IVF warriors - the journey continues 2

[Imisscoffee2021]

@Decaffe
@seekingbabyk
@MinBins
@acaciabluebell
@MammyandAva
@Spin101
@1stcycle
@KLM25
@ralno2
@acaciabluebell@Tinkerbell098

Another thread needed ladies! Please tag if I've forgotten someone! :)

@seekingbabyk glad you're better after your nap! Hope you get lots of rest over the next few days. You're a warrior for going three rounds! What are your next steps would you be waiting before you transfer? (Sorry if you've already said this!)

In terms of numbers, 21 at EC, 12 fertilised and 6 blasts in the end.

Also my Yorkshire accent comes out if I'm in the middle of an argument or feeling nervous in a presentation (it's like my comfie blankie) 😂

@MinBins haha that's really funny!

I am going to take at least a couple of cycles to recover properly. Then it just depends on the house we are buying and when we get it. I'm hoping it won't be long as there is only a chain of two so hopefully move in June time and just get everything cleaned and white washed and then look up transfer. The house is filthy at the moment so we can't move straight in but should only take a few weeks to get it liveable 🤞🏻

That's a LOT of eggs and a great number of blasts. How did you feel after your EC?

Ah that sounds lovely @seekingbabyk it'll be a like new beginnings in the new house! And June is just around the corner. It's fab when you can make it your own over time.

Ah I went into it not fully knowing what to expect, and I was pretty out of it after EC - but I'm totally grateful overall. 💖

So the clinic just called. Out of 9 collected there were 7 mature and 4 fertilised. Not great but fingers crossed this is where the supplements will kick in and more of those will make it to blast.

Over our two rounds, first round was 3 fertilised and one blast, and second was 9 fertilised and 2 blasts so hopefully we'll get at least one from this round 🤞🏻

@seekingbabyk that's still a good rate, don't be disheartened. Also, yes, the supplements will help during this stage. Keeping everything crossed for all four to make it all the way X

Thanks @Tinkerbell098 - I'll be happy with another one although two would be amazing. We have two in freezer so it would be lovely going into FETs with 3 chances

Ah don't be disheartened - keeping fingers crossed for you that they all become blasts - those are decent numbers and you have some frozen for your FET transfers. 💪🏼 @seekingbabyk

Thanks @MinBins x

@1stcycle I’m so sorry about your loss. You’ve been really strong. I hope you’re doing ok and looking forward to going away

@KLM25 It must be so disheartening to see another BFN. I’m so sorry. I’m glad to hear you’re in planning mode! Good way to keep your mind in check

@Decaffe I know 6 months feels and sounds like a really long time. I hope the surgery helps with your symptoms and maximises your chances when you try again

@Honeybunie I hope you’re having an AMAZING time in Bali!

@seekingbabyk I hope you’ve recovered post EC and I have everything crossed for more embryos for you x

Thanks @Spin101 - still in quite a bit of pain after EC. Was in tears earlier it was really bad but it's settled now. I read that 2-3 days post EC is where the follicles start filling with liquid so maybe it was to do with that!

How are you?

@seekingbabyk aww 😞 hopefully you get back to feeling yourself in no time!

I’m ok thank you. Waited 6 weeks for an NHS follow up and then was told my protocol for my next protocol will be pretty much the same as my last one. My lining was so thin, I want to try something different.

This waiting is driving me insane. I feel I should have gone private or maybe still should now so that I can get more specialised treatment for my individual circumstances.

Has anyone used access fertility?

@seekingbabyk hope you are feeling a bit better today! Have you had any updates on the embryos?

@Spin101 i used access fertility I did a 2 multi cycle which has just finished now. Not sure what we are going to do next yet!

That's really frustrating @Spin101 - remind me was your progesterone low last time? Could you ask for a second opinion?

Thanks @1stcycle - definitely not in as much pain but so bloated. Hopefully this will be the peak and it will start getting better now. No we only get a day 1 and day 5 update. Trying not to think about it tbh but can't help but wonder how they're all doing

Thanks so much @Spin101 Yes I definitely find it helpful to go into planning mode! Although I do feel a bit overwhelmed at the minute by all the different options.

We’ve just had a phone consultation with a clinic in Barcelona. Considering we didn't have to pay for it, it was extremely thorough. The consultant was English and she’d been recommended to us. Anyway, one of the things she recommended was a hysteroscopy. I had a laparoscopy last August but apparently it tests for different things like endometritis which they can treat with antibiotics. Anyway she suggested I might want to have one before the final transfer in Prague in May. I don’t think there would be enough time as I’d be starting the protocol for that around April 24th and I presume you’d have to wait a couple of weeks for results?

Has anyone ever had one? I’d have to pay for it privately. Plus I’m a bit of a wimp and I’m a bit worried about it being really painful! Of course that wouldn’t stop me if it meant we might be successful, I’m just wondering about anaesthetic options I suppose 😏 She suggested PGT testing too and a lot of other tests, which was good in a way, but also made us worry about all the expense. Lots to think about.

Hope you’re feeling a bit better today @seekingbabyk and the pain is subsiding. The things we have to go through. It’ll all be worth it x

I did access fertility multicycle @Spin101 for two cycles. I'd recommend doing the meds included option as we ended up paying for meds each time they cancelled and restarted the cycle.

@seekingbabyk aww I hope you're feeling better soon - sending hugs.

@KLM25 ah it's a tough decision - I've had a laparoscopy but not hysteroscopy. So wouldn't be able to help, but i think there are pros and cons from both aspects.

Thanks @KLM25

That's a lot of information! So if you have the op with general anaesthetic they are still happy for you to transfer that month? I would have thought they'd want you to wait a month or two to recover!

Hope you'll be feeling better soon @seekingbabyk , I remember that bloat all too well it's so uncomfortable!

@Spin101 awful you've had to wait for the exact same protocol! Is your clinic open to changes if you discuss with them? Or at least explanations of why it isn't tailored more to you after the learning from your first round?

@1stcycle thank you. I’m considering what to do next (I want to have a plan B if the next transfer doesn’t work). It’s so hard to know which access plan is right for me.

@seekingbabyk I’m going to try push for something different. I had my progesterone tested day before transfer and started lubion day of transfer. I think for me, it’s the super thin lining that’s the issue.

@KLM25 I had my hysteroscopy at the same time as my laparoscopy. I think they do the hysteroscopy under sedation if done alone so you should be ok? As I was on the NHS I had to wait 4 weeks for an appointment to find out results. You should find out quicker if you’re going privately?

@MinBins it doesn’t look like meds are included on their website. Did you do the multi cycle or refund programme?

@Imisscoffee2021 hope you’re doing well! I know, I was so annoyed! I’m going to push for something different, so hopefully can see the impact of a different protocol.

I did the multi-cycle - couldn't due the refund due to my age. I think for the multi-cycle there is the meds included option.

I think oestrogen would be given to thicken the lining, but I may be wrong! @Spin101

@seekingbabyk Hope the pains are gone now and you’re recovering well. I was in terrible pain and bloated and constipated 🙈 horrible. No day 3 update must be hard. I hope can keep yourself busy and day 5 is here for you in no time.

@KLM25 sorry I can’t remember the name of the clinic in Spain that I watched a video about. I think they specialised in repeated implantation failure. Your consultation over the phone sounds very good and promising. Generic testing would be great, but yes sooooo expensive isn’t it 🙈

@Spin101 I’m sorry to hear your clinic gave you the same protocol again! Did they at least increase your dose of oestrogen tablets? Or say anything about your lining?

I didn’t know access fertility had a meds included option. Might consider that if we have to go down that route. We’re having a great time in Bali thank you. Although I feel like it’s not a good place to come to before an IVF round in terms of trying to be healthy to improve egg and sleep quality. We tried to reduce your plastic expose but here we have to drink from plastic bottles as we can’t drink the tap water. And everything seems to be in plastic. One day a guy across the restaurant we were having lunch in started to burn a mountain of plastic rubbish 🙈 here’s us taking so many supplements and then We’re exposed to that. It was disgusting. They seem to love burning stuff. I hope it won’t have too much of a negative impact on us 🤞 apart from that OH is burned to a crisp and full of mosquito bites, I shredded my feet and hands trying to surf a reef break yesterday and we had an earthquake one night which shook the bed like crazy. Proper adventure holiday 😂

Oh @Honeybunie this isn't the idyllic chilled break I was expecting. Personally love an adventure though! That's awful about the plastic /rubbish burning. I feel like the restaurant should have been trying to stop that if their customers are eating but then if there are no laws against it there, they may not be able to do anything. Hope you have an amazing rest of your trip. When are you back?

@Spin101 - definitely keep pushing and advocating for yourself. What have they put you on as your protocol?

Finally feeling a little less bloated and painful today. That was really rough the first night. Sorry if tmi but wonder if I strained a bit trying to go to the toilet as it seemed to start after that and all of a sudden my whole abdomen just swelled up with stinging pain all over and shooting pains in my ovaries and uterus area. Never had anything like that previously!

Hope you all have lovely plans for the long weekend. I think tomorrow is meant to be the warmest day of the year so far 😎

@MinBins Yes same here, I’m starting to wish I’d asked to do both at the same time 🤦‍♀️☺️ You’re so right, so much of all this is weighing up whether things are worth the money or not, isn’t it?!

@seekingbabyk Well my current clinic have already said that they don’t think I need a hysteroscopy as nothing has shown up on an ultrasound. Plus I’m not sure the potential new clinic knew how soon I’m having the May transfer, also they probably thought I would do it without a GA 😬 I’m not too keen on that idea after some of the stuff I’ve been reading 😂
Glad you’re gradually feeling a bit better and the pain is subsiding.

@Spin101 I’m starting to wish I’d done that too! Thank you, that’s helpful to know how long the results took on the NHS. You’re right, I’d have to do it privately. Completely understand how you want to change the protocol for next time, it’s frustrating. I was on 6mg estradiol a day for my first two (first successful, second CP), it was then raised to 8mg a day because of my age apparently, and for those 3 transfers, I’ve had BFNs and my lining hasn’t been quite as thick. I’ve questioned it but they say I need it as I’m older now. I don’t know enough about it to push it any further. They have raised my progesterone meds, so I do feel happy that at least something has been altered.

@Honeybunie No worries at all. Hopefully it’s one of the clinics I’m looking into. They all seem to do a lot more testing before starting cycles, which is good I suppose but expensive like you say! I feel like I’m trying to weigh up the benefits of extra testing vs thinking that so much of this is just pure chance ☺️
I understand how you feel about the plastic etc.. They don’t show any of that in the brochures do they?! I’m sure it’s been a lovely break though and all that sunshine and vitamin D must have counterbalanced the bad stuff! Enjoy the rest of your time there and have a cocktail for me.

Hope everyone has a lovely Easter break ☀️🐣 x

@seekingbabyk glad you’re starting to feel a bit better now. Oh and happy belated birthday if I missed it as I know you said it’ll fall in between stims. Hope you had a good one amidst all this. Good luck for day 5 update today X

hope everyone’s having a nice Easter break X

Thanks @Tinkerbell098

Just had the call and none of them are blasts yet. They are keeping them all on to day 6 or 7 if they can to see what happens. Bloody gutted 😞

@seekingbabyk ah man sorry to hear they haven't quite reached blastocyst yet, are they close? Did the clinic say what exact stage they're at? Hoping you have better news tomorrow and that they've caught up xx