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.

@IWouldRatherBeOnHoliday ohhhhhh I'm so, so, so happy for you! Huge congrats 😍 I'm sorry to hear about the OHSS... no experience of that myself but I do know from friends that it's a total nightmare. Hope you feel much better very soon, and enjoy these amazing days! xxx

Thank you so much for your kind messages too, I really appreciate the support 💕 I've been feeling a lot better the last couple of days and have finally stopped feeling sick, and have had a lovely few days off with my parents also visiting my partner's home, so it's been a great distraction and I've been managing to think positive and remain hopeful for Saturday's scan. Still stopping myself from thinking too much about the future, but I guess that's self protection. Keeping everything tightly crossed and hoping for the best 😊

@GCS34 I hope all is well with you and you started stims and everything is going smoothly. Sending hugs!

@IWouldRatherBeOnHoliday WOWOWOWOWOWO This is a great post to read. I was JUST thinking about you as well, then saw I had been tagged and thought oh god I hope it's what I think!!! So thrilled for you darling. This is super exciting. Thrilled for you darling.

@beachbum85 Really pleased you're feeling more positive and focusing on that 93%! That's the best way to be, but I think it is only natural to self preserve! Sounds lovely with your parents too. Sending so so so much luck for your scan on Saturday.

A little me-update. I had my first scan today (day 7) and for once in my life my lining is looking really thick! STOP PRESS. Very shocked. And I have about 15 that are over the 14mm size already which is good, and another 15 ish around 9-12mm. She thinks egg collection week today, so waiting to hear but likely scan friday or saturday, then monday, and trigger monday night I Would imagine. I so hope I can have a fresh. And I get some lovely looking embabies in the bank.

I'm hoping I'm following @IWouldRatherBeOnHoliday on the magic Meriofert drugs and that they make the difference. Congrats once again lovely xxx

@GCS34 really pleased to read your update too! That's amazing, it sounds like they really nailed it with the protocol this time 👏I'm so happy for you, especially with the thick lining 🤩 fingers crossed for a fresh transfer and please keep us posted!

Thank you so, so much - definitely need that luck for Saturday. Can't come soon enough!

@GCS34 thank you lovely 💗 ooh that's fantastic if your lining is thickening nicely! Mine was thicker on meriofert than it was on the estrogen for the frozen transfer, so a good sign for you if you get to have a fresh transfer, as I think you've previously mentioned struggles to get it to a good measurement? Sending all my lucky dust your way, Magic Meriofert for the win!!

@beachbum85 thank you so much, it feels very surreal at the moment but we are so over the moon. I am so pleased to hear your sickness has died down, I think it's so much easier to cope with other things going on if you don't feel physically awful too! Enjoy the rest of your time off and I'm glad you're in a positive headspace, will be thinking of you on Saturday 💗

Congratulations @IWouldRatherBeOnHoliday - good luck with the first trimester rollercoaster of emotions, and hope it all goes smoothly for you!

That sounds promising @GCS34. Fingers crossed you get to go fresh and this is your cycle x

@muddlingthrou thank you so much, how are you doing? You must be over half way now, is it all feeling very real yet?!

Thank you @IWouldRatherBeOnHoliday - I'm 22 weeks and just starting to get some kicks, which helps with it feeling real! I also had terrible sickness until about a month ago, so just enjoying not feeling atrocious.

I've got a friend in real life who had a failed transfer earlier this year but has just got a positive test after transfer #2. I couldn't be more thrilled for her and hope everyone on this thread gets similar news soon x

@IWouldRatherBeOnHoliday Huge congrats on your positive test, I hope everything goes well and you get a scan date soon. Wishing you a very happy and healthy nine months.

@GCS34 Glad everything is looking ok so far with this cycle, keeping everything crossed for some great news come egg collection and that awful five day wait afterwards.

@beachbum85 I'm so sorry you're having to go through the worry of a potential health issue. I really hope that you're in that 93%, those are odds I'd definitely take in a lottery, so I'm keeping everything crossed that your little girl will be just perfect.

@muddlingthrou how amazing that you're so far along now. First kicks are amazing and it always made me feel so much calmer to bel bubba wriggling away inside 😊

My period started today so I'll be starting meds tomorrow and going for transfer around 22 July, assuming all goes ok with my lining. Keeping everything crossed that this is my lucky cycle and I don't have to make a difficult decision in August.

Hi everyone, just checking in to say good luck all!

@beachbum85 Thank you darling! yes lets hope so. Hoping for less eggs more quality, but this mornings scan I still had 29! Although at the 'mature and above' size, there was about 20 so that's definitely less than last time! Next scan isn't until Monday so goodness only knows what'll happen between now and then. They think egg collection on Wednesday though which is good. Less time this time.

Hope you get on okay tomorrow lovely. Do let us know how you got on if you feel like you want to share. xx

@kirstysmbc that sounds really promising! not long to go until you start. Are you back over in portugal for the transfer only, or are you going to make a bit of a trip around it? Sending so much luck and lets hope that decision in August is how you're going to tell your daughter she's going to have a sibling! 🤗And thank you for the well wishes. I will keep you posted, but as of today, looking like 20 ish at the mature size, but I'm carrying on a few more days so god knows!

Very happy for you!!

@girljulian thanks darling. How are you getting on / are you starting soon?

@GCS34 That's exciting, fingers crossed there are loads of fan little embryos in waiting in amongst them. I'm just going over for an overnight trip, travel is so expensive during the summer!

No, I’m over it. I just got bored of it and then I went on antidepressants and all interest in the Baby Drive disappeared so I think it was just depression in the first place. I still love babies but I don’t want one anymore.

But I’m still rooting for everyone else!

@kirstysmbc thank you. I hope so I just worry the quality is going to be rubbish again as theirs a bunch of them again 😔 does the anxiety ever go?!
ohhh god how much are the flights this time?

@girljulian oh wow! That IS a turn of the books. Well I’m so pleased that you’ve found the anti depressants have helped and you’re feeling more yourself again. That’s great to hear and it’s good you’ve got to the decision you have and are happy with that. I respect that a lot. Good for you.

Thank you. I never did want kids until suddenly I became fixated on it a couple of years ago, but it’s been a very weird few years for all of us and I feel I’m out of it now!

@muddlingthrou aww great to hear your starting to feel kicks now! And glad to hear the sickness has stopped, hopefully you can just enjoy the rest of your pregnancy now.

@kirstysmbc yay, I'm glad you're ready to go again now. Really really hoping this is going to be your time 🥰

@GCS34 oh wow lots of eggs again, there's no holding your ovaries back!! Those supplements and the different hormones in meriofert can still make all the difference to quality. I hope Wednesday rolls around quickly and you're not too uncomfortable, hopefully you dodge OHSS again.

@girljulian it's really good to hear antidepressants have helped you overcome depression. We all have such difference journeys, and any outcome where we feel at peace with ourselves is one to be happy and proud of, I'm so pleased you have some clarity now. Thank you for the good wishes!

@girljulian so glad to hear you're in a much better place and I admire your clarity of mind! It must be such a relief to have hopped off this rollercoaster and be able to focus on everything else 😊

@IWouldRatherBeOnHoliday I remember that surreal/Cloud 9 feeling of the first positive test - it's a truly magical time and I'm so happy for you to be enjoying that xxx

@muddlingthrou Really glad that the sick phase is over, and everything is going smoothly and you can feel the kicks now 💚It's great to be past the halfway mark!

@kirstysmbc I hope all is going well on the meds and I really, really hope this is your cycle 🤞🏼🤞🏼

@GCS34 that's a great number of eggs there! Keep us posted tomorrow and try not to worry about the quality - hopefully it's just an amazing number of embryos-to-be and this is the last EC you'll need 😉

Thanks everyone for your kind thoughts for yesterday's scan. It was a bit of a mixed bag really... the doctor confirmed that the baby has a missing duct, but the body has found a workaround and everything else is looking fine (the other risk marker is now normal). So, from what we could see now and with the caveat that it's still very early, he thinks the most probably outcome is that she's well. He did suggest an amnio though, to rule out any less common chromosomal issues (which the missing duct can be related to and the NIPT can't pick up) so we're currently weighing the pros and cons of that. Overall he was optimistic and the info we have now is more positive than a couple of weeks ago, but my mind still keeps going to the worst case scenario... I'm away for work this week so that will be a good distraction and then we have another scan back in London on the 17th, so we'll see what they say about the amnio. Apologies for the long message! And I really appreciate the support!

@beachbum85 dont apologise at all. That sounds really promising and an improvement on the scan 10 days ago. The workout that the baby has done - is that something that she can cope with in life or would that involve some form of surgery during her life? And what would this other test identify and achieve? I guess it’s looking at the outcome of what it will tell you and if it will make you feel any better / better informed / if you can even do anything having got that information. Could over the next 20+ weeks, the body self correct anyway as she continues to develop? Sorry for all the questions and don’t feel you have to answer but always here to chat if you need support or to vent. Xx

@GCS34 I don't mind the questions at all 😊 The missing duct is only needed throughout pregnancy - it funnels blood from the placenta to the heart and closes after birth. In our case, it's passing through the liver instead which is the best case scenario if the duct is missing. So if we get to healthy birth, there shouldn't be any long term implications.
The amnio would identify potentially rare syndromes that are sometimes related to the missing duct, but don't show features until later in pregnancy or after birth. That in itself could raise even more questions as not all the chromosomal issues are documented and understood, but it could either reassure us that the duct is an isolated issue, in which case prognosis is good, or identify a serious condition early, which would be the worst case scenario but always better than finding out at a later stage 🤷🏻‍♀️ it comes with a risk of miscarriage though so, although low, that complicates the decision.

@beachbum85 oh I see. Well that’s reassuring then and if baby is making a bypass via the liver than one would think that’s okay? Did the consultant feel confident? And I see what you mean about the pros / cons of having the test, have you had any more thoughts on the test?

so I’ve just got home from theatre - 27 eggs 🥰

@GCS34 Wonderful news, so many 🥚🥚🥚 - hope it's good news over the next few days 🤞🤞

@beachbum85 it's really positive to hear that baby girl's body has found the best possible workaround for the missing duct, and that the other risk marker is now normal. I don't envy you the difficulty of making the decision about having an amnio though, I'm sorry it's not a straightforward question. Hopefully your appt on the 17th brings some more clarity and reassurance for you and maybe makes that decision a bit easier. I hope you're having a good week away with work and it is acting as a good distraction for you, you're doing amazingly well carrying on with normal life. Do keep us updated if you're happy to do so, we are all rooting for you!

@GCS34 wow wow wow, 27 eggs! I hope you're feeling okay. Were the drugs as amazing as you remembered haha?! I'm keeping everything crossed that there are some nice healthy day 5 embryos heading into the freezer on Monday (I'm assuming you are ruled out of a fresh transfer now?)

I've had a bit of a rough time with OHSS, thankfully on the mend now! I did have to have an ultrasound on Friday to check my ovaries and measure fluid on my abdomen, and the lovely consultant had a good hunt round and managed to spot the little sac 🥰 it was measuring 5w at 4+4, so that was really reassuring to see that little embryo is in the right place and growing nicely (I've forgiven it for causing havoc with my poor ovaries!)