IVF/ICSI June/July

[CakePigeon30]

Hi, couldn't see a thread for June yet so thought I would start one.

I'm on long protocol so actually starting down regulation on 28th May, egg collection not scheduled in until 8th July.

I am on NHS and this will be my first round. Was referred less than a year ago now and have managed to loose 2 and a half stone to get my BMI down.

Anyone else due to start around June?

Just done my first injection for stims eeek it didn't hurt at first but really stung afterwards - is there a knack to it ?

@Blossomofhope Best of luck with third try! Everything crossed for you!!

My TWW ends on Saturday and I'm spotting and cramping atm. It's very light and mainly brown but there's still a fear that's its failed.
The wait is so hard.

IUI both timed I had similar but by now had changed to full blown period and lots of tears.

Google is my enemy too! I get excited seeing ppl with positives having had similar and others negative and I know it can go either way.

@ClaireBear101 are you going to wait till Sat to test?

@SamVan speak to your nurse if it’ll help take the soreness off the tummy if you find it’s getting a bit much.
ahhh yeah that’s pretty high. See why iui you responded well. Are they planning a freeze-all or you got the plan of a fresh hopefully? My AMH is 65 hence them being all flappy about OHSS and saying it’ll be a FA most likely which is annoying.

super pleased you’re feeling good and positive. Where the mind goes, energy flows, and all that, so I think positivity is definitely a good thing. I’m super excited to start. Hopefully tomorrow if my scan is all good and my ovaries are quiet 🤞🤞🤞

Good luck @Blossomofhope - you can join me and @SP83 starting stims this week. Sorry to hear you’re on number 3. I don’t think it gets any easier the more times does it? However I must say I’m super excited this time more than before - god knows why. Maybe just for the egg collection drugs 😅 sending positive vibes

@CakePigeon30 I'll wait till the spotting stops anyway for sure. I've read that it's a day or two after that you should get positive so hopefully ends today or tomorrow and so it may be Saturday

Hey IVF twin! Sorry about your first cycle too. So nice to meet someone that’s going through it all at the same time, my husband is super supportive but this journey can feel quite lonely at times. Will be sending you positive vibes!

I started taking the meds to stop ovulation however when I went in for what should have been my last scan before EC they saw that I’d started ovulating. They’ve changed me from meriofort to menapur this time along with gonal and I’ve asked for more regular scans.

Hey just wondering if I can jump in? Won't be due to start treatment until towards the end of July but I'm feeling quite apprehensive so thought it would be good to chat.

I'm in a same sex marriage, I had 6 rounds of IUI which unfortunately weren't successful. All tests so far have been good. I have a fibroid but it's out of the way so they said it's fine to be left. Now onto IVF (at least we get one round funded as we had to self fund the IUIs!). I'm 28, my AMH is on the high side of normal apparently at 34.9pmol/L and AFC was 38 so again a bit on the high side but the consultant said no signs of PCOS with the scan and info. I have regular periods. I'll be started on a low dose of Ovaleap 112.5 IU to try to reduce the risk of OHSS. My last two IUIs were medicated and I seemed to respond quite a lot to gonal F at 75, with quite a few follicles. So yeah I'm a bit worried about how I'll respond to the medication and also nervous about the egg retrieval procedure too.

Any reassurance or tips would be fab. Also to hear the hard truth about stuff too so I can prepare myself.

Wishing everyone lots of luck and success! 😊

@CakePigeon30 I think you just have to try not to think of it whilst doing it. I sing a little song to myself whilst injecting. It’s a slight sting but it might get more delicate as the week goes on.

@GCS34 I’m weirdly not excited and more apprehensive about the unknown. But to be fair, I’m a primary teacher and haven’t had chance to breathe properly or even think in this last half term so suppose that’s kept my mind full. I am worried about egg collection being next week probably and I’ve got a year group trip and sport’s day. Panicking in case I miss either of those days although a colleague has said that you have to put yourself first. Someone will be there for the kids but this is my opportunity for my own family so I’ve got to put it to the back of my mind.

It’s so weird when you’re in a waiting room at a fertility centre surrounded by women and my heart just aches for them all. Wish I had more confidence to share in real life. I’m being weirdly private about it.

@SP83 just one of those things and o am a firm believer that they need the first cycle to learn about you for your next so that’s giving me comfort that they know more about me and what they can do to help this time. It definitely helps having a group that get it from the receiving treatment side, as while a partner arguably does go through it, it’s not the same as they’re not getting the treatment done to them.

that’s super frustrating that their wasn’t another scan between. How many scans did you have? Defo good idea for more scans. Piece of mind if anything else!

@strawberrylaces12 hey and of course! Sorry you’ve had to endure 6 failed IUI’s. I think it’s hugely unfair that same sex couples have to self fund for 6 months of ‘trying’ that a heterosexual couple do for free when you literally don’t have the anatomy to try! But fair play for sticking it out to ivf and getting the funding. So many give up so admire your resilience.

thsts a good situation I always think - high amh but not crazy high that cause ohss issues. I was on ovaleap 112.5iu the first round and got a good response so I hope you do too but not stupid like me.

On the egg collection, all I will say is i am excited about having to have one again as you get a really good sleep and feel a bit pissed for a while which is a nice treat after months / years of no alcohol 😂 but try not fret. But it is the unknown I get that. Ask your nursing team if you have any worries. They will have so much help for you if you’re nervous about any of it. And always ask here too and we’ll all try help / reassure where we can. 🥰

@FlutteryButtery2 I’m sorry the wait for an appointment is taking so long. That’s really long for private!

@Blossomofhope welcome! And good luck with your third cycle :)

@CakePigeon30 what drugs are you on? Gonal f didnt sting much after but making sure it’s at room temperature helps!

@ClaireBear101 not long to go now, good luck!!

@GCS34 that’s a high amh level no wonder they are being extra careful. I got some conflicting messaging from the doctors at guys. One told me over 25 amh was a compulsory freeze all and the other said we can wait and see. I’m hoping to do fresh but I don’t mind too much either way. It might be better for us to go with the other trigger and avoid ohss as that sounds awful. There’s a drug you might want to ask your doc about called caberglobin? Someone on mumsnet said it can be given after collection to reduce ohss risk.

I’ve started to feel twinges and mild soreness in my ovaries. Seems too soon for two days of stims. Has anyone else had this? It feels similar to ovulation pain.

@SamVan meriofert. Think it's the way I pulled the needle out because it didn't hurt on its way in!

Hi thanks for your reply! Yeah I'm pretty annoyed that it's still the case even though the Government 'pledged' to remove it a number of years ago. In some areas you have to fund 12 which is mad considering 6 cost us about £8.5k 🙄I formally complained to our local ICB and got a bit of a rubbish reply but at least it's logged. They said they're working to a timescale of removing the need to fund by April 2025. Not that it makes a difference to us now but I don't want other couples to have to go through it. Anyway enough about that I could write an essay 😅

That's good to know! Did you have similar AMH and AFC? Did you end up being overstimulated? Did you end up with many eggs etc.? Sorry lots of questions please don't answer if you don't feel comfortable. I'm a bit concerned that there will be plenty of follicles but no/not many eggs.

Haha! That's so nice to hear. Does it not hurt much or is it more the soreness afterwards? I found it so funny when the consultant said I'd be classed as 'legally incompetent' for at least 24 hours after the sedation, going to milk it and get my wife to look after me 😂

@CakePigeon30 ahh it might also just be what’s in the liquid itself. Sorry it’s sore :( maybe icing it will help?

Hello. I'm on FET meds now. Think transfer might be a week on Thursday.

@strawberrylaces12 i bet! It is hugely unfair especially at your own expense. We paid for 3 x ovulation induction rounds ourselves while we waited for our ivf funding to go through and that cost is around £4.5k … it’s so frustrating. Similar but not the same, but I don’t have periods at all… and they said to me I had to be trying for 12 months before being offered investigation and I was so frustrated as I was like ‘I CANT EVEN TRY IF IM NOT EVEN OVULATING’ it got so frustrating because I was just sat waiting. I ended up just lying and saying it’d been a year after 6 months. They were that crap they didn’t even realise a month before I’d said it’d been 5 months. I’m pleased you wrote to your icb about it. I know is it Wegan? On insta got it in the press and passed that ivf treatment was offered to SSC’s. I follow them think they’re great.

my amh and afc is a bit mental. I have lean pcos so usual pcos but without all the androgen issues, weight issues, high testosterone etc but my actually pcos itself is pretty extreme and as I say, no period unless medicated or through ivf for coming up to 2 years now. AMH 65, AFC 69 and on my last round of ivf on ovaleap 112.5iu I got 55 follicles, 40 eggs 🙈 and to some miracle, didn’t get OHSS. The clinic found it hilarious just said I always like a robot. Don’t worry about questions. I’m the queen of questions. We’re all part of the same club and I think sharing helps. In my opinion anyway 😉🥰

hahha yeah mik that bad boy for at least 2 days 😉 and not really. Again I’m a freak tho as I didn’t really feel anything despite my big old grapefruit ovaries. I felt a bit ‘sloshy’ afterwards I’d say. Like imagine you’d drank a bunch of water and it’s sitting on your belly but my EC didn’t hurt and didn’t bleed but I know I’m very lucky and others had a bit more of a sore road.

how did others feel after theirs?

@SP83 good luck at your scan this morning twinny.

@SlinkMcSlink i think it’s a mix of emotions isn’t it? Like excited, scared, anxious, nervous. It’s just a rollercoaster. And yes your colleague is totally right. I think what I’ve found with everyone I talk to that has fertility issues, we’ve spent a long time not prioritising ourselves and feeling almost guilty for having treatment that can sometimes interfere with plans but why are we feeling guilty for putting our future and family first. It’s easier said than done but I think if you can try to focus on you for just a short period. Are you worried about the EC procedure or when it will fall?

i know. You almost have this mutual bond with them all and just want to say ‘hey’ but it’s also so personal like you say. Have you spoke to your friends or family?

Yeah it's so frustrating, like we are lucky that we could afford to self fund but so many couples can't and will be waiting for the self funding part to be removed and may be getting older and older which obviously isn't too good for fertility and then they may no longer even qualify depending on their age. Yes I follow them on Instagram too! 😊so frustrating that you had to pay for the ovulation induction whilst waiting!

Oh wow that's a lot! But people with higher AMH and AFC tend to respond best to IVF right? From those eggs how many fertilised and did you get embryos? That's amazing that you didn't get OHSS, wow! Bet that was a relief haha.

That's really good to know thanks. I'll make sure to rest afterwards, I've barely ever had much sickness at work and my manager is great so I know I can take the time off as I need. I'm lucky that I have family and friends around me to support too!

Period came on full force so no go for this round. I'm so upset and have awful period pains today.

I had 3 scans first time, so hopefully should have a few more this time. Have had my first scan this morning and all good to go with the injections.

Hope your scan goes well today!

@SP83 hurrah! Great news. I had mine this morning, all was good to go, but they have a lunchtime meeting to check everything off with the consultant, so got to wait for the official green light this afternoon, but yeah lining was thin, and quiet ovaries bar one follicle but there is always one that just sits at 10mm and doesn't do anything so fingers crossed the consultant is all good and says crack on.

@ClaireBear101 aww I'm so sorry 😢 sending lots of love

@ClaireBear101 I'm so sorry. 😞 I hope you have support and can take some time for yourself.

I'm waiting on second set of blood results today or tomorrow -which we are fairly sure will confirm a non-viable pregnancy. I'm so torn between self preservation of not getting my hopes up but also clinging to that last thread of hope.

If it is bad news then we will have to wait til August for our first round of IVF now. Xx