? What are your next steps?

@Ra12345 ugh, frustrating they didn’t leave a fresh option open tbh. Has his SA been redone post-varicocele removal? What was he recommended to do for the high frag and how long for?

The fact you can get pregnant is a positive even if it’s shit that you’re in this position, keep trying naturally too just in case. The other positive is if you go again privately you can go in knowing your first outcome and ask them how they’ll change your protocol to improve the results etc, what they recommend for DH. How old are you btw?

Definitely have your wine! You deserve that wine.

Yeah they’re all frozen. Feel like I should have had a transfer now but I still feel like shit, I think it’s anxiety tbh. The trauma of all this long, drawn out, stressful nonsense has probably caught up with me.

@thislittlebird well I had the wine and got a call this morning saying they've frozen two! Can't believe it. They are 'very average' quality, with a lower chance of pregnancy success but they can result in a live birth apparently. They'd recommend transferring both at the same time. So there are 2 but they aren't good.

Had a good chat with the embryologist. She said looking at the development up to day 3 it was good and then it got worse, it would indicate a sperm issue. She said there is another thing they can do with high DNA frag sperm on top of icsi - a fancier microscope. Why wasn't this mentioned or offered before?!

I would really like to stim again with this option but imagine that would render us void for the frozen NHS round... Need to talk to the consultant. Embryologist suggested getting more embryos asap would definitely be the right thing to do given my age (39) etc. But if I have to do the NHS transfer now or never then I guess I'll just have to keep going?

Anyway.
Yes it is a long and drawn out process. When do you start your frozen round? I have everything crossed for you. It feels very unfair and shit and I'm sorry you've had to go through it.
Thank you for listening to me waffle on so far

@Ra12345 ah, that such good news! I’ve heard loads of stories of average to poor embryos being perfectly fine and two is even better. That’s great news. And you had the wine!

Yeah, that’s IMSI I think. We were offered it privately but it’s really only a bigger microscope to inspect the aesthetics, I don’t think they can actually detect any DNA damage with it, it just gives them a better view of the shape of the sperm.

It’s nice to have people to waffle with going through the same nonsense though! I’ll be 39 in May. I think we’ll likely use our embryos up before more stim cycles. I’m thinking it’ll take three transfers for the four embryos. Guessing they’ll suggest transferring 1, 1 and then 2 because one is probably average/poor but I don’t know how long it takes tbh. First FET will be April, but if that fails can we go again the next cycle? I have no idea. When are they going to let you transfer these?

@thislittlebird I guess now you have your embryos you could have a small break? They don't 'age' do they so if you don't feel ready maybe dont rush it - do what you need to do to feel well enough to face it all!

I think they'd like to start as soon as I get my period - which could be in the next week. Assume it'll be a load of new drugs designed to get my lining up. What if it doesn't get up? I don't know. If my NHS thing includes a fresh and frozen transfer and I didn't have fresh can I have two frozen goes? Even if the embryologist recommended transferring both would it be worth doing it twice so I learn from the first frozen go? I don't know! So many questions. Hoping I can speak to the consultant

@Ra12345 I'm keen to get on with it really, have lost so much time and am not getting any younger here! AF started today for me so at least the countdown to FET has started, fingers crossed my next cycle won't be super long.

I'm hoping the NHS are happy to switch transfers as such as I'll need the same. I'm just going to ignore it and assume they will.

Did you get to speak to the consultant?

Good luck @thislittlebird. Do you start this cycle? Have they explained how it works? I have no clue. I've left a message today asking if someone can contact me to explain things! No contact at all, no consultant.