IVF/ICSI February 2025 🌟 ❤️

[ivfjourneyandme]

Hi ladies,

Starting early with this thread in hope some are on a similar time frame!

36yo, been trying to conceive for 2yrs. Severe MFI as well as AFC of 3 and AMH of 1.9pmol/l

First IVF cycle with ICSI ended with a total failed fertilisation - 4 eggs collected, all mature but no fertilisation.

We have now switched to long cycle and added in DHEA, COQ10, melatonin, vitamin D, omega 3 alongside our fertility vitamins.

I should start my period end of Jan; and then start down-regulating February with transfer hopefully late February if I’ve worked it out right!

Anyone else on this mental torture of a ride?

@Toryory21 So sorry to hear this. Wishing you all the luck in round 2.

@BeSharpPinkDreamer That's great! Do you expect to receive an update tomorrow, or will your clinic make you wait until Monday?

I had my second scan today, at least now they don’t think I had a cyst, it’s just a follicle that was bigger than the others. But there is a big size difference so not sure how many they would get on egg collection, if they go in time with the lead follicles then the others would be too small. I’m not sure if my acupuncture helped but I have 16 follicles this time and my highest before was 13, not much good though if most have immature eggs!

@RainbowFluff that's good news! When do you expect to learn next step / be asked to trigger? Hopefully all the small follicles will grow and be collected 🤞 although that may mean you'll have to give up the massive leading one and let it overmature?

@BeSharpPinkDreamer thats good, don’t forget quality over quantity! Good luck for them 🤞🏻
I agree about the drugs, I had the same ones three times now, 2 times for a spinal surgery and 1 time for a wisdom tooth removal and I think they’re great 😅 best sleep ever lol
@RainbowFluff hopefully your small ones can catch up, and you may just lose the big one? What did they advise?

one more day of progesterone for me thank god!! can’t wait to start stims lol

@Happibara they'll call me tomorrow afternoon to let know how they're doing 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻

@RainbowFluff how big are the smaller follicles and how long do you have left? Hopefully they will catch up 🙏🏻

@captainsmal I felt much better on stims you'll be fine 😄

@BeSharpPinkDreamer that’s what I’ve heard from a lot of people now so 🤞🏻🤞🏻😅

They advise going for EC on Wednesday which has been my normal pattern so far, always Sun-Sun stims and then Monday night trigger. There’s a huge range of different follicle sizes so hopefully some of the smaller ones might catch up by then 🤞

Just got the call from the clinic. Of my little 4 eggs 3 of them have fertilised! Keeping everything crossed that they grow!

@BeSharpPinkDreamer yay! Hopefully they grow nicely 🤞🏻😁

Fingers crossed for everyone waiting for updates from the clinic or their tww.

I'm finding that the waiting really does take its toll emotionally. Even though most have us have already been waiting a long time!

I had my first egg collection 19/2. Collected 11 eggs. Can also agree that the sedation was great!

They said my partners sample on the day was all good so opted for IVF over ICSI. 3 eggs fertilised and I heard from the clinic this morning that all 3 have made it to day 3 and are developing well 🤞🏽

The clinic plan to update me on Monday which would be day 5 and again on the Tuesday if needs be.

After my egg collection the doctor spoke to me about the risks of OHSS as I have high amh and had a lot of follicles. I was given a choice (pending any embryos) to go for fresh or fet. I chose to give my body a rest and to aim for a freeze all - thankfully have been feeling ok so far.

I've tried to keep busy and pre-occupied but struggling with the waiting side. Have not been sleeping well also. Does anyone have any tips or things they have done which have helped them cope?

@Raegs fingers crossed for your three too 🤞🏻🤞🏻
I agree that the emotional side of everything is so so hard. It's definitely been the worst part for me. I've found myself unable to concentrate on anything else so I've taken some time off work now and if we make it to transfer I'll take two more weeks off. Other than that I'm just trying to be mindful, walking, reading, eating nice things etc and talking about how I'm feeling with those that I trust the most. It really is an emotional rollercoaster.

@BeSharpPinkDreamer hope they keep growing beautifully ✨
@Raegs and for you too!✨
Sorry useless with suggestions as im terrible for overthinking!but @BeSharpPinkDreamer made some good suggestions im in the tww & i think i'll try taking a walk as the weathers not too bad here (North Manchester)

4dp5dt & i have 0 symptoms iknow its early but thought id have felt something!
The only thing ive had from day of trans was cramping (menstrual like) that stopped this morn
Not counting myself out just yet but i am feeling slightly disheartened
Every step of this rollercoaster journey is tough
How are you ladies doing in the TWW?
Good luck to those that are in the earlier stages of stims/EC or due for ET xx

@Nads2210 i have had a little cramping too since transfer (2dp5dt). Very mild but noticeable. And my ovaries are still twinging if I move or twist too sharply. I’m also very tired! I imagine it’s just the progesterone though. I flip flop from certain it will work to certain our blastocyst will have stopped growing already every half an hour.

for me the waiting is worst when I’m not busy so I’ve tried to fill this weekend with activities with my son. I’m actually looking forward to Monday because my job is really full on and makes time pass so quickly

Heey i dont think i've felt any twinging but i dont think i've noticed because the cramps have been just under intense, Like i said today zilch cramps or anything tbh i gave in & tested ofcourse it was a BFN but i totally expected that at this point
Oh good you have work to look forward to & keep busy!
Hope you & your son have a fun filled weekend x
Im just about to take my DD out for a walk & fresh air (needed!)
Will hold off testing for a couple of days now x
Hope you get a BFP at the end of this wait x

Best of luck with you 3 little embryos @BeSharpPinkDreamer and @Raegs I'm so glad you've had some fertilise that's great news! When is day 5 for you?

No advice of the 2ww, I'm also finding it really hard! I think it's unrealistic to expect symptoms before 4 weeks, but everyone's bodies are different I guess! I certainly felt nothing with DC until week 6. Having said that I felt really nauseous today 5dp5dt but my DC has a full on cold so maybe I'm coming down with that (hope not!) anyway hoping to buy some pregnancy tests tomorrow and then try to resist testing until Wendsday morning if I can!

So just as things on my rollercoaster journey we’re looking ok with one follicle dominating and hoping to be retrieved on Monday. I went to take my trigger shot tonight to find there was no powder. They were meds from previous cycle. How? Why? How? I have been beside myself. One follicle and this happens. Sorry ladies, I just literally have no where to turn and am so panicking right now. I feel so bad scared stupid worried hopeless defeated urgh!

The endless battle to test or not to test!Whenever you do decide to test i hope you get a BFP x
Aww hope your lil one has a speedy recovery & you dont get ill with it x

Thank you @Nads2210

@Poppycock84 do you have an out of hour phone number for your clinic?

I am so so sorry this is so horrible & as so much on this journey out of your control x
I hope you can get some positive advice & guidance from your clinic tomorrow x
I can only imagine the stress this must be causing x
Sending virtual hugs x

Thank you Nads, spoke to the lead medical director on personal phone and he was mad that I called him out to dinner and said he’d look in the morning which is now. As you can imagine I’ve been beside myself, replaying all the times I asked doctors to check my meds and they just looked at the box and said we don’t need to that’s fine. But they have been great and it’s not about blame, I just feel like maybe I don’t even deserve a baby if I could be so stupid. All I can do is wait for him to call me at some point today. Egg collection booked for 8am tomorrow morning and so far I’ve had no trigger and even if I get one today and they do my ec another day, won’t it be too late? my one and only follicle measured 18mm yesterday. Ah thankyou for the kind words it means the world to me right now. I’m glad no one else is going thru this, and wishing only the best for everyone. Xxx

@Poppycock84 omg that's sooo annoying! I hate when you're made to feel like you're being over the top just for double checking things! This is not your fault!! My biggest follicle was 19mm 2 days before my EC so hopefully it will be fine. Keeping everything crossed for you. I hope someone rings you asap.

Oh @Poppycock84 you did nothing wrong to call, surely that's the sort of thing the out of hours phone number is there for! Sorry you were made to feel bad. Hopefully someone will call soon from the clinic with reassurance and a plan. 💜

@Poppycock84 ok so the director needs to show some empathy because being arsy about being disturbed when you feel like everythings ruined just isnt it!
You can be grateful for the good things but honestly they should have double checked everything this is not on you at all!So blaming them isn't wrong. This needs to be sorted by them asap!
It doesn't mean you're not worthy of being a mama it means you're simply human & it's another hurdle that you will get past x
Im not sure on the effects on follicle without trigger & I dont know if they still proceed with EC, Hopefully once you have spoken to the director you'll have clarity on next steps x
Dont beat yourself up, It's awful but it's happend...my advice will be to focus on what you need to do next & make sure to get the clinic to put it right x
Hoping you get the call soon x

@BeSharpPinkDreamer oh really that’s given me some light thank you for sharing about your follicle size.

@Cherryblossom90 and @Nads2210 exactly I wouldn’t have called the out of hours line unless it was an emergency. I can’t think of anything more urgent than this - it is a total nightmare. I’ve been scrambling around trying to find a way to get some trigger drug somewhere legit, can’t believe this would happen on a SUNDAY! Why! But you’re absolutely right, all I can do is try find a way to stay sane today and wait for doctor to ring with a plan and next steps. Just feel like I need to be a good girl and not ask too much now because I don’t want to lose them off more, they keep reminding me that they went way over and above spending hours trying to sort emergency cover incase unneeded emergency egg collection on a Sunday. Anyway, having you here to understand is a dream thank you! No one else gets it right now xxx

@Poppycock84 this is sounds so frustrating and upsetting! I have no advice but thought I would also anecdotally add that my biggest follicle was measuring 19mm 3 days before EC with two more at 17mm. The rest were all quite small so they told me to wait an extra day to trigger. I also had 12 visible follicles in all scans (some of which were tiny) and somehow ended up with 16 eggs collected so it’s possible to have more than you think. So hopefully you can get your trigger sorted asap and all is not lost! 🤞