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.

@ViVRe I only have 5 follicles total if its any consolation (and am equally aware of the realities of what that means) - but it only takes one, so that's what I'm focusing on! I have a friend who went through it recently and she had ~15 eggs but a BFN... so its all quality over quantity

More water and almonds and we'll all be sorted! 😉

@Kitt86 Yay for starting meds tomorrow. I’m awful with water. I have a big 2 litre bottle but I’m rubbish at using it! I should really drink more, especially as I’m probably a bit dehydrated from my dodgy stomach.

I tend to stick to full fat stuff (cheese/yogurt and dairy etc). Avoiding it like the plague at the moment though!

@IVFDublin I’m lucky that I mainly work from home. I’m meant to go in twice a week but no one really says anything if you don’t! I’ve found work really hard during cycles, especially between egg collection and transfer day and last week of 2WW. My mind is generally elsewhere.

Side effects from the injections were: headaches, fatigue- I was knackered! in second week of stims I was physically aware of my ovary. It was uncomfortable, felt like constipation but I wasn’t constipated. I had lower back ache towards egg collection too.

@ViVRe They only counted about 4 decent sized follicles at my first stims scan last time, I had smaller ones but they were behind. By egg collection day they got 8, so those smaller ones of yours may well catch up.

I’m a bit worried about the complete lack of nutrients my diet has at the moment, and if it’ll ruin my lining.

I can tolerate toast, chicken nuggets and potatoes so far! very small amount of veg went through me. Chicken and veg soup went straight through me today. I’m avoiding dairy to a large degree and anything fatty because that’s not agreeing with me.

Got some kefir, I know it’s dairy but my stomach is wrecked at the moment. I hope that doesn’t go straight through me. I’m going to see if I can cope with strawberries and banana. Trying tuna jacket potato tonight.

These tablets are hell. I feel ok when I’ve not eaten, apart from being hungry. No temp or anything so I don’t think I’m ill like I gave a big. But after food the gut rot and then nausea is just… urgh.

I can’t wait to eat normal again!!!!

@Lauralozzle I'm sure your lining will be okay! Lots of folic acid in bread isn't there? Lots of nutrients in potato? I'm sorry you're still struggling! I wonder if that's a common reaction to the tablets, have you mentioned it to your clinic or will you on Wednesday? Are you still spreading them out?

Thanks everyone for your support and motivation boosts regarding my mental health. I've been quiet because I genuinely just wanted disappear. I'm feeling a lot better today. A bit emotional but definitely less despair and doom. More mood and gloom! I'm hoping if I find out when transfer will be when I go for my scan on Thursday I'll feel even better and like it's actually going to get here eventually.

I've already completely lost track of everyone on this thread. I hope people who have started meds are feeling okay! I think I felt absolutely fine on the stims but I was only on 150 Gonal F and did short protocol. It was more being physically weighed down as egg collection got closer because I could definitely feel my ovaries and felt the need to be delicate with myself.

@IVFKinster I’m glad you’re feeling a bit better in yourself. I’m also hoping I’ll find out when transfer will be at the scan, it’ll feel like things are moving forward.

I’m going to tell them on Wednesday and ask if there’s anything else I can try or do if I still have it. I’m still spreading them out. Everything I have googled says estradiol can cause nausea. Some pages say it can cause stomach cramps/diarrhoea along with tender boobs, weight gain, bloating - the usual.

I’m hoping when I start the progesterone it’ll help.

When I was on the pill years ago I thought I was lactose intolerant because I always seemed to get a bad stomach after eating certain foods. When I went off the pill everything was largely back to normal. I have flare-ups once in a while, there are foods I can no longer eat but largely ok. I can only think maybe it was the oestrogen in the pill causing the issues, and for this FET I’m taking much more than you’d get in a Yasmin Contraceptive Pill so it’s like x100 worse!

It must be doing something, or perhaps absolutely nothing but making me feel like crap because I’ve had the start of fertile CM. I better not bloody ovulate after all this!

The tuna jacket has been ok. So that’ll be on the menu for the foreseeable. A whole evening without nausea yay!

Thanks @Lauralozzle, yes it went well thank you. Egg collection is booked for Wednesday so doing my trigger shot tonight. Lining is at 9mm and I have about 17 follicles, 12 of which are at/near the target size. Last time I had about 8 good follicles overall and got 6 mature eggs from those 8 (although they didn’t develop to a good standard). It's reassuring for me to have grown this amount of follicles considering my low AMH (4.0pmol/L), but there's of course no guarantee about quality.

@Custard7891 that's great that you're taking your trigger and everything looks on point so far. I hope Wednesday rolls around quickly for you.

Glad you'll mention your symptoms at your appointment @Lauralozzle I guess it makes sense if you've experienced similar tummy issues when on the pill. I guess what I've experienced is the same as when I was on the pill as well actually! Only much more quickly than I did then. Hooray for finding something you can tolerate eating! I've had EWCM in abundance since the second day of tablets. I've assumed it's normal and not a sign of ovulation 😬😬

@ViVRe things can definitely change between now and your egg collection! Also I think sometimes less is more. If I had a choice I'd grow less follicles for better quality!

@Custard7891 Happy injection free day!! That sounds like an excellent number with your AMH!

@IVFKinster I’m glad I’m not the only one with EWCM! Roll on Thursday for your scan!

What time is your scan tomorrow @Lauralozzle ? I hope it goes well.

I think overall I preferred the IVF process to the FET process. FET feels "simpler" but more drug heavy and light on appointments so there's just this huge space of time where it feels like nothing is happening.

I haven't got any time off planned after FET just the day itself. Is this a mistake do you think? Should I be taking time off to spiral and/or do nice things?

@IVFKinster My appointment is 9:50 AM, not too early!

I 100% prefer the stabbing! The FET process is light on appointments and it does feel like nothing much is happening. I’ve not booked anything off, I’ll have the day of transfer if it falls on a weekday but I can take that as special leave. I have 4 days annual leave left until the end of November and I might take those during the 2WW at some point because I’ll get nothing done and my mind won’t be on work at all. It won’t be too long to wait until my holidays renew themselves as well, which is good!

I think time off to do nice things sounds like a lovely idea!

Hope everyone's doing ok.

Period is most definitely on its way. Thinking it will start tomorrow so will need to call the clinic to request treatment. Does anyone know how they decide what day you start injections? Is there any science to it or do they just pick!

Not too early but also early enough that there isn't too much time to kill beforehand @Lauralozzle! Let us know how you get on! Mine isn't until 2:30pm on Thursday as it's less disruptive for my work if I do them in the afternoon.
I'm thinking similar to you, a few days off to break up the tww might be helpful? I don't want to have nothing to do at all but I'm not going to be able to focus on work all day everyday for two weeks! I think my clinic give 11 days past transfer as OTD.

@marshk hooray for your period! There's some mystery science to it - I did short protocol and they started my meds on day 3 I think. I think between days 1-4 is normal and based on what day they get you in for the scan. Also they make sure your lining is thin enough and ovaries are all chilled out before they start meds. So if you went for a scan on CD1 they might not start you until CD2 if your uterus is still looking thin. That's my understanding.

@IVFKinster just been reading through the thread and glad to hear you're feeling bit more cheery.

Just read you were also on 150 gonal f when you did stims. That's exactly what I'll be on so hoping I'll feel ok too!

How are you feeling about starting now that it's so close @marshk ? I genuinely felt fine on the stims and was worried they weren't doing anything at first until my first scan! I found the time went very quickly once I'd started 😊 hopefully you have an easy time of it.

@marshk I can’t remember if you’re long or short protocol?

For my long protocol I called on day 1 and started down regulation on day 21. After down regulation bleed I had scan on CD7/8 and started stims day after.

For short protocol I started stims cycle day 2. I had no scan before, just started injections and then scan on 7 days of stims!

@IVFKinster I will do! I’m having my obligatory bath before my dildo cam app in the morning.

I hope I might be turning a corner. Maybe. I was up twice in the night with it bad, but apart from that it certainly seems to be easing just a little today.

I can smell my DHs dinner and it’s making me hungry rather than nauseous!

@IVFKinster - I feel ok actually... have been taking the whole thing in my stride up until now so that's the attitude I'm hoping to keep!

@Lauralozzle - I'm short protocol! I don't think I have a scan before I start either. I'm sure they said they'd just book me in for a day 8 scan.

Glad you're turning a corner!! Hopefully you start feeling better much quicker now

I wonder why I had to have a baseline scan? I had one for FET too and I think that's not very common! Interesting.
Great attitude @marshk I hope it continues!

Hooray @Lauralozzle for turning a corner and getting your appetite back slowly! I hope you continue to feel better each day 😊

Will get a call from the clinic this afternoon but both ovaries are nice and quiet and lining is 11.2 so I’m good to go.

Hopefully they’ll tell me to start progesterone pessaries soon and book me in for transfer!

That's a great thickness of lining @Lauralozzle! Don't they just want it above 7-8mm? Frustrating they don't tell you at your appointment. Hopefully you're not waiting too long for that phone call. Is it a relief to have that out of the way?

@IVFKinster Yes, they want it above 7/8 I think. She definitely said it was thick enough.

I’m hoping I don’t have to wait too long now though for transfer. Mainly so I can start the progesterone.

She did say the tablets can cause an upset stomach and to take them with food, which I have been doing.

It’s a relief knowing the tablets have done their job. I think it’ll be more of a relief when I have a date and something to work towards, to be honest. I just hope I get to transfer sooner rather than later!

Hi just wanted to say 'hang in there'. i'm 41, had 4 cycles of IVF.
First resulted in 4 eggs, no fertilised embryos to transfer.
Second round i got 12 eggs, 3 embryos, fresh transfer resulted in a pregnancy that i carried to 16 weeks before losing. 2 failed frozen transfers after that.
Third round, 8 eggs, 2 embryos, frozen transfer for both but BFNs.
Fourth round, 18 eggs, 2 embryos, first transfer was fresh - now 24 weeks pregnant and (fingers crossed) baby boy due in Jan 24. Its a rocky ride but don't be too downbeat if things don't work out at first, or second...
For me, both the fresh transfer resulted in pregnancies, but my 4 frozen transfers weren't successful. might just be pot luck, but don't automatically assume that frozen transfer will have better success rate.
G

That isn't really what I needed or wanted to hear.

@Lauralozzle hopefully helps to know the sickness etc has been worth it as the tablets and your uterus have done a great job! I'm excited for you to have a date. Is it normal for your clinic not to give dates of next appointments in person? So far my clinic have had me wait around after scans etc. To find out when I can start meds and to book my next appointment so I was expecting similar. I'll be so annoyed if I'm not given a date there and then. I've got my heart set on Tuesday next week, all being well inside 🤞🤞

Was convinced my period would be here by now but it's clearly making a slow appearance! Frustrating!!

Glad to hear you're good to go @Lauralozzle

I'm actually feeling quite easily triggered by any mention of failure or people trying to give me a reality check/telling me what I already know when I'm trying to be more positive. Not sure how normal that is ☹️ I felt quite safe in this little group as we're all at similar points. I've already had to leave the Facebook groups I was in, any other threads I was following or joining in with. I've stopped being able to talk to anyone other than my partner about things. Is anyone else feeling or has felt like this?

@gemmute Congratulations on your pregnancy.

We all have very different experiences with fresh and frozen transfers.

I started bleeding before my OTD on both fresh transfers and both have been BFNs. I’m glad yours were successful, although I’m sorry to hear about your previous loss.

However, I have two goes left with frozen transfers and I follow enough people to know that frozen embryos can and do work. I think it’s largely pot luck and I do not believe frozen transfers are less successful than fresh transfers otherwise people wouldn’t get pregnant with frozen embryos. I don’t expect a better success rate, although I certainly hope this third transfer will be different for me.

@IVFKinster Totally normal for them. They discuss with doctors and then I get a call in afternoon. It’s how they’ve always worked! Sometimes it’s at about 1:00PM, sometimes about 4:00PM lol so I’ll be attached to my phone for the rest of the day!

I hope Tuesday for you! I hope Monday for me!!!! Please please let me start progesterone now!!!

@IVFKinster I’m easily triggered. It takes the smallest things. I totally understand how you’re trying to be more positive and negative stuff isn’t helping with that!

I was a bit triggered in the fertility clinic this morning as there was this little girl there. I don’t know their story, if it’s secondary infertility and that’s why they were there or if they’ve always needed IVF or what. But it just felt insensitive with them parading their family about! Completely irrational for it to irritate me, but that’s how I felt.

Then my boss started sharing pictures of his grandson who is 12 weeks. I felt like - God, I don’t need this at work too! The moment anyone gives birth on social media I’m muting them.

I do follow lots of people who have had success with a frozen transfer and I’m holding onto that. My body might need the rest from egg collection. Frozen transfer might be more successful for me, if not this time, next time. I secretly have my hopes pinned on my day 6 expanded blast.