IVF / FET March/April 2022 Thread 2

[AliceAbsolum]

Shiny new thread as we filled up the last one.

@PMAmostofthetime and @Herewegoagain881 thank you for your advice! That's so helpful x

@Nutrinerd Yay! Fantastic news.

I'm out, blood test negative 😞
Honestly I'm used to BFNs, what upsets me is the thought of doing it all again 🤦🏻‍♀️
Gonna take a break and will be back next month, congrats to all who had a good outcome and good luck to everyone still in it 🧡💕🧡

@LuckyNovember take good care of yourself in the break and we’ll be here to support you and chat when you’re back x

@Somatronic you have a similar number to me and I was disheartened too at the time. But they managed to get 8 eggs, 6 fertilised and 2 made good quality 5 day blasts. I cried on the nurse during one of the scans and didn’t see the point as they were small and my consultant had hoped for more… but the ones I did have came good so there is hope. My AMH is 10.4 or 10.6. I found the scans stressful as I was always comparing either to other people or my own/consultant’s expectations. Have you got your EC booked? I hope you are pleasantly surprised when it happens.

@LuckyNovember and @PMAmostofthetime I’m so sorry to read your news today. I hope when you are ready and if you feel it is right that you try again and it works out for you.
@PMAmostofthetime will you stay with the clinic you have been using? I hope you have a firm discussion with them about the issues you have mentioned to us

@Nutrinerd this is amazing news! Congratulations! What’s next for you now?

Thanks again for the well wishes everyone. They are keeping me in for another night and have given me some morphine medicine to help the pain. I feel like they are taking it seriously and not just pushing to get the bed back (although I’d much rather be at home I know I’m in the right place at the mo).

@Herewegoagain881 sorry! I was meant to say I hope your results are quick today!!

@Nutrinerd congratulations amazing news, how are you feeling?

X

@LuckyNovember so sorry to hear this- I honestly feel your pain today 💔.

A negative after IVF is definitely worse.

@Steph2345 I'm NHS and in Wales- there is two clinics in 2 different locations but both run by WFI- so I will have too, I've been to both and I see the same staff at both so it makes no difference. But this weekend I'm set to read HFEA guidelines and go from there. I have also booked a gynaecology appointment as luckily I was already on the waiting list and will discuss private investigations.

@HJen22 definitely need to get back to being me and get a handle on life before the next round.

Thank you to everyone for the well wishes I have had a little cry here and there, mainly when I look at OH checking ion me or he gives me a Cwtch ( welsh word for hug) but I'm still numb and I think it'll hit me when the meds stop on Wednesday so I'll have that and the hormones leaving to look forward too x

It'll be sooo nice when the hormones are out of your system @PMAmostofthetime I've been surprised every time by how much it lightens my mind, because I haven't realised how much they affected me until they are gone. I'm sorry you have to keep going with the meds but it makes sense - you are quite a ways from test day after all.

@Nutrinerd awesome news! congratulations.

My scan is Monday... remind me has anyone here had a medicated FET? how many days of progesterone can I expect before transfer? I'm still a bit skeptical of my timeline, because Monday is already CD14 for me, of a 25-27 day cycle, so surely transfer could be no later than CD17-18 for my luteal phase to be long enough?

@PMAmostofthetime I’m so sorry about your result this morning. It sounds like your work are supportive and not having laptop/phone etc for the 10 days off you’ve got sounds like a good opportunity to look after yourself, let things reset with the progesterone washing out etc.

I can’t believe how brain pickling the various hormones are. I knew the increased progesterone was going to be bad, but wasn’t quite prepared for how much! I have twice driven off with the cap and cover left undone after filling my car with petrol in the last week, having never done it before.

@Steph2345 blood test is going to be on Monday now, then if that is ok having a v. early scan the week after to confirm intrauterine pregnancy as I’m meant to be travelling to work in a rural area abroad, though need to have a pile of discussions about whether that goes ahead. I’m glad they’re looking after you in hospital and giving you some good pain meds!

@AliceAbsolum I’m mostly feeling nauseated and tired! How about you? With the vanlife moving round do you have a base where you’re registered with a GP - we move a lot while we’re trying to sort out our living situation and it’s a pain moving GPs frequently.

@LuckyNovember and @PMAmostofthetime. So sorry to hear this for you both. Not a lot you can really say in this situation that doesn’t feel like platitudes. Wishing you lots of luck and baby dust for the next time.

@Nutrinerd Congratulations! 🥳 Wonderful news!

@SamTTC exciting that things are moving forward for you. I know it's affected my motivation but it'll be nice to clear the brain fog for a few weeks.

@Nutrinerd Thank you so pleased for you today. Really helps me to know there is hope. Wishing you lots of luck for the next steps.
Your job sounds exciting. Albeit properly anxiety provoking right now.

@BlueSilver23 thank you, how are you getting on?

Very random questions OH has just booked for me to have my hair done week after next so a week after OTD, even though we now the outcome he knows I will do everything that the clinic asked and by the book until that date.
I know that pregnancy can affect the dye taking, is that the same for bleach and will all the hormones I have in me affect it? I don't want to leave it much longer as then it will be too close to the next cycle.
I don't want to cancel if it will be ok as I know he's booked it to cheer me up as he feels helpless right now, my hairdresser is a close family friend, so I don't want to ask her.

Any advice appreciated

X

Looks like I'm out for this cycle, my beta level was only 97 and they want at least 200. I have another blood test to check on Sunday but at this stage I'm just hoping it's not ectopic. Absolutely devastated, I've had a bad feeling all week as those pregnancy test strips just weren't progressing and I'd not had that before, although my frers were fine so it was confusing. I'll let you know what happens on Sunday xxx

@PMAmostofthetime how are you? Been thinking about you all day.
If it is endo it can only be diagnosed via a laparoscopy its generally not visible on scans. The wait time where i live is quite long at the mo but private is quicker depending on money. I couldn't afford surgery privately as i need a bowel specialist too so went straight into ivf which my clinic thought would be fine as its never been found on my ovaries in previous surgeries.

@SamTTC I've now had six medicated FETs! Usually a scan would be cd 10-13 from my experience, so 14 doesn't sound unreasonable. Generally the transfers are cd 17-21, but my first FET was several days after that as my lining hadn't built up enough so they delayed starting progesterone (and gave me viagra of all things to help the lining!). This time I started progesterone on day 12, transfer day 17.

@LuckyNovember @PMAmostofthetime I'm so sorry to hear the results 

@Herewegoagain881 I'm not surprise you're devastated. Will your results on Sunday be the same day? It's extremely unlikely with an IVF pregnancy that it could be ectopic.

And congratulations @Nutrinerd so pleased for you

@Jampot36 thanks for the advice- the nurse at the clinic was surprised that I'd not had a laparoscopy. I spoke to my surgery today and they told me that I can pay for an initial appointment for a laparoscopy referral and then be switched back to NHS but it will push me up the list.

@ginandtonicformeplease thank you.

@Herewegoagain881 what horrible news to have today- I'm so sorry. I have read on these threads though ladies who had late implantation- they know because they had low beta results on OTD but they doubled on the 2nd test after 48 hours and have healthy babies. I really hope this is the case for you x

How is everyone doing??? I’ve totally lost track of where everyone is!! I only just found the new thread!
We have a date for FET planning consult on 2 may and hopefully transfer following cycle so think it will be June now. Really depends on dates. Just hoping it’s not any longer than that! The wait is killing me knowing my little embryos are just sitting there!!

@Herewegoagain881 I really hope there's another twist in your story at the next beta 🧡

I have a plan... I should have one month ahead of me off all the hormones, which is one month to shift the IVF kilos ( I've also been wearing bigger knickers, to accommodate more than just the pads 😱) , to take my supplements and to re-focus... I'm even going to TRY to scale back on social media for a few weeks!!

Before I log off... do any of you have recommendations for supplements, fertility diet, probiotics, etc? I take ubiquinol and a pre-natal, I will add DHEA and aim for a low GI diet, any other tips?

You've been the difference this cycle between me coping, or not... can't overstate how much It helps me having somewhere sympathetic to talk about all of this... you rock ladies ☺️

@ginandtonicformeplease I hope results will be on the same day but it is a Sunday so I'm not sure... It's going to be a horrible wait. We've decided to go to the zoo tomorrow so hopefully that'll distract me a bit.

Yeah ectopic didn't cross my mind until the nurse told me to watch out for it, and now every twinge I'm having is getting me worried 😬

@PMAmostofthetime thanks ☺️☺️ late implantation crossed my mind but I tested positive early so I don't think I implanted late, although I have no idea on the mechanics of it all so who knows! There's always a little bit of hope until the next test though, my poas tests have very gradually gotten darker..but in reality I think it's unlikely to progress as my progesterone levels have also dropped from 288 to 160 so I doubt I'm producing my own progesterone anymore, and I'm no longer feeling nauseous. I'm hoping I'm an outlier but not holding my breath! I just really wanted my DS to have a sibling so I'm so disappointed for him...and us, but mainly him though..

@PMAmostofthetime I am so sorry for what you’ve been going through the last few days. I am completely gutted for you. Please take some time for yourself.

Just catching up
@Agapanthus13 @Hopingforamiracle11 sorry about the negative tests

Just making my way through the rest of the thread

@PMAmostofthetime @LuckyNovember sorry about your news
This is all just so hard

@Steph2345 I am so sorry to hear that you had to go to the hospital. I’m happy to hear that they are taking you seriously and really looking after you.

I’m also sorry to see that several of you guys have been struggling the last few days. This journey can be so cruel sometimes.

@PMAmostofthetime I'm so sorry about the negative test, hope you are doing as well as can be expected. Sounds like you have got a plan for your holiday and next cycle which will hopefully go some way to helping you through this difficult time. Your OH sounds lovely, make sure he’s keeping up with the cwtchs (such a lovely word!). Thank you so much for the distraction techniques. It’s actually my birthday this weekend so have got lots of those types of things planned - I expect next week will be tough though so Netflix and crafts are a good shout. Re your hair appointment, I am by no means an expert but the hair you can see on your head (i.e. past the surface of the skin) is effectively dead anyway so I can’t imagine the hormones would affect the dye taking. Sounds like it would be a lovely treat before you get into your new treatment cycle so I’d go ahead!

@Nutrinerd & @AliceAbsolum so many congratulations on your positive tests. Such good lines, I expect that’s why it pays off to hold off from early testing. I never manage it so am in awe of your self-restraint!

@LuckyNovember on supplements, in addition to what you’ve listed, I have also been taking Vit E, high dose Vit D, high dose folic acid (prescribed- not sure if you can get over the counter), Invivo Bio.Me Femme V (probiotic) and melatonin. Be careful with DHEA, it can affect egg quality if your testosterone levels get too high. You may have done this already but worth checking this before you start on them, medichecks are good. I took them for a month then chickened out because my prolactin levels went up - may have been completely unrelated to the DHEA but I’m glad I kept an eye on the blood levels. You can check recommended supplements from ‘It Starts with The Egg’ online if you don’t have the book.

@Steph2345 sorry to hear you’ve been unwell. Fingers crossed you can be discharged tomorrow as it’s so difficult to get any rest in hospital. I’m amazed your writing is so lucid on morphine. I had that once in hospital and ended up convinced that a soap dispenser was Vladimir Putin - very weird experience!

@LuckyNovember I'm sorry :( We're used to seeing bfns aren't we but The thought of having to do it all over again is the killer isn't it. So disappointing. Do you have support around you?

@Nutrinerd DH and I registered our address as his parents and got mail redirect on a few other things so it works out well. Having no postal address is not really an option these days. Especially Healthcare stuff.

@Herewegoagain881 Oh no, I really hoped that beta would be a high number. If yours are often low does that mean it could just be your body's natural level? Did you say you're having another one done?

@Steph2345 How're you doing? Hope they let you out of hospital soon.

I had another very strong bfp this morning. Relief. Will let my clinic know. I said I wouldn't do another one but I'll do one on Monday just to make sure. That'll be 14dp5dt.