February 2018 IVF

roisis

Ooooooooo - I'm actually in this February club!!! Thank you all for your kind words - I just gave myself my first injection (150IUs of Gonal-F) Huzzah!!!!!! When the doc reviewed my case he decided that because I'm doing a freeze-all - with no notions of implanting this month - the lining is not actually that important so I could go ahead regardless. It was a very strange "Yaaaaaaaay! Wait - I've to give myself an injection right now - Ewwwwwwww" kinda moment I really thought earlier today that I was out of it again for another month, actually I'd almost gotten used to it. I'm having very strange emotions right now! 

@mrsa2017 I'm always in favour of rants! I think we all need to rant more to get through this - so never apologise! Sorry if my situation has scared you - I'm sure all will be fine. As far as I remember (it's been a long time since I used it) but AF after BCP is generally lighter than a natural cycle? Try not to worry - I had literally no idea this could be an issue - so it probably doesn't crop up very often. Are you planning a fresh transfer? I'm sure we'll still be stims buddies

@kristimh80 Best of luck!!
@shaelan 6 large follies already - yay - sounds great! Any side effects yet?
Anyone else feeling any effects from stimming?
I hope everyone is holding up ok - no matter what stage you're at. We got this!!!!!

Bababatty

@roisis That is fantastic!!! Yaaaay!!

alfieb-2

@roisis Yay! You were able to start!!!  Grow follies grow!!!

@kristimh80 Good luck today!!! 

kristimh80

@roisis So glad you were able to get started!! Sending good vibes for lots of good follicles! Only effects I had when I started stims was a slight headache and tiredness, but think that was due to menopur. That eventually wore off and towards the end felt just felt “full” all the time. 

Thanks for all the good vibes today! Everything went great and was a lot less scary than I was expecting! Ended up retrieving 50 eggs. Feeling good being on this side of things now. 

shae44

@roisis so glad you can start!! I just had some headaches the last couple of days.

@kristimh80 50 wow! Congrats!

artemis618

@roisis Yay for being able to start

@kristimh80 Holy moly!  I just saw your “50” on the spreadsheet.  Hope you’re feeling okay.  Fx for a great fert report tomorrow!

Hope stims are going well for those of you who’ve started.

AFM, I’ve gone one more night of stims then will trigger Thursday night for a Saturday retrieval.  But unlike last cycle I feel like I’ll be lucky if I get 7...hoping for quality!

kristimh80

@artemis618  Happy Trigger Day Eve!! Exciting! I hope this cycle brings you lots of good embies  Has this cycle seems better compared to your previous ones? I noticed you changed RE's last year and looked like their method was working better for you.

mrsa2017

@kristimh80 what da WHAT?!!! 50!OMG even my ovaries just twinged when I read that. Woo-hooooo! Great way to start us off. 

@roisis yaaaaaaaas hunty! I'll be right behind you.  I couldn't remember if you were doing a frozen or fresh because I know your lining isn't needed for frozen. I am planning on doing a fresh.  I am so excited for you. 

@shaelan your eggies are doing good.  Keep it up! 

@artemis618 Quality over Quantity! 

AFM...  *TMI I can feel the clots and the cramping off and on is horrible. My lining tomorrow needs to be beautifully thin for this suffering I'm enduring tonight.  I am ready for baseline tomorrow. Time to get this party started! Shots shots shots

kristimh80

@mrsa2017 Hope tomorrow is a good day for you!! Sounds like AF is here with a vengeance, so you shouldn't have an issue  

mrsa2017

@kristimh80 I just had a WTF moment....  *The clot I passed had tissue attached to it* and I freaked out. I put it in a cup and covered it to take to the doctor with me tomorrow. DH is researching a whole bunch of stuff because he couldn't believe that came out of me.  The bloat is out of control and I haven't even started stimming yet .. 
How do you feel? Are you watching for OHSS signs? 

artemis618

@kristimh80 Thanks - I’d not thought of it as trigger day eve, but I am glad for no more FSH shots.  Just one more MDL shot in the AM, and trigger and the rest of the hgh tomorrow night.  

Numbers wise pre-retrieval, this one seems consistent with my first three (which were antagonist and luteal lupron) last year - I got 12, 10, and 14 eggs (not all mature) respectively, but only 8 blasts total and one fair quality normal among them (no blasts first cycle).  My last microdose lupron flare cycle with the new RE (after a three month break) I think we just got really lucky - we retrieved 33 eggs (not all mature), 18 fertilized (we did half IVF half ICSI - we’ll ICSI everything this time), 10 blasts and 4 normals (transferred our first one in November and *TW* unfortunately it only took temporarily) - that retrieval was two weeks before my 40th birthday.  

So I certainly don’t mean to sound ungrateful, but I admit I am a little disappointed compared to my last cycle since it’s such a numbers game.  Every cycle is different (I stimmed 8 days this time as compared to last cycle’s 7 - response was not as good).  I could have waited another cycle, but there’s no guarantee that my AFC would have been higher next cycle.

@mrsa2017  Um...I hope AF lets up soon and that whatever that was isn’t anything too concerning. :-/

roisis

@kristimh80 50 - yowsa!!! Congrats - that's an amazing haul! Best of luck with the fertilisation results xx
@mrsa2017 Best of luck with your baseline! Try not to worry too much about that weird thing - it's funny - we don't normally pay so much attention to what comes out during our periods - usually just flush it! Now we're inspecting it and trying to measure it and getting very stressed - I'm sure it's all fine I'm embarrassed to admit this but I did a bunch of stomach crunches the other night in some ill-proven attempt to 'push' my period out - the only result is that now my tummy hurts for muscular reasons!! GL xx
@artemis6 You've really been through the ringer over the last year with his I didn't mean to pry - I just looked through your signature, and can imagine how tough it's been. I wish you all the best this time around - hope you get all you dream for As you say every cycle is different - so hopefully your new RE can give you new and improved results. xxx
Thank you everyone for your support. I like this group!!

kristimh80

@artemis618 Your right, it really is such a #'s game. I think the worst part about it is, we really have no control over it all past supplements / diets beforehand. But even doing everything "right", doesn't always mean results will lean in our favor. Same as you, I only stimmed 8-9 days this time as well. Wishing you the best this go around!!! I know you must be happy to be done with shots tomorrow! 

mrsa2017

Hellooooo February 

@artemis618 Are you planning on banking embryos or doing a transfer after this? I guess every cycle does be different. I'm  wishing for the outcome you desire this go round  GL at retrieval tomorrow. 

@roisis the things we do while dealing with IF (covers face).....  Baseline day! To be nervous or not to be.. 

mcgeeva

Hi all I think I should join you all here I was on March feet but won’t happen until April. I start my shots on the 22nd of feb. 

Back story: When I was much much younger I donated eggs and found out I had pcos and was insulin resistance. At the time didn’t mean anything until I was married and wanting to have kids. When we started I knew to ask about testing for ovulation each month. Two doctors and 10-11 months in of metformin and clomid I never ovulated. Headed to shady grove for iui with stims and had a healthy boy. Did it again two years later - diff drugs due to my lining being to thin. Had my second. Now like a crazy person I am back for more after two misscariags this summer. Starting my first round of ivf now that my husband and I are 35 and 40 and wth the recent misscariages I want to do pgs testing. So here I am.. Little scared this time around for some reason 

Bababatty

@artemis618 Good luck today!! 

@kristimh80 I’m sorry, did you say 50, as in 5-0?! Is that even possible?? Wow, lady!! I am SO impressed!

@mcgeeva Welcome!

mcgeeva

@kristimh80 do you worry about OHSS? The most eggs I ever retrieved was about 37 and I never had any issues. But 50 holy god I would be so nervous. I take it you have PCOS?

kristimh80

@Bababatty  Yes, 50! lol They called today and 28 fertilized, so now to get thru days 3 & 5 waiting game!


@mcgeeva I was super worried about OHSS, but they gave me Lupron to trigger with, which almost completely eliminates it from happening. Just if over-stim and given HCG...it's more likely to happen since HCG stays in your system for up to 10 days. I didn't know I had PCOS till this process lol I think it's mainly PCOS ovaries, I don't have any other real signs of it besides not ovulating all the time. 

mcgeeva

@kristimh80 good to know im going to keep this is mind when I do my retrieval since I tend to produce a bunch of eggs. 

artemis618

Thanks, ladies!  Just to clarify, I just trigger tonight, ER won’t be till Saturday

@roisis Lol at your crunches - but core work is great for your back!

@kristimh80 Stimming an extra day is just consistent with my response not being as good this cycle, but we’ll see what we get.  The shots and the retrieval (as long as I have double the anti nausea meds in the anesthesia ) are the easy part - it’s the waiting that’s the killer!

@mrsa2017 We don’t yet know.  We don’t know how many will be “enough.”  We thought we felt comfortable proceeding to transfer with five normals, so we did.  But now that we’re down to four (and after how that first transfer went - everything was supposedly “perfect”), we’re not sure.  It’s so expensive and so draining - I just know that at this age I won’t likely have the opportunity later to make more embryos as efficiently as I can now - and though it sounds greedy at this point, we’d like more than one.

@mcgeeva I think I’d mentioned in an earlier post, but even though the highest my estrogen has gotten was only 5700-something, I’ve had Cabergoline with all of my retrievals.  Probably I would have been fine without it, but it didn’t hurt anything (since EDIT:  NOT transferring fresh).  I can’t trigger with lupron since my last four cycles have been lupron protocols.

mrsa2017

@artemis618 this is the part of this process that irks me the most....  The uncertainty.  "perfect" doesn't guarantee a THB. Well do what your heart tells you and your gut. It's not Greedy to want more than one, we all do.  And with 5 you were sure atleast there is 2 kids in there and I believe there still is. Just don't give up.  I'm praying for atleast 3/4 more embabies for you this cycle. 

mcgeeva

good luck @artemis618

Bababatty

@artemis618 In that case, good luck with trigger tonight and enjoy your day free of stimming tomorrow. :-) Also I concur on it not being greedy to want more. One reason we’re doing a second round of IVF is only having one embie left and we know we would like at least 2 kids. 

ChristenMA83

Is anyone using Human Growth Hormone?  My clinic says they usually offer it for anyone with low ovarian reserve or over 35, to help with egg quality.  My bloodwork tested good in the ovarian reserve department, but I just turned 35 in January.  I'm leaning towards skipping it since medically there's no reason other than my age...but looking for opinions.

artemis618

@ChristenMA83 Yup - I’ve used it for all four of my cycles last year (at age 39) and used it for this current cycle (at age 40) as well.  I wish I would have known about it when I froze a few eggs right after I turned 35 - I don’t know if it would have made a difference, but I wonder (of 9 mature eggs, 8 fertilized yielding just one abnormal blast).  I don’t think it will help overcome a bad protocol fit (see my first cycle stats - unfortunately my egg freezing cycle was the same protocol), and it is annoying that I don’t think insurance generally covers it because this purpose is off-label.  But if you can afford it (maybe 2-3 vials at $325/vial?) other than the cost it doesn’t hurt to try IMO.  If I’m not mistaken, even when we are younger something like half of our eggs are aneuploid. Human reproduction is incredibly inefficient.

roisis

@mcgeeva Welcome to February
@kristimh80 28 fertilised - that's fantastic! Best of luck with their progress
@artemis618 Definitely not being greedy looking for more than one. As others have said - we're all here trying to create our families. I keep saying to myself I'd be delighted just to get the one - but then I want that little one to have a brother or sister to grow up with. It's natural for us to think way down the line and picture big healthy families It's just also kinda hard to see it that way sometimes.
@mrsa2017 How did your baseline go? Any issue with the sample you brought in?

I know a few people have said they're worried about OHSS. I'm not sure if I mentioned it but I had it pretty bad last year. I think the worst part was the shock of having it (I wasn't aware it was a possibility) so it was disappointing to have to wait and do an FET when I thought I was about to transfer. It's unpleasant - but it's not the end of the world, so don't fret too much. As with all parts of this feckin annoying process - we just keep on taking what happens and deal with it.

GL everyone xxx

mrsa2017

@roisis Doc confirmed that my little show and tell item was nothing to worry about.  It sometimes happen when you're on BCP for awhile. My bestie (she's a nurse) had told me it was tissue and not to worry so that was good. My lining was a 7.5 but AF is still here so I'm guessing that's why. I so agree with what you said.  We do whatever is necessary! 

@mcgeeva Welcome to the February train! The ladies here have already started out with a bang. GL 

@kristimh80 I knew you had overachievers lol woo-hoo for 28. I can't wait to hear about your other reports and final blast count. 

I got the call to start tonight, yaaaaay! I also got a prescription for metformin and baby aspirin. My coordinator said the metformin can cause diarrhea?!   My party starts at 8pm. The ice pack and heating pad is ready. 

Anyone had to take metformin? 

mrsa2017

@misbehaeven Checking in on you.. How is stimming going?
@ChristenMA83 Are you ready for tomorrow?

mandurz

@mrsa2017 metformin can and will cause diarrhea. I am on it for the PCOS, my SIL is also on it. We have been at family gatherings and shortly after eating would look at each other say metformin and both run to the bathroom. Stay away from extra sugary foods/drinks it makes it worse.

roisis

@mrsa2017 Yeah - my doc said that metformin can be 'hard of your stomach'. I tried it for a while - (*TMI again - I have IBS) - it didn't really agree with me so he told me not to continue with it. Probiotics can help. Apparently it can affect different people in different ways - so stay near the loo if you can for the first while and hope for the best. Ahhhhh ivf - just when we think you can't get any more undignified   But yay for getting started!! Happy stimming!

mcgeeva

roisis how far back did it push your FET when you had OHSS? 

All I can say about Metformin was it was awful when I was on it. I lost 10 pounds from puking and pooping non stop even if I just had water. Not the drug for me. On Ovasitol now. 

I have gone through egg retrieval twice before but for some reason 10 years later I am so stressed and nervous about this process now. Some have said their PCOS effected the quality of their eggs. I didn't know that was an issue. I thought it was our bodies missed steps in the process of burning off your eggs before they released. And just having two miscarriages im afraid of the possibility again.

roisis

@mcgeeva It only delayed me about 6 weeks I think. I had to wait for a bleed (~10 days taking heparin injections) and then wait a full cycle to recover. Then I started taking the normal hormones to prep for the FET - I actually can't remember now what they were. The reason I was allowed stop the Metformin was that I'm more 'at risk' for PCOS rather than actually having it (at least that was my understanding). But that sounds like an awful reaction to it!! I didn't get it that bad at all.
I must admit - I'm not expert on what these different situations mean. For me - at least last time - I had lots of follies (>25) but I only got 9 eggs and only 3 fertilized, so I guess despite having a large ovarian reserve, the quality is not good. I admit, that I too am really scared about this too, so you are not alone It's so annoying - there seems to be certain things that can be diagnosed straight away - but after they have eliminated all the 'typical issues' there's still a bunch of us left as 'unexplained'. Despite the fact that there are plenty of eejits getting KU all around us - making a baby is an extremely complicated process. My RE once said to me that human beings are a particularly infertile species compared to other mammals; it was a strange thought.
I can understand your anxiety, particularly after having 2 m/cs, all we can do now is push forward with all our might. There are no guarantees in this, but one thing is very true: by undertaking ivf you are giving yourself the best possible chance of having a baby. I just keep clinging to that

TW in spoiler  (it's a bit of a downer...)

My last ivf ended in m/c at 9 wks, and no matter what happens, I just really don't want to go through that again. I'm sorry to be down, I know this is a place for happy thoughts and positivity but I'm feeling it bad at the moment as tomorrow was my due date for that pregnancy . I'm being positive - starting a new cycle (the current date is another reason I reeeeeeeallly wanted to be allowed to start this week!) so please forgive me for dwelling on the negatives. The relevance of the date this weekend is just not something anyone around me (even my family) seem to have noticed. I guess it's still just a scary time xxx

mcgeeva

roisis it's all a crap shoot. My husband is like really...your back on those blogs again?!! Pretty much there is no one in my life that gets this crap. I was told by friends after my recent miscarriages..It's good news now you know you can get pregnant! Um no..the doctor said no chance in hell. It will always in miscarriage bc of what my body does to the eggs. It was just a random fluke. Then I have the friends that tell me...you have two boys just be happy at that if it doesn't work. I get that 100% those who have none (I know my friend's SIL had done IVF - had OHSS then had an hysterectomy. So her best friend became the surrogate not once but twice! So that was a happy ending)  but this is coming from those who never had to pay to get pregnant. 

mrsa2017

OMG @mandurz @roisis @mcgeeva
What will I do if I'm at work?! Good thing we go on vacation on Tuesday but I start it tonight and I work 3-11 today. 
She said to take it with food. Oh lawd I had better take that with dinner if I may spend all night in my bathroom. Oh man! Thanks for the heads up ladies, I better warn my DH. 

@roisis  *TW I never got far enough to get my due dates but DH and I recognize the dates we lost them. So Jan Feb and April is usually the time we take to grieve a little and talk about what it would've been like if they were here..  We will never forget them,and we can't really, since the dates are tattooed above my lady parts. Everytime I see that scar...  Feb is the month of the last one so I'm also glad we decided to start our cycle this month. I told DH this morning that I'm so happy that I'm finally making head way to giving him a baby. I used to blame myself for everything.. **TW end (sorry don't know how to do spoiler on mobile) 
But today is going to be a good day despite I may shit out my guts by the end of the night

Elle131

@mrsa2017 I’m on Metformin for 8 months now... it will agitate your stomach but after 2 weeks the symptoms go away as long as you maintain your intake routine... I am doing a February cycle so I’m joining you ladies for the ride. My baseline appointment is today... 

mcgeeva

mrsa2017 lol Well I have had friends on Metformin that had zero side effects so maybe you will be the lucky one!

mrsa2017

@Elle131my coordinator gave me a months supply.  She said take 1 a day then increase to 2 when I can stomach it *pun intended*...  2 weeks is good since I'll be on vacation in a few days. And welcome to this train! How did your Baseline go? 

@mcgeeva one can only hope. I remember being on it with my clomid for one or two cycles but that was about 3 years ago so I don't even remember. And this time I am on it with stimming medication so who even knows. IF makes everything go side ways. 

mrsa2017

First injection down woo-hoo....  DH flunked out and decided to watch and my bestie did everything. I iced and didn't feel a thing. I bled a little after but all and all it was a piece of cake! Now off to eat and take these metformin pills and baby aspirin.. 

Elle131

So my Doc just texted me... Baseline went well... Officially on day one of the IVF Cycle... Got all my meds today too... Wow this is actually happening. God’s blessings to all of us on this Journey!!!!

Orlaa

Wow, so much going on here! 

@kristimh80 those numbers are amazing! Well done you 

@mcgeeva I'm also worried about egg quality *TW* after 2 early MCs and a CP I felt like I had no chance of producing a healthy egg but I hope that all the medication taken during IVF will make up for what my body is lacking if that makes sense.

I've also had those comments after MC - "it's a positive thing it means you can get pregnant!". But of course most people are completely unaware of how complicated fertility actually is because they've never had to think about it too much. There have been times when I've been sitting in the waiting room for what seems like the millionth ultrasound/ blood-test/ consultation or whatever and it occurs to me that most people just have sex. That's it. They have sex, get pregnant and have a baby. It just seems so ridiculously simple compared to what we all go through. But hey that's life.

@roisis I completely understand how significant due dates can be. I don't think I'll ever forget mine and of course when the date arrives it's impossible not to think of all the what-ifs. I'm also terrified at the thought of another loss. As much as I'd like to think positively, I feel I also need to mentally prepare myself for the worst as much as possible.

@Elle131 Welcome, sounds like you're off to a good start.

@artemis618 Good luck with your ER.

To all of you who have started injections already I hope it all goes well.