IVF stims Oct, egg collection Nov

[PimlicoMum4]

Hello, wondering if anyone else is on a similar IVF timeline. I’m on short cycle and started stims 20th October. I’m on meriofert 225, which doesn’t seem to be a common drug. I’m with the lister hospital in London as a private patient. We have a 2 year old (conceived naturally) but need fertility treatment because my husband had cancer last year and the chemo damaged his sperm. Luckily we froze sperm in advance. I was thinking treatment would be simple as I’m youngish (32) and have no know issues. But the pre tests already showed polyps and thyroid issues so had delays sorting them and now I’m getting so nervous. We haven’t told many people we need ivf so I’m also nervous that friends will be assuming I’m pregnant as I’m not drinking and likely to get more and more bloated! Would love to chat with people at similar stage.

Just had my egg collection confirmed for Tuesday and am picking up the trigger shot!

how’s everyone else getting on?

@PimlicoMum4 that’s fab news, exciting! I had another scan yest, they said they were 90% certain EC would be Monday but just wanted to do bloods as 3 look ready and 4 are just behind so the levels would provide a bit more insight. Levels came back slightly lower than they’d like so I’ve to have another scan today and they’ll be able to confirm whether EC will be Monday or not 😕

@maybebaby2023 oh that’s frustrating, but guess worth waiting a little if you get 4 extra follicles. Good luck with scan today. I’m technically waiting on bloods too but they seem pretty certain and have booked it all for Tuesday

@PimlicoMum4 fingers crossed your bloods come back fine. My scan went well today, the dr said im definitely ready so triggering tonight for EC Monday 🎉

Best of luck to the ladies up for egg collection today and tomorrow 🤞

@Lem44 thank you. 💕 I’m just home and on the sofa. Feel completely fine to be honest and not as tired as I thought I’d be! They said they were hoping for 5-6 but got 8 eggs so we will see what tomorrow’s update brings. 🤞🏼

good luck @PimlicoMum4 for tomorrow!

@maybebaby2023 hurrah for the extra eggs and well done for getting through it. How was the procedure? Hope you're getting lots of rest and treats today. Let me know how you get on with the recovery. I'm planning to go into work as usual the next day.

@PimlicoMum4 it was absolutely fine. I don’t remember any of it, they said I was asleep the whole time. Had the procedure at 0915 and I was in the car home by 1100! I have had no pain so far, I just felt really tired immediately afterwards but that’s pretty much passed now

@maybebaby2023 great to hear, feeling much less worried now. Then it’s just the waiting for phone calls that will be stressful so guess lots of keeping busy. 🤞🏻You get good fertilisation rates and strong embryos x

@PimlicoMum4 how did today go? 4 of my 8 fertilised, the rest were immature. Slightly disappointed but hopefully the 4 are good ones 🤞🏼

@maybebaby2023 4 is hopefully still decent odds 🙏🏼🤞🏻Have you been nervous waiting to hear? The embryologist came to talk me through the process and timeline but it was a bit overwhelming (and I was still groggy). Today went fine. Got 12 eggs, which was a very pleasant surprise as it’s consistently been 8 follicles. They said they can’t tell if they’re mature or anything. Also happy to hear that when they thawed the sperm it was good enough for ivf instead of icsi. 🤞🏻For fertilisation now

@PimlicoMum4 hopefully, I keep telling myself it’s quality over quantity but just worried about further drop offs! I was also on a low stim dose (100iu) which I think will have affected the number of eggs retrieved. I was a little nervous this morning (probably more apprehensive) but they phoned at 8.30 so I didn’t have to wait long. Feel more nervous now knowing I won’t have a further update until Thursday am and they’ve provisionally booked the transfer for Thursday afternoon but it’ll depend on state of play come Thursday morning.

12 is fabby, congrats 😊😊 Yep I don’t think I took much of their diagrams of cell division etc in, just the number of eggs. How are you feeling generally? Hope you’re ok! X

@maybebaby2023 gosh that’s soon for transfer, mine likely not til Sunday. But dr did say she saw some fluid in my uterus. She drained it during egg collection but they want to scan me on Saturday to make sure it hasn’t come back before transferring (otherwise will have to do frozen). I’m feeling fine. No pain and just had a nap 😴

are you starting progesterone today? I have the pessaries ready to start tomorrow.

also, thinking I might treat myself to a 🥂 ahead of transfer. I’ve been strictly no booze or caffeine and know I’ll continue to be when embryo is on board.l

@PimlicoMum4 i started progesterone right after the egg collection, 3 x a day. They do have the tendency to leak a bit and I’ve heard it wrecks your underwear so I’ve just had a liner on but it’s been fine to be honest.

You’re quite right re the 🥂. Well deserved. I’ve not had any alcohol since I started stims but still had my morning cup of tea. I had a Prosecco tonight and hoping it’s the last for a long time 🤞🏼🤞🏼

@PimlicoMum4 how did today go?

@maybebaby2023 good! Got the call nice and early so not too much waiting and worrying. 10 fertilized, which is another pleasant surprise. Feeling more hopeful and less under pressure - tho remind me of that this time next week when I’m going loopy waiting!
how are you getting on? Thinking of you ahead of update tomorrow and possible transfer.

@PimlicoMum4 that’s brilliant news! 10 is a fantastic number. Fingers crossed they progress nicely over the next few days.

We have 5 apparently (think one must have fertilised later?!) and the best one is a 9 cell grade 1 with no fragmentation. We have an 8 cell grade 2 and a 10 cell grade 2, and one 5 cell and one 6 cell which are a bit behind. They want to go ahead with the transfer of the 9grade1 this afternoon - eek - and see if we have any blasts come saturday for freezing. Can’t believe the transfer is today!

@maybebaby2023 amazing that all five have developed. I find the grading so confusing- did the embryologist talk you through it. Can’t believe it’s transfer day! Wishing you so much luck. Let the countdown to test day begin…

@PimlicoMum4 they briefly outlined it and then I looked into it a bit more after the call. On day 3 they should have 6-8 cells with the higher being preferred. And the grade 1-5 part is the amount of fragmentation. I know grade 1 is no frag and grade 2 is minor but unsure what 3,4 or 5 is. 5 is the worst. And then the grading system changes entirely when it gets to blastocysts!

@PimlicoMum4 i read somewhere 8 or more cells on day 3 significantly increases birth rate so here’s hoping 🤞🏼

@maybebaby2023 how was embryo transfer? Any tips? Also, do you think I’d be okay going alone to the appointment? Mine is Sunday but will be tricky for husband to be there

@PimlicoMum4 it was absolutely fine. Very much like a smear test and is over really quickly. I think I took it to extremes with the full bladder though so it was a bit uncomfortable in that sense. I think the general rule is to empty your bladder 1 hr before then drink 500ml half an hour before (I probably drank 1L+). In terms of your husband being there, you'll be absolutely fine without him and I don't think there's any reason the clinic would need him to attend. We got one of the nurses to take a video of the ultrasound on my phone of it going in which I'm so glad we did! It's a bizarre feeling afterwards though because you (unsurprisingly) feel no different and wonder if it's still there! How are your wee embryos getting on?

@maybebaby2023 video is a great shout! If it works, what an amazing thing to be able to show a child one day. I had a scan today and thankfully fluid hasn’t returned to uterus so all good for transfer tomorrow morning. My day 3 update was great (9 developing, grade 1s or 2s). But won’t know how many make it to day 5 until I get in tomorrow. Hoping the numbers are in our favour though.
how are you feeling? Any symptoms? I’m finding the progesterone is making me v crabby and bloated too

@PimlicoMum4 I have noticed myself being a bit crabby too. Not bloated though. Peeing a lot but I have had quite a bit of decaf tea so it could be that. I'm also really tired - slept 8 hours last night (which I never do) and needed a 2 hour nap by 1pm! I'm trying not to symptom spot though as I've read a lot of the "symptoms" during this time are a hangover from the cycle itself. I did a pregnancy test today just to check if I'd get a false positive from the hcg in the trigger shot and it was negative. I've been made by OH to promise not to test again until the official date so at least I know, if it's positive, it's not from the trigger! It's going to be a long 11 days I think

@PimlicoMum4 how's it going, how was ET? 😊