IVF / ICSI August

[Scweggers]

I’ve looked for a thread for August but couldn’t find one? (Please feel free to correct me if I’m wrong)
We are starting a long protocol at the beginning of July ready for stims and EC in August. This is our first IVF, I’ve been infertile for 15 years due to complications during endo surgery so always knew IVF was my only option. I met my DH seven years ago and now we are ready to try our luck.

I suddenly feel quite anxious about the whole process although I’ve known it’s my only option for a long time, now I've finally actually looked into what's involved and people's experiences. I’ve had to loose 5st to get my bmi inside requirements which has been incredibly hard but I’m proud I got to this point.

I've got quite a complicated gynea history so preparing myself for a rocky ride, but I’m also thankful for my medical history because I’m already very used to those awful internal scans 🤣

Box of lubion £120+ at the clinic, £85 at a local pharmacy and £56 as Asda! Utrogestan was £40 at clinic, £32 at local pharmacy and £21 as Asda too.

I had my review meeting today, it went ok but some disappointing info too. Saw a new doctor and she recommended embryo banking for 3 cycles 😮 and just getting as many embryos as we can, then doing genetic testing on them all before deciding which to transfer. The thought of this overwhelms me as I hated the needles part and not sure I could handle it back to back. I appreciated the break from needles waiting for transfer and the test. So really not sure what to do. Also very expensive. I was thinking I’d rather just try one cycle again and see what happens, but feel maybe she knows best 🤷🏼‍♀️
I was also disappointed to hear that my 4AB embryo only had an 18% chance of pregnancy due to my age (40) even though I’d seen charts online saying a 4AB had a 56% chance of pregnancy and it didn’t say on there that age impacted that. So feel a bit lost as to whether those odds are worth the pain and money of trying again.
Any advice from anyone who’s been through similar or anything to help would be much appreciated (may start a separate thread too as realise this is moving off topic of my August cycle now) thanks all x

@LimeBird what does that mean, like 3 back to back egg collections?! Jesus that would be tough on the body! Defo look into NMN powder, I do think it helped me raise my AMH levels. It reverses cellular damage and helps improve egg quality. That's so disappointing about the 4ab also, i thought the same!

@Zeeha I didn't realise you get this stuff in ASDA?! (I'm in Ireland so doesn't apply to me anyway but I'm intrigued!) iv been prescribed Lubion aswell I start it twice a day from the 8th!

@Daniki what is this powder and how did you find out about it?? I'm concerned about my embryo / egg quality so I'm intrigued.
@LimeBird that's interesting but what a hard decision to make. I know what you mean about work, it's hard when you've been through it so recently.
I'm so so sorry @Trying4eva1 .
We're still dealing with the test result too. I've decided to try out acupuncture because I've figured it can't hurt.

Thanks @Daniki I’ll look into that NMN powder, hadn’t heard of that before! Yes she was talking about 3 back to back egg collections, I’m glad it’s not just me that thinks that’s a big ask on the body 🤪 I just don’t know if I could take the stress!

Can I ask the group about the progesterone pessaries please...

I am struggling to put them up the back passage so have been using the front (I seem to be tolerating them well so no issues with using the front) but I'm due to have my ET on Wednesday!

Would you all suggest switching to the back passage after ET? I have really struggled with the back and cried from the pain 😢😣

@GLizzie88 I actually came across a thread on here about it, it was women who all suffered with POI (primary ovarian insufficiency) so they all had quite low AMH, a few of them started taking it and ended up pregnant (through ivf) I started it in feb after reading it as my AMH at that point was 9.6(had been 8 a few months previous tho!) and I got it tested again in June before starting this and it was up over 12! There's not loads of studies but I did find a few threads on Reddit about it aswell, there was women who had went through peri and actual menopause who started bleeding again and some women who had went grey their hair was starting to darken again.
Now as that was Reddit and not actual science reviews I can only take it with a grain of salt but there is lots of positive reviews! And it can only help. I got it of youth & earth website and usually you can get good discounts on it. 🤞🏻

@LimeBird I feel it would also be a lot on the body but they probably want to get as many eggs as they can now? That's a lot to think about it! Defo recommend acupuncture and reflexology. Take the time out for yourself to relax 🧘‍♀️

If you can tolerate it well vaginally I'd stick to it that way! Otherwise you could always put a small about of lube around the back end tho and then pop it up(sorry I sound so creepy 😂) I have Crohn's and have had to stick lots of things up there over the years 😂

@GLizzie88 @Daniki I've just had a look at NMN powder on the Youth and Earth website, it says 2 scoops a day in the morning... do you take it with water? Milk? Like a smoothie 🤷🏻‍♀️ I'm so lost

@Lil89 you put it under your tongue and let it dissolve, it's sublingual powder the best way! There is capsules also you could take but I read the powder was the best option! It's a small scoop 😂😀

would you mind sending a link to where you got it from please? @Daniki

@Lil89 my embryo transfer is today at 11am and they told me to use the pessary before 8am so it had dissolved by the time I'm in. Hope that helps!

It does thank you 😋 good luck on your ET today! 🤞

@Zeeha congratulations!! So glad to come back on and see the positives

Sorry for all the negatives it's an awful rollercoaster I've had 2 cycles both failed so know how hard it is. This cycle I have 4 frozen so off back in December (we have decided a little break for mind and body
@Lil89 my egg quality went up with Q10 and omega 3 tablets they are not cheep either but I feel helped my clinic prefers the separate tablets rather than combined for all vitamins so it's been hard taking quite a few separate but I have the best eggs this time. It was my lining they were concerned about it was good but not excellent in their eye so advised to wait. Roll on December, it seems so far away but is a better month for my family, we have secondary infertility so I need to spend some time with the kids they have been dragged through this (limiting holidays, not planning anything as all was planned around IVF

Hey, I got it here

eu.youthandearth.com/products/nmn-powder?variant=40344222531674

You can change the site to Britain that's the eu one!

They have a discount code right now too ☺️ {mention:Trying4eva1}@Daniki

I ordered last night, I think the discount code is THANKYOU30 which gives you 30% off but it might be worth checking as it might have expired 🙏

I had my fifth dose of bemfola last night I am on the 225 dose.

I have got quite bad bloating today I've never experienced this with other rounds. Is this normal?

@Natasha90 I have quite bad bloating on mine, it felt like I had ballooned, I could tell as I couldn't get my jeans shorts on at all 🤣

@camelinastorm I'm just back from a scan and I have 22 embryos that might explain it 🩷

@Natasha90 wow that's a great number !!! Are they all of a good size, my clinic is very picky they literally only count the ones of a good size, I have no idea how many folicles I had towards the end, I was very bloated and got 12 eggs I think, feels like ages ago 🤣

Wow! Thats amazing congratulations 🙃

Today is ET day! Got a couple that have made it to blastocyst 🙃

One is graded as 2CC
Second is graded as 5CD

Just about to head into ET but they aren't sure which to select so will know more when I get in there 🙏

@Lil89 good luck with your transfer..... wishing you so much luck,

@camelinastorm this was my first scan since starting medication. 3 are up there and then the rest lower.

I start fermdyl tomorrow morning along with my 225 bemfola.
I'm back for a scan on Friday. Xx

Good luck with your transfer @Lil89 .
I spoke with the nurses today and they said sometimes it can literally depend on your cycle, so they might not change medication, but I'll have to wait and see 🫤

Thanks all, had my ET today! They reviewed my embryos before transfer and one had improved from 5BD to 5AC so we were happy to go with that one! 🙃

The other one stayed at 2CC so will need to wait until tomorrow for an update to see if it's developing so we can freeze 🤞