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.

@Quickdraw23 When I was speaking about partners yesterday I was obviously speaking from my own experience but didn’t think about my language when I referred to “the men”. I didn’t intend to be exclusive but language matters and I apologise. So interesting to hear that your partner’s experience has been similar so it goes to show that it is just different for the partner who is not physically going through all the scans and injections and procedures. See how you feel closer to OTD and decide then when to test. I’d love to say I’ll wait until my OTD but I know I won’t be able to!

My OTD is 14DPT and I have a wedding 3 days earlier (11DPT). I’m already dreading it because with my group of friends it is impossible to get away with not drinking without raising eyebrows, especially at a wedding 🙈

@IVFDublin Yes apparently McDonald’s fries after transfer is a thing, definitely in the US anyway, I’ve seen it a good bit on social media! I was so anxious I couldn’t eat a thing before transfer so by the time we left the clinic at 3pm I was absolutely ravenous and McDonalds seemed like a great idea anyway and I have honestly never enjoyed a McDonalds more! I was told to act like I’m pregnant so not to overdo it with vigorous exercise (not an issue for me tbh!) and to watch the diet so no unpasteurised soft cheese, shellfish, rare steak, alcohol, etc. I’d say the toothpaste is ok, I don’t know? I did skip the retinol last night though.

@Melisss I hadn’t expected it but I was absolutely exhausted after my transfer! I think it was all the anxiety leading up to it, once it was over I was drained. All I was good for was McDonalds drive thru and a nap on the sofa when I got home! Hopefully you’ll feel up to a trip to TK Maxx after yours but don’t be surprised if you just want to go home.

@Lauralozzle oh no, hope you feel better soon. Nothing worse than being in the office when you don’t feel well.

Thanks @User491, fingers crossed your scan will go well.

Morning! Thanks @IVFKinster re. stress and anxiety :) I emailed the clinic and they echoed the same thing so feeling a little better about that now. I do feel anxious but PMS combined with coming up to transfer month and a pregnancy announcement are going to do that I guess. Yay for your transfer this morning!! Hope you're feeling OK, despite the lack of sleep. You too @IVFDublin :). Hope you can both rest a bit!

@MoonlightDreamer I hope retrieval went ok. Apart from the waiting beforehand I feel like the process was quite quick, and I just had a sofa day afterwards.

@Lauralozzle Hope you feel better soon

We got 7 eggs . Now it's just waiting to see how things go . I'm just praying we have a blast.
Overall the procedure wasn't too bad but I could definitely still feel it and I remember everything 🙈 I'm quite sore now tho. They were able to access my left ovary but he said he had to push quite hard to move it and I'll likely be sore for a few days

That's great news @MoonlightDreamer - keeping my fingers crossed for you.

I've got my egg collection tomorrow morning and feeling nervous about it!!

@MoonlightDreamer Oh yikes you were awake?! I was fully knocked out for mine, I guess it depends on the clinic. My left ovary was the same, they struggled to get at it and only retrieved 2 eggs from that one. Hopefully the soreness will subside quickly and fingers crossed you’ll have a few fertilised eggs come tomorrow 🤞

@MoonlightDreamer glad it is finished now and you are done. Also a nice number of eggs 😀

Is this normal to be awake? Now I am freaking out 😅

@MoonlightDreamer that's a great number of eggs! Fingers crossed for you now over the next few days for good news on embryos and blasts. Sorry to hear you're sore - I was a bit tender too but just kept the paracetamol handy, so hope you can relax and rest and aren't in too much discomfort!

@Melisss I was fully out (general anesthetic), but my doctor did mention that some places don't use anything, so I guess it depends. Maybe ask your clinic? Don't freak out either way!

@IVFDublin yeah, will definitely ask. I am with the NHS at Birmingham women's so hopefully they like giving drugs 😅

@MoonlightDreamer sending my regards to you and hoping you have a speedy recovery…can’t imagine doing the procedure awake, you are definitely champ! Warm water bottle and paracetamol to the rescue! 🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼for good blasts moving forward.

@Lauralozzle sorry to hear you are feeling poorly today…try some honey with lime, that’s a good dose of vitamin C, helps with healing the throat quickly if you are avoiding over the counter meds at the moment.

@Melisss like you, I am actually quite surprised if they don’t try to sedate the person fully so that they are not awake during procedure…but I do know some people are more resistant to sedation than others and that doses have to be closely monitored by anesthesiologist. For egg retrieval I was down and didn’t feel/remember a thing, by the time I woke up I was back in recovery room. But I’ve also done colonoscopies/endoscopies before (which is essentially similar anesthetic to egg retrieval procedure) and, in a few occasions, woken up mid-procedure asking if everything was ok and if they could give me more drugs to sleep because I was in discomfort or didn’t want to see what they were doing. Some times they do (give more drugs in order to finish procedure if you are too distressed and not cooperating) and sometimes they didn’t and so I had to cope with seeing/feeling things I didn’t want to see/feel 😬 either way, I think it is all closely monitored by the team and pretty safe, we survive🫠🫠

@MoonlightDreamer Glad the egg collection went well. Wishing you speedy recovery.

Booked in for my egg collection tommorow.
I had my trigger injection yesterday. Dual trigger - gonasi + buserlin. Only few follicles were of the expected size yesterday. I am worried now.

Do follicles grow after trigger ?

What size the follicle should be on the day of trigger for a good size on collection ?

Ah snap @biscuitsndtea - exactly the same trigger too!

@ViVRe if I wake up during I might just faint 😅I guess we just have to trust the doctors, no other choice really. I will tell them that that I am scared. Once i went to the emergency room for an issue and was so stressed that the nurses there hooked me up to the EKG machine cause my heart rate was through the roof. I don`t know what is it but being in the hospital just makes me panic.

@Lauralozzle when i have a sore throat i just make a mixture with honey and a bit on ginger and take a few teaspoons and it sorts me out. Hope you feel better soon!

@biscuitsndtea and @marshk good luck tomorrow! 😉

Great that all went well @MoonlightDreamer.

Transfer was booked for us 10:30. Got there early. We left by 10:40. All super quick and easy (and slightly anti-climatic?). Thankfully no issues at all and now just a waiting game.... Just like the rest of IVF!

@MoonlightDreamer that's a good number of eggs. Sorry you felt it though! It's over now thank goodness so rest up and look after yourself!

@Elkly88 great you got some reassurance from your clinic. Imagine the lack of success rates there'd be if stress and anxiety had much of an impact 😅

@Melisss I slept all the way through mine. Definitely let them know how nervous you're feeling so they can reassure you.

Goodluck @biscuitsndtea and @marshk ! I feel like everything is coming around so quickly for everyone on this thread. My understanding is that follicles grow a bit more after trigger? Try not to worry as really what will be will be now 🤞🤞 hoping for good outcomes and easy experiences for you both!

Glad it went so smoothly @IVFKinster!

Thanks @Hopingforno2in2023 ! How are you getting on?

Still waiting for AF @IVFKinster 😭

@IVFKinster congratulations, glad it went so smoothly for you. I didn’t say yesterday as I knew you and @IVFDublin had transfers today but my transfer experience was not great. I won’t dwell on it as I’m pretty sure my experience was not the norm, but let’s just say it took a lot longer than yours! 🙈

Oh no @GabbyGal , really sorry to hear that?? Hopefully it wasn’t too bad but at least it’s over now!

@IVFKinster glad yours was so smooth! How was your KFC? 😂

Just back from mine, they were running a bit behind so I ended up needing to partially empty my bladder twice - found it REALLY hard to gauge what was a little / a lot! But otherwise was fairly smooth thankfully. And just polished off a delicious McDonald’s as well 👌🏻 the other 2 embryos are still going so I’m going to get a call tomorrow whether they can be frozen - though it’d get more of a break between the stressful calls than this 😂

good luck tomorrow @biscuitsndtea and @marshk !!

Well I finished work early and I’m lying down. I’m so frustrated, I get over dodgy tummy and now this. Hopefully it’ll just be a few days, got a cough now though. I’ve not been ill for so long and now I’ve had two bouts of feeling crap in as many weeks. DH is off to buy me poorly juice (aka lucozade). Well, if this continues I’ll feel too crap to symptom spot!

@MoonlightDreamer 7 eggs! Fingers crossed for excellent fertilisation results tomorrow. I’m sorry you were aware during the procedure. I barely remember mine but we all react to sedation differently I guess.

@IVFKinster Glad transfer went well!

@IVFDublin Hope your transfer went ok!

@Hopingforno2in2023 am I right thinking you stopped norethistone yesterday? I hope it starts in the next couple of days and doesn't keep you waiting any longer 🤞then it'll be all go for stims?

Oh no @GabbyGal I'm so sorry to hear that! Bless you not saying anything. I'm glad it's over for you now. I have heard horror stories. I feel very lucky.

The KFC was amazing @IVFDublin well actually it was same thing but from Slim Chickens! But I had the most amazing milkshake after. Congratulations on your transfer, glad it got there eventually! Glad you enjoyed your McDonald's! Fingers crossed for your next update too.

@Lauralozzle that's so rubbish. Take it easy and really look after yourself. It's surprising we don't all get ill more often with the level of stress and being run down between appointments, updates, waiting and medications! Lucozade is my "poorly juice" too! It was my mum's go to whenever I was unwell! I hope it gives you a bit of pep and you get to sleep it off.

I took my last tablet Sunday evening so fingers crossed things get moving tomorrow @IVFKinster. My protocol is CD2-6 200mg of Clomid a day and then from CD7 I do 450iu of Meriofert daily. Will also add in Cetrotide around CD8 I think.

Sorry your feeling rubbish @Lauralozzle - take it easy and relax!

Keeping my fingers crossed for you @IVFKinster and @IVFDublin 🤞🏼🤞🏼

Feel like I'm full of a lot of nervous energy for collection tomorrow - doesn't feel real somehow! Think I will be v v nervous tomorrow morn. Got to be at the clinic at 7.30am thankfully it's only 20 mins or so away