FET / IVF August 2023 - thread 2

[KG1244]

We filled up the first thread fast!!

@Lolly2507 woohoo 5 is AMAZING!!! Good growing skills 😅⭐️ transfer in October sounds dreamy! Summer holiday baby, and (hopefully) not too hot for your last trimester (famous last words - watch next year be record temperatures in June or something)

as @Lowo21 said, we both also have abnormally high AMH. I’m not a total freak like @Lowo21 with the amh of a new born but I am 67 😅 (sorry Lowo21 😉)

we have lean pcos that doesn’t have the ‘typical’ pcos problems such as high testosterone, poor insulin resistance and problems with weight etc, but do have polycystic ovaries. I had lots of different tests done during the diagnosis stage and the specialist said if you have 2 or more of the below, that is pcos:

• High testosterone (androgens)
• No ovulation / periods
• Cysts on the ovaries

@Lowo21 thanks for that! I am on Spotify now on my sunbed day of the holiday, and I’ve added to my episodes! Also downloaded the book to my kindle. Have you read / got the BFN book? What does she say about lifestyle factors that can contribute to it, or foods etc?

Hi @GCS34 are you in the tww to? Sorry I missed tagging you and thanks for saying hi 😄

Argh I hope I don't come to bitterly regret this but I wanted to transfer double to increase our chances, egg quality is my greatest worry, unlikely both will implant but a bigger chance at least one does 🤞🤞🤞I know each cycle and transfer is a trial and error but I also feel I don't have much time for embryo banking if I have to do another 3 round package. I wish we could transfer 2 every time if we had them. Might think very differently if unsuccessful...

Haha I'm not even trying to control myself regarding testing, I think it's important to know if it's only a chemical too so I want to catch that. I also know realistically I should expect a positive from 6dp5dt inwards but any sign earlier would be welcome 🙂 and a negative still wouldn't mean I'm out until blood test on Wednesday. It would be just too much stress trying to restrain myself but everyone is different! Luckily I'm off work so I can indulge in researching, googling etc and I think that numbs me already a bit 😅

Hope you are feeling well and looking forward to the weekend, what day are you? Xx

@Lowo21 i know I’m buzzing. Hopefully transferring end of sept / early oct depending on how my lining behaves. I’ve tried to be nice to it and send it words of encouragement rather than referring to it as a bullshit uterus - trying to make it feel better so it behaves 😅 oh and I’m also losing my mind.

What amount of oestrogen tablets have you got in total? And what’s your dose p/day? Great you’re not feeling too rough. Have they given you eta on transfer? And when is your first lining scan? Holiday is good! Finally having a sun bed day after doing hiking and lots of walking round forts and towns. We did 16km yesterday. Oh and (being the child I am) I counted the steps from bottom to top of a path up to our hotel ….. 356!!!! 😳 my legs were like GCS34 you’re a NOB!

@Summerishere83 ah don’t worry. I can’t talk about tagging people when I tagged myself the other day in a reply!

im not on the TWW club no, but I start the oestrogen and drugs next week so hopefully come end of the month I will be 😬 that’s good on the double. I really want a double but with it being our first TF they won’t do 2 straight off. My theory is the first won’t work and the second we’ll get twins 😂 going to live to regret that statement.

do you mind me asking your age? Haha I love that you’re a fellow Dr.googler! Do you seek out the answer you want too? 😅are you in clinic on weds then for the official test? Have you had a round before?

well currently in Corfu being burnt and a pathetic pale white girl, so I’m going to be doing a lot of sun creaming this weekend, which shooting daggers at my husband who tans (and he’s ginger which defies ALL laws!!) did you say you and your husband haven’t told anyone? And are you doing anything this weekend to distract you? X

**while

Oh how exciting @KG1244!! how are you feeling in yourself? And are you having a blood test as well as a home pregnancy test?
I am but, and aside from having no legs left after my stupid husband walked me up every possible cliff / rock / fortress, I’m having a delightful time. What is it with men and wanting to climb to the top of shit?

Tagging yourself @GCS34 , didn't even know that's possible 😅

Fingers crossed everything goes according to plan for you at the end of the month! Why estrogen, are you doing a FET? They advised us not to transfer 2 at the first round but I'm 40 and have had a chemical and an early MC so that allows me to transfer 2. I've had 3 successful egg collections, prior to that 1 cancelled on the day as they didn't think they could reach my right ovary, next cycle cancelled for the same reason. Then 1st EC got 2 eggs, both fertilised, excellent day 3 but didn't make it to day 5. Second EC, 5 collected, 4 fertilised, 3 day 3s, 2 made it to day 5 and frozen. Third EC, 1 collected that made it to day 5 and transferred with one of the frosties. Right ovary still very difficult to access and it's my dominant one unfortunately.

So I haven't received a quote for a FET only (anyone at Create?) but I prefer to try harvest more eggs so perhaps do another cycle and then see what I've got and what to do. It's strange my AMH is 3.9 but I don't get many follicles. I've been taking 1x 25mg DHEA since last September to improve egg quality so that might explain the discrepancy but hopefully might mean it works.

Of course I Google until I can find an explanation, hopefully a positive one:) but when it comes to forums, there's always someone who's experienced exactly the same and that helps a lot:)

Definitely not telling family and friends, really wouldn't be able to bear having to answer messages if unsuccessful. I particularly hate it when, with the best intentions of course, but they say things they don't know anything about, I don't think anyone who hasn't faced infertility can truly understand what it's like.

So, a tanned ginger? How rude of him 😂 enjoy your sunny holiday:) we'll be just home but I love it atm as we have 3x 3-week old puppies and don't want to leave them and the mom and dad alone for too long :) xx

@GCS34 I’m doing a home pregnancy test but my clinic usually invite you in for a blood test for either result to confirm. Feeling pretty nauseous today and off to visit family this weekend - shite combination 😂

Pleased to hear you’re having a lovely holiday. I feel you on DH - he is also a keen explorer!

@Summerishere83 yeah no nore did I but I managed that somehow. Yes I am doing FET - have 5 Frosties hopefully making for some good chances. I’ve included the drugs in the image below and hopefully someone has similar on the oestrogen and can reassure me that I’m not going to cry at everything going with the sheer number I have to take!!

oh wow you’ve done some serious embryo banking. Good on you! I was considering it but when they said my expected numbers, they said it wasn’t needed at this stage. So this is second transfer, are they your last ones from storage? When is your otd? And dr google is a friend and enemy sometimes!

I know. He doesn’t make sense and little old me sun dodger over here looks white as hell compared to him. I am definitely a fake don’t bake kinda person! Where are you atm? And you’ve been testing while away? And what pups you got?

@KG1244 ah man! I defo think you have a stomach bug and that’s why you can’t eat 😉 they’ll never know! 🫣 has anyone suspected yet? Yeah men are more like animals than I realise. All he wants to do is climb to the top of stuff, kayak, clamber along rocks and then moan about his knee hurting and wondering why!

@GCS34 so my SIL that we are seeing knew about the first round but we haven’t told her this time. I don’t think they understood that IVF isn’t a guarantee and during my 2ww told me I was glowing 😐
I never lose my appetite so all good on that front haha
Hope you manage to get a bit more chill time for the rest of your holiday xx

@KG1244 ah yeah it doesn’t help when they don’t understand it. It’s hard and I think most people are a) naïve to the process and the amount that’s involved / the surgeries etc b) think it’s a guarantee or c) what’s actually involved in getting pregnant and how it’s a wonder any of us are born! Fortunately (well, not fortunately for her) my step sister has had 4 rounds of IVF and my parents understand what’s involved and what the chances are from her rounds, so my mum has been amazing at doing her own research and encourages me to talk about stuff she’s learnt etc and it’s actually super sweet. 🤍

maybe the stomach bug isn’t the one given your appetite! Go with eating everything and Just being sick instead 😅

Ahh guys! I’m really struggling today. I stupidly tested today at only 3dp5DT! But considering my transfer was at 12:45, it was really 2.5DP5DT and BFN on those easy at home cheapies from Amazon!

I have no real symptoms, maybe a tiny boob every now and then but literally nothing else.

any reassurance? I’m driving myself insane!

@GCS34

Thanks, I'm OK about it, I'm more GUTTED than upset, as even though I went in totally open minded, I think deep down, I was secretly prepared to drive home with an embryo tucked under my seatbelt. It all hit me when I got home out of the blue, a little crying session because thr whole process came to a sudden STOP. No meds anymore, nothing. But I'm now OK 👍

No issues in the past, periods all fine if a little light some months, but I had a full MOT previously and all was OK. I have that 1 embryo out of 5 on ice now, by all accounts the embryo was continuously growing fantastically right up to day 6 and good enough to freeze. So whenever they post me a letter for a follow up, all options will be discussed then. I mean, everything went superb from start to finish, just not my lining so, we can sort that! And so can you! ❤️

We just have to keep going until we find that magic thickening solution 🥳

Hi @TTCMama17 why are you beating yourself up for testing early?? 🙂 Of course it would be negative at this stage, in reality it's only 7.5 days past ovulation, impossible to have a positive at this time. Implantation itself doesn't happen instantly, it's a process that might take days as you know.

What grade is your embryo btw?

I was cramping yesterday but that might be many things and that's all, it's all progesterone anyway.

Have you ever had a BFP btw? I've had twice, both on day period was due so 14 dpo.

Hope you manage to relax xx

Hi @GCS34
This sounds great! If you got 5 embryos from one cycle only then really no need to do embryo banking:) and you should be excited! What clinic are you with? Yeah drugs will be an interesting experience first time.
I'm in the UK so not too sunny atm, surprise surprise 🫢 and puppies are Jack Russells ❤️

@TTCMama17 btw I'm also testing with cheapies from Amazon and have prepared a fancy digital clearblue if I get a BFP on them 🤞🤞🤞

@Summerishere83 yeah their was a worry based on how previously my body put up army defences when being attacked with stims one month that I wouldn’t respond, however 14 days later, and 50 follicles grown, I bagged 40 eggs, 39 mature, 28 fertilised and 5 embryos frozen. I had another 9 embryos but unfortunately Ds so not suitable to freeze.

so yeah our FET planning session the dr has said theirs a chance we may not respond to the oestrogen based on my lining but we shall see. She gave us a 45-50% chance of success from our embryo we’re transferring, providing my lining is 7mm or above. We shall see! I am with TFP as are a couple of others. How about you? And sorry I thought your last message said you were due to go away.

Ah that’s so shitty @Lilibach ans I totally understand the gutting feeling. I had it when my body wouldn’t respond to stims one month which resulted in cancelled cycle and a waste of £2,000.

did they scan you through your oestrogen protocol? And what amount were you on? It is odd that they took you to transfer when at the last scan you were still only at 4.5mm. Because of my thin lining, I’m on a really monitored FET protocol which is:

4mg oestrogen for 3 days
6mg oestrogen for 3 days
then 12mg oestrogen for 4 days
scan at day 10
add in patches if it’s not thickening enough
scan at day 15
add in more patches and gel if not enough
scan at day 20 and hopefully start progesterone.

Finally been given the go ahead for egg collection on Monday, have paid nearly £1k more for stims, let's hope it works. There are 5 they hope to collect, 2 def too big, and 6/7 more that are too small. Better than just the 1 or 2 they thought at initial scan.

Interestingly, my lining is amazing on this cycle, 12mm and triple layered. And I might not even get to use if I end up PGT testing...

Hope everyone else is doing well

@Summerishere83 - I really wanted to hold out for as long as possible after the last failed transfer. I know it's still early but have seen some people get positives on 3dp5dt.

I felt stupid soon as I poas. Implantation probably has just started and won't be finished til days 5- 7 at least.

My embryos were low grade so not feeling very confident. I haven't had any cramping at all, like I said just a tingling to the boob every now and then but again it could be medication. How are your symptoms?

I've never seen 2 lines on a pregnancy test so I'm slowly starting to lose hope!

Thank you! Think I need to make myself a nice big cup of tea and stick Harry Potter on!

Hope everyone else is okay xx

Good luck for egg collection! Get in all your favourite things for afterwards because it can take a toll on your body xx

Egg collection done today (day 18), after a long 16days of stims! 10 eggs collected (woohoo as thats much more than the 6 I had last time). Partner's sperm was a bit poorer this time though but hopefully it'll be ok with ICSI.

Waiting for the call tomorrow to see how many mature and how may fertilised.

@CDiamond - oooo exciting times! ICSI is a lifesaver so I’m sure it’ll be fine. Fingers crossed for you! X

@CDiamond congrats on your EC. I'm also going to be doing collection after 16 days of stims, so really glad to hear you got a good haul! Fingers crossed for great news tomorrow