May IVF - anyone else having their first or another round this month?

[overwork]

Hello! I’ve been following these boards for a couple of months, having initially said I’d not put myself through IVF (as the odds are pretty low at my age), I’ve somehow found myself starting my first cycle this month. I’m 42 so not expecting miracles. If we are successful, this would be our second baby.

Oh congratulations @TheNavyFatball I think that 8 embryos is a wonderful number. Let’s see what the next few days brings for them. Are you back on your feet already or still needing to take it easy? And if you don’t mind me asking, how long was it for you from the start of your period to collection?

Thanks @overwork
I’ve been mostly fine today! Quite tired and occasionally crampy but nothing major, I feel quite lucky with my general side effects that I haven’t had it as bad as some people do.

CD1 for me was Wednesday 13th, my first scan was Thursday 14th and stims started that night, and collection was yesterday, so 2 weeks from period arriving to collection.
in that time I had scans: Thursday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, Monday.

Wow @TheNavyFatballwhat a great start! Hoping they continue to do great things over the next few days 💫. I’m glad you aren’t feeling too bad

@KKD09i had a very bad headache to start and had to drink a lot of water with electrolytes/ hydration sachets or tablets, that helped massively. Are you feeling thirsty? I was actually really thirsty as well and was pretty much on the sofa the first three days feeling rubbish. Keeping hydrated definitely reduced the intensity of the headache significantly. First two days were particularly bad and I felt much better by day 4. Hope it improves for you soon 🤗

Thankyou, it really is helpful to know what a schedule could look like!

Hello @TheNavyFatball - I am so pleased for you! Well done! I also have a low AMH, so I’m pretty nervous! I am not sure if it’s working, I can’t feel much and I’m not bloated. But thrilled for you!

I don’t think the hot weather has helped much, but I’m drinking a lot of water and coconut water (natural electrolyte) and hoping for the best. Working full time alongside this is also tough, but keeping my manager in the loop. I feel much better today, but feel it comes in waves with the tiredness.

Hello @SlightlyTerrifiedButPolite - I am definitely drinking more water because of the hot weather in the UK, so perhaps that is helping! I am day 3 on stims, so far I feel stable this morning though that could change. Just being very aware of my feelings and any changes. Did you feel any bloating earlier on? Did you feel anything early during the stims? So far I feel not a huge amount! x

@KKD09 im glad you’re feeling better! So the bloating became a problem for me by day 7 (I was uncomfortable sitting in a restaurant) and the four days before my collection I was pretty immobile, it was actually hard for me to sit upright and the day before and day of it was hard walking. I had just had surgery for endometriosis though 3 weeks before which I’m sure played a part

I had two really fantastic days though 😂. I was given Luveris which is pure LH. Went from headachey and tired to feeling like a teenager, libido and energy skyrocketed. My oestrogen then went really high so they took it out, I added in Fyremadel and that slammed the brakes on everything and that’s when the day 7 bloat started. My friend had a full week of Luveris and said she felt incredible 🤣, was so jealous!

I definitely noticed every sensation though, I have a couple of friends who barely noticed any changes

hi all,

@LFlynn91 please to hear you got to transfer and hoping you are doing ok in the wait, fingers crossed for you ❤
@TheNavyFatball so glad the collection went well and hoping those embryos keep doing what they should, are you aiming for a fresh transfer?

my scan went well thank you, they were pleased with progress but have slightly upped my bemfola dose from tonight (I started low as a bit of an OHSS risk) and then scan again monday, with a likely collection wednesday if all going well (which would be day 14 for collection).
some bloating and headaches but doing ok (though very glad I actually took this week off week off work given the heat, haven't been doing a lot!) bit nervous about managing work over the next couple of weeks but managers are very good. very impressed at those of you working full time during stims xx

how are you all navigating keeping friends and family updated? i'm being very open with family and close friends about current timelines, but starting to feel anxious about them knowing when test date would be (even if I don't tell them directly they can work it out from collection/transfer) I am very grateful for their support but I guess i'm just feeling i'll want a bit of space either way for my partner and I to have a few days to digest the result. I think i'll just be a bit vague post transfer and say a couple of weeks, and maybe just say I hope they understand me not keeping them totally updated until i'm ready

Thank you lovely.

Hope your increased dose helps keep those follicles growing. Sorry to hear about the headaches and bloating.

In regards to telling people, both sets of parents know, close friends and only one manager at work. Although I’m getting lots of dodgy looks from people at work, I’m normally a frontline paramedic and currently in the office so people are suspicious. I really get your predicament, I dread telling my folks if it hasn’t worked but I know they only want to know because they are excited and care. I’ll probably just tell people and then tell them I need to step back for a bit.

Will you be doing a trigger? Xx

Thank you ☺️
yes will be having a trigger hopefully Monday, they haven’t decided whether to go with hcg or non hcg trigger yet depending on how at risk of ohss I look!

That sounds a really good plan, it’s hard but yes fundamentally some of your core people knowing is important.

sounds tough with work but glad you can be office based and hopefully people mind their own business! I’m also medical in the nhs, thankfully outpatient based so it’s relatively manageable with this going on
xx

@Percy15thank you! I am hoping for a fresh transfer and I’m booked in tomorrow, but will get a call at 8am to confirm.

Avenues allow you to have access to a camera that monitors the progression of your embryos. I think I’ve done well over the five days but I’m definitely glued to it tonight and second guessing things. I think we have at least 2/3 good ones so everything crossed.

I have been very open with family and friends regarding IVF as I’ve come to London for three weeks for it, but also I can never keep my mouth shut. I’ve found a lot of people don’t know the ins and outs of IVF that well, so if we do go ahead with transfer tomorrow, I won’t be telling them when testing.
I’ve also previously had chemical pregnancies so I would like a few days/weeks to see tests getting stronger.

How are you all doing?

Ooh my goodness, you’re both so close! It feels like it’s flown past for me but I imagine it’s been a much longer month for you all.
We’ve not told anyone other than my manager, and won’t be telling anyone unless it works. But we do generally keep things to ourselves, I only started telling people I was pregnant last time at 24 weeks because I couldn’t hide it any longer!

@TheNavyFatball @SlightlyTerrifiedButPolite best of luck for your transfers, fingers crossed for you in the wait xx

I've just done my trigger with collection set for wednesday :) they were happy with a hcg trigger in the end and we are aiming for a fresh transfer monday all being well

hope stims are going ok @KKD09?
and sending positive thoughts in the 2ww @LFlynn91

xx

I'm on day 8 of stims today. My first scan yesterday didn't go great, only 11 follicles when last time I had over 20 at the same point so I'm really disheartened. Next scan tomorrow.

I am Day 7, still taking Menopur and taking Fyremadel in the morning! I have a scan tomorrow morning and an additional on Friday, but if all is well I’ll be taking the trigger over the weekend or potentially Monday.. leading up to ER!

I don’t feel too awful right now, so a little worried about numbers. They could only see 3 large follicles and think my right ovary was being obstructured. This situation is tough, and I feel like it’s a real hit and miss ❤️

any ER tips would be so helpful! xxxxxx

Hello all. How are we?

I had a scan yesterday and follicles are growing really nicely, they could see 8 (my AMH is low) and my bloods are where they need to be. My ER should be on Monday.

I woke up this morning feeling good, my stomach is also feeling very flat and I feel a bit worried about it! No bruising at all from injections, just slightly tender that’s all.

Anyone else experience this?

Oh that’s good news that you now have a few more in the frame @KKD09!

How did your scan go today @Moosey898?

How did you get on @Percy15

Good luck @KKD09, I wouldn’t worry too much about not feeling the same bloating that some people talk about.

I have no major tips for ER recovery but I followed what other folk had said: electrolytes, water, walking and was generally just kind to myself. Rested up, took it easy and tried to take my mind off things!

Hello, all went well thank you, retrieved 11 eggs , 10 mature and 9 have fertilised, now the wait to day 5 begins but trying to stay hopeful 🤞still feeling pretty bloated so hoping that settles soon.

hope transfer went ahead as planned @TheNavyFatball ? ✨

@KKD09 they collected 2 more eggs from me than follicles seen on scan so hopefully you’ve also got a few hiding, try not to worry xx

That’s really great @Percy15
Everything crossed for a good number of embryos at the end of your five days.

My transfer went well (I think). I thought I’d be very emotional but ended up nervously laughing away given the absolute indignity of the situation.

OTD is a week today. So I am hoping for a quick week!

This is my first cycle- I have caught between trying to manage expectations and also being really hopeful. 🤞

Oh congratulations @TheNavyFatball, let’s hope there’s good news next week. And well done @Percy15 that’s an excellent number, let’s hope many of them make out to day 5! How are you getting on @Moosey898 and @SlightlyTerrifiedButPolite?

Great news @Percy15keeping everything crossed for you over the next few days 💫✨

And so pleased you had a good transfer experience @TheNavyFatball! I hear you on the absolute indignity of the situation 🤣. Laughing is meant to improve results so that’s an upside 😂✨. I’m glad you don’t have too long to wait for your OTD and hoping it’s great news 🙏🏻

@Mooseyhow did your scan go? Hope you’re ok

My transfer was on Tuesday. I’m really grateful for the progesterone lethargy and apathy as it’s stopped me getting as anxious as I would have otherwise been (I still woke up at 4.30am though on the day so god knows what I would have been like without it!). I feel really relieved now it’s done. Last night was the first night I slept through, and I randomly slept for 3 hours yday afternoon! I’m feeling ok. Struggling a bit with managing hope or perhaps more accurately feeling a bit too checked out. A lot of it is the progesterone but definitely trying to manage my own expectations. My DH has taken such an interest at this stage. Reading all my aftercare forms (what?!), asking me to tell him how my prog & oestrogen test went today (he’d read about it in the aftercare forms, has never asked for an update on anything before 😂. This is the one thing he asks for an update on) and referring to me being in “incubation mode”. It definitely is the progesterone flattening me out (my clinic tested me at 290 earlier!) but DH’s optimism is maybe holding a mirror up to how guarded I feel.

My test day is next Friday (10dpt). My clinic only does a beta if you test positive at home first. Eek (oo bit of anxiety, there is someone still in there under the progesterone sludge 🤣)

@overwork @SlightlyTerrifiedButPolite @TheNavyFatball it was ok, not great. Have to go back for yet another scan Monday which means this month will likely be 15 days of stims again 😭 I'd sort of planned around it being Monday or Tuesday for egg collection in line with my last 2 cycles so it's now royally screwed up my timings next week and I miss a GP appointment and a PTSD therapy session on the Wednesday. So annoyed. And people say "don't let it take over your life" like I actually have a choice!

Oh I’m sorry, I know you’ve had such a tough ride with it all so far. You do have to pause life don’t you, it’s impossible not to.
It’s great that your husband is suddenly taking such a close interest @TheNavyFatball, hopefully he doesn’t have anything to be disappointed about! They have so little to do, I think it’s quite hard to grasp the enormity of what we’re doing to ourselves