IVF Feb 2026

[Moosey898]

Hi everyone - just thought I'd start a thread for anyone going through IVF in February.

We're not 100% confirmed yet (GP missed off a blood test so we're rushing to the clinic tomorrow to get it done, so frustrating!) but all being well we'll be starting stims at the start of Feb for our first cycle.

We've had a horrid TTC journey to this point and it's definitely hard to imagine it working, but we had to try. We're having PGT-SR as I have not one but 2 translocations (balanced and robertsonian) so at the very least IVF gives us the best chance of reducing our miscarriage risk.

Hope everyone else is doing well, would love to hear any tips from those who have been through it before and particularly those who have done PGT or had FET.

@SlightlyTerrifiedButPolite ugh I am so so sorry that is truly crap. You are absolutely allowed to be sad and angry.

We got our day 5 update today - all 5 made it from day 3 to day 5 and are good enough quality to send for PGT-SR and PGT-A. It's the best result we could have asked for and I was genuinely surprised!

Each embryo only has a 10-15% chance of being ok genetically but this gives us the best chance. Now I can settle down for a bit as the wait for testing results is usually 4-6 weeks.

That’s amazing news @Moosey898 hoping you have at least one that come back ok from both tests.

Did anyone have spotting during stims?

@Moosey898 Amazing, well done wee embryos! 🙏🙏 for the next bit.

I’m so sorry to read this 😢😢😢 agree with everything the others have said. Let yourself feel what you need to feel and deal with it how you need to. Sending love on this awfully frustrating journey x

@Moosey898 I’ve just seen your update, that’s really good news!!! And 10% is still 10% so everything crossed you get a good result from the testing. I bet it’s a very long wait now.
we are always waiting aren’t we x

Urgh now on day 4 of stims and have what seems like a light period. Wtf. I can't speak to IVF nurses until Monday now.
Has some very light spotting on day 1 (before starting) and days 2.

@Moosey898 what a great result and wishing you all the best for the testing 💫 ✨. I hope you can enjoy these next few weeks, please keep us posted on how you get on 💕

@HM2024 what day of your cycle did you start the medication? For my egg retrieval protocol I started the medication half way through day 3 of my cycle, and my period continued. My period was perhaps slightly shorter that month at 5 days whereas I usually get a full 7 day bleed. Hopefully you get some reassuring answers tomorrow, but yes for me I continued bleeding the first few days.

I’m feeling a lot more myself today. Had some pretty nasty cramps and was quite tearful yesterday, but hopefully this was more from hormones settling down and in time I will look back on this as just part of the journey 💕

A little late to the party but could I join? On day 12 of stims today. Going to trigger tonight for EC Tuesday. Same sex couple so is our 2nd round but my first. First one was a bit of a disaster and we only managed a day 6 5cc from 12 retrieved so hoping for slightly better from this collection, keeping all fingers crossed

Welcome @Cakewalk7 - how have you been finding the stims? Fingers crossed you get a better result this round x

Thank you :) it hasn’t been too bad so far but so glad I managed to get tomorrow off work

Welcome @Cakewalk7 and good luck for Tuesday 🙏

@SlightlyTerrifiedButPolite Glad you're feeling a bit better today. Bet you're exhausted after the emotions of this week.

I did down regulation / long protocol so I don't think cycle day plays a part. I was on day 8 of the post down reg cycle by the time I started. Have had spotting/light bleeding on days 1 (before 1st injection), 2, 4 & 5. I'll call tomorrow but in for a scan Tue morning anyway.

So many appointments....so much waiting...!

I pretty sure my period is coming any time now. I’m devastated. Even knowing the odds, the hope you let yourself have in the name of positivity ends up feeling quite cruel.

Best of luck to everyone still waiting from this cycle. Hope you have a better outcome ❤️

@TTCbaby2xox Still keeping my fingers crossed for you 🤞🏻🤞🏻

@TTCbaby2xox I’m really sorry and really hope this isn’t the case 💕🤗. Have you tested? My period did appear to start as usual last month (after a negative test 10 DPO) which is why I had no idea

Thank you @HM2024 & @SlightlyTerrifiedButPolite

for the last few days I’ve had my usual PMS which is really gassy (TMI but what really is TMI on an infertility thread with lovely strangers 💖), a bit spotty a few days prior, emotional and a pinkish light brownish tinge when wiping. Every month I tell myself this could just be implantation or even early pregnancy symptoms as if you google enough you can find that you’ll possibly still be pregnant with these symptoms. However tonight it’s turned red when wiping. My OTD is tomorrow but I did a test Monday morning on a clear blue 9dp5dt and it was negative.

how long did your period, or what you thought was a period, start for?

funnily enough whenever I test - which is every month - & get a negative, my period arrives either the same day or day after. It’s like my body needs the confirmation to let go.

thanks for thinking of me though. I’d love to stay positive but I’m fully expecting a full flow tonight/tomorrow morning. If it’s not I will test anyways just for confirmation. That’ll be 11dpt.

@TTCbaby2xox Hope it isn't the case but sending hugs.

The amount of times I have Googled "implantation vs period"!

Ha yes we are long past TMI 🙈

I had a scan today (day 7 of stems). The spotting hasn't happened since day 5. Everything with my lining looks good and follicles growing as expected. Chat of EC next week. I'm genuinely so surprised to be chatting EC days - I didn't think we would get that far.

Sperm question for you all! Was anyone given an optimum time for your partner/donor to ejaculate and then abstain for before EC day?

@Cakewalk7 Hope your EC went well today 🙏

@TTCbaby2xox I’m really sorry, it is just so crushing and I hope baby 2 does come for you soon 💕. You did nothing wrong by hoping 🤗. I don’t think it’s possible to go through this without hope living somewhere inside you no matter how much we try to protect ourselves

My bleeding started on time for my period and has just continued on (now day 15, I’m hoping it stops soon). My period is normally 7 days and I thought it was continuing because of the oestrogen tablets for the transfer

@HM2024 my clinic advised ejaculating every few days during stims and then no ejaculating 36-48 hours before the sperm deposit

The fertility coach I worked with said men should generally try for 3 times a week to keep optimum sperm production!

Thank you for your kind words xx

that's great news for you @HM2024 - I remember at the beginning of the long protocol for you it sounded like such a long time - and I'm sure it’s felt that way too! Good luck for the EC. Please keep us updated!!

Our clinic said something like abstain for 24-36 hours so he went in the middle with 48 hours.

we actually got two 4AA blasts and I think a 4BB at day 5 so fingers crossed it works out for a future frozen transfer. I’m just dreading starting all the meds again, but more so the all consuming emotional side. I’ve no idea how to distract myself from it.

So I’ve been a bit absent but I am still reading along and putting good vibes out for you girls.

unfortunately our journey has ended for now. We had 8 follicles on our day 6 scan but by day 10 only 1 was where they wanted it to be, 3 dropped off completely and 4 were behind. They upped my dose and scanned me yesterday and we had 3 the right size. After reviewing my numbers (I have a high AMH etc) the consultant came to talk to us and said that they think we could do better and gave us the option of cancelling or going ahead. He said because I was such an OHSS risk they were very cautious, if we go again we will be much braver with dosage. He said go go a coffee and discuss it then pop back (I actually went for a cry in the car) and we dr died we’d go ahead with our 3 follicles, hope that the extra dose of stim and trigger would bring the other two along. The nurses went over with us once more and we decided to do it, I popped to the toilet before she went through my sedation information etc and I realised I was bleeding. The consultant said this could mean my lining is breaking down early, and that a fresh transfer might not be possible if that’s the case. If felt like that decision was taken from us and we will start again from scratch. The follow up is in 4 weeks so we’re looking at starting a fresh round of stims in April. It feels like so much work to have ended without making it to egg collection, especially since I had a cancelled round in December because of my own health, and then to do so many injections and have nothing to show sucks, but this doesn’t count as a round and we have more information to go on next time.

I’m wishing you all the best of luck, sticky embryos and healthy pregnancies!

@UnderCaffeinated very sorry to hear this. It is really unfair. Hopefully March will help you gather your thoughts. I hope it passes quickly for you and here’s hoping April will bring a much more positive experience for you ❤️

sending hugs on this tough journey.

@UnderCaffeinated I'm sorry that's so tough. A cancelled round mid round really sucks after you've mentally got yourself ready and been doing all the injections and dealing with all the hormones. If we don't get any normal embryos back from PGT hopefully we will be able to do our next round in April (just need my cycle and test results to align). Our chance of getting 1 normal one is about 50% so mentally I'm preparing myself to not get one and have to go again because it feels less painful to sort of accept it now xx

had egg retrieval yesterday and was delighted and to get 7 but had dreaded call today and only 2 still in the game. Having a fresh transfer on Sunday if any of them make it. What a rollercoaster! Hope you are all ok. What an awful process this is.

Keeping everything crossed for you you have a nice healthy embryo to transfer at the end of the week 🤞🏼 it all feels so unpredictable doesn't it? Makes it so much harder x

@Cakewalk7 wishing you all the best for the next few days of updates (brutal aren’t they) and for the transfer 🤗