IVF/ICSI/FET December 2024

[camelinastorm]

Any peeps having IVF/ICSI/FET in Dec.
I am due to start meds 1st Dec this will be my frozen transfer from my 2nd cycle in August have stocked up on beetroot and pomegranate juice, looking for any tips 🙏🏼

@Confusedddddddd I've heard a lot about smaller follicles catching up a lot over the final couple of days so fingers crossed for you 🤞🏻
Is this your first round of IVF?

It's my first go and I understand it's kind of a trial to understand what doses and protocol suit you best, and you never know until you trust the clinic and see what happens. It's such an anxiety provoking time!!
I'll be sedated for my egg collection so not a general anaesthetic. I think I'm feeling fine about the procedure itself right now. My biggest fear currently is seeing how many eggs they are able to get and hoping we get any!

I'm also entitled to 5 days fertility leave per cycle so have booked from Wednesday to Monday off - more so I can relax a bit and be prepared for (hopefully) a fresh transfer on the Monday. My manager seems to have questioned this a little today and it's making me feel a bit worried that I shouldn't take so many days off. They've been great at letting me have time for scans etc so I don't want to take the piss but also want to take what I'm entitled to as this is such a stressful time, I can't even focus on work that well anyway!

@Magix86 sorry to hear they are questioning it, the last thing you need right now is extra stress from work. You're entitled to the days so don't feel guilty - your health and wellbeing is really important and it should take priority at this time. Work is work and it'll still be there.

Really hope it goes well for you.

Thank you @ClaudiaRaz 🥰 I needed to hear that!

Oh sorry @ivfjourneyandme I only just read that, I was catching up in the conversation as I've missed lots of messages and I saw it.
You are recording your journey, that's good, something to look back at!

I'm on day 6 of stems, I started the ovulation blocker yesterday (I take ganirelix). I suffer from headaches and I feel more tired than usual but other than that I'm OK. I am doing a lot better with the injections now! I can stab myself without thinking much about it 😄

My first scan is on Wednesday (day 8 of stims), really nervous about that...

It feels like I am a bit less monitored than all of you guys, you've all had scans already and you know roughly roughly what's happening, I've no idea yet.... it's making me nervous

@Magix86 yeh it's my 1st round. Yeh I know it's a bit of a trial. I have a lot of anxiety around medical procedures so I don't think I'll ever be able to fully trust a clinic/dr. My grandma died from medical negligence, my mum came close. And I strongly think the reason I'm having to do IVF is due to mistake a surgeon made (and some endo removal I didn't consent to - I never had endo) last year. And every scan I've had they keep mentioning endometriomas (a biopsy confirmed it's just blood not endo, yet it's now in my notes again!) So I really don't like the feeling of having no control over my body while under anastetic. I'm not having general either just heavy sedation, but from what I understand I won't have any awareness.

It's really good that you're able to get time off! But rubbish that they are questioning it. I haven't told my work 😬, I've told them I'm having a gynae procedure - it's no surprise as they know I had emergency surgery last year and that I've had some issues since. It might raise some questions if it works, but I'm not obliged to tell them and I'll be taking one day sick to recover and then the rest as holiday so it's all within the law. .

Can you ask for more?

I had my first scan today (day 5 of stims) and they wanted my next to be in 4 days but I’ve requested one in 2 days to ensure things are growing as they said I’ve had poor response so far

I too am absolutely petrified of the sedation part. My health anxiety has conjured up some
Very Far fetched outcomes for me ….

@Confusedddddddd I'm so so sorry to read this. And completely understand how that makes you anxious for anything going forwards. It's so frustrating when things are documented and they stick with you. I keep being told at my scans they can see a polyp but I've been for 2 hysteroscopies now and they said there aren't any. My first one of those was quite traumatic with the doctor shouting out "oh shit" halfway through and then never explaining anything to me about what had happened. That was about 3 years ago now and I still kick myself for not speaking up and asking what he did.
Now you mention it I've never actually had a procedure where I've been unaware of what's going on....
With regards to time off I think you just need to do what's right for you at the time

@OrientalPinkLily I think a lot of clinics all do things slightly differently. My scans were day 6 and 8 and then no more until egg collection! So I felt monitored early on but anxious there's been no further monitoring. I'm just trying to trust in them and the process and going with whatever is happening. Its difficult for sure, especially going through it all for the first time and everything seems so overwhelming. Hope your scan goes well on Wednesday.

Hope you don't mind if I join, even if I am a bit late. I'm on CD8/ day 4 of stims for my first (and only NHS) cycle with icsi.

Age 40, Amh 20.3, AFC was 11 on CD3, 12on CD 5 but they have put me on the max dose of meriofert as I don't think they are responding that well. Got my next scan in the morning.

Finding it a bit overwhelming and have been trying to avoid reading too much about it all but I've caved tonight.

@tpeas keeping everything crossed for your transfer. 🤞🤞

@PrincessofLiechtenstein It's really really hard not to go down a hole online. You want something or someone to compare against for comfort... but what I've found (from my google hole searching) is everyone's journey/experience is slightly different and never quite matches your own scenario.

Fingers crossed your scan goes well this morning! Let us know how it goes.

@PrincessofLiechtenstein welcome and sending you lots of luck for the next few days, hope you find the dose helps you respond! I remember the first cycle being so overwhelming so totally understand where you’re coming from. I also avoided reading too much, but came onto one of these forums in the end for some support! This time (my second) I’ve mainly gone it alone without posting on here until egg collection as I wasn’t sure I could handle too much info again 😂 but I do find the support sometimes on here is much needed when you don’t feel like friends and family quite ‘get it’. Wishing you all the best x

That's right, I've had 1 cycle of egg collection and 1 fresh transfer that didn't stick 😭

Me too! Natural for me and told that I need to ovulate before 17th Dec or I won't be able to transfer this month 😭 started my Day 1 yesterday 👏

Well done 👏 you are a star! ⭐

Good luck for today x

They said from the start that the first scan will be on day 8 of stims and that's what it is, tomorrow is my 8th day of injections. I'll see what the scan shows and I will ask for more scans, today I am feeling a bit funny as well, can't wait fir my scan tomorrow to see what is actually happening...

@PrincessofLiechtenstein hope your scan went well today!

Keep us posted. Fingers crossed for good news. It’s horrible not knowing what’s going on inside!

Thanks everyone, it's really great to have found other people going through the same thing.

The D9 scan went ok I think, I have 12 follicles above 6mm and another 6 hovering around 5. The Doctor said I seemed to be responding better to the higher dose and "if we can get 10 eggs that would be good" I have very little to compare it to though and am conscious that I'm old so the odds are against me!

It's really interesting how different everyone's scan schedules are. Waiting till day 8 of stims seems a long time @OrientalPinkLily I hope tomorrow goes really well.

Clearly each clinic has quite different protocols. I don't know if more knowledge is better though- just gives me more things to google!

That sounds really positive @PrincessofLiechtenstein !
I had a call from the clinic today, Day 6 since egg collection, they told me that miraculously one of the embryos has made it to blastocyst! 🎉 after yesterday looking like we might get none at all 😰 the other 2 have also grown and so they’re leaving them til tomorrow to see if they also make it to blastocyst (although aware Day 7 ones less likely to be euploid). So lucky to get one though, just shows that Day 5 update isn’t always the end of the story! Such a rollercoaster. Sending good vibes to all on each stage of this journey

@LimeBird that's great one has made it

@PrincessofLiechtenstein I know the feeling also old over here I had a higher stims for my second collection and it worked well I got 12

@LimeBird that is brilliant news! Really pleased for you. You aren't having a transfer this cycle are you? Are you having a break or going straight into your next collection cycle?

@LimeBird amazing!! Come on little one 🤞🏻

@camelinastorm thank you and that’s great that you got 12!
@PrincessofLiechtenstein no transfer yet for me sadly, I’ve booked a review appointment to review this cycle and it isn’t til January now! So I will probably start cycle 2 late Jan/early Feb.