Starting IVF/ICSI March 2024

[AnnieStar12]

I'm planning to start my first round of ICSI with my next cycle - anyone else in the same boat and want some online company? Or anyone already been through this and got useful tips/advice?

@mlruirod amazing news!! Rest well after the EC, and hope your body settles down and doesn’t get overstimulated.

@Lucylaughing I switched to just one cup in the morning and herbal teas the rest of the day (although I think there’s a list of herbals to avoid).

@AnnieStar12 that is odd. It might sound silly, but I have a bunch of old pregnancy tests that are expiring as part of an ovulation test kit I got ages ago, so I might just use them up and test daily or they go to waste anyway 😂 today’s test was faintly positive, which is likely the trigger hormone left in my system. It’ll be an interesting experiment.

@mlruirod wow that’s amazing! Congrats on such great numbers! Fingers crossed you get lots of embryos from it. Gosh I wish I could get that many, then my one round on the NHS would go far! Out of interest - what was your AMH? And what was the supplement the Spanish doctors recommended?

@Lucylaughing hello! How are you doing? I read it said avoid too, which I didn’t know whether meant to quit or cut down, so for my own sanity I cut it out completely. I’ve not had caffeine or alcohol since New Year’s Eve. To be honest I haven’t missed it! Had a bad headache from the caffeine withdrawal after the first couple of days but otherwise it’s been fine. I thought it’d be harder than it was. I think you can have both in small quantities but I’m very much of the mind that I don’t want to have anything I could blame the IVF on not working that I can easily control. But I think that’s a personal thing as I’m a huge over thinker!

@Lucylaughing my GP told to cut it out completely way back before I first did our first IUI rounds back in 2020 and I’ve not touched it since. Too scared just in case now 😂

@mlruirod that’s amazing numbers!! Congratulations! Let us know how Wednesday goes and keep us up to date with the progress of your eggs.

My “stims” medication is kicking my ass today but hopefully in a few days when my body is used to it I’ll feel a bit better.

@HopefulllHolly my AMH was 5pmol/l and I'm 36yo. The clinic advised stronger stims and put me on 300mg Gonal F.

The supplement is called seidivid ferty4 (https://lab-seid.com/salud-femenina/seidivid-ferty4/?lang=en) but unfortunately they don't sell it in the UK, although I found a Spanish pharmacy which posted them here. If you are interested, let me know and I'll check my emails to find the link to the pharmacy. I believe the reason why it's not sold here is because it contains melatonin which you cna only get it with prescription in the UK, but not in Spain. However, after reading it starts with the egg I decided to get these supplements as the book recommends melatonin too.

That same lab makes a male supplement too, which the Spanish clinic also recommended us to improve sperm. The male version is seidiferty (https://lab-seid.com/salud-femenina/seidiferty/?lang=en). We didn't get it because my partner's sperm test was normal and these supplements are expensive but if I'm not wrong a remember your partner's recent test wasn't very good so just letting you know in case it's of any use

@HopefulllHolly I have also been taking 2 of these tablets everyday
Ubiquinol – Kaneka QH® https://amzn.eu/d/26c9L7L

@mlruirod ah amazing thank you! I’ll definitely have a think. I’m on the right supplements according to my consultant but if this cycle doesn’t get good results then I’ll be willing to try other things! I’ve read about melatonin being good. 😊

Ah ok, so your AMH is the same as mine (sorry I totally missed where you said it in your last post!), I guess you have a high AFC though! I only had six follicles according to the consultant who did my scan, however I saw more but im also not a doctor 😂🤣

Whats next for you? Are you freezing all
or hoping to have a fresh transfer? Sorry lots of questions!

I just had my drugs delivered today, feels very real now, I’m on 300 meriofert with double stims. I wish I could start this month! I’ve decided to take the week off work next week and we’re going down south to the coast for the week for some rest and lots of fresh air and dog walks as a little break before the madness of next month and to put it out our heads for a bit!

How’s everyone in the 2ww feeling? I’m having a bit of a wobble tonight just so worried it hasn’t worked. It’s our first transfer so I know I shouldn’t have high expectations anyway but just can’t wait until the end of this week when I’ll know either way. Then dreading if we’re just back to waiting for dates and appointments again, just feel so deflated when everything has went to well up until now and then which I know I should be thankful for but would just love some symptoms.

Wow thanks for all the responses! I might stick with my one coffee pod in the morning but just be really strict with it being the limit. I sometimes have more than that if I'm driving long hours / travelling for work or if I go to someone else's house but I will make sure not to. The consultant didn't say anything about caffeine. I've not had any alcohol since Christmas except for some wine when I was on holiday in February, so I think I'm ok there. I've been trying to eat lots of the good stuff too so hopefully that will help too!

@Capybara95 I'm only 3 days in to the 2ww. It's hard! My mind is constantly flip flopping between being optimistic and then thinking it's not gonna work. The unknown is so difficult 😫
The whole symptom spotting is so difficult as well because any possible early pregnancy symptoms could be side effects from progesterone. I really hope the next few days go as quickly as possible for you ❤️

@Beka245 thats exactly how I feel. Constantly changing between optimistic and not. It’s so hard the not knowing. So good to have people here to talk to.

thank you! Hope it goes in quickly for you too and you get a positive result ❤️

@HopefulllHolly thats exciting the medication has arrived. I remember feeling quite overwhelmed seeing it all there for real! Can’t quite believe that round of meds is all over for me now. I know it feels look waiting to start, but it’ll come and go in a flash. Before you know it you’ll be stabbing yourself eveyday 😆 A week break by the cost sounds perfect! Hope you relax and come back fresh and ready to give the ivf all you got!

@Capybara95 @Beka245 the past year of my life has just been a sequence of two week waits, then failing and picking myself back up again to try again - and that on repeat!
I think this one will feel different as I know there’s an embryo there already. I’m really going to try not let myself get too hopeful as the dissapointment will feel extra big this time.

@AnnieStar12 I had mr transfer at 5 days hun. Xxx

I’m on pins with this 2 ww and I’ve just been to the loo and there’s spotting :(. I know it could be a positive sign but I tend to spot before my period so I feel like I can’t just put it out of my mind. @Capybara95 dont worry about lack of symptoms, lots of people don’t get any until well after a positive test 🤞🤞

@IrisViolet try not to worry, I know it’s easier said than done. Give your clinic a call in the morning. How many dpt are you now?

@Steph2345 thank you ❤️. 6 dpt, just can’t bring myself to google! Xxx

I did a test this morning at 9dp5dt and it was negative. My husband is still hopeful that it is just too early but I know deep down at least a faint line should be showing by now and most people would have a good line. I know it was probably naive but I really did think it would work first time so probably just set myself up for disappointment.

Good luck to everyone else for their test days and hopefully I’ll not see too many of you on future threads ❤️

@Capybara95 I’m in a very similar situ here - last night’s spotting had only gotten heavier and I feel like this is just a sign it hasn’t worked. It’s heavy, not just a few light dots.
sending love and hugs. 🩷

Sorry my above message should have said 8dp5dt.

I’m so sorry to hear your bleeding has gotten heavier. Have you contacted your clinic? Thanks, sending love and hugs back, we’ll get there in the end ❤️

as devastated as I am I just want to get to do a FET as quickly as possible now. I hope I don’t have to wait too long.

@Capybara95 I’m waiting on a call back at the moment. I’m not sure what a FET entails - is it literally just putting it back in? Or do you have to do injections etc again? I really don’t think I can do anymore injections at the moment. I just want to give myself a break xxx

@IrisViolet my understanding is that it would only be pessaries as injections are to stimulate the ovaries which wouldn’t be needed but I haven’t really looked into it much before tbh

@Capybara95 ok that’s good to know, I could probably deal with that then! Sending strength ❤️ xxxxxx

@Capybara95 im so sorry to hear that you’ve got a negative. I’m only 1DPT but have already been googling to find out when people got their first BFP and obviously it’s really varied. Some at 5DPT and other not till 10DPT or later. So you are definitely still in with a chance.
I know it is so disappointing seeing that negative, even through statistically most embryo transfers do fail, we all have to keep hope we’ll be one of the lucky ones.
If this doesn’t work out for you, then you have lots of Frosties and I’m sure one of those will be your baby there just waiting to be implanted.

@IrisViolet sorry to hear you’re bleeding. Have you done a pregnancy test yet? As I was told to test on my test day even if I have light bleeding.

@2024forthewin thinking if you today and hope your clinic calls with some positive news. Did you ask them about transferring the “poor” quality ones?

Sorry @IrisViolet and @Capybara95 i hope you’re both ok! Like @AnnieStar12 says it’s not over just yet so hang in there. I’ve been trying to conceive for 5 and a half years and every month the disappointment is unbearable so I can only imagine it’s tenfold after a transfer. Stay strong and do something nice for yourselves to distract yourself if you can. 😘

@IrisViolet I’m sorry to hear the bleeding has got worse lovely. let us know what the clinic say sending lots of hugs.
@Capybara95 the HCG may not be strong enough yet so try not to write this round off completely just yet. Thinking of you. Keep going.

for both of you, the FET requires a down reg on day 21 and then oestrogen only medication (mine are tablets) once your period has come. This thickens your lining. Transfer will be maybe 14-20 days later ish depending on how your lining is doing. You start the pessaries a few days before transfer and continue pessaries and oestrogen for the first trimester.

thinking of you all today. This is such a tough journey, it takes sooo much of us to get even to this point let alone the actual process. Xx

@AnnieStar12 yes I’m trying to still be positive that it is possible after day 8 just feeling a bit disheartened this morning! But I did say from the start I am so thankful to have my frozen ones so just have to remember that as well. Hopefully one of them will be our baby.

@HopefulllHolly thank you so much. Yes have just taken the dog for a nice long walk and feel like I have a much clearer head now.

@Steph2345 thanks! I do feel a bit more positive now than I did this morning. Will ofc keep taking my pessaries and testing but just need to manage expectations I think! Thanks for explaining the FET process. That is so true, I am now so much further one in the journey than I was even this time last month with my Frosties now so just need to keep pushing through. It will all be worth it in the end ❤️

I'm sorry for how you are feeling, all of you on the 2ww, the waiting and not knowing is such a horrible feeling. I couldn't avoid feeling so hopeless in the 2ww during the 4 years we have been trying to conceive and I think this is the worst part of the ivf process. Hang in there, you still have some more days of hope!
@Capybara95 the only time I got pregnant I didn't have any symptoms at all. The pregnancy ended up in MC but it had nothing to with me not having pregnancy symptoms. All the other times I thought I could be pregnant were just my period symptoms 😅

@IrisViolet fingers crossed for you that the bleeding will stop 🤞 still hope there if it's not full period

I got my update this morning on my eggs. 16 out of the 17 eggs they got were mature and 10 of those eggs have fertilised. It seems that a few other are showing signs of fertilisation but they can't confirm it. They said they will see how those other few are developing but they won't give me any more updates until day 3. Hopefully I'll have quite a few going strong then🤞