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 ❤️

Hi @EmmaLHG !! Iui wasn’t too bad. I had the trigger day before at the wee hours of 1:30am. I literally had to set the clock for it. This is also in preparation for if when we end up doing egg retrieval but we knew it wasn’t going to happen this cycle with 2 mature follicles. Day of iui I got checked in then waited for hubby’s sperm wash about an hour depending on how many people are ahead of you then they call me into the room. The entire process felt like a Pap smear where they’ll tell you to lay down on your back and they’ll start with a speculum then they’ll inject the washed sperm through a catheter into your cervix up your uterus and from there to the fallopian tubes where they’ll meet the egg. After that you go about your day but no heavy duty lifting. Just take it easy the first couple days.

i have had iui a couple times earlier this year but I had a really demanding and stressful schedule. I switched job since and now I’m in a better place mentally and emotionally. I eat at a decent time and slept better. I also cut off everything caffeine which was hard for me at first because I’m such a coffee addict. Especially before I switched job. It was like my go to every morning and afternoon. The palpitations and sleep disruption was just not good for me. I would wake up in the middle of the night wide awake and tired the rest of the day. Now I don’t have that problem. I sleep through the night except when I really need to pee so badly because of all the water I’ve been drinking since I started fertility meds in preparation for my first ivf which ended up converting to iui which is fine because ultimately we just want a healthy baby or babies regardless how we get there. Sorry I’m rambling. 😆

Thank you @Ellenn :) Hope so too! I have not had any experience 'trying to get pregnant' cause we knew we would have to at least try IUI so I am starting this journey from a blank page. The NHS tests to verify MF took a year which in retrospect I would have just skipped and gone straight to self funded as we are lucky that we can afford it.

@GCS34 I did my prostap injection today - felt fine, no pain at all but have had what I think is a tension headache all day long. I am actually excited to start Ovaleap on Friday! But will be totally nervous ahead of the scans for sure. Really glad I took some time off towards the end of next week as I think I will be unable to work properly. I have not even thought of the NHS one - we can get up to 3 rounds I think in Scotland so if our 2 cycle package is unsuccessful we will think about our options.

@Loulaki howd you find your first injection? Do you think the headache is from worrying about the injection? So is day 1 Friday? Is your day 5 scan on Tues/weds? That’s a good option. I can’t remember who asked me earlier - If it was you or not - about self funding affecting nhs funding, but in answer, no it didn’t 🥰

Hey @EmmaLHG yes Monday! Pencilled in, potentially Tuesday depending on Fridays scan. They’re estimating 25-ish, but I reckon we’ll only have about 70% mature enough to do anything with. We shall see after Fridays. But 39 and some biggies is starting to feel pretty grim! My stomach hurts loads but not ohss pain, that was more a weird sick, nervous, ‘sloshy’ sort of pain - this is more Just bloating and lacking of space. Pleased so far so good on the ohss front 👀 they’re watching me too, especially after having mild in April. When’s your first day 5 scan? Saturday?

@EmmaLHG sorry to hear about your oestrogen levels that’s disappointing. I totally get it wanting to just crack on, I was really upset when I got told after my egg collection they wouldn’t allow me to do a fresh transfer due to OHSS. Now looking back though of course they were making the right decision it’s just sometimes hard to get it when you have this timeline all in your head for treatment!

@GCS34 thats great no sign of OHSS!! Sounds like you are going to have a nice number of eggs collected, hang in there 💪 i really struggled coming up to egg collection. The nurses always kept reminding me to make sure to drink lots of water as it really helps (although it always felt like it just made me feel more bloated 🤣)

so I’m slightly confused as I got one positive ovulation on the clear blue kit that the clinic gave me on Tuesday BUT on the same sample I used an advanced clearblue test and it just said high fertility (not peak/positive). Then today the clinic tests are showing back to blank face/negative and usually once my tests are positive they stay positive. So now I’m super confused if it was maybe a dodgey test and not a real positive? I think I might phone them tomorrow 🫣 I really hope they will still let me transfer even if tests being dodgey

@Ellenn yeah it’s defo getting a bit crowded and yeah I have the same but like you say, I feel like I’m adding more fuel to the fire by drinking lots! I’m drinking those electrolyte tablets you can put it water to help. Bloods they did today came back absolutely fine on the estrogen front again, so it seems (famous last words) I’m okay for now. But not out the woods until the trigger.

are your ovulation tests usually pretty accurate? Have you had any in the past like this? What did the clinic say today when you were there?

And yes I agree @EmmaLHG - it is hard hearing a FA is the option they’re taking but I think a day or two after collection and you’ll realise it’s a really good idea and focus on your health and body. Transferring would make it worse if you did get ohss. Plus, you can have a cheeky wine in the break 😉🥰

About to start my first round of IVF!
My scan and injection initiation is tomorrow!

@GCS34 yeh sometimes I can have a few of days of positive ovulation before it actually happens. But just a bit weird. I’m waiting on a phone call back from the nurses as I don’t want them just to say can’t do transfer if at scan I still haven’t ovulated yet! I was hoping today might be the day but nope! If you can have a fresh transfer you might actually be similar timing to me (unless my transfer doesn’t go ahead 🙈)

@NilzK exciting times! I hope it all goes well 😁

@Ellenn Have you heard from the clinic? Do they actually want you to ovulate then do the transfer? What happens to the egg that is ovulated? Sorry - basic question and stuff I will 100% need to know I would think! 🙈Do you remember what your estrogen levels were when you got your cycle changed to a FA and had OHSS? I think that must be why they won't give me estrogen at this stage to thicken my lining, as when I do the trigger and they collect, the estrogen will rise from then, so maybe they're hoping that will thicken my lining, and don't want to add in more now due to OHSS from the trigger? My theory anyway haha!

Nooo - positive vibes only!! I hope we're on the same time scale. If you did ovulate today, when would they transfer? I think they may do a fresh with me, I guess it is just based on how I react to the trigger with the amount of follies I have in there. Be so nice to be on the same timelines for sure! Question - another one sorry - Transfer. Do they do it ON day 5, or after day 5, so day 6? x

@GCS34 yeh unfortunately they weren't that helpful and said the ovulation kits are usually very accurate 😳so hopefully they are and I am worrying over nothing. Will see on Saturday when they scan me if I definitely ovulated! I think I am more likely to ovulate on Sat/sun tbh with the length of my cycles. As I am doing a natural cycle they let you ovulate as normal and then time the transfer after ovulation (hence why I'm being paranoid about when I ovulated so we don't mess up the timing of transfer!)

If the scan is actually ok on Saturday and I did ovulate according to their test then my transfer would be Tuesday so a few days before you!🙂the transfer should be on day 5 but they will give up to 48 hrs after positive ovulation test so the clinic times transfer 7 days after the positive ovulation if that makes sense!

We had to do a freeze all due to the size of my ovaries, fluid accumulation on scan and symptoms of OHSS. My oestrogen levels never actually when above 15,000 which was the cut-off in my clinic (think got to around 12,000 on day of trigger). I don't think oestrogen always correlates with OHSS but if it is over a certain level then you are much more likely to develop OHSS (and this can happen after transfer as late onset which is more serious too). How is your lining looking like now? Do they think it will be ok by transfer time?

Hi, Hope you dont mind me jumping on the thread. I had my FET cancelled last week due to lining issues, so 2nd attempt at FET is going ahead as soon as AF comes in less than 2 weeks. If it works, FET should fall end of August. Not holding out any hope it will happen though.

@Ellenn Ah okay that makes sense. Fingers crossed their tests are accurate and you did ovulate like they say. Do you often have different cycle lengths each month? If they scan you on Saturday and you ovulated, they book the TF for Tues? And if you didn't, then what? Do they move the TF back a few days to wait? With a TF of a fresh, do they do that after the Day 5 blastocyst stage, so on Day 6, or do they transfer it on day 5 itself?

Ahhh okay! That make sense. Was the fluid accumulation seen post collection or before? My bloods, like yours, have been fine all week, so I think like you that isn't the deciding factor. But I imagine, having PCOS they are thinking the surge in hormones and OHSS symptoms will come on after that as that can, like you say have late onset, or go into OHSS right after. I don't know if it's based on clincs, or individual people. My clinic said that they once collected someone with 55 eggs, and didn't go into OHSS and they did the transfer and she is due in a few weeks! So I guess my clinic don't go off number of follicles, who knows.

Lining is still sat at 5.5mm. It hasn't gone up since that measurement on Saturday. I know that the estrogen surge post-trigger helps thicken it up, so maybe that's what they're relying on, and don't want to add in estrogen tablets now, incase that might tip me over the edge when I'm triggered, to go into ohss?

@GCS34 usually my cycles are between 31-34 days normally so fairly consistent. I think if all ok on sat I will get time for transfer on Tuesday. I tried to ask the nurse what would happen if not and didn't manage to get an answer so I'm really hoping they would scan me again and not just cancel the transfer ...

For fresh transfers day 0 is egg collection day and then if you have blastocysts its on day 5 that it gets transferred 🙂did they think your collection would be Monday so taking trigger on saturday?

They had seen the fluid during egg collection and said my ovaries measured massive plus my symptoms they said high likelihood I would end up in hospital (and could of done but luckily I was fine after had my withdrawal bleed!) I think the symptoms can also develop really quickly. They mentioned that if I carried on with OHSS and got pregnant that would make it a lot worse.

Would they add in oestrogen after collection maybe if it still hadn't reached 7mm? I hope it thickens up in time and at least you still have a bit yet! I had read that is why some clinics prefer doing frozen transfers as sometimes the medication can make your lining not as good.

@Ellenn Nurses being as helpful as ever I see 🙄Swear they don't answer or wishy washy response so they don't get sued or something! What time is your scan on Saturday? Praying you ovulate! Do you get any physical symptoms when you ovulate, or not? You'd like to think they'd just try again a few days later. But who knows - they make up the rules half the time I swear 😂

They are estimating Monday yeah, possibly Tuesday (depending how the mornings scan goes tomorrow) and trigger will be either Sat or Sun, respectively. Yeah it's so risky isn't it? And such a fine line between being okay and being seriously ill! Pregnancy makes it ten times worse doesn't it, due to the extra estrogen being pumped out, so yeah I imagine they'll just tell me what to do based on how I perform over the next few days and how I do on Monday in theatre. I think they'll Tee us up for a FA tomorrow when we go tbf. You're so lucky though that they didn't transfer. Did you throw up or was it the breathless, bloat you struggled most with?

I don't know if I'm honest - all questions I will ask tomorrow I think. But yeah you never know, it might have miraculously thickened by tomorrow but I don't hold hope. Yeah personally I reckon we'll have collection monday, they will then keep an eye on me next week while the embryo's are doing their thing, then freeze them then start estrogen tablets for a week or two, and then FET. Who knows. I'll ask tomorrow!

@GCS34 I know even tried asking a few times but she just kept saying well we won’t know when you ovulated 🙈 I do usually feel when I’m ovulating although of course this could be one cycle I don’t who knows! That was exactly the question I was trying to get the nurse to answer but nope so worried they might just go nah not followed our protocol exactly so cancelling.

Yeh I think it’s the hcg which makes it worse (usually found in the trigger but also get it from pregnancy if the transfer works). I never actually was sick but couldn’t eat as was so nauseous which was very unpleasant. The breathlessness was pretty annoying as you couldn’t even walk up stairs without struggling.

that might be a good compromise to try and get a thicker lining and give your ovaries a week off 🤣 at least you wouldn’t have to wait too long as well. Good luck for your scan tomorrow and hope you manage to get more answers from them than I did today!

Did anyone notice their periods slow down or almost stop when starting the stimulation injections ? (short protocol day 2) I usually have a bleed for around 5-6 days but it has stopped on day 3. I can't remember if it happend on my first fresh round 🤔

Hi, hope it's ok if I join.
I'm a bit late to the party but starting our first round of ICSI when my period comes next week! 🤞

@Fayye good luck and welcome!

@Ellenn is it tomorrow you’re in for your scan? Any word from them today / OPKs saying anything? Fingers crossed for you!! I would like to think they’ll just delay a few days if so. Are they really busy?

so I had my scan this morning. Hit 40 now 😳🙈 got 25 at collection size now, with tonight still to go. They’ve booked me in again for tomorrow to check, but collection now Tuesday. They have done as you said they would - put me on a FA 😞 but health is wealth right. I’m on the bursulin trigger now that apparently doesn’t surge your hormones aS bad. But, it diminishes your lining so we couldn’t do a fresh anyway. Then we’ll be on estrogen to thicken it up again as I don’t have a natural cycle due to my pcos being so iritic and quite bad so I will see what they say tomorrow, but I imagine we’ll start the estrogen next week.

@GCS34 yes scan tomorrow morning! I’m trying to stay positive but also prepare myself for bad news. My tests are still showing high but not positive so no idea what’s going on 🤷‍♀️ I did feel something last night so that may have been ovulation but suppose will find out tomorrow. I don’t think they are that busy but very understaffed at the moment.

that’s amazing wow looks like you will be getting a fair few from that collection 💪 well done to your ovaries! That’s good they have told you now at least and it’s not on the day of egg collection. I felt it was quite overwhelming when they cancelled my fresh after just going through it all. Too much hormones going around! Although will be disappointing, hopefully they can get you prepped and started asap for transfer😁

Good luck @GCS34 tomorrow! I hope all goes well also with your collection! And like you say health is wealth so while disappointing right now it will be worth it, I am sure :)

Hey all!

Hope I'm okay to join, I am in the June (had to delay going ahead) and July group (period arrived late) so only currently on day 5 of my cycle so wanted to be alongside others who were currently going thought it. @Ellenn @Justkeepmoving1234 @scaredynoob I recognise you from the July group, glad your treatment is underway.

I'm due to start cetrotide this morning, trying to feel okay about it but the mixing process seems more complex and the needle is bigger. Can I ask did please start with aches/bloating fairly soon after starting the injections? I woke with a headache this morning for the first time, also wouldn't say it's a bloating feeling but more heaviness in my hips, for some reason didn't expect it to start so soon

Will have a read through all the posts later to catch up on people's situation

Hi @ttcsolomumtobe I’ve moved over here too. Good luck with your Cetrotide injection this morning. I unfortunately didn’t have the best reaction to Cetrotide, it gave me really bad headaches and sickness. It seems to be settling a bit now though 🤞🏻 I haven’t struggled with bloating too much. My egg collection is booked for Wednesday so my injections stop on Monday 🥳

Hello @IVF23 so happy to see your name!
From memory you were with ABC also and what CD are you on now? My cetrotide injection went okay, working all weekend so hoping the side effects aren't too bad.

I had my first scan yesterday and they seemed happy with the development, I was so nervous that I totally forgot to ask about follicles sizes but guess it's one less thing to Google. Booked in for another scan Monday.
It's great that they have been able to give you good notice for the egg collection, when was your last scan and did they tell you then?

I'm loving all the updates from the July group as lots of positives but defo feel like I'm a bit left behind so have I've moved across to here too.

@ttcsolomumtobe glad it went ok and 🤞🏻 for minimal side effects. Glad to hear everything is going well.
I’m CD 9 today and yes I’m ABC. I have a final scan Monday morning to then trigger Monday night. I had a scan on Friday where they confirmed they are going to do egg collection on Wednesday. I had 2 follicles that raced ahead from very early and so they made the decision to focus on the ones doing well for quality rather than trying to move the smaller ones along , so they’ve estimated 5-6 eggs. I was a bit disappointed but trying to remember it only takes 1.