IVF/ICSI May or late April

[AnnieStar12]

Is anyone else gearing up to do IVF/ICSI in May?

My meds have arrived and I start my down regs next week to start a long protocol ICSI cycle, my egg collection will then be mid-May.

Had my first ICSI cycle in Feb which resulted in only 1 embryo which was transferred on day 5, but BFN. I found the support group on here super helpful with my last cycle, so wondering if anyone else is in a similar position?

😂😂 don't worry @HopefulllHolly I can imagine you will be feeling a bit spaced out for the rest of the day! Hopefully you feel better after a sleep! @CreamLampshade thank you both for the reassurance! I'm absolutely fine with the actual procedure etc it's just the unknown of how it's going to feel! But glad you've both had positive experiences, definitely puts me at ease!

@CreamLampshade welcome to the thread!

Try not to worry too much about stats and average percentages - one thing I’ve learnt with infertility is the statistics mask that anything is possible! I’ve read many women on these forums get 20+ eggs and end up with only 1 or 2 embryos by day 5, and on the flip side many women getting 2/3 eggs and one embryo that’s their baby. I’m just as guilty as the rest of us for obsessively googling everything but then remind myself that anything is possible!

My clinic said their standard practice is to only update on day 1 and then again on day 5 on morning of transfer. On my first cycle as I only got 3 eggs and only 2 were mature enough to fertilise, I did tell them I would appreciate a day 3 update which they kindly did for me. The waiting is torture so just gotta plan out some nice things to keep busy until Monday! x

Thanks @AnnieStar12, good to hear it’s a normal thing for them to wait the five days! In a way it does mean I can switch off I guess, what will be will be! Yes googling stats does send you mad. And I am noticing from these threads there doesn’t really seem to be any pattern! At the end of the day I guess everyone really has a 50/50 chance - a live baby or not!

60% fertilization rate is a fantastic number! Mine was 0% lol try not to stress about statistics in ivf there so extremely varied, I think if embryos drop off after day 3 it could lean towards a male factor

Thank you @Cloclo93 and sorry, I should really thank my lucky stars there were any. Ivf is not good for worriers like me! Where are you in the process now?

@HopefulllHolly I also got 3 eggs!! Yay! Hope we both get some good news tomorrow! Are you having ICSI or IVF? We were told today that's all good to go for regular IVF this time as eggs and sample both look good.

@Ashleighlouise I was also super nervous about the sedation even though I've had it before. It was absolutely fine for my last egg collection but I had it once for a sigmoidoscopy and it was NOT enough 😂. I kept asking the anaesthetist today to make sure I was super deep 😆 she was lovely and said everyone asks that and promised it would be ok.... and it really was! One minute I was talking about loving science and the next minute I was in recovery. No memory of in between and very little discomfort. I felt so relaxed! I agree with @HopefulllHolly it's the best bit 😆.

@CreamLampshade our clinic is similar in that I'll hear tomorrow if anything has fertilised but then I will hear again on Sunday with a message is posted on our patient portal. After that though it doesn't look like I get an update?? This means I might travel through to the clinic and find there's nothing to transfer which is a bit worrying. This is less than last time. I had about three phone calls with my last round updating us at various stages. I'd prefer that but understand they have to manage their workload. A message on a portal on day 3 feels very very impersonal though and not knowing until I get there means I will be an absolute anxious wreck on the car journey to the clinic on day 5.

A 50% fertilisation rate sounds good to me! It's what I had last time and ultimately resulted in my son. I'm really really hoping for the same this time so at least one maybe two.

@wishfulbean congratulations on your 3 eggs!! You must be so relieved this part is over, rest up and hopefully you’ll have a good report from the lab tomorrow x

I am having my third (!!) baseline scan in the morning. I’m desperate for the cyst to be finally gone so I can get started on the stims - they’ve been in the fridge for almost a month now. Am currently in bed googling clinics in London who will aspirate ovarian cysts as my clinic don’t offer that. Just want to prepared for the worst!

@wishfulbean that's great! Thank you for the reassurance, I'm going to make sure they give me the maximum dosage so I am nice and sleepy 😂 I'm so pleased you got your 3 eggs! Hoping for some positive news for you tomorrow!

@AnnieStar12 good luck for your scan tomorrow!! I have mine as well and hopefully they can confirm I am good to go for egg collection on Monday! Any luck on finding a clinic who may be able to aspirate the cyst if it hasn't disappeared.. hopefully it will have 🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼

@wishfulbean Yay! Fingers crossed they come with good news for us. I’m anxious already. I wish you got an update earlier than the day you’re meant to go for a transfer, maybe could ask today when they call as I think it’s the embryologist who calls. I only get another call on Tuesday so it’s going to be a difficult few days, going to have to get myself very distracted. We’re having ICSI (as if my lack of eggs wasn’t bad enough, we also have dud nemos 🙃). So I’m double anxious!

@AnnieStar12 @Ashleighlouise Hope the scans go well today! Fingers crossed for no cysts and you can move to stims or egg collection! Let us know how you get on.

I read back any messages I sent yesterday and I was out of it 🤣🤣 At one point I text my partner to say to come back and get me (he’d gone home to check on the dog as we don’t live far), and then I put my phone down and 2 seconds I went to do it again and realised I’d already text him. Had no short term memory whatsoever!

@CreamLampshade Welcome! You are a worrier aren’t you 🙂 hopefully this group of lovely ladies can help keep you slightly calmer ☺️ A 50% fertilisation rate sounds good to me, but it’s all down to each person and their scenario from what doctors and nurses have told me. Maybe you can ask the embryologist to help to reassure you?

@AnnieStar12 and @Ashleighlouise good luck for your scan today! I hope they both go well

@HopefulllHolly hope we both get good news soon! I'm not sure when the clinic will ring so will be glued to my phone until they do. This bit is so nerve wracking! This and then if you are lucky enough the two week wait 😆. To be fair it's all a bit nerve wracking isn't it!

In my total space mode yesterday I forgot to take my progesterone tablets. 😭 have shouted at my other half for not reminding me. Going to ring the nurses and see whether to take them twice today evening and night to catch up. What a nightmare 😫😫😫

@AnnieStar12 just FYI, consultant got back to me re. DHEA-S level, they mentioned that the test reference guide tend to be vague / not indicative, as long as the testosterone level is within normal range, and as long as there are no disturbing side effects I should continue with DHEA supplements

Woohoo! Two out of three eggs were mature and fertilised! Apparently they look as they should for day 1. I was over the top nice to the embryologist so I hope she takes extra good care of them for us. @wishfulbean i hope you get your call soon!

Transfer booked in for Tuesday at 3:30pm
so now just the long wait until then to see if any make it! So relieved we got to this next baby step 😊

@HopefulllHolly thank you! Scan is at 11 so hoping we are good to go for trigger tomorrow and EC Monday! I just saw that two of your eggs are fertilised that is absolutely fantastic news!!!! 🥚✨🤍 lots of positive vibes for them to continue developing!!!

@wishfulbean thank you! Hope you get your call soon for an update 🤍🤍

Eeek @Ashleighlouise less than an hour! Will keep my fingers crossed for you it’s good news for you to go ahead on Monday. 😊

Im really happy with our little step forward. Going to stay in a happy place this weekend if I can. I know we’re still miles off the end of the whole process but the small little steps forward that work are so nice. I am keeping my fingers crossed that both survive to day 5. Gosh I don’t want to even think about it not working and having a call on Tuesday to say our transfer is cancelled. The embryologist did say she’d be surprised if they both didnt get there as they have really
good rates, but we’ll see. Eeek it’s gonna be a long 5 days!

Ah massive congratulations @HopefulllHolly, that’s such a good fertilisation rate!! I’ll be crossing my fingers for your embryos this weekend!!

@AnnieStar12 and @Ashleighlouise fingers crossed for your scans, hope it goes really well and that you’re feeling good for the next stage! Mine got pushed back at this point which I understand is common but it’s always nice to just get on with it isn’t it?!

@wishfulbean crossing my fingers you get your call soon and it’s good news xx

@HopefulllHolly woohoo on two fertilised eggs! I'm so pleased for you. We are true cycle buddies as I also had two fertilise 😄. I get a message on Sunday with an update and if all looks good they'll book me in for a transfer on Tuesday then. Now we wait! I agree and these little steps matter and we should very much celebrate the positive steps and be proud of any and all steps we are able to reach.

I also forgot my progesterone!! Your post reminded me so thank you so so much!!! I think I'm still in a slight daze and couldn't remember any of the instructions they gave me yesterday. Thankfully I was told it was ok that I took it later and to take the rest as normal. Whoops 🫣

@EggsFrozenNow thank you for very much for sharing what the consultant said. That's really good to know. I hope the DHEA supplements are doing their thing for you! Are you aware if you are having any side effects?

@CreamLampshade thank you 🥹

@wishfulbean are we the same person?! Haha! How weird you forgot too! I rang them also and they said it was fine, so I’m calm
again now but I did go on a tirade this morning at my other half “you had one job to look after me yesterday and you didn’t get me to take my tablets!”. I apologised after as I can’t imagine it was a nice way to be woken up 🤣🤣🤣 I’ll be waiting for your update on Sunday as surely we’ll still be cycle twins.

@wishfulbean @HopefulllHolly congrats on the two fertilised. You’re both in the exact same place I was in my first cycle, 3 eggs, 2 fertilised by next day.

@EggsFrozenNow that’s reassuring to hear, my testosterone levels are in normal range so maybe I’ll take DHEA if this round fails.

@Ashleighlouise good luck with the scan today.

@CreamLampshade how long was your cycle delayed for? And was it because of cysts or something else? and when is your transfer booked in for?

Afraid I had yet more bad news today. The cyst is still there!! They’ve done some bloods again and will call me with results later - if the oestridol levels have reduced then I can start stims today as it means the cyst has stopped being so “functional” but if the levels are still raised then I just need to keep waiting!! Feel really down about it all. They also switched me on to a different down regulation medication so maybe that’ll help - now doing injections rather than nasal spray.

@AnnieStar12 yes have had a few cysts and also a polyp that needed removing… the latest cyst did go down enough to go ahead with the cycle… it seems they are quite common and usually aren’t an issue but every now and again they are?

@AnnieStar12 I'm so sorry to hear the cyst is still there. Fingers crossed you phone call has positive news and it's non-functional. I have everything crossed that you can start the next stage soon!

@CreamLampshade I think we posted at the same time so I didn't see your well wishes - thank you! I'm very pleased and relieved with two fertilised eggs. A great rate for this round.

@AnnieStar12 im sorry it’s not great news again. Fingers crossed your tests come back good today and you can start. Sorry you’re having so many delays, must be so difficult for you. Sending hugs x

@HopefulllHolly I did look accusingly at my other half for not reminding me this morning but given I was a hormonal anxious mess last night he's already dealt with a lot 😂

Congratulations @wishfulbean @HopefulllHolly 🥰🥰