IVF and PCOS

[Hollielouise]

Hi all, we've just been accepted for Kind IVF with LWC and wondered if anyone has had any experiences with the "kind/gentle" protocol and or London women's clinic and PCOS.
I'm really concerned with OHSS as I have "lean" PCOS and a high AMH/AFC but the clinic don't seem too worried...

Any experiences appreciated 🙏🏼 x

Hi Carlotta27,

Just thought I'd give you an update on our first round of IVF which will hopefully be encouraging for your first round ✨

I did get the OHSS and had symptoms for a few days but it was not that bad at all plenty of water and everything resolved thankfully ✨🙏

So we had the 18 eggs of which 14 fertilised, of those 14, 12 made it to day 3, but 9 of them were of very high quality 🙏

We had our day 5 phonecall this morning to say 8 of them are being frozen today , all either expanding or hatching and graded A's and B's, there's 3 more looking promising and could be frozen tomorrow 🤭 we cannot believe it! The relief this am was just amazing.

Just said I'd fill you in as this was our first cycle too , we had no clue how it would go or what the outcome would look like, but thankfully it was good news for us and I really hope you're happy with your outcomes too🙏🤞 like you I was really concerned having PCOS and high AMH and all the worries of poor quality eggs but thankfully there is good news stories too and were one of them! best of Luck ✨💕

Hello @Babydusttous2024 ,

Congratulations! You must be so pleased with such a good number of high quality embryos. I’ve been told by Drs that that is often the biggest hurdle with IVF, so it sounds very promising for you.

Thank you for sharing and giving us hope for similarly good outcome. I had tried to adjust my expectations and just hope for one or two top quality embryos, but now you’ve set my hopes higher again 🤣

How are you feeling now? OHSS sounds like it can be really nasty, so I hope the Drs are monitoring you closely and your partner is there to wait on you!

Thanks for sharing your uplifting news for us high AMH-ers and fingers crossed that there will be more good news once you’re in to the FET x

Hi Carlotta27,

My experience of OHSS was absolutely fine I was lucky I suppose, the day after egg collection was probably the worst of it but even at that i found the pressure before the transfer was a worse feeling! I couldnt sit for long periods but it took us 3 hours car journey to get to the clinic for egg collection so you can imagine the form wasnt great by the time we parked up 😅😂 my husband thankfully has the patience of a saint and was minding me like a lamb! I was triggered with bruselin and got my period today which seems early but I think that happens, theyre gonna scan me during the week to make sure everything is settling down other than that they just called me to see how i was. To be honest I was genuinely more interested in how the eggs were getting on the discomfort didn't really bother me at all!

Best of luck with everything again! ✨✨positive thoughts anything is possible even with the odds stacked against🙏 Xx

@Carlotta27 my ohss was on my 4th cycle, they monitor quite closely during but if you get more than a little bloating and tenderness, vomit lots and/or low urine output that's when you seek advice. Just for a rough guide as every embryologist has told me that of the eggs collected 60-80% usually mature, 2/3 roughly fertilise, and roughly a 1/3 will not divide. This didn't quite sink in for me but is quite normal. Quality embryos at the end are the aim as quantity doesn't always mean success.

The first cycle often can be a curveball as its the first time they will have tried things and your body had to respond in that way so it may be if it isn't successful straight away its still a useful process for next cycle x

Hi!
Thought I’d drop in here as just started my stims on 6th Feb.
I am 31, ttc for 2+ years. Tests and scans showed I do have PCO (AMH: 53)
I will be doing a freeze-all of embryos in the hopes of a transfer after March as consultants anticipate OHSS.
So far have had three doses of Menopur 150iu, two more doses due tomorrow (8th) and have a scan booked on Friday (9th) for progress. (Can feel some bloating but as I am hyper aware of my bodily functions due to the risks, it could just be from my dinner!)
Will be eventually adding Fyremadel to stop premature ovulation, and my trigger shot will be Buserelin (more OHSS friendly trigger shot I’ve been told). Egg collection anticipated 17th Feb but may be earlier depending on scans.

Hi @Prabs7 welcome, exciting times!

Hope your scan goes well on Friday, I’ve heard of people with PCOS having really rapid follicle growth or being very slow, so fingers crossed it’s good news for you.

Sounds like lots of measures are in place to help prevent OHSS, keep us updated x

Best of luck with everything and fingers crossed ✨🤞🥰

Hi all,
Had my scan this morning.

@Carlotta27 slow follicle growth for me unfortunately!

I’ve been told to continue 150iu Menopur in the evenings. Have also been prescribed Dexomethasone which is a steroid tablet to take in the mornings. Apparently it helps encourage stimulation. Also advised to ensure I eat enough protein, anti-inflammatory foods and drink lots of water!

Symptoms-wise I do feel more bloating this evening, but only slightly. My mood is up and down but I couldn’t tell you if it’s a side effect as had an announcement of a Company restructure at work this week and some good people got made redundant and I will greatly miss them (one of them being someone I had confided in about my ivf journey and was a huge support for me)
My job is safe thankfully, but the timing of it all couldn’t be any worse!

My next scan is in 2 days’ time. Hoping to see more growth! Also been told to bring a Fyremadel injection with me to my scan as it may be a situation where we need to start preventing any releasing to early.

On a separate note, my endometrium is apparently quite thick (12mm). So one to keep an eye on for eventual transfer and future health. But first step is actually getting those embryos!

@Babydusttous2024 great to hear you had that many quality embryos and you didn’t suffer too much with ohss. When are you hoping to transfer if you don’t mind me asking?

(Apologies also for the long posts. This is a bit like journaling for me and if it also helps others see another perspective of a similar journey then great!!!)

Sorry to hear all about your work worries, not ideal at all hope it all settles down soon 🙏

Hopefully they'll grow slow and steady 🤞 all that advice sounds really good, your clinic is clearly looking after you well which is the main thing 😊 we were told it was a good sign to have a thick endometrium so fingers crossed 🤭🤞🤞 the bloat is uncomfortable ,I was lucky to have some time off but found either standing or lying flat was most comfortable, sitting was the worst for me, especially in the lead up to egg collection/ day of! Hopefully it won't be too uncomfortable for you though 🤞

We're transferring next cycle all going well, so baseline scan in about 3 weeks time prior to starting next cycle , then start on some oral meds I think but the nurse will talk us through the plan at that stage 🤞

@Prabs7

Glad to hear your update and see things are progressing, albeit slowly. I have heard stories of women who have slow growth and then “coast” for a few days at the end with no medication and there is a big catch up - so I suppose your outcome is still unknown and could change over the next few days. Crazy how our bodies respond so differently!

I can imagine the work situation just brings a whole extra set of emotions and worried you don’t need! My company is also undergoing a restructure and I’m more keen than ever to keep my job, even though it’s not great right now, just because I need the stability right now in life.

Best of luck for the next few days. I’ve been trying to up my protein intake too and I’m sick of eggs for breakfast already 🤣 x

@Prabs7 I've always had slow growth and lower eggs with amh of 19 and afc of 35, this time on long protocol I needed longer but then got a massive spurt of follicles after trigger from 15 to 25! Just keep an eye on bloating as mine was worse than I realised. My waist measurement was going up by 2-3 inches each evening but went down many morning. Got worse after gonasi trigger and I had mild ohss but not very nice to deal with. Just drink plenty, keep them updated with any symptoms so they can adjust as needed.
Slower more even growth is the aim of the game and its not all about numbers, quality is also a factor. Also everyone is different - I am atypical pcos as previously only ever produced up to 14 eggs with only 2 transferable out of 23 fertilised embryos. This time, of 25 we had 4 freezable. Best of luck for the next week or so x

@Babydusttous2024how exciting! I wish you all the best. Would be great to know how it all goes.

@Carlotta27oh yes I forgot the Dr did mention ‘coasting’ yesterday so hopefully that’s the situation now. As for being sick of eating eggs, I think my husband is sick of me mentioning at every meal how many grams of protein the plate has 😂

@kerrym87 thanks Kerry- yes I am trying to keep in my mind quality over quantity but can’t help but get carried away with the numbers! Great to hear you had 4 embryos to freeze. It’s inspiring that you have gone through this the 4th time. I hope for the best and that your patience and courage has worked in your favour.

Can definitely feel more bloat today. When going for a walk this morning I could feel some changes so will take it easy and have a relaxed day after an eventful week!

Hope everyone has a lovely weekend. Will update following my scan and bloods on Monday.

@Hollielouisewould be great to have an update? I’m conscious that your thread has been hijacked!

Hi all

Thought I would provide an update.
Had my 3rd scan on Monday. Was a coasting situation for sure as more growth compared to Friday. Have to keep remembering quality over quantity but glad there is some form of growth going on.
Started on the Fyremadel, and also reduced dose of the Menopur to avoid over stimulation. Next scan is tomorrow which will tell us if we can trigger the same evening for collection on Saturday!
Have been feeling quite uncomfortable (it’s like I can feel my ovaries!) so have decided to stay home, other than for my appointments, from today until a few days after my EC. Luckily my work is being flexible for me to do this, particularly after shaking things up in the company! No need for more stress.

So yes, hoping to get some good eggs out of me in the next few days, then I have a month or so to prepare myself for the hopeful next and final step by way of a transfer!

Hi @Prabs7

Glad to hear all going well and you have some time off 🙏 definitely most important to have quality over quantity, hope the next few days go well for you now the best of luck with it and fingers crossed✨🤞 loads of rest to help with the discomfort, my fertility reflexologist actually gave me a soundtrack to help keep me calm and relaxed during this period of time if you want I can pass it on? I found listening to it at night provided me with great quality sleep which is meant to really help, but I know it's a bit alternative and not for everyone!

I have pcos
Very high amh in the 60s
I did 150 bemfola
In the end I got around 8 follicles on right ovary. Left 2 follicles
Had about 13 follicles at first scan on right but they didn't grow.
I had quite alot of discomfort after retrieval and ovaries were swollen so I believe you don't always need a high number of eggs to experience ohss.
I got 7 eggs in the end up and 4 of those eggs were suitable for fertilisation

Hi ladies - so incredible reading everyone's experiences so far. Sorry for the delay in responding. We have been in South Africa for two weeks and fly back to the UK today. After the consultation we actually decided not to go ahead this cycle. We've got two more OI cycles with Letrozole 5mg planned now and then will go for the Kind IVF. I always get two/three follicles on a Letrozole cycle so just need to tick those two off before diving into IVF! @Sierra26 I'm not at the same stage as you!! 💕 I've trialled different trigger shit techniques - waiting for natural surge etc )which is around 27mm for me!) How are you feeling about it?

I really hope everyone is doing well - keep me updated!

@Sierra26 *NOW at the same stage, didn't mean to write not!! 😅🙈

Hi all,

@Hollielouise great to here from you, wish you the best for the OI cycles :)

@Babydusttous2024 love a good soundtrack so anything to help chill out!

I had my EC yesterday. Fairly straightforward process, sedation is amazing!
They took a whopping 38 eggs out of me! As soon as I heard that, my OHSS alarm bells were ringing. However, the team had set out all precautions that could be done. Ie, Buserelin for trigger, another pill following the procedure that for the life of me I can’t remember the name! Advised to drink 3L water/fluids and try to walk around despite the discomfort. Apparently bloat will get worse in the next two days before getting better, which is considered normal.
Lower abdomen tender, but otherwise don’t feel too horrific.
5 days of Fyremadel and 7 days of Clexane.

Had the call earlier today. Of the 38, 24 were mature and 19 have been fertilised. The team will call me again in about 5 days time to let me know how many good embryos I have to freeze! Nurses due to call me tomorrow to check in on how I’m feeling.

All feels a bit surreal, but ready for my body to feel a bit more normal in a few days time I hope.

@Prabs7 This is such exciting news! Congratulations on getting this far with great numbers. Really hope you continue to feel better as the days go on. Keep updating on your numbers 💕
Starting Letrozole tomorrow for our penultimate cycle 🙏🏼

@Prabs7 that’s fantastic news in the count! I hope you feel pleased with the numbers as they progress to day five and that the pain has been worth it :)

@LiIacMoon interesing to hear your experiences too, we all seem to fare so differently! Do you know how many of yours made it to day five ? X

@Prabs7 omg how exciting!! Fabulous news for you guys, fingers crossed more good news as the days go on 🤞🤞 hope you're feeling ok today, I found the day after I was ok but the big bloat came about 2 days later. You must have been uncomfortable before the collection 🙈

so the soundtrack I was advised to listen to is actually at 285hz and is believed to hold healing qualities, it's called 'womb love fertility miracle frequency'. At the least it's relaxing , at the most it might help the healing process, best listened to on headphones ☺️ hope you stay comfortable over the next few days and wishing you the best of exciting news with the phonecalls🙏 💞🥰

I have lean PCOS too, AMH 54. I started on 600 and now on 300 Gonal F until my next blood test on Tues. I'm really nervous going 8 days on stims without a scan, they said checking bloods is enough. I'm also on Fyremadel, and trigger will be Buserelin.

Hi @Hollielouise hope you had a lovely trip! I felt so optimistic about my penultimate letrozole cycle (2 follicles, first time with trigger and progesterone) but I’m now 17dpo (AF 4 days late compared to my normal my luteal phase), bfn, finished the progesterone, so just hoping AF hurries up so not to push all my dates back even further. I expected the cyclogest to lengthen my luteal phase but not to this extent - my bbt is still high this morning though I’ve not had progesterone for 36 hrs. It must take a while for levels to fall.

Ive been quite up and down this weekend. The medicated cycles are really difficult to manage and I’ve only really just acknowledged how much pressure I’ve been under for the past 6 months. So many trips to the hospital each cycle, chasing for appts, asking for medication, meds not being available, so much planning and managing our diaries to make sure we’re together on important days! And that’s just the practical side, the emotional side is a whole other thing. I even need to go today to pick up my letrozole for next round to start.

I know ivf is even more intense but at least it’s a different hospital and different process. We have our nurse consult next week, and we’ll start next cycle after that.

Sorry for the negative tone, needed to get that off my chest today 😆 Are you doing anything different during these final cycles to make the best of them? 🤞🏻

Hi @Sierra26

Ugh i’m so sorry it didn’t work out this cycle. I enjoy riding that wave of hope in the TWW and always think it just might be the month! My bleeds after stopping cyclogest progesterone usually come within 2 days, so fingers crossed you can move on soon.

I also did 6 medicated cycles and like you really resented them in the end, especially since i only produced one follicle each time, and so all the scans to monitor growth and make sure I didn’t superovulate seemed a bit unnecessary and sometimes even felt like a bit of a money making trap. It also made me angry that it cost my c£600 and multiple trips to the hospital just to be in with a shot of concieveing, yet a “normal” person has that shot anyway each month withouth all the extras! And it just puts so much extra pressure on to make it work! (Sorry, i also enjoyed a bit of a rant about it too there!)

I’m now hoping to start IVF in March and like you i’m looking forward to the different process and better chances.

I hope you get some time to indulge doing whatever makes you feel good / comforted over the next few days. It’s such a tough journey and the more i connect with other women, the more i realise it’s okay to feel really crap / jealous / angry about it all, and take time to comfort ourselves x

@Carlotta27 I hope your upcoming ivf cycle is successful 🤞
I did 6 medicated cycles aswell and no luck. My ivf cycle was successful