FET/IVF/ICSI - October 2033

[Lauralozzle]

Anyone due to start cycle/have transfer in October jump on board!

Little history:

TTC our first. Trying for 4 years. Officially unexplained but I only have one ovary that responds/works. Fertilisation issues. Positive Sperm Oxidative Stress Test (likely DNA Frag). So it’s really a bit of a mix.

Dec 22/Jan 23 - First ICSI cycle. 8 eggs, 6 mature, 2 fertilised. One poor blast to transfer. Nothing to freeze. BFN.

July 23 - Second ICSI cycle. Using AOA & ZyMot chip. 8 eggs, 8 mature, 4 fertilised. One fresh to transfer and 2 to freeze. BFN.

Oct 23 - First FET scheduled.

Currently waiting for my period to start so that FET cycle can start. Should start beginning of Oct, so FET likely towards end of the month.

@Lauralozzle hmm I never had that. I was just given two pessaries at egg collection and was left to it. Will you be doing two a day everyday? It does make me think the area might get a bit sore 😬 I'll see how it goes.

@Melisss what on earth is going on for your posts? 😂 how frustrating bless you. Being hungry could be a side effect. Day 5 seems to have come around very quickly for you!

@ViVRe 4 is a good number of mature eggs to have frozen. I know it's hard when you hope for higher numbers. Have faith. You're doing this for the best reason. Sometimes cycles are trial and error and maybe you'll get more in the next one. Lots of self compassion. You can't change this outcome but you can be extra nice for yourself and give yourself chance to process and recover.

@IVFKinster 3 a day! Wednesday just can’t come soon enough! 😂 Then blood test an hour before transfer to confirm if I need to add lubion as well! Which I am half suspecting I will need. We’ll see.

Is it your scan today?

@Lauralozzle something to look forward to for you 😂 three times a day!

My scan was at 12:00 today! Uterus has gone from 6.9mm to 8.8mm on average so I'm happy with that. They took 3 measurements and one part was 9.2mm. I start 2 x cyclogest pessaries and 1x lubion injection a day, continuing with 8mg oestrogen, on Thursday this week ready for transfer Tuesday next week. So a day after you I think?

@IVFKinster Yes! Day after me! I’m glad your lining stopped being a dick and is nice and thick.

How are you feeling about transfer? It sort of feels like it’s not really happening at the moment for me. This FET stuff is strange. I’m thinking of Wednesday as my non egg college day cause it’s the start of progesterone and getting closer to transfer. Might feel like I’m doing something then!

@IVFKinster i wish i knew 😅on the mobile app it was normal ...the universe is trying to sabotage me
Good news on the scan! 🙌the yelling did work then 😛
Still feel like a long way to go until the 27th for the first scan. Probably after that the real thing starts. So for now I just sit tight and listen to you guys and take in all the infos 🤓
You and @Lauralozzle are collection buddies 👯

Thank you. I'm so relieved. I took my husband with me because I was nervous it would be bad news. So it's a relief. I know exactly what you mean @Lauralozzle . I'm looking forward to starting all the meds even though I'm dreading it at the same time. This will realistically be the closest we've come to pregnancy in 4+ years so I'm really excited and terrified. The progesterone starting is definitely a bit of a fun count down! 😊

@Melisss 27th isn't TOO far away but my experience has been that every step of waiting feels like forever and then when I look back it all happened very quickly overall! The waiting is the worst. I'm a person that opens birthday and Christmas presents as soon as I spot them regardless of how far away those days are! So all the waiting was/is torturous! These threads kept me entertained in between 😊

@ViVRe totally agree with @Melisss ... 4 is better than 0! And also that's 80% of the eggs collected that are mature and frozen. Glad it all went well otherwise though and that you don't feel too bad!

@MoonlightDreamer welcome, I'm also on attempt #1 of ICSI... hope scan goes well tomorrow!

I had my scan this morning... have 6 follicles that are good to go, so am booked in for egg collection on Thursday in the hopes that another 2-3 are ready by then too... they also mentioned that if my progesterone levels aren't right, the embryos would be frozen which I didn't know before? So hoping that's not the case as I was mentally prepped for a transfer next week...! Fingers crossed

@ViVRe stay positive! 4 is a good number and it's all about the quality over quantity anyway! As IVFkinster said, a lot of IVF is trial and error, your clinic may tweak things for you next collection to see if they can obtain more eggs! Be kind to yourself and rest up xx

@IVFKinster great news! Excited for you.

@Lauralozzle is your lining looking ship shape? I have my scan tomorrow so crossing everything, think i will have my transfer Monday/Tuesday next week if all goes to plan. Will also be on 3 progesterone a day like last time and bum bullets are the way forward ! 😳

@Custard7891 thats great numbers you must be very pleased ! @ViVRe so hard to not be dissapointed but it really is quality over quantity, have everything crossed for you over the next 5 days.

@KI19 My lining was good last week Wednesday! They’ve just kept me on estradiol for ages! I suppose they must have a lot of egg collections going on and fitting me in for a transfer this week was not going to happen! Bum bullets it is! 😆I should get a message on Saturday confirming the time.

Fingers crossed your scan goes to plan! That’s potentially 3 of us transferring next Monday/Tuesday. Exciting times!

@Lauralozzle oh no the bum bullets! When we were doing ovulation induction and monitoring they were my enemy haha but I just swapped between the front and back to avoid iritation (sorry there was no more delicate way I couldve put that hahaha)

My uterus is still not playing ball yet so may need to take to shouting as @IVFKinster proves it clearly works! Up to 10mg a day now and another scan on Thursday based on how its increased so far it should be fine but I was pretty attached to a transfer on the 20th as it was a Friday so I'd have the weekend to chill etc etc

@ViVRe it's really easy to become disheartened through this but 4 out of 5 mature eggs is pretty good going! Well done ovaries!!! It's quality not quantity and when I had my EC a big chunk were no where near mature but you've managed 80% so try not to feel too down (easier said than done I know)

@Lolly2507 Oh I’m sorry your uterus is still being a dick! Argh! Hopefully by Thursday it’ll be perfect. 10mg is tough. Hang in there!

@IVFDublin oh I didn't know that was a thing either. Logic would suggest you'd be on progesterone anyway so surely if it's not right they just increase it? But I guess it depends on how far off the mark it is etc. Fingers crossed you'll be fine 🤞🤞

@Lolly2507 I'm sorry your uterus isn't where you need it to be. So stressful because none of this process is within our control. I've also been using a hot water bottle on my lower tummy for an hour a day and doing a half an hour walk as apparently those things help? Along with yelling/begging/threatening my uterus to play ball. At least it sounds like you will get there! You could ask to do your transfer a week Thursday (27th) if you're attached to the idea of a weekend to chill?

My plan is having the whole day of the transfer off, work the rest of the week, then take the three days leading up to official test day off as I imagine by that point I'll be losing my mind.

Thanks @Lauralozzle I'm up distracting myself from nausea rn scrolling on my phone haha but this also happened when I went up to 8mg so hopefully it settles

@IVFKinster yeah that sounds like a plan actually I never really considered that I could delay it a couple of days my end just take what I've been given. Makes sense to have time off I'm going to try to distract myself with work as time flies for me during the week so I am (slightly) less obsessed 😅

Hi ladies, I've been up since 4am getting ready to leave for my scan. Ahh why are they so bloody early. Its almost a 2 hour drive for me. I think I've slept about 3 hours last night between nerves and radiating pain in my hips / ovaries. Is that normal to experience pain on stims?

Ah crikey! That's an early start. Are you in day 6 of stims?

I've just added in the ganirelix which was fine!

I actually have a bit of a red bump/swelling where the ganirelix was - I'm presuming that's fairly normal?!

Hello all,

thanks for the support, I have a strong belief that these 4 eggs retrieved are of AMAZING quality and that gives me hope for the future.

@Melisss I have seen a few people do back to back retrieval cycles and also follow with a transfer soon after, personally I don’t think I would cope well with it so it’s a pass for me. I am due for a cycle at the end of October, and then another at end of November - not sure if fertility clinics operate during the Christmas/end of year Holidays, if they do then I would prefer doing it again end of December/beginning of January (so 2cycles break). If not, then end of November (1cycle break) it is.

Can I just say, I truly admire all of you ladies prepping for a transfer soon. I don’t know why, in my silly mind, I thought “once you have an embryo things are simpler”, I thought it would be “just BAM - time to transfer/transfer” and that’s it. Oh boy, how wrong and naïve I’ve been about all of this process. And then, what I’m learning is that in addition to this prep meds, even when you do fall pregnant there’s still some meds they ask you to take 😰 till when?!?

@MoonlightDreamer good luck on your scan today…2hr drive 😩that’s stressful - I hope you get good news 🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼

@IVFDublin not long for you now, how are you feeling with this protocol? Are you doing your trigger shot today?

For you ladies doing pessaries/bum bullets, is that a common thing for everyone prior to transfer? I was prescribed a bum bullet yesterday just before egg collection but didn’t do it myself (took to clinic and they dealt with it) bc I suffer from IBS (TMI, sorry 🫣) and info leaflet said to be careful to take that if you have gastrointestinal problems, which is my case.

I have been recovering well so far, meds from yesterday have worn off now so I can feel my tummy and lower abdomen sore but nothing too crazy. Taking it easy today and then back in action tomorrow, taking my students on a little field trip if weather cooperates.

@marshk are you icing before injection? Totally normal some reaction with Ganirelix as long as it goes away within the hour or so and I would keep an eye and mention to your clinic if reaction does happen every time. Should be ok, but better safe than sorry ☺️

@marshk i think it might be from the icing...i got bit of redness around the area but it went away after an hour. i have a small bruise from saturday cause i gave my partner too many instructions and then i think he knicked something. so now i just shut up 😅and let him do it and its working fine. Althoug I still cant seem to shake away this feeling of panick every morning...

@MoonlightDreamer good luck today!

@ViVRe that`s the right attitude. you got this! Glad you are recovering well.

You are so right. I thought once retrieval is done its smooth sailing from there. But all these additional things...had a look yesterday at the bum bullets and I felt very uneasy 😅

Ah I thought it was from icing but it's less red now and more of a swelling/lump

I messaged the clinic - as you say @ViVRe better safe than sorry! Apparently it can cause localised reactions but should settle down in next few hours

Hi all! Not a frequent poster but have been keeping up with all your journeys on this thread! Good luck everyone, fingers crossed for you all.
I had 2 embryos transferred last Thursday 12th on day 3, they said they were high quality a 7 and 8 cell. I am in middle of my 2 week wait. I don't feel confident and the wait is painful! Is anyone else is the same boat? Has anyone had a day 3 transfer done before? My other 2 times they waited until day 5 so I am unsure why this time they have done it on day 3. First time I didn't make it transfer. 2nd they did transfer on day 5 but didn't work, maybe they are trying something different this time. All or nothing 🤞🏻last chance saloon for me, don't think it can put myself through it again if it doesn't work.

Had my scan this morning .
I have 10 follicles on my right ovary varying from 8-13mm
My left ovary wasn't visible. He had a hard time trying to see it properly . He thinks he can see one tiny follicle in the distance but nothing worth noting but it seems my right ovary is doing all the work. I already knew this would be the case anyway as I've suspected it for a while.
Gosh it was brutal. I never thought a scan would be so bad. He was really twisting that wand and then he was deep pressing down with his hand on my ovary trying to get a view ahhh 😢
I have my follow up scan on Sunday.
He's considering increasing my dose slightly. I have to wait until 3pm to hear an update.
We were supposed to be having a freeze all as I was deemed a possible high responder and at risk for ohss but I'm guessing that's not the case anymore and now a possible fresh has been mentioned , should we be lucky enough to obtain any blasts that is

@marshk I'm not on the same medication as you but with one of my meds I break out in a raised hive and I'm itchy as hell around the injection site for an hour or so