IVF March 2025

[Banksl92]

Hiya. I’m due to start IVF in March and just wanted to find some people who were going through the same so we can support/ advise eachother! I’m 32 and have been trying to get pregnant for 8 years now and just wanted to meet some people in the same boat!

@RainbowFluff that sounds similar to us, they scan every 2 days from day 6 and luckily i can start work at 10 so i will hopefully be able to make those days work.

Thats interesting about more eggs meaning a bit more sore after, thats good to know 💜

@rainbow

For those who have had egg collections already how much time did you need off work? I only planned for one day off, but my work have been very understanding so am sure I could take a few days off if needed.

@Twofromanotherkind I’ve had 3. My most recent one was a Wednesday and I went back to work the following Monday but wasn’t able to do everything (my job is quite active). For a more sedentary job probably would have been fine although was a little uncomfortable driving. The earliest I’ve ever gone back was Friday after a Wednesday EC but I spent the whole drive there wondering if I’d be able to make it through the day (I did but it was tough going). So I’d say a couple of days if you can, be kind to yourself.

I would agree a couple of days minimum needed to rest after EC.

I didn’t tell work on my first round and found it quite stressful as felt like I was sneaking around trying to get my appts in without explaining why I was away. So by second round I told my boss. She’s been very supportive and flexible. My workplace has a policy of 3 days off per year for fertility treatment, which I haven’t used as just put sick days in and made up the time for any appts. But I may use a couple at some point, even if just for emotional recovery ❤️‍🩹

Good luck with your scan tomorrow @captain

Just to add I had far more pain after this EC, despite it being my worst collection of 5 eggs (previous were 8 then 7). I called the out of hours at one point as so painful, and they said sometimes if low numbers they use a different needle and lots of fluid to flush out the follicles, which can cause more post EC pain. I had no idea about this but just a heads up in case anyone has low numbers and actually feels worse!

Agh! That posted too soon!

Was going to say good luck tomorrow @captainsmal hope you ready for collection.

👋 @Miraclemuma03 welcome to the thread.

Will be thinking of you tomorrow @LimeBird. Hope you get good news.

I've taken the day off tomorrow for my transfer but do wonder if I should have gone to work in the morning to distract myself. Trying to keep myself zen so that I don't trigger loads of stress hormones but it's hard!

I did tell work and my boss has been really good. We don't have a fertility policy but she has raised that as an issue and they are going to write on. In the meantime I have been trying to catch up on the scan time or just do my emails whilst I'm waiting. I took EC day as sick leave and had cleared my diary to lightly wfh the following day. I was actually completely fine but I didn't know that I was going to be.

@LimeBird ooh good luck tomorrow!

@Timetotryagain I told work (and everyone else tbh) because I felt like I wanted the extra emotional support from family/friends/colleagues etc, also I do a lot of heavy lifting etc at my job so I haven’t been able to do that this week during stims since I’ve got so bloated and sore! I’m glad I did as it turned out they have an ivf policy and I get 5 paid days per cycle! So I’m off all this week for EC etc and getting paid which is amazing 😊

I'm a bit worried about egg retrieval if I'm honest. In our clinic they don't knock you out fully. Though the last time I had an egg retrieval was back in 2021 so could be different now, I know i got an email with some changes but what they use to do is give you anti anxiety, calmative and painkillers so you were slightly sedated but those medications don't work on me so I'm fully aware through the entire procedure but they usually give me a green whistle to suck on but makes no different. Trying not to think about it all until the actual day. I have a pretty high pain threshold and get through it well but its definitely not pain free.

@Twofromanotherkind I had 3 days off, I got 19 collected and was already bloated and had lower back pain - after I felt very tender in my abdomen and just wanted to rest. Funnily enough my work only really referenced ivf post transfer so I’ve spoken to them and gave them abit of eduction that there’s a whole rollercoaster before that and a hospital procedure which you should acknowledge - they were fine about time off regardless but felt they didn’t really know what they were talking about. Hopefully they’ll update it!

@PrincessofLiechtenstein omg best of luck tomorrow - fingers crossed it’s a sticky one for you!

@LimeBird @captainsmal good luck tomorrow (my updates were always just after 9!)

@Miraclemuma03 welcome, I’d speak to clinic about if they have diff options for sedation, I was fully out and it was lovely to know I would feel or remember a thing x

Good luck today @captainsmal @LimeBird 🤞🏻🤞🏻

Just had the call, it’s not looking great. The one which fertilised on time has stopped growing so is out of the race. The one which matured and fertilised a day late in the lab has continued to grow, but is 8 cells which is day 3 size whereas technically that one is on day 4. She said they will leave it til tomorrow to see if it carries on growing but not to get hopes up. I feel a bit bad as she said sorry it wasn’t the news I would be hoping for and I said ‘it’s alright, to be honest I’ve just started to think it’s not going to work anyway so I was expecting this’! Then I felt guilty 😂 sometimes I just get a bit angry with all the sympathy, not sure why!

Best of luck to @PrincessofLiechtenstein and @captainsmal today! Hope all goes well 🙏 x

@LimeBird sorry to hear about your news, fingers crossed the other one catches up 🤞🏻

I just got out of my scan and it’s all good news here! I have 17 follicles, and 7 are over the 17mm threshold (think my
biggest one is just over 20mm) and a few more that might catch up in the next couple of days. So I’m ready to trigger this evening! And EC Wednesday 😅 I also had my progesterone test today so I’ll get that result on Wednesday and that will determine whether I have to freeze all but hopefully 🤞🏻🤞🏻 it’ll be okay and I’ll be having a fresh transfer this time next week as long as we get some good embryos 😬😬 Also they checked my womb lining today and it’s looking nice and thick with a triple layer whatever that means 😅

So I’m now on the way home, waiting for their call later to tell me what time to trigger and when my EC is etc, then me and DH are travelling to my parents house tomorrow afternoon as they live closer to my clinic and my Dad is driving us to and from the EC 😃

Ah sorry to hear that @LimeBird it's really tough when you get a call like that. I will keep fingers crossed for good news tomorrow though. I had non on day 5 but then they did catch up.

I've been for my morning blood test and am now trying to stay calm until the afternoon. Going to meet a fried for brunch in a bit which will help a bit I hope!

Great news @captainsmal. Good luck for your trigger tonight and your EC!

@ivfjourneyandme how are you getting on? When is your next scan due?

@PrincessofLiechtenstein good luck this afternoon!

That’s great news @captainsmal ! Hope all goes well, make sure to get stocked up on snacks for when you come out!

@PrincessofLiechtenstein brunch sounds like a good idea, keep you occupied! I’ll be keeping everything crossed for you.

x

@LimeBird good idea! I’m staying at my parents from tomorrow until after transfer now so I’m sure my mum will be force feeding me haha 😂 just gotta go home and pack a suitcase now and make sure my cats are sorted to be left overnight! DH will come back weds afternoon once EC and his sample are done to stay at home with them until day of the transfer and then he’ll come back and join me

@captainsmal excellent news 👏

@LimeBird sorry to read your post, it’s one hell of a ride isn’t it?

I’m plodding along. Have my scan this Friday (will be day 10 of stims). Had more last cycle but as I’m on highest dose this time, they said no need to check prior. In such a negative mindset because of the total failed fertilisation last time, I just feel it’ll happen again 😞

It is indeed @ivfjourneyandme - I hope yours has a better outcome this time! If it helps, I was saying at beginning of this round ‘I have a really good feeling about this one!’ And look how it turned out 😂 so I don’t think it matters how you approach it, them eggs do whatever the bloody hell they like in the end! I’ll be keeping everything crossed for you x

It's really hard to get the balance right between having a positive mindset and not getting your hopes up too much isn't it. I really hope this cycle goes better for you @ivfjourneyandme

Transfer all went fine. The two they defrosted both survived and kept growing so that's all good and the procedure was quick and not too painful. There were a lot of people in the room looking at my bits though 😅 it's not dignified with your legs in stirrups is it!

And now back to waiting again.

@PrincessofLiechtenstein good luck with your 2ww!

I just got the call, EC is 10.30am Wednesday so I’ll be triggering tonight at 10.30pm! Just double checked all my meds etc… random question, the Zivafert is a “powder and solution” to be mixed together but the powder is in a little block? Is that definitely right lol. I’m gonna go watch the videos again but I was expecting an actual powder… I guess it’s just a solidified version?

That's great news! Hope all goes well xx

Yeah mine was a block in the vial - it just disintegrates the moment the liquid goes in! I think I had two powders to one syringe for the zivafert trigger. X

@PrincessofLiechtenstein hand hold for the tww! The nurse called someone over to look at my polyp at one point!!! Lovely.

@ivfjourneyandme good luck for your scan and collection hope this time it’s a good cycle x

@Quaver9 amazing thanks, just me being a little paranoid and making sure everything is all good to go for later! Especially with it being the one injection in this whole process that has to be dead on time and not messed up etc haha 😅 I’m doing two powders to one vial as well, 10,000iu total!
threw me when the videos kept saying powder but I guess technically it still is one haha. I've decided to sneak in a quick trip to the cinema at 5 just to chill a bit before tonight 😁 will be home by 8ish so plenty of time before the trigger needs to be done!

Well done with the transfer @PrincessofLiechtenstein - hope you have some nice things to distract yourself over next 2 weeks! Keeping fingers crossed 🤞🏼

good luck with the trigger shot @captainsmal ! I remember that little powder block dissolving the minute the solution hit it, it’s so weird! This time I had buserelin but I preferred the zivafert