IVF March 2023

[Katie12444]

Wanted to start a group for those who are due to start treatment in March.

@EasterBunny7 @amoobaa @nizo1245 hello!

I send out wishes to everyone here for success on their journeys.

Ivf is a blessing that it exists at all, but also an inferno of hope and loss and it is not an easy path at all. I don't know about anyone else but also I haven't told everyone so it's quite a lonely journey too, outside of me and my partner.

France is really great. The process is fast and efficient and you get four rounds for free. I have three eggs left in the freezer, fingers crossed !

What is the process like in UK?

Wow ladies what a journeys.. hopefully we all have success. Its so difficult with no guarantees. Im in the US so arranging everything with insurance is such a hassle!

Just had my sonohysterogram Monday, all was good.. but my blood results came back with high prolactin.. need to do a redraw tomorrow but if its still to high they are cancelling my whole cycle 😱 super nervous!!

anyone had a similar situation?

@Irisjj hey, I had a whole thing with prolactin. Mine was around 1200. Turned out it was due to anxiety and my levels were actually completely normal. Do you have any symptoms of high prolactin? If you don’t, it might be worth seeing if you can get a cannulated prolactin test which effectively removes the anxiety element. That was what confirmed it for me. If it actually high, I think it’s pretty straightforward to resolve and they can put you on medication to lower it. X

@Katie12444 thats good to know Katie! Im glad it went down for you. Mine was 54 but the doc said it was way too high, looking at the range the max allowed is 23 so doesn’t seem too bad then! I exercised the night before my last blooddraw.. taking it easy this morning and then will go for another draw, thanks for your explanation its reassuring!! Xoxo
i dont have any symptoms aside from headaches but I think they are more hormonal/stress related!

Hi lovelies, I hope everyone is doing ok, this ride is a rollercoaster that ain't always fun.

My donor embryo clinic has been dithering and wasn't sure they had a perfect match for my phenotype. Meanwhile I was asking, hey, I need my script for decapeptyl as I know it will take time to get hold of. Eight days later I had to ask again as it was dec-day and she finally said, oh, we found a 3/4 match, is that ok, and here's your script. Honestly I don't care if my kid has different hair or eye colour to me, I just wish they understood that in the UK it can be such a convoluted process to get a private prescription!

In the end I was very lucky that my local GP agreed to convert it from a Spanish script to a UK one within 24 hours, and the injection cost me £84. But this is life when you don't qualify for IVF in the UK.

My period should arrive in the next few days and then touch wood smooth sailing to my uterine thickness scan 👌

Hello ladies I hope it's ok to join you. I doubt we will be starting treatment in March to be honest but I have no idea - we have our first consultation next week and I really don't know what to expect. We've had initial tests via the GP and mine seem all fine (bloods and scan) but OH has extremely low sperm count (3 immotile sperm on 2nd test). His bloods have come back normal. GP won't refer him to urology, saying this will be done via the fertility clinic, is that right?? We are going through NHS for now but a little worried about timescales as I'm now 36 and I feel like it's taken so long to even get this far 😕
If anyone is able to share some insight into what we should expect next week and any further suggestions I'd be really grateful 🙏🏻
Wishing a lot of success to all of you

@Magix86 hey! Your situation is really similar to how ours was: male infertility too. I remember all the worry and anxiety of that time: finding out and not knowing what was coming next. Hang in there!

It's good that you have found out the issue and that they can move forward with the treatment. I guess it's good they didn't find anything in your bloods?

Joining you all too. Confirmed yesterday that I can have another natural modified FET in March, period due around the 6th so transfer should be around the 24th ish. I had an unsuccessful round in Jan this year, trying for #2. Had an unsuccessful fresh round in March 2021 but followed up with a successful frozen in May that year.

Feeling fortunate that we've got more frosties to try, but feeling more pressure on this round as everyone said 'oh it worked second try last time' after our Jan cycle failed. I know they are just trying to be nice but it's backfired slightly.

Will catch up on the whole thread this evening!

@Cookiecrush thank you for the kind words 🙂 do you mind me asking how long it took for you to start treatment after finding out the issues? I understand you're in France so obviously might be a lot different!
Any advice on what might happen at our first consultation? Will they do any tests there and then, or will it just be mainly a conversation?
Great to hear you have 3 in the freezer!! 😃
@Stopthatnoisemummy hello 👋🏻 I feel you - I think it's really hard when people think they are saying something helpful but it actually puts more pressure on you!

Hi, can I join you all? Waiting for my period, haven't ovulated yet so still a minimum of two weeks away, but then we are ready to get going with a FET. So I think transfer should end up being mid/late March?

Hi @MaybeBabyTwo sounds like we will be on similar timings for our cycle. The constant waiting drives me up the wall!

@Magix86 I had my consultation half of January, they mainly talked about how the process would go and what the options are (e.g. ICSI or normal fertilization). We had to sign a bunch of papers.
In the US they first dit a month of tests and birth control. I waited for my period and then did a sonohysterogram last week + bloodwork. Which resulted in a finding of an abnormal level - so need to do an MRI and add medication before we could do a transfer.

Im waiting now on my cycle day 21 appointment end of February for another check if the birth control suppressed my ovulation and then need to wait for my period to start with the stimulation medication beginning of march and then hopefully half of March the retrieval.

Hopefully they can give you some timelines - its such a long wait to be in the middle of not knowing..

@Katie12444 my levels were lower my second draw, but still above the margin.. so I need to start taking meds + do an MRI to make sure all is good.. I don't have clinical symptoms, but the doc said: we rather overtreat then undertreat - not sure if Im a fan of that motto since there is just sooo many meds..

Hi @Irisjj thank you so much for your reply, that's incredibly helpful. Sorry you've been delayed by the abnormal result although the end of February is nearly here! Hope that time goes quickly for you. From January to March seems quite quick so that's reassuring. I hope ours will be just as quick! I'm expecting us to need ICSI from looking at OH sperm analysis 😕 it really is the unknown and the uncertainty that causes a lot of anxiety isn't it. As well as worrying about age too - I'm 36 now so really keen to get things moving as quickly as possible.

@Irisjj that sounds like a good plan. Have you had an MRI before?

@Magix86 It totally get that, for us they decide on the day of the egg retrieval if it is going to be normal fertilization or ICSI, so far my husband his samples have been good - but you never know. I hope it goes smooth for you as well. I think it depends as well on how many ppl are currently in the cycle. I know my friends in the Netherlands had to wait 2-3 months before they could start. But make sure to ask them.. they are pretty vague.

And also ask if they are doing a fresh transfer vs frozen.. in that case it takes longer - we get a frozen one bc they are going to test my embryo's. So its first a retrieval and then waiting 1-2 months before we can do a transfer.

@Katie12444 no.. never before, my husband works in oncology and also doesnt think it is something but we'll just make sure to check it anyways - I think its mostly stress that is causing higher levels so also trying to take it a bit slower at work + some personal stuff.
Are you still planned to start stimulation beginning of March? We might start at the same time then... exciting!

@Irisjj its good to get it checked. I had one too. Recommend bringing an eye mask to wear during the mri, made me feel a little calmer. Yes still due to start stims around second week of March. Ahhh that is exciting 😊

@Magix86 I honestly can't remember what happened and what order things happened in. For advice, be mind to yourself and do things outside of the ivf that will make you feel good !!

I ovulated yesterday 🥳 which for me means that period is 13 days away and we can finally get going! Job today is to ring the clinic to get meds sent to me, they were waiting on some blood test results.

Does anyone else find the admin involved all so exhausting? I honestly find it so draining, trying to find time to ring in a busy day.

@MaybeBabyTwo yay! One step closer.
I know right the admin is soo much work to get all the meds.. Ive been arranging so much in the past weeks - hopefully get all my meds on Friday and then next week my CD 21 appointment + MRI..

Good luck, hopefully everything goes smooth with ordering meds!

@Magix86 sounds like we're at a similar to point to you! We've had a health and fertility wellbeing check, but have got our first proper consultation next week - interested to know how yours goes and what we can expect!

Hi @FieldView that's great! How were the initial checks? Our consultation is in 2 days eek 😬 I will update you after and let u know how it went! Hopefully they will give us clear info on moving forwards and what to expect on timeframes

@Magix86 Initial checks are all ok on my side, but a bit wonky on DH's - nothing drastic but have been recommended ICSI (just in case). Also turning 36 next month so keen to get a wiggle on with it all!

@MaybeBabyTwo one step closer 😀

@Magix86 hope your appt goes well tomorrow

@MaybeBabyTwo one step closer 😀

@Magix86 hope your appt goes well tomorrow

Hi @Magix86, how did your appointment go today? I hope it went well!