IVF - Stims Aug - Egg Collection Sep

[RMS0209]

Hi ladies! 👋
Just as the post says... cycle day 1 of my first IVF round, 20 days until I start Norethisterone then Menopur & Fyremadel.
Looking for others starting cycle or in the cycle for some company.
Sending lots of luck to you all! ❤️

Hi!

I'm doing short protocol on my first cycle and will start stims around 20th August, so pretty close to you're:)

We have MFI so doing ICSI too :)

Are you down regging at the moment?

Hi! @Imisscoffee2021 👋

Great! "Cycle" buddy as such haha.

Sorry to hear about MFI, I have mild PCOS so we are going for a FET.

I am currently cycle day 2 (lucky me AF appeared) I start my norethisterone on hopefully 16th, stop on 23rd and start injecting on 28th... with a hopeful egg collection date of around 9th Sep.

How are you feeling about it all? I'm nervous but excited x

@RMS0209 I'm feeling really excited, and tbh just so happy that something is finally happening! Got the meds in the post today and everything I open the fridge and see all that Menopur I feel relieved!

We've been trying for 16 months but we got diagnosed at 10 months in as we were hitting ovulation so well, knew something wasn't right. My husband had been to the gp ten years ago when we had been together just a few months as he suspected he had a varicocele and the gp said he didn't, cut to ten years later and he has a huge one that's rendered him essentially infertile! We paid privately to get it embolised knowing we would still most likely need IVF but trying to optimise things, but it didn't work as his veins are all configured wierdly, so another hurdle! Decided to go for it with IVF anyway and see what happens, as I'm 34 and want to try and get in there ASAP:)

If all goes well my egg collection would be about 1st or 2nd September, just hope my body plays ball and produces lots of mature eggs (a sentence I never thought I'd have to say😅).

Have you told many people about your cycle in real life?

Everytime I open the fridge*

Hiya!

So I am slightly ahead of you both but also due to start stims around August.

I'm currently taking Provera for 2 weeks and will stop on August 11th, wait for my period - then start stims hopefully around August 14-17th and I think egg collection towards the end of August. I'm going to be on a high dose due to low AMH and we will doing ICSI due to male factor.

Hi @acaciabluebell ! Is that long protocol? So many versions and various drugs, its mind boggling! I was all ready to do long protocol after reading up but my clinics put me on short despite not having PCOS at all, queried it and there's apparently a big shortage of long protocol drugs and they said they think I'd respond well to short anyway, really hope they're right! Is this your first cycle?

@Imisscoffee2021 It's short protocol (antagonist). I honestly wasn't given a reason or explanation as to why and I didn't think to ask. I definitely don't have PCOS (I have a low AMH and AFC). I heard there's a shortage of buserilin so maybe that's why?

Provera is like Norethisterone, the clinic have me taking it so they can control my cycle as they don't do egg collections on weekends (at least thats what I was told)

Are you on an NHS or private cycle? We are NHS and one thing I'm finding weird is that I won't get my drugs or be taught about injections etc until after my baseline scan. So even though we are due to start stims very soon, it doesn't feel like it!!

I hope you don't mind me jumping on this thread! Any advice/guidance is greatly appreciated

I'm 30 and have a daughter (7) conceived naturally

I have been diagnosed with PCOS and have a high follicle count

The fertility clinic (CRGW) have recommended IUI or IVF Lite but I am unsure what to go with. The success rates with IUI worry me and although IVF has a greater expense, is it worth going for this first as last to save "wasting" money?

Any experiences/advice on the success rates for first time IVF with PCOS please?

@acaciabluebell
The nurse did say it was Buserelin that was short when I queried it, my AMH was 16.4 and my AFC 21 so was really thinking I'd have long so was a surprise. Just got to trust the professionals! Hoping we get enough from me to balance out any potential MFI caused from offs at embryo development stage!

Mine is private but I'm concurrently going through the referrals for NHS too, as we don't lose an NHS round in my CCG if you have a private. We're using our savings but it'll be so worth it in the end, I hope! We got the meds this week, feeling very real opening the fridge and there they are!

I had a last consultation with nurse and she went through using the meds but didn't say about actual dose amount as there's some mixing of meds and another solution (the menopur) so I'll double check that on my baseline scan, which for me should be about 21st August, I'm not on anything to stop or regulate my period they're just going with it from my natural one, maybe because it's private.

@MammyandAva Hi, sorry I don't have any experience with this personally, my niece has PCOS and has only been offered IVF as a treatment, not IUI because she doesn't ovulate with any regularity. She needs to reach the BMI threshold first but then she'll be doing IVF, probably short protocol and a freeze all to avoid OHSS.

Hi!
@imisscoffee2021
Snap - I am feeling exactly the same! Really happy something is happening.
You will be a little bit ahead of me so you have to tell me how you handle the Menopur injections, I have heard mixed reviews.

So sorry to hear you have been trying for such a length of time, my GP wasn’t much use… so I opted to go private, I have however received an NHS letter for the fertility clinic in the city.
So sorry to hear about the Gp & DH… frustrating m.
34 is great! Go you.

Well your egg collection date could tie on with my birthday - take that as good luck! 🥰 I should have had my 2nd scan on 2nd September but I was late starting this cycle so it’s pushed me a bit, all being well egg collection for me should be 9th September.
It feels strange actually having a plan and being able to say it out loud doesn’t it?

I haven’t really told anybody, I have 3 close friends (who doesn’t stay in the same city as me) I’ve told and my mother in law but that’s it. How about you?
My boss knows, just for me taking time for appointments but she’s been through this too so she’s really good and gets it.

Hiya @acaciabluebell
Oh you are number 1 position for this new crew then, we will be coming to you with our questions.
I will be taking the Provera also but around 16.08
Do you know what stims you will be taking?
Sorry to hear low AMH, I’m the opposite I have high AMH. I follow a girl on social media that does ICSI and was successful first time so 🤞🏻

Hi @MammyandAva

Welcome 😀 I have been diagnosed with PCOS and a high follicle count too. When I spoke to my consultant about IUI he said isn’t any higher than trying to conceive “naturally” thats why we are going straight to the IVF and hoping we are lucky first time. I do watch and read a lot of IVF PCOS articles so I will send any interesting ones to you.

It's great to hear from someone in a similar position. I'm reading this a lot about IUI and not finding many success stories so I think the IVF lite is probably the best option. I have looked myself to find any forums/posts that may be beneficial to me but haven't had a many luck so I would really appreciate that thank you.

How are you finding the process so far?

@RMS0209 Fingers crossed your birthday becomes my lucky day!
We've been open with everyone about struggling to concieve as it's just been easier to be frank and honest, especially now we know why it hasn't happened. But because if that we get alot of questions all the time, so we've told people that we're waiting for NHS referrals and not told anyone that we've gone private for the first two rounds. I'm from the North though I lived in London for last 15 years so my family would be horrified I've used my own money and not NHS! I just can't keep waiting and it's not life and feath so I understand the waiting times on NHS.

I'm not telling work and I do my own rots and have a supportive friend who works with me and can cover for me, she knows it's fertility related time off but not explicitly why. My boss is great but old school and it's a male dominated field I work in so it's easier to keep schtum. When I told him I had a slight hypothryoid issue a year ago he cringed and grimaced like I'd told him I have my ovaries on inside out or something 😅. So best to leave him safely in the dark where its comfortable for him.

I wierdly feel like it's round the corner and also a million miles away! Just want to get thar first injection in and it'll feel so much more real.

Rota, death etc! Rubbish phone typing

Hi all

Hope you don’t mind me jumping on.

I started Provera 16/7 stopped 27/7 had my baseline today (cycle day 3) and start stims later this evening.

Hi @Bellwells ! How exciting to be on the stimming stage, not long now! Are you on menopur and fyrmadel or something different?

Hey @Imisscoffee2021 so I’m on a dual injection of 150iu Meriofert mixed with 225iu Fostimon. Then around day 5 I’ll take 0.25mg of Cetrotide. Then trigger is another dual injection of Gonasi and Decapeptyl.

Hello fellow comrade
Hope you are all doing well!
Thought I'd get involved to exchange experiences.
I'm on a short cylce IFV/ICSI. 10 days of Norethisterone from cycle day 22. 6 days break with bleed. Had my baseline scan on 26/7 and started stims on 27/7. 300iu of Meriofert until Friday 5/8 and since Monday also on 0.25mg Cetrotide. got my next scan tomorrow morning so fingers crossed we can collect those eggs soon after (I'm hoping Monday). My trigger will be Gonasi.
This is my first cycle. We have been trying for almost 2 years now. Knew quite early on something was wrong as I used an app to track ovulation. Took ages to jump through the NHS hoops to find out what it was and to finally get the referrals and funding. Very happy it's started. Been a tough time waiting and not know for the longest time what was wrong. And I'm already 37 now. My partner has three healthy children form a previous marrigage (churning them out one after the other), so you'd think it was me. Turns out I'm highly fertile, but he must've killed his swimmers somehow along the way (lifestyle, enviromental impacts??). Has anyone heard of that before?
Anyway, I think I'm doing alright with the stims atm. I am very bloated and it feels swollen and a bit raw down there, but no pain luckily. I do get a bit more upset or angry than usual, but that's also still within reason I'd say (my partner might disagree lol). I had a bit of a wobble (dizzy and upset) when I started the Cetrotide this Monday, but feeling all better again. Was wondering if other people feel the same.
Wishing you all the very best of luck 🍀💞

Hi all, hope I can join :) I'll be turning 37 next month and this will be our first IVF cycle. I'll be with NHS for this one, which will also be the last NHS round as it's only one funded cycle in my CCG. The clinic has put me on short protocol due to shortage of Buserelin. They have told me I'd respond to either protocol as all my numbers are sort of in the middle. Of course I will have to trust the experts. As there is a high demand for short at the minute, they have said they'll try their best to fit me in next cycle (which is due to start next week), so a little bit in limbo as to when I'd start. I've already got all my meds, so ready to go when they are. Wish you all good luck X

Hi @Tinkerbell098 , I think I know you from another thread about the buserelin shortage :) Hope they can fit you in this month, and all goes well with your cycle! Isn't the postcode lottery appalling for NHS? I was shocked when I realised, its so hard as you get the shock of needing IVF in the first place and then that. My CCG gives you two rounds but the corough next door only 1, and where I'm from in the North you get three.

Welcome @Honeybunie too :) not long now for you! Hope your scan goes well, it does feel amazing to finally be on the road to egg transfer and a two week wait with less mystery after a long time trying to conceive doesn't it? I'm also male factor and having ICSI, my husband has a large varicocele that can't be embolised, but one urologist says that's why his SA results are poor and another says they don't believe varicoceles have an impact on sperm, sigh! Such a complicated thing, when I think back to how naive I was in our first month trying assuming it'd happen right away!

@Bellwells my mind boggles with all the different meds! How are you finding them a couple of days in?

Hey @Imisscoffee2021 oh my the injections are making me so tired I gad a 3 hour nap this afternoon and I could still sleep right now.

I’ve got my first scan tomorrow so I’m hoping these follicles will have a good amount of growth so far.

how are you getting on?

@Bellwells I had a hycosy scan today as we're private IVF but concurrently going through the lengthy nhs referral process in case the first round doesn't work, and all clear on that count. I was meantnto ovulate on 6th and thought fab will have another shot at natural try before ivf but my body decided to ovulate 4 days early for the first time ever! Confirmed on the scan even, could see the corpus luteum on the left ovary. Kind of takes the oressure off this next two week lead up to my first ivf cycle thoug, as I'll be starting stims on 17th August by looks of it :) had 20 follicles this month too which is good, and the nurse said my ovaries are easily reachable for IVF egg collection so feeling positive! Just desperate to start those stims!

I'd welcome more nap time so hope that's my only symptom, I'm dreading the bloating as I seem to live 90% of my life bloated as it is!

@Imisscoffee2021 good news on the hycosy and the easily accessible ovaries :) 20 follicles is great! you'll get plenty of eggs with those numbers. Yes it's so unfair with the postcode lottery IVF. If I hadn't moved South after I got married, I'd be in an area that offered 3 (I was living in the North too).

@Bellwells @Honeybunie good luck with the scan today. Let us know how it goes :)

@Imisscoffee2021 oh bless you! I’ve got my fingers crossed for you to get your rainbow baby on your first cycle. How do you feel about starting stims soon?

@Tinkerbell098 I have 3 leading follicles at 9mm, 4 at 7mm, 1 at 6mm and 4 below 6mm.
How did you get on @Honeybunie ?

@Bellwells great numbers! When is the next scan?

@Tinkerbell098 the next scan is Monday morning hopefully a few more follicles will appear.