May IVF

MMD1986

Hey ladies! I didn't see a thread started on this so thought I'd get going. 

What are your plans this month and what is you background. 

MMD1986

Background:
Me -31
Husband -37
Diagnosis - Stage IV endometriosis. Have completed two surgeries to treat. 

I started my first IVF cycle last month on the long lupron protocol but my RE cancelled due to a very poor response. 

Baseline exam is 5/1 to make sure we are good to go for round two. Switching to microlupron and adding HGH. 

Aera11

Thanks for starting @mmd1986!  I don't know if I will fall into this group or May FET but I will go back and forth until we have a (new) plan.

I am set to meet with my RE the first week of May and I have no idea what we are going to do.  I am coming off two failed IVF's where we transferred two embryos each time with ICSI (assisted hatching the second round).  I don't produce that many eggs so I am guessing we will either try one more fresh round or try to start banking and adding in PGS testing.  Egg quality and quantity is definitely our issue.  Even if I get pregnant, we would love more than one kid and I think we should maybe bank now while I am still 31...  

MrsJ2410

Thanks for starting! I will be starting IVF next cycle which will probably be around May 1-2. This is my first cycle with any intervention, so I am both nervous and excited to be taking a more proactive approach. I am 33, DH is 34 and we have been trying for 15 months. I was diagnosed with low AMH in February (.78), but FSH is still below normal level (barely). Trying to stay positive, the hardest part for me is not being able to plan anything past the first week or two of May ( I am a planner) but I am trying to see this as an excuse to be more in the present. Which is not working that well

MMD1986

@Aera11 Good luck on this month's cycle, whether you do a fresh transfer or FET. 

@MrsJ2410 Welcome! Good luck on your first IVF cycle! I am with you on not being able to plan. I get so moody, hormonal and tired doing all the medications that I never plan anything because I don't want to cancel on anyone last minute because I don't feel up for it that day. 

artemis618

Thanks for starting, MMD1986!  I've now participated in January (started stims), February (ER), March (started stims), and April (ER) boards, and will likely be stimming in late May for an early June retrieval.  I'm starting to feel like a veteran and like the token AMA old lady here  

Background is mostly in the signature below, but I'm always on mobile so I can't see it either:

Me 39.5 (40 in October), DH 42
Married last June, *TW* natural BFP with July cycle, MC @11w5d in October
IVF#1 - antagonist - 12R, 7M and ICSI'd, 3F, 0B (one morula at day 7, nothing to test)
IVF#2 - luteal lupron w/o OCP - 10R, 8M, 8F (5 IVF, 3 ICSI), 6B, 1 PGS normal

Primed with Androgel (testosterone) and used Omnitrope (HGH) for both cycles.

New cycle just started this week, now I'm just waiting to ovulate on my own before starting the lupron again for IVF#3!

@Aera11 I think it's a good idea to bank now while you are younger if you're considering it.  I know you want to be KU ASAP, but egg quality does generally NOT get better with age.  After our *TW* loss, we wanted to be pregnant again ASAP, but we decided to go this route with the long game in mind (to PGS test to try to reduce the risk of another loss).  I also froze a few (only 9 mature) eggs back in 2012 (a good two and a half years before I met DH) when it experimental.  I wish I'd have scraped together the money to retrieve more back then.  We were trying to leave those frozen artemis618-sicles as a last resort as we'd also like more than one, but we'll probably inseminate and PGS test just to get a better idea of where we stand.  My insurance requires me to transfer within 90 days of the second ER (they covered two), so I wouldn't have time to do another cycle before then anyway.

@MrsJ2410 and @MMD1986 I think one of the most frustrating things for me has been even once you are able to plan, planning for the exercise restriction.  After a week of stimming, I don't tend to feel like doing anything (plus being extra tired because I take melatonin while stimming), then my Dr. says I'm only allowed to "stroll" for two weeks after ER.  I actually had to move February's ski trip to March because no one'd told me before (and I didn't ask).  But even having to stay in town for monitoring is limiting. Hopefully it will all be worth it though!

LadyMillil

On BCP now for my first IVF+ICSI cycle. I'm 30 with dysfunctional uterine bleeding and AMH low for my age. DH is 32 with low count and morph. We are on cycle 30 TTC with 3 failed medicated IUIs. 

I stop BCP on May 5 and go for my first scan the following week. My RE expects ER the week of May 21 and we plan to transfer 1 day 5 or 2 day 3s.

daisy222-2

Hello all!  I have seen some of you (hi @artemis618 @Aera11and @MMD1986) on previous boards   May seems like a good month for good news.

My history is below, but I am 34, DH is 40, TTC for ~2.5 yrs, unexplained IF w/ endo. At this point we have done 4 IUIs but no successful IVF. Our first IVF was cancelled halfway through stims last month b/c follies were not responding properly (I only had 3 that were mature, but they were fully mature in size on day 6 of stims, which I guess is too early to actually be mature as far as fertilization potential). We converted to IUI#4, which was a CP. Such a roller coaster. So I am ready for something to work, at least as far as getting to ER.

I am on BCP right now and will start lupron in a few days and be on it for 3 weeks, overlapping with stims. I am new at all this, but the lupron will hopefully slow down follicle growth and make them grow more together?  Dr called this the "agonist" protocol, but I think this is the same as "long lupron" (@MMD1986, was this the same as your IVF#1 plan?) Whatever the name, the plan is lupron starting 4/26, stims starting 5/6, ER tentatively 5/17. We are doing a fresh day-5 transfer, or so the plan goes.

Echoing @artemis618, YES the restrictions on travel and exercise really make this whole thing even worse. I feel so sorry for myself sometime. I really hope we get to ER because I had to turn down a very exciting trip in late May. If we get cancelled again and I am twiddling my thumbs in late May, I will be sad. So much of life has to be put on hold. I play on a few softball teams, and am in charge of one of them, and I am going to have to miss several weeks of games, but not sure how many. And I guess I will have to make up some various ailments or trips, because I am not as open about this as I know some people are (and good for you! I sincerely wish I could be, but it makes me feel very anxious thinking about all these people knowing).  Although as time goes on, I have had to tell more and more people out of necessity, as an explanation for what may seem like flaky behavior. 

[edited b/c I can't spell]

MMD1986

Hey @daisy222-2! I'm not really sure of names of all the protocols as my doctor doesn't ever name them to me. But that sounds like what I was on the first cycle. I was on Lupron for one and a half weeks before starting stims (10u a day), when I started the stims it dropped to 5u a day and I would have continued it through the trigger shot had we not had to cancel.  I think my body just responds really well to Lupron and I was over suppressed, but I'm also not a doctor. Lol. 

And I agree that May seems like a good month for good news!

SP128

Hi Ladies - 
I am 36 and DH is 35.  I think I belong here now.  We just got diagnosed with unexplained infertility on 4/12.  
I go in for blood work tomorrow to see if I ovulated yet.  The plan is to put me on estrodiol (sp?) on CD 21 and go on from there. 

First intervention and super nervous.  

Aera11

@artemis618 the banking vs. the wanting to be pregnant right this minute is such an emotional tug of war.  I need to talk to my RE and go from there, if she truly thinks we've just had two unlucky rounds of IVF, then I think we'll go for one more and then try to bank if nothing happens.  I just know we'd love more than one child if we could and I worry that if we do get pregnant this next time, I'll regret not banking...

I remember you too @daisy222-2, crossing my fingers so hard for you this time!!  

@LadyMillil should we do another IVF this month, our cycles will almost be nsync!  I see my RE May 5th and am hoping to stop by BCP that day too  

SP128

Quick question - any of you ladies told to use protection the cycle before starting estradiol?  

ttcndc

Hi Ladies.  My baseline is May 25th.  This is my very first IVF (due to both tubes being removed).  My FSH is 7.6 and my AMH is 0.867, which is very low for me to be 33.  

I will be doing the Microdose Lupron Flare.  I was told to start BCPs on the 2nd day of my next cycle which will probably start on May 9th.  My doctor's are trying their hardest not to oversuppress me so I will only be on BCPs for two weeks before my baseline.   I am praying and hoping that everything goes will for all of us next month. 

Kyoung5413

Hi everyone! I am an IVF first timer! 
Background:
TTC 3 years 
Me-28
Husband-28
Diagnosis-Stage 3 Endo (lap done 1 year ago)
We did three IUIs and then 1 injectable IUI cycle that ended in a loss. 

I will be doing the long Lupron protocol. I just started Lupron a few days ago and will begin stimming April 29 with Follistim. I did respond well on the Follistim during my injectable IUI so I am praying that it works again. Egg retreival tentative for May 10-12 and we plan to do a fresh transfer with two 5day embryos if we are lucky enough to get two good ones! 

Good luck to everyone! 

2MomsHoping

@MMD1986 thanks for getting us started!

@MRSJ2410 wow!  they are starting you with IVF and skipping IUIs?  It will be a bit of a crazy ride for you this cycle but don’t worry we are all hear to support you!!!

@daisy222-2 I’m partially open about my journey.  About three close friends know but for a big group of people I rather not get into it.  So little while lies are really whats needed to just get through sometimes.  

I’m doing my IVF#2 this month.  We have two remaining embabies from IVF#1 that we will be sending for PGS testing along with whatever will be recovered for this cycle.  We only retrieved 6 eggs/4 mature from IVF#1 and I was going to start last month but my antrils were much lower than my history.  My RE thought the BCP might be oversuppressing me so I was off all meds for this last cycle, we are skipping lupron  and just waiting around for AF to start stimming (who is annoyingly overdue).  I’m hoping this is a lucky month for all of us

MMD1986

@2MomsHoping it always makes me laugh how badly we all want AF to start when going through these cycles, when for so many years I would dread AF starting. 

Welcome to everyone who has joined!

aligoodmorning1

 Hi guys! I'm Ali. My husband and I are starting our first round of IVF this week. 
He's 28 and I'm 24. He has a very low count with poor motility. So far I've recieved my baby in a box (the giant box of meds) and yesterday was my last day of the birth control pills. I'll be starting lupron on the 26th and stims on the 28th. So excited to get this started. 

littledarlins

@MMD1986 Thank you for starting the board!  And yes about being happy for AF!  I used to dread it and now I just want to sing We are the Champions.  

We have a lot of first IVF timers on this board, it will be a busy month!  I have done one round of mini-IVF and the second coming up in May.  It seems like FOREVER!  I am excited to get started again and hope that this next ER will yield at least  2 happy little embryos.  The first one gave me one, now frozen while I do another cycle.  At my age, this is pretty good, and consistent with mini IVF. 


@artemis618  Dont worry, you are not the only AMA!  Im 47 and still going!

aligoodmorning1

Went to the RE today and got the go ahead to start Lupron in the morning. I am so stinking excited and nervous. Any suggestions for the shots?

MMD1986

@aligoodmorning1 the lupron shots are easy! The needle is so small you can hardly feel it. My RE had me do them in my thigh, which for whatever reason was less scary to me than my stomach. 

Momifbysea

Hello everyone, I'm moving here from the April IVF board. I just finished my first IVF egg retrieval last Wednesday. I am 42-1/2 so am battling age, to use my RE's words. I did the antagonist cetrotide protocol. I had 8 follicles. They retrieved 8 eggs which left me on a high that morning, but the fert report was that only 4 of 8 were mature and only 2 fertilized with ICSI. Yesterday I got the day 6 call that both embryos had arrested- only one even made it to morula stage- so we have nothing. I took last night to mourn, today is slightly better but I'm still pretty emotional. We scheduled an appt with our RE for May 8 to strategize for cycle #2. At first we weren't going to do more than 1 cycle but now that Ive been through the shots I know I can do this again. Insurance will cover about half so we feel we should go for one more try. Also, we are moving halfway across the country in July (one of two locations, not sure where yet as DH is just finishing grad school and waiting for offers due any time) so there's additional stress going on. I also have that 43rd birthday coming in September so am worried it will be difficult to find a clinic in our new area to take us on, hence us trying one more before the move. It's now or never I figure! Anyways, I look forward to giving and getting support during this cycle, and having been through it once now, hopefully can help with some questions. Good luck everyone!

2MomsHoping

@MMD1986 let me tell I much prefer waiting for AF than my typically praying for her not to come and she does anyways!  

@momifbysea I followed your story on the April IVF board.  I’m happy to be able to keep up with you hear and hopefully your second IVF will have a happier ending.

AFM:  I went in for my baseline today and am starting stimulation tonight, and will be doing my first check on Saturday  Everything is different this month so I’m hoping that we get better results than my first IVF.  I have a new protocol, I’ve lost some weight and am trying to do a high protein, no dairy/low sugar diet, and have been doing acupuncture.  This is my last right on the IVF merry-go-round so I’m hoping its a good one!

athikergirl

good morning all! Just got back from my baseline which means I'm finally starting my first natural cycle ivf cycle! I have to say that wait for my period to start seemed to take forever. Once we made the decision to move forward with IVF, I just wanted to get started.

About me: I'm 28 (almost 29) and my husband is 28. I have PCOS and he has low sperm count (<2 million) so really we only have IVF as an option. For our first few times we decided to try natural cycle IVF. This means lots of monitoring and the only treatment is an HGC shot to trigger egg release before retrieval and there is only one egg per cycle that is fertilized via ICSI and then egg hatching is utilized before transfer back the same cycle. Once transfer occurs, its the usual cocktail of progesterone suppositories and estradiol. 

2MomsHoping

Hi @athikergirl congrats on the green light!  Welcome to the board and I hope this month is a lucky one for you  I have never heard doing a natural cycle IVF.  I'm curious (if you are willing to share) why you and your husband decided on that treatment over a stimulated cycle?

MMD1986

I've never heard of a natural IVF cycle either. @athikergirl welcome!

How is everyone doing?

I have my baseline tomorrow morning. I'm nervous and hoping everything is ok to start this cycle! 

I also want to pat myself on the back for throwing a successful baby shower for a good friend yesterday. I held it together and didn't cry once. Lol. 

Kyoung5413

@MMD1986 good luck with baseline tomorrow!

@athickergirl Good luck starting with the natural IVF

@twomomshoping how was your check yesterday?

AFM I started stims tonight! I can't believe it's all happening after waiting forever.  I will have my first check Friday to see how many follies are growing. I started getting some bruising from the Lupron shots but I think it's partially due to taking the dexamethasone which I always bruise easily when taking. 

MMD1986

Yay for starting stims. @Kyoung5413

aligoodmorning1

Drove to the RE today for blood work, they called back and told me to continue my same dosages (20u of diluted lupron and 200u of Follistim) twice daily. I go back on Wednesday for another check up. I'm pretty excited to have things moving along but I'm feeling pretty run down from the meds. 
 How's everyone else doing?

LadyMillil

I'm on BCP until Friday. If everything looks good I'll be starting stims sometime next week

MrsJ2410

@LadyMillil me too! I just got back from the RE having thought I was going in to start stims, but I have a cyst so I am on BCP and testosterone until Friday and then hopefully start everything then. It was really disappointing as we had planned (lol "planned") the whole cycle out and now its all being pushed a week, but at least it isn't being pushed a whole cycle so I am thankful for that. 

@athikergirl yay for starting!
@MMD1986 def deserve a pat on the back for that! FX for good baseline. 
@Kyoung5413 yay for stims! 
@aligoodmorning1 sorry your feeling run down, but great things are moving along. 

MMD1986

Everything went great at my appointment this morning, so my doctor gave me the go ahead. I start micro lupron Thursday.

immiet

Hi everyone! I've been jumping around boards. Previously in the April IVF board, but midway through cycle was cancelled due to the lack of response. I was too surpressed and never had follicles that were big enough to measure. Now we are waiting for my period to start. Last day of injections were on April 4. My last blood work was last Thursday to see if I ovulated. I knew I had not. I have been using an ovulation strip every night but have not ovulated. Our next cycle will be with cetrotide. I wish I can say I'm patiently waiting for my period but I'm not. I'm creating anxiety for myself because we have a trip june 4-7 out of the city that I can't cancel. And if my period doesn't start soon, we won't have time to start another cycle in May but it may have to be in June or July. July is a big month for me because a lot of stressful things are happening in July. Wish I can just take it easy like dh tells me to. So that's my story. Hopefully I get to stay in this group. 

ttcndc

@immiet what protocol were you on that was cancelled?

ttcndc

Just got an email from my doctor with my protocol and instructions.  

• May 25th - Baseline 
• May 27th - Begin Microdose Lupron injection (20 units, 2X daily)
• May 28th - Start Stims for 10-12 days (Gonal/F multi-dose pen) (Menopur 3ml syringe)
• June 9th - Egg retrieval 
• June 14th - Embryo transfer 

She also listed these other medications for me to pick up from the pharmacy.  I'm not sure what these are for thorough...

• 10,000 units of HCG trigger injection
• Endometrin 100mg (42 tabs)
• Doxycycline 100mg (5 tabs)
• Methyprednisolone 16mg (4 tabs) 
• Oxycodone/APAP 5/325 (20 tabs)

immiet

ttcndc said:

@immiet what protocol were you on that was cancelled?

My doctor didn't say what protocol it was but based on google, I think it was the short lupron? I was on bcp for about three weeks, then started on lupron on CD 1, then three days later I started stims. 

2MomsHoping

Hi all!

@Kyoung5413 how are your sims going?

@MMD1986 glad your baseline went well and you are getting started!

@lmmiet I hope AF shows for you and soon so you don’t have to delay.  I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you.

@ttcndc I’m surprised your doctor can give you an egg retrieval date mine gave me a 5 day span but i think my body isn’t very predictable with drugs.  

AFM:  My stimming is going pretty well.  At my 3-day check my estrogen was a bit lower than she wanted so she bumped up my meds so I’m doing  300IU goal-f and 150 menopure .  I went back in on Monday and my lead follicle was 14 so I started ganarelix yesterday I forgot to ask how many were developing but I have the gut feeling its going well because I’m starting to feel uncomfortable.   I’m really trying to keep my stress in check.  Something funky happened with insurance where we thought we still had about 12,000 left of our fertility limits and it turns out that we only have 2,600 and nothing left of our fertility meds limit…I found that out when I refilled the gonal-f pen yesterday.  It was certainly not expected.  But after a few tears we have decided that we would figure it out and we are just going to keep going.  Yeah but it was a pretty crummy thing to figure out 6 days into stims.

MMD1986

@2MomsHoping my doctor didn't give me an estimated egg retrieval date. I have a day by day plan until my next appointment May 10th and then it's day by day from there. 

Sorry to hear about your insurance, not fun news, but especially in the middle of a cycle. But very glad y'all are able to keep going! Good luck. 

As for me, I had a mini freak out today. My medications were sent overnight to me Monday, but FedEx had some problems at their Memphis hub Monday so my package never came. Luckily they promised to have it to me by 10 am tomorrow and the pharmacy said the ice packs are good for up to 48 hours. 

littledarlins

@MMD1986 I hope your package arrives safely and you should check each little box to make sure all the medicines and vials are actually there- Mine arrived and one carton with Follistim didnt have the vial in it. They shipped a new one in a jiffy, but the medicines are expensive, so be sure to check!

ttcndc

@immiet I think I will be on the short Lupron protocol too based on what I've read and what my doctor sent me.  I've heard that it can over-suppress you.  I will be on BCPs for two weeks starting around May 9th depending on when I come on my cycle.  I have low AMH and I hope and pray that I am not over-suppressed.

ttcndc

@2MomsHoping There was an estimation sign (~) next to the dates for egg retrieval and embryo transfer but I think they are hoping it is near the dates that they listed.  

cmiller73

Hi ladies! Was on the March and April IVF boards and now am in the 5 day wait from an Apr 30th ER.  At this point we are waiting to see what we get to day 5 and then based on that, PGSing what we have or deciding to bank and hit this rodeo again.

Details: Me 43, DH 40, Unknown IF. Good numbers all around for us both, perhaps we just have HORRIBLE timing even using OPK and spending 2.5 years TTC naturally.
IVF#1: CLimara patch protocol (what my RE calls it... also says its the most aggressive protocol they use) Priming with estradiol patches every other day and 3 days of cetrotide til AF arrives then into Meno, Gonal f and Cetro (days 5-9) and Lupron only trigger (40units) NO ISCI. 25F 13R, 11M, 3F, 1B (banked to PGS after round 2)
IVF#2: Same exact med protocol with the addition of micro dose of hCG at trigger (1000iu) to protect against egg loss, added in ISCI. last monitoring showed 19 measurable follies but.... 24 eggs retrieved, 18 mature and 14 Fertilized.  Currently waiting for day 5 results.

Hope all are well! Hello to the people joining the IVF journey for the first time and howdy to those who I have seen previously.  As a fellow old lady, let's make May our month!