April 2018 IVF

kristimh80

Saw there wasn't a dedicated April IVF group, so making this for you all starting soon! Best of luck to you all!  

madasm0530

Hi Everyone - I think I will be toward the end of April/early May but hope to be involved in both boards. 

We've been having the most difficult time deciding on 1 round of IVF or purchasing a 'warranty' program that's offered at my clinic. We're heavily leaning toward 1 and will re-evaluate any FETs or additional IVF cycles, if needed. 

My history is in my signature but is a little outdated. This IVF cycle will be a looong time coming for us. Super excited to get started. 

Best of luck to everyone. 

roadrunnerrita

Thanks for starting this thread! I was looking for it and was just sure I was using the search wrong...

I've been spinning my wheels for so long, I'm anxious to get started. This is my first IVF cycle and we are going to try a fresh transfer. I have all of my medications delivered, and am just waiting to ovulate before getting started. It's delayed, so I'm already nervous! Has anyone had trouble ovulating after bcp's? I was on some for about a month to undergo a hysteroscopy, so I'm concerned that I'll have to go through a whole menstrual cycle before doing this. ug. I don't want to do any more waiting.

 Really hoping that this process works.

madasm0530 : how much is the warranty? What is the live birth rate per cycle at your clinic? Most people I know had to go through at least a few transfers, and some multiple cycles. My husband and I did the math that even with really good outcomes (like 60% live birth rates), you still expect to do 2 cycles per live birth. 

madasm0530

@roadrunnerrita the live birth at my clinic, at my age is 66%.
the warranty is pretty expensive, but we'd have to do to full fresh transfer cycles to exceed. It sounds bad but the warranty cycle is buy 2, get 1 free. it also includes all FETs. 

I am starting provera tonight because I don't ovulate on my own, then BCPs. 

adamae1216

Hi everyone.  I'm jumping on this board too since I started in March but will finish up in April.  I started my IVF cycle on March 24th and had my first monitoring on the 27th.  They saw 14 follicles on the first visit.  On my second visit I had 7 that were between 7-11mm in size. I am on 225 Folistim and 75 Menopur.  We are doing a FET because of PGD/PGS testing since both my husband and I are sickle cell trait carriers.  (I just had to fall in love with someone who also has the sickle cell trait)  FX that we get some nice mature eggs out of this process.  If anyone has any questions about starting the process I will be happy to answer those.  I feel like a pro with those shots. LOL

roadrunnerrita

@ madasm0530 : then you have lower chance of really needing the 3rd cycle....  Idk! I probably wound't, but I also am planning to do a fresh transfer and no PGS so my risk tolerance profile may be different here. 

nickyggg

Hi April crew, I can’t believe it’s already almost our turn! This is my first round of fertility treatment (straight to IVF) and we are hoping for our first child. I got my GIANT 12lb box of meds in the mail today

nickyggg

and I am officially excited/nervous/excited/nervous haha! Sending you all good vibes!! (oops, for some reason half of what I wrote was cut off when posting!)

@madasm0530 I'm also going to be spanning April-May! When are you set to start stims? I'm supposed to start around the 15th. Would be cool if we are on a similar timeline. 

nickyggg

@knottie02415720 it sounds like you have a good plan in place and are off to a great start. How big do they want the follicles to get before they are considered ready? 

Disclaimer to all: I am 100% new to all of this, so my apologies if I ask something a little silly! Part of why I am here on this board is because I don't know anyone who has gone through IVF and it's going to be nice to have some ladies to chat with who can relate : )

adamae1216

I believe they want the biggest follicles to be at least 18mm but I’ll ask at my appt tomorrow, 

monkey126

Hi ladies! Similar to Knottie 02415720, I started my medication in March and will be finishing in April. It is our first cycle of IVF as well.  I feel like the enormous medications delivery box was the most intimidating until I saw the first batch of shots and wondered how in the world are all of those needles going to be injected in me!!  And honestly, it hasn’t been that bad... aside from my random and sudden mood swings.  Poor DH. 

We opted out of PGS testing for this cycle and are doing a fresh transfer.  Has anyone made the decision on ICSI or Assisted hatching? DH is not inclined to consent to these but I’m wondering everyone’s thoughts

Thank you for starting this board! I am excited to have a group to go through this with. FX for all

adamae1216

@aeb1116 welcome.  I believe we agreed to both assisted hatching and ICSI as a last resort.  I'd rather not have to do it though.  Those videos they made me watch scared me from wanting to do anything really.  I don't know if this was the best thing to watch a day or two before starting this process. When I got that box it was so overwhelming but exciting because I knew it was getting real.

AFM today I had another monitoring.  He measured three large follicles in each ovary.  There were some smaller ones as well and he said my left ovary has more activity than my right.  He had to push on my left ovary to get a better view.  I had to start Garinelix this  because the doctor said otherwise I'll ovulate soon.  So now I have 1 am shot and 2 PM.  Hooray for more shots! 

nickyggg

The videos are really horrifying! I have a needle phobia so when I watched them I thought, “This is how I am going to die.”  @aeb1116 It's so good to hear that the shots aren't as tough as they first appear! I have a needle phobia and am looking forward to defeating that fear.

nickyggg

mich_elle

:::lurking:::
Hey ladies! I'm over on TTC 35+ & post on the IF threads occasionally AND I'm not due to start my 1st round of IVF until May so I really don't "belong" on this thread...BUT...I just wanted to chime in over here!
@roadrunnerrita Is your AMH low? If so, then you may want to speak to your RE about NOT doing BCP for fear of suppressing the ovaries too much. Mine is super low but my RE wants to do a few days, no more than a week, of BCP as part of my protocol. She described it like this: using BCP helps all of the follies "start" at the same time. It's supposed to help keep the growing follies/eggs around the same size as they grow. Also, try not to get too hung up on the success rates at clinics as they can be a little tricky to interpret. For example, some clinics *only* do IVF w/ PGS testing which means the embryos must make it to day 5. Many do not get that far so by limiting the type of protocol the will do skews the numbers a bit compared to a group like mine who have no limitations on who they'll treat. I hope that makes sense!

@aeb1116 My RE recommended ICSI for us due to DH slightly lower count/motility and my age. She said that if the embryologist feels that AH is needed, they'll do it. Our goal is to get something to transfer using my eggs and DH's sperm so whatever it takes!

@nickyggg OMG same! I watched a few youtube videos on how to inject MDL, etc. Then I had an anxiety attack after watching several on how to inject PIO. Those needles are legit cray and I don't know how I'm gonna do it!!

Anyways, I'll be lurking over here until a May 2018 IVF board is started (or I'll just start one my damn self because, who likes waiting!?!?) Best of luck to you all!

:::retreats back into the darkness:::

Augusta108

I will jump in here too! I have my big appointment to kick off my first IVF cycle on  Monday. My husband has severe oligospermia and I have Low AMH, so we’re doing an aggressive microdose Lupron flare protocol. We will be doing ICSI for sure thanks to my husband’s diagnosis.

Looking forward to getting to know others going through this in April! I too have been nervously eying that giant box of meds on my dining room table...

monkey126

Ice was my saving grace. I numbed the injection locations on my stomach for 7-10 minutes and it helped so much. It doesn’t prevent the feeling of the medicine but it helped hide the pinch of the needle going in.  I barely felt it! 

I didn’t watch any videos?!?! Are they available online? Would anyone be able to send a link? 

kandos

Hello ladies,
This is our 1st IVF cycle and we just started stimming yesterday 03/30. I am on 225 Gonal f for 1st 5 days and then Menopur and Ganirelix comes into play. We will be doing ICSI and FET as I have mild endometriosis and my RE suggested fresh transfer may not be the protocol for me.
DH gave 1st shot to me and I didn't feel much as iced it few mins before. I am bit scared but excited as well. 

Mich_elle - For PIO shots, I saw on YouTube  video that you  can apply numbing cream EMLA or any other brand and apply Tegaderm patch on it to wait for 30 mins or so. Remove the patch and  they say you won't feel a thing after. Haha... I am scared of needles as well (be it any size).

Good luck everyone !!

nickyggg

@aeb1116 - This is the series of instructional videos my clinic had me watch: https://www.freedommedteach.com/eng/ Like @mich_elle, the PIO one made me gasp audibly lol! Thanks to @kandos for the advice on using numbing cream to prep the spot! 

A nurse I know said that the key to a painless injection (as much as possible anyway) is a completely relaxed muscle and a quick flick of the wrist. She told me to practice jabbing an orange with a needle a bunch of times first, because apparently it feels quite similar to how it would be to inject yourself! It sounds silly, but anything to make it easier haha I'm definitely going to ask my husband to practice that way before he gets anywhere near my bum : ) 

nickyggg

I'm learning from everyone's posts that there are so many different protocols and med combinations! I'll be taking 5 days of Gonal-F and Menopur, then on the 6th day adding Cetrotide to the bunch for another 5 days. Does anyone know why I have two trigger shots - Pregnyl and Luprolide? And I'm not prepping with BCP or anything at all leading up to when I start. Have any of you ever gone into stimming cold like that? 

Augusta108

@nickyggg, I’m not going in completely cold but I am only doing about a week of BCP prep. They don’t want to oversuppress me because of my AMH numbers. 

My clinic suggested the Freedom Teach videos too but I couldn’t bring myself to watch the PIO one yet! Eek! 

adamae1216

Hello everyone I just wanted to come through and give you guys an update.  Apparently my follicles are growing so nicely that now I have to come in for monitoring everyday.  I’m supposed to have people over on Friday so I hope I do my ER by Wednesday.  Wish I had taken all of this into account when I made the plans but it’s too late to cancel now.  I went out of town this weekend with my cousin who is a nurse.  Oh how I loved her giving me the shots.  She made it a painless process.  If I only she could be here for those IM injections.  I also used the last of my folistim time last night and I’m worried I won’t be able to get it in time.  I ordered it Saturday morning but the pharmacy says they are awaiting doctor approval, which is annoying especially since I have two refills on all my medication.  I called but of course there was no one available at the specialty pharmacy.  I’m going to talk to the nurse at my monitoring appointment and see what she says. I did an injection class but by the time I started I had forgotten everything (I think it was nerves) so I was happy to watch the injection videos.  

roadrunnerrita

I emailed my physician last week  and she had me go get a serum progesterone and estrogen measured and just had me start my protocol even though I didn't get my positive ovulation test. Since I usually have a positive test it's not clear if this is really going to work. I'd may have to cancel this cycle. blech. 

Oh and there is NO WAY I am doing IM progesterone. Hats off to y'all! I do not have your cajones. 

Knottie: Good luck on getting your drugs! And with your calendar :-)  I used an Alto pharmacy, and was pleasantly surprised. The pharmacist texted me answers to questions when I couldn't talk on the phone, and  they set up a 3 hour window for delivery. It was pretty seamless. 

nickyggg : If I had wanted to do a frozen cycle, my physician was going to prescribe a short protocol like yours. Your triggers are a lot like mine too: one's hCG and the Lupron is a GnRH agonist, which, initially produces an LH surge. From what I understand, the LH helps to decrease the risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. I was pretty concerned about ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome at first, but I have been informed that the severe forms are rare and much less likely if you do a frozen transfer. 

madasm0530

@roadrunnerrita: i am pretty sure that we're not moving forward with that but honestly i could change my mind at any time. 

@nickyggg: we don't have a start date for stims quite yet. I'm on day 5 of provera to induce my period and then BCPs right after that. I'm sure I'll end upon the May IVF board but just got so excited that I was getting closer! 

@aeb116: we are likely not doing PGS and doing a fresh transfer but are doing ICSI.

roadrunnerrita

@madasm0530: Stats are on your side: no 3rd cycle for you! 

I also am doing a fresh transfer without PGS. I can't get over the false positive thing with the PGS-  I don't want to have to decide what to do if all my embryos are abnormal. Also, I haven't had  to experience he anguish of a miscarriage yet, so going through this complex expensive step to decrease miscarriage rates seems more abstract and less valuable to me. 

My husband told me last night he needs to travel in the middle of my stim cycle for work. TO JAPAN. Although he has no control over the meeting date, it's a very big deal for his career, and he *probably* won't miss the egg retrieval (he'd be back by day 10), I was pretty angry.  

More than our relative difference in opinion on how important it is for him to be present for the egg retrieval, it was that he could actually not be there that made me the angriest.  We have to go through all the lab tests, the appts, do the driving, the phone calls, personally take on the anesthesia/bleeding/medication risk and he .... drives me to 1-2 appointments and ejaculates into a cup (in advance, apparently). *le sigh*  

mich_elle

@kandos thanks for the feedback! I think we watched that same video! 

@nickyggg thanks for your feedback too! awesome tips & thanks for the link! 

@Augusta108 I think my protocol will be similar to yours. I didn't get a calendar yet since I'm not due until May but I'll be on BCP for a few days at the start too. My AMH was 0.163 at last check.

@roadrunnerrita I'm sorry about your DH travel plans. This process is so taxing and it really helps to have your partner there with you & it sucks if they can't be there. DH has to travel to France (we're in the states) right around mine too. He hasn't booked his flight yet, so we'll have to wait and see. GL.

megmac2010

Hi all! I'm back after a bump break that lasted about six months (oops!)

Backstory: 2 failed IUI (March and May 2017), IVF #1 in August resulted in 1 embryo that we fresh transferred - failed. Going back for round two!

Started Suprefact nasal spray last week and it's just as awful as I remembered. First ultrasound will be April 12, and hoping to start stims that day! My protocol is super high dose this time around, as I was a slow grower last time. I'm starting at 450iu of Gonal-F and 150iu of Menopur. And we're throwing in Saizen for good measure!

Looking forward to finally seeing some good news in this forum this month!!

monkey126

Does anyone have any helpful hints about the night before transfer? We ended up having our retrieval on 3/31.  We had 12 eggs, 9 mature and 7 fertilized with ICSI (DH changed his opinion last minute....as in I was in the gown and signing forms and he changed his mind ha ha). I was disappointed in our numbers at first as we had quick growth with stims initially and so we ended up losing some of our larger follicles before retrieval but I’ve read that 12 is in the normal range and I have gotten out of my own head and realized how lucky we are to have had any eggs.
I have been on progesterone and estrogen which I find mess with me more emotionally than the stims.  
As of Day 2 post retrieval, all 7 fertilized embryos were cleaving which we were so excited about.  We haven’t received another status update and our retrieval is set for tomorrow morning.  The lack of updates make me anxious as I am a glutton for information.  

I have booked a pre and post acupuncture session (I have been doing fertility acupuncture since September through our IUI attempts) and am wondering if anyone has any suggestions of what else I can do to prepare my body and mind as much as possible tonight and tomorrow? 

Best wishes and sending lots of encouragement to everyone in the midst of stims or waiting to start. 

kristimh80

@aeb1116 Try to relax and not stress too much! I just had my transfer yesterday and don't think there's anything you can really do besides that. The transfer part is the easy part of all of this! Best of luck to you!!! I did sleep most of the day after transfer due to them giving me valium. 

monkey126

@kristimh80 congrats on your transfer and fingers crossed!!! I have taken the day off of work tomorrow and Friday so I can just lay around and not stress.
when is your first beta?  

kristimh80

@aeb1116 Awesome!! I feel like today I may go stir crazy, so going to get out of the house if I can lol First beta is the 13th.

adamae1216

@roadrunnerrita it sucks that your husband won't be there.  We are utilizing fresh sperm so he has to give a sample within two hours of my retrieval.  I'm not doing a fresh embryo transfer which I am thankful for now.  My body has been put through the ringer with these hormones and my accupunturist says it's a lot to do an immediate transfer.  

AFM I trigger this evening and will be doing my embryo retrieval on Friday.  I hope its early so I can rest afterwards.  Unfortunately my RE is going to Chicago to give a lecture so another doctor in the office will be doing my retrieval.  The nurse drew a bullseye on my butt for the trigger shot which I think will be helpful if my husband has to give me the shot. For those who have already done the retrieval how did you feel afterwards?  How long did it take you to get back to 100%?

monkey126

@lady_a congrats on getting to your trigger night!!  I hope everything goes well for you.  I was like you and wanted an early retrieval but ended up with a 4:30pm retrieval time and so DH and I were up at 4:30am for the trigger and it was a LONG day without eating or drinking anything! I hope you get a more convenient time a lot!!!!

Given our late retrieval time and the anesthesia I was super tired after my retrieval so I didn’t feel much that day/night as I mainly slept but I did notice being sore.  The next day I was groggy and crampy and grumpy. I also spotted very lightly and was bloated. This lasted for two or three days and I unfortunately became (TMI) constipated which is abnormal for me.  I recommend taking the recommended stool softener if you need it as I felt the bloating was that much was worse given the constipation.  Today is day 4 post retrieval and I finally feel back to normal.

adamae1216

@aeb1116 I hope I don't get that late a retrieval time.  My clinic does everything early it seems so I'm hoping it holds true with embryo retrieval.  They said I can't eat or drink anything after midnight even water so I couldn't imagine having to wait till 4:30p.  I'm already constipated with the hormones so we will see how I feel after.  I go to accupuncture Monday so I hope that helps with any lingering issues. 

adamae1216

Well my retrieval time is 7:30am on Friday and I have to be at the clinic at 6am.  FX that they get some good follicles.  I don't want to do this trigger shot tonight.  

monkey126

@lady_a are you doing an hcg shot or lupron?  I did the hcg 10,000 iu shot which I was terrified about and honestly, it wasn’t bad! I iced it first and focused on having the muscle relaxed.   Try and relax and remember that this is one of, if not the, last shot you have to take!

adamae1216

@aeb1116 my husband gave me the shot and it didn’t hurt when it went in but I did feel the medicine going in.  I just relaxed my leg and didn’t look.  I’m just looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow since I don’t have to go for morning monitoring or give myself a morning shot,  my first sleep-in day of Easter break.  I definitely should have planned this better.  LOL

adamae1216

@aeb116 I had pregnyl (hcg) for my trigger.

monkey126

Our transfer was this morning. I hardly slept last night due to anxiety and so many thoughts running through my head, even though I know this is supposed to be the easy part.  I did the pre and post acupuncture which helped calm me down before the transfer and relax me after! The transfer was quick and relatively painless (other than a very full bladder). We transferred one day 5 embryo which was given an AA grade and the nurse let us take a video of the ultrasound of the transfer after the fact, which DH loved. We were told we will get a call regarding the status of our other embryos (6) and whether they will of a caliber to be frozen.  I hope this little one sticks and that we are blessed to get at least a few others that make it to the freezing stage. So begins the TWW. Our first beta is scheduled for the 18th.  

How is everyone else doing/feeling?

kristimh80

@aeb1116 Happy Transfer Day!!! FX your other embies make it to freeze! Hope you can get some rest today. My FET was on Tuesay, they gave me a valium and I ended up sleeping most the day away. So hopefully you can make up for your lack of sleep last night

adamae1216

@aeb116 FX on your transfer.  Get some rest.  I know this is going to be a long TWW.