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 🙂

@Hopingforno2in2024 Thanks :)

@VenusStarr Thanks. The estrogen was horrible, although my lining was okay on it, I had to keep taking it for an extra week due to scheduling for transfer and it gave me the worst stomach issues! I just hope my lining is good enough for a natural transfer! I can cope with the progesterone pessaries.

I’ve still got to arrange the ANA, part of me hopes it comes back positive as then there is a reason for it not working and they can give me extra meds. I have an underactive thyroid (not hashimotos) but I do wonder if there is something linked with that.

Thats great you got a cancellation in and things can get moving for you.

@Lauralozzle are you on levothyroxine? My thyroid is underactive too, it seems to fluctuate, so am on 75mcg now. Last check it was 1.4 so I'm happy with that.
I've got quite a lot of immune meds to be on for transfer as I have overactive nk cells which my private miscarriage doctor thinks is the cause of our pregnancy losses. It's definitely worth looking into.

Just had my nurse consult, she was so lovely. I'm really glad that we changed doctors, the nurse today really reassured me. She also remembered me (I didn't recognise her) so it was nice as feels like I'm not just a number.
All on track for end of December, just waiting for our e-consents and the invoice and I cab get my meds ordered. Countdown is on! 😬😊

How is everyone? X

@VenusStarr That’s great! You’ll be ready to start before you know it!

Yes, I’m on levothyroxine. My thyroid too fluctuates like mad, I’m on 75mcg but I’m battling to get it increased to 100mcg. GP gave me a prescription for 100mcg that dropped my TSH to 1.8 but didn’t put it down for repeat and the GP has since been awkward asking for confirmation from the clinic that it needs to be below 2.5. It was 3.6 on 75mcg, I’m waiting for clinic to print me a letter to take to the GP which I’ve been chasing for the past week. I’m cutting it a bit fine, to be honest, with timings as I’m chasing everything!

Thats really frustrating for you! @Lauralozzle we must be similar then with our thyroid. I hope the GP sort it for you 🙏 honestly the ivf admin is so stressful! X

Consents signed 🙌 and have paid... eek!!

How is everyone? X

Exciting @VenusStarr!

Im just waiting for our paperwork appointment on Tuesday. Have been struggling a bit this week with regards our failed transfer.

I'm sorry that you've been struggling @Hopingforno2in2024 ❤️ it's such a roller coaster and to be still in the thick of it, getting ready to start again, it's very hard. It's understandable you'll be having difficult emotions. Sending love x

Thanks @VenusStarr, it is such a hard journey for us all.

Hi everyone,

I've just been reading through all your posts and wondered if I can join you all? I enjoyed being part of a thread for my last IVF attempts.

@LouP87 and @Twomumfamily i am also with Guys. And I am also a same sex couple.

Our history is we had our first round of ivf in July 2019 (during the process found out I had an ovarian cyst, polyp, underactive thyroid and PCOS). 13 eggs collected, 10 fertilised, 5 blastocysts.

First fresh transfer... Unsuccessful, first frozen transfer (one embryo didn't survive thaw) December 2019 - unsuccessful, January 2020 second frozen transfer-unsuccessful.

I'd been really positive and thought I was breezing through the process but my sister in law announced her pregnancy Xmas eve 2020 and it was two days after our BFN and the timing was so hard. I took a long time to get mentally ready to go again.

But now, we're all signed up with Guys and we're in the process of transferring our sperm over from Create. Who knew how expensive that would be.

Hoping to start in January

Hey @Becky105 Sorry to hear you’ve had such a rough ride of it 😞

My SIL has just announced she is pregnant and it’s knocked me sick so I can really relate to you with that. A big part of me in considering pushing our round back. I think it would be too difficult watching her get more and more pregnant on a similar timescale I should have been on if ours doesn’t work.

Would you mind me asking the cost of transferring the sperm? We are still with our nhs appointed clinic but we aren’t really happy with them and have considering changing clinic now we have to pay!

Hi @HopefulHead

Yeah, I am usually pretty good at suppressing the involuntary jealousy of pregnancy announcements but that one was on the day we had agreed that we would tell our families if it was good news... So a brutal reveal for us. Now our little niece is just another beautiful little baby that we can celebrate but at the time it was just a huge kick in the gut.

So Create would like a £350 admin fee for exporting... The cheapest courier quote so far (for driving it 14 minutes across London) is £150 and Guys would like a £250 import admin fee. It feels like an awful lot of money but nothing with ivf is cheap.

I said to my partner, we should become cryogenic transporters. I'd love to make that kind of money a day for half hours work. But I suppose the responsibility is massive, so you just have to hope you're paying for them to dedicate all their love and attention to a safe transfer.

Hi all!

Have been quiet the last few weeks as things were crazy with work and I also was feeling very far removed from it all being between treatments… but picked up my prescription last week so am all set now for later this month!

Will be on Fematab 3 x daily once my cycle starts, then will start on the progesterone gel and injections after my scan… can’t get my head around what to expect for the FET vs the full ICSI but ready to get going again now! Has anyone been on Fematab before - how did you find it?

My nurses are also saying no alcohol once I start but I feel like that’s a bit OTT given I’ve already done the hard work of getting the egg… will see closer to the time I guess. Plus with all the Christmas parties I might be ready for a detox!

How is everyone else getting on?

@Lauralozzle just noticed you've joined! Nice to see a familiar "face" - hope you're doing OK 😊

@IVFDublin Hi! Yes, it is nice but bittersweet to see a familiar face! Wish we didn’t have to be here.

I don’t have much of an update. I’ve sent my consultant letter to GP, re my thyroid and have asked for ANA tests. I’m waiting for them to get back to me. If I don’t hear anything this week, I’ll just do the ANA test at the clinic and cough up the £50.00. I’ll also ask them to test my thyroid which will be about £70.00 on top. My GP surgery are bloody useless.

For this last frozen transfer, I’ve also got some optibac probiotics and vaginal probiotics to try and make sure my flora down there is ok. We haven’t tested it, but I’m thinking this surely can’t hurt!

Just got a panicked call from the clinic checking id picked up my buserelin as there’s another national shortage of it apparently! Thankfully I was super on the ball and collected it after my scheduling appointment last month but hope that won’t affect anyone else’s cycle

Glad you have it already @confuzzzzzled!

Signed paperwork for our FET today. Now just have to wait for a letter which will give medication details and dates. Going to try to forget about it until after Christmas.

Hi ladies,
We are doing our second ivf round in Jan.
Just wondered how everyone is planning to deal with alcohol over Christmas. Having the odd one here and there or cutting out completely?
Best of luck to everyone.

Hi @Blossomofhope . I am starting first ever ivf cycle in Jan (secondary infertility). Starting downregulation on Thur. I am feeling really positive about it all, hopefully I can maintain that.

As for drinking can’t answer that I don’t drink at all but my struggle is with sweat treats which I have cut down on massively. Occasional dark chocolate here and there unless it’s a celebration.

Hi everyone. Hope all is OK. I'm getting my meds delivered on Friday 🥳😬 starting to feel a bit more real now.

@Blossomofhope I'm not planning on having alcohol. We're staying home just us 2. It's new years eve I'm a bit worried about as we've been invited to a neighbour's party. I'll have started stims by then but I don’t really have a reason not to drink as its next door! I've had nosecco before and that's ok, might just take that with me...
My dh isn't a big drinker really but he'll want to try his Christmas vodka, he won't get drunk though.
When will you start?

Exciting @Hopingforno2in2024 🥳 are you doing a medicated FET?

Glad you're sorted @confuzzzzzled

@Lauralozzle I have never found my GP to be quick, I hope you can get it sorted and save a bit of money.

@IVFDublin I would think a bit is ok if you're doing a FET. I vaguely remember listening to a BFN podcast ages ago and Prof Tim said he'd recommend glass of wine the night before transfer! Wheb are you starting?

@HopefulHead ❤️ hope you're OK.

Hi @Becky105 when are your speem moving over? Glad you're all set up 🙂

Hi @VenusStarr ,

I don't actually know. His said it takes 1 month. But after doing all the admin and not hearing anything I think I'll need to do some chasing tomorrow to find out if there's anything else I need to do or whether it's over to them.

I just want to get going!!!!

But at the same time, I get full of all the emotions. I said to my partner after our last appointment... I don't want to get excited again but I am and I can't help it. She was cute and encouraged me to get excited but there's just no guarantees.

Tonight I was trying to look for things I want for Christmas and found myself browsing maternity wear. Tbf I am due a period, which often puts me in a funny frame of mind but maternity wear is a new level of conscious optimism that I haven't explored before.

Hi @VenusStarr I’m good thank you 🥰 Think im (nearly) over my wobble about my SIL being pregnant, still makes my stomach sink but just trying not to think about it!

Maybe go with the whole ‘I’m on antibiotics’ for NYE if you needs to get out of drinking 😬

Im doing FET, and I think first injection will be 2nd January - good timing - so I’m just going to have a couple over Xmas & nye but not go mad!

Hi everyone, I am hopefully due to start our first ISCI cycle due to MFI in January and am (probably naively) excited! My AMH is 28.3 and AFC was 30 when I had my scan so hoping those will be good numbers but you just never know which makes me nervous

we have just signed all our consent forms with our clinic so hopefully will be pretty quick to get started after the Christmas closures! but also have our initial NHS appointment next week so going to it as well to see if they can give any useful advice

hope everyone is keeping well and anyone who has started is feeling ok! Good luck everyone

Hi ladies is anyone here using a payment plan with the clinic or taken out a loan? We're not lucky enough to have enough savings to pay for our IVF I'm not a huge fan of loans especially if when that 5k can just be lost when you get that BFN after the TWW. I just feel a bit overwhelmed at the moment and really worried about getting into financial difficulties:( has anyone felt like that at the start or is feeling it now?

@confuzzzzzled I’m glad you’ve got your buserelin. There always seems to be a shortage of that every 6 months or so!

@Hopingforno2in2024 Thats good your consents are sorted. I think mine is going to be very last minute at this rate!

@Blossomofhope I’m having a FET so might have the odd drink over Christmas but not a lot.

@Cloclo93 We have taken out a loan for a two cycle package. Wasn’t eligible for one where we’d get some of our money back. It has worked out cheaper now than if we did it bit by bit because I’m on my second FET.

@VenusStarr Thanks. More drama with my GP. I asked for a bloods form for ANA test, they’ve given me one for DsDNA ABE which Google reckons if often issued after a positive ANA. Urgh. I’ve messaged the clinic asking if it’s the right test or not, otherwise I’ll take this test on Monday but might have to just pay for ANA anyway.

I’m a bit fed up with it to be honest. More delays. I can’t get my protocol/sort out consents until this is sorted.

@Cloclo93 I'm with Create and their payment plan didn't feel affordable, was something like 9% which would be about £1000 repayments. I did look into Gaia very briefly but think it's a complete rip off. We've taken a loan as only had half of what we needed. We've done it over a longer period to keep the repayments manageable but will overpay to get it paid off sooner if we can.

Hi @180monkeys 😊

What's your FET protocol @HopefulHead

I'm sorry you're facing the delays @Lauralozzle did you manage to get it sorted? It's horrible when stuff like that happens as you feel really out of control ❤️ I hope things can start progressing for you soon.

I got my meds yesterday, countdown us on as I'm 3dpo now (I still do bbt even though we avoided ttc as I don't want any setbacks). So af should be here by 28/29 December (my clinic says it has to start by 12pm and I usually come on in the afternoon.
Feeling quite anxious now its so close. My fridge is full... 😬