IVF / FET March/April 2022 Thread 2

[AliceAbsolum]

Shiny new thread as we filled up the last one.

@Autumn245 fantastic news on your embryos! Thanks for the good wishes for tomorrow, and @Steph2345 of course.

I'm looking forward to having it done and not having to engage with the clinic for a while!

@SamTTC thank you- you’re totally right, I know so many people who don’t even know they are pregnant till way down the line cos no symptoms so why would IVF be different? :)

@Herewegoagain881 recovery is so important, not just physically but mentally its a huge toll.

@Yoga817 good luck tomorrow

@SamTTC i laid off the gym since collextion, just couldnt be bothered but I'm going to try to easy myself back in to some light exercise this week. Mostly because mentally i think it'll help. Biggest thing is listening to your body and not push hard.
I had stomach issues too but wasn't sure if it was progesterone or anxiety 🤷‍♀️

@Somatronic good luck tomorrow! That must be really frustrating, i know sometimes things slip out but if you're not wanting out there it could be awkward

@Iwouldlikesomecake will you test early? I'm not sure everyone has symptoms...i mostly have cramps and tender boobs but i think it varies between everyone.

@Autumn245 thats such good news! Good luck for ET!

Hey ladies,

I'm on my first cycle of IVF, not really feeling anything in particular about the process but at least I'm getting through it. Currently on day 6 of stims and had my first shot of cetrotide tonight which DH messed up so had to open and use another pack 😆 Scans are so and so, I have one follicles over 10mm so my dose of Gonal-F has been increased.

Seems like everyone is a little further than me but I wish you all the best of luck with where you all are and congrats @Jampot36 🎉

@Jampot36 Congratulations! It's great news.

@PMAmostofthetime So glad you've got your follow up booked in. One of the hardest things about IVF is all the waiting - it sometimes feels never ending.

@Herewegoagain881 well done for surviving the weekend. I think different doctors have different approaches to miscarriage - after my first miscarriage my doctor said to just start another cycle without even waiting for AF, which I did. In hindsight I wasn't physically or mentally ready for it (BFN). After my second miscarriage, I had loads of tests done and waited quite a few months and was in a much better place.

@Steph2345 thank you for asking, it wasn’t good news for me unfortunately, AF arrived in full force on Saturday. Weirdly still had a v faint line on OTD so am thinking it was probably a chemical, especially as I’ve had heavier bleeding and worse period pains than usual 😩. Anyway…onwards and upwards, have already started researching other clinics as I think we need something more tailored for our next round.

Glad to hear you are feeling better, hopefully your OHSS symptoms will subside very soon and you can start enjoying your pregnancy.

Hope everyone else had a lovely Easter weekend!

@unCliche welcome! There are a few of us on our first cycle so you’re not alone. Glad you’re finding everything ok so far. I hope your increased dosage starts to show results soon. When is your next scan?

@Soleste I’m so sorry to hear that!! I hope you have had some time to yourself to process everything over the weekend.
Finding the right clinic can be really difficult. Are you in the UK?

@Soleste so sorry to hear that. I think you're right to take time to heal. When i had my mc i was told we could try again as soon as AF had been but i waited a good 5 months (this was 3 years ago when ivf wasnt even in my head) but i knew i wasnt mentally ok, the mc really hit me and we'd had a rough year with other stuff.

@unCliche i was the same, strangely detatched, maybe its a coping mechanism? That changed when we got to EC. When is your next check up?

@SamTTC good luck for today, hope all goes well. Yeah chill out on the sofa for the rest of the day. Hope you are feeling better today.

@Autumn245 yeah it felt fine until the evening then I had upset stomach but that may have been the progesterone or maybe just nerves who knows. Great news about your embryos.

@Soleste so sorry to hear that, hope you are looking after yourself. Hope you find the right clinic for you, it’s so tough isn’t it.

Thank you @Steph2345. I hope so too, I have 15 follicles < 6mm and 15 follicles > 6mm so some of those should hopefully make it to where they need to be.

My next scan is tomorrow 😬

@Jampot36 I suppose it is! I do wish I felt something more than apathy, at least some excitement, but it is what it is. Do you feel any different about the situation now that you have a BFP?

@Soleste Sorry things didn't work out this time.

@SamTTC @Somatronic good luck for your transfers today ladies 💕

@Yoga817 good luck for EC!

@Soleste I'm so sorry that this cycle wasn't the one 😞 sending you so much love. I hope you are doing ok xxx

After a 5 day wait I finally got my 3rd beta results.
9dp5dt: 140
13dp5dt: 1162
15dp5dt: 3081

We will have a scan on 7w2d, so far away…

Hey everyone!

11 eggs collected, which I can't quite believe since I'm 40. There was an issue with the sperm thaw, so we are having to do ICSI. Phone call tomorrow morning for an update. Phew! Does 11 eggs sound ok?

@Steph2345
@Jampot36
@Suki2020
@unCliche
@HJen22

Thank you all, it’s very much appreciated.

Tbh it wasn’t unexpected given the spotting last week so have been trying to think positive and see this first cycle as a trial run. @Steph2345 Yes in the UK, in the NW so not too remote but quite far away from some of the more specialist clinics in the SE. Manchester and Liverpool have lots of options though which is good. Any recommendations from anyone would be gratefully received!

@Soleste I’m so sorry, I know exactly how hopeless it feels after a BFN. It is a good idea to change clinics if you don’t feel comfortable with the one you have, are there any specific tests or things you want them to try next time?

@TommieNC I’m no expert but that sounds like a good increase??

@unCliche welcome :)

I just got out of my transfer. Man that will never not be awkward will it!
I saw the blastocyst on the screen and it was almost entirely hatched, whereas the one I had transferred last time was not hatched at all. So it’s nice that something is different this time, and also I don’t have to angst about whether AHA would have helped!
Just enjoying a moment in the sunshine before heading home. I find it harder and harder to get my hopes up for each attempt, as I’m sure you can all relate to, so I’m just trying to revel in the PUPO feeling while it lasts. Might as well right?

@Somatronic how did your transfer go? :)

@Yoga817 11 is great! Good stuff! Hope you're feeling OK after EC.

@Soleste I'm sorry that it didn't work for you this time. I'm the same as you - I'm treating this as a trial run too to manage expectations.

@SamTTC Well done! That's so cool that you get to see the blastocyst on screen! I don't have mine til 3pm. It'll be my first so I don't really know what to expect. The first thing DH said to me in bed this morning was to ask if I'll be in stirrups, which to be honest was a concern of mine too. The consultant said he should attend for the transfer (I wouldn't mind if he didn't but we're doing what we are told) so the thoughts of him seeing me like that is less than thrilling but I'm sure he's seen me in worse states!

@Somatronic could you maybe tell him to stand by your head, so he sees what you see? I’m sure the doctor doesn’t want him in the ‘front area’ anyway, as the nurses need to be able to move freely around and being in the embryo?
I’d be surprised if they don’t offer you to see the embryo before it’s put in, but you can always ask them how it’s looking :) and you should be able to look on the monitor to see it being put in.
The speculum can be a little uncomfortable but once it’s in, you shouldn’t feel anything.

Sorry @Yoga817 I missed the precious post, 11 eggs is fantastic 😃 so far so good.

(*previous post, though it is precious too)

@SamTTC thank you. Not specific tests as such (we’ve had lots already), I think we just need a more tailored treatment plan. I am very old (41!!) and my husband has high DNA fragmentation, plus I have a history of recurrent miscarriage so it feels like we need something other than the typical IVF process to be in with a chance of success. I am leaning towards a natural/modified process with embryo banking to focus on getting as many high quality embryos as possible so that we have enough to PGT-A test.

Congratulations on being PUPO!! Sitting in the sun afterwards sounds like a lovely way to help your little embryo settle in. Sounds like you’ve got the best possible chance with a hatching blastocyst 🤞

@Somatronic good luck for your transfer. I was really worried about mine as I’m not good with smear tests but it was absolutely fine, I didn’t actually feel a thing (they used a small speculum at my request). My husband sat next to my head during the procedure so nowhere near the business end so to speak! He would have preferred not to be there to be honest as he’s quite squeamish but they didn’t give him much choice, he was gowned up before he could object . They may offer for you to take a picture of the screen with your embryo on it so worth taking your phone in if that’s something you want to do. We didn’t take ours in but the nurse was quite insistent we take a photo so sent my husband back out to get his phone!

@Yoga817 11 eggs sounds great, gives you a much better chance at each stage given attrition rates. Best of luck 🤞

Does anyone else feel that IVF is such a lonely place to be? I started bleeding this afternoon (currently 6+6). Also had some cramps, so pretty sure I'm losing it. I called the clinic, who were lovely but all the reassurance in the world isn't going to help. They're going to call me back tomorrow morning and speak to the consultant about whether to bring my scan forward - it's currently booked in for 8+1. In the meantime they told me to rest and try not to worry.

Nobody knows that we were going through IVF, and nobody knows that I got a BFP.

Ironically I've felt so sick and nauseous all day today. However Google has now informed me that that is also a symptom of miscarriage, not just pregnancy.

@ginandtonicformeplease I'm so sorry that you're bleeding. I hope everything turns out alright for you x

Thanks for the advice @Soleste and @SamTTC the transfer went absolutely fine. No pain at all! They said the blastocyst was great quality so hopefully it'll hang on in there!

@ginandtonicformeplease So sorry you are bleeding. I agree about the loneliness. We haven’t told anyone about the IVF (or previous miscarriages either). I hope everything is ok for you. Is it worth trying the Early Pregnancy Unit if your clinic won’t scan early? My local EPU were always happy to see me when bleeding past 6 weeks x

@Somatronic glad to hear it went well, excellent news you have a high quality blastocyst!

@ginandtonicformeplease I hope you’re ok and I hope that it is nothing to worry about. Sending you lots of well wishes 💜

@ginandtonicformeplease oh hun I hope everything is okay. Bleeding isn't always a bad sign, it'll be good to get a scan earlier to see what is going on. hoping for the best.

It does feel so lonely doesn't it? I know I'll be in my head a lot for the tww, and be a bit distant from everything, and if it doesn't work, I'll just have been 'weird' (again) for no apparent reason.

@Somatronic awesome that it went well :) when is test day? mine is May 2.

How are you all approaching diet during the tww? I have dropped the idea of going completely sugar free, because at this point I think going cold turkey would stress me out more than it would help, but I am already feeling bad about the celebratory creme egg I had when I got home from transfer. I kind of feel like I already bungled it all to be honest. hmm