🎅🏿 December IVF 2023 🎄

[ThesisthenaViva]

Just wondering if anyone is doing IVF during the festive season......jump on-board the sleigh!

Hi there. I've having tests done on the 29th after having been TTC for almost 3 years. I really hoping we can start asap depending on the results. How long was it between getting your results and starting treatment? We are private ivf. I've put this off for so long and now feeling impatient! Wishing you the best of luck, how are you feeling? X

Hi @ThesisthenaViva, I will be having a medicated FET cycle

Hi!

This is my first post in Mumsnet for many years (life works out like that...) anyway...
I'm now 36y, TTC for 2 years. Found out in mid-oct that I have low AMH (5.1) by a private test, all nhs GP tests came back normal, but I have been referred now for assessment at the fertility services due to my age and failure of ttc. I believe that when they eventually get around to seeing me and testing my AMH it is too low for nhs treatment.... so... I've made a huge jump and am going to be having an IVF cycle in December.
This is all so new to me, I'm terrified. I basically understand the process (I have a medical background, but nothing related to gyno) and am aware that "it's going to be tough".
I am also going abroad, everything all booked to go on Monday, but I am panicking because I feel like AF may show up any minute (she's not due until next Thursday, BUT I have had cycles a full week short of my normal before).
Could do with some moral support if anyone is going through a similar thing (or are we all mad to be doing this just before Xmas?!)

@californiacooper that's all moving very fast after your result in October, well done taking matters into your own hands and booking to go abroad rather than waiting on nhs. Which country are you going to? I looked into it myself as it's much better value but my partner wanted to do treatment here.
How annoying about AF, hope it holds off, mine is also fairly unpredictable, very frustrating during TTC. What happens if it comes early, can they start your treatment a few days before?
Yes it's crazy doing this in December but why not! You might get your bfp in time for Christmas Day ❤️🤞🏻🤞🏻
I phoned our clinic yesterday and they're fully booked for December now anyway so will hopefully start in January. I also don't know what to expect, I feel anxious about the needles and meds in general, also fitting it all in around work.
Wishing you lots of luck- keep us updated x

I'm going to Greece, the doctor is a friend of a friend, who I have actually met many years ago.
It's very annoying about AF as we may have to drop everything and book more flights to go there this weekend if it turns up... the next flight now is Saturday evening, or sunday morning, we are due to fly Monday morning. I'm not sure if even getting there a few hours earlier would make any difference, our air bnb is from Monday... I just have to work all day and pray it holds off until at least Sunday then the original plan works! I'm probably panicking unnecessarily BUT I have all the "im about to start" symptoms with increasing intensity :/

That's annoying you can't start in December, what's your reason for needing IVF? Do you know much about what type you will have?

@smashedbanana
The needles- I am assuming i will be fine with this as I work with needles, it's just a bit unknown, just take it slow and you'll get used to it I think.
I'm a bit anxious too, of how my body will change and feel, I've got a lot of work to do remotely and hope I'm up to it. I think some
People do work all the way through though don't they. We're tough women we can face it

@californiacooper wow great you know someone, that's reassuring. Do you mind me asking which clinic? A friend of a friend is going with Serim (serum?) in Greece and has been super impressed with them so far.
With af I usually feel like I'm going to come on for ages before it actually starts, I reckon you'll be ok, stick to the plan if you can 🤞🏻 good luck! Try not to exercise as if I go for a run this usually makes it start earlier.
We have secondary infertility, no problem conceiving our first 5 years ago and have been trying almost 3 years now, I got pregnant this summer but had a miscarriage. I think my eggs are just old, I'm 38. Our tests are being done next week.
You're right with the needles. As you say, it's all unknown and it's scary but once it starts it'll hopefully feel less taunting. I think being in Greece (even if working remotely) will help as you can fully focus and hopefully feel more relaxed being somewhere sunny, going out for meals etc. I hope it all goes smoothly for you xx

I'm currently two days into stims in my first ever IVF round, so egg retrieval is booked in for the start of December. If all goes according to the current timeline then our official test day is 23 December, which is also our wedding anniversary.

@HungryTruck how are you feeling on the stims? How's the injections going? Wow exciting that you can test on your wedding anniversary and so close to Christmas ❤️
Have you been pleased with your clinic so far? X

@smashedbanana I'm feeling okay so far! It is a bit like symptom spotting in the two week wait because yesterday I was exhausted and crampy, but I'm also day 3 of my period so that's probably why. I just can't help reading into things!

The injection experience has been much better than I expected. I dislike needles, but I wouldn't say I'm scared of them. I managed to just disassociate from the first one and tried not to hesitate beforehand. My husband looked really surprised because he was expecting it would take ages for me to work myself up! I have to start doing two injections a day from Wednesday though and I am more anxious about the second one because the consultant said people find that one a bit more uncomfortable.

My clinic has been great! We are going through the NHS, so I was with a different clinic for all my tests and then asked to move at the IVF funding stage. The consultants at my first clinic were great, but we were let down a few times on the admin side of things, which is why we chose to move.

I saw your comment about being nervous about fitting everything around work and I was anxious about this too! I've just had a promotion into a different role that is much more stressful. I don't know what your team is like, but I've had a really positive experience talking to mine about it. They were all really understanding and most of them had family who had been through IVF so they had seen how emotionally taxing it can be. I am irregular but used ovulation sticks to predict when my IVF dates would fall, so managed to book off a week around egg retrieval. My clinic have also booked in my scans at 8am so I can do them before work.

Hi guys so looks like I'm on for December AF feels to be coming is there any natural ways to prompt it rather than this build up 😂
I should be starting 💉 this week if she shows feels pushing it for the Xmas shut down as transfer days would be 20/23rd 😬😬

I think we will be starting our first round in January 24 with the Christmas closures so maybe a bit behind everyone else here but just wanted to say good luck everyone! Fingers crossed for you all!

@180monkeys Good luck for Jan yes the Xmas closures are a pain

So we will be day 1 tomorrow, I have to call the clinic in the morning to start the meds, any advice from those who have started this is scary times

@camelinastorm thank you! We have an appointment we our clinic this week so will hopefully get a definite timeline then.

good luck for starting your injections tomorrow! Will this be your first round?

@180monkeys yes first round here, it's male factor so I'm assuming it's the light way with low meds, I've literally no idea as it's secondary infertility so its all new, we didn't think we would make this month with the shit downs bust seems getting the Xmas decs out has relaxed me too much and we are now 3 days early 😂

@camelinastorm we our MFI also so hopefully will be as low as possible on the meds too! No previous children for us though. Aw that’s good you’re getting to start before Christmas! I just want everything done asap I’m so impatient with it

I am on the Jan 2024 thread, but starting down reg mid December, with egg retrieval in January so going to also hop on this thread too if that’s okay! 😊

Hi, I will hopefully be starting stims for cycle 1 later next week if period arrives as planned sometime early in the week.

We don’t celebrate Christmas so it’s a perfect time for us as work slows down and we have time off to relax and switch off.

Good luck to everyone who has/will be starting soon.

@Faith2024 yes we feel it's a good time as more time off work, I start meds tomorrow and scan Friday, looks like collection day will be 8th-11th if all goes to plan my 2ww will be over Xmas so I should be distracted

@camelinastorm sounds really exciting! Let us know how it goes.

are you all taking time off during the process? I’m undecided as to what to do yet, I could probably manage the scan appointments etc ok but not sure whether it would be best to just get signed off for a few weeks to avoid the stress of it

I'm not booking time off tbh as we have a shut down week between Xmas and new year anyway, scans I'm using as med leave

@camelinastorm yes that’s worked out well with the Christmas week anyway! Have you told your work about the ivf? I don’t really want to which is why I’m considering the time off

I think with time off it really depends on your situation. From what I have heard most people manage with little time off, except on egg collection day and the day after.

I am taking some time off because work slows down and just need some down time to relax. I would have taken it off even without ivf. So you will probably be fine whatever you choose.