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!

@cbear1989 @Blossomofhope thanks both!

Hope you are both feeling ok and good to see you are resting!! Keeping my fingers crossed for your calls!

Hi Natty2, did you have a follicle count before treatment and how does that compare to the number of follicles you have now, following the injections?

I ask because I had my fertility MOT last week and they counted the number of follicles - can I expect a similar number after I take the meds and prepare for EC? Or is the point of the meds to stimulate more follicle growth than in a normal cycle?

I hope my question makes sense!

(Full disclosure, I am not going through IVF just egg freezing, but similar age to you so I thought I would ask 🙂)

Hi @Crushed23 I did have my AFC done last year and at that time I had 29 follicles
They started me on 150iu of Ovaleap and by my first scan (day 4 stims) I had 14 follicles. They upped my dose since and I seemed to have gained 8 more over the last 3 days, but they are too small and unlikely to get to the size they need to be for EC.
So in answer to your question (unhelpfully!) I wouldn't fix too much on the number from your pre scans as I think anything can change! They were expecting more from me, but I guess I need to hope for quality over quantity! No idea how many of those will be ok for EC!
Good luck for your egg freezing, it's such a good idea, when do you start?

Thanks for the reply. I will try not to read too much into my pre-scan.

I should start in around 2 weeks. It’s my first time egg freezing and I don’t know what to expect! I would like to freeze 20 eggs but I guess I won’t know how many cycles that will likely take until I start. I haven’t been able to cut out caffeine, but I’ve been taking supplements and not drinking alcohol for a few weeks now. 🙏

I am arranging to have my medication delivered to the clinic for me to pick up. However I read upthread that one of the meds needs to be refrigerated? Will it be okay on the tube for 45 minutes?! If not, I’ll arrange for home delivery and make sure I WFH that day!

So much to think about 😅

@Crushed23 good luck! Not sure about how long the meds can stay out, I wfh so it could go straight in the fridge!

@Crushed23 still worth checking but if its your trigger I think my nurses said it can be out of the fridge about half an hour, so I'd do a delivery just to be safe!

I just had my call from the embryologist, of my 9 eggs 8 were mature but 4 have been fertilised. Am a little disappointed with the drop off but about 5 of them were a really good size at my scans last week, as some were quite small so when I think of it like that it makes me feel a touch better... just sounds initially scary with over half gone already but fingers crossed I end up with at least 1 for a transfer!!

Gotta say the staff yesterday and embryologist team are so flipping lovely and reassuring too, so important for such an emotive topic!!

I'm booked for a transfer Saturday morning. She basically said she can give updates on day 3 if I want them but sometimes they can take a bit of a dip but still recover so it could be unnecessary worry to know if that makes sense... so they usually recommend just turning up on Saturday for my transfer and I guess if I don't get a call then I've at least got one to out back in, no news is good news in this case!!

@Blossomofhope how are you feeling? fingers crossed you get some good news today xxx

@cbear1989 I was just reading your post when the clinic called. 4 is a good number. I know the drop off sucks and it prob seems worse the more eggs you have. How are you feeling physically today?

Of my 6 eggs, all were mature and 5 fertilised. I’m so relieved.
My next update from the clinic will be Friday. 🤞🏻

@Blossomofhope that's a great result well done!!! have they booked you your transfer in?

I can already tell I'm gonna be up and down this week haha one minute I'm like no cmon its okay and then I'm like ahhh I'm not gonna have any embryos😅😅 wow this journey is a flipping emotional ride!!

@Blossomofhope I feel okay, I was fine yesterday and then felt really sore in the afternoon and evening but def feel better today. Have taken the day off to just rest up. How about you? x

@Blossomofhope @cbear1989 4 and 5 are great numbers both!!
I know @cbear1989 you will have felt disappointed with the drop, but hopefully you can see them as 4 really good quality eggs 🤞
Did either of you have to do ICSI? We will need to

Hope you are both feeling ok. I'm sure this week you'll feel a wave of different emotions waiting for the transfer day to arrive. Have you started progesterone meds?

@Natty2 Thank you ♥️♥️ I'm trying really hard not to panic and that I don't get any calls from the embryologist this week🙏🤞

No don't think we did ICSI, and yep started progesterone last night! @Natty2 how are you feeling? have you got a last scan this week? x

@cbear1989 oh it’s an absolute emotional rollercoaster. I was in tears last night over nothing in particular. It’s just a lot - this whole process. It’s also so hard to make sense of it all - I had a follicle measuring just below 10 in my last scan that’s ended up mature.
physically I’m ok, I have cramps but that’s it. Have a hot water bottle that’s helping. I’m working today at home and only have one meeting. I took 2 days off last time but I know if I took today I’d be stressing about a meeting I have tomorrow. It’ll be a slow day today. Now the dreaded wait for the next update begins!!!

@Natty2 yep I did ICSI this time and last time due to lower morphology.
As a usual control freak I’m struggling with not having any power in this but I’m trying to just trust the clinic that ICSI is best for us.

I feel your pain @Blossomofhope we all got this!! Positive vibes for us all, def in it together ♥️♥️♥️

@Blossomofhope oh no, this whole process is a lot so understand the tears! You can always jump on here as I know the next few weeks will be a stressful wait!

@cbear1989 how have you found the progesterone? I've been advised rectally which I'm not looking forward to!!

Thanks @cbear1989 @Natty2
I’m so tired today, didn’t expect to feel so wiped. Tomorrow I need to get back walking - get out of the house 😂 .. I’m so bloated today, grim.

@Natty2 haha funnily enough I wasn't too keen for the rectal insertion of them on retrieval day 😅😅 I've used them before on my many failed clomid cycles but always inserted them vaginally. The nurse told me to insert two at once rectally just before I went in for retrieval which caught me off guard a little. They're not too bad though, I've gotta do them rectally the night before transfer too but I prefer vaginally tbh. TMI but I've felt a bit backed up since I did that rectal one but apart from that fine😅😅 I think generally though the pessaries do make me a little bloated. Just as my stomach was starting to go back down a bit the progesterone bloat starts haha. Is it your first time using them? they're not too awful don't worry.

@Blossomofhope bless you. hope you feel a bit better now!! I actually feel tonnes better today than yesterday. I've missed the gym too, I normally do something pretty much every day but have done naff all since I started stims. would've done a walk today but it's rained constantly here!

@cbear1989 @Blossomofhope how are you both feeling today?
Had my last scan this morning, all growing well and now my biggest one is 25 🥴 so probably going to have some over mature
Will find out later what time to take the trigger shot tonight and then EC Friday!

@Natty2 oh wow that’s huge. Do you have many? And what are the other sizes like?
My largest was 18 in the last scan and I had an 9.9 that ended up mature - can’t get my head around that. Every doc/clinic seem to have a diff approach.

I feel much better today. Very mild cramps sometimes but nearly back to normal now. How are you doing @cbear1989?

@Blossomofhope
I have 4 more that are measuring 18-22 (so not sure if some of those may end up being over mature too)
And then 9 between 10-16
8 lower than 10.
I'm trying not to focus too much on numbers though, as I know so much can change!

@Natty2 ah you’ve such a good selection there I’m sure it’ll all work out great!

@Natty2 that sounds like a great result for you! guessing it's trigger shot time tonight, sending lots of luck and positive vibes for Friday!!!

@Blossomofhope not too bad, although I've felt more bloated today and like heavy in my lower stomach which I think it the progesterone, always makes me feel a bit crappy tbh but if it gets me to where I need to me am more than happy to persevere!

Currently no call from the embryologist too so praying it stays that way!! 🙏🤞

How are you all feeling? xxx

@cbear1989 I’m the same, felt very bloated and heavy yday afternoon. I still have the hot water bottle while I work all the time. Still feel very bloated today.
Same here - no more embryologist calls - so hope it’ll be a good news update tomorrow.

@Natty2 jab free day for you?

what are you all doing regarding work? How long have you taken off/ if you have after retrieval/ transfer?

@Vian67 I took retrieval day off. I went back to work next day (work from home) but actually could have done with another day. Transfer is on Saturday so all good.

@Blossomofhope thank you retrieval day was yesterday have taken today off too (do not work from home) we have a phone call from the embryologist tomorrow morning so have taken tomorrow too. Feel bad for not been at work but know I shouldn’t