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 🤣

I'm so so sorry. I completely understand, and the last thing you need is comments like that. Sending love.

Ah I’m sorry @camelinastorm I know it’s a rubbish feeling. I think no one can really understand all this until they’ve been through it. It’s incredibly difficult and isolating. This is also my third round, third time lucky for us both hopefully!🤞🏻

Hi ladies,
How are you all getting on?
I’m scheduled for egg retrieval on Thursday. It’s been such a stressful cycle and looks like best case now I’ll only have 3/4 follicles max in the running. Still hopeful though.

Hello everyone! @camelinastorm good to see you here. Well not good, it would be better not to, but ykwim. 😀

We're having our second IVF in august. Between us we have one natural conception resulting in live birth, but other than that it's years of bfn's for us, unknown reasons. Last time we did a long protocol. I responded OKish for my AMH (7), but got only one embryo that failed. This time I'm on a short protocol with Ovaleap to start. Starting injections in about two weeks or whenever my period decides to show. Last cycle, the first after previous IVF, was significantly longer than my regular so I have no idea how long this one is going to be.

Good luck to everyone here!

@BakinABaby hellooo yes we decided a kitchen isn't a necessity 😂 and used our money for that for one more round crazy I know but feel we needed to I am due to start injections on Saturday feels scary it's come round again, nice to see they have changed your protocol up a bit

@Blossomofhope hopefully all goes well on Thursday, have they said why there isn't a few more follicles ? But remember it's quality over quantity as my clinic always says

So excited to finally join this thread as my partner is starting her injections in the next couple of days. We're a same-sex couple, and it's our first cycle.
It feels pretty surreal to finally be able to get the process started. It's already been a real rollercoaster of emotions - the excitement, anxiety, and anticipation.

Keeping my fingers crossed for all of you 💛

Hi all,
Can I join the chat? Would be great to not feel alone in this! I’ve got my egg collection on Friday and similar to @Blossomofhope I am looking at 3 to 4 follicles. Keeping everything crossed that they’re good ones. This is my first cycle and I have low ovarian reserve. It’s been a struggle as I have (or had! 😅) a fear of needles.

Wishing you all the best for your cycles x

Hi everyone, I hope it's ok to join. I've never used Mumsnet before but it's so nice to have a forum of people going through the same thing at the same time. I'm starting a first round of antagonist (which I think is the same as short?!) protocol ICSI in a couple of weeks.

My main stress at the moment is juggling all the clinic visits with work...have people been open with their employers? I feel it's another situation where we are disadvantaged, as most people don't need to announce when they are trying and therefore face inevitable questions about if it was successful.

Best of luck to you all, and keep going to those of you on your second/third/umpteenth round! You're amazing!

@Hat24 I chose not to tell work for all my rounds of ivf. But it’s difficult managing appointments and general stress when trying to continue working. I just try to book all the super early appointments before work. And this round I took a sick day for egg retrieval and a day off for transfer.
It probably would make life easier if they knew but I’d just rather they didn’t. Hopefully they’d somewhat helpful.

@LimeBird I hope it goes well for you. I collected 6 eggs in my last two rounds but this morning I had egg collection and we collected 4 - which I expected based on scans. I really hope we get one or two blasts.

Hi all, hope it's ok to join, I had egg collection on Monday and a (double!) 3-day transfer this morning, so am not sure which month I should be in!

This follows a previous egg collection in Jan which resulted in 4 embryos. I had one failed fresh transfer, two failed FETs and one failed thaw. Trying to both maintain optimism whilst being realistic is hard at the moment.

@Hat24 this was my second round of IVF and I told work this time, mostly because we have special leave for fertility that I wanted to access!

I didn't tell them the first time and I found it really stressful balancing work and appointments and being all vague. It's been so much easier this time. I only told my direct line manager so nobody else knows, to anybody else I just say I have 'medical appointments' and they don't pry (probably assume embarrassing bum stuff as I'm being all coy about it haha).

So depending on how supportive/tactful your manager and team are I do recommend telling. I would have thought they wouldn't ask for updates, as that goes beyond their role.

@Blossomofhope @Bruceytwo , thank you! It's definitely useful to hear different perspectives.

My work is such that I can and do homeoffice a couple of days a week anyway, no need to announce it. Chances are no one is going to even notice if I'm afk a few hours (and I can respond on slack on my phone as well) and if they did, it would not be a big deal and there would be no expectation to tell them why specifically I was afk. So I didn't tell last time and don't plan on telling this time. One, who is not in my chain of command, knows because she also did IVF and we got talking, but I doubt she has told anyone. In general, there is a massive baby boom in my company (almost everyone late 20s - 30s) and everyone's schedules are wack with sick kids and whatnot.

Good luck @Bruceytwo , crossing my fingers for you. Why did they decide to do a day three transfer instead of later?

@Hat24 looks like we're on a similar schedule :), I'm also doing short protocol this time, starting in about two weeks.

@Bakinababy They explained that they could easily identify the strongest embryo already so could transfer on day 3, rather than waiting for day 5 and letting natural selection decide. Then they transferred two as I asked for them to do that.

I have three other embryos which they will let carry on until day 5 and freeze then (if they make it).

I can't work out if this means that the embryos they transferred are really good or that the others look rubbish! I guess I'll find out their fate on sat.

Hi ladies I only had 2 follicles of decent size on my second icsi cycle.(5 in total but one was too small and the other 2 were empty)We had a day 3 double embyro transfer which resulted in our beautiful 14month old.I know the old saying of it only takes one can drive people demented but it gave me hope.xx

Thank you @Blossomofhope and best of luck to you with getting those blasts 🙏
Best of luck to you @Bruceytwo , hope this is the cycle that works for you!
Thanks so much for your post @Firefly42 , it’s so reassuring to hear that these things can still happen with low numbers 😘
I’m currently in the ‘not telling work’ camp, but I agree it’s hard and I sometimes wonder whether I should just tell my boss. I just keep saying I have medical appts and then have told them ‘a medical procedure’ for egg collection day. They must think I have a very mysterious illness at the mo 😂
What are you all planning to do on implantation day, or what have to done in the past if you’ve done a cycle before? I’m not sure whether to just nip out and carry on working after, or take a sick day 🤔

@LimeBird my last cycle, the implantation day was nothing, and I carried on as normal. It was the EC day, or more specifically the two days after, that were a bit rough.

Thanks for the well wishes everyone!
I got the call from the lab this morning and 3 were mature and all 3 fertilised. So now the wait til Monday begins! This has been the hardest cycle so far for me. It’s my third time and has been so unpredictable weirdly. I was so emotional arriving at the clinic for egg collection, the last two times I was fine. I guess it all just takes a toll.

I think I might have a glass of Prosecco this weekend, hopefully it’ll be my last opportunity for a year! Sending love to all you gals, it’s not easy. ❤️

That’s great news @Blossomofhope , I’ll keep everything crossed for you! It’s no joke is it, I can never tell when I’m going to get emotional although it’s usually when one of the nurses is too nice to me or if I can tell they are genuinely empathising with me!
Thanks for the advice @BakinABaby I’ll hopefully be able to work around it then if I get to that stage!
Welcome @nicky0 I hope you are getting on ok with the injections if you’ve started? Is your partner injecting themselves or are you injecting them? I thought I’d want my partner to do it, but when it came to it I couldn’t handle the anticipation and realised I’d rather do it myself 😂
sending lots of hugs to all xx

@Blossomofhope well done! Great that all 3 fertilised! I have everything crossed for you. Treat yourself to that prosecco!

@Blossomofhope great that all 3 fertilised, hope you will have the best outcome 🙏 I'm starting my injections tonight, have a scan next friday and the following Monday with egg collection hopefully the wed or Friday (14/16th).

Really hope I'm not being delusional and were successful first time round, I work in a school so the holidays have been great for ll the appointments etc. would rather not tell work about it all but suppose i will if I have to!

Injections start tomorrow super scared but excited, working in London this weekend so had to fetch it all with me ..... All sat ready to mix in the morning

@Blossomofhope super great news on the fertilisation rate that's epic 🦾

Thanks ladies. ❤️

@LimeBird I know I’m the same - as soon as a nurse is nice to me I break 😂

@Daniki Good luck with the jabs. They’re honestly ok, you’ll get used to it pretty quickly. Keep us posted!

@camelinastorm Best of luck, fingers crossed!! 🍀

Hi ladies, this is exciting everything's moving so quickly and there's some great news. Keeping everything crossed for you all. I. Just waiting to make the call, expecting to start my injections on Tuesday or Wednesday. Thinking of you all.