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 🙂

Amazing news @bubu24 ! Really happy for you ☺️

Thank you @Cosyseason1234 I appreciate that. This whole thing is so overwhelming that I really didn't think using the allowed fertility leave would be an issue. It was just my managers response that made me question it - although she did still approve it lol.
Super news to have an extra frozen!! Well done 👏 🎉

Thanks for your well wishes ladies you're the best. Congrats on your transfer @Anonneom , we're nearly transfer buddies so can count down together! @hopefullsosbry I'm going to try and just wait til the HCG test but that will be easier said than done!

Thanks everyone!
@tpeas whens your test date? Mines the 12th if I can hold off til then!

@Anonneom mine will be two weeks today so 16th 😊 I've been wondering if I've been feeling very slightly nauseous this afternoon though it's probably just a placebo effect 😂

@tpeas funny you should say that, Iv just been lounging on my bed putting off washing my hair and got a sharp twinge in my lower abdomen. Trying not to think too much into it though. Are you taking any meds at the minute? I’m on cyclogest and conscious that many of the symptoms of progesterone and pregnancy can be similar! Hoping it’s the latter though!!!!

@Anonneom yes I'm on cyclogest too. My boobs are a bit sore (but I normally get that with PMS anyway), my stomach has been a bit uncomfortable, my extremities have been colder and I've had some disturbed sleep/weird dreams. That sounds like such a list haha. How have you been finding it? It's good in a way though as it means I can't read anything much into any more symptoms I get!

I had my 2nd scan this morning and looking good so they think booster tonight with EC on Thursday, they will call me later to confirm after checking the bloods but have gave me the booster home with me , it’s a different booster shot this time than my last two cycles, I had ovitrelle last times but this time I have Buserelin ? So I wonder if it will make any difference 🤷🏼‍♀️ also the clinic advised my partner 2 days from last ejaculation before the EC , where the last two clinics said 3-5 days .. so that’s different I guess also, can I ask what everyone else got told for this ??
Anyways hope all these wee changes make the difference this time 🤞🏽3rd time lucky (or 7th if we include transfers 🙄)

my scan results this time were -
Right
2x 17mm
1x 13mm
2x under 10

Left
1x 18mm
1x17mm
1x 16mm
2x under 10mm

looks good on paper but quality of eggs and sperm are what counts and that’s where we failed before I do believe. I just hope this quality are ok ! 🤞🏽

We just got the call and the Dr seeminly wants to wait one more day, so we are to scan to scan again tomorrow then trigger tomorrow night , not sure if things will be over cooked now ? I would rather they triggered my tonight to be honest, but I guess they know best ?

@hopefullsosbry the doctors also added 2 extra days to my stims. Regarding the trigger - I was told to use Ovitrelle, even though later I read buserelin is apparently better for the patients with OHHS risk, which I was, so not sure why. I don't like that they added 2 extra days, I did develop ohhs later on, which was not the best experience at all.

My partner was told to abstain for 2-3 days, but not more than that.

--

Regarding my situation - emailed the clinic yesterday (about the next steps), but no response so far.

@hopefullsosbry my biggest follicle was 19mm and they didn't want me to trigger until 2 days later. Really worried about the bigger ones being overmature, and now teffiried of ovulating before egg collection. But she wanted to focus more on the smaller ones being able to catch up. So maybe it's the same reason for you? At least they are scanning you again to double check

@Magix86 oh yes, the reason they added some extra days for me was also the same - it was about the size, not the quantity. Still ended up with 23 eggs collected. They didn't scan me again to double check, sadly, probably ohhs could have been avoided.

@Elena3 it's such a minefield isn't it! I'm just putting blind faith into my clinic and trusting they know what they are doing and that it will all work out OK.
Every step of this process has caused so much anxiety but has been such a huge relief so far at every point. Just praying for this one final hurdle for egg collection tomorrow and I can probably relax a little.

Sorry to hear about the ohss that you feel could possibly have been prevented though. 23 eggs is a super amount.

@Magix86 best wishes for your egg collection tomorrow, hope it goes all well! Is this your first egg collection? Mine went really smoothly and painless, hopefully will be the same for you :)

My only advice would be to perhaps eat often, but really small portions afterwards. Not everyone is the same of course, let's hope you wont need any advices like this, I was just totally not prepared for this ohhs thing.

@Elena3 yes my first one! I'm feeling generally OK about the procedure itself but will probably feel quite anxious on the way and when we get there. Just mainly worried about the outcome and hoping they find some eggs, hoping I haven't ovulated already lol. But I know there's nothing I can do now so will try to have a restful evening.
Thanks so much for the advice for meals afterwards, that's so helpful 😊

@hopefullsosbry I can’t remember exact numbers but my biggest was over 20mm at trigger. I was really worried as well! They literally do this all day everryday,they wouldn’t be telling u to hold off unless they were sure ❤️ hope you are ok though!

@Magix86 got everything crossed for good numbers at EC tomorrow! I was so nervous beforehand but my experience was great,last thing I remember was being given sedation and then I woke up in recovery with my boyfriend there! I kept up pain relief that day but was fine the next. Good luck!

Yes I just feel now would be more ideal , I know they are the experts but I feel it’s a waste I have 5 that’s are good size now, I always thought quality was better than quantity 😫 don’t know why I feel so anxious about waiting an extra day - maybe it the hormones but I was feeling happy and all on track up until being told this and now I just feel shit to be honest, from what I have been told from past clinics and research online anything over 22mm is post mature .. surly anything over 16mm today will be 22 and over in 3 days (Friday ) growing at 2mm a day ?! And I have 5 at 16mm or more ?? 🥴

@Magix86 wishing you all the best for tomorrow ! 🧡

@hopefullsosbry I know it's hard, but I wouldn't worry. On trigger day I had 3 embryos at 20-21 and about 7 over 16, some of them 18-19 and was fine. They collected way more eggs than I could have ever expected and clearly the big ones weren't over mature. I hope you'll be pleasantly surprised come EC day. Keeping my fingers crossed for you 🤞

@Magix86 best of luck for you egg collection tomorrow 🤎

@bubu24 thanks you so much for your reassurance, and everyone else for the support and sharing you were mostly advised to wait the extra two days. I have woke and can’t get back to sleep as worried, 🥴 I did think about not taking more injections tomorrow morning before the next scan but my partner said to just keep with the program basically, its just it’s our last shot and I feel I responded so much better this time than my last cycle where I didn’t response so well and took longer, I would have been overjoyed to get this far so quickly last time. I just feel this time they are maybes pushing things to far just to get ‘more eggs’ ? I guess the stuff I read back last year about the right lead/dominant follicle having the best success rates had always stuck in my head and I feel this right lead follicle will be the one that is over cooked by Friday morning .. but may have been saved if it was Thursday morning EC? Anyways I am blabbing on and should try sleep! IVF is such a head f@£k huh!???

Oh @hopefullsosbry sorry to hear you were so worried that you couldn't sleep. I hope you took the injection as instructed. They would have measured your estrogen levels as well which would have led to the decision to continue stimming. It's not necessarily that they're chasing the smaller follicles, but also want to make sure the lead ones have a good quality egg. I have read studies that even follicles >28 have mature oocytes similar to 19-22mm follicles. Don't look only at the first thing that comes up on Google that says >22 and the egg is immature.
Look after yourself and try to reduce stress as much a possible, especially as you're nearing trigger and your body needs the energy to get those eggs through the complex maturation process.

Hi, thank you for your support .. yes I took the injections after all, it was just a thought that popped into my head .. but yeh you are right, I have to trust in the DR decisions. Yes I have been looking on Google scholar at peer reviewed papers in the past re the egg follicles etc .. haha yes i really went down the rabbit hole last cycle with it all. My bloods were 7770 ? What ever that means she told me on the phone yesterday, she said the bloods looks good and on track .. I just remember the number as it was all the 777’s 😂

Was just going by what the two previous clinics told us that they want 18-21mm ideally, but ivf has so many contradictory study’s and procedures, I am happy to go with a new one and put trust in them I guess, hopefully doing it differently work as it didn’t the last times I guess 🧡

Thank you for the well wishes. Just out of egg collection.
We got 16 eggs! They havent said how many mature. Just waiting for tomorrow's call to say how many fertilised 🤞🏻🙏🤞🏻🙏

@Magix86 yaay! That's really good news. How are you feeling, how did it all go??

@Elena3 thank you 😊 I'm feeling good. Emotional. Relieved that they got some as I've been completely catastrophising up until this point!
We're using ICSI with donor sperm so it's now the unknown of how that sperm will be and what will fertilise. But I've done all I can now so feel like I can relax a bit.