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.

We’ll be doing a frozen transfer and while I have no experience of this, I did ask about timings and protocol. The doctor didn’t give much detail about protocol – just that I’d need to take meds and they wouldn’t be injections (yay). I’m hoping these will be the same meds I would have taken post EC if we were having an FET, as we already have them and they’re just sitting there staring me down all day.

Schedule-wise she said we’d have to wait 1 cycle, as they don’t consider the ‘period’ following egg transfer as a real period. I’m waiting for that right now and when it arrives, I can contact them to chat timings and see if we’re able to do the transfer the following cycle. They’ll need to do another baseline first, to check everything looks okay following the medicated cycle and collection (and the ovaries have gone back to normal). For me they’ll also need to retest my progesterone as that was why we were moved to frozen this cycle.

Crazy that they don't give clearer 'next steps' info!!

My period/withdrawal bleed started today too. Yeah I think it depends if you want to do a natural or medicated transfer, I'm hoping to do medicated. I think it involves tablets at the beginning rather than injections and then loading up on progesterone, either pessaries or injections?!

I've been okay thank you, I guess I'm just anxious for the next bit now!! But also so worried about the PGTA results gah!! How are you?

I did a natural FET, it was after a miscarriage so I had to wait an extra month. I had to call the clinic when my period started then go in for a scan something like day 10 and also do at home ovulation tests. They then wanted to scan every other day to check I ovulated, and because it didn’t happen by day 14 I then had to do a trigger shot. Then pessaries for 3 days before the transfer. It was a lot more involved than I thought, I definitely wasn’t expecting the trigger shot!

How did your trigger go @Rayofsunshine22 ? Mine went fine, watched the clock with everything ready to go until it hit 9pm exactly then injected lol be nice to have a day off injections tomorrow ☺️

good luck for EC @CloudyIvy55 I’ll send lots of positive thoughts your way tomorrow ✨

@KayEmmSquared yep literally exactly the same as what you've said! Mine was Zivafert so needed mixing. We got it ready & I clock watched until 9pm exactly. I'm in bed I'm so tired. Pessaries done 🙌🏻 I have 45 of those what a slog that will be! As long as they do the job it is what it is. Tomorrow will be the longest day ever waiting for Wednesday! But yippee for a jab free night Tomo!
Yes lots of luck @CloudyIvy55 for tomorrow please let us know how you get on 🙏🏻

Congratulations everyone for their ec and great little embryos you got. Good luck to those going for their ec and I hope they go really well.

Still no period for me today, so went for blood tests. Was suppose to get results this arvo but they were still pending, then I got home too late to call back so have to ring in the morning now.

@Hopeandfaith1990 and @Gosia19 I hear you on the information about frozen transfer, it’s like the clinics are trying to gently tell us to calm down haha

My clinic has said I won’t have my transfer until September which is disappointing but I have a really busy summer so I suppose it’ll be good to not be trying to fit medication and scans in. Their reasoning was to wait until we have the PGTA results of the 5 embryos we sent (hopefully this week!!) and to just not have any potential for stress or worry. I’m using the time to lose some weight and take up Padel! Bought a new Garmin and signed up to some races to help me do that and keep my brain occupied 😂

@Miraclemuma03 I hope the tests will give you answers! Periods always takes the longest to show up just when you really want them!

Im in such a frustrated mood with everything. Nothing has been going right and it keeps making me second guess our decision to try again.

I just had my first scan, I honestly had to stop myself from crying, only 2 follicles this month! It was already a disappointment when I only had 3 at my last cycle but this cycle is even worse.
It’s so unfair, I feel like I do everything to be healthy, eat well, exercise… and it just keeps getting worse.
I am also on my own in Prague, my partner will come for EC which I thought would be Saturday but now apparently will be pushed to next week.
I will try to stay positive but it’s just so difficult with all the time and money invested!

@YellowTack oh im so sorry to be reading your update. How disheartening to get that news after all the work you out in. Whats the plan now?

Egg retrival done and I'm gutted. From 29 follicles on my last scan, they got 8 eggs.

I'm not saying that is bad and I know some women would love 8 eggs, but that just seems like such a huge drop off!! I've gone from feeling pretty confident and comfortable that this was going to work for us, to now worry that it might not.

I haven't been able to stop crying since they told me.

Don't feel too upset. You still did good. Have a good cry and then pick yourself back up and see where these 8 eggs take you. You might end up with a good fertilisation rate. I have everything crossed for positive news coming your way

@Miraclemuma03 I need to go back for another scan on Thursday. They haven’t mentioned potentially cancelling yet, and I think I will want to go ahead with collection anyways as I have already invested a lot of money for this cycle.

@CloudyIvy55 sorry to hear that, it is a huge drop, I understand that you must feel disappointed ! Have they given you explanations for the possible reasons?

@YellowTackI'm so sorry to hear that, it must be incredibly hard news to hear and I completely understand the frustration. Your right.. it is unfair! Let yourself cry if you want, you've got to let it all out.

Come on periods!!! Im in Australia so it's late night here so for me hopefully i wake up to them in the morning and i hope youbget more positive news. I also dont want to have another cycle cancelled and id really not like to take anything to start a period as im worried if they put me on something then I have to wait another cycle anyway.

@YellowTack to be honest, when he said 8 eggs, I struggled to listen to the explanation. I think he said its something that they see in women with a history of cysts but I've never had cysts as far as I'm aware.

@YellowTack im so sorry to hear that, its so rubbish you dont know what's going to happen cycle to cycle. We got less this time too. Thinking of you.

@CloudyIvy55 8 is still great, but i totally understand the feeling of worry and disappointment throughout the process. We changed so much in the 9 months we waited and still just got one blastocyst in the end which has been tough. So 2 viable blasts out of 2 cycles.

@CloudyIvy55 sorry to hear it was a big shock - I know it’s nerve wracking but our clinic is of the view that fewer eggs makes them more likely to be of high quality. We got 9, 8 fertilised and now 5 frozen off the back of it - obviously I don’t know but I doubt we’d have seen that sort of conversion rate if I’d had 20 eggs.

Thanks @HelloPippa0that's reassuring.

I'm still an emotional wreck. I think it's partly the egg collection number but also a bit of a come down after being so nervous about the egg collection procedure. The nurse joked that she hadn't seen a heart rate as fast as mine and I was so nervous I completely forgot my own postcode 🤦‍♀️😂

I've been pretty resilient and relaxed so far, so now I think the hormones have hit me like a train.

I've googled it and apparently a hormone crash after egg collection is a thing other women have experienced...so I feel less ridiculous for crying all day now 🤦‍♀️ the clinic mentioned the physical side effects of the egg collection but not this.

@CloudyIvy55 it’s not a surprise when you think about it, is it!

@CloudyIvy55 i always cry when they tell me how many eggs are mature, after three cycles I just expect it now! You should feel more like yourself in a couple of days although I’ve found it takes a few months to feel completely normal.

@YellowTack those eggs might be great quality, it’s disappointing but I will keep everything crossed.

I’ve had yet another normal blood test so unless the DNA fragmentation comes back really bad it’s full steam ahead for IVF on my next cycle (4th July). My partner’s sperm tests have gradually improved over the years of treatment but they are still recommending ICSI which I’m not sure about. It hasn’t worked so far and I’ve heard of people having more success with normal IVF. At least then all the sperm have a chance, what are the odds of the embryologist picking a decent one? I’ve had 16 eggs fertilised with ICSI and only two decent embryos.

@CloudyIvy55 I am not surprised, I am always such an emotional wreck after my egg collections!

@KayEmmSquared wishing you all the luck for tomorrow 🙏🏻 see you on the other side 🙌🏻🤞🏻