IVF/ICSI June 2023

[countrypunk]

Hello, I'm starting a June thread for IVFers - I couldn't see one on the board. Please join!

I'm 39 and this will be our second round. The first round in November resulted in 2 blastocysts from 10 eggs. First transfer failed, got pregnant from the second transfer but miscarried at 9.5 weeks at the beginning of April.

Now raring to go again!

@countrypunk good luck with the next cycle! Are you doing another egg collection or just Fet?

I'm very excited but dreading all the hormones. I struggle with hormone issues anyway and work as a nurse so will be intense trying to work through all the side effects!

Interested re the exercise advice I had no idea either! An excuse to avoid the gym though 🤣

@ttcsolomumtobe good luck! I can't give much advice yet as new to ivf but general life advice would be that mental health likely has more of an impact on fertility than avoiding exercise. I'd imagine vigorous exercise is what you need to avoid. What about yoga? Xx

@badassmum22 sorry can't recommend any clinics however I tested about your implantation issues as I think those are my issues too. Did you have an autoimmune protocol?

Hey, thanks for the reply.

Yea, after my 3 failed IUIs I had to take 5 months out just to live a bit and not feel so restricted and work through how I felt in the fact that IUI didn't work. Think I was just so hopeful and my infertility is due to being single, there's not medical factors they can see but IVF may reveal this if so.

Re exercise I understand it's the vigorous classes or movements due to ovaries possibly twisting and think after egg collection till OTD the no swimming is due to infection. I believe you can do today but strangely I find that an even harder with out than Zumba/boxfit 🤣 end up so sweat, also think there is a few yoga/pilates movements that have to be avoided aswell. Doing IVF in summer so atleast I can go out walking xx

@Lucylocket27 Thank you for sharing this. My heavy sedation went fine for my ec at CRGH. But it was useful to have heard your experience (though sorry you went through it) as I was able to ask the anesthetist extra questions. How are you processing it, no worries if you don't want to get back over it! Just wanted to say thanks and check in.

Hi @Kjaj87
I haven't heard of Antagonist either, but then this is my first experience of IVF! What a funny name and I thought Gonasi, my trigger injection was a bit funny! Supplements wise the popular ones are Q10 coenzyme, Folic acid (extra strength), Vitamin D (extra strength). I also take Omega 3 fish oil, don't know why (clinic recommended it) 😂 And DHEA. DHEA is the most controversial I think - best to search out threads about it on here. It's not that it's harmful, just that it is pretty strong I think.... I have been taking it, again on the recommendation of the clinic (but I am old fertility wise at 45yrs old) but perhpas ask your clinic what they think about that?

@b0zza1
I'm just trying to be calm when I think about it. I was a bit anxious to begin with as everything involved with this seems to be painful (I had an excruciating HSG some months ago too) but it does feel a bit like constant dismissal of pain caused by gynaecological procedures, or a bit like 'well, this is how it is so deal with it'. When I told the clinic I was told 'maybe you just have a very low pain threshold'. Which I don't believe to be the case since I shouldn't have felt anything.

Hi,

About to start a whole new 2nd cycle after a failed fresh transfer (no embryos to freeze) and wondered what people’s thoughts are on fresh and frozen transfers. I keep reading success rates for frozen transfers are so much higher than fresh. If we get to that stage this time I’m wondering if it’s worth not having a fresh transfer and asking for frozen? I automatically want to go fresh because it means it would all happen sooner but the success rates of frozen just play on my mind!

Hi all, I hope you don't mind if I join in? I have just started my 3rd round of IVF (short protocol) starting off firstly on the pill / withdrawal bleed then I go for my scan 26th June and start meds. Egg collection planned w/c 10th July 🤞🏼

My question mainly is how you are all dealing with work through your journeys? Previously I was in a job which was very supportive. However this is a new job, I have told them about the ivf due to travel requirements and they have moved things around to accommodate scans etc and are allowing me time to attend appointments. However I am very nervous for the TWW. Previously I have had 3 transfers, but bled early and ended up being chemical pregnancies. This is our "last" round as I don't think emotionally either of us can go through this again if it doesn't work.
My week back after egg collection is hectic with client visits and very long days, work have already accommodated so much I feel I am running out of "wiggle" room.
Do I bite the bullet and put in a 2 week sick note from transfer so I am not stressed and then don't mess them about to much cancelling appointments last minute OR do I try ans keep as busy as possible to keep my mind occupied and try as best I can to keep work happy.
(I know nobody can answer that for me!) but just wondered what all you other troopers are doing or have done previously ?

Thanks ! Wishing you all well on your journey!

Hi @Lucylocket27
Yes! I have had two egg collections previously, I would describe my first as something fairly barbaric. It was awful I was absolutely high as a kite from the sedation / gas and air but I felt everything to the point I bit on the gas and air tube and broke my front tooth. I have heard it's more painful for those with a larger egg count ?!
The second time they gave me extra sedation and also gave me iv paracetamol along with the fentanyl they give. That was certainly better as I was terrified going into it. But I was still alert and still painful but not as bad. I felt really sickly after due to the additional drugs.
I am now going for my third round at a different clinic and they have said I can further up my sedation again and also they will give me anti sickness meds. So I feel slightly better about that!

So I do feel your pain ! But please be assured if you ever have to go through this again there are alternatives to the pain meds (praying you do not have to though 🍀)
X

@Lauralozzle thanks for the info re AOA!

@Ladyluck001 hope the natural FET will work well for you. So you this is your second transfer from this cycle? And you had a fresh one after EC? Did you say you had 7 blastocysts? Did you only have 2 embryos to transfer? I tried a natural FET for my second embryo in my first cycle. We could not pinpoint my ovulation day, as the test sticks were wrong, so had to abandon. Hope it'll work swimmingly for you!

Hi @Chickencrazy3356 sounds like we're quite close with your current cycle. I had my baseline scan on 30 May and started stims on 31. Uurrgghhh 4 injections a day sounds like a lot. hope your belly is coping okay. an abdonimal EC? sounds like quite the procedure? Glad to hear you alredy have 4 follicles showing! How are you feeling at the moment then? I think your body will tell you when you need to stop or slow down. I felt my ovaries twinging and growing a lot on Sunday and Monday, now it's calmed down again and I'm worried they might not have grown lol, but sure they'll be fine. I remember in my last cylce the last two days or so I could not walk fast anymore as I felt so heavy down there, bloated and swollen, I couldn't stand any vibration from just walking. and i could not wait to get rid of them by the day EC had arrived. I'm already walking a bit slower now too to guard my load lol but I'm still okay. I'd defo avoid anything strenuous at this stage. don't want any torsions. I have a scan tomorrow to see how many have grown. fingers crossed. Then hopefully EC on Monday.

Hi @ttcsolomumtobe it's a tricky one trying to keep yourself busy during this time isn't it. In my last round I wasn't busy at all and like you just sat at home. in hindsight it was quite isolating. it was lovely warm weather and everybody else was doing things. I was also not busy in work. This time around I'm still busy in work, which i have to say distracts me very well. Last time i had too much time on my hand worrying and thinking about it and googling. Now I'm busy working and the IVF is just running parallel to my life, it feels a lot healthier. Luckily I have no side effects from the injections and i sleep like a baby, so i'm in quite a good mood at the moment and time is flying :) I've also gone quite to town preparing for the IVF this time. OH and I cut out coffee and replaced with green tea for 5 months now. We've taken a lot of supplements. Tried to minimise plastic exposure as much as possible, e.g., not drinking from plastic bottles or eating out of plastic containers etc. i recently made my own deodorant to avoid chemicals on my skin (it does not work that well, but it'll do for now lol), replaced dry shampoo (i read it's cancerous) with corn flour lol. cut out shellac nails (I miss them 😩). etc. So really gone crazy with it, so it'll be interesting to see if we have better quality embryos because of it 🍀and yes you're not allowed to wear anything perfumy on the day of the EC. it affects the embryos in the lab.

@MAbbott34 exciting! when are you starting your stims then? hope you won't suffer too much from the hormones!

@b0zza1 haha yes i agree gonasi is a funny/studip name. I always thought that.

Hi @Jcl22 yeah I was wondering about that too. But i think at the end of the day i go by what my clinic recommends. I had a fresh transfer last time, and it did not work. I know the stats are better for FETs. I also wondered if we should have saved my best graded embryo for an FET.. but then i guess it could have worked. you just don't know. and then when you freeze, there is an 80% chance they might not defrost well and not make it. So i just take it how it comes and they make the decisions for me. We're doing the same again this time. a fresh transfer, and hopefully more than just one embryo in the freezer for FETs later 🍀

In terms of supplements what I'm taking at the moment:

• 800mg methylfolate (the easily absorbable form of folate)
• 400mg CoQ10 (ubiquinol, not ubiqinone, again it's easier to absorb)
• 200mg R-alpha lipoic acid
• 600mg N-acetylcysteine
• 200IU Vit E
• 1000mg Vit C
• Vit A
• Vit D (not on sunny days though)
• Zinc
• Selenium
• Myoinositol (recommended by my clinic)
• 880mg DHA (in Omega 3 capsules)

OH:

• Impryl (combi pill which contains methylfolate and zinc)
• Vit A
• Vit E
• Vit C
• Vit D (not on sunny days though)
• 200mg R-alpha lipoic acid
• 200mg CoQ10 (ubiquinol)
• 1,000mg L-carnitine

@Honeybunie thats a good way to do things, let clinic decide! I’m the same as you and had a failed fresh with nothing to freeze last time round and this time both of us have been on supplements for 4 months and both totally cut down on caffeine so hoping we see a better result. We are also using AOA this time round which I really hope makes a difference to us but read alot of mixed reviews just have to hope for the best.

I start norethisterone on 17th June and stims on 2nd July and just really anxious about it all can’t stop thinking it’ll end up the same as first cycle really need to get out of this headspace! I’m also in a bit of a bad place as my husbands cousin who was on similar timeline as me last cycle had her frozen transfer this week and I just have a feeling it’ll work for them first time. I would be delighted for them but know I’m going to struggle a lot being around them just feeling sad for myself and my husband. Really need to remind myself we are on our own path but so difficult not to compare especially when someone close to you :(

@Jcl22 sooo curious to see if the supplements make a difference! fingers crossed for both of us! God I had a really bad time on norethisterone this times around. have you had this too in the past? Yeah it can really mess up your head when you had a disappointing experience can't it. you go through all this and haven't got much to show for and need to do it again. It feels just so unfair. i totally get it. esp when you have someone close to you and then you feel like they overtake you and you're left behind. I've felt like that a lot in the past. it's hard to detach yourself from others. I think it's just time that helps to get over things unfortunately. Like i have so many friends that had babies since we started trying, and it made me so sad. i feel a lot better these days, i think because time has passed and I made my peace with it. and if i feel like someone is not good for me (like someone who knows what we're going through and yet is not very sensitive in what they say or do) then i just cut them out as best as I can to protect myself. Life is too short. and i did counseling in my clinic during my first cycle. the best advice they gave me is that i am allowed to feel whatever i feel and it is okay. like when you feel jealous of someone else and then you feel bad for feeling jealous. beating yourself up on top of everything else. but it's totally fine to feel jealous and whatever else you feel. and my strategy is if a situation or someone is getting too much for me then i just distance myself.

@mrsbttc i also had a lot of pain in my egg collection and was so aware of it all. Im glad to hear your 2nd experience was better and what they did different, makes me feel a LOT better about having to try again if i do. So thank you for that info
That is if i cant just get GA next time, i will ask for more drugs

@mrsbttc mmhh sounds like a tricky one re work. I can totally understand your thinking and preparing yourself. Can you not explain to them what might happen and you might have to take time off or cancel appointments? But carry on working to keep yourself busy? It might work this time you never know.

@Honeybunie yeah really hope it makes a difference all these supplements and lifestyle changes for us both!! I had norethisterone last time and touch wood was ok on them! Hopefully same again.

Thanks so much for replying to all my worries, that’s really great advice. I appreciate it so much as I really am having a very hard time with it all just now. you’ve hit the nail on the head about feeling left behind, I just feel like everyone around me is moving on in their lives and I’m left behind not knowing what my future holds and don’t know how to fit in to their lives all going so well. I can feel myself withdrawing already from cousin in-law and they haven’t even had a positive yet I just don’t know how to handle it all.

I’ve said this before - I wouldn’t wish this journey on anyone but find so much comfort hearing others going through similar things and just knowing I’m not alone. This forum is a total lifeline sometimes!

@Jcl22 yeah I totally understand that. You’re just protecting yourself in anticipation of what you might be faced with. But again, I think it’s totally fine to do whatever is best for you in this situation. If you feel like withdrawing a bit then I think they’d also understand your position seeing that they’ve been in the same. So don’t worry about it. Of course you’d be happy for them, it’s just a matter of how it makes you feel about yourself at this point in your life isn’t it. It just reminds you of what you couldn’t have so far and what you really want. It just triggers us I guess. It’s normal and yes you’re not alone. We all feel it x

@mrsbttc i can totally relate to your worries about work. I haven't even told work and I'm telling white lies to accommodate bloods and scans but it's so bloody stressful!

Like you I'm so worried about the 2ww too. It's 100% the worst part and if I start bleeding at work ill be an absolute mess. Keep ignoring it but I honestly don't know what to do! You have told work about ivf so hopefully they will give you sick leave if you aren't successful. But I agree the idea of finding out at work is horrific! I'm deciding whether to take daily pregnancy tests from day after transfer to manage my expectations (I know will be negative initially) . In the past I've been too scared to test and it's just so painful learning the result. Sorry I don't have any answers. Ivf is so hard!! X

@Jcl22 i get it with other people's success. My brother and his wife are pregnant and due in August. Its going to be so painful. I made myself buy some baby clothes for them the other day. I just can't face it and we will be in the middle of IVF on their due date. Then you have to put up with others sympathy too 😭

Sorry for my late posts, often takes a while for me to catch up. Here is the wording from the CRGH advice re exercise:

Hi @MAbbott34 no wasn't on autoimmune protocol yet but was suggested to have some investigations before next transfer (biopsy and bloods).
I am getting more and more drawn to Spanish clinics as even investigations are cheaper and deciding between Tambre, IVI or Instituto Bernabeu. Booked consultations online and will have to choose.

@badassmum22 thats interesting will you just stay there a few weeks to get everything done?

@Honeybunie oh no! I’ve heard about natural cycles being cancelled! What did you do in the end? Was it an nhs funded go that you missed out on? I’ve been using the OPK sticks this month and it’s not been great TBH so I invested in clear blue digital ones the hope that it might be more accurate next time. To be fair I was testing only once, not twice daily. But the line seemed to appear slightly, disappear then appear again very faint?

@Ladyluck001 so I had one frozen embryo from our first nhs funded cycle. It took three attempts in the end to transfer. But all attempts are covered by nhs funding aren’t they. A funded cycle ends when the last viable embryo has been transferred. So first we tried a natural FET as my cycles are very regular. My clinic requested we use clearblue digital. Apparently they’re the most accurate. And I guess you don’t have to stare at the line to see how faint or strong it is with the idiot proof flashing smilies 😂 there are two digital kits and they didn’t specify which one so I bought both. And did both every morning. But I didn’t read the info sheet properly. Each test has a different cycle day you’re meant to start testing on which I didn’t do. So when it came close to ovulation the two tests returned different results. So I used another stick from one kit and then even got a different result from the same test kit 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️ so when I went for my check up scan and told them they said we can’t pinpoint the exact ovulation day. And as I only had one frozen they didn’t want to risk it so we abandoned.
next month we started on a medicated FET cycle with the oestrogen tablets on their standard dose. When we went for the scan then they found my lining was too thin and I was in fact ovulating which the tablets should have suppressed! So had to abandon again. Started again a month later with double the dose of oestrogen tablets and managed to transfer but didn’t implant. So yeah took three months which was a shame to lose all that time but it’s a learning curve isn’t it.