IVF- August thread

[Hopefully2026]

Hi I'm starting this thread to be around like minded people and to give eachother hope.

I am preparing for an August cycle. I'm trying everything to get myself into the best shape mind body and soul. I am desperate for this to work but I know I can get 'too' obsessed if I'm not careful. This thread is to keep me from spiraling more than anything. I would love to know what people have done or are doing to prepare

I'll join you! This will be our third round. Our first in 2024 gave us our little boy and we're currently doing 2 back to back rounds trying to bank some embryos. I start my norethisterone again next week and hoping for a fresh transfer this time.
Is this your first round of IVF? It's so hard not to spiral but I've found these threads so helpful!
I'm struggling a little with the healthy/fertility diet I'll be honest but I'm taking supplements and also having acupuncture again. No caffeine or alcohol.

I think I'll be joining you in Aug. After doing an unsuccessful round in Feb/March, we 100% planned only one round....yet here we are!

Will either be late July or mid Aug.

I think I did all my obsessive Googling and listening to every podcast I could find before my 1st round.

Hi guys!. I just left the july egg collection group as im behind. Il be doing hopefully an egg collection in august. This will be my 6th cycle, iv done 3 egg collection, 2 fet and 2 fresh transfers and about to have my 4th egg collection. Im over it now and it becoming to hard. Im 41 in a couple days. I do already have children but was hoping for one more but see where we are at after this cycle. My amh is low ans this cycle im having my puregon increased. Last egg collection I got 2 eggs and 1 very poor quality embryo that was transfered but obviously I already knew it wasnt going to work. On our. One of my fet did technically work, but mc at 7 weeks. My issue is egg quality and not collecting enough eggs. Iv made no changes this time in preparation for the egg collection, i did the food stuff, health stuff, exercise stuff, supplements stuff, you name it and its made no difference so instead increasing meds and try my luck.

My first proper IVF round, we have exhausted all the other options. I'm trying to get my head around it all, it's so overwhelming. It's great to hear you first round was successful ❤️ looking forward to taking this journey with you

Oh wow, it sounds like you have had a lot going on and a lot of emotions to juggle. I've asked on another group about the other things I can do to increase my chances and it varies so much. I guess it comes down to all the stars aligning and the science to be bang on to get a BFP. I'm testing my vaginal microbiome, it takes a couple of weeks to come back, I watched a seminar by one consultants of the top IVF positive rates clinics and he said he doesn't do any transfers unless he knows the status of the woman's vaginal microbiome which I found interesting. It's from Avline Health, I've never thought about microbiome before but it makes sense I suppose. Can't help but try it instead of paying for this round and it not working. I want to feel like I'm doing it have done everything I can to help. It's such an emotional rollercoaster isn't it 🫣 I'm glad I have you all to talk to.

Sorry it wasn't successful, good to hear you want to do it again. I'm still on the black hole of googling and trying everything. I'm hoping ot makes me feel as if I at least tried everything so I'm not too hard on myself of it doesn't take. Looking forward to hearing your journey. What are you going to do differently this time round? (I'm making notes!)

Last time was long protocol and IVF. This round is short and ICSI. I wouldn't go again if we weren't changing anything.

I had a private clinic consultation a few weeks ago and the doctor was surprised my clinic (NHS but self funded) did a long protocol with me. That was frustrating.

Physically I found the first round ok, just an absolute emotional rollercoaster.

We're very lucky to have a DD already and I want to try again for her.

I'm hoping I have time to do another vaginal bicrobiome test. I was taking antibiotics so need to wait 30 days since stopping. Realised this after I spent £100 on the test so it remains in the box!

I think you were on the thread for mu previous cycle in Feb! 👋

Hi everyone, I’d love to join. I’m due to start stims on 30th July. I had my planning appointment today and had a zoladex injection. This will be my first cycle. I’m just trying to find the sweet spot of being excited and hopeful and not getting too carried away!

I’m taking several supplements including an intimate flora probiotic to help with the microbiome as I read a recent study showed this increased chances.

Its defintiely a rollercoaster and there is no harm with running all the tests to make sure you have a better outcome and hopefully saving some money. I have nothing else apparently wrong with me besides being in perimenopaus and having a low amh and quailty of embryos. My husband also has a low sperm count and has some form of crystallisation of the sperm where they seem to clump together so not helpful. I guess my issues are age related. Iv just had my 41st birthday so think if this round is a failure and no embryos or nothing to freeze then my journey will end there.

Hi all, joining this thread too. This is my first IVF cycle, trying for my first child.

None of the investigations we've done so far have indicated any problem at all so its a bit baffling why we haven't conceived in the last 2 years, hoping IVF brings us more luck. I'm taking folic acid, vit D and CoQ10. Haven't cut out caffeine or alcohol completely, planning to not drink during stims but carry on with my one coffee a day!

Also thinking about adding in some acupuncture

Hi all joining as I’m hoping for round 2 in August. Looking for some tips as to what to do to better chance this time around? I did have enough follicle growth the last time so my first attempt was cancelled.

@beechandbuddleia welcome! Hopefully if nothing has come up with your fertility having issues means you will have a smooth first cycle and hopefully a bfp at the end.

@IndigoBluey also welcome! Im so sorry your last cycle had to be cancelled. Is your clinic going to be making any changes to this next upcoming cycle in hopes to get some follicles to grow for egg retrieval?

I'm about to start stims at the end of this month. Currently taking microgynon so they can time everything (I think!)

It's my first ever round so I'm a bit clueless about what to expect at each appointment.

I'm at high risk of OHSS as my AMH is 59 so I'm really worried about that. Also just worried and anxious about it all in general! We've been trying for 5 years, had a few MC's, then nothing for the past 2 years.

@Mimii0 do you have pcos by any chance. Is your medication on the lower end? My advice to anyone who is at risk of getting an enormous amount of eggs is be prepared for the drop off and you should also have your progesterone tracked but your clinic will know what to do and should talk to you about all this. My amh 1.5 and im having my medication increased in hope to get more then 2 eggs or hopefully get 2 eggs to make it day 5 and actually be good quality for transfer. Keep us updated and i wish you all the best on your first cycle.

I have my first clinic app in the morning and its to do my base line bloods and pick up my medications. I should be starting on puregon in a couple of days.

Thanks for the advice! I don’t have PCOS so I’m not sure why my AMH is so high.. hopefully it’s nothing to worry about.
I’m going to be taking a low dose of Rekovelle and also Ganirelix, which I’ve heard isn’t a great one and can be painful, but I’ve got nothing to compare it to so I’ll just go with the flow for now haha. I take my last Microgynon pill tomorrow so I’m hoping I actually do get a bleed in the next week.

Good luck for tomorrow!

Done my PelviBiome consultation and I'm hopeful I've got all the questions to take to my clinic appointment and done my vaginal microbiome test, waiting a couple of weeks for the results and my personalised plan. I'm really optimistic and going into August with a positive mindset.

I wasn’t sure whether to post in this thread as my transfer is on the 29th July but I won’t find out if it works until August. I cant believe I'm here again 🫠 transfer no.3!! I had my last transfer in November 2025 and it failed, was a natural FET. Since then I have gone private and been diagnosed with endometriosis and had the laparoscopy to remove it, that was in May. My endometriosis surgeon has given me the all clear to go ahead with my third FET, our final embryo 😢 I’ve had to basically fight my clinic but this time I have picked my protocol alongside my surgeon. It’s a modified natural FET. I added in Letrozole, a trigger, prednisolone, Clexane and Clarityn. My transfer is tomorrow 🫪 I don’t really know
how I feel! I’m not excited or happy however I’m also not worried or scared, I just feel nothing. Not sure what’s worse 😂 the last transfer I was very strict and by the books. Done the acupuncture, beetroot juice, pomegranate juice, all the supplements, only drank/ate warms drinks/foods, completely cut out caffeine and fragrances. This time however I’ve decided to be kinder to myself. I don’t drink much caffeine anyway but I’ll have one thing a day caffeinated, I’m still wearing my perfume, I’ve gone back to my usual laundry products, I didn’t do acupuncture. Yet somehow this time I feel ready! Anyway enough of my waffling, I hope this month can be everyone’s time. ✨

Good luck and positive thoughts for tomorrow @Cornish13 🙏🙏🙏

I'm feeling a bit similar to you I think. Waiting to start my 2nd round and not feeling much about anything about it, which feels a bit weird in itself.

@HM2024 ergh it’s so crap isn’t it! If this transfer fails we’ll have to do another round and honestly I don’t know if I can or want to. I just feel nothing towards any of it now! Last time the night before I was crying and having a few mental breakdowns but today I haven’t shed one single tear.

I hope your second round is the one 🤞🏻

@Cornish13 welcome! Im doing my 4th egg retrieval. Iv done absolutely everything and still it hasnt worked for me. Iv sorta just come to Idea that this is my last cycle so im cruising through it and going about my normal, be more lax. If this doesnt work then im not meant to have another child and im ok with that, it will be sad of course but iv made my peace. Im now 41, perimenopausal and I have very low amh and my husband has low sperm count so we cant seem to get embryos.

I’m feeling really similar about to start second round. Meds delivered today and whilst I’m not too fussed about the stims process I just don’t really feel much either way, maybe it is a good thing and will be more relaxed. I’m on increased dose (antagonist short protocol due to high AHM) to try and see if any better results in follicle growth, last time didn’t get to the stage where any follicles were big enough.

Hi I just wanted to join this thread too.

I’ve just started my first cycle. Currently on day 3 of stims. Short protocol.

Although , I am on an egg/embryo banking package. So won’t be fertilising any of whatever’s collected until the end of cycle 3. Which is nerve wracking.

Welcome @Grumpsy how are you finding the stims process so far? It took me a couple of days to get my head around the injection pen settings

I’m only on day 2 (day 3 dose this evening), so I’m still very much in the “learning as I go” stage. The Fostimon has been absolutely fine, but the Meriofert is a different beast – it stings going in and then leaves me feeling like I’ve run through a field of nettles for about an hour afterwards. 😅

I don’t even have one of the clicky pens. Mine all have to be mixed up with syringes first, so every evening my kitchen looks like I’m reenacting breaking bad. Hopefully I’ll get quicker at it!