Ivf September 2025

[Klmno]

Thought I would start a thread as can't see one already
Anyone in the same boat who'd like to chat?
It's our first round. Likely to need a freeze all which I'm quite disappointed about as means won't even transfer until Nov.
I'm on short protocol.
Feeling pretty fed up ATM tbh, partly because it's come to this but also just want to get going, currently just waiting for my period early sept and feels like my life is on hold until then!

Ahhh congrats @Klmno ! Sorry to hear it was a bit of a faff but great news that the embryo is hatching and is now safely where it needs to be 🥰

How exciting!! Keep us updated and have everything crossed for you xx

Thank you ladies ☺️

@Klmno I don’t think I said at the time as I was worried it would impact implantation but… at my transfer the embryo got stuck in the tube and they had to redo it all. I was so worried this meant it wouldn’t work, but it did. So even when it doesn’t go perfectly…. It can still turn out perfect 😍

@pastelheart ahh that's really reassuring (and a big relief for you that it didn't impact it). These little embryos must be tougher than we give them credit for!

Had a bit of spotting today (brown) and trying to be rationale that it was just the catheters irritating everything and it's probably from my cervix. But the sneaky hopeful part of me is hoping it's implantation. I don't want to get my hopes up though. I never spot pre-period and this would be far too early for my period even if the transfer hasn't worked. Did other people get spotting? My mind in overdrive now. Haven't even mentioned to my partner as don't want to inflict any mental torture on him too

Ahhh exciting @Klmno - fingers crossed that’s a positive sign. I bet it is!! It’s funny isn’t it because the TWW is usually from 1dpo and I always know there’s nothing really happening yet whereas with this TWW you’re already technically at 6dpo so implantation can happen at any point!!! How are you feeling today? I bet it’s going so slow for you but I feel like it’s going to be your test date in no time!

I started my norethisterone today to bring a bleed on so we can request our transfer cycle. Even though it’s less “exciting” I feel happy knowing the process as a whole has now begun and we can start counting down!! X

@Klmno sounds positive! Are you on progesterone? I didn’t have any spotting, but I know lots of people do.

@AnonTTCi am glad everything is moving in the right direction for you. Have you got an estimated date for transfer now? X

Hey @pastelheart .. in theory yes, but mainly based on my own maths. I should probably start my next cycle around the 22nd and my clinic said I'll be on the patches for 12-14 days, and then progesterone pessaries from 6-9 days after that. Based on that, I'm assuming it could be any time from roughly 10th - 16th December? There are a few caveats with my clinic such as when you start your cycle you have to 'request' treatment and in theory they could say we don't have capacity and you have to wait for next month, and also there are 'Christmas closures' but I'm hoping we're far enough away from those to not be affected. I'll feel better once I've started my cycle, they've approved it and appointments start going in! x

I hope it's a positive sign but today I'm convinced it hasn't worked. I don't really feel any symptoms at all/haven't had any cramping and people always talk about cramping. I am on progesterone so it's hard to know what's progesterone, I think even that can cause spotting. The only positive I can think of is that my spotting was two days after the transfer not the day after and if it was irritation from the catheter I'd assume it would be the day after the transfer? But it's all messing with my head.

@AnonTTC that's really exciting you've started norethisterone! Another milestone reached. Fingers crossed your cycle starts on time for a transfer this side of Christmas! Have you had it before? How are you feeling on it? Hope the side effects aren't too bad Xx

@Klmnohow many dpt are you today? I didn’t have any symptoms at all in the first week and the only symptom I got was at 8dpt and that was OHSS! When is your test day? Are you going to test before then? X

@AnonTTC that’s good! Hopefully everything goes the plan and predicted timescales 🤞🏼 xx

Thanks both ❤️

Sorry you're feeling unsure @Klmno - I can totally relate to the spiralling as I was reading your post! It's so hard isn't it, every little twinge (or not twinge) you read into whilst you wait. My immediate response was going to be that @pastelheart said she had 0 symptoms though, and I've definitely seen others say the same so don't take that as a bad sign! Also, like you say the progesterone is present anyway, so even if you were feeling every symptom under the sun I guarantee you'd think it was that! Hang in there and hopefully not long until testing. When do you plan to test?

And yes, I've had Norethisterone looooads (unfortunately). It's not too bad but I feel sooo tired today and it usually makes me quite short tempered so hoping to avoid that, ha. Like you say, it's a milestone to tick off and I will feel relieved once my period arrives and we can get some proper dates locked in x

I'm 4 days post transfer so 9 DPO but I guess even when people feel symptoms during a naturally conceived pregnancy do they ACTUALLY feel symptoms or is it just progesterone/in their head...who knows. Trying not to loose faith but it's so hard imagining it failing. Official test day is next Friday and I'm definitely going to hold out. Away sat-tue then working for 12 hrs both weds and Thurs and wouldn't want the disappointment while I've gotta go to work, I did think of testing Thursday evening but think my partner will make me wait until the Friday as he would want to do what the clinic advised I think. So going to get him to hide the test!

I've heard about norethisterone tiredness and grumpyness, hope you are managing to take care of yourself as best as you can! And yes it will be so much better when you have a date to aim for!!

Yes I think you’re right @Klmno and everything I’ve read in those dreaded TWW’s is that any symptoms you feel are progesterone anyway so it’s such a head f**k 😆 I’d say the one thing you’ve noted that genuinely could be down to things working is the spotting when you’d expect implantation to have likely happened so that’s good! I have to say.. I’ve been very “PMA” this whole time but now my own transfer is getting closer I keep going those nervous sick feelings in my stomach thinking about what if it doesn’t work, so I can imagine being in the actual TWW is dreadful for it!!

Great news you still feel able to wait until test day. I think your rationale makes sense and at least it means there won’t be any guessing/questioning or false hope depending on the outcome, you’ll know for sure ☺️hope the time is passing nice and quickly for you this weekend!! X

I've basically decided it's not worked now, because yesterday I got the weird bladder sensations I always get before my period. Hardly anyone seems to know what I mean by those but basically I get loads of pressure in my bladder and need to wee loads 9 and 10 days post ovulation (which is what yesterday and today are), then I get a day when it doesn't happen, and then I get period 12 DPO.

There's a vague hope it could just be the progesterone, but I have always associated it with the drop in progesterone before a period, because it never happens 7dpo which is when progesterone is highest.

So yeah I've decided I'm out, and if I'm not then it will be a massive pleasant shock, but for now my mindset is focussing on next transfer and trying to tell myself that each fail is one step closer to our positive. I think the more I accept it hasn't worked, the easier the negative test on Friday will be.

Very un-PMA of me deciding already that it's failed, but I'm sick of false hope and then the crash.

I think the nerves are totally normal.
Hopefully you'll feel better when you get an actual date.
And then better again once transfer is done and all you have to do is wait! How many embryos do you have frozen?

Oh gosh I'm so sorry you're not feeling hopeful @Klmno :( There's no worse feeling but please try not to rule yourself out just yet. I'm still keeping EVERYTHING crossed for you. I forget you are doing a natural cycle so you'll still get your regular symptoms. I think with mine I have to keep taking progesterone pessaries until a definite negative test then stop and a period will arrive, so will be very hard to tell without the usual PMS. If for any reason this cycle isn't successful, are you able to have another transfer next month, or do you have to wait a bit? Assuming you can as there's no reason why not!?

Are you feeling any better today or still getting your usual symptoms? I was thinking, if you usually come on around 12DPO then shouldn't you know before Friday? Would 12DPO be today/tomorrow? If so.. fingers crossed for no AF arriving which would hopefully make you feel better!

We have 14 embryos frozen, which is obviously incredibly lucky. I have no idea what the grads are because I said I didn't want to know, but they said they obviously wouldn't have frozen anything that wasn't a good quality (particularly with it being NHS), so that's reassuring. I've finished my Norethisterone now so just waiting for AF to arrive then I can request the transfer - can't wait to have some scans booked in to feel like things are moving!!

Thanks for the support @AnonTTC . It's all so hard! No period yet today so maybe my bladder symptoms weren't a drop in progesterone after all. Or maybe the progesterone pessaries are keeping them just high enough for me not to bleed, but I did feel the natural levels drop because it didn't work? Or maybe I was just imagining all the urinary symptoms (have never really known what they mean) all along. I just really don't know! Have a tiny bit of hope because usually I'd bleed 12dpo and I haven't, but I do know the pessaries are likely to stop that. It's messing with my head! Just don't feel pregnant at all so the only reason I have any hope is the spotting two days post transfer.

Oh wow 14 embryos is amazing! That's fantastic. You must have amazing egg quality to get that many! I was (am) happy with our 8 haha. Yes I've also heard they only freeze good quality ones

I think I'd feel more chill about this one failing, because we do have a good number of embryos, if I wasn't so worried about what my fibroids are doing, I've honestly had 7 different scans and each person who did them saying different things so I'm not even sure if my womb would allow implantation and that's panicking me a lot.

Fab that you've finished your norethisterone. Another tick! Did they say how long it is likely to be before a bleed?.

Hope everyone else in the group is doing ok! Any transfers for anyone else coming up soon?

@Klmnoi have everything crossed for you xx

@pastelheart thank you! Are you feeling ok? Hope the ohss has resolved itself!!

@Klmno I am thank you, the OHSS resolved itself after about 10 days which was a relief as it could have lasted until 12 weeks! I have had really bad sickness but it’s got better over the last week, so feeling 10/10 again now lol 😂 xx

@pastelheart Ahh I'm so glad, it would have been hard battling ohss alongside all the usual first trimester symptoms, what a relief for you!

Well it's great to hear you haven't had any more PMS symptoms or a bleed yet. It is soooo hard not to spot every single little thing in the TWW though isn't it? Not long to wait until your test which is good.. I think the emotional turmoil sounds like the hardest bit so it's nice knowing you will know for sure on Friday. Maybe work Weds/Thurs will be good too as a distraction?

Ah thank you.. very pleased with the 14 and never expected to get that many.. 8 is a fantastic number too! I read a stat the other day that said after 3 transfers you're 90-95% chance to be pregnant so I'm clinging on to that stat if our first one fails (aware it's an average though and there could be reasons that doesn't happen - don't want to upset or offend anybody!)

It's natural to be hyper fixated on the fibroids too.. I think there are so many things that can go on in our bodies and when we don't know/can't know it's natural to worry. My latest one is that I've become obsessed that my 'microbiome' won't be satisfactory and I should be taking vaginal probiotics but I have literally 0 reason to think that (just saw it on Tiktok lol), so I asked my clinic and they basically said there's no reason for me to be doing that. It's just so tempting to want everything to be perfect isn't it? If for any reason this round isn't successful, can you pay for additional tests or would that not help given the mixed opinions you've had? I also keep reminding myself that people get pregnant everyday who are none the wiser of microbiome/fibroids/all the other things that we're unfortunately aware of because of our fertility experiences, so I try and focus on that rather than everything that could go wrong. I know it's easier said than done though 😥

I usually start my period 4/5 days after so should be Friday or Saturday x

The emotional turmoil is Definitely the worst bit yep! IVF so far has been a lot of faff and injections and the nerves about the procedures, which was a lot but then all I've had to do since transfer is....wait?! And yet that's so much harder!
Decided to test tomorrow night cuz I'll need a big cry if it's negative and my partner is working Friday so best to get my crying out my system Thursday evening 😂
So just two days of work to get through!
Honestly couldn't say ATM which way it will go. I've not got any symptoms other than (TMI sorry!!) slightly loose stools every morning (I thought progesterone was meant to send you the other way? It's like I get the day I get my period, but so far no period). Very happy I've not bled yet either way as I guess it shows the pessaries are enough to keep my lining good even if I'm not preggers.
Oh I've read about the microbiome stuff too. During my 'researching every possible reason why we can't get pregnant' era, I did a test from DAYE I think it was, that said mine was fine (although did say I have too much candida which explains why I'm susceptible to thrush lol. I did some treatment for that just in case but I didn't think thrush affects fertility). It was only shout £100, I'm not sure how accurate it was but you could consider that if you're really worried? It was just a tampon so it wouldn't interfere with any of your treatment. But tbh I think these things are probably quite rare. I'm worried about all the autoimmune stuff too. But yep, my main concern is whether my pesky fibroids are in the way or not 🤣
Fingers crossed for your period Fri or sat then, have you any signs it's coming? Then will you know your transfer date or is it more a first scan and then they'll tell you? Exciting!

Ahhh you're so close now!!! I bet you can't WAIT to just know now. Don't blame you for deciding to test a little early. Great to hear you've not started bleeding yet and the usual PMS symptoms seem to have worn off. Sounds like you're feeling less convinced it's not worked now?

Honestly the lists of things to control is endless. I ended up putting some stuff into Chat GPT the other day just to try and collate all of the information and essentially it was like, outside of good diet, regular light exercise, no alcohol and limiting caffeine there's really not much more you can do, so that made me feel better because I'm doing all of those things so I think the rest of it is really down to chance.

We actually went to the clinic today to do some final paperwork and they told us the embryo grade of the one they will be transferring which then sent me into more googling 🤣 the gist I got though is that grading doesn't seem to determine the outcome so I'm not going to pin too much hope on it! Just waiting for my period now so fingers crossed it comes on time because we were told the cut off for FET before Christmas is a start date of 27th November!!! Cutting it fine haha x

Yeah it's actually crazy how tomorrow night will be either absolute joy or complete crushing disappointment, there really is no in between! Ordered an ultra early digital as I just need the answer spelt out, nothing sadder than desperately hunting for a like that isn't there, is there?!
I'm pretty sure I think it's failed but occasionally get a flutter of hope/think maybeeeeee it's worked.

Omg really so much of it is out of our control and it's all down to luck but we put so much pressure on ourselves don't we!!

Does your period have to have started by that date or does the actual transfer have to have happened?

*line not like