IVF / ICSI June 2025

[GLizzie88]

Hi All!

I might be early to it here, but thought I'd start a threat for anyone who knows they'll be going through it in June this year!

I'm based near Sheffield, and will be going through the treatment in sheffield. I'm 36, will turn 37 during the treatment. We've been through one failed round last August, so we've spent the time since getting further private checks done, and now we're ready for the next round. We came back as 'normal' on the nhs tests, but we found other things with these private tests! We've had all of our follow ups, catch up consultation appointments. Next appointment is our nurse appointment on the 5th May, then after that it's waiting for my next cycle to start at the very end of May / beginning of June.

From the further tests we've had done, I'm now on thyroid medication to bring my thyroid down to fertility recommended levels, my partner had DNA Frag & Oxidative Stress tests done and we've made improvements based on the results of these. I've also been having some acupuncture, which I've also feel has helped my sanity!

Please share your stories and hopefully we can all support each other during this. I'm much more nervous this time, even though I know we're better set up than we were last time.

@Miraclemuma03 I’m feeling a lot better today but really tired. Felt like a spring chicken when I woke up but doing just a few basic chores (so basic, like putting two things in recycling and picking clothes up off the floor) made me want to sit down. I’m glad I planned not to work today although I’m super bored already!

@Jayknow On your post about costs, I found the ‘extras’ were all the consultations and investigations leading up to this IVF cycle, plus meds (which we knew going in would be a separate cost). And now the extra fee for freezing this cycle. I’m happy to share a full breakdown of our costs in a DM if helpful?

@FluentTealGuide that would be very useful if you could, thanks!

@FluentTealGuideglad to hear your feeling better today. Try and take it easy but I can totally relate to feeling bored and not wanting to sit about!

Thanks for letting me know you also had fluid on one if your scans and it didn't end up being a problem. I feel less anxious about it after a nights sleep. Yesterday, I just got a little caught up in the worst case scenario and down a google rabbit hole.

@Miraclemuma03 that's very frustrating!
Ive had a fresh transfer now yes, im just very nervous now.
@CloudyIvy55 sorry to hear about yours too, the worry and not knowing is awful x

Iv also had fluid in my uterus in a couple of my cycles. For one of them I needed antibiotics before a transfer but the other times it cleared up on its own before transfer. Hopefully thats what happens for you.

@CloudyIvy55 I’ve had fluid in my uterus at odd scans before but it always seems to disappear by the next scan so hopefully nothing to worry about.

@Jayknow my only advice would be that I waited an extra 18 months to get an NHS funded cycle and am now on my third private cycle. I wish I’d just gone private from the start when I was younger, as NHS added so much waiting and I ended up paying privately anyway.

@FluentTealGuide sorry about your EC, hopefully today you are feeling much better, take it easy (even if it’s boring).

Funding wise I went with Create fertility and their 3 cycle package is very reasonable, but as it didn’t work I’m now with ARGC who are definitely pricier!

Im glad your feeling better. To be honest, its better to be bored and taking it easy a couple of days after ER instead of over doing it. Sounds like your doing everything right.

@Jayknow here is a screenshot from what I was provided at The Portland at Lister. I can send you the whole thing over email if you DM me as there’s about 20 pages with various scenarios. My medication was £1601

@FluentTealGuide I was also really tired after my EC, it took me a good couple of days to feel back to normal!

I have now started my stims again for an EC hopefully next week. I still can’t believe I will have done 2 ECs in June. I am hoping this cycle will give us more embryos than the first one as we only got one and are currently waiting for the PGT-A results.

No cycle day 1 for me today :( and the wait continues.

@YellowTack how are you feeling?? Keeping everything crossed for you.

@GLizzie88 sorry to hear you didn’t get any to freeze, best of luck with the fresh transfer! As they say, only takes one ♥️

@CloudyIvy55 i also had fluid on the ovary. They seemed very non concerned about it as apparently it can just come and go cycle by cycle but my clinic made me get an MRI to rule out hydrosalpinx as this was basically the only thing that would have caused problems with fertility, apparently.

@FluentTealGuide I’ve also been really wiped out by the EC, hope you are feeling better today. Have they given you an update on fertilisation numbers?

@Rayofsunshine22 good luck with your scan today 🤞🏻

@Miraclemuma03@RainbowFluff@HelloPippa0 thank you for sharing about the fluid on your scans! They have definitely helped me feel less anxious.

I'm just about to go in for scan number 3. Hoping the fluid has gone and that I'll get an egg collection date!

Good Luck @CloudyIvy55 🤞🏻

Thank you @HelloPippa0 , that's what im hoping too! It was a top grade unlike my last one so im hoping that's better news.
I hope your scan goes well @CloudyIvy55 .

Good luck @YellowTack with your second round of stims and EC. You're a hero for going through this back to back. I know its not by choice but hopefully it'll be worth it. Are any of your meds etc changing? Or same protocol?

@HelloPippa0 when was your EC? It took me almost a week to feel back to normal, I couldn't believe it haha. I thought I'd be absolutely fine the next day after what I'd read on the internet. Hope you're feeling better today.

Hope the scan went well @CloudyIvy55 :)

@Hopeandfaith1990 it was Wednesday! Glad I took the time off work. Just want to lie down 😂

So glad you managed to get a blast, @GLizzie88 ! Keeping fingers crossed for you x

@Hopeandfaith1990 completely different protocol this time. I am on letrozol tablet twice a day, and Pergovaris which is a mix of 2 hormones, but for now I only have to do the injections every other day.
The Doctor said that the tablets are supposed to make my body release its own hormones which hopefully will make my ovaries make more follicles, and then the injections will make the follicles grow.

I am curious about this new protocol as it’s very different compared to what I have done before, but I am glad to try something new, hopefully it will give us better results!

Oh yeah I was definitely still feeling rough two days after. I went back to work but wished I hadn’t, I was just sooo bloated and my ovaries weren’t happy 🤣

@HelloPippa0 So we were EC buddies! Must have slipped my attention. We had a great update yesterday – 10 fertilised of the 14 collected. I was pretty astonished, tbh. We won't have another update until Monday as they prefer to do just day 1 + 5 updates. Have you had an update on yours?

I had a nap yesterday and kinda feeling like one today too, although I'm back working(ish). The weather is really playing havoc on my sleep though. I woke at 4:30am and couldn't get back to sleep because of the heat.

Unfortunately I found out that this becoming a freezing cycle is actually going to cost way more than we'd thought, as I'd remembered the T&Cs incorrectly. Not a fun thing to realise at 5am this morning when I went to check the paperwork...

Scan went well. There is still a small amount to fluid but the nurse again said it's nothing to worry about at this stage.

They counted 29 follicles, with a nice bunch at the right size but still don't know if they will do the egg collection on Monday or Tuesday. They will ring me this afternoon with a decision. From my understanding, 29 follicles is fairly high and I'm really hoping they don't turn my fresh cycle into a frozen one which they have said could happen if they are worried about OHSS.

I'm so so nervous about the egg collection!! Hoping they say they can do it on Monday so it's one less day for my nerves to build.

@CloudyIvy55i imagine it will be a FET, but I think there are positives in this that your body will have a little time to recover. I remember being so scared before my EC but I’ve been through it twice and honestly it wasn’t bad. I had no issues. Wishing you all the best for this next part x