IVF/ICSI/FET - June 23

[Lyrabee]

Hi!

I'm going to be starting my medications ready for a FET in June. Anybody else in the same boat or starting their cycles?

I've done one round of ICSI and had a fresh transfer in March that wasn't successful but we got 5 frozen day 5 blastocysts from it. Happy to answer any questions for anyone starting their journeys :)

Hi! I’d like to join 🥰
Did ICSI in March too which ended up as a freeze all, I have 4 in the freezer and am looking to do a natural FET transfer in June (approx 4 weeks if my cycle doesn’t change!)

Hi! I’m starting my first round of IVF at the beginning of June, around the 4th/5th. Really keen to know how you both found the whole process? I’m slightly concerned as my husband is going in for a foot op and will be on crutches for most of it 😂🤦🏻‍♀️ we are getting the in-laws to look after the dogs so I don’t need to worry about walking them and then getting some good tv lined up. Excited to start but also nervous, I’ve been pregnant 4 times before but all ended in early misscarraige so hoping this additional intervention/progesterone and drugs will help

Hi @MrsF111 Any questions you have I’d be happy to answer, I know going in to start my round I just wanted to know anything and everything 🤭🤭
I was so scared of the needles as I have always had a phobia of them but they really weren’t too bad, I’m still scared of blood tests but I would definitely be able to do the ivf ones for 2 weeks again!

Hi! Please can I join?
All new to this! So my DH and I are 36 (or I will be in a month). Have a DC each from previous relationships and ae struggling to conceive our own.
We are going private on IVF, tests and scans from NHS show no issue.
I had my first appointment this week, they did a scan, amh bloods, repeat TSH so I have up to date readings and a repeat testosterone as the first bloods had it high.
Scan this week indicating

• Womb normal dimensions
• Normal uterine lining and good blood supply
• Ovaries accessibility good
• 6-7 follicles with one dominant on right
• Left has more (11) follicles but can alternate between cycles which follicles and ovary used.

I also got them to do an up to date smear as that has to be within the year and handed over DH semen analysis.
I think that's everything they need to proceed? Can anyone think of anything I'm missing?
I have my virtual consult this coming Thursday to discuss plan to proceed. But if they allow we want to start treatment immediately 😊

Does anyone know at what point in the cycle they start treatment? I am days away of ovulation on this cycle currently..

Thank you in advance! Xxx

I also have done research to get me to this point, however don't know what the process looks like when starting, like when do they need bloods? At what points? When do they need scans to measure stuff? When do you use medication etc,. Any help would be greatly appreciated xxx

@Floralsandsmiles I'm going to be starting my first IVF cycle this month too hopefully. I have a consultation on Wednesday to talk through timings and the details including the meds. I imagine it will be the same for you - your consultant will talk through your specific plan, tailored to you and depending on your results.

I don't have the info of all my meds yet, however the consultant did say that I'd need to make an appointment for an internal scan once I start my period, so I'm assuming after that scan, if everything is still okay, then the process begins!

Good luck for your first cycle.

Aww OK, hi @Lebe14 !
I thought meds were started on day 1/2 of period? Not after a scan? So confused. This appointment can't come soon enough lol xxx

@Floralsandsmiles I'm not sure yet to be fair - the consultant just said she'll talk through full plan on Weds but she mentioned the day I start my period i'd need to call them for the internal scan to check all is okay - I assume to check for cysts or anything abnormal that would mean there wouldn't be any point starting anything - and then everything would start from there. I assume it would be at that point I'd start medication to grow the follicles and then have scans every couple of days to see how they're doing (she mentioned the regular scans at my first consultation). But it probably depends what process they decide for each individual as I've read that sometimes consultants recommend to regulate a cycle before stimulating.

I'm such a newbie to this but hopefully will all become clear to both of us after our consultations x

Aww OK, I understand, I have loads to ask on my consult Thursday..
Does anyone know how may scans etc there is? Our clinic is quite far away and I'm trying to work out the frequency xxx

Hi both - clinics are all different but to clear up your queries regarding scans, I had one for initial investigations, to check I had no cysts, a good amount of follicles and lining was right for my cycle day.
Then I started ivf on next cycle, a scan on day 2/3 of period / cycle, and as long as lining is thinned enough you start stims on day 3/4, then 5 days later start a second injection to stop ovulation. During the time of doing injections through to egg collection I had scans every 2/3 days which are to count follicles and measure them and also to check lining is thickening up nicely.
Hope that helps!

Hi @HopefulHead 👋 thank you for this! After your scan of 2/3 days into your period, how long between scans every 2/3 days and egg retrieval? Say that scan on 2/3 into period was on a Monday, would it be over the next 2 weeks? With the egg retrieval hopefully being the Friday of the second week? Xxx

@Floralsandsmiles everyone is different depending how long they have to stim for and also clinics differ with how they do it but for me:
scan day 2 of my period (Friday) lining not thin enough
scan day 3 (Saturday) lining thin enough so started stims that night
scan 5 days in to stims (Wednesday) follicles growing well so then started second injection that night to stop ovulation
then I had further scans 2 days later (friday) then the following Monday, Wednesday & Friday then told to take the trigger shot on that Saturday for egg collection on the Monday. So 17 days from my day 2 scan to egg retrieval with scans every 2/3 days.

Aww OK, so it will really depend on what they see each scan then.. that's alot of traveling to this clinic which is so far away then 😒 thank you for this @HopefulHead xxx

No problem @Floralsandsmiles our clinic was an hour away so it was quite difficult going so often but we were both lucky that we have quite flexible works, I imagine it would be very hard if we didnt

Aw thanks guys! Glad there's a few of us to give each other support!

From my experience so far every clinic and every patient is so different, which is why they do many scans. I got some scans done through my insurance to start with, one to check follicles and another to check my tubes were open (worst scan ever!)

For my first round, we were away when we started the injections so I didn't get any scans until after the week of jabs then I had egg collection 2 days after. We've done ICSI, had 11 eggs retrieved, 9 were mature to use, 7 made it through first night and 6 made it to day 5. My clinic will only transfer one at a time at the moment.

For timelines, I had 3 weeks of tablets that began about day 14 of my cycle, these stopped my next period but when I stopped the tablets this caused a bleed. 5 days after I stopped the tablets I started the stim medications, 1 Injection for 5 days the 2 injections for the other 4/5 days (first one to encourage egg growth, second to stop ovulation). Then I had scan where they told me to stop the stim and take the trigger injection that night - they tell you the exact time to take it.

I had no issues with any of my medication and egg collection but I bled a little after and got some small cramps.

Transfer was also fine!

I hope this helps answer some questions but ask away :)

Thank you for sharing your experiences on this @HopefulHead xxx

This is amazing @Lyrabee ! Thank you for telling us all this! Xxx

@Floralsandsmiles
It's absolutely no problem!

The worst part is waiting between everything I think so make sure you've got things to distract you!

@HopefulHead and @Lyrabee this is really great info - thank you!! It's really daunting for the first cycle and knowing what on earth is going to happen!

My next period is due around 14th June so assume my consultation on Weds this week will be to finalise the treatment plan and then get an appointment with a nurse to talk through meds before my period starts on 14th June (so I've got everything ready to go after the first scan if all looks okay). Really not looking forward to the meds - really hope the injections aren't too difficult to self administer!!! X

@Lebe14 We didn’t get our prescription until the scan had been done and we’d been given the green light to start them but clinics do differ and a lot get their meds before they are ready to start.

My period is due 12th June so I’ll be hopefully starting my FET cycle then so hopefully we’ll be going the same time 🥰

@HopefulHead Oooo okay. I was hoping I could be super organised in getting everything ready... 😂 It's only a few weeks away until my period starts - I'm weirdly looking forward to starting the process after nearly 3 years TTC. But it's also really daunting and I know it's going to be super hard..... I'm doing a freeze all cycle (if we're lucky enough to get any quality embryos to freeze) as due to some other commitments, I won't be able to have a transfer until December time, if all goes well. I have low AMH (4.4) so we want to start the retrieval process ASAP and gives us time for a few retrievals if necessary.

I really hope your FET goes well in June. Fingers tightly crossed for you xx

Aww my period is due on the 10th June and is normally a little earlier. So we are all going to be join roughly the same time!! 🥰 xxx

@Lebe14 Yeah I know what you mean, I dreaded the IVF but as it got closer I started to get quite excited to actually start, it’s strange isn’t it lol nobody would choose to do IVF ideally but the idea of what it can achieve makes you actually excited to get it done 🫣

@Floralsandsmiles Will be so nice all being able to support each other 🥰 And if you’re having a fresh transfer with yours then we will end up being in our TWW at a similar time too!

I know what you both mean @HopefulHead and @Lebe14, I am looking forward to it starting but I am apprehensive on it not working. Are the statistics 1 in 3 work? I'm sure I read that somewhere.
And yes mine will be a fresh transfer, as long as I don't develop OHSS 😒 xxx

@Floralsandsmiles I’m not sure really, I thought it was about 50% chance overall? But there’s so many different parts to it I think it would be hard to have accurate statistics as we are all so different and the reasons people do ivf vary massively.
I had a freeze all due to OHSS, I was dissapointed at the time but honestly it has been nice having a couple of months break between the IVF and starting again, it’s a tough process so it’s been nice to have some breathing space so try not to worry too much if you do end up having a freeze all ❤️