IVF Scotland - thread 6

[IVFlife]

That last thread filled up quickly without us noticing. So here is a new one for Scotland.

hey @Cesas keep is updated when the next retrieval comes around! That gives you lots of time to give your eggs all the best. My clinic told me to take myoinsitol as it helps with egg maturation. Doc was quite dismissive of ubiquinol (saying it wouldn’t hurt) but was pro myoinsitol… just in case you’re interested! :)

Hey all, I'm usually a silent observer, but been here what seems like forever. So glad some of you are having success. @Nosejug do you mind me asking which Create (the website tells me there isn't one in Scotland and the nearest is Leeds)? With the HFEA website still not providing recent Clinic success rates, I feel like I'm in a never ending cycle of trying to figure out where next to add to my shortlist to research.

@BeeStrong yeah I find that odd about the non reporting of success rate, though I know anecdotally of women on here that have had success. I wonder if it’s becuase women who tend to go to them are older with low amh, so comparing their results with ordinary clinics would make them look bad? But that’s being generous. certainly I had more eggs retrieved in one round than my two GRI rounds put together, and the protocol was carefully tweaked along the way to maximise results, I was wary, but I really appreciate that now.

and yeah, we dithered between Leeds and London, but a self employed job came up in London for dp that spanned the months of treatment (scuppered a bit by the ectopic though) so we chose Create St Paul's. They pride themselves in ‘leading the way’ for low amh. Their labs are meant to be a very good standard (so like for freezing etc), and I’m just travelling between Scotland and London between cycles —3 back to back if I can handle it. There’s a whole thread dedicated to people considering them that’s now on part 3 so you can ask anything from v experienced folk. (I realise this means I’m a bit irrelevant in this Scotland thread now but hopefully that’s ok!)

@Nosejug thats great 5 eggs! I'd be hoping for the same if (when) we end up doing another round!
@KayEmmSquared I hope the TWW is going OK for you, fingers and toes crossed for you 🤞🏻
My cycle started on Thursday and clinic called me on Friday to finally get the ball rolling! My anxiety is now pinned on my one embryo surviving the thaw! Looks like it will be August for FET. As you've all said the waiting is most definitely the worst. That will be a 5 month wait just to complete my first cycle 🤦🏼‍♀️

@TrulyMadlyDeeply123 sadly our embryos all stopped growing so no blastocysts. One was an early blast. I had two v good lookers at day three and two less good. Me was even top quality. I’m getting nervous that the sperm isn’t doing well when it starts getting involved (I’ve read that’s at day three) but I guess I’ll never know. August isn’t too far now! I can believe the anxiety around defrosting, they do say methods are v advanced these days.

@Nosejug I’m so sorry to hear your embryos stopped growing at day 3, hopefully your clinic will have some advice around that for your next two rounds, keeping everything crossed for you!

@TrulyMadlyDeeply123 thank you, the TWW feels like a 2 year wait at this point. Only 6 more days to go! I had a stomach bug for 3 days and was in agony so really hoping I haven’t messed up this round with all the pressure on my uterus from the bug!
That’s some wait time for your cycle, nothing is quick with this process, is it 😫 good luck, they say frozen embryos have a really high success rate.

Oh no @KayEmmSquared im sorry to hear you’ve been sick! What a nightmare time to catch a bug :( my own brain would be hinting at me that it’s somehow related to good news… certainly you’d deserve good luck in return anyway! Will be hoping for you!

@Nosejug I’m sorry you didn’t get any embryos to day 5. Do they have a plan for next cycle? I took myoinisotol and ubiquinol during my second egg collection which was much more successful (2 embryos transferred, 2 children).

@IVFlife How you keeping? Baby movements are the most amazing experience ever

Still in limbo land here - my wee boy is just coming up to 9 months now and I’m returning to work soon. Nearly all our baby stuff is going back in the attic “just in case” 🤦‍♀️. My wife has got onboard with transferring our last little embryo when I’m ready. Definitely not ready to try yet, but also I’m so broody as I know a lot of people with kids the same age as my toddler having second babies at the moment. Hoping maybe some time next year to give our last embryo its shot 🤞🤞 Not sure what the odds are though 😟

@2mumlife also on ubiquinol and myoinsitol actually! However (I’m still reverberating with the stupidity of it) I had read online that the tub came with a scoop that measured out exactly one dose of the powder, but only the other day read on the packet it’s 0.5 of a dose, so for months I’ve basically been taking nothing. And the ectopic meant not taking supplements for a 1.5 months so as not to encourage the embryo to grow. So it’s a shaky supplement history annoyingly. Oh and (lol) I’ve been pretty much full vegetarian for 15 years and thought lentils and beans etc were good enough protein, but a blood test showed I’m deficient in protein!! I can’t believe it. So having a moratorium on vegetarianism while I try pack in protein and essential amino acids to my body. If my hard working right ovary has healed I’m going again this cycle (though it’s twingey).

oh 9 months is cuuuute how fun! I had a dream last night I was hanging out at a nursery funnily enough. I love the company of the very young! Would you guys ever do another round? Must feel somewhat good having a strong potential already there!

@Nosejug I'm so sorry about your embryos. It just isn't an easy path at all. Set to test us all on multiple occasions! That is so frustrating about the supplement powder as well and the protein. I really do admire your motivation and determination regardless 💪🏻
@KayEmmSquared I hope you have recovered well from your sickness bug, thats a shame. It would have forced you to rest though so fingers crossed all is well and Sunday comes around quickly.
@2mumlife I am sure your odds are as good as anyone else's for your wee embryo when you are ready 😊
There are so many people at my work announcing pregnancies at the moment, it never gets any easier but we carry on.

OTD yesterday and I got a BFP. Absolutely buzzing and absolutely terrified! The fear of getting to OTD has now been replaced with the fear of making it to my viability scan 😫 but another hurdle jumped so going to keep positive and hope for the best 🤞🏻

@KayEmmSquared congratulations thats amazing! So so pleased for you 😊 enjoy every minute of being in the BFP bubble 😊

@KayEmmSquared ahhhhh!! Sorry I’m reading this so late! Och congratulations pal that’s amazing news! I know very much what you mean about the fear swapping, but (like @TrulyMadlyDeeply123 said) just enjoy being pregnant one day at a time. I remember being so worried about what was next, but I also just thrilled at the thought of my little growing thing, and I still treasure those memories. Is this your first time achieving pregnancy? It’s an incredible feeling crossing over that line, and says a great deal about your body’s capability.

our 2nd (back to back) cycle got cancelled. I did have response (one large follicle on each ovary) but not as strong as last time. I felt like a child being sent home with “could do better” on my report… which in a way is encouraging hah. But I’m ready for this stage to be over.

Thanks ladies, still terrified but trying to stay relaxed and positive. This is my first ever pregnancy so I have no previous experience to compare it to 😫 first scan is at 7+5 in 2 weeks time so seems so far away!

@Nosejug sorry to hear you’re second cycle got cancelled, will they give you another “2nd” cycle or does that count towards your 3? Hopefully your next cycle is more responsive and you get send home with “good job” sticker!

Hehe I’ll make my own good job stickers if they don’t give me any! It’ll still be cycle 2 when I get going again, and in fact they said they’d not charge the usual fees for cycle cancellation and the scans I had till that date (they kinda overdosed me in my sedation despite me explaining I had a sensitivity to opioids so I was v sick after and I’m assuming they were being nice bc of that). If my next cycle is the same I’ll just go ahead and accept my lot.

oh wow, you must be feeling so much about it! But seriously, finding out that your body can actually be pregnant is so thrilling after waiting so long. And you’re almost 6 weeks already! I hope it’s a smooth ride to that scan pal :)

How is everyone getting on? I took my booster last night for FET on Monday. Very nervous at the thought, especially the comfortably full bladder bit, I dont feel comfortable and full bladder belong in a sentence together!

I haven’t updated on here for a while but have some tentatively good news.
went back for sibling round October last year and we had a miscarriage then have had 3 failed transfers.
2 weeks ago we transferred our one remaining grade c embryo and got a positive on Monday. We had bloods taken Monday and Wednesday which are over the range they want and doubling. I can’t quite believe it and will still be on edge until we get that scan. Have been here before unfortunately but after 3 failed transfers with negative tests I can’t believe we have a chance.

Good luck for Monday!

Oh how exciting! Congratulations. Fingers crossed for you

Oh @TrulyMadlyDeeply123 hope it went well!

and @LT103 thats brilliant you have a chance again! Congratulations:) wishing you the very best for the coming weeks. It’s really nice to hear (for me) that a grade c has made it :)

and @IVFlife i was thinking about you this week, your own wee babe is nearly ready surely? Or maybe im miscalculating.

we just had another cycle cancelled. Sigh. From the first scan I knew something was off, my ovaries were already showing enlarged follicles and I was only cd 3 without stims. The dr said we should continue for sure, but then when I saw the specialist (on egg collection day) he said he thought it wasn’t giving me the best chance and offered better advice. Annoyingly he said if he’d seen the scan on the first day he’d have cancelled. It’s annoying that the first dr didn’t listen to me. I think my ovaries need a wee break! Gone straight from ectopic->ivf->ivf(cancelled)->ivf(cancelled). I had pms before I ovulated last month which is deeply unusual for my body. Ohhhh well.

Aw @Nosejug I’m so sorry to hear your cycle was cancelled again. Are you going to take a little break before trying again?

@LT103 congrats in the positive ☺️

@KayEmmSquared i mean psychologically I’m fine to continue (grin and bear it anyway) but yeah, I do worry my hormones need some space. Tick tock though 🫣 if the ovary looks quiet next turn then I’ll go ahead, again.

how are you getting on :) ?

@Nosejug I totally understand that, between just wanting to get going and try again as well as being so aware of the ticking clock, but then knowing maybe a month or two rest would help but then you wonder if it would help and is the risk of waiting better than the risk of going for it straight away! Sorry, that’s a really unhelpful paragraph 🙈

I’m doing well, 9+5 today and had a wee scan that showed baby was growing as expected and the heartbeat was strong 🤞🏻

Ahhh @KayEmmSquared thats lovely!! How amazing to see the wee heart beat. Here’s to a smooth ride to a wonderful 12 week scan :)

@LT103 massive congrats on the positive, wonderful news, I have my fingers crossed that all progresses well for you ☺️

@Nosejug I'm sorry your cycle was cancelled, its constant frustration with this process. You'll know what feels right for you whether carry on or take a break. I get the whole ticking clock as well.

@KayEmmSquared thats lovely news to hear of your recent scan, wishing you a continued smooth journey ☺️

@IVFlife thanks for good luck wishes, you must be nearing? 30ish weeks?

My FET went as well as it could have today, so officially PUPO 🤞🏻 Ive had no symptoms from progesterone yet so hoping it stays that way. Going to hold out and not test early (logic is I can't if I dont buy one early) as I want to be in this wee maybe bubble for as long as I can.