IVF buddies April/May

[ChristmasJumpers]

Sorry if there's already an April/May thread, I can't find it!

All of our tests have been completed (last August) and we were advised to call the clinic on day one of my cycle in April. AF arrived early for the first time in forever so I chanced ringing yesterday and we're good to go!!

Just waiting on a call back from the clinic with official dates and protocol but I know I'll be taking Norethisterone pills first so won't be dealing with injections for a good few weeks yet.

Is anyone else about to get started? It would be great to have some buddies along the way

I'm 30, DH 27. TTC over 3 years and delayed getting tests due to Covid.
We're at Care Fertility Chester and this is out first ever round (we only get one NHS funded - thanks postcode lottery)

@Poppy9991 Unfortunately didn't have the best news at transfer. They hadn't even made it to blastocyst stage but said 3 were very close so transferred 2 even though we were already planning to transfer 2 but yeah we are not hopeful. Just trying to remain positive. Got the call today to say none made it to freeze so that's crap

@Alexm06 oh no so sorry to hear. But you know there is still every chance, especially with two in there. Fingers crossed for you

@IE00 I'm doing okay thank you! Really hoping to be told I can trigger tomorrow night as I'm getting quite uncomfortable now

@IVFGotThis05 & IE00 - Sunday should be here before you know it and we've been a lucky thread so far 😁

@Alexm06 sorry to hear about your results but remember they won't transfer anything if they don't think there's a chance 🤞

@Alexm06 sorry to hear about your embryos. But hey, you’re officially pupo! I kind of have faith in these little fighters, maybe they’ll feel better where they’re meant to be and will catch up once in. I agree with @ChristmasJumpers the embryologists and doctors know their jobs and protocols, they don’t transfer nor freeze if there is no use. And they clearly transferred two, so who knows! All the best of luck that they develop, hatch and implant!

@ChristmasJumpers what happened between your first and second scan haha!! have you been taking too much menopur?? 40 follicles! WOW haha. Up from 4 and 11 if I remember well! We’ll done you! Hoping you can trigger soon. Surely there will be some good ones! Really hope you don’t get OHSS. Would you prefer a freeze all or a fresh transfer you think? I guess it depends how many mature ones you get and making sure you don’t over stimulate.

@Poppy9991 honestly it was the weirdest thing! I don't know what the sizes were yesterday apart from that none had reached 15mm yet but she gasped and showed me the screen when she saw how many follicles I had (this was a different lady to Friday's scan).
I'll be asking lots more questions tomorrow to find put how many of each size I've got.
I'd rather not have to wait for a Frozen transfer but equally don't fancy OHSS so will put my trust in the professionals and just roll with it. Just have to hope quality isn't compromised now as the old saying "quality over quantity" is coming back to haunt me!

I'm back from my final scan - oh boy!

So she counted 72 follicles ranging from 10-26mm, 37 of them are in the 12-19mm range which an Internet search tells me is good?

Can someone please reassure me that my chances aren't being ruined by having too many squashed up in there at once?! I'm panicking as everyone always says quality over quantity.

I'll be triggering tonight with buserelin and having a freeze all

@ChristmasJumpers omg this is amazing! You've done so well! There are bound to be some amazing embryos in there when they become fertilised. Good luck! Hope the EC goes well

@IE00 ?I really hope so, I feel like no matter what happens there's still always that worry in the back of your mind that it's too much/too little/quality will be bad haha
I'm looking forward to Wednesday when I know for sure how many frozen embryos we have and can go back to semi-normal life for a while before FET 😀

@ChristmasJumpers I agree, if there is that many at the right size it can only be a good thing! Lot's of chances for a mature egg to be in there ! Fingers crossed for your egg collection ! :)

@ChristmasJumpers OMG you could provide eggs to all of the UK! Amazing egg production chick :-)
I think you’ll be fine, there was someone on this thread at the beginning who had 40 follicles, 36 of which fertilised. I hope you get a great result but seriously there will be a good number of good ones. Your ovaries would probably have doubled in size that’s why they will do a freeze all so don’t worry about them being squeezed. I’m sure they’re fine. Drink loads of water and try to relax, you’re almost there!
If you’re triggering tonight your EC is on Friday AM I guess? Good luck!

@Poppy9991 thank you, I'll feeling really optimistic but still have that little voice telling me it could all come to nothing!
Yes just watching a few videos on the Buserelin injection now ready for midnight (trying to stay awake!!). Egg collection midday Friday 😬

Can anyone tell me the process for FET? Will I need injections again in the lead up?

@ChristmasJumpers sorry I don’t know as had a fresh cycle. They haven’t given you like a checklist of what to do or explained? I’m sure someone will answer you! Good luck!

@Poppy9991 no not yet, they've only explained what will happen between now and next Wednesday when they'll freeze any 5 day blasts. They did say it's around 6 weeks wait for FET and that I'll have a couple of appointments in the meantime to discuss next steps and for another scan. I don't know anything other than that but I'm sure they'll get round to explaining it

@ChristmasJumpers So FET for me was no injections ! woo! start Oestrogen tablets on cycle day 2 for roughly 2 weeks, scan to check your lining if its 7mm or above you will start progesterone for 5 days and on 5th day it will be transfer ! If its not quite 7 they will just make you continue with oestrogen tablets for another couple of days and scan again ! The waits are still not great and there is still worry, but I think less so than a fresh cycle with egg collection and injections !

Good luck @ChristmasJumpers that's a crazy amount of eggs there!! Rest up after collection don't rush to get back to normal. Drink lots of water. You can use a hot water bottle to help pain after the transfer.

I had an early scan at the hospital today as I've had some brown then pink spotting. Really believed it was all over last night. The consultant quickly found our little one safe and secure in the right place with a little heart beat ❤

Risk isn't over yet, but the risk of ectopic is no more which is such a weight off my mind.

What a little fighter we have ❤🌈

Oh just had a thought, I'm sure he was from the egg in our 25mm follicle @ChristmasJumpers so some of your bigger ones might still be good 🤞😊

Hot water bottle after collection not transfer, definitely not transfer! I told my dd to feed the dishwasher and empty the dogs earlier...my mind is all topsy-turvy 🙃

@LouiseD2018 so happy to hear you've seen/heard the heartbeat 💓 that must have been such a relief.

I've just picked up a long hot water bottle that I can wrap right around me 🥰 I'm a nervous wreck about tomorrow after seeing lots of horror stories of painful collections and of course the anticipation of finding out how many mature eggs we get.

Really good to know yours was from a 25mm follie though!! I hate being so out of control of things!

@ChristmasJumpers I hate not being in control too so was dreading the collection but honestly it when really fine! It’s quicker than you think and you’re asleep so won’t hurt. As @LouiseD2018 said, it’s important to drink as much water as possible in the 24h following the collection and even the days after, get plenty of rest. You’ll be fine!

@LouiseD2018 this is such good news!!! When was your initial scan planned? And how far are you? 5-6w? it’s good that they could already see a heartbeat! really great news and such a relief! Are you still getting scanned at 6.5w then or t what is the next step? Have they advised anything regarding the brown spotting?

Also wanted to ask you all, how long are your clinics prescribing progesterone for after transfer? I just noticed on the form they gave me on the day of transfer that they will prescribe it for 4 weeks after a BFP. So I guess in terms of pregnancy, this means they stop at 8w? I’m obviously not there yet, but I find that a bit short so wanted to see how long your clinics were prescribing it for. I’m currently required to take 3x400mg pessaries per day so on 1200mg/day at the moment.

@IE00 @IVFGotThis05 how is the wait going? It’s 9dpt5d for us tomorrow @IE00 really tempted to test but will try to keep busy, so took tomorrow off - hairdresser, nail salon and facial tomorrow and dinner in the evening. I hope that will get me away from Boots!

@Poppy9991 initial scan is actually today, but I went to epu on their advice because of the spotting. I'm 6 wks 2 days according to transfer, I think I was a day behind on scan.

I'm wondering if the applicator for the utrogestan is causing it. There was no blood on the scanning device but once again I used the applicator and it comes out brown. I'm wondering if the cervix has moved and I'm just irritating it, it wasnt like that at the beginng it only started this week. I'll try putting them in with fingers for a while see if that helps.

I thought they'd push back the initial scan but they still want me in today I guess I can then be discharged.

I had enough utrogestan to get me to just after positive test they provided another prescription to get me to the scan date ie today, and they said all being well they then issue enough to get to 12 weeks

@Poppy9991 The wait is having the better of me !! I'm a tad emotional and can't stop thinking negatively! But hopefully I'll get the friday feeling and snap out of it !

That sounds like the best day mind ! Really nice treat for yourself !

Just two more little days to go !

@LouiseD2018 this post really cheered me up, so nice to hear everything is going smoothly.

@Poppy9991 sounds like a great day. So I definitely went to the pharmacy to get a test but will do it tomorrow as I don't want to spoil my theatre evening. I must say I am a mess. Similar to you @IVFGotThis05 but probs worse. My stomach keeps turning. I woke up at 5am today and couldn't get back to sleep. It feels so much worse than last time. Fingers crossed for us all.

@ChristmasJumpers hope your EC went well!

25 eggs collected but oh my god the pain 😖
Went out like a light for the procedure but woke up in intense pain. I probably scared the other women to death 😳
I'm now at home propped on the sofa and unable to move to pain, including shoulder tip pain. Those 25 better make it, I'm not doing this again 😂

@ChristmasJumpers oh gosh, well done that's a great number but yes I can imagine how horrific the pain will be I hope it passes quickly for you.
Have you got the freedom to take whatever you want pain relief wise if you are not having a fresh transfer?

@LouiseD2018 only Paracetamol or cocodamol allowed. Still no ibuprofen for some reason but they were very firm on that!
So very glad for a freeze all at this point 😊

@ChristmasJumpers this is amazing! We’ll done on your 25 eggs! Try to relax, TV, comfy clothes and plenty of water!!

@IE00 @IVFGotThis05 are you both testing tomorrow then… My DH wants me to wait until Sunday so I guess I’ll wait. But I’ll test at 4am probably as I keep waking up to pee at this time. I really hope you have good news tomorrow!!! Fingers crossed for us all!
To be honest, even if positive, I’ll be even more dreading the wait until the scan m given past MCs it’s difficult to get excited by a positive test for me. But one thing at a time of course!