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! ❤️

@Imisscoffee2021 we haven't told anyone. Everyone we know are super fertile and all fallen really quickly and I feel like they wouldn't get it. We are moving house atm so doing a freeze all for now (most likely) and dont want the pressure of "when are you transferring" etc after.

Are all of your clinics open for scans over the BH weekend? We may have to go into london instead of our one in Kent unfortunately

Also I haven't had any blood tests done and they said we wouldn't until after a transfer now

Feel really rubbish today, trying to keep positive but I just feel so anxious. Keep worrying about my next scan, numbers etc.

Also doesn't help that I'm starting a new job on 5th September - I had timed all of my leave so that the IVF cycle would be done by the time I started. That's out the window now as I started the cycle a week later than planned. Now with these slow growing follicles it's possible my egg collection will be pushed back and transfer date will be after I've started new job. How do I ask for day off in literally the first couple of days/week?? It's messing with my head so much.

@acaciabluebell one thing I've learned about this business, nothing goes to plan 😔 the timing is terrible for me too, I work in a tourist heavy heritage industry so bank hol Monday egg collection was the worst timing, I've had to lie and say I'm having a day operation that day and it's private which is why it's on a bank hol, but also make sure people don't think it's for a serious illness, hate the subterfuge but just don't want anyone to know about IVF.

It's so hard when asking for time off for ivf because then work know about maternity leave too, it's a nightmare! Could you just say you've been waiting for a small op for a while on NHS and its been offered last minute, but it's a day patient thing so you'll be back to work quickly? I've read some ladies on here saying they have an ovarian cyst or something gynaecological. That's my plan if my boss pushes what kind of op, luckily hasn't so far. He'll freak the moment I say ovary tbh!

I've also been reading countless threads and forums on follicles, and statistics, but there seems to be so much going for quality and not quantity so try not to worry, take it a day at a time. My scan is Friday too, feeling nervous so teting to distract myself today and if my brain wanders to IVF I don't let myself Google anymore!

Hope you get some good news at yours tomorrow and thise follicles catch up, I've read alot about surges and some people getting more than they thought so hope you're one of them :) x

@acaciabluebell

I definitely think to say you have a small op but not ivf related too.

Could you delay your start date by a week? Tell them a cancellation has come up and you will be taking it so that you don't have to wait months?

Or could you say you have covid?

I'm sorry you are in this position

Well, I've had my monitoring scan today, and it's the last one of this cycle! Been asked to trigger tomorrow, and although I'm relieved to be at this stage, I wish we were facing EC with more follicles likenwe initially anticipated. I have 5 leaders grouped together in size so it's all riding on those fellas! The top one is 22mm today so really hoping it doesn't tip into over mature over the weekend, this TTC malarkey is such a headache!

Thinking of you today @acaciabluebell on your last scan, fingers crossed you get good news!

On your next scan** sorry last scan on brain today @acaciabluebell

@Imisscoffee2021 that's great news and there is always the chance of some extras!

We also had a scan today and they found more on the left which is a relief. Hoping to trigger Sunday night and EC on Tuesday - absolutely petrified of that! Nurse wanted to check with consultant whether he wants another scan Sunday but said the way it's going it might not be necessary.

@acaciabluebell hope everything goes well at your scan today too

Hi ladies @Imisscoffee2021 @seekingbabyk great news from you both that you will be triggering soon!

I had my scan today and had more bloods taken. I feel a bit more positive now as the follicles have grown since weds. I currently have 20 follicles (😱) which is more than double what my baseline AFC was (9). Unfortunately they are growing at different rates though. I have 2 which are 23mm and 21mm, 3 which are 17-18 and there is a cluster of 6 which are at 13-14mm, the rest are smaller and probably wont catch up. I have been asked to come back tomorrow morning for another scan and I might be told to continue stims or trigger. I've also been told the consultant will review my case and might tell me to trigger tomorrow anyway, depending on my estrogen levels.

The nurse said that follicles over 12mm in size may hold an egg, so I am looking at potentially 8 or so eggs I think, if the smaller ones grow. I think the top 2 may over mature, but I'm happy to sacrifice them for the smaller bunch I think. All depends on what the doctor says though...

@seekingbabyk ah that's fab, I'm only on day ahead of you :) the nurses were nonplussed when I asked why my AFC changed to drastically one month to next after holding at 20 ish follicles for ages, and said AMH is better meter for it all but I said that hasn't changed either and is still about 16! Wish I could stop fixating on how many eggs I'll get but we have severe male factor and needed more to balance out the drop off, hopefully if this first cycle doesn't work we'll get a better result on next, but still trying to be positive about this precious first try too!

@acaciabluebell that's fantastic!! A great number to work with! And good news about the 12, I have several and my clinic basically wrote them off but I'm still holding out hope they'll grow a little more and yield an extra egg!

How are you feeling after so long stimming? I'm so bloated at 9 days so can't imagine ehat a few more would do, and so tired!

@Imisscoffee2021 Yeah so 12mm and above are likely to have an egg, but it may not be mature. The bigger the follicle the more likely it will be mature. So I think 15mm and above on day of trigger are likely to be mature. But everyone's bodies are different. Some people have told me they went into egg collection with 4 follicles and came out with 8 eggs! It's very difficult to predict until the actual egg collection.

I'm feeling very very bloated and it's actually getting uncomfortable to walk due to my lower back aching. I find myself waddling like I'm pregnant 🤣 which is very ironic.

P.s I just calculated I am 27 injections down! Day 11 today.

Also, sorry I keep adding posts lol but the trigger shot helps a lot with egg maturation so there is definitely hope for your smaller eggs! @Imisscoffee2021

Wow 27 injections! I haven't found them too bad tbh. Not hurt at all, no bruises either which is good.

I am sooo bloated it's actually uncomfortable. Definitely look 5 months pregnant! Fortunately not had much in the way of side effects either but we are only on day 6 today.

Almost every story I have read they end up retrieving more than they thought so keeping everything crossed for good numbers for you both. I can't imagine thinking about a next round right now - will you have a month off in between @Imisscoffee2021

Ok clinic just called and EC booked for Wednesday so trigger Monday at 10pm - scary stuff but feeling like this time next week I'll be feeling so much better and more chilled

Tha ka @acaciabluebell and @seekingbabyk , I'm just going to let my brain trust the docs now and try and enjoy the next stage of this process :)

I can't help but think the next step, partly to protect my mind from despair of this cycle not working, I know I'll bounce back if there's another go, but I'd wait two months between if it's another fresh one, hopefully plan A this one works or plan B any frosties work, if not plan C start again in November!

I've got bruises from the injections and @acaciabluebell I've started the waddle this afternoon, every step is a touch tender! Be glad to have a bit of rest between EC and ET where I don't feel like I'm holding precious cargo!

Thanks*

Hope everything goes ok for you both over the weekend. Let me know how your retrievals go too x

@acaciabluebell did you hear back from the doctor about potentially triggering today? I had the call yesterday afternoon, triggering tonight at 20:40, this is all so real all of a sudden, after waiting so long!

Hey! I had my final scan today and found out I am triggering tomorrow for egg collection on Tuesday! 😀

But sad news is that my lining is getting thinner and I won't be having a fresh transfer 😔 which is sad but I guess it solves all of my work related issues as I can start my new job without any worries about taking leave in the first week. They said your lining needs to be 7mm or above and mine was 7 on day 9 and has gotten thinner on each scan since then, it's currently 6.4.

I've got one more night of stims tonight, ganirelix tomorrow morning then trigger tomorrow night at 8pm. My follicles are still on the smaller side, and some of them seem to have disappeared which is weird. But I have 4 above 18mm including one which is above 25mm and likely overmature, then a few which are 15-18 that we hope will catch up with the last dose of stims tonight. There is still about 6 which are stubbornly tiny and not growing

How are you guys feeling? I feel so relieved today and very excited! I'm sure the nerves will start after the trigger! @Imisscoffee2021 @seekingbabyk

@acaciabluebell @Imisscoffee2021 that's amazing ladies well done both of you!

I feel really anxious about EC - just the sedation part as never had anything like that before but trying to remember it's only 20-30 mins and it'll be done. I'm glad I can see the end, it's not even that's it's been too bad doing stims but it takes so much of your life with appointments, injections, etc. had such bad anxiety through the whole thing too I'll be glad to have this bit over with.

We are planning on a freeze all anyway as moving house atm and haven't found anywhere yet so need to put our focus onto that but I'm 37 and feel like my eggs won't get any better than they are now so just wanted to get stage one done so when we are ready in a few months we have the hard bit out of the way.

Feeling a bit jealous I have to wait until Wednesday now, would have loved Monday or Tuesday x

@seekingbabyk I've had general anaesthetic before and it was fine, I've never felt so peaceful and relaxed, and I've read so much that sedation is like that! I hope so, its so bizarre to have so many people near your groin for 30 mins I don't want to be aware of any of it!

@acaciabluebell great news about EC shame about lining but they do say FETs are often successful without all the hormones going on in your body, ibsay that about to do a fresh but still, can't deny what I've read! Good to have breathing space too eith the new job :)

@Imisscoffee2021 yes I'm sure it'll be fine I'll get through it anyway lol! I think the saying is "I didn't come this far to only come this far"

I have heard that about FETs too - they say it's good for your body to recover first a month

Hi all, so lovely to read this thread as I am a month behind you. I’m trying to plan my time off from work for my IVF cycle.

I usually ovulate on day 12 or 13, following a LH peak on day 11 or 12.

I will be doing mild IVF and wondered if you have found that there’s an approximate day that egg collection falls? Is it the same day as natural ovulation or do the drugs make it sooner or later?

Very best of luck everyone 🫂