IVF/ICSI October

[Rorograce]

I’ve looked for an October thread but can’t see one - please direct me if there is though!

Day one of my cycle last Friday (it’s now Tuesday so I’m day 5) - I’m very new to the process, this will be our first time and due to low sperm count after trying for 2 years and not even one pregnancy to show for it.
I haven’t heard back from my clinic yet after letting them know Friday I assumed because of the back log from the weekend! But I’ll chase tomorrow. I think I’m to start tablets from day 19 which will take us into October
anyone else on a similar timeline/journey? I’d love to connect and hear others journeys :)

@Hep1989 hey sorry been meaning to reply!

That's good you've got some friends around you to support though ☺️ and great your boss is being so supportive too!!

Took my last progesterone tablet last night so now just waiting for period to start which should be Thursday, to then have scan on Friday. All very delicate timings wise so if it doesn't start by then by baseline scan might be delayed , which also means my injections won't start that evening! So fingers crossed. I'm due on 'normally' any day now so hopefully it comes.

All being well tho I'm excited to start this week!! I'm so worried about getting ill. How are you feeling?!

Hello, just jumping on here if that’s okay! Just started our first round of ivf with period yesterday. Start injections this Friday the 18th and it’s beginning to feel so real and a little scary. We have unexplained infertility however my husbands morphology has come back low at 2% every time. They said this shouldn’t stop a pregnancy but so far no luck! Fingers crossed for us all! X

@Elxt hey of course ☺️ looks like we're the same schedule! I start my injections Friday evening all being well for my baseline scan that morning 🤞currently waiting for my period to start though which should/needs to come by tomorrow evening!

How are you feeling about it all? I'm nervous about the injections!

Please may I join in? If I'm understanding rightly this is October into November, and I'd be the November side. I just started norethisterone yesterday (on my 40th birthday, which ... didn't feel wonderful!). In theory it'd be injections starting in early November then, if they work, egg collection mid-November.

I'm feeling a bit wobbly TBH - I'm doing this sort of on my own and I'm gay, so I feel a bit as if I don't fit in any of the boxes. I have a history of miscarriage (years ago now) and tried IUI a couple of times with my ex-partner, but didn't fall pregnant. I'm feeling quite aware that the odds are not great at my age.

Yes me too! I had a baseline scan last week and all was good so just getting started with meds Friday and a monitoring scan booked in for Sunday 27th. Feels weird not getting seen up until then for another scan? Will you have more booked in? Then all being well egg retrieval is week commencing 28th. I just feel like so much can go wrong along the way, not sure about you but I’ve got to the point where I just assume it will never happen! Better than being overly optimistic maybe 😂I’m a veterinary nurse so I’m used to giving injections daily just not to myself so hopefully be okay with that part! x

Hi @Elxt @SarahAndQuack welcome ☺️

@SarahAndQuack happy birthday! I hope you did something nice along side starting the treatment. Do you have a good support network? I think it’s only natural to have wobbles, but you’ve got this🌻. Did the doctors have any idea why the iui didn’t work?

@Rorograce ahhh! Fingers crossed your period comes tomorrow!! I’ve been worried mine might be early this month and throw everything out of whack. I’ve never been more aware of twinges in my stomach 🤣 still paranoid about getting sick. I’ve resurrected my Covid mask and decided to skip my book club meeting yesterday. I think this is nervous energy re-directed. It feels like my husband is living in an alternate universe though, he is freelance- work has been slow this year. He’s just started a 6 week job. He told me it’s fine for him to take the afternoon of our first appointment off. But he got confused, and initially booked the 4.11 rather than 21.10 despite clear instructions in the calendar and me texting him the dates. I think he is just distracted with other stuff, but it’s literally all I can think about!

He’s also said he will stop drinking when/if I get pregnant (he has a glass of wine every night and maybe 3 beers and a whisky the odd weekend evening when he sees his friends). I’ve tried to explain that he should maybe stop drinking now to improve our chances of getting pregnant but it’s like it doesn’t compute. Whereas I’ve stoped drinking (apart from maybe a small glass of wine on a Friday night), limited caffeine, lost 5kg take a pharmacy’s worth of supplements 😅. I think he doesn’t understand that chances are the ivf won’t work first time and anything we can do to improve our chances (even fractionally) is worth it. He is very caring a desperate to be a dad… maybe my patience is running lower normal atm?!

@Elxt any pro tips on doing the injections?! I’m with you about not getting too optimistic… feels like it won’t be such a disappointment when it doesn’t work. And if it does it’s a lovely surprise!

I hope everyone’s appointments go well on Friday!!

Hi @Hep1989. Thank you! No, they don't know why IUI didn't work, but it's well within the norm - the chances are only about 1 in 10 per attempt, and I did it when DD was a non-sleeping baby, so probably wasn't quite in the best state.

That sounds stressful about your DH. I do think sometimes men are really not very aware that their health matters too, are they?

@SarahAndQuack I think he just thinks it’s going to work and all he has to do is turn up? I don’t know. Maybe he is worrying about self-employment being hard atm. Also, I think because it’s not his body going through it there’s a bit of distance? He generally is quite emotionally intelligent, but when I ask how he’s feeling about it he just says he hopes it works 🩸 🪨🤣 although what else is there to say I guess?! Maybe I’m being overly sensitive. I’ve got a feeling I’m not going to be much fun over the next couple of months.

How did you conceive your first DD if you don’t mind me asking?

Hello, mind if I jump on? I’m 37, DOR and AMH <1.0….feel like time is running out for me.

I’m in another Oct IVF thread but I am far behind (I’m still stimming day 13, and they are in TTW or had EC), so it would be great to join this one too!

My follicles are growing very slowly. I’m on Pergoveris, started on 225IU, but now reduced to 150IU.

follicles today: 20mm, 18mm and 13mm (then 2 x 11mm). Really need the latter 3 to grow!
I’ve been scanned every day this week… Really struggling with juggling it with work!

@Hep1989 completely agree with you that your hubby needs to be on board to give it the best chance! My friends husband stopped drinking and cycling for the second cycle and they went from 1 blastocyst on their first cycle to 7 blastocysts on their second cycle! Is hubby taking Impryl, as that really helps sperm! You can get it on Amazon.

@Elxt are you doing ICSI? Anyone else started stimming?

Hi @Obrm 👋 is this your first cycle? Is your consultant worried? I think you are a bit ahead of us, but that is great to get some insight from someone a couple of weeks further along ☺️ how are the injections making you feel? I’m a bit worried about juggling work too- I WFH and my boss is very understanding, but the clinic is 1hr 35 away so takes a big chunk out of my day. Is your work sympathetic/ helpful about taking time out for the scans?

My husbands sperm is the top end of average, he is taking supplements, so I’m not overly worried. But this all seems to be a numbers game and I’ll take any marginal gains atm 🤣 maybe he will be like your friend and “get it” on the second cycle.

Have you got a date for your EC? Xx

Hi @Hep1989 👋🏻 this is actually my 10th cycle. Crazy I know, but it is to be my final one as we are well and truly financially ruined.
I never really seemed to do well, only get 1 poor quality blastocyst per cycle, hence why I have had to do so many. Is this is your first? Have you started injections yet?

The injections don’t really impact me too much, it’s more stressful juggling the appointments with work! If your follicles grow at an average rate, then you shouldn’t really need many scans…5 maximum I’d say, and usually there is quite a big gap between the first one and the second one…about 4 days or so (well that’s my experience anyway, other clinics might be different), so hopefully you should be ok with work. That’s great that your boss knows, I think that really helps!

I’m completely the same as you, my clinic is 2 hours away, popping out for a scan and the blood test takes half a day! I haven’t told work… I’ve been trying to organize my diary so I don’t have any meetings in the mornings, as that is when they always do scans and bloods. I’m really worried as I have a meeting on Monday morning, which is going to be so hard to get out off, and I think my egg collection may very well be that day!! I have no date yet, but they did say it could be anytime from Saturday to Tuesday, depending on blood results.

My consultant isn’t really giving much away, just a ‘let’s wait and see approach’…..which is always hard!

That’s great your husband has good swimmers! Are you doing IVF or ICSI?

XX

@Hep1989 - I don't mind you asking! DD was IUI, when ex-P was 13, and it worked first time, very simple. I was a couple of years younger and I tried a couple of times when DD was little, but ex-P was pretty un-keen on another baby TBH. So here we are.

Don't worry about being sensitive! I think it's good there's a thread here where we can be a bit sensitive - but I don't think you are being, anyway. It's natural to feel a bit like 'can't you make an effort to join in with me'!

Hi @Obrm. Good luck with those follicles! I'm way behind you; only just started norithisterone and not due for stims until into November. I am mildly irritated with the clinic at the moment - when we saw them they said it'd be better to do a November cycle than December so we should get going, and then set out dates for us. And only after that they sent out a general email saying any treatment (eg. FET transfers) not begun by November 25th would begin in January. I expect it would have been obvious to someone with more experience that starting now would mean waiting around over Christmas, but I didn't know and had got the impression they meant they continued treatment into December, so we had a chance of doing the transfer that month.

I know it is the tinest thing to matter, but I was sort of keen on the idea of knowing, one way or the other, before Christmas!

(Oh, and sorry, I wasn't clear but with DD we had an anonymous sperm donor; as it happens I still have some of that sperm left - now there's a phrase you'd never think you'd get to use in real life - but I am actually TTC with a friend of mine now.)

Goodness me, I really garbled my post up there! I meant to put *DD was IUI, when ex-P was 33 with an AMH of 13'. Blimey. I've no idea what my AMH is now, as the clinic I'm with don't seem to test. It was 52 back then, ugh.

Good luck to everyone with appointments and starting injections today! 🤞@Rorograce did your period come on time?

@Obrm that’s a lot of cycles. How long have you been doing ivf for? I didn’t understand how percentages worked, ChatGPT told me in order to have a 90% chance of it working I’d need 14 cycles- was sobering! Fingers crossed you manage to get out of your meeting on Monday with minimal fuss from management.

This is my first cycle- I’m very lucky to be in Scotland so get 3 cycles for free. We’ve got unexplained infertility which is bloody annoying as there is clearly something wrong 😑 we are having IVF and I’m on the standard protocol, I had an Amh of 8.5 when last tested.

I guess you only need one good egg and one good embryo. Keeping my fingers crossed that the 10th time is the charm ✨

@SarahAndQuack 🤣 sperm in the freezer, sounds like they are nestled between the peas and an oven pizza! Will you co-parent with your friend or will it be donation only? Sorry to hear about being messed around with the dates! I always find Xmas really hard, (the double whammy of feeling like it’s for kids and families and also thinking maybe this time next year… then another year rolling around with it still not happening). But at least you can indulge in a decent cheese board?!

hey everyone, and welcome @SarahAndQuack @Obrm !!

@Hep1989 thanks, my period came yesterday morning and i had my baseline scan this morning, all was perfect! Lining at 3mm (needs to be under 4mm) and folicles all look good. I'm to start my Ovaleap tonight!! starting off at 150 dose. How are you feeling?? My partner has been ok so far, he's doing all my injections. I can't help but feel resentful that I have to go through all of this and he doesn't have to do anything, i'm trying to remain positive though.

@Elxt I had my first baseline scan this morning, and then my next scan is in 5 days, so wednesday. I'll then have another friday. it does seem strange how different our schedules are!

@Obrm Not sure whether we will do icsi or standard ivf. They said they will assess on the day. I’m really worried nothing will fertilise so hope they do icsi if there’s any concern. Not sure with it being nhs how quick they are to do it!

@Hep1989 I would say double check the needle is firmly attached to the syringe before injecting! I’ve heard icing the area first is great too to numb it. Going to try just normally tonight on my first injection and go from there!

@Rorograce yes so strange, I wish I had another before. I’m worried they won’t know anything is wtong before it’s too late with a day 10 scan! Sounds like otherwise we are on similar drugs. I’m taking 150 of Meriofert from tonight which sounds similar to the one you are taking when I googled it!

@Elxt ah it does!! Does yours have a pen or is a proper needle? I haven't taken mine yet. I'm quite nervous! 10 days does seem a long time before a scan, especially as things can change so quickly! You could maybe ring and ask if you're concerned?? Maybe keep an eye on how you're feeling x

Well had my first injection last night. My partner did it, wasn't too bad. Felt a bit noticable for about an hour afterwards. But woke up in the night with a bad headache which I still have now 😩 apparently a side effect. Hoping it doesn't mean it's going to happen every day for the next 2 weeks!!

How is everyone doing? Xx

Mine is just a needle and I have to draw it up myself. I got it all ready last night then my husband wanted to do the injection. It was fine, didn’t really feel the injection but I could also feel it for about an hour after! No side effects though so far! Xx

Sounds like the injections are going well!
Just had my egg collection (earlier than I would have liked) the follicles hadn’t reached the mature size, so they managed to get 3 mature eggs and 2 other eggs that they will try and mature overnight in the lab. Feeling a bit low with only 3. They have done ICSI in those 3, so will see tomorrow how many fertilised 🤞🏼

@SarahAndQuack that is very annoying about the dates and the cut offs. You might be done by end of Nov though, if you start stims early Nov and have a fresh transfer?

@Elxt try not to worry about nothing fertilising, I think the clinic would have to be extremely incompetent for that to happen! If there are issues with sperm sample on the day I’m certain they will do ICSI, but if there are no known sperm issues then I doubt any would appear on the actual day? Although I’m no expert!

@Hep1989 so lucky you get 3 free cycles! Is this number one of three?

xx

fingers crossed for you! How many days of stims did you end up doing? Did the collection itself go okay? I’m a little nervous incase it’s painful and I’ve never had any sedation etc before! How come you had Isci? Oh sorry, my husband’s sperm morphology has constantly been 2% on every test so that’s why potentially we might have icsi but he has a high sperm count so they said more likely won’t need it? X

Thanks @Elxt! I did 14 days of stims in the end, but consultant did say in some cases they can go up to 17 days of stims. My bloods were showing it was time for trigger, so I couldn’t stim for longer 😞

EC is fine, totally painless and you have paracetamol every 4 hours following it, so there isn’t any pain. I haven’t even bothered to take the paracetamol, there’s only a bit of bloating. You’ll be grand.

I only have ICSI because I get a low number of eggs, there isn’t actually any male factor! Strange…but trusting the clinic on that.

xx

Fingers crossed overnight, @Obrm. It must be frustrating to have had to have the collection early. I read recently that good quality eggs can effectively 'mend' defective sperm contributions, so perhaps the opposite is true too? I know with ISCI you're selecting the absolute top quality, aren't you?

Thanks for the sympathy about timings, too! We were going to do PGTA testing, because I'm 40 and he's 55, which means a frozen cycle. They didn't really even suggest a fresh cycle - just explained that they freeze the embryos, then test and transfer if they are euploid/good enough quality. When she talked about November or December, I assumed a November egg collection meant December for FET if we got to that stage. I do get that she possibly just didn't want us assume we'd get to that stage - but I still find it annoying. She really could have said 'oh, btw, we finish for Christmas at the end of November'.

@Obrm fingers crossed for you!! I understand and I'd feel exactly the same but you only need one and this could be it! Xx