Starting IVF January 2024

[Natty2]

Hi ladies,

Just wondered if anyone is due to start their IVF cycle this month and want to keep company?!

I will be starting my first round hopefully in just over a week's time, on a short protocol.
After 2 years ttc, hoping this is finally our year!

Hi ladies hope you don't mind me tagging on. I'm having a horrendous time of it and hoping this might give me a bit of release as I attempt to destress this weekend 😅😅

Been ttc since summer 21, came off my pill periods just didn't come so I wasn't ovulating so have done lots of rounds of clomid (lost count) before now proceeding to ivf. my periods finally also came back on their own last summer but no joy on the baby front unfortunately.

I had my first ivf round in November but had to abandon the cycle after doing the full 12 days of stims and talking about booking my egg retrieval because my lazy eggs hadn't responded well enough. I have pcos and high AMH so they're very cautious of over stimulating me... First round I started on menupor and doubled up the dosage half way through alongside having fymredal (or whatever its called🤣) to stop me ovulating top soon. I was pretty devastated to get to that point that and then have to abandon til the new year.

Started my second round of injections Monday evening, starting on double dosage this time. Went for my scan yesterday morning and some of my other eggs have caught up a bit from my baseline scan on Monday but they're still being a bit lazy and haven't grown as much as we'd like. So after bloods being taken to confirm I can, I've now tripled my menupor dosage and started fymredal yesterday. Not sure i agree with starting fymredal so soon but the nurse says everyone is starting on day 5 of stims now regardless of where they are at. Am hoping and praying that I'll have my scan on Monday and the extra drugs will have given my lazy eggies a boost but feeling very anxious, stressed and drained. Starting to feel like I'm never gonna even get to egg collection at this point. Felt so fed up yesterday after months of being good dietwise I completely stuffed my face with rubbish in an attempt to comfort myself 🤣🤪 and feel awful today, so sick, could be that but could also be the sress or the extra drugs haha. I think I'm now on the highest dose. Sorry proper essay here but that felt therapeutic 🤣🤣

Been reading through your posts and watching your journey's, fingers and toes crossed that the next few months bring us all some luck and good news 🤞🙏❤️

@Pincushion83 great news about the two fertilised eggs! Fingers crossed for the chromosome check 🤞

@cbear1989 welcome! I'm sorry you've been on such tough journey so far, hope you have felt less sick as the day has gone on today! I'm sure the extra dose won't be helping!
Fingers crossed on this round for you 🤞🤞

Thank you @Natty2, how are you feeling this morning, did you start your injections?

I felt so sick pretty much all of yesterday but feel okay today, so far anyway 🤣🤣slept like a log which has probably helped.

I don't feel quite as bloated too, so now I'm already paranoid that my scan tomorrow is not gonna show much progress, so super apprehensive and stressed for tomorrow! 😰😰

Hello all I’ve just read through this whole thread the abbreviations are blowing my mind. In my friendship group we started calling periods TOM (time of month) plus blokes name so that helps name something annoying, so long ago it even took me a minute to work out AF 🙄

Anyway we have started our first attempt this month, this is due to 4 ectopics resulting In the loss of both tubes.

I started northeristerone end of Dec and stopped on 7th Jan was told AF would come 4-7 days after that mine was prompt and started day 3 so Ovaleap injections were started on the 11th. Next lot of injections to start on the 16th and scan booked for Wednesday afternoon.

This is all very 🤯 and each appointment is like information overload, grateful to have my husband with me to take in the bits I don’t. Trying to stay positive but easier said than done! Especially been at higher risk of another ectopic after 4.

Good Luck with all your journeys.

@cbear1989 hopefully a good nights sleep has helped you! Sending lots of positivity for tomorrows scan 🤞

I had my first injection last night. I was doing fine all day but at that point I became a trembling, emotional mess! Glad to have done the first one though 🙌

@Vian67 welcome! It took me such a long time to get used to the terms on here 😅

I'm sorry to hear about your ectopics 😔
Best of luck with this ivf journey 🤞🤞 I had my first dose of ovaleap last night too

Thank you @Natty2 ❤️

Well done with your injections, you got this!! Once the first one is out of the way they honestly don't seem anywhere near as bad x

Morning everyone! How's everyone getting on?

@Natty2 how you feeling now you've started injections?

Hoping AF comes end of this week/next week but who knows! 😂xx

@waitingforourmiracle morning,
I went for my second scan today. It’s my fourth day on jabs today. Seems I already have a follicle at size 14, only have 8 overall and 3 are small. They’re more spread out than the last scan which is a bit of a worry. Looking at my last round, I ended up with 4 fertilised although only 1 blastocyst but one of the four fertilised was size 14.

Im not sure what to think. 🤯🫠
how’s everyone else doing?

@Blossomofhope I guess early days still, are the docs pleased with the progress so far? 14mm one seems good for day 4!
How are you feeling?

@waitingforourmiracle fingers crossed for your af to arrive end of this week! I'm doing ok so far thanks, done two injections so far and hoping that tonight I'll have abit less hesitation going in 😅
Be prepared for your first one to be quite emotional though! I couldn't stop shaking!!

@cbear1989 thank you! Hope your scan has gone ok today and you are feeling less sick!

@Natty2 how are you feeling now you've gotten going with your injections? have you got a monitoring scan booked up?

I had my scan this morning, and not out of the woods yet but thankfully there's been progress so the extra drugs must've helped.

Funnily enough my biggest follicle is now 14mm too @Blossomofhope and I have about 7 that are decent ish size growing together but not crazy numbers overall, but am happy with that considering Friday hardly anything had grown after 4 days of stims. @Blossomofhope I'm sure you'll have a spurt too if you're already where I am after less injection days🤞😘 just hope some of my little ones carry on growing.

I have to keep going with stims and fymredal for now and have some more scans Wednesday and Friday. fingers and toes crossed I'll be on track for my egg retrieval next Monday 🙏

Hope everyone is feeling okay today xxx

@Natty2 aw I'm sure I'll be the same! Every little thing makes me emotional! I never used to cry in my early twenties so think I've made up for it over the last few years! When did you say your first scan is?

@cbear1989 good luck, fingers crossed for you! X

@cbear1989 Did you do down reg? Last time I did and it really slowed stims down. The clinic just messaged and told me to start cetrotide tonight - I feel like things are happening really fast this time. I so hope it’s not a bad thing. I’m on same timeline as you exactly - more scans wed and Friday and egg collection looking likely next Monday too! It’s interesting that I’m being told to start cetrotide already and you’re not.

@Natty2 feeling a bit apprehensive. Feels like it’s all happening so quickly. How are you doing?

How do you ladies manage egg collection around work? I’m conscious I’ve an important meeting Monday. I’m not sure if I should just be randomly sick on Monday or somehow pre warn the meeting organiser I might be off but not sure what my reason would be. I haven’t told work about ivf at all.

Thank you @waitingforourmiracle ♥️♥️

@Blossomofhope when you say down reg, what does that mean? I'm just waiting for my call to confirm what dosage I need to do tonight, they should hopefully call soon. Is cetrotide to stop you ovulating? it might just be that we are on different drugs, I started fymredal Friday which is the one that stops you ovulating too soon so have been double jabbing since then! I'm sure it's fine, we would probably worry if it was slow or if it was fast so either way it's hard not to stress but I keep trying to tell myself one day at a time. fingers crossed we are both on track for EC Monday and can count down together!

The work one is tricky, I've actually got a workshop Thursday this week and next week and another 2 days of workshops the week after that I'm meant to be part delivering and have been planning for months, it's always the way isn't it! luckily I have a really understanding boss whom I've known and worked with for years and he knows where I'm at so I'm very lucky. Have your work been okay/do they know much @Blossomofhope ? Hope it's not worrying you too much, this process is stressful enough as it is, if you need the time off you gotta take it and put yourself first xxx

@cbear1989 ah sorry by down regulation I mean where they shut your ovaries down so when you start stims your follicles grow at the same pace. I did it last time but not this time.

Ya exactly - Cetrotide is to stop you ovulating. So sounds like you’re already on an equivalent jab for that. 🙂

ah that’s so unlucky with the workshops but great you’ve an understanding boss. Similar situ with me in that there’s been a big lead up to this meeting for months. I haven’t told anyone at work I’m doing ivf and I don’t plan to. I think I’ll just have to be off sick last minute, just don’t want to let down one of my colleagues who then might have to do the call alone. It’s such typical timing. But anyway I’d rather that then the cycle was cancelled or something 😅 x

@Blossomofhope ah I see, no plans for that just yet I don't think but will see what the next scan brings I guess! is that like the 'coasting' thing I've read about?

yeah it's one of those isn't it, I hate letting people down although I think I could end up being super lucky with mine as long as I'm well around appointments but tbh as much as I hate letting people down this has to come first and you have to think that way too, it just can't be helped! it's also so tricky cos you make arrangements based on a scan and where you are and then your body changes all over again so it all changes anyway😅😅 the joys!

@cbear1989
feeling ok now I've started thanks! I have my first scan on Wednesday and also start my second injections that morning to stop ovulation (so that will be day 6 of cycle) (@waitingforourmiracle I guess you will be similar when your af arrives!)

Good news that your extra meds are helping! Fingers crossed for the rest of the scans this week 🤞

@Blossomofhope

I'm in a fortunate position where I partly run the company with my DH but we also have another Director who we've informed, so he knows why we will be dipping in and out. On the downside I'm heavily relied on at work so I've just had to mark made up meetings in my calendar over the next two weeks for when scans etc start. And trying to tactfully plan normal meetings!
Can you talk to someone at work?
I did think about saying I have a minor emergency op, as generally people won't ask too many questions and explains why you would need the next day off to recover, and back at docs a week later for a "follow up"
Hope you can work something out so you're not too stressed 💛

@Natty2 good luck for this week and for your first scan! we all got this 🤪🥰🙏🤞🫶

How is everyone? :)

@Natty2 have you had your scan now?

I feel like AF is coming any time, I've been in the most foul mood the last couple of days, even had to text OH yesterday to warn him haha!! I'm getting so frustrated now that I haven't just come on, irregular cycles are awful! My app shows this weekend but def feels like it could be sooner. Stressing myself out not knowing, I think this process so far has made me realise I'm a bit of a control freak! Don't like the not knowing at all and I'm sure it's going to get worse 😫

@waitingforourmiracle yes had it this morning thanks!

I have around 14 follicles growing, but most are quite small, and she said she would have expected a little more for my age and AMH levels, so the docs will be reviewing this afternoon and they may up my dosage of meds
But it’s also still early days, so hopefully the small ones continue to keep growing to the size it needs to be! Just taking every day as it comes! Next scan Friday.
I had my first morning injection today too, which was abit of a thicker needle and harder to go in! 😫

Sounds like your af might be earlier than you expected! Fingers crossed you won't have to wait for too long and can get going soon! 🤞

@Natty2 sorry if you've said, but how old are you? Oh gosh I am already dreading that second injection just from watching the videos!

Hopefully, I can't deal feeling this angry for no reason for much longer 😂

@waitingforourmiracle I'm 33, Turning 34 in few months.
My dosage has just been changed from 150 to 375 so upping that from tonight so will need more meds!

Haha, my dh has just said that he's nervous when I start the progesterone meds because I think that one really messes with your mood! All fun 😂

Hi everyone! Feeling very deflated today…
Just had my first scan day 6 (after 4 doses of Bemfola 150iu) and only have 6 follicles with 2 growing asynchronous follicles (17mm and 12mm)Told to abandon this cycle as in best case scenario could only get 2 eggs. In my initial consultation scan 2 months ago I had 16 follicles all together. Not sure what went wrong?!? Has this happened to anyone else??
Also I have Ovitrelle 250 trigger shot at home and my consultant said I can try and inject myself tomorrow morning and timed intercourse to see if we get lucky!! Not sure what to do.
I guess my question is has anyone tried trigger shot knowing there will be no egg collection.
Thanks

@Drzoem no advice I'm afraid but sending love, must be difficult 💛

@Natty2 sounds like your appts are in sync with mine also had my first scan today and got another on Friday. X