IVF/ICSI/FET May 2023

[Sj2505]

Hi, I don't think there's a thread for May, not that I could find anyway.

I've just started Norethisterone to bring on AF ready for my FET. I had my ICSI cycle in Feb but was high risk for OHSS, so after retrieving 24 eggs, this clinic decided to freeze all.
Luckily, because I ended up very unwell with OHSS for around 6 weeks and ended up in hospital for a little while!

But I've recovered and soooo ready for my embabies! We're aiming for transfer week commencing 22nd May unless AF comes earlier than planned then it might be the week before. It's likely as I'm on CD46 with all the signs of imminent AF 🤞🏼

If anyone else is cycling in May please feel free to share the journey ✨

@Sunflower360 Thankee! :)

@Jcl22 I don't think that's ridiculous at all! Has AF appeared yet?

@Sunflower360 I didn't have any noticeable symptoms either.

@FlapJackered yay for starting stims!! How did you find it last night? I did mine at 8pm.

@TheBirdintheCave good luck for EC!! Hope it goes well.

I have a scan tomorrow as I've been flitting between spotting, very light bleeding and stopping all together 🤯 hopefully my liking will be thin anyway so I can start!

I'm awake now :) Was a good sleep. Now I have tea and biscuits.

@TheBirdintheCave glad it went ok! Do you know how many eggs they collected yet?

Hi folks,

good luck everyone with EC and stims! Hoping for a good week for all. 😊

Ive been away for a couple of days climbing and sea swimming before starting stims hopefully later this week, and it has been very helpful for getting my mind off everything! I’m not looking forward to not being able to be very active, as physical activity is a real outlet for me mentally!

meds have been delivered this morning and all appears to be in ordered, so now just twiddling thumbs and waiting for CD1 to make an appearance!

Only got 25 eggs from 44 follicles so I'm feeling a bit shit about it. Obvs no idea how many are mature and then it gets cut down even more in terms of how many fertilise and how many are still going at day five.

Hi to all in this thread.

@Caubabatko I am also in czech republic, very happy with my clinic here in Olomouc. hope your cycle is going well.

Iv had 3 IVF cycles, this is my 2nd in Czech.
1st IVF one embryo transferred, no spare, ended in early miscarriage.
2nd IVF - only 2 immature eggs.
This 3rd IVF- On day 8 of Gonal F, had down regulation also. Scan today only had 6 follicles on left, none on right. Which is strange as had a few last couple of times on the right. But I think my right ovary has been damaged by endometriosis.
Hoping and praying for the 6 follicles. Don't think can go through another full IVF cycle, emotionally or physically. Have had terrible joint pain, side effect of the decapatyl down reg injection.
@Sj2505 good luck with scan tomorrow.
@TheBirdintheCave hoping you had a good result with egg collection.
@Sunflower360 you mentioned you had 4 follicles, I have 6. but 4 follicles could give 4 good eggs ,fingers crossed.

Wishing everyone good luck. It is nice to be a part of this May group for support. xxx

Thanks @kingster1 wish you luck too. Fingers crossed I have quality eggs at least as my numbers will be low

Hi @Sj2505 sorry I went quiet, I finished stims then EC on Friday and I'm back in the UK, back to work😁

@kingster1, glad to see another fellow Czech cycler! My clinic is in Brno.
I've learned so much about the process and some Czech in this trip, I hope you are making the best of your stay too.

@Quickdraw23
I had been dreading self-injection but now I know the pre-filled pens are actually very gentle - individual syringes had thicker needles and hurt a little more, but taking a deep breath helped. One thing I will defo do next time if I need to go through this again, is to use an ice pack to make the injection site numb prior.

So my follicles went from initial 4 developing ones to 8, eventually 9 retrieved.
5x c-IVF & 4x ICSI -> 3 and 3 on Day 3 (yesterday).
Was on a short antagonist protocol, Pergoveris for 7-8 days, Ganirelix for 3, then two triggers (Diphereline and Ovitrelle).
We'll know the results of the extended cultivation tomorrow - hoping for the best!

@Caubabatko we flew into Brno and spent Sunday there. Lovely city. The cathedral is beautiful. Czech has such an IVf tourism. I'm in a clinic an hour outside brno, in Olomouc.
@TheBirdintheCave 25 eggs is amazing, even with a drop out you have good numbers. I only have 6 follicles, but hoping the get 4-5 mature eggs and 3-4 good quality embryos. My consultant was positive about my 6 little follicles. X

@Sj2505 still no AF and tested this morning - the test couldn’t have been more negative. I think I just have to accept what clinic have told me and that drugs from failed cycle really messes with next natural period. Just frustrating as waiting for AF to start so can get drugs etc to go again this cycle. Back to wishing for AF to arrive which feels so alien after 2 years of praying it wouldn’t come every month 🙄 hope everything goes well with scan tomorrow for you!

@TheBirdintheCave i know it can feel disappointing not getting what you expected but that’s still an amazing number of eggs! Keeping everything crossed for you they progress well

Hello everyone, hope you are all well. Is it too late to join? I will be starting my next round once AF makes an appearance - in about a week or so. Hoping to be able to do a transfer this round. Have 3 embryos in the freezer

@Sunflower360 I am doing mild ivf with Create so feel free to ask any questions!

@Quickdraw23 glad you've had a nice time away and now ready and waiting for AF!

@TheBirdintheCave that's amazing!
My first round in 2014, I got 12 eggs and ended up have a good quality day 3 transfer and having my son.
This time I got 24 eggs, 17 were mature enough for ICSI, 10 fertilised, 10 on day 3 and then 4 excellent quality embryos were frozen on day 5. So we went from 24 to 4, which I was so happy with because now we have 4 chances 🙂

@kingster1 welcome! Fingers crossed for 3rd time lucky! I'm pleased they're positive about your 6, they are the experts after all ☺️

@Caubabatko that's great news! I'm pleased you're doing well. When are you looking at transfer?

@Jcl22 maybe that's why my period isn't playing ball. It's my first one after withdrawal bleed post EC. I hope you get AF soon. Do you have signs it's on its way?

@LF82 welcome! I think we've been on a thread together before ☺️ best of luck with this round! Hope AF arrives soon for you!

@kingster1 Unfortunately we've had two miscarriages in the last year so I'm convinced my eggs are garbage quality 😂

@Sj2505 This is my fear, that we'll only be left with a few if any :/

@Sj2505 I think we have! I really, really find these so helpful whilst in the run up & during an ivf round. No one else quite understands what IVF is like x

I’m 5dp5ft transfer and tested this morning and it was negative. Have tested this evening and have this on a test. It does have colour in real life too.

@Infertilitylife I see that! :)

@TheBirdintheCave great egg numbers! Fingers crossed it all works out, with those numbers hopefully you'll have some great quality embryos. @Infertilitylife line is there for sure!

Hi @LF82 👋 Sounds like it is all going well, and wish you luck for this next cycle/transfer too. Thanks for letting me know that you're with Create, I am already planning what I may do if this cycle does not work out for me 🙈 Kind of feel time is of the essence.

I am on a high dose of stims on short protocol at the moment and am prepared for it not working with my low AMH/AFC ...but am giving it a go as a starting point. How have you found Create? If you don't mind me asking what are your circumstances that led to Create (like AMH, age etc).

My AMH was 6 pmol late last year, AFC is around 4 last time I had a scan and age is 37.

Sorry loads of questions 😅

@Sunflower360 I doubt it as my eggs are garbage quality but thanks.

@Sunflower360 no problems - ask whatever you like. I am 40, started at Create in Jan (privately as didn’t have time to wait for NHS referral). Randomly they never gave me my AMH levels or if they did I have completely forgotten. Either way on my consultation scan I had 5-6 follicles on each side so not loads.

We had icsi with mild ivf. I generally really liked the ethos at the clinic - quality not quantity is their mantra. Also I didn’t have to do any de- regulation so was able to start quickly. The volume of stims is much less than conventional ivf. So it’s a lot more gentle on you- still have injections obviously but from what I can tell reading other people’s stories no where near that many on conventional ivf.

Idea is you will get a few eggs a round - they don’t aim for more. Also benefits of less risk of Ohss. All my scans in previous rounds have been with a doctor and a nurse which I like. We went with a 3 round treatment of egg collection and then transfer on 3rd round - basically idea was I would have bank of embryos before I got much older and then do a transfer
my next round is my 3rd one & hopeful to do a transfer this time

generally I have been pleased with them
so far but I guess this round is the important one!

honestly ask anything you want x

@Sj2505 thanks! Great to read of your top blasts. Everything crossed for you 😊

@Caubabatko yes I’ve had a good poke through everything and feeling better about it generally. I’m lucky that I don’t have an issue with jabs, and I work in a health profession. I don’t give injections in my role but I do deal with a lot of blood and wounds and stuff so I’m hoping that will be helpful. I must be so difficult for folk who struggle with injections generally 😥 I was relieved to see the progesterone pessaries are actually quite small - the nurse described them as being like a tampon and I’d been picturing a tampax jumbo situation 🤦🏼

@TheBirdintheCave good luck, 25 sounds super promising, really hope you get a good outcome in a few days time.

@LF82 good luck with your transfer! I’m doing mild with abc, create’s sister org. I hope you’ve found them good so far.

@Infertilitylife definitely see the line there, how exciting!

@TheBirdintheCave sorry about your losses! Fingers crossed for excellent egg/sperm mingling tonight!!

@LF82 me too! Such a lovely community too.

@Infertilitylife wow, that looks very promising!! Maybe try not to test tomorrow and test again 7dpt for better line progression comparison 👀 can't wait to hear more 🤞🏼✨

Thanks @LF82 that was really helpful! Sounds like you have a good AFC. Mine is quite low as it was around 4 overall (both sides). Have you done back to back cycles without a break? That was what I was hoping for, to bank what I could and then transfer (if we had a viable embryo to do so).

I am not sure of the difference between mild IVF and natural modified, so I suppose we would just go with consultatants advice on that if it comes to it.

Sorry if this is a bit private, but what were the costings all in for the 3 cycle package? I can see the prices exclude meds, and they have these additional care packages as well as genetic testing.