IVF / ICSI November

[bubu24]

Anyone starting stims in November?

I started stims last night. I'm on a long protocol. Started in October with norethisterone and then Buserelin. This is my second IVF cycle.

First cycle I didn't take the Buserelin, had 8 eggs collected, 3 blasts, none normal (1 high level mosaic in the freezer)

I'm on a 2 cycles package, so hoping this one is the lucky one 🙂

@hopefullsosbry thank you so much! Will update tomorrow.

@bubu24 thank you! Hope you are doing ok?

Hi ladies. Feeling groggy but alive. 20 eggs, very pleased

Hi @tpeas so pleased all went well for you! I remember nothing and woke up very chilled 😂 18 eggs for me so very pleased,20 is fantastic!

Congratulations @Cosyseason1234 ! I'm glad you had a relaxing experience. I was given drugs but was awake throughout and had some discomfort particularly towards the end. Rested for a while then was forced to have a bit of food but no appetite. Was going to leave then suddenly felt sick and my blood pressure went down so they kept me for a few more minutes. Just got home, thought I was fine then then moment we parked up I was 🤮🤮 was surprised as it came out of nowhere. Time to rest up now. Are you having a relaxing afternoon?

@tpeas sorry to hear you had some discomfort and have been sick 😔 How are you feeling now? Take care of yourself and let the clinic know if you still don’t feel right later this afternoon? I am still abit groggy but pain very manageable at the mo.

@Cosyseason1234 I've been dead to the world since then, collapsed on the sofa and couldn't believe the time when I woke up a few mins ago. Feeling a lot better now. Glad you've been feeling better. Do you reckon you'll take tomorrow off as well?

Wow .. well done to you both .. that’s an amazing amounts of eggs !! @tpeas that’s rubbish you were sick and not feeling so good .. hopefully a good rest and you’ll feel a bit better tomorrow. @Cosyseason1234 glad you are
recovering well .. it’s just a waiting game now for tomorrow to find out how many fertilised! Wishing you both all the best 🧡

So pleased you are feeling better! I have been very groggy and chill all day and won’t be moving anytime soon 😂 I’ve got a hot water bottle on my abdo I feel like it’s doing some good for the pain? I am lucky enough to be off until Tuesday now! When are you due back in?

Thank you so much @hopefullsosbry! Hope you are doing ok?

Thanks ladies. I'm finally feeling up to facing a lazy dinner. I'll probably take off tomorrow unless I wake up feeling super fab, then back to work Fri. Excited for the fertilisation call tomorrow. It's the bit I'm nervous about as we're using a frozen sample.

Thank you, I am actually feeling ok, slight cramps now and then but I am good .. thanks for asking .. keep us updated tomorrow with your results 🫶🏼

@tpeas we have had a takeaway and I’m taking myself to bed 😂 we have MFI so abit nervous about tomorrow too,from what I have read about ICSI it is very successful though so fingers crossed! IVF seems to be a lot of finger crossing 🤣

@Cosyseason1234 @tpeas Yay! Those are great numbers and I hope you get many good blasts. 🙂
@tpeas sorry to hear your experience was not great but glad you are starting to feel better.
Rest up and hope you'll both have great news tomorrow 🤗

@bubu24 thanks so much ☺️ do you know when your transfer will be? Mine will be 2025 now so we may be buddies (if I’m lucky enough to get some embryos 🤞)

All being well should be Monday for a 5day transfer. Hope all goes well with you @Cosyseason1234 in the new year, you can relax now (sort of!)

Flicking through and it's been ages @CakePigeon30 how are you and what's the latest?

@Cosyseason1234 I was hoping for a December transfer but not sure if it's going to be doable. My consultant said from the beginning that he wants to do a saline ultrasound and a dummy embryo transfer to make sure everything is okay before doing the actual FET. I haven't yet spoken to my consultant as I want to get the pgt-a results back first. The access fertility package only covers 1 follow up consultation each cycle 🙄

Hi everyone, hope everyone is doing well :)

I am new here, will share my IFV story so far :)
I am 36F, my husband is 37, diagnosed with unexplained infertility after trying for 3 years. Both fit and healthy with no health conditions whatsoever. All possible tests are done for both, my AMH was 16, then 22, then 16 again last month. Hycosy was fine, no blockages detected. Was referred to Guy's and St Thomas' for NHS funded IVF. Didn't have to wait long, not even 2 months since referral.

Initially it was planned to go for ICSI, short protocol for me and no downregulation. I am high risk for OHHS. Started my stims on 11th November (GonalF 225 and then Fyremadel added). Had a scan after 10 days, if I remember correctly there were 16 follicles, but they decided to stimulate me for I think 3 more days before trigger injection (Ovitrelle).

I didn't really have side effects from stims, everything was going really smoothly until maybe last 3 days (during fast walk I definitely felt the impact on my ovaries and had some moderate cramps the night before egg retrieval).

Egg retrieval procedure went smooth - I was sedated, felt great with no pain whatsoever (was given diclofenac as a pain killer to take at home before the surgery) and then also some paracetamol right before. I have to say that my overall experience with that hospital has been great so far: every single consultant, nurses and anaesthesiologist were amazing. If I had any questions I would get relatively fast reply via email, etc.

Anyway, 23 eggs retrieved, but then it was decided to change the plan from ICSI to IVF and do a frozen transfer in January rather than a fresh one now - which I am grateful for, because I have been very poorly after the surgery and I think it is a good idea to give my body some break.
I did ask why was there a need to stimulate me more, because 23 eggs is a lot and wouldn't it be better to stop at 16 follicles? Was told that the extra few days of stimulation was to increase the size of the follicles rather than the quantity.

First night after egg retrieval was manageable - took painkillers (some cramps again). I was given antibiotics to prevent the chance of infection and 8 tablets of Cabergoline to prevent OHHS.

Next morning (26th November) they phoned me from the hospital: 13 eggs fertilised, which sounds amazing. On Sunday I am expecting another phone call to find out how the embryos are doing.

Sadly I started to feel worse and worse. Yesterday I could hardly walk - looked very pregnant (bloated), ovaries felt very angry to say the least, I couldn't even walk with straight back - had to bend for some reason, felt groggy, spent whole day on the sofa. I felt as if all my intestines were squashed and couldn't breath deeply, (probably that's why I felt dizzy sometimes).

I was thinking of emailing the hospital to be seen for OHHS, but I didn't have nausea or some other symptoms, so decided to give it one more day, and luckily I am MUCH better today. Yesterday I was dreading that somehow it will get EVEN worse after reading that sometimes day 5 after retrieval is the worst one.

@bubu24 your consultant sounds really thorough,great to hear. Can you message the clinic and ask for the likelihood of a December transfer? They will have seen this situation before and have an idea of timescales?

@tpeas hope you have had some good news today! 12 eggs have fertilised for us,they called me when I was in Tesco and I had a little cry in the aisle so happy 🥹😂

@Elena3 welcome! Your story sounds very similar to mine,I was high risk for OHSS. I was given a non HCG trigger shot to lesson the chances of it happening. I am also having a freeze all cycle because of this. I had EC yesterday,it was much better than I thought and just had the call 12 eggs fertilised ☺️ I was sad about doing a freeze all cycle at first but feel glad of the break now I’ve had some time to process it. So sorry to hear about how unwell you have been since the retrieval,are the clinic aware? I would let them know if not and see what they advise? Good that you feel better today ☺️

Hi all. Just a quick update from me as I'm back to work today but quite disappointed that we only had 6 fertilise despite the bumper crop yesterday. Trying to stay busy to try and forget about it but it's tough.

@Cosyseason1234 Thank you! :) Very similar story indeed, when do you think your transfer will happen? How are you feeling today?🤗You know, even though the transfer is postponed (my husband got very sad initially, he is feeling very impatient), at least we will have good Christmas, hopefully knowing that the embryos are all prepared and waiting for us, and maybe enjoying some mulled wine.

No, I didn't let them know, I probably should have. I was thinking of doing it today if I feel worse, but since it is all very manageable and tolerable now I think I ll cope! I have quite a journey to get to the hospital from Chelmsford where I live, that was something that was putting me off in case I go there and hear something like 'take it easy and drink more fluids' because this would be probably classified as mild OHHS.

I was given buserilin and ovitrelle to take home prior the trigger injection, I wonder why they told me to use ovitrelle, since buserilin is milder apparently.

Hi @tpeas , best of luck for the rest of the process, 6 is still a good number though? 🤗

@tpeas so sorry to hear you are disappointed, all I can say is there’s soo many posts on here of people with success from lower numbers,the quality of those 6 could be really good. IVF doesn’t seem to make any sense at all. Look after yourself at work today! Do you get another update before Monday now?

@Elena3 absolutely! I am looking forward to a little break and it will be nice to have the control of when we choose do the transfer,all being well and we get some decent blasts,everything is so uncertain in this IVF game isn’t it.
i am feeling much better today thank you,still abit sore but fingers crossed getting back to normal!

Hi all. Feeling a bit calmer about it now! Really pleased to hear your good news @Cosyseason1234 that's a great number. The clinic said they probably won't contact us again til Mon so going to be a bit of a nervous waiting game. My fear is just what if they don't divide etc.

Nice to meet you @Elena3 . Sorry to hear about your OHSS symptoms but glad you're feeling better today.

Not sure if anyone on here is due for a fresh transfer next week? Would be good to have a buddy!

@tpeas so glad you feel abit calmer now ❤️ I have found so far if I give himself a few hours to mull over whatever this IVF journey throws at me then generally I feel better 😂 6 eggs is great and a fantastic chance for your transfer Monday. My clinic is same they won’t disturb them now until Monday and then will let me know. There is a due to start stims thread there may be someone on there with a transfer next week? Got everything crossed for you,keep me updated have enjoyed having you as a buddy ☺️

@tpeas did they say how many eggs were mature? They say average fertilisation for ICSI is 70-80% of mature eggs. For me it was 71% both cycles, despite using calcium ionophore which is meant to activate the eggs and increase fertilisation rate. But still my consultant said those results were very good so I guess they expecte lower fertilisation rate when there's severe MFI.
In any case, hope the 6 progress well.

Good luck @Cosyseason1234 , @Elena3 as well.

Hope you all get good news with the next update!