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?

@Cherryblossom90 unfortunately I already have my cyclogest here lol. I’ll just have to try and manage it with these! I’m getting way ahead of myself anyway, it won’t be for another two weeks 😅 I’ll ask the nurse what they say about the 12hrs thing or if I need to sit down if I do it rectally lol

@captainsmal I think it's good to plan ahead as much as we can in this journey & hold hope x thank you x

@Quaver9 Just reitterating whatbyou already know & others have said, It's too early so dont worry & as hard as it is dont overthink, We send ourselves west lol hope the tww ends with a lovely outcome x

@LuckyFlash thank you x I'm hoping in a few days i'm pleasantly surprised!
Oh the symptoms are so confusing & you can't help but magnify everything we feel!Hoping you get your BFP at the end x

@Allnew2021 ahh amazing!hope Monday brings you more good news & then that's another hurdle done x

@Cherryblossom90 thank you x oh id never even heard of ultrgestran!i've only ever been given & told about cyclogest. x

@captainsmal prior to ET my consultant said it was ok to use cyclogest rectally. After my ET a different consultant recommended to insert vaginally as there isn’t enough research on rectal absorption 🤷‍♀️ She also said to ensure that I stick to my timings give or take 10-15 mins. She made a point of reiterating this so I made note! I do them at 8am-8pm so I can still get a lie in on the weekend BUT means I have to do it at work which is ok. I think Aslong as you’re not doing cartwheels you’ll be ok with just carrying on with your day. I have to keep taking them until my viability scan on 14th March. I hope that helps lovely x

Hi all,

well done ladies for wherever you are in your cycle, you are doing amazing, keep it up! ❤️🙏🏽
So update from me is they cancelled my ivf cycle because I didn’t trigger on time BUT decided to do a rescue IUI. Which I did on Tuesday morning at around 10.30am.. I was devastated and thinking it was just a complete write off as success rates are so low, and low sperm count 2.27 mil after washing and only one follicle and after failed ivf last Feb. BUT I’m in my tww and started my cyclogest (maybe don’t have to be exactly 12 hours apart) so we shall see. Just keep wondering if there’s any chance of fertilisation inside me….
anyway just wanted to also say that the tremendous support and positivity on here is such a life line. It’s your kind words that actually helped get me thru some of the wildest low points of my cycle. Will I go again? Who knows? Can I afford it mentally and financially - I don’t know. What a bloody ride. Sending love and BFP’s to everyone asap x

@Poppycock84 It’s not the outcome you wanted but at least not a total waste, I will keep my fingers crossed that it works out for you.

I had the call today that all 8 eggs fertilised, now just got to wait for the updates on day 3 and 5.

Thank you so much. Wow what an amazing outcome for you!!! Everything crossed for you to get some lovely healthy embryos x

Thank you everyone, my clinic doesn't do a day 3 update so it will be Monday when I next hear anything. I'm trying to be positive that we will get a couple of embryos.

@Poppycock84 I know it isn't the ideal situation but will keep my fingers crossed for you that the iui works out for you 🤞

@ivfjourneyandme buserelin hit me pretty hard too but I started to feel more like myself after a few days of stims. Hopefully they will help you feel better too!

@Poppycock84 sorry you’ve had such a hard time with everything that happened but hopefully the rescue IUI worked and at least it wasn’t a total failed cycle 🤞🏻🤞🏻

Sorry it's been such a tough journey for you, As i've said before I can only imagine the stress with the trigger not being right must have been. I'm glad that there was a way for you to atleast have a chance it's better then nothing at all being done, Praying you get a BFP, When is your OTD?
Hold onto hope it's the only thing we can do xx

Morning everyone! How is everyone doing? Anyone have any updates today?
I have my first injection this evening 😬 I’m feeling as prepared as I can tbh, I don’t know how I’ll feel about doing it myself until it comes to it!

I also have had a weird side effect/complication from the norethisterone I think? So basically… and sorry this is a bit TMI lol, but I’m obviously on AF at the moment and it seems like my period is literally giving me an allergic reaction? I’m sooooo sore all around that area and it feels like it’s burning a bit especially when I wipe after going to the loo! So I googled it last night and apparently you can react to the high levels of progesterone and then get like a cycle rash! 🙄 apparently some people have this every month but I’m sure for me this must be from my levels being so high with the norethisterone last week!
tbh I have suspected maybe I have low natural levels of progesterone and this might be why I have long cycles? And maybe why I reacted so badly to the tablets the last couple of weeks as my body wasn’t used to so much progesterone! So now I’m even more convinced that was the case now I’ve got this reaction going on 🙄
just hope it won’t continue with the cyclogest otherwise that’ll be an uncomfortable 2ww lol! (And then longer if I get a bfp)

Anyway, it’s definitely been a learning experience of all the weird things our bodies do during this process lol! Let’s hope it’ll be worth it 🤞🏻

Good morning x
No updates with the lines from me YET (staying hopeful)
Oooh how exciting you're starting injections tonight!Good luck with them & I did find it easier doing them myself
I have no experience with the side effect you're having doesn't sound pleasant at all but then nothing on this journey does!
I would mention it to the clinic & get their take on it & see if there's anything they can prescribe to ease the soreness
Does it burn when you pass urine at all?(sorry to ask) just to rule out UTi x

@Nads2210 definitely stay hopeful and positive 🤞🏻
nope it’s definitely not a uti or anything, it’s literally just only around the vagina entrance basically. Just like sore/red and uncomfortable! I’ll definitely mention it to the clinic especially if this cycle doesn’t work out and I need another one, might ask for a different med not norethisterone lol!
I’ve basically smothered myself in sudocrem and it’s helped a bit 😂

Manifesting progression 🥰
Hopefully this round will work but yes look into other options x
Sudocrem is like magic!vaseline is quite good too x
Do they do bloods at your clinic to check progesterone levels?(or is that just in America 😂) they dont do it at my clinic but after reading how in the USA they do bloods for everything & every step i think they should offer it here too so can adjust accordingly throughout, Scans from my experience are not the most telling (depending on who's scanning i suppose)
Grateful for what we do have regardless x

@Nads2210 no blood tests at my clinic. I do wonder if low progesterone has been my problem all along though seeing as we were diagnosed “unexplained” and they couldn’t really say why it’s been almost 10 years with no bfp! So maybe I’ve always been low and I’ve never been able to implant/get it to stick? I’ve had suspected chemicals in the past but nothing ever confirmed and never had a bfp, just times where I’ve had a really late period then lots of spotting etc so the dr said could have been one!
sudocrem is definitely magic lol I have a lot of allergies/skin reactions anyway and I use it for everything 😅

@captainsmal sorry to hear you have extra pain on top of it all. Hope it clears up quickly, I think it’s great that you are being so in tune with your own health and symptoms so you can raise it with the clinic or even a pharmacist/go and see what they say. I suspect there may have been a slight progesterone issue with me too…Also not sure if it would work for you but I prefer bepanthan (also used for to soothe new tattoos) for skin soreness, I find it works better for me over sudocrem and hydromol too. (but may need prescription for that one?) well done starting injections!! Everything crossed it will be all worth it for you

hi @Nads2210 and everyone, 🥰 I’m just wondering how to stay pupo and positive when I keep convincing myself I’m out. Like trying to do and eat all the right things even tho you feel defeated already. Just really need to shake off what’s been and what will come and working on staying present. End of the day the outcome will be confirmed one way or another in a few days. Just sitting tight. And I mean sitting lol I haven’t moved in 3 days (controversial I know) but last failed ivf I had some regret about being too over active so I’ve swung the other way 😂🤦🏽‍♀️ but cheering myself up with dark choc chips in my kefir and nut breakfast. So funny how I try and make my theories rational haha xxx

@Poppycock84 thanks, I’ve never tried bepanthen even though I have a lot of tattoos 😅 I think the sudocrem is clearing it up and also I think I’m at the tail end of AF now as well which is helping.

It must be so difficult as you say trying to do/eat all the right things when you feel that way, do you have anything nice and relaxing you can do the next few days while you wait? Like a tv show to binge or a book or something to take your mind off it?

Ah glad your at tail end of AF think that definitely feels bit better.

yes surrounded by entertainment books, jigsaw, tv, YouTube, meditations, mags, healthy snacks - but seem to have the attention span of a sieve! Just nature of the beast! Exciting to think there will be babies come out of this thread tho! 😃💫

@Poppycock84 sounds like a good set up! That’s like me on my weekends off tbh 😂 I’m a couch potato. I’m happy cos there’s just been a big update/event thing going on one of my video games so that’ll keep me busy for the next month and I have a literal library room in my house so all the distractions 👌🏻 although yeah same my brain doesn’t turn off and I get distracted 😅

Ha nature of the beast! But so happy you have your computer update, I’m not a gamer but can imagine that’s exciting! I ended up bingeing interviews on YouTube, so far a random one on michael Jackson’s maid 😂😂😂🤣 fml and hubs thought he’d treat me to a bumper pack of - wait for it…..womens magazine 😂 royal edition! I like the royals but erm….and it was £6 could have saved that for next round - gotta laugh whilst ya can! 😐

@Poppycock84 thats hilarious 😂 If you didn’t like the royals before you’d have to by the time you’ve read through all of that!

@captainsmal certainly mention your concern to the clinic & maybe you can request a test if it doesn't come as a standard (which again i dont think many clinics do) It's been a long tough journey for you & i really pray you get the happy ending soon!💖

@Poppycock84 im the worse with occupying my brain its literally in overdrive all ivf/icsi related my passtime is testing & googling 😂 im a self claimed expert now haha
The mags made me lol you're absolutly right laughing at the lil things is the way!

Just my luck im due to change my patches tomoz & i'm one short!😩 so i've requested the clinic to order & it should be ready to collect their not too pricey thankfully but they've ordered 20 patches & i hope i can actually use them!the protocol is to continue with patches & cyclogest up to 12weeks if pregnant
We have a family holiday booked for beginning of May so not great for when i want to go swimming i literally have surgical tape on both patches lol (if pregnancy progresses well 🤞🏼)
I dont have any symptoms (by my calculations i should be around 4weeks)
Might get a digital for OTD
Lots of luck & wishes for all you ladies x

I've been lurking on here ladies. The last 2 weeks waiting on pgt-a results, I think that's been the most stressful part of my journey. I just got them just now. 3 out of 5 came back normal! And the other 2 are being retested as there wasn't enough dna in the biopsy. So we might have 5. I'm not super pleased with that as that's the clinics fault about the biopsy but I'm thrilled with 3 tested embryos! 😭🥳💯 (and maybe 2 more)

@spttc that’s amazing! Even if it stays as 3 and could be even more. Congratulations. That’s my next step once I get past the day 5 hurdle, I’m mentally preparing for none of them to be normal as they keep saying is possible due to my age.

So I just did my first injection! No problems at all, didn’t feel the needle (didn’t numb it or anything it’s just such a tiny needle lol) maybe some slight soreness afterwards where the medicine was dispersing, and teeny bit of bleeding (maybe I took the needle out too quickly?)
I was so calm before and during but then had a little bit of adrenaline rush after I finished and got a bit emotional 😅
I’ve got a tiny little injection site reaction like red and raised a bit but no other problems! Considering it’s the first time I’ve ever had to inject myself I’m pretty pleased with how it went 😁
Now let’s hope lots of nice eggs grow lol 😂

@Nads2210 thank you, I think I will only mention it if this round is unsuccessful as a possible thing to check next time but if my problem has been low progesterone then obviously cyclogest should help anyway 🤞🏻 my only other thought was they discovered during my first consult I’m severely vitamin D deficient which can affect implantation, so I’m now on a really high dose of that so hopefully if it was either of those things doing ivf should sort it! I think getting the unexplained diagnosis can be worse sometimes because then I’m constantly questioning why hasn’t it worked all this time lol 😂
typical about the patches but at least they’re sorting it! Manifesting that everything continues and progressing nice and healthy for you 🤞🏻🥰

@spttc wow that’s great! Even 3/5 would be a good amount but could be more so that’s even better! So what are your next steps now for a FET etc? How many periods do you have to wait in between, I’ve heard it varies between clinics?