IVF / FET March/April 2022 Thread 2

[AliceAbsolum]

Shiny new thread as we filled up the last one.

@PMAmostofthetime Really feel for you. If I remember my AF was just very normal, like my others.
Wed is a long time to carry on with meds :( could you maybe test early now? Just incase like

@AliceAbsolum I'm going to test in the morning- just to see as I'll be 9dp5dt then so I feel like it was be positive if it was going to be, it likely to be negative but the sight of them are never good are they. But with a negative test and if full flow has started I'm going to ring the clinic again.
Thanks for the info my cramps just feel weird like they are pulling at my belly button.

I'm really annoyed that my AMH was never done! I'm having this done first appointment.

It's has been freezing but I expect it's worse for you- you having a nice take away tonight to celebrate? X

@AliceAbsolum welcome home! We had snow up in Scotland last week, and again sleet today! But we're very north! I hope you're wrapped up well and enjoying the delights of UK again x

@PMAmostofthetime I'm so gutted for you 😢 I am sending all the love. I hope you are resting up and you and your are partner finding comfort in each other. And that this isn't the end. It's only the beginning. As hard as it was I tried to look at it like it wasn't my time. But I realise you got a step further and hence harder to take. Allow yourself to feel all the sad feelings; that is completely normal xx

I didn't of course get to transfer but after stims and EC I had my period 11 days later. I've pretty short cycles around 25/27 days. It was normal, light and about 2/3 days as usual.

To give you an idea for next round, I had my scheduling call today. AF is due in 2 weeks, I'm to call CD1 and again start norethisterone CD21 which would be 10th May. I think due to AF being due so soon; I might have to be on the pill for longer (16 days) to fit in with their schedule. They've me down for baseline scan 30th May with EC June 13th. The soonest it could really be and although seems a while off it's not really I guess x

@HJen22 thank you that's really helpful I just wondered if the stims made it longer and more painful so that answers my question.

Oh is being great- he's already sent me a plan of how we will pay for cycle 3 and 4 as he knows I was really anxious about having none frozen and only one round left.
It helps to have a plan.

I knew I was out really on ET- I'm still glad I went through with it as I'll never wonder what if and I know the whole process. They clarified it would be classed as a cycle if I opted out so it was a no brainer really. Woth your ladies help I am armed with lots of questions for round 2.

I'll be sad that I'll need a new thread though but hopefully me and you will be together going through it @HJen22 and I'll be eager for updates off all you ladies about the pregnancies. It's actually lovely to have @AliceAbsolum's news today as it reassures me that it can and does work just not straight away x

@PMAmostofthetime I'm glad you're testing tomorrow. I'd need to see either way if it was me.
Also good you have a plan for some more cycles. It's such a marathon for most people. And you've learnt a lot this cycle.

@PMAmostofthetime I had expected it to be delayed or long and painful but my periods are pretty underwhelming and this was the same. I was worried I'd not be able to start so soon as when it did come it moved all my tracker dates and I knew it was tight with the nurses call. So I'm glad you can do norethisterone longer rather than wait another month.

Aw how lovely of him, he sounds amazing and very supportive. I was the same, I instantly started looking at private and costs. It's nice to have a plan B just to make you feel a bit better. I know, I so wished we'd had a fresh and some frozen. For sure; I'd have done the same. You had to give it a shot and now you know the process start to finish, I'm hoping some of it will be a little less daunting.

Hopefully we are going through it together x and yes it's been great having some good news on this thread! It shows it does work, we just need to have hope and keep trying and our time will come xx

@PMAmostofthetime I’m so sorry!! How are you doing Lovely? It’s great your partner is so supportive. I agree with you and @HJen22, having plans for the future is really reassuring.

My withdrawal bleed was exactly the same as my usual period.

@AliceAbsolum it’ll be great to find out in a few weeks time whether you have 1 or 2 on board Could you please write a bit more about your protocol? it would be super useful to find out what it was to get some tips for when/if I go private. You mentioned antibiotics, steroids and intralipids, where you taking those throughout your 2ww?

@Steph2345 how are you feeling?? I hope you’re better x

@PMAmostofthetime do let us know how you get on tomorrow; I still think it's suss for AF to arrive so early and in spite of the meds 🤞🏻 I've also been googling cervix position - can't really miss it with the pessaries - and apparently it means absolutely nothing 🤷🏻‍♀️

I was really worried about post-IVF AF being rough, but mine was fine, like the others said, pretty normal... and it started 5 days after I stopped the pessaries.

I was able to start the pre-treatment after my next ovulation, which randomly happened a bit earlier that usual, and stimming the next AF; so it was OTD 11 Feb, and I started stimming again on 12 March.

Look after yourself 😊

@Suki2020 they scanned me first thing to see what’s going on and to see where the fluid is. Luckily it’s not on my lungs but it seems to be around all of my other organs and my ovaries are nearly 130mm each rather than just 10mm. They are comparing my blood tests this eve with the ones I had in a&e yesterday to get a pattern and see if it’s getting better or worse. I’m on lots of pain relief (pregnancy friendly) and blood thinners now. They are also monitoring the fluid in drinking compared to what I’m urinating out - possibly will put me on an IV again (a&e had me on IV yesterday as was very dehydrated even though I had drunk close to 4 litres).

@AliceAbsolum I’m not sure how long they will keep me. The gyny said he’ll be monitoring over the next 24-48 hours.
How is it to be home again? Hope you had a good flight back and the travelling wasn’t too stressful for you.

@HJen22 no problem at all, how are you? I’m doing ok thanks. Hate being here but know I’m in the right place. No visitors allowed so poor DH is going out of his mind.

@Hopingforamiracle11 yeh I’m ok, last lot of pain medication has taken the edge off at last so I’m much more comfortable. How are you?

@PMAmostofthetime that sounds like a lovely few days, I hope you enjoy it and take some time for yourself regardless of what the test says. Will you test again on the 13th even if you test tomorrow?

@SamTTC @Herewegoagain881 @Suki2020
@Jampot36 @AliceAbsolum @Hopingforamiracle11 @LuckyNovember

Thank you all- my AF are not regular but all between 33-38 days as I don't ovulate.
So wed would be 33 days.

Something that's been bothering me today is that I was never put on clomid to make me ovulate because they couldn't do a HSG- they never tried another way and sent me straight for IVF.

No male factor issues.

One of the nurses has made me think because at my last scan before trigger when she asked if I knew my ovaries were kissing? And I replied that I knew nothing as HSG had not been able to happen she asked have they checked your tubes another way- they haven't.
The doctor had no issue doing ET and it was uncomfortable but not painful.
Surely they should have tried again or dilated me and done it again. Obviously before I started the IVF process I hadn't really thought too much into it but I now feel that because they messed up my referral and I was waiting longer to be referred for investigations they have skipped very vital steps that could have not only worked but if not given me and them vital information.
They don't even know my AMH for goodness sake.

I feel cheated- AIBU?

X

@Steph2345 The clinic want me too atm so I guess I'll have too. Unless AF comes full flow and they agree that this negative test means I can stop the pessaries then I won't I hate them. My Amazon order of more Frer is coming tomorrow and I just tried to cancel it but it wouldn't let me :(.

That doesn't sound fun at all- I hope you are comfortable? Really no visitors still? That's not very fair with what you are going through.
I'm sorry you had to go through this.
IVF really does suck! Let's hope it's worked for you. X

That sounds awful @Steph2345 you poor thing! I hope it's going in the right direction and you feel better soon.... I have read the same as someone else mentioned; mild ohss is exacerbated by pregnancy ...

@Steph2345 did they say you had OHSS after EC? Hope you feel better soon. It’s sad that you can’t have any visitors, but we are all here for you.

Thank you ladies!

@Suki2020 no it’s pretty late to be honest… my tummy swelled in the space of a few hours on Monday this week which was 5 days after transfer. I did have very mild cramps before that but nothing I was worried about apart from thinking perhaps AF was going to turn up. I had EC this cycle too so first main symptoms were just under 2 weeks after my trigger

Oh my goodness @Steph2345 that sounds awful. I’m so glad you went to the a&e and are getting care though. Let us know how it goes.

@PMAmostofthetime okay first of all, I’m so sorry this is happening, definitely worth figuring out what has caused the bleeding if your test tomorrow is negative. But these medications do mess with our cycles and if you had a trigger shot that made you ovulate (which I assume has to happen for the egg retrieval??) then it’s possible your AF came sooner than it usually would? Definitely something to ask the doctor about.
It is so great that you and your OH are thinking ahead and trying to prepare for the long game, particularly in terms of your financial worries. That is just one more horrible stress factor in all of this.

About your HSG, while that is probably unrelated to this bleeding, it is actually very important that they do check it because while blocked tubes in themselves don’t prevent ivf success, the reasons for them being blocked (if they are) could have a big impact. Why could they not do the HSG at the time, do you remember?

@HJen22 that’s great about your next cycle, it’s not so far away at all! Very excited to follow along. I’m already planning past my clinic’s summer hols and into fall, really prepared for this to be a long game…

@SamTTC I have a pinhole cervix a so they, couldn't get in, it was extremely painful. However dummy ET was successful after sedation and actual ET didn't need to be done after sedation and didn't hurt at all.
So I now feel this should be looked into again.

I'm worried about Endometriosis as kissing ovaries, painful periods, lack of ovulation and delayed old blood is all a sign and it's something I've queried before I even knew about the kissing ovaries- if this is the case o I may need some of the tissue removed in order for me conceive even with IVF.

Thanks for your reply it's helped me realise I'm not being hormonal or irrational.

Yes I had a trigger shot on 23rd March 22.
That's the date that I should ovulate if I did ovulate according to my tracker app.

X

@PMAmostofthetime I don't know if this is an option for you, but could you go privately to get another opinion? Even if they think your clinic is doing everything right it will set your mind at rest, and if they think something else needs doing you'll have a plan.

If you do have endo, then if there is any tissue in the womb the doctor should be able to see it on the scan: I had a tiny patch of calcified tissue in my uterus this time, and it was hit and miss whether it would need removing first. It showed up bright white on the scan. The doctor ended up getting a second opinion, and due to its placement we were able to proceed. I have all the signs of endo, but never been diagnosed with it - just lots of questions about whether I have it. Average diagnosis takes 12 years!

@Steph2345 I was freeze all due to OHSS risk - I remember that pain after EC, I swelled up like a balloon! I hope you start to feel better soon 

@HJen22 It's great that you've now got dates for your next cycle - June will be here in no time.

@ginandtonicformeplease
Randomly I've had an email from the gynaecologist today that I have missed due to obsessing over, well everything. They are asking about the issues I've been having and asking if I want an appointment this month I'm going to say yes as the NHS Gynae and private is in the same hospital so I can go and discuss it with them then look to private to fast track it if needed.

Ladies as I'm preparing for the morning to take a test before pessary I was just wondering what do you all Wee into 😂 to test or do you risk the stream? I've always liked to collect just in case no control line shows up and also in the hope that if it's positive I can dip a few more times with more tests.
I use a washed out large yoghurt pot ( OH eats one a day so I always have one I can grab 😂 )

How's everyone else's doing? @LuckyNovember
@Herewegoagain881
@Nutrinerd
Are you prepared for the morning are you home tests or Beta!

X

@PMAmostofthetime sorry you’ve had such a rotten day. I don’t really know what to say, but am thinking of you, and hope that with the gynae appointment coming through as well you will get some answers fairly swiftly. I don’t think you’re unreasonable to want some answers from the clinic about investigations. I would also be pretty upset about the other embryo being discarded after your transfer without a conversation or update - I appreciated that our clinic called us about the 2 we had that weren’t progressing to update us after they had been given longer.

I’m doing home test tomorrow then going for bloods over the weekend.

@Steph2345 I hope the hospital is keeping on top of your pain and that you start to feel better soon. Surely they should allow you one visitor even for a limited time slot? I find the discrepancies across hospitals with visiting rules at the moment really bizarre - some are still being really strict, others definitely aren’t!

@Nutrinerd good luck for the morning!

I am now randomly having pain in my right hip and at the bottom of my left ribs. I'm not moaning- I know I sound like I am- just curious if anyone else has had this? X

You're not moaning @PMAmostofthetime but even if you were go ahead!
I always collect wee in some sort of receptacle. I worry about not getting in the stream enough and skewing the result. I've had many different ones over the years. I like those GU cheesecake glass pots, wide rim and you can see the colour.... Jeshh, collecting pots of your own piss, ivf is ridiculous isn't it 😅
Good luck xx

@PMAmostofthetime good luck this morning xx

@Steph2345 how are you feeling this morning? Wishing you a speedy recovery xxx

@PMAmostofthetime I totally understand how frustrating it must be that steps have been missed along the way and I would also be really mad if they discarded a hard earned embryo without giving it the chance they said they would... Hopefully the review meeting will be helpful and that you can get some more tests done before the next round. I hope the test goes well today, I also collect urine then test, mid stream is too stressful!

I yet again had a bad night sleep and possibly my first weird pregnancy dream involving a toddler attacking me while his dad didn't react?! I'm worried about today but keeping fingers crossed my number is ok xxx

@Herewegoagain881 It is beta today? How far along are you now?

@Steph2345 I'm so sorry you're having such a rubbish time, even more so that you can't have visitors, that really sucks! I hope the meds are helping and you're feeling much better. Hopefully you get back to the comfort of your own home today! X

Good luck for tests and bloods today ladies 💕

@PMAmostofthetime I hope you managed to sleep some last night. It's absolutely not unreasonable to want answers and investigations. Glad you've had an email and can get an appointment arranged soon! I think Endo is hard to diagnose isn't it? My friend who went through IVF at the same clinic as me has recently had tests in Spain as she's now going private and they've diagnosed her with endo and cysts that the clinic here didn't detect. I'm not sure if NHS just don't have the technology or how that happens. But I really hope you don't have that. Also so sad that they didn't tell you about your two remaining embryos, I'm sorry on top of everything you then had that news 😞

@AliceAbsolum how was your first night back in the Uk? What's your plans the next few days?

@ginandtonicformeplease @SamTTC thank you! I'm looking forward to getting started again. I've had a little break from the stress; enjoyed a few drinks and a weekend away and I'm ready to get back into it!