IVF/ICSI/FET November 2023

[Sunflower360]

Hi 👋 I could not see a thread had been set up so thought I would do so. Bit about me...

➡️38
➡️Low AMH being main issue, last test was around 4pmol in the summer
➡️Have had an abandoned and failed IVF cycle in Spring of this year due to failed fertilisation, OH had low morphology, other parameters ok so ICSI advised next time
➡️Since then, I had 2 x consecutive ICSI natural modified egg collections and have 2 x day 5 ❄️❄️ and 1 x day 3 ❄️ embryos, whether they are any good, only time will tell
➡️I'm about to start another egg collection on the mild protocol this time and will (hopefully if it goes ok) transfer this time

Please join the rollercoaster for November as you wish!

@IslandsintheOcean Thanks for your reassurance. I think you mentioned that you had 18 follicles in one cycle. Do you remember your estrogen level then?
@Runner77 Thanks for your kind words. It's really stressful.
Since last night, I'm extremely stressed as I think I didn't have a full dose of the trigger shot. I was supposed to inject it at 23:30. I was thinking it's a normal pre-filled syringe like fyrmadil so I opened the box just at the time. I'm very meticulous and normally read and watch the instructions a few times. When I opened the box, I panicked and asked my husband to set it for me. Although we did everything as instructed there were quite several drops (not just one or 2😥) out of syringe by the time we see 250 on the syringe and inject it. Since last night I'm beating myself up for this mistake and that I definitely took far lower dosage than I should've.

@GOL the pre filled pens have a bit extra in them to allow for the extra drops/removing bubbles, so hopefully it will be fine.

Hey GOL, I don’t think they tested, was told in recovery post egg collection they would freeze all. This time my estraidol was all ok so that was a double check.

On your trigger and on the other meds there is extra per dosage for wastage. It’s really normal, I have been warned about this in clinics. Honestly it will be fine! Best wishes for collection.

Hi all, hope it's okay to hop onto this board, I am on another one, but it's gone very quiet as almost everyone else has finished their treatment. I am going to transfer my final day 6 4 BC embryo on Thursday and I'm hoping to find some fellow 2ww ers.

Hey @kirstysmbc :)

Sounds like a few drops won’t make a difference @GOL, good luck with your collection!

I have had an awful day. Injected Cetrotide this morning and immediately developed a rash, light headedness and tingly lips and fingers. So potentially an allergic reaction. Felt awful until around 2pm and all ok now. Clinic have told me not to inject it tomorrow until I am at the clinic for my scan so they can supervise me.

Hi Ladies, hope you are all well.

@IslandsintheOcean thanks for the well wishes. Well done you with the twins as well. Is that a choice that you made to have two embryos in or you clinic did? My clinic only says one at a time. Any news on your wait? Hope it all goes well for you.

@TT82 sorry to hear about your embryos. I wish you all the best with the rest of the journey.

@Maddie23 welcome and hope all is going well with the stims for you. I also found out about PCOS once I started looking into infertility issues. My last failed cycle I was on Menopur- 49 follicles and the didn't grow any larger than 6 I think. This cycle I was on same stims as you are on now and it works to EC but my Gonal was slightly higher. Still had higher follicle count. Out of 23 fertilised eggs I got 4 embryos good quality.

@Hopingforno2in2023 good follicle sizes. Not long now till EC. Sorry to hear about the reaction but at least it's this far down and can still go ahead with your EC. Best wishes.

@Caubabatko aww thanks. The 2WW isn't fun at all. I'm trying to keep busy but that's all I think about. My test day is on Saturday. I'm going away for short break this coming week so that should help. How are you getting on? Hope all works out for you especially after flying out.

@kirstysmbc welcome. I'm in my 2WW period. It's not fun at all. We will have a couple days as buddies before I test. Is this your first cycle? Best wishes with your transfer.

@GOL , I'm sorry to hear about the abandoned cycle. I had the same thing and it really upset me so much. Don't worry too much about it being only 7 over 14. You will be surprised how many catch up over the weekend as well. Also I had high follicle count and I was so stressed out about having quantity over quality. And the OHSS isn't fun with the high numbers. Best wishes with EC tomorrow.

@BebeBelle - the clinic gave it as an option due to failed transfers and maternal age. They clearly weren’t expecting twins 👯‍♀️! We did consent but knowing what I know now I would only ever do a single transfer. Might take a bit more time to do two FET but long term best outcomes on stats. But I do feel very fortunate and glad.

TWW is ok, transferred Saturday. Both of my previous two first transfers post IVF didn’t work but eventually one did so I’m glad we have options and not all my eggs are in one basket 🧺 so takes the pressure off a little.

Enjoy the break, lovely to have something positive to do and enjoy. @kirstysmbc welcome to the club too. Wishing you the best on your transfer.

Just had my day 5 scan this morning. Follicles look good, the nurse was happy with the progression. My left ovary seems a bit ahead but I thought that would be the case. I've been told to start my Cetrotide tomorrow and will have another scan on Wednesday.

Hoping I can join this thread. I'm 2dpt5dt. I had a fresh transfer on Saturday of a top quality embryo after an IVF/ICSI cycle. All seems fine, but noticed a little brown spotting 24 hours after the transfer so around lunch time yesterday. Noticed some more this morning. Spoke to the clinic and they said either irritation from my cervix or implantation. Of course I'm still super worried, has anyone got any experience of this and did it turn out to be ok?

Hi @Socu3 - welcome to the TWW club! I transferred on Saturday too. Brown spotting is old blood so very likely where the speculum or embryo transfer catheter irritated your cervix. It’s a lot of rummaging around 🫣. I have had a previous successful cycle and I had spotting, fresh blood… the works and thought I’d lost the pregnancy many times. Only way to tell is to test in 10 days or whenever the clinic tells you to. And keep well, rested and distracted if you can.

@islandsintheocean thank you. V reassuring to hear. Just full of worry but also trying to keep calm as poss. Such a surreal experience. What will be will be! Did you experience any implantation bleeding at all?

@GOL
You'll be OK, even if it was slightly lower than prescribed, the drug will be delivered to your follicles, it's not all or nothing!
Relax and enjoy the day off before the collection😊

@Hopingforno2in2023
I've been there - my antagonist was ganirelix and it caused a hive-like swelling around the injection site. First time it worried me but it went away by the evening. I was later reassured by a doctor though that it is quite common.

@kirstysmbc
Welcome! I'm also waiting on my transfer this month, not confirmed though, having a second scan on Thursday, when you're transferring!
Is it a medicated or natural cycle? How's your dominant follicle and endometrium developing?

@BebeBelle
I've had my first scan and the worry over ovulating too early is now gone but now I'm at the opposite end of spectrum - follicles growing too slow!
If there isn't a dominant follicle of 14-16mm at the next scan in 3 days, they might have to cancel the cycle😱 All I can do is to eat, play and sleep well and hope for the best.
How did you even get to the transfer day? Was it all smooth from the beginning of the cycle?

@Maddie23
Glad to hear it's going well for you. Keep us posted on your EC day!

@Socu3
Welcome to you too. I've recently read a reassuring blog by an IVF doctor, who said spotting/bleeding is normal in early pregnancy; it means your body is building the placenta.
Another thing he said was that copper (used in IUD) is known to prevent implantation and that increasing zinc intake can help tip the Zn/Cu balance if you have too much copper in the blood.
I'm Day 16 in my first natural FET cycle and planning to get zinc supplements or pumpkin seeds later today to up my zinc!

Started Progynova today in preparation for FET....scared of the potential side effects....Anyone has any experience with this?

@Sunflower360 @IslandsintheOcean @Hopingforno2in2023 Thanks for your reassurance, it really helped me and calmed me down 🤗
So, the egg collection is over, took nearly 10 min and as soon as I woke up, I was very awake and sharp. I feel good just some period like pain. The doctor has punctured my little endometriosis cyst by mistake and I have to take antibiotics for 5 days as there is a risk of infection. They collected 13 eggs totally. Doctor said that they didn't want the other 12 grow because of the risk of OHSS, so now the small ones will be absorbed by the body. I will be called tomorrow about the number of mature eggs, fertilised, etc.

@GOL good result! Hope your update call goes ok tomorrow

Great news @GOL!

My scan today went well. Have 9 follicles now ranging from 15mm - 23mm. Egg collection planned for Wednesday but they are calling later to confirm all the details.

Well done @GOL! That’s a good number, wishing good fertilisation and good news.

@Socu3 - to be honest I don’t think I could say a firm yes. I had spotting as various times but couldn’t say for certain it was implantation bleeding. It’s such an uncertain time and no one really knows what you’re going through. You’re doing great - keep going. There is always the next hurdle but you can do this, you’ve come this far!

Had the call, trigger is 21:30 today and egg collection 09:30 on Wednesday. Exciting!

@Hopingforno2in2023 good luck tomorrow!!

@GOL amazing news!

No updates from my side, apart I have developed like hives that come and go, extremely itchy from the downreg pill, but dr said too late to stop.. another week 😩

Thanks @BebeBelle. I'm very lucky to have a daughter from my first cycle in 2021, but had a miscarriage and a failed cycle earlier this year. This is my last embryo from the first cycle, and at 43 I don't think it's really worthwhile / affordable to do another fresh cycle, so last throw of the dice. Glad you're surviving the 2ww so far - are you going away somewhere nice?

Thanks @IslandsintheOcean @Caubabatko I'm doing a medicated cycle, lining was about 8mm on day 10, and started progesterone on day 13, so hopefully it's a little thicker now 😊 No dominant follicle as I've had cetrotide. Fingers crossed for better news from your next scan.

@Hopingforno2in2023 Hello, and fab news on the scan and go ahead for egg collection.

@GOL Fab results from egg collection, hope you get more good news over the next few days 🤞🤞

@GOL great result, 13 eggs is an excellent number. Fingers crossed for lots of embryos.

@Hopingforno2in2023 good luck for EC on Wed. I'm also booked in for EC on Wed at 9am. I'm quite nervous as to how many eggs they will retrieve. Last time there were quite a few empty follicles so I'm worried that will happen again.

@contentsmayb I was on prognova last round and felt pretty great on it actually! No side effects. Hopefully you will feel the same.

finger crossed for us both @Runner77! How do you feel today? The trigger shots last night have given me all the lovely symptoms of early pregnancy. Utterly exhausted and nauseous.

@Runner77 . Day 2 for me, nothing yet. Hopefully you are right :)