IVF / ICSI January 2024

[VenusStarr]

Hi, is anyone due to start IVF / ICSI in January? We're going to do a 3 cycle package. I was hoping to start in December but hadn't realised Christmas closing would be so early! My clinic won't start fresh cycles after 30 November - my af is due any day now.

Got my protocol consultation next week, we've been doing lots of tests and my baseline scan. My husband was very sick earlier the year and we've now got MFI (low motility) and borderline sperm dna fragmentation. I've had recurrent miscarriages, combination of natural and ivf pregnancies, low amh, fibroids, adenomyosis... I've got immune issues so will be on extensive meds when we get to transfer. Trying to bank some embryos as this is our last go 🙏

Trying to see the wait as a positive to give us time to get the supplements in our system and eat well.

If anyone fancies joining me on the wait, please do 🙂

Thanks @potatosconelover - it’s a bit of an odd one really, I live in Bangkok with my husband and teach out here. My folks have just returned home from a fleeting visit here as injections got underway, so they’re on the other end the phone. Colleagues are fantastic but I don’t want to become a burden, they were fabulous when I miscarried and had to be on bed rest last April.

I'm going to see my ultrasound now to find out if we have to extend stimulation (11 days today) and which day I’ll need to book off work next week for the extraction.

I really feel for everyone today. I cried over the bacon I was frying. This is just my first cycle, and it’s a lot. I’m struggling to find the balance between being positive about everything but also realistic and protective of myself, just in case.

@Ellenn I havent been taking any vitamins i just thought its been postponed and didn't want to really think about anything TTC or Fertility related. Now I've got dental appointments and this all starting at once. I just hope I havent ruined my chances of good eggs by not taking the necessary supplements and eating well. Not much I can do now tbh

Any of you who have been through a cycle before haveany tips for a first timer. Anything il need to help me through this?

@Sherr33 I would only focus on today and forward. Just be honest maybe they can give advice?

@VenusStarr sorry it has been a struggle, I hope it eases up a bit.

@Pincushion83 video calls or calls to your loved ones, I know it’s not the same but it’s something. One of my best friends lives half way across the world and she has been very supportive and we talk very regularly. It is harder for sure to be doing it on your own for a while.

I am on day 5 of stims and I have to extend stims by 2 days to give follicles more time so we will know more in our second scan on Monday. First cycle so a lot of it is trail and seeing how your body responds.

Thank you @Ellenn @Faith2024 it's a bit of a roller-coaster.

Just had my scan. Egg collection is pencilled in for Tuesday 😵‍💫 but it may be that I need to trigger tonight and it's Monday. Just waiting for my blood test. Then they'll call me later of its changing.
Positive news is my lining is 8.1mm 🙌 I'm not expecting many eggs though. Fingers crossed we get 1 blast. I'm doing 3 cycles, this is my first. So hoping to get a fresh transfer on my 3rd go.

@VenusStarr great news! Sounds like it is all going in the right direction. How long do they make you wait between collections? I’d heard of doing package cycles to batch embryos. That’s great about your lining, I’m really hoping mine is going to play ball this month (last medicated cycle it took extra days to get thick enough).

Hey all, I'd love to join in.
Just waiting for CD1, never actually wanted it to come like this before! Earlier in the week I was hanging on to the idea that this would be the cycle I get pregnant naturally and we could avoid IVF but after 4 years 'unexplained', deep down I know that's never going to happen but catch myself dreaming every now and then.

After a long wait to get here everything is now happening really fast which I wasn't prepared for.

We're with a Care Clinic too @Sherr33 Did you decide on any add ons? We are NHS funded but willing to pay for extras within reason if they are relevant. We're definitely requesting Zymot, undecided about CaremapsAI. Keep changing my mind on that every 5 mins!

Wishing everyone upthread well on this journey.

Thank you @Ellenn no phone call, so not long done another stim injection, trigger tomorrow 🙌
I'm having a cycle off in between. Which I'm glad about, I'm knackered! So will not need to take progesterone, will just wait for a bleed, then on my first proper period, I'll start stims again.
I'm a bit worried I'll lose my top follicle, it was 20mm today but they're pushing the extra day to try and bring up an 11mm one. I can't wait for thar sedation sleep 😴

How's things with you?

@IVF23 hope you're getting on OK?

Welcome @Eggbert12345 hooe you can get started soon.

@Sherr33 please don't worry ❤️ I'm pleased you can get started soon.

Hope everyone is doing ok xx

@VenusStarr yeh I struggled big time during stimulation. That makes sense having a cycle off and then starting again. Thought it might be quite a lot doing it straight away again! That follicle might be alright as I think they grow about 1mm/day the nurses had said to me, hopefully it hangs in there 🤞the sedation is great I thoroughly enjoyed it 🤣 your collection will be on Tuesday is that right?

My lining check is on the 19th so just counting down the days and sending good vibes to my lining currently 🤣 think I might try reflexology. Has anyone else done this?

@Eggbert12345 hey 👋 totally get the feeling of wanting your period to arrive! I think it’s definitely the only time that happens 🙄 for me it will be the one time it’s super late or something of course. Hope your treatment all goes to plan! Sorry I don’t know much about the add-ons you mentioned but hopefully someone heremight be able to help better!

Hi everyone!

I started spotting this morning; so this month’s getting started might be off the table :(

(my public clinic here in Copenhagen said they’ll only restart IVF cycles after Christmas with people who have the first day of heavy bleeding 9th and onwards).

It’s the first time my period has come early in ages too! I’ll give them a call tomorrow and see what they say. We already lost December because it didn’t start any new cycles for that whole month because of Christmas. Otherwise, it’s going to be February. I’m grateful it’s all paid for, but irritating that a 7 month waitlist turned into 11. And they also take off half of June and all July. I love Denmark, but they certainly love their extended time off!

@Ellenn im the opposite right now. I can feel my period coming and I just hope it doesn't arrive before tomorrow's swabs and blood test. 🙏 everything is happening so close. Just shows when it's go go go it really goes 😂 what have you done for your cycle as in work wise and are you eating anything in particular or is it just normal routine? I've been googling what to eat during stims at ec and et 😬😂

@Copenhagener would they class spotting as a flo? Because I usually spot a day and then full flow arrives few days later on the actual date (more or less)and my clinic said flo would be when your sanitary towel is x amount of blood. I hope this doesn't push it back for you. X

@VenusStarr thank you. How are you doing?

@Sherr33 argh 🙈 it’s so tricky isn’t it. So many parts where it can go wrong, will they not let you start if period arrives early? Tbh I usually try and keep working as normal as I feel it just keeps me going and then at least you have distraction as well from not thinking about all the possible outcomes. This time round I’ve managed to take the day of transfer (providing everything goes to plan 🤞) off which will be nice. I think if you can get that off then it’s quite nice not having to rush back to work. During my stims I had to phone in sick and was off for about a week but I did have OHSS so hopefully that won’t happen to you!

Eating wise to be completely honest I went through a phase trying to be healthy at the start of it all and now I can’t be bothered 🙈 lol but this month I am going to try reduce my sugar intake as I’ve got a bit of a sweet tooth and love a bit of chocolate/doughnuts 🤣

Are you on a short protocol?

@Ellenn that's me! Omg I love my waffles, donuts, dark chocolates...all the desserts you can think of haha. That's what I worry about more to be honest the fact my diet isn't healthy and then I'm also a dessert addict 🙈

Im not sure but I just don't want any hiccups now that I've mentally told myself it's starting next week 🙃

Yes im on short protocol

Anyone who’s down regged able to give some advice please?

I know lots of clinics time down reg to a certain day in your cycle but mine don’t. I started down reg on day 2 of my period and should hopefully start stims at the end of this week. From reading online, it seems clinics normally do it around day 22(?) and like for patients period to have arrived whilst down regging. I’m just a bit worried that mine doesn’t seem timed like other clinics do it, but my period did continue when I started down reg, and even lasted a little bit longer than usual so I’m hoping that’s okay?

Hey hope all is well I started my stims last week Tuesday so I'm on my 6th night of bemfola and 2nd day/ morning of certrotide
I has a scan Friday and I had 1 follicle at 10mm and the rest was 8/9 and under I have 16 follicles altogether what they seen, plus left side are growing slowly.
I'm on a 8 days stims and have another scan in the morning, this is my 1st time doing ivf has anybody experienced this type of growth and what was the outcome x thanks

@confuzzzzzled i haven’t personally done it but in my clinic information pack they said the start down regulation on either day 2 or day 21, so I think other clinics do sometimes do this? Usually before you start stimulation medication they will scan you to make sure good to go so I wouldn’t worry about bleeding more. Hopefully you are all good to go 😊

@xbiscottix you are still early on day 6 of stimulation! Really hard to say how they are growing until you get another scan and see how the progress. But 16 is a good number 💪 Hopefully tomorrow morning they will be able to give you a timescale when they think you will be ready. I think everyone seems to be slightly different so I wouldn’t compare yourself to others!

Hi all,

Called the department, and they’ve said we can get go in! We have a baseline scan on Wednesday, where they’ll double check I’m fine to begin stimulations. They can’t fit us in before then.

A little nervous I’ll be ‘too far’ along in my period at that point, as it’ll be day 3-4 of my cycle but let’s see! We’ll be doing short protocol if things go according to plan.

So I don’t seem to be responding well to the dose and follicles are growing slow (between 6,7-10 on day 6 of stims). I had a blood test this morning to decide next steps and if cycle will go ahead. Initially they had planned for egg collection on 13th but that is unlikely now.

Maybe starting at max dose for lower AMH isn’t best way. Anyone who has been in a similar situation?

@Faith2024 sorry to read it is not going as you expect. Hopefully the blood results will be encouraging and follicules growth will catch up!
What drugs/doses do you take? I also have low AMH and take gonal f 300iu and Luveris 150iu. I have my first scan tomorrow that will also be day 6 of stims so can let you know.

Day 10 scan this morning and I need to continue stims until Wednesday and go back in then for another, pencilled in egg collection for Friday.

@Faith2024 i have some smaller ones 6mm-8mm (I think 3 or 4 of them) which they don’t expect to be any good, I’m on the max dose of Gonal F and my AMH is 6.

Luckily there are 8/9 medium size (around 12-14mm) and 1 at 19mm so they think the extra time will help these along, fingers crossed!

gone straight back to work now and booked in a lot tomorrow to keep my brain occupied!

@Loute02 I am also on a total of 450 units, but 225 Meriofert & 225 Fostimon. My amh is 5.8. I am not expecting a huge amount of eggs because of my age and I am doing ivf with batching for a second child.

I am on 6 follicles (I had 10 on the AFC count before treatment so a decline of a 3rd). So overall I feel like first cycle isn’t going well so far? I can live with first cycle not being great if it is just the first one but worried it is a sign of more to come.

@LouP87 that is a good number and hopefully they will be at the right size for you to get the result you need, fingers crossed for you.

@Ellenn heyyy I had my baseline today any they have all caught up with a group of leading follicles I have 22 in total and 16 hopefully will have eggs in there on egg collection day. She said I'm doing well for this stage I don't need any additional meds so I have 2 evenings left of bemfola then another baseline scan fingers crossed I'll be going to egg collection on Friday 12th x

@Faith2024 im sorry to hear that your not responding to the treatment hopefully the follicles catch up and your egg collection goes to plan x

@VenusStarr thank you. How are you getting on?

@LouP87 @xbiscottix wishing you all the best for egg collection

@Faith2024 fingers crossed some of the follicles catch up

@Copenhagener fingers crossed 🤞🏻

I’ve had a few days away from the forum after a stressful few days. We didn’t have a very good update on day 3 and they weren’t sure there would be any good enough embryos on day 5. 3 ended up making it to blastocyst but only 1 was good enough quality to transfer which was yesterday. It means none in the freezer again so I’m just feeling really defeated with all of it. Gosh it’s hard isn’t it ☹️

I'm sorry you've had a stressful time @IVF23 🩷 nothing can prepare you for the tome after egg collection and waiting for those updates. I'm pleased you have one on board. I am sorry there were none to freeze. Keeping everything crossed that this one settles in nicely. Are you off during the tww or will you be working?
I'm doing ok, got lots of pelvic twinges and feeling swollen (funny as I don't have loads of follicles). I'm calmer now I've triggered. I'm not expecting more than 3 eggs I don't think. But comparing to previous cycles, that's on a par. It's the stuff after that's hard. Lots of love.

@Faith2024 I'm really sorry to hear this ❤️ I've only ever done mild stims, so max 225iu and my amh has ranged from between 5 and 9. My afc was 8 both previous rounds and I got 3 fertilised eggs both times. I don't think it sounds too bad if you have some 10mm follicles at day 6. I had one race ahead but the smaller ones were trying to catch up. I'm sorry you're in limbo. Hope you find out soon. I had 3 cancelled FETs - can elled cycles are really tough, sending lots of love ❤️

Good news @xbiscottix

🤞 @Copenhagener

Sounds good @LouP87 🥰

Good luck for your scan @Loute02 🙏

I've booked this afternoon off to chill and get myself sorted ahead of tomorrow. Then having at least 2 days off after collection.

Has anyone got their own prescriptions, my clinic is sending out a prescription for me to get they say it's cheeper to get myself .... Is this correct and where would I get them

@Faith2024 I’m also on my first cycle, 450mg gonal f, and we’ve identified about 6 follicles that could have mature eggs in.

Each visit, some just didn’t grow. My left ovary had 4 follicles on the second day of my cycle and now it only shows 2: one big one and one I hope will grow (although it wasn’t even 11mm on Stim day 11). There’s 5 in the right side. Extraction is tomorrow morning at 9am, Bangkok time.

My Dr had asked whether to cancel around day 5 as my levels hadn’t risen and everything was growing so slowly, but I’ve pressed on for a couple of reasons, going through a cycle will help me better prep for the next one, we could still be lucky with the few I have, and timing wise, my husband is here until tomorrow, after egg-extraction, then leaves for work in India for three weeks.

Thinking of you all tonight.