IVF February 2023

[HJen22]

Haven't seen a thread for February cycles so if anyone is waiting to start in the next few weeks and fancies some cycle buddies ❤️

Little about me, 34yo TCC #1. Low AFC/AMH. After two disastrous NHS cycles (NE Scotland) which resulted in no transfer, we went private and are away to start our second mild IVF cycle at Create in Manchester x

@Boofimus my clinic told me I had to wait for 13 days before testing. Xx

Utter panic mode has set in! I'm 4dp5dt and apart from the odd niggle the day after the transfer I've felt absolutely nothing since. Anyone else experienced this and gone onto have a positive test?

@SH998 don’t panic! Everybody reacts differently after transfer. Apparently no symptoms show until you have tested positive. Try and relax as this period is when the embryo will be implanting. Xxx

Hi! Do you mind if I join you? We are going through our first icsi cycle currently and had egg collection today. Had quite a few follicles on the scans which were growing well but apparently quite a lot were empty at collection. We got 6 eggs. Feeling a bit gutted! Hoping for an ok fertilisation rate when they call tomorrow. All the hormones aren’t helping with feeling super emotional, but I had expected/hoped for higher numbers.

@Billythecat welcome! Hope you are looking after yourself today after egg collection. I am a big believer in quality not quantity so will have my fingers crossed you have a good fertilisation rate x

Sending you all the posi-vibes!
I'm another one in the ICSI camp and our first cycle was similar to yours. Everybody had been making positive noises and we had something like 12 or 14 follicles on the first round, but then only 3 eggs, which I didn't really realise could happen at that point. The fertilisation rate with ICSI seems really high though so fingers crossed you get lots of lovely embryos!

Hi ladies, sorry for going quiet. We had transfer on Monday and I've been trying to stay calm since. I think until then I'd just had a 'head down and get on with it' attitude but been really struggling since. Panicked after last round resulting in MC and two friends had transfer around the same time and are both struggling too.
Also think I'm suffering with major burnout which doesn't help,I've taken this week off and it's like ive suddenly stopped and I've never been so exhausted. Had a few days pt of bad cramps. Woke up this morning feeling really sickly and shakey.
Hope everyone else is doing ok, it's such a rough ride xxx

@West8690 oh bless you, yes it is a tough process. Just be kind to yourself and do some things you enjoy. I find comedians really helpful as laughing just lifts you. Do you have counselling available with your IVF as the sessions are invaluable when you’re feeling like this. Xxx

Hi everyone, I just turned 43 and spent the last 3 years to try to conceive. I had 4 round of failed IVF, with two failed embryos transfer and one still frozen top quality, but I do not put much hope on it after the last failure. Obviously, we are not ready to give up and thinking now to move with Evewell, just had the appointment with Dr Abramov (which seems very knowledgable). However this will be our probably last one or two cycles - as the costs are a bit too much after 4 cycles - and feel very indecisive and scared to make the wrong choice now. That’s why I would ask all of you, if you have any direct experience or indirect with Evewell and Dr Abramov, and what do u think? Of if any of you are 40+ and managed successfully to conceive with IVF in any London Clinic? Thank you so much 🙏🏼

Hi everyone,

I posted right at the start of the group about my story and have been lurking in the background ever since. So here it’s goes since then. I started my meds 4th of Feb, had amazing scans with 45 follicles and had loads over line. It came to egg collection and we got 12 eggs, I was expecting more with having so many follicles but I was grateful with getting 12 as I know a lot more people are in a lot worse situation than myself. Out of the 12 eggs, 8 fertilised and they called me in for a 3 day transfer as it wasn’t looking too good for the others. Luckily on day 5 we managed to get 1 in the freezer this time so we don’t have to do the whole thing again, but it wasn’t the best of quality. My OTD was the 3rd of March but my period decided to make an appearance yesterday. So this exact same situation happen on my last round. I told the clinic my progesterone must be low as my period just came as normal despite using the pessaries 3 times a day but they just didn’t see this as an issue, now this has happened again and it’s made me so angry. We don’t have the money to keep paying for rounds and we are not fortune enough to get it on the NHS. I just don’t understand why the clinic doesn’t listen to you and i just feel like they want to take your money of you. I was suppose to get a call back from the clinic today and guess what that didn’t happen. If I didn’t have 1 in the freezer, I’d be changing clinics for sure and if this next round fails I’ll be changing for sure.

Sorry for the rant but I just needed to do it. I wish everyone luck that is currently going through it all and I’m sending you all baby dust 💫. xxx

@Brit22 I'm so sorry to hear about your journey!
I just wanted to comment to say that you can still change clinic, they can transport the embryo for you.
I hope your next round is your lucky one ✨🤞🏼

@Sj2505 Thank you 💕. I’m going to give my clinic till tomorrow to get in touch with me and if not I’m going elsewhere. As the poor communications is just causing me extra stress that I just don’t need. Xxx

@Boofimus thanks for sharing your experience- I had no idea empty follicles were a thing until now!

Got the call this morning and out of 5 mature eggs, 4 have fertilised. Hoping we get up with at least something to transfer on Monday. I think it’s the uncertainty that is so stressful! I am not expected to hear anything until Saturday, unless things go really wrong.

@Brit22 my god that is beyond frustrating… I feel so cross for you. I would absolutely consider transferring too, if you’ve lost confidence in their care you’ll always wonder what if, so important that you feel like you’re getting the best treatment and then you know you did everything. A friend of mine has just started going abroad in Spain, or in Greece and the cost is half but has been really impressed with the service. So it’s worth exploring options and giving it one last attempt if you can. Have you written a formal complaint to your current place? Wonder if you’d be due any compensation?

@StoriesAboutJanuary @Boofimus sorry for the late reply. Super interesting… it makes me feel so naive and trusting I’ve just believed that what I’ve been told is factual but just goes to show it really pays to be self informed and not just take accept what you’re told… worrying really, it’s all so confusing and complicated! My 2 week test date is in the morning so here’s to hoping my advice & plan for the right thing!!

Yep! I don’t trust everything any professional says. I know they’re super knowledgeable, but I am an individual; I’ve since learnt that a lot of professionals tend to take a ‘one size fits all’ approach. I had major input in my care plan and know everything I need because of it. So I just push for it when I feel like they’re lagging behind a bit. I feel like I have a bit of a leeway because my clinic is abroad.

Wishing you all the very best with your test this morning! 💞

This is beyond frustrating and I feel your pain! I really wish a lot of clinics here monitored Progesterone levels. Maybe you’ve seen my earlier posts, I’m a huge fan of checking. Some people done absorb Progesterone the way others would. If a clinic is going to commit to giving them to you, they should commit to testing your levels!

I had a frozen transfer and was on two pessaries of Cyclogest per day before. On the day of my transfer, my levels were 27 nmol/l which wasn’t good enough (in my opinion, based on the research I’d done). In America, during the two week wait, a lot of doctors aim for supernormal Progesterone levels for luteal phase support. These levels range from 20 - 100 ng/ml or over - this is around 63 - 318 nmol/l. I am well aware that Progesterone does not ‘make’ an embryo implant but if it is high enough, it will not be the reason why a transfer failed.

You might be best off looking into other clinics that will support you and listen to your needs. Wishing you all the best.

All my normal PMS symptoms overnight and I'm now in full catastrophe mode. 🤦‍♀️ Thought I might be more chilled this cycle as everything up to this point has been more positive but apparently not.

Hello everyone
I'm currently doing second round of mild IVF, day 5. Our two embryos from the first round didn't make it to freezing. I have a very heavy feeling that there's nothing different in this cycle, not a huge amount of follicles (2 on each ovary) and so the outcome will be the same. The only thing I could change is diet I suppose, could anyone recommend a site with recipes for example? I'm taking the usual supplements and I kind of eat okay anyway, just really want to be able to do something more. I considered fasting, detoxing, I'd go starving if it would help as I'm aware of the benefits of that when done properly but of course not recommended to stress your body like that when trying to get pregnant. If anyone has any advice it would be much appreciated!

Good luck to everyone in the tww and others in different stages of their cycles xx

@Boofimus
Sorry to hear you're feeling this way, what day are you?

6 days post 5 day transfer. So not late enough for testing 😞

@Boofimus so around the time you'd normally get your period? I guess if it's AF you'll know soon enough but imagine if it doesn't show !! :)

Something I've been trying to tell myself is that for as long as I keep getting periods, there will be hope, even after IVF rounds. So it's not over yet, you know, even if unsuccessful this round... Fingers crossed for you and stay strong xx

@Summerishere83 hope it isn’t as bad as you think - sending you positive vibes!!

i can tell you about fasting & I also just listened to a podcast that made me think differently enough to switch to organic & remove plastics etc from my kitchen, because of marginal gains - it doesn’t make a huge difference but there are positive links to diet & fertility so even a small improvement could help your chances, and this couple I listened to had their best ever round because they did 3 months prep before starting their next cycle. Worth a listen if you’re open minded

“All IVF ever wanted” episode 3 about the ‘primester’ and episode 9 about Melanie brown the fertility nutritionist. Not sure how expensive her plans are but might be worth a phone call,

I’ve been fasting on and off for years and lost lots of weight, so there’s lots of do’s and don’t, and the podcast I think that’s great for explaining the science behind your hormones is a long one - but can listen to it in chunks

“Feel better live more” by Dr Jason Fung episode 285 - skip the adverts they’re annoying!

Hi @JustBePositive

Thanks a lot for the advice! Yes, I'll definitely look these up and I'm going to take a break before the 3rd round to try to make some changes with the diet, I shouldn't have rushed into the second one but who knows, it's mostly chance/ luck etc at the end of the day anyway...

@JustBePositive
Have you noticed any improvement for yourself btw?

Hi everyone iv been following all your stories in the background since my first failed IVF last months. It's such a difficult journey , which physically and emotionally drains you. Sending big hugs and hope to everyone struggling through ivf and big congratulations to those who have had success 😘. Brit22 I feel your frustration , iv not had a good experience with complete fertility, terrible communication, coordination of care, feel helpless and frustrated. Wud definitely do more research before choosing a clinic next time. I hope you get a good outcome XX. I am about to start my 2nd IVF round but wondering if anyone over 40 with a low AMH (mine is 6) has had good success with follicle stimulation with overlap, recavelle or gonal -f?? These are the alternatives iv been offered to menopur ( which is my normal drug but there is a national shortage). Soo Grateful for any advice/ experiences as my clinic is not being helpful. Thank You xx