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?

@Poppycock84 omg sorry this happened to you! I have no advice but I agree with others that the person who you spoke to on the phone sounds horrible! I really hope you get your call soon with a plan and tbh an apology why they didn’t check you had all the meds you needed etc! Definitely not your fault and don’t beat yourself up about it, sending hugs

@Poppycock84 I’m really sorry this sounds very stressful and the absolute last thing you needed was to be made to feel like you’d done something wrong by calling the number you are meant to call if there is an issue!!!
for some re-assurance I had a 16mm follicle 4 days before collection which didn’t end up oversized so your 18mm one should be fine (they are considered mature between 18mm and 22mm).
I had been given a further shot of meriofert to take a few days before collection and the syringe broke on me! It was also a Saturday night and I got absolutely nowhere ringing the ‘emergency numbers’ - everywhere closed for the weekend. I was beside myself thinking I’d messed up collection and ended up going to the hospital where the clinic is located at 8am Sunday morning. The emergency staff got hold of someone in clinic and they sorted me out with a replacement meriofert they were so lovely about it.
i imagine they’ll get you your trigger shot replacement asap and shift your collection to slightly later. Really hope you’re ok xx

There's some hopeful outcomes from others on here so yes focus on what you can do next & I really hope this turns around for you x
Ermm you dont need to hold back on questions nor surpress your feelings with the worry it might upset staff at the end of the day you should be the priority & anything they do it's literally their job to accomadate around you x
If you feel up to it do update on here genuinly feel for you x

@Poppycock84 I've taken some time away from the thread so only reading your updates now, I'm so sorry you are going through all this stress! I absolutely agree with @Nads2210 , you have every right to advocate for yourself and insist in your clinic's support. Frankly, they have not provided that in your past interactions, but I understand that you needed to focus on resolutions. I hope you'll be able to progress to EC, wish you all the luck! ❤️‍🩹

Hello Ladies, how are you all doing?

Did any of you in the TWW test yet?

And for these finishing the down reg, what are your plans for next steps? You must be getting closer to finish line, exciting!!!

Update from me is not positive, but here goes. As you may remember I've been testing my ET Ovitrelle shot out (faded to almost nothing by 4DPT in case anybody is curious), and monitoring my RHR.

Had 2 very hopeful days on Thursday and Friday (5DPT and 6DPT) when the lines got progressively darker and RHR shot up exactly like in my first pregnancy. So I know our embryo implanted. Sadly it's now obvious it's been biochemical. The lines faded again, RHR dropped.

I'm still confident that testing daily was the right choice, I feel soothed to know "the full story" of this embryo. And must admit these 2 hopeful days were absolutely great and I wouldn't give them up ❤️‍🩹
But of course, I'm really sad it didn't work.

I've needed some time to acknowledge what happened and let it sink in, but I think I'm ready to move on with next steps. And of course, is IVF, so there's no end to waiting. Now we will:

• wait for the OTD, confirm our sad news and get the clinic know, then arrange a consultation to go over failed ET and make a plan
• wait for PGT-A results for the 3 frozen embryos, which will determine if we can do a FET, or need another cycle
• wait for my next bleed, and then another one, to show Prostap is gone from my system, before we can commence with transfer or another round. That will take at least 10 weeks if my experience is similar to other patients'... today all this feels like forever.

So to summarise, I anticipate we won't be able to proceed in any real way until May. I'll keep you posted on the results due soon though, and I continue to follow your journeys! Baby dust to all of you!

@Happibara so sorry to hear that 😢 I get what you mean about the testing though as now you definitely know what happened with this embryo. Still so sad though, hopefully you can get some answers and how to stop it happening again on your next try 🤞🏻

@Happibara I'm so sorry to hear this. It's such a painful experience. Hopefully you will be able to move forward with a healthy pgta tested embryo in a couple of months like you said. 💜Wishing you so much strength to get through the next few months.

Im so sorry this cycle didn't work out for you, I'm glad you did what you felt was right for you regarding testing (i'm the same) it's given you time to process & recover mentally, Emotionally & physically x
Doesn't take away the pain/heartbreak but you have a good idea of what your next steps will be so hopefully the clinic might add/take away something that can help on the next round x
Pray your embryos tests come back normal & the time in between waiting till May passes with ease for you x

Myself:
Tested Saturday (4dp5dt) AM was a BFN
same night i seen the slightest faint line
sunday AM seen the faint line again but slightly darker
Sunday PM back to fainter line similar to Saturday PM
So will test again AM again & just take it from there
After years just even seeing that second line albeit its been faint was beautiful
Im not convinced this embryo has stuck but i'm still not counting myself out if over the next couple of days i dont see progress i will know
Wishing you all the best & the rest of the ladies 💖

@Nads2210 I really hope you get a nice test this morning. Sorry to hear you've seen the line get fainter over yesterday.
To be fair they do say urine hcg is less concentrated in the afternoon so that could be why your test yesterday afternoon was fainter than the morning one?

I know what you mean about it being magical to just see a positive pregnancy test when you never thought you would see one. I would feel the same, it's so special even if it's only for a day 💜

I have admit I caved and did a test last night which was negative but I'm ever the optimist so I'm telling myself it's becuase I tested in the PM and a dilute sample. I'm going to resist further tests until my otd on Wendsday and hope for a better result, possibly that sounds unrealistic but it's all so upsetting so I guess I'm just trying to avoid that. I was 6dp5dt when I tested yesterday.

Sending so much virtual hugs to everyone on this thread going through this heartbreak.

@Happibara so sorry to wake up to this sad news. Stay strong lovely

I’m day 11 of down regulation, been lucky that no side effects. Period is a no show currently which I need to show before my scan on Wednesday 🤞🏻

Hey thank you & unfortunatly not got any darker with FMU, I'm really clutching here but telling myself im still 5dp5dt so there's still time?(my transfer was done 1PM 18th) like i said im clutching but also starting to mentally prepare myself x
Im sorry you didn't get a BFP but there's still time!We continue to hold hope till the very end we have to x
Good luck for OTD x

@Happibara sorry sorry to hear this ☹️ it’s absolutely gutting. Fingers crossed for your next round and I hope time passes quickly for you

@Nads2210 tentative congrats! How exciting. I hope the lines darken for you

@Cherryblossom90 i agree 6dpt in the evening is still possibly too soon. There’s still hope in a couple of days I think!

I’ve no idea when I’m going to cave. I’m usually very good and not testing early but I’m antsy to do it now even at 4dpt. I am meeting up with my best friends on Saturday, one of whom is a few weeks pregnant. Can’t decide whether to do Friday (8dpt) in the hope I can tell them but running the risk of the day being a sob fest or wait until Sunday (10dpt) so I can just wallow if it’s neg.

I presume that even though they tell you to wait 12-14 days to test that things are pretty conclusive by about day 8 right?

@Nads2210 sorry our posts crossed. I definitely think there’s still time at 5dpt! Implantation can take up to date 5 I think so hcg may just be low causing the different tests. Everything crossed for you. Such a stressful time

Good morning ladies. There’s quite a few of you in the TWW so good luck for the rest of the week. I had a faint positive at 7dp5dt if that helps. When I say faint, I had to turn the brightness down on my phone and hold it at an angle 😂 By the next day, so 8dp5pt, it was very clear and progressed from there.

Something I came across on another thread was this, quite interesting www.countdowntopregnancy.com/pregnancy-test/pregnancy-tests-urine-sample.php

Hello, and thank you for your lovely supportive messages!

@captainsmal thank you! I don't think there will be any extensive review: it really is a numbers game and at my age and with non-PGT tested embryo sadly this was the more likely outcome. But now I'm so worried for the ones being tested, there are only 3 so we may learn none of them is euploid 😱

@Nads2210 I don't think you're clutching, you are still very much within window when lines can be faint. Fingers crossed they will get darker!

@Cherryblossom90 I'm sorry it wasn't a BFP, it's very hard to be in this limbo! Hope you'll have a peaceful wait and a BFP on Wednesday ❤️

@ivfjourneyandme gah, it's so frustrating waiting for the period! I had a surge of anxiety every time I went to the toilet for 3 days 😅 plenty of time until Wednesday though.

Today no line left. I'd SO like to get in touch with the clinic and let them know, but I'm certain they'd make me wait until OTD (Friday) and re-test, so no point.

I guess I'll just try to regain some balance this week. I couldn't engage with anything when waiting to know the outcome; I feel like last week was some fever dream 🙈 so it's past time to reconnect and be more mindful.

@ivfjourneyandme I’m the same now, mine needs to come before Thursday so I can start stims. Stopped the tablets Saturday night and all of yesterday I had horrible cramps and was convinced it was coming, even wore period pants to bed thinking it would start in the night and nope 👎🏻 I just want it to come so I can stick to my original schedule for scans etc as they fit really well with work, I know it’s not the end of the world if it doesn’t and I have to start stims a few days later than expected 😮‍💨 Last month when I wanted it to come on time I ended up doing some of the old wives tales to bring on a period like drink/eat ginger and it did actually come a day early so maybe they worked or maybe it was a coincidence but I might try that again this week lol 🤷🏼‍♀️

@Nads2210 I hope your line will get darker for you, you still have time 🤞🏻🤞🏻 agree with you it must be nice seeing the second line even faint. I’ve never had a second line in my whole life so I think I’d be the same!

@Cherryblossom90 @LuckyFlash I really hope you guys get your lines when you test 🤞🏻 I agree it may have been too soon or just the evening urine is too diluted for you @Cherryblossom90

@Happibara I’m glad you’re feeling a bit better about this week and it sounds like you have a good plan on next steps, sucks the clinic will make you wait til otd though 😢 hopefully your tested embryos will come back with good results for you 🤞🏻🤞🏻

Thank you ladies 💖
@LuckyFlash good luck if & when you decide to test!I have read 8dpt will give you a good idea but then i've also read some didn't get their bfp till 10dpt!it's a tough one but if you have got something planned with friends my advice will be to enjoy the day just in case(i really hope you get a BFP)
You know yourself the best x

@InGodsHands thank you I just had a look at the chart! I'm what they probz call a "serial tester" 😂 so i will test again later on, But the guidance on the chart is helpful x

@Happibara Staying hopeful for now, oh i can imagine wanting to tell the clinic itd be like finalising it, Reconnecting sounds perf & when do you get results back from testing embryos?🤞🏼for you x

@captainsmal i always think how ironic we spend years praying for no period & it always comes bang on time & yet when we really need her to show up she takes her sweet time!it's completely norm to want the dates set esp when they work well for you to be met & even a few days seems so long!Hope you come on very soon & the next part with stims is smooth sailing x

@Nads2210 100% agree it’s so ironic last months period and now this month I’m desperate for it to come whereas ttc you obviously don’t want it to come each month! Makes me laugh 😂

@Happibara sorry that your transfer didn’t work out this time, I’m glad you’ve got a plan for moving forward. Still sending wishes to all in the TWW.

I had hopefully my final scan today, EC will be Wednesday or Thursday. I have 4 follicles over the line already, the biggest are 22.5 so they don’t want to lose those ones, but not sure how many of the smaller ones will be ready in time (16 follicles in total). So it’s looking a lot like my first cycle where I had 4/13 mature, disappointing as I want more chances from my decent egg numbers but can’t be helped. The cycle has been quite rough this time, I had a migraine all weekend and have been feeling sick almost constantly since Friday. Trying to persuade myself that I’ll have a long break after this cycle but at 41 it seems like an unwise thing to do.

@BeSharpPinkDreamer thanks for the advice. Think I needed to be reminded of those things.

@Poppycock84 I hope you managed to speak to the clinic and can go ahead with egg collection - that really is stressful.

@Happibara sorry to hear your update, am gutted for you. I hope that the testing on your 3 frozen embryos goes well and the next steps after that.

@Cherryblossom90 fingers crossed for you. The intense emotions in this process can really be painful. I really hope things work out for you.

Sorry to hear your transfer wasn’t successful @Happibara .

@Nads2210 and @Cherryblossom90 you are still on the early side so don’t count yourselves out yet.

Good luck everyone.

Ive got a consultation on Wednesday following my failed ET this month for round 2.. obviously I am incredibly impatient 😬

I had an update from the clinic today and our 3 embryos have made it to day 5 and been frozen. Feeling really grateful for this!

Like I'm sure a lot of others here, I had read so much about attrition rates and when only 3 of my 11 eggs collected fertilised I was convinced that the next steps would be starting the process from the beginning again.

As everyone's experiences and processes are so different I find it makes it that much more difficult to cope as there is no hard and fast rule.

When less than 30% of my eggs fertilised I was researching to see if anyone else had experienced this level of attrition and still had embryos make it to day 5.

I know I've still got far to go but I think this was my reminder to not jump too far ahead and try and keep optimistic.

@Raegs congrats on your 3 embryos that's great! Good luck with EC @RainbowFluff and good luck with your appointment this week @Toryory21 hopefully you get the green light for round two as soon as possible! 💜

Thank all for your kind messages, waiting impatiently for Wendsday!

@Raegs Wow 100% got to blastocyst and got frozen?!? That's amazing 🤩 Wishing you successful transfer soon, do you know when you're likely to get green light for FET?

@RainbowFluff thank you, and good luck with your EC, Hopefully there's good chance at least some of the smaller ones will be ready then! Is your trigger the same as last time?

@Toryory21 I hope your appointment will allow you to plan your FET soon 🤞

@Raegs Wow this is amazing, well done you!
I got 19 eggs, 1 was transferred and 4 made it to the freezer so just goes to show its quality not quantity! Fingers crossed for your transfer 🩵