🎅🏿 December IVF 2023 🎄

[ThesisthenaViva]

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

@Quillandink my natural was following my own cycle only having the low stims and then the cetrodide (I think )for the latter half, then had trigger and noting apart from progesterone pesserys until transfer. Something like that,
I'll be honest no real clue it's male factor so they wanted as natural as possible

@Quillandink best of luck for tomorrow. My anxiety has definitely kicked in when I keep remembering they will be calling me in the morning. I’ve been so ill I really don’t think I can cope with going through another stim round. Started with some bleeding today thought it was a bit early only 4 days since retrieval but I’m not on progesterone so it probably makes sense. Today I’ve started to feel better though so hopefully over the worst of it. My clinic have been good they took bloods from me yesterday to check my kidney function and said they would let me know if any problems but I haven’t heard from them so assume all ok. Might be worth asking them to check yours if you are still feeling unwell. Telling you to go to a&e feels a bit uncaring obviously if out of hours but otherwise they should be looking to do something surely.

@camelinastorm thank you for explaining. I was on the same protocol (minus the pessaries as the fresh transfer was cancelled) but didn't know it was classed as natural. Knowing me I probably didn't listen properly or retain the information that was given to me.

@Nk11 all the best for today. I'm glad to hear you're feeling better. Will you transfer in Jan/Feb or is your plan to batch?

@Quillandink well something like 😂 natural/mild, all I know is they said it was ideal as I had no issues. When did they let you know about cancelling your transfer?

@Quillandink so grateful to say I got a good result today 7 blasts to freeze and 11 more being watched that they will call me about tomorrow to see if any more can make it. I think the plan is to have a transfer in January. I assume I can start that on my next cycle. This has been my second stims round after my previous cycle I had one fresh and one frozen transfer that both failed but fingers crossed this has been a much better round so hopefully we should get some better results.

@Nk11 that's great you have 7 to freeze already !!! 🤞 For the rest of them. Hope you start to feel better.

Help need advice, so we have 3 grade 1 (8 cells) 1 grade 2 (6 cells) and 2 poor, they have asked if I would like a day 3 transfer...today...... What is the better option wait until d5 or human incubator today

@camelinastorm I had a day 3 transfer this time last year that was unfortunately unsuccessful. My clinic had a rule that if you had less than so many progressing embryos at day 3 you had to have a transfer. I really opposed this as I wanted to know that it could make it to day 5 before I had it transferred and said I would rather find out nothing made it to day 5 than have to wait 2 weeks for the same outcome. The clinic said I would have felt the opposite if they had waited to day 5. I think it is personal preference over how you feel about it as some people believe the embryo has a better chance of making it if in their natural environment. I would imagine you have already made your mind up now so whatever you've decided will be the right option for you, so good luck either way.

@Nk11 thanks , we are going to discuss it with he clinic not in until 1630 so have a bit of time to play with yes ours if less than 4 I have 3 grade 1 but I only started with 6 so 50% are grade 1, 2 grade 2 and lost only 1 surly it should go on % not actually numbers

@camelinastorm It's nice that they are open to discussion about it though as my previous clinic were not and I was very overwhelmed at the time with it being my first round. For me, I wanted to know that it had a good chance but I felt like it was just a punt and I assume it didn't even make it to day 5. I think you just need to consider how you would feel if you don't have a transfer today and you get to day 5 and they say you don't have anything left. I know they say that there is a lot of development has to happen between days 3 - 5 so that is why a day 5 transfer has a better outcome as they know more at that point whether it is looking viable. I only had 2 that were still progressing at day 3 so a smaller number. The one they didn't transfer did make a blastocyst but it took until day 6 and was average quality.

@Nk11 yes they have said it is our choice, my husband has said how would we feel if none made it, silly me thought that as they were high grade it would auto go to day 5 obviously not, it's still crazy after all this it's such a low success rate, all this technology you would thing once it's at day 3 it would be guaranteed to implant

@camelinastorm I know it seems crazy but I think they say that getting them from day 3 to day 5 is where the hard part of development is. It also says that at day 3 if they were in a natural cycle they would still be in the fallopian tube and don't reach the uterus until day 5 so when they transfer at day 3 they aren't actually where they would naturally be and won't be able to implant for another few days as they need to keep developing first.

Are you paying for your treatment because my other thought would be that if there is a chance that there may be a few make it to day 5 I would want to be having a transfer of the best one rather than taking a chance with a day 3 now when in reality that one might not have been the best. It really is a mind boggle though and I find not everyone with expertise will give you a straight opinion they are very 'grey area' with their answers.

Hopefully you have a good consultant that will give you some good advice to help you decide. Either way we never really know for sure what the best thing to do is and it does all seem very trial and error. The two week wait after transfer is never an easy time though no matter what day or grade you have transferred unfortunately.

Hi all!
Issues logging on so deleted account and started again.
@Nk11 fabulous numbers!! You must be pleased. We also got very positive news (17 are in the freezer) super blessed and super grateful. I hope your FET can begin in January.
@camelinastorm I'm not sure what I would have done. It was a tough decision to make but I hope the clinical team guided you well.
@EmilyBee87 hope you're ok.

@QuillandInk1 Amazing result what a relief you must feel to have 17 on ice! We got a call on day 6 to say we had 3 more had made it to blast so total of 10 which is amazing and 7 of them are top quality and the other 3 are still better than the one I had transferred last so I am being quietly hopeful for a better outcome. Yes hopefully transfer shortly, I am feeling back to normal now hope you are feeling better too and do you plan on having a transfer soon?

Hi everyone I've not been able to post as I was too worried about what was going on with me and didn't want to stress myself out reading how well everyone else's treatment was going.
I came back from ivf treatment abroad last Wednesday. There was a cyst at the first scan so we decided to drain it rather than cancel the cycle and come home (as we were there and air bnb booked time off work etc) and after 12 days of stim managed to get 5 eggs retrieved. They changed the plan half way through to freeze all as it wouldn't have been good to transfer. They fertilised them all and 2 made it to day 3 and were frozen. They recommended i go back to have them transferred in January. I know it's got such a low chance of success and I've been so up and down but I really hope somehow one of them sticks 😭
I'd have to look at treatment in UK in future if it doesn't work as I would have to go and have a scan day 1/2 and maybe not start treatment if there's a cyst as I'm such a low responder/low ovarian reserve that it needs to be "perfect" to try.
A bit disappointed that it's not quite ended up how we had hoped but I think I have a huge problem with this low AMH and it's probably unlikely I'll be a good candidate for +ve response to treatment. I suppose I have to try it to be able to accept that outcome.
Hope everyone else is going along nicely and having their transfers soon!!

@Nk11 nice to get an update from you and well done on final numbers/grades! Glad to hear you're better and that you're transferring soon (exciting!!!). I'm not sure when we will transfer.....I'm not clued up on the FET process but all will be explained at my follow up consultation later this week. Did you previously do a medicated cycle?

We are super happy with our result. This is our first time so we didn't really know what to expect numbers wise. Age isn't on my side either so we made a last minute decision to PGTA test some of the blasts.

@californiacooper hi there! Where did you go for treatment? Happy to hear you have blasts in the freezer. Was this your first cycle?

@QuillandInk1 I went to Greece. I don't think they are blasts until day 5 are they? I'm freaking out about the possibility of going back for transfer and they've both not survived the defrost :(
Yes this is my first cycle. How are you getting on??

@californiacooper oh wow Greece. I'm guessing it was considerably cheaper. How was the process? I guess with it being your 1st time you have nothing to gauge it against. Sorry to hear your freaking out, this process is so emotionally challenging, filled with loads of decisions, disappointments and hope.
I had egg collection over a week ago so now I'm just deciding when I might consider transferring.

@QuillandInk1 yes cost was good and the doctor was recommended. How many cycles have you had? When do you think you will transfer? I'm waiting for AF to arrive, apparently it's about 10 days after collection, and then I need to get in touch with the clinic again just before my next AF arrival to arrange what to do/when. I want to get them in asap. There's only 2 so no point hanging on to them. Just want them in, find out how it's gone (likely not good) and then try and figure out how I'm going to do it all again. Or if I am.

@californiacooper it's good to get recommendations especially doctors. This was my first cycle so I am totally in the dark about the FET process.

AF arrived 5 days after egg collection for me. I was warned it might be more painful than usual....it felt pretty normal for me (hell for 2.5 days).

I think I get what you mean about getting them in....I had to do a freeze all and the process felt very incomplete. It was a strange emotion. I've now passed that stage and I'm back to meh when I'm ready. Not the best attitude to have but I'm probably just deliberately postponing having to see another potential negative pregnancy test.

@californiacooper good luck for the two frozen fingers crossed for a result but if you need another cycle you will at least have the experience of one round and what to expect. I had a hard time with my first round last year but going into my second round this year I felt much more in control and not overwhelmed like before.

@QuillandInk1 Yes I did a medicated round last year with ABC IVF (Create). I had 9 eggs but only 5 mature and had a transfer of one at day 3 and the other frozen at day 6 it was a 5cb. The fresh transfer failed (right before Christmas) and the frozen failed in Feb so it was looking pretty bleak. We discovered my partner had a varicocele so he had treatment for this and upped the supplements then went into our one and only NHS round now and got 32 eggs so it was a massive improvement. I've got a call tomorrow re: what we do next. I am wondering whether to request extra tests on my lining receptivity before having a transfer as my previous transfers failed I don't want to waste my best embryo but they have added in the blood thinners and lubion injections to see if that helps now.

Will you test all of your embryos and do you pay a fee for all of them or is it per embryo?

The FET that I had before was just taking estrogen tablets for 2 weeks and then once my lining was thick enough they look to do the transfer then. It's a much simpler process.

Thank you for sharing your story. It's been quite a journey for you both. It sounds like your starting this new cycle with loads of wins, long may it continue!! My husband and I live in different counties and in his NHS trust, couples are eligible for IVF if they have already undertaken private IVF did this apply to you also? So now that we have taken the private route we are no longer eligible for NHS treatment in my county. It's so interesting to hear the difference in criteria across the country. I signed the petition to make it fair for everyone. I digress!!!

The clinic has an eye-watering fee for up to 8 embryos and then charges a smaller fee per embryo thereafter. Hopefully we will receive the results before the Christmas shut down. I'm pretty relaxed about the results....I can't do anything to change the outcome.

@QuillandInk1 We were told we could have had 3 private rounds before we were ineligible for NHS funding. A round was classed as a transfer so we had had 2 rounds so we were still eligible but they did still have to put it to the NHS board apparently though it came back pretty quickly. They also asked quite a few times if we were married and because we aren't if we lived together which we do so there must be something in that to qualify for the funding too. I really don't understand it why some areas can have more funding than others and some none.

Testing should help for selection too I would have thought as you have so many you don't want to waste time and money on transferring any that aren't viable so it seems like a sensible option. I'm 31 so my clinic have advised not to test at this stage.

@Nk11 3 private rounds- wow! So much variation across the country! Did you have to wait long for treatment? 2 of our NHS appointments were cancelled so we just opted to go private (I appreciate we're fortunate to be able to).