FET February 2024

[kirstysmbc]

Hi, just thought I'd see if there was anyone else doing a FET cycle in February that is looking for a cycle buddy?

I'm due to start meds at the end of this month, hopefully with transfer mid Feb. This will be my first donor embryo cycle after final attempts with my own eggs failed last year.

@seekingbabyk Oh bless you. Probably from all the transfer stress before. Fingers crossed you have a more restful day today and sleep better tonight with the twins nusttling down 😉And I don't know on progesterone I am afraid -- my clinic don't test it at transfer. Have you had lubion before?

@kirstysmbc last time we spoke in November you were deciding if you were going to go again, and now you're heading to Lisbon 😂What a whirlwind 4 months. How are you feeling about it? Have you got the 1 embryo with them or more? Is your daughter coming with you or is she staying with relatives / friends? Hope she feels better soon.

@kirstysmbc: safe travels this evening and best of luck tomorrow - so exciting! At least the whirl of activity makes time go faster. I went to Lisbon on my hen do, so I have the fondest of memories of the city - it's the perfect place to wander around and keep yourself occupied (and relaxed).

@SkyLab8 : thank you for the good wishes. Let us know how everything is going with you.

@beachbum85 : Progesterone hasn't been too bad so far... Other than the indignities of having to insert pessaries in my office toilets! My clinic have prescribed the capsules. The positives are that they are waaay less messy, but the negatives are that they are slippy little bastards, as I found out to my horror a couple of hours ago. I ended up apologising to the randomer in the cubicle next to me after I sent a capsule bouncing between her feet, oops. I'm sure she thinks I'm on some kind of weird recreational drug!

@GCS34 no this is our first FET and they didn't test for our fresh transfer. It's Protonogest I have - heard horror stories about PIO but it wasn't too bad going in tbh

hahahaha that really made me laugh @muddlingthrou ! glad to hear it's been amusing and not too bad 😄

I hope your daughter is feeling better and you've gotten to the clinic and can relax a bit @kirstysmbc thinking of you! xxx

sorry to hear about your rough night and migraine @seekingbabyk 😓 any better this night/this morning? No idea about progesterone levels, sorry, my clinic doesn't test them during natural cycles, but I'm glad the PIO wasn't as terrible as the stories you hear!

@GCS34 I guess consultants have good and bad days just like anyone but, as you say, best not think of that one and believe they were on top form when doing our transfers 😅glad I'm not the only one digging deep into the numbers here! I have a massive file full of tables with all the results of every investigation, every appt during every round we've had, what they said on every phonecall, etc.. definitely quite OCD about this 🤦🏻‍♀️

How are you feeling? I'm still just having cramps and constantly thinking of when to test!

@beachbum85 yes much better after a better nights sleep thanks just have some period style cramps today like a dull ache but I guess that's because my progesterone has risen 🤞🏻 how about you?

Glad to hear it @seekingbabyk ! Yes, same here, achey belly and cramps, but that's all 🤷🏻‍♀️ the wait is terrible!

@beachbum85 yes it feels like it's been ages already and it's only 2 days! How many dpt will you be when you test?x

@GCS34 Just the one embryo available from these donors and it's not the best grade, but the egg donor was only 22 so that has to count for something. I've kind of ploughed on without really thinking about it too much, but too late to change my mind now!! My mum and my daughter have come with me for a nice holiday. Should know before I go home if it's worked or not...

@muddlingthrou @beachbum85 Thanks! Crazy day yesterday and an early train today so one very exhausted 2 year old, but made it here now! Just had my catheter test and am waiting for a progesterone blood test before coming back in a couple of hours for transfer. Then I can really relax. Shame I can't relax with a G&T, but a sacrifice worth making 😃

@seekingbabyk I've never had a fresh so I can't comment, but I don't think you should worry -- especially now you have the injections! I think they're all the same, I just found Lubion stingy little bastards 😂Thankfully not on them this time! The only thing I did find differently when I had them was I had WAY more symptoms during the TWW than round 1 and this one. Glad you're feeling better this weekend ❤Do you have any plans for the weekend to try distract yourself (HA cuz that's worked for ALLLLL of us in the past.... 🤔😂)

@beachbum85 Yeah best not to think about that 😂I always end up saying really awkward things in theatre, and then panic I've put the off. The first transfer I had my consultant had to stop as he was laughing. My husband asked if I could go to the loo after and would it fall out, and then the nurse said no hun, plus it's a different hole, and I just said 'ahhh maybe that's where we've been going wrong'' Que consultant laughing and my husband dying of embarrassment

And I love a stat. And you're my new hero now - Stat Queen is your new name. I'm okay yeah and I've not had cramps per se, but I've had pulling / twinges. But they've stopped today. They were mainly 6/7dpt and then again yesterday which was 10dpt. Nothing really today just hot! What about you and are you still planning on testing Sunday?

@muddlingthrou your message made me laugh too! "Can you pass it back please love". Or awkwardly put your hand under and just take it 😅fortunately mine are 1 x am, and 2 x pm so I don't have to do them in public! Mind you, I've had my husband walk in the loo while i've been.... inserting.... and I just cried with embarrassment and couldn't look at him for about 4 days 😂Is this your first transfer?

@kirstysmbc oh wow so you have gone donor embryo then, as last time we spoke you were own eggs, donor sperm right? Good on you girl - I really commend you for following your dreams. How long are you staying there for, and is everything very different with their protocol etc in Portugal or much of a muchness? What time is your TF? X

@GCS34 just going to catch up on some work and chill. We've been watching masked singer and it's the final Saturday so hopefully that'll distract me a bit. Just trying to put it out of my mind!

Omg I did that in there too trying to be funny so they must get that all the time! They were really good at talking us through everything on the screen so we were all watching it like a wildlife program. That would have been funny actually to do Attenborough style commentary!

@seekingbabyk I'll be 7dp5dt if we test on Sunday... early enough to keep some hope even if it's a negative?! I have no idea how I've gone from never testing early to be planning a daily test from Sunday 🤦🏻‍♀️ the million ovulation tests? progesterone going to my head? the BFP from our second round making me forget how horrible all the previous BFNs were?

I'm totally in awe of you ladies actually being able to bring out some humour in the transfer room!! 😂@GCS34 Thanks for the laughs! I'm sure the consultants would rather that really 😄My first transfer I was an anxious mess and the consultant was the same nationality as my partner (who was not there) and was trying to be really friendly and have a conversation about that country in their language (which I speak fluently... normally) and I just couldn't form any intelligable sentences 🤦🏻‍♀️ so I think the jokes would be more than welcome!

Pulling and twinges sounds good! I had pulling with the successful transfer, but not this time, so far at least. I had some twinges the first/second day, around the ovaries though, and since then just period-like cramps, usually pretty light but getting stronger in the evening. If only they could implant it themselved during transfer and just tell us immediatly: it's in or it isn't!

Oh and I love Stat Queen - thank you! Will keep that in mind if I ever change my username 😅

@kirstysmbc as you can see, I could totally do with a strong drink here too😄how was the cathater test? 22year old egg and an embryo of any grade that's been frozen and thawed sounds very promising 🤞🏼🤞🏼 good luck, transfer will be done so soon!

@beachbum85 what do the ovulation tests do? I didn't realise you could use those now.

Omg a drink is exactly what is needed with this much stress and this many hormones flying around! We bought some of the zero % wines in M&S last weekend so will try one of those later although I'm guessing it's unlikely to hit the spot 🙈

@seekingbabyk the ovulation tests monitor LH surges which are likely to happen around a day before ovulation. So with a natural cycle, you need to take those at least daily (some recommend twice daily) to pinpoint the right time for transfer... I've been monitoring ovulation the past few months just to get an idea of timing for this transfer, and I must have taken about 15 tests this cycle to make sure I don't miss the surge 😅

Enjoy your wine! Not the same effect but always better than nothing!

@beachbum85 oh I see sorry I thought there was some secret early result or indication you could get in the TWW 👀 aww thanks I'll report back if it hits the spot!

All done! Good news is the embryologist graded the embryo as b today, so better than expected. I had to sit for 10 minutes with my legs up after the transfer which was a bit odd. The Dr also said I wasn't allowed to do anything strenuous after transfer, including walking up stairs (i'm staying in a 3rd floor apartment with no lift) or lifting anything heavy up, including my daughter. No chance of that happening, and contradictory to what my UK clinic ever said. My 66 year old mum will have to carry our heavy cases up the stairs though, oops.

@GCS34 My last own egg cycle I got 6 eggs but no blastocyst, so decided not to keep throwing money at something with such little chance of success.

@seekingbabyk oh I love the Masked Singer! I am sure of 2/3 of the finalists, so we'll see tomorrow. Defo some nonsense distraction. I'm a bit of a guilty Below Deck fan too, so the new series is keeping me entertained! I am glad I am not the only one trying to make half arsed jokes in a pathetic nervous plea to make it work 😂And yeah Atto would do wonders in transfer...."now, you can see the female pack leader, chest puffed in an air of authority, inserting the fine catheter into the weak, tired human's foof, while the rest of the pack watch nearby in awe and disbelief, while the succumbed human wimpers under stress, with a pathetic pained look on her face, with a smidgen of hope''. I think we have a money maker here!

@beachbum85 Hahaha I think my nervous energy just got the better of me and they probably wished at that point that transfer was under anesthetic like collection! Fair play for going through it without your other half. At least you didn't try and speak said language and end up offending him, and him accidently 'missing' on purpose! 😅

Yeah I don't know what's going on in there. I really am trying not to read into it but it's so hard! They have stopped now though so I don't feel like anything is going on. And I'm expecting a period arriving next week when I'm conveniently away with work for 2 days! I know - I always think that. There MUST be a future technology that will be able to check on day 5 or something weather it's worked or not. Some test, scan or drug you can check with. It's most probably come out just as we've all got our completed families! 😅🙈

@kirstysmbc that's fair enough and I admire your determination! I'm glad your transfer went okay and I have heard of the 10 minutes with your legs up novelty in overseas clinics! It's so weird how different clinics are, and also how different the OTD is for each clinic.

Question! What's everyone's clinic protocol for testing? Mine is 13dp5dt. But my friends was 9!

@kirstysmbc aww congratulations on being PUPO. That's strange because I have read a lot about resting but my consultant and hurdles were telling me that exercise within 30 mins improves implantation rates! I'm just walking the dog each day so nothing too strenuous but enough to get blood pumping!

@GCS34 that really made me laugh - yes I would have loved that in the room to lighten the mood.

Weirdly my husband had to be with me (maybe clinic policy)? But I'm glad he was and he was recording it and holding my hand so at least it felt like we went through it together!

@GCS34 - my clinic does 9dp5dt too. 13 seems like way too long! I'm not sure how I'm going to approach early testing this time... last time I held out until the clinic called with my blood test results. Im hoping I can have the same patience this time (although it did drive me absolutely loopy!)

@seekingbabyk Well, you have the footage now if you filmed it, so you can get your husband to do the voiceover and it can be an Aldi version of David. Yeah I had to have my other half with me, but if he couldn't, then he had to be phoned in theatre to agree, and sign a load of other forms apparently (I asked, another nervous transfer chat!)

@muddlingthrou yeah 13 seems a) really random (why not 14!?) and b) really late! So I have decided that I'm going to test early (First time EVER) and do it tomorrow at 12dp5dt. I should get a clear result then shouldn't I? When are you due to test, and do you mind me asking about your journey (sorry newbie to the group so I've not been able to keep up and read through everyone elses messages!)

@GCS34 my nervous chat was "has anyone actually pee'd during transfer" and "if you are sedated for it how can you have a full bladder"? Answers were yes people do piss themselves and if you're sedated they don't worry about bladder being full. Every day is a school day 😂

@seekingbabyk Excellent questioning there - well done! I asked my clinic if anyone had pee'd on the table, and they said no. So I was adamant that it would be me being their first! I also asked during a scan once if you could see if someone needed a poo because they can see your bowel. Unfortunately the answer is yes, so if you need a poo while in a scan, they know!!! 👀

@GCS34 - of course! Would love to know your journey too.

I was diagnosed with diminished ovarian reserve and my DH with low sperm morphology and motility a few years ago. We did 3x cycles of egg collection straight away on the clinic's recommendation. We ended up with seven embryos of wildly varying quality. We got super duper lucky and our first fresh embryo took and we've got a DD that's about to turn two.

I had a bit of a rough ride after my daughter was born - some family losses plus PND and PNA and gave away all of DD's baby clothes to friends swearing we'd never have another. But now I'm broody as anything and desperate for another!

I think it's probably too much for lightning to strike twice and our second transfer to work, but I am crossing everything.

@muddlingthrou aww how amazing your first one worked! Sorry you have had a rough time with it all but you have plenty of chances and there's nothing to say this one won't stick! Keeping everything crossed for you!

@GCS34 omg! That's really made me laugh

@muddlingthrou @GCS34 stories of awkward chat in theatre and dropping pessaries are hilarious! We have to laugh about these things, otherwise it would just be a miserably undignified process from start to finish.

@kirstysmbc congratulations on being PUPO! Hope you managed to get to your apartment okay.

Hope everyone still waiting to test isn't tearing their hair out yet and has some nice plans to distract them this weekend