UPDATE First IVF appointment

Km380

Hi ladies, I started birth control this past week to start my IVF cycle. We'll be doing IVF with PGD. Egg retrieval will be in November and then we will do a FET in December (hopefully). I have my first appointment tomorrow to
meet to review the plan and
have a mock embryo transfer and saline sonogram to assess the contour of the lining of my uterus. I will also have Injection teaching.

I'm feeling pretty overwhelmed by all of this already. Is there anything I should be sure and ask tomorrow? Any advice for all of the shots? I've done follistim and triggers already.

I know there is an IF board, I've been reading over there. But well, I'm comfortable here. And I know how great you all are and how much knowledge is here, so hopefully it's ok I ask here

TIA!


UPDATE:
Thank you everyone for the support and advice! I had my appt and I am overwhelmed but I guess I will figure it out as I go. After all the tests and all this time the RE hit me with the unexplained IF diagnosis. Not sure why I'm surprised but I'm feeling very sad. Anyway, The plan is birth control until 10/27, baseline appt 10/28 and then I will start follistim and menoupar. After talking with the RE for a long time, going through all the consents, and the injection lesson on menoupar I was pretty stressed out so the nurse decided that was enough for today. When we get to the next part of injections I will learn it then.

Thank you again everyone. I know I will get through this process and I know the support here is a huge reason why.

rubysi

I am so excited for you! There is an If check in on this board. They have alot of great information. The last one was a few days ago.

Km380

@rubysi I'll check out that check in thanks!

MSU_Girl1202

Hi lady!  :-h I wouldn't call myself a pro or anything, but I've had a bit of experience with shots and the process that might be helpful.

First, with the 'prep' stage shots, things I've learned along the road:
1. They tell you to do the shots at the same time every day, but after a couple frantic phone calls to my RE when I was working during 'injection time'', I found out that if you do them within the same like, 5-6 hour period, you're fine.
2. The shots themselves really aren't bad. I ended up black and blue from them because I bruise easy, but it's really not as bad as it looks; just make sure to alternate sides.
3. I personally found that shots in your abdomen are a lot less painful then shots in your thigh (they told me I could pick either spot).
4. A couple of the shots sting a bit (ex: menopur and ganirelix), it helps to ice your skin before them.

For the egg retrieval part:
1. Make sure you and your Dr know (and make sure to ask) about your risk of OHSS. I know it's very rare, an I just happened to get it, but my RE didn't even mention the possibility of me gettting it, so it hit me out of nowhere.
2. Stock up on gatorade and get out your stretchy pants / maxi skirts...I looked 4 months pregnant after my ER and it just got worse through the days, and I really couldn't wear my regular clothes.
3. Make sure you have someone to take care of you if you need it. MH was my angel during this time.

For the FET:
1. Warning: estrace can make you super bitchy and emotional. I didn't realize that since I didn't have a lot of side effects with the original shots, but Estrace had me crying at work.
2. Embryo transfer is REALLY easy. Compared to the egg retrieval, this is a breeze. The hardest part is honestly them pushing on your full bladder with the ultrasound.

I hope some of this was helpful! Wishing you lots of luck and an easy cycle.

Frenchteachermama

@MSU_Girl1202 gave you EXCELLENT advice.  I'm sure they are going to give you a detailed calendar, I made sure to read it every single day to make sure i wasn't missing anything.  There is also an IF check-in here that you can join.  I'm trying to find someone to take it over since i"m so swamped but there is one!  Feel free to PM me if you need anything!!! 

O2girl

MSU_Girl1202 said:

Hi lady!  :-h I wouldn't call myself a pro or anything, but I've had a bit of experience with shots and the process that might be helpful.

First, with the 'prep' stage shots, things I've learned along the road:
1. They tell you to do the shots at the same time every day, but after a couple frantic phone calls to my RE when I was working during 'injection time'', I found out that if you do them within the same like, 5-6 hour period, you're fine.
2. The shots themselves really aren't bad. I ended up black and blue from them because I bruise easy, but it's really not as bad as it looks; just make sure to alternate sides.
3. I personally found that shots in your abdomen are a lot less painful then shots in your thigh (they told me I could pick either spot).
4. A couple of the shots sting a bit (ex: menopur and ganirelix), it helps to ice your skin before them.

For the egg retrieval part:
1. Make sure you and your Dr know (and make sure to ask) about your risk of OHSS. I know it's very rare, an I just happened to get it, but my RE didn't even mention the possibility of me gettting it, so it hit me out of nowhere.
2. Stock up on gatorade and get out your stretchy pants / maxi skirts...I looked 4 months pregnant after my ER and it just got worse through the days, and I really couldn't wear my regular clothes.
3. Make sure you have someone to take care of you if you need it. MH was my angel during this time.

For the FET:
1. Warning: estrace can make you super bitchy and emotional. I didn't realize that since I didn't have a lot of side effects with the original shots, but Estrace had me crying at work.
2. Embryo transfer is REALLY easy. Compared to the egg retrieval, this is a breeze. The hardest part is honestly them pushing on your full bladder with the ultrasound.

I hope some of this was helpful! Wishing you lots of luck and an easy cycle.

This. All of this.

Also best wishes for you. Allow yourself space to be a whackadoo during the process because it is all very overwhelming. Also the meds made me a whackadoo so expect that

Km380

@MSU_Girl1202‌ @Frenchteachermama‌ @O2girl‌ Thank you ladies! I'm really hoping the anxiety of getting to the shots is worse than the actual process. If that makes sense

O2girl

Km380 said:

@MSU_Girl1202‌ @Frenchteachermama‌ @O2girl‌ Thank you ladies! I'm really hoping the anxiety of getting to the shots is worse than the actual process. If that makes sense

You are more than welcome. The anxiety of the shots is WAY worse than the process for sure. I used to hate needles........ I'm immune to them now lol

LizBlue

Everyone has covered good points. I will add: take it one piece at a time. It's going to feel so overwhelming, like you can't possibly keep track of everything. But you can and you will. And the entire IVF process for me was easier than I imagined it to be. Not easy by any stretch. But manageable. You are a bad ass and you can do this.

Xo

[Deleted User]

I agree with all of the above.  I iced before all of my shots.   I had a small needle for the Menopur and ended up asking for bigger ones because I had trouble getting it in.  The bigger ones allowed it to go in faster which was great because it burns.   I also found that rotating sides each day helped.

During my mock transfer they found uterine polyps so I had to get those cut out before we could continue so I was on BCP for 3 weeks longer then I was supposed to be.  If that happens don't freak out, it's not bad.

For the egg retrieval wear comfy clothes.   I gained like 7 pounds before my egg retrieval and was puffy for 3 days afterwards.   I didn't work that day or the next because I was crampy and sore.  My husband stayed home with me the first day which was good since I didn't want to do much of anything myself.  I second getting lots of Gatorade for after your retrieval. 

The worst part of the whole IVF process for me wasn't the shots (shocking because I hate shots1   Currently they don't bother me at all after that whole process).  The worst part was the monitoring appointments.   I had 7 appointments in 13 days and my RE's office is 2 hours away so it was a lot of driving.   We ended up stayign in a hotel several nights just so we didn't have to drive.

Good luck with yoru cycle!

imakeeff0rts

No experience, but FX!

Frenchteachermama

Oh yeah and nothing goes the way it's supposed to (sometimes it does) but this whole process is a lot of "HURYY UP AND WAIT".  Just remember you're doing the best that you can but something things are out of your control.

sunflwra

No advice to share but just hope that everything goes as smoothly as possible for you!

Km380

Frenchteachermama said:

Oh yeah and nothing goes the way it's supposed to (sometimes it does) but this whole process is a lot of "HURYY UP AND WAIT".  Just remember you're doing the best that you can but something things are out of your control.

I actually just said something to mh about the lack of control. I said something about needing to keep the paperwork and bills for this separate and organized bc it will "give me control over something in a situation where I have no control"

Km380

@26summer‌ 2 hrs! That's really difficult. I have vacation time to use up so I'm planning to take a week off leading up to ER.

@LizBlue‌ thank you. I need to remember one step at a time

Giants721

I'm so excited for you! You have great advice thus far. My three shots were mixed into one vial so I had only one shot a night. It really wasn't bad for me at all. I think you will find it exciting because each day you are doing something that could lead to a baby. The 2ww was annoying, I was in beta limbo. Good luck. PM me if you need anything. FX!

rslh10

Good luck lady!

renegadewhit

Good luck!

ellebelle2384

No advice but I will be closely following since we may be doing the same next year.  FX for you!

ellebelle2384

No advice but I will be closely following since we may be doing the same next year.  FX for you!

MrsKush1014

No experience here, but wanted to say good luck!!

[Deleted User]

Km380 said:

@26summer‌ 2 hrs! That's really difficult. I have vacation time to use up so I'm planning to take a week off leading up to ER. @LizBlue‌ thank you. I need to remember one step at a time

It was rough.  Thankfully I did in the summer and I'm a teacher so I had more time to do it, even though I had to miss a few workshops.  Our plan is to do it again in the spring so I don't know how that's going to work.  I think taking off the week before is a good idea since you'll likely be going in almost everyday for appointments.

alm288

No advice, but wishing you the best of luck and hope everything goes well!!! Keep us posted. (((Hugs)))

bunnybun4

no advice but we are ivf buddies...I have my teaching appt. on Wednesday and my retrieval is sometime in November.  I am also doing PGD.  I've intro'd on the IF board but I don't post a lot because I don't know what I am talking about since this is all new to me.

Good luck!

Km380

bunnybun4 said:

no advice but we are ivf buddies...I have my teaching appt. on Wednesday and my retrieval is sometime in November.  I am also doing PGD.  I've intro'd on the IF board but I don't post a lot because I don't know what I am talking about since this is all new to me.

Good luck!

Good luck to you too! We can go through this together

LizBlue

I also wanted to throw this out there:  Feel free to ask questions to the ladies on this board- there are a lot of who are knowledgeable about IVF.  But also feel free to throw questions out to the IF board.  Collectively, they know like every answer, ever and helped me quite a bit in the beginning of the process when I understood nothing.  The IF board doesn't mind random questions from random people, either, as far as I can tell (as long as you're not a jerk, obvs.)

Good luck!

Km380

Update in original post

LizBlue

I'm glad your appt went well and you have a plan. I forgot to mention that this site is great-it has video instructions for all IVF injections. (In case you forget what the nurse says): https://www.nyufertilitycenter.org/ivf/injections

Good luck! It will be over before you know it!

imakeeff0rts

I'm so glad that your appointment went well, but so sorry to hear that it was stressful.

Km380

@LizBlue‌ you rock lady! Thanks for the link!

[Deleted User]

Good luck with your cycle!   We are also unexplained which totally sucks because no one can tell us why we can't get pregnant.   I hope this cycle goes well.  It's a lot to take in but honestly, by the 3rd or 4th day of shots it just becomes part of your day.  ((HUGS)))

[Deleted User]

Oh yeah, Freedom Pharmacy also has good videos.  DH and I both watched them several times and I actually took my laptop in the bathroom to watch it while I was doing the shot initially.

yellowcat10

Good luck!

BookishMomma

I'm glad you've got a plan! I'm sure it's a lot to take in. Just focus on one step at a time. ((hugs))