IVF warriors - journey continues

[Tinkerbell098]

Have created this as our old one has maxed out. Let's continue to support each other in this challenging journey of IVF.

@Imisscoffee2021
@Decaffe
@seekingbabyk
@MinBins
@acaciabluebell
@MammyandAva
@Spin101
@1stcycle

Congratulations @MinBins !! Wonderful news! My clinic didn't test my blood either, took me at my word and booked a scan for when I was 6+6 :)

@MinBins I would have preferred a blood test though to track hcg!

@seekingbabyk Wow 26 is super high. Mine is 16.3 so very good still. But yeah it only tells you about the amount of eggs you still have right, nothing about the quality of the eggs. Which I guess is our issue here. What was your drop off by day 3? My last consultant said the day 3 drop off tends to be down to egg quality. I had 5 down from 11. Suggesting poor egg quality. Then only 2 out of the 5 left by day 5. Which she said was then down to sperm quality. I hope the coq10 won’t mess you too much this time 😄 x

@Honeybunie no idea they only call days 1 & 5 at my clinic. First round we had 7 eggs, 4 mature, 3 fertilised and 1 blast. Second round 10 eggs, 10 mature, 9 fertilised and 2 blasts. Be interesting to see what happens now but it's honestly a mystery with us as hubby has given around 4 samples over the years and they're always giving him a big pat on the pack for quality and quantity so it must be my eggs.

I think all different things can affect it but I am guilty of putting myself last, getting very stressed taking too much on, not eating well, etc so maybe it's all of that. Definitely trying to find more balance now and more chill time so hopefully that will all have an effect 🤞🏻

@seekingbabyk oh that’s great that your husband’s sperm is super. My OH’s swimmers are low in number and only 2% out of those few are normal. But that’s what the ICSI is for anyway. (Having said that he has conceived three kids nearly 20 years ago!) I really think it’s the quality of what’s inside that isn’t great anymore. I think the genetic material that’s been there since we were conceived has been affected by so many different environmental factors for like 38/45 years right. And we have both lived life to the max until now. So stuff got affected along the way. I’m thinking that might even be the case for super sperm. Those tests only tell you something about numbers and shape right. Not what’s actually going on in terms of DNA etc right. Oh well Hopefully the supplements will resolve some of these old age issues 😂 and yeah look after yourself 😊

Thanks @Honeybunie - I got my dosages from what was recommended for my situ in the book (for IVF and PCOS) but like @Tinkerbell098 said it worked out multiple vits everyday.

The ubiquinol was 400 (4 tablets), folate 400ug, vit e 134mg (1 solgar tablet) vit c 500mg (1 solgar tablet) and vit d is a couple of drops. I got one of those tablet boxes so I remembered to take them. I didn't take myoinositol but know it comes recommended. It totally gets expensive and I questioned myself majorly 😂

Ah yes @Tinkerbell098 I'm also trying to stay positive and calm till the scan. No symptoms, I feel hungry now and then but think that's just my everyday reality vs symptoms. 🙈

Ha ha I asked about a blood test twice and they maintained that they don't do one. That I should wait till the scan. Fingers crossed I get to that milestone🤞🏼

Thanks @seekingbabyk - hope the vitamins make a difference 💪🏼 it's easy to take too much on and get stressed. I do it too, and only picked up my exercise a couple of months ago. It's hard, be easy on yourself. You're doing really great!

Yes me too @Imisscoffee2021 I'd have preferred a blood test too. 😅

Had a FRER delivery just a couple of hours ago and I had saved my FMU from today as I had run out of tests and wanted to get an idea of what my levels would be for tomorrows blood test. Got a dye stealer! First I thought something was wrong with the test. Was so surprised to see and also feeling very reassured 😊

Awwww thanks @MinBins

Wow that's amazing @Tinkerbell098 - I thought you had bad news then seeing the one line at a first glance then read your message! You must feel so reassured from that!!

A beautiful dye stealer @Tinkerbell098 !!

@seekingbabyk i know what you mean. I let it run whilst getting dressed and when I had a look, I panicked, then thought something was wrong with the test and then realised it was a dye stealer. Had never seen one in real life so had no idea!

Woohoo @Tinkerbell098 - that's super positive!

@Imisscoffee2021 Aww 🥰 you scan. I’m so pleased for you! I second what honeybunie said. It really does give us all hope!

@Tinkerbell098 Yay!! Hope bloods confirm right levels tomorrow

@MinBins that’s great news!

@Honeybunie I’m so silly, I spoke to the doctor and completely forgot to ask about l-arginine. I started taking 2 a day 2 days ago 🙈 so not much time for it to work but I think I’m going to keep taking it until my scan to check my lining.

I completely agree - having something to look forward to is so nice.

I too have read it starts with an egg. Let me know if you want me to find her website with supplement recommendations. If it helps, I’ve been taking: pregnacare multivitamin, zita west coenzyme, solgar vitamin e 134mg, solgar vitamin d (4000IU).

You’re right, those tests don’t tell you about the genetic material unless you pay extra to have them done.

I’m stuck with deciding what to do with my days off that I need to take before the end of March. I’d like to plan a trip to see some friends who are a 4 hour drive away and potentially a weekend away with another group of friends within the country. However my fear is not knowing where I will be in my FET journey. If my lining is not thick enough at the end of the month, they’ll add patches.

Have any of you done any long distance driving after your transfers/after you got a positive test?

@Honeybunie i forgot to mention I am also taking additional folate (solgar as metfolin 400mcg). She recommends it in the book for egg quality. If you can get bloods on the nhs to check your levels, that might help you decide how much to take of what

@Tinkerbell098 good luck today with your blood tests x

@seekingbabyk thank you ❤️ I’ll
let you girls know the result🤞

@Spin101 I haven't done a four hour long journey, but I did go away to Cotswold two days after transfer, which was just under a 2 hour drive. If you are going to do it, I'd say take a break half way and walk around a bit, stretch your legs etc as my acupuncturist told me to keep the blood flowing in the hip area. As I work from home, I sit in front of the laptop pretty much all day, so I made sure I move every couple of hours per her advice. Lots of people go abroad for IVF and fly back after transfer, so I don't think travelling is an issue, but also perhaps ask your clinic for advice?

Good luck today @Tinkerbell098!

Best of luck today @Tinkerbell098 ! X

@Tinkerbell098 thank you, that’s really helpful. I’ll also check with the clinic as you mentioned. I’m the same, I work from home. I am definitely a lot more sedentary - I TRY to get out for a walk most days but I rarely get 10k steps in. Did you see your acupuncturist regularly pre transfer? I tried it pre stimulations and really wanted to enjoy it. I started getting weird twinges from the needles in my hand so stopped going. Wondering if I gave up too soon (after 6 sessions). Did you do any other forms of exercise? Let us know how today goes x

@Spin101 I've seen the acupuncturist since start of last year when we were TTC and nothing was working. I had regular sessions, possibly every 6 weeks-ish. During IVF, I saw her twice (during stims and on transfer day). Can't say if it helped for sure, but I do feel relaxed after every session, so that was a plus. During the TWW I took the dog out for a walk every day to keep things moving. Pre IVF I used to swim regularly and did up to transfer day. I was told not to swim since transfer (no idea why!) so have stopped now. I wanted to check with the clinic if it's ok to resume now as I miss it. It may have been because of risk of infection, I'm not sure.

@MinBins @Imisscoffee2021 thanks :)

@Tinkerbell098 I think it's due to risk of infection with swimming, as I had to stop some swim classes in the run up to IVF.

@Honeybunie I also did peloton mainly before IVF but basically have been walking since IVF, which isn't great considering it rains 90% of the time where I am 😂 I also used to jog before but heard it wasn't good for the lining. Not sure if it's true or a google search myth. 😅

Girls I'm over the moon. My levels from this morning are 11,602!!! I'm 5+3 today. Nurse said at high levels like these, there is no point in doing 48 hr bloods as levels stop doubling after a certain threshold, around 6,000 ish. Has anyone heard that before? She booked me in for a scan in two weeks time. I'm so surprised I have zero symptoms with so much hCG in the system!

@Tinkerbell098 wow that's amazing news! Might have two in there 🙊 so so happy for you and yes that's weird you have no symptoms!x