IVF/ICSI April 2024

[Vian67]

Hopefully find others in a similar boat 🙏

Just made my ‘Day One’ call to the clinic this week to set the ball rolling this will be my second cycle, first one failed on 12th Feb 2024.

Bit of background to how we got here, I have had 4 ectopics since Nov 2020 2 resulting in emergency surgery and losing both my tubes. No reason why our first cycle failed, we will be doing IVF/ICSI this time round.

Anyone joining me in the April emotional rollercoaster? X

Hello @Vian67

I’ll join this (currently still with the gals on the March group but my cycles been pushed in to April now).

Oh no I’m sorry to hear about your ectopic and failed cycle. TTC is a hard slog. Keeping my fingers crossed for this cycle for you! 😊

This is my first cycle (NHS), then we are going to go private. We have rubbish swimmers and I have a low egg count (I’m 37), so we’re very scared about whether this will even work. We’re having ICSI with double stims. I should start my injections on the 17th April, so still a few weeks to go. The wait is killing me!

Hi @Vian67 I think we spoke back in January.
I seemed abit too behind for the March group and a little early for April.. I'm currently on second round of IVF/ICSI and day 8 stims
Background:
I'm almost 34 and DH is 34 with low morphology, no other known issues
Our last NHS ICSI cycle in Jan ended with 14 eggs only 5 were mature, 3 fertilised and 1 made it to day 5, which was frozen as my progesterone was too high for a fresh transfer.
After much consideration, we decided to do another round of egg retrieval, as if it had worked (which would have been great!) my maturity in a few years trying for a sibling would be worse. (The low maturity was a shock for us and the clinic!)
I've been swapped from Ovaleap to Meriofert this time starting on 300iu
Although now have 40 follicles (albeit many are very small) so at risk of OHSS so could end up with another freeze all! They've now decreased my meds to 150iu

How are you feeling this time round?

May I join? Likely to start only late April and still haven't decided on the clinic... This will also be my second cycle, first one (egg extraction was end of Jan 24) failed and switching clinic. Looking to freeze embryos and might need 2/3 rounds.

Background:

I'm 35, low AMH which halved compared to a year ago. Recent AFC only 4. Husband is 45, low morphology 3%, HBA result just came back as low (under 20%), waiting for sperm fragmentation.

First cycle i was on: Menopur + Ganirelix. Trigger shot Ovitrelle

First cycle outcome: first scan 6 follicles, 7 extracted, 4 mature, 2 fertilized with ICSI, only one made it to blasto but quality was too poor for a biopsy

@HopefulllHolly I was 39 last month it’s awful thinking time is running out 😢 We have just paid in a scheme for 2 cycles. If it helps I didn’t find the injections too bad. I don’t have my meds or dates or anything yet just waiting for paperwork but don’t have as much to fill in this time with them having it from before x

fingers crossed for you xx

@Natty2 Yes we did briefly, I was a bit late to the party.

i did Ovaleap last time also, not got as far as getting meds yet literally phoned clinic on Tuesday to start the ball rolling. Been getting funding in place etc.
I was at high risk of OHSS last time so they said they would be reducing my meds this time and advised to do ICSI.
We had 1 top grade embryo last time and none to freeze 😞

I feel different on different days, I’ve only gone back to work this week after the last one 5 lost pregnancies in 3 years seemed to just hit. But there’s that and hat if we don’t try again and it would have worked. Consultant said not to give up until at least 3 rounds. So we are signed up for 2 more if needed. Then it will be game over.

how are you coping with it all? At least we have a better idea of what to expect now

@Vian67 ahh thanks. Strangely I’m not at all scared of the injections because to me that’s the easy bit, I don’t mind a routine anyway 🤣 for me I’m most scared of it not working, I’m scared of my eggs being rubbish and our sperm not working because of morphology (1%), and not ending with any blasts or anything.
Im finding the part I’m hating really is the trying to constantly balance my feelings between being hopeful and thinking “why can’t it be us that it works for? It works for other people” but then trying to stop myself from being too hopeful because what if we are still here in 5 years time trying (we’ve been TTC for 5 years plus already). I think that’s what I’m finding most hard. The injections for me are fine because I’ll be doing what I can and have a job that I can do successfully. 🙂 Can you tell I’m all over the place?!?

Hey @Natty2 i think I remember you briefly the March group. ☺️ I also have a low AMH (4.9), and my AFC is 6.

The more I say our situation to people, the less hopeful I am. Gah - whys this so hard?!

Ah yeh get strapped in for an emotional rollercoaster.
My OH is so laid back he is very we will deal with things as/if/when they happen. Where as I have gone over every single ‘what if’ about 20 times. He is a lot more positive than me which is nice but my theory now is why build it up cos it’s just further to fall 😔.

and i definitely get the more you say it the less hopeful. I have barely spoken to any of my family or friends about it all because I can’t. It’s easier for it to feel like it is happening to someone else and I’m just observing.

@HopefulllHolly @Natty2 hi both 👋 just thought I would jump on here from the March group as I think most people are in TWW and I've not started yet. Natty - I'm also the other Lucy from the TTC 18+ months thread. Accidentally got myself another username stupidly.

I've got spotting and cramping so hoping tomorrow is day 1 and we can get to the clinic for baseline scan on Saturday (they're closed on Sunday).

First time I've been delighted to get my period!

Hi everyone else. I'm 35, my husband is 37 (birthday soon though), we're unexplained, been trying for two years. First round will be funded. Everything has been good so far except we have to travel a long way to the clinic because of our postcode (there are other clinics that are easier to get to!). Partly why I'll be very happy if we can avoid going to hospital on Monday

@HopefulllHolly It seems our situations are kind of similar. Has your partner been told to do more sperm related investigations like DNA fragmentation? After my first cycle, a few of the consultants I've spoken to since have requested this (+ one consultant requested HBA), which makes me wonder if we should have done it before the first try, since results seem to have some guidance value and we might have put my husband on supplements etc earlier on, especially as male factors are sometimes easier to 'fix'...

@Vian67 I'm sorry you have suffered with so many losses 😔 have your clinic offered counselling?
Mine offer 3 per cycle
We've also gone through access fertility for 2 cycles if needed. I hope this next one is successful for you
I've found it ok so far, abit numb to the whole process this time although today I've started to feel more anxious today. I know the rollercoaster ride that we're in for, I don't know if that makes it easier or not!

@HopefulllHolly I hope your first cycle goes well!. I was completely unprepared for the "what if it went wrong" scenario in my first round as my AMH/ afc tests all came back normal for my age etc, so having the low maturity was a huge shock. I've had that same feeling as you, although only at 2+ years ttc.
It just always feels like a never ending process!

@EggsFrozenNow I'm sorry your first cycle didn't go well. How are you feeling this time around? Have they planned a new protocol/ meds?

Hi @Lucylaughing ! I've never been so pleased for someone's af to arrive for them 😅 I hope the timings work out well for the Saturday scan, will you be starting meds on sat if so?

@Vian67 I totally understand the stress, especially after a first fail... but do try to be positive or distract yourself from negative thoughts! One of the consultants said something that I found quite useful (at least for me) in terms of calming myself down: unlike many other women who are in the exact same position as you are, you are doing something about it, and you still definitely have time

@Natty2 haha, thanks! Yes I think first injection will be Sat afternoon, then from Sunday morning onwards if all goes to plan. I think they just treat your day 2 as if it was a day 3 if the scan looks ok. I don't know if they're taking bloods as well. I guess there's a chance I might get bumped to Monday but I hope not as I'll have to call in sick

Hey… would like to be part of the group for April!

I was lurking on the March group but we got delayed after our first consultation so have been laying low since then as I had a rotten couple of weeks feeling sad and frustrated.

But booked in now for mock transfer in 2 weeks (I had difficult HyCoSy so this is to test out the ‘route in’!) and then day 1 baseline scan on 15th April to get going.

I struggle to keep up with these fast moving threads but will do my best as I love being able to share this journey with others, it’s so lonely otherwise ❤️

@Natty2 Trying to stay positive! Most consultants I've seen are suggesting some tweaks to the previous protocol, they mentioned the maturity rate could prob be improved. One doctor also suggesting priming with growth hormones for a month prior. Also waiting for husband's DNA fragmentation result to see if he needs to see an andrologist first. Fingers crossed for you!

Hi @Sierra26 sorry to hear you've had a rough couple of weeks. Hope your mock transfer goes well and you can get things moving now! I'm on here and the March thread but most people there are in the TWW now

Keeping my fingers crossed I will be as long as I bleed ! 6th attempt lucky to get started 😂

on provera another week currently

then will be starting stims first week of April , surgery booked for mid April

Hope everyone is doing ok 😄

Hi @Rebekah77 really hope you won't have any more delays 🤞

I'm booked in for my baseline scan first thing tomorrow so hoping everything goes according to plan.

@Sierra26 fingers crossed for your mock transfer, I had similar issues with my hycosy so that seems like a good idea!

@Rebekah77 hope you don't have anymore delays so you can get started! Is this your first round?

@Lucylaughing does this mean day 1 arrived today?! Good luck with your first injection I know you've been dreading it but you've got this 🙌

Update from me, I've had my third scan today and all seem to be growing in the right direction. Last scan will be Monday and likely trigger day for EC on Wednesday. (Pretty much 2 months since my last one!)
My oestrogen levels are skyrocketing though so looks like our fresh transfer will be cancelled yet again which is really disappointing! Trying to stay positive that hopefully we have a better outcome at least this time

Yeah first one after 14 odd months of scheduling and failing

I’m not getting too hopeful this time! Meds are ready just wait and see if it gets cancelled again !

Hey @EggsFrozenNow how you doing today? No we haven’t done any fragmentation tests and haven’t been told told. Not sure why! I guess we’ll get to that after the first cycle. I’m seeing this one as a test anyway and under no illusions it’ll work for us first time, though we’d love to be that lucky of course! He’s been really down because of the low morphology and not great progressive results either, and they actually got worse in the most recent test despite him being on increased supplements for the last 3 months in between, reduced caffeine to one coffee a day and alcohol he’s having two small cans of beer on the weekends but that’s it and upped his exercise too. I feel sorry for him tbh, so another test making him feel crap doesn’t feel like the right thing to do just yet, though it’s handy to know! Because I don’t have many eggs and we’re having ICSI we won’t have many embryos to pick from anyway so the consultant told us not to bother with PGTA testing either, but we can add it on if we get a surprise amount of eggs.
I know we’re doing all we can, I’ve not drank for months, I’m eating really well, drink 3 litres of water every day, exercise, have both taken all the supplements and done everything recommended in the it starts with an egg book. So I think we’re just going to see how we get on this cycle and go from
there. Baby steps! 😊
Have you changed a lot this cycle to the other, or are you planning to?

Good luck with the stims and everything! ☺️

@Natty2 oooh that’s exciting! How many eggs is it looking like are there? Shame your might be getting slightly over stimulated but better to put your health back on a good footing, that comes first! 🙂
You get loads of scans! I only get one on day 9 and if I need any more after that they’ll schedule in but that makes me nervous that’s not normal? Eeek!

@Rebekah77 good luck with it this time, fingers crossed no more delays and cancellations! 🤞

@HopefulllHolly Yeah i understand your decision. We just had the HBA and DNA fragmentation result out and it turns out the sperm has low maturity % and high fragmentation %, in addition to low morphology. Yet to discuss with consultants but I guess this means more supplements for my husband + potentially PICSI instead of ICSI which we did. In a way we are hoping that his sperm metrics explain our fail last cycle, since male factors seem to be easier to improve or at least monitor... I have low count yes but hopefully quality is ok.

We are definitely trying to be healthier in the next cycle, taking more supplements which we didn't do for the first cycle. Then hopefully the tweaks the Drs propose can help, including medication and how they do the PICSI/ICSI....

Yes first cycle tend to be a test but still I hope you get good results from it

Hi ladies,
I hope you’re all doing ok during this challenging time!

It’s looking like we’ll be going again in April - third time lucky I hope!
First time bfn, second time def took more supplements & changed protocol and got a bfp but 7 week miscarriage. This time will most likely do same protocol as last time. Have a call with the doc next week to discuss! I really hope this is the last time we’ll need to do this! 🤞🏻

@EggsFrozenNow yeah I think we’ll do the tests for the next cycle but for now we’re just going to see what happens. I don’t think they’d do the tests just yet for us anyway as on the NHS for this cycle. I just kind of want to keep my head in the sand with anything else that could be wrong as it already feels hopeless with the stuff we already know. That’s probably a silly attitude to have but I think that’s my self preservation. 🙂

@Blossomofhope hello! Good luck on your third cycle, sorry to hear about your loss and previous negative.