IVF April 2025

[waitingforourmiracle]

Thought I'd start a thread for anyone starting IVF/ICSI in April! This is going to be round 2 for me, I'm currently waiting for my period to start so I can book my pre-treatment appointment and typical, I'm a week late with no signs of AF! Joys of PCOS and irregular cycles!

Be nice to have some company! 💛

@Miraclemuma03 so sorry to hear this, but miracles do happen, see what they say today. I have no words of wisdom, IVF is so hard on us, have good people around you and vent to them, I went in a dark place as I had no one really other than the hubby who is also going though it, sending hugs and hopes

Thank you.. just me and my hubby. No one else really too talk too or more like no one else really gives a crap and has no interest. Have one friend I told, she said her sorries and then promptly changed the subject so didn't talk about it any further, so just told her I had to get off the phone, felt really shut down and alone at that stage. Ivf can be so lonely. My husband is blaming himself and he doesn't really have any one to talk too. I'm waiting for him to get home from work so we can talk to each other about what has happened.

@Miraclemuma03 I’m so sorry, keeping fingers crossed still that it turns around.

@lovelivelaugh64 they only do icsi here. Which I actually wish they didnt, husbands sperm sample is fine.

This was our worst round yet and I believe it could have been because of icsi. We have never needed it before and always had great fertilisation rate and this time we have walked away with nothing.

@Miraclemuma03 - just saw your update on the March thread. I am so sorry - that is such sad news. See what your call brings today, but I understand why you’re so devastated - you’ve put so much into this physically and emotionally. Are you working today? Can you take a bit of time off to process and just rest?

IVF is a lonely place - I’m similar to you in that I don’t have a support network IRL and had a similar response from the only friend I told. I think if they haven’t been through it people don’t really understand it. Do keep posting on here - we all understand and care.
x

Sorry to hear of your news @Miraclemuma03 I understand how you feel.

Thank you for your comment. Means a lot. Il update tomorrow after I have had my call.

@Miraclemuma03 hopefully your call will give you some answers!

@Charmofgoldfinch how are you feeling 5 days after transfer?

Hi ladies. I’m new to this thread. This is my third cycle; the first two cycles were done to bank embryos. I am currently almost 41 and my clinic is abroad.

I wanted to share my current protocol and experience in case it helps others who are navigating similar decisions, especially those considering alternative or self-directed approaches.

I’m fortunate to have a baby boy from my first transfer. However, my next two transfers were unsuccessful. Although we have one embryo frozen, we decided to do another fresh cycle.

Over the past few months, I’ve done extensive research and designed a protocol that includes both clinic-advised steps and additional treatments I initiated myself. Some of these — like the use of HGH — my clinic didn’t support, but I chose to proceed based on studies and anecdotal evidence I found.

Supplements (Started 2 Months Before Cycle)

• DHEA – 25mg daily
• Vitamin D – 5000 IU daily
• Folic Acid – 5mg daily

Pre-Cycle Prep (1 Month Before)

• 7-day course of vaginal probiotic pessaries
• Full course of metronidazole (in preparation for a possible fresh transfer).

Cycle Timeline

• Day 14 of previous cycle: Started Omnitrope (HGH) 2mg (0.30 mls) daily
• Day 21 of previous cycle: Started Estrogen priming – 2mg tablets twice daily (morning & evening)
• Day 26 of previous cycle: Added Dexamethasone – 0.5mg tablets daily.

Unexpectedly, my period started on CD27, possibly due to the DHEA or estrogen.

Cycle Day 2

• Discontinued Estrogen and DHEA
• Increased Omnitrope to 3mg (0.45 mls) which will continue through Stims and even up until the morning of my trigger. I will basically use up all the HGH I have (a total of 62 mg)
• Started Stims – currently on Pergoveris, which is often recommended for older women
• My clinic is planning a double trigger, which I’m pleased about

I had my Day 2 scan results which showed 13 antral follicles visible, measuring between 5–10 mm. It is still early days, so monitoring how things progress. I am remaining cautiously hopeful as this journey can be very unpredictable.

I know some of the steps I’ve taken involve personal risk and are not my clinic’s standard, but I wanted to share this in case it helps anyone considering similar strategies or protocols. I’ll update as things unfold. I’m also kind of using this a a personal reflection!

I'm happy to answer questions and am also keen to hear from anyone else who’s done something similar!

Hi everyone.
I was posting on the March thread but seems it is full so have come here.

for everyone still in the race or just starting their journey I wish you so much luck. Every journey is so hard and different but I hope we all get that one we are after.

for anyone who has received bad news or news that wasn’t as good as they were expecting. I hope your find comfort and answers and the strength to continue where possible. It’s something we are all in together.

For my update. By some absolute miracle they managed to collect 8 eggs on Wednesday. I say miracle because my last scan only shown 4 follicles and because my last two cycles they only managed to get 2 eggs from each cycle (one of which fertilised and we had a day 2 transfer on both rounds)

We took the call this morning and of the 8, 6 fertilised. I now find myself in uncharted waters as we wait to see if we will have a day 5 transfer on Monday and any to freeze. It’s a wait I have never had to do before and it’s already driving me crazy. It’s funny really as on other cycles I have never tested early in the two week wait and always kept myself occupied but this wait hoping I’ll have a blastocyst seems so much worse!

@Miraclemuma03 I'm so sorry things are going the way they are going, like @Charmofgoldfinch said, you have us to talk to at anytime and we all understand and sympathise. We're all sending so much love and strength 💛are you not UK based? Sorry if you've already said and I've missed it but just trying to work out times x

@StoriesAboutJanuary Welcome, wow you seem very knowledgeable I love it! Best of luck with this round, do you have a date for EC?

@lovelivelaugh64 good luck for tomorrow! I know its easier said than done and I hate when people say it to me but just try and relax and stay calm, it's over and done with within about 20 minutes, most people don't remember a thing! Plenty of rest afterwards

@waitingforourmiracle thank you so much. No not UK based. I'm in Australia. So its all but 9pm here on the 10th April as I write this comment. Hubby and I decided we would go take the kids and do Easter shopping and stop for some dinner to lighten the mood a little especially because iv been a bit down today and that's not fair on the kids.

Wow you have done some extensive research. I'm hoping with all this you have a great outcome. Thanks for sharing.

What a beautiful comment. And your update is so far great news. I hope they all get to day 5.

Thanks @waitingforourmiracle @Miraclemuma03 I am so hopeful and pray that we get a good outcome. I just felt that I had to try everything I could because I don’t want to keep having cycles. I’ll be as transparent as possible. Next scan is on Monday!

Congratulations on the number of eggs! These next few days are truly anxiety ridden! I don’t have any antidotes because I am notoriously inpatient (I always test 2dp5dt). 🤪

Best of luck @wishinghard2 that's a really good start having 6 fertilised!

@Miraclemuma03 that sounds like a lovely plan, please send some sun to the UK too! 😋

@StoriesAboutJanuary I'm sure your research will help others, this is a great platform for that, I've learnt so much over the years!!

@StoriesAboutJanuary if my doctor says we can do another cycle, hubby and i might have to start taking supplements for egg and sperm quality. Il have to ask all these lovely ladies what is best to start taking.

Update on our one lil egg.
It is thriving and so they are transferring it tomorrow so up to me then to keep it going.
Fingers, toes and eyes crossed that this is it!

For egg quality, the best advice I have ever received was to focus on Vitamin D and folic acid.

I have always seen ladies relying on a looonnngggg list of vitamins based on ISWTE; when I first started, I too took so much supplements. I won’t do that again, just a personal preference. I read stories of ladies ditching the supplements and having their best cycle yet which made me feel better.

This time around, I focused on what I felt I needed in addition to Vitamin D and Folic Acid. I added micronised DHEA because of my age - after taking this for a month, I tested my DHEAS levels and it was on the lower end of normal. I don’t want to imagine what it had been before.

I won’t lie, not having to take 20 supplements three times a day is a relief!

I’m wishing you all the best with this! I really pray it continues to thrive once transferred and you bring back good news! 🤞🏾

I have everything tightly xd this little fighter keeps on progressing

@StoriesAboutJanuary I'm definitely not one to take a huge bundle of vitamins. Iv never needed too. But think I need to help my eggs along with something. Il know more after my chat with the ivf doctor with what possibly could have gone so wrong for us.

@StoriesAboutJanuary Thanks so much. We've been trying for so long and I just want this to finally work.
I hope everyone gets some baby dust!!

@StoriesAboutJanuary I'm also overseas and taking quite a few vitamins we were going to do another full cycle but have decided to just go for it and transfer my frosties
@ClaireBear101 that's great news on your little embryo 😍

IVF is always a waiting game I feel

@Miraclemuma03 same situation here no one to talk to these forums keep us sane I feel as there is always someone to talk to, people who haven't been through it don't really understand what we go through, my family are the sort who don't 'believe' in IVF and if it's ment to be it will happen naturally, they have all never had a problem so don't get it at all