FET / IVF August 2023

[KG1244]

I’m due to start my second round of FET in August so thought I would set up this group for some treatment buddies ❤️

@Loulaki sorry just caught up with the thread and so AF arrived - panic over 😅.

@GCS34 30+ follicles is amazing, though I hope you aren't feeling too uncomfortable. I think I have between 7-12 follicles each round I've done and by the end feel very bloated and uncomfortable ovaries tugging feeling when I walk.

@Willard89 I was always told excercise in the down reg phase was fine and stick to what you usually do. But once stimulating then to keep it to low intensity excercise. Each follicle goes from a couple of mm to over 2cm (I've have 24mm ones before) and you will definitely feel them inside when you bend, walk, twist or even when you turn to lie on your side. For me it feels like a heaviness in my ovaries or that they are tugging/moving about a little (this prob sounds weird!). High intensity excercise could risk your ovaries twisting while they have lots of large follicles.

Could I ask what supplements everyone is taking? I've been having one of those days where I'm panicking there is more I should be taking, then I painc I'm taking too much abd over doing it 😵‍💫

Last round I only took a pre conception multi vitamin, after having mild ivf/low dose I ended up with 3 good blastocysts out of the 4 eggs collected, but here I am again for round 2 after unsucessful fresh and frozen transfers!

This round, I'm taking (for the last 3-4 months)
Pregnacre multivitamin
Vitamin C 500mg
Vitamin E 400iu
Vitmain D 4000iu (my last blood test after my failed cycles showed I was only just over the recommended level, but not the best so thought I would top up on this one with a higher dose)
Omega 369 2000mg
Coq10 600mg (ubiquinone form)
Obtibac womens probotic (I will stop these once I start on the prednisolone)

Does this sound right to everyone? Is there something missing or too much? Should i stop any after transfer?
Any advice will be greatly appreciated 🙏 as you can probably tell I'm a worrier haha.

@GCS34 nope I only ever had an internal scan with them in January at my very first initial consultation.
I am on Bemfola 150iu & 0.25 Cetrotide. I start with two doses of Bemfola for 2/3 days then drop to once a day then add in the cetrotide on the 3rd day. I’m really hoping I get enough to even freeze a couple of embryos. Heard of a few recently that didn’t even get any to freeze, must be so hard 😔

@Helene2019 yes I think I’ll stop before stims, hopefully it will only be for 2/3 weeks until after my EC. As I’m not having a transfer I will hopefully be able to go back soon after my EC.

@GCS34 Fingers crossed! I should start injections on Wed. So two days to go! I have one prostap injection on Wed, then I start ovaleap on Friday. It is starting to feel very real! I think I will be ok with the injections (when I was 18 I had to give some injections to my mum when she was unwell with backpain so feel like I have prior experience hehe).

Oh I am super crampy already @Helene2019 ! I was panicking over nothing over the weekend but your message was so reassuring. You are right, my clinic did say not to worry if I had to start injections while it was still on. My periods tend to be somewhat painful, been less so in recent months which I attribute to me making an effort to eat healthier and exercise more but been feeling lots of cramps today and lower back pain. Hopefully it eases off a bit over the next couple of days.

Wow so much to catch up now in this thread 😁

@GCS34 how did you scan go? Have they said when your collection might be? That’s great you have so many, I’m sure you will some embryos!! you should check if your clinic has protocol for freeze-all as my clinic said even if no symptoms of OHSS it’s automatically a freeze-all if >22 eggs collected. Not sure about other clinics though!

@LavenderJoy sorry I’m probably not that great for advising as I only take pregnacare supplements! I did read it starts with the egg and tried some supplements but ended up being so expensive 🫣might be worth checking with your nurses/consultant?

@Loulaki super exciting!! It’s so nice feeling like you are doing something and finally getting to start treatment, I hope it goes well 😊

I’m waiting on my positive ovulation test (currently on ‘high’ but not reached peak yet), I’m hopeful for maybe a positive on Wednesday or Thursday maybe.. we will see then transfer is a week after that providing my lining is all good to go

Hi all. Please May I join. Had a successful ICSI cycle in 2020 which resulted in DD. Still try number 2 after a failed FET in April. Currently in down reg phase for another cycle of ICSI in August.

@Helene2019 - your suggestions about injections are so helpful! I'll start my antagonist injection only from 29th, so I'll remember about the angling. Although, I've asked my husband to gimme all the injections and I can keep my eyes closed!

@GCS34 - you made me laugh so much!!! I'm on Gonal F 150mg from tomo, if it means anything to you (to me I'm just going in blind). The other one is Menopur something from the 29th

@Loulaki - I will follow your journey keenly and let's see if our other days overlap too!!!!

After injections, my next anxiety is about the egg collection on anesthesia 🥺🥺.. is it very painful, for those who have gone trough this?

@Loulaki oh you’re on ovaleap too. Me too. Not many are on that. But it’s super easy with the epi pen. Genuinely can’t feel it. What dose are you on? Honestly they’re super easy and pain free. By Friday you’ll be a drug injecting expert 🤓

@scaredynoob hahah I’ll take that 😅 hopefully make you less nervous, if slightly terrified of trumping a lot! This is where everyone else says that’s not a side effect and it’s just me who stinks 😂
the anesthetic is sedation not knocked out - just a nice sleep 😊 are you stopping Gonal-F when you start Menopur?

@GCS34 - no I will have to continue Gonal F Pen till instructed. Antagonist starts 29th, and that also needs to continue. I have 3 scans on 31st, 2nd, 4th / then I'm not too sure what happens..
sorry, what's the difference between sedation and being knocked out? Which one will I be? (And which one is better??)
And sorry if I missed it earlier, will this round be your first also?

@Ellenn i know - soz think that was me spamming this afternoon when I was procrastinating doing some big project at work 😂 scan was okay. Not much development really. 37 now instead of 36, and got about 17ish above 10mm but still only tops at 14mm. They said the anti ovulation injection might stunt things initially for the first day so probs that as I only started that yesterday, but they’ve still grown and apparently on track, I’m just being greedy wanting massive ones and like 59 of them 😂I will ask about the FA if it is based on # of follies. My nurse today said they had someone before that had 50 and didn’t even go into ohss. She was fine so not sure I will defo ask tho. What clinic you at?

@scaredynoob as in general anesthetic is when you have big surgery where you’re fully knocked out, sedated isn’t knocked out - Just super sleepy and woozy and wanting to go to bed. Sounds lush of you ask me 😅
ahhh soz I got mixed up. Antagonist is the anti ovulation. I started that Saturday - are you doing your jabs or your partner?

Hey @Willard89 oh cool that sounds good. Sounds quite short which is good! I’ll be 14 days by the time of EC 🤞
yeah but on the flip I’ve heard loads of success. Like someone got 48 and had 19 embryos to freeze! Another had 25 and had one fresh transferred and 6 frozen (and her fresh worked!). I try to avoid comparing as hard as it is. Unless it’s comparing to that 48 egg / 19 embryo person - I want to be her 😂

@GCS34 - being the "scaredynoob" I am, I asked my husband to give me the injections. Have you had previous IVF rounds?

@scaredynoob i have my husband do mine too 😊 the thought of doing it myself makes me feel ill. Plus I think he likes to be involved 😜
It is my first full ivf yeah, however I have had 4 rounds of OI using injectables before so I am new to some stuff

@scaredynoob for both my egg collections although it’s only sedation I can’t remember a thing, just that I had a good sleep 🙈

@GCS34 I’m at Ninewells in dundee! That is through NHS so maybe if you are at private clinic they would give you more options? I was on ovaleap as well as you in my second cycle and found it not as stingy as menopur which was nice! Are they continuing on the same dose for you?

@Purtyburty hey! 👋 how are you feeling about this cycle?

Hi all - can I join in please? I've just started my first cycle, after 2 years of trying unsuccessfully to make a sibling for my DD (now 3). I am a bit terrified!

@Ellenn im at a private clinic but nhs funded. In Nottingham they outsource ivf to private clinics - they only do OI in the nhs hospital. We were self funding at our clinic before anyway for OI, and now switched to our funding now it’s cleared. For ohss I think their process is only FA if someone is in ohss but defo will ask. Thank you! Ovaleap is a lot better and don’t have to mix like Menopur. No same dose. Continue as I was as size wise they’re not there yet. Collection Monday apparently but will see what’s happening tomorrow in my next scan.
remind me - this your first round or second?

@LavenderJoy sorry cannot add to your list. I am sure you have checked it all with your clinic but I would trust their advice first and foremost in terms of when to start/stop. It is very easy to worry about these things - was in the same position 2 weeks ago when I was thinking I had not been taking enough CoQ10 and started re-reading the relevant passages from It starts with the Egg book.

When I asked my clinic about supplements they said vitamin D, folic acid and in my case DHEA (last one is somewhat controversial/contested so would not try unless my clinic recommended it). I asked them about CoQ10 and they said it is not proven but does no harm so ok to take. In my case, they mainly focused on a healthy diet (Mediterranean with a variety of fruit, veg, pulses etc) and some exercise like walking or yoga.

When do you start treatment? Sorry to hear about your first cycle. The eggs/blastocyst ratio though sounds quite good! Did your dr offer any explanation or are you doing something different for this cycle?

@GCS34 fingers crossed they would still do a fresh if you have no symptoms! I’ve had two ICSI cycles now but this is my first transfer from my second cycle due to the freeze all.

Super excited got my positive ovulation test this morning which hopefully means I will get transfer next Tuesday! Waiting on the nurses phoning me back to confirm 😁

@Ellenn OMG i've just realised you're the same Ellen I've spoken to already haha. So I know remember your entire story and your 8 embabies! How have I only just twigged at this 😂🙈How did you feel with your OHSS? I have had mild in the past - just bloating and being sick - but I've started getting bloating today (8 injections, day 9 --do them at night so not done todays yet) and I remember you saying yours came on both times around 7/8?

Amazing news on the positive opk! Transfer tuesday will be amazing!! I bet you're buzzing!! How much 'off' time did they give you after collection to recover etc?

@Loulaki thank you for the advice, I know its hard not to worry and over thunk everything. I'm going to go through it with the doctors on my next appointment, at the moment they have advised vitamn d, folic acid and Coq10 plus a healthy diet and exercise, which luckily I follow.

I start treatment hopefully the end of the week, pending AF. Yes it was a good ratio, they can't find any reasons really for the fails, I had blood clotting tests etc and they have all come back fine, only one that cane back was ANA posisitve and I do have a few allergies and hypersensitivity so we are adding the prednisolone and aspirin, I really hope that's enough 🤞

It's good to see lots of newbies joining, I look forward to seeing your journeys :)

@GCS34 yes I’m also finding it confusing as I think I’m on a couple of threads 🙈🙈 yeh my OHSS symptoms came on around day 7 or so of stims and I felt awful. Very bloated, out of breath, couldn’t walk far, sick and couldn’t eat due to nausea. Have they been taking your oestrogen levels?

my Work didn’t know about my treatment but I took a few days either side of my egg collection as I felt awful and my job can be quite physical!

I’ve got a scan booked Saturday morning to make sure I’ve ovulated and my lining is good to go. Hopefully will confirm transfer time then 😁

@Ellenn haha me too! I'm only on this one, and the IVF Anxiety one where someone got their BFP which made me happy & hopeful 🤗Oh wow that sounds really rough. I've not had that bad but fingers crossed I don't and you dont get anything with the TF. Are you on lining meds now or is it quite good?

Yeah they took my bloods yesterday and I'm in again tomorrow where I have more bloods, so we'll see what's going on. How many did they collect from you again? I remember your 8 embabies which is fantastic! What do you do for work? I've not spoken to my work either - I WFH though so I'm quite fortunate there. If we don't get the result we want, I think I may talk to them but I dunno - very funny about it.

That's great!!! I bet you can't wait. How long have you had off now to recover?

That's great, good luck with your treatment @LavenderJoy !

@GCS34 , I will tell you on Fri my views on Ovaleap hehe! I am 300iu I think. I know it is quite high but hopefully it works.

Hello from Glasgow @Ellenn :) thank you hope all goes well for you too!