June IVF

funkykey · May 2017

Hi All - I didn't see a thread on this so wanted to start one. I introduced myself in May IVF, but turns out we're not going to start with our clinic until June 1.

funkykey · May 2017

I'm 32, my husband is 34, and we'll be starting our first IVF cycle next month. We've just spent about 6 months trying clomid & IUIs, and I'm keen to move forward. We are unexplained.

I won't have all the details for a couple of weeks- I was hoping to have a retrieval before the end of June, but looks like it won't be until July.

Bah, the waiting is the hardest part of this!

2bcontinued5 · May 2017

Hi. We r also doing ivf in June.

Aera11 · May 2017

I go here! We technically start stims May 27th, but most of this third round of IVF will be June. FX for everyone this cycle!

bionerdsteph · May 2017

Hi! I'm 36 & a cancer survivor (yeah chemo, the gift that keeps giving), my husband is 35 & has MFI but there are a few good sperm there. We're bypassing everything else & going straight to IVF bc of all that. As long as my cycle cooperates I'm starting stim toward the end of June with likely egg retrieval at the very start of July. This is our first attempt, We're both rather anxious.

sunnshine-2 · May 2017

Hi Ladies!

i am 32 and DH is 36.. We did our first IVF cycle last July/Aug and it failed. We didn't have any embabies left to freeze. Tried clomid and IUI a couple cycles since. We just switched REs and will be starting IVF #2 in early June (my cycle is due May 31st) with egg retrieval likely falling around the 2nd week of June. We are doing PGS testing this time and a SET in July/Aug (depending on my cycle).

I love our new RE and he slightly changed my protocol so hopefully we can get those ovaries producing.

artemis618 · May 2017

Thanks for starting, @funkykey! I've now participated in the January (started stims), February (ER), March (started stims), April (ER), and May (stims) boards, and am looking at a beginning of June retrieval. I'm starting to feel like a veteran

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.

I've been taking lupron for suppression and testosterone priming again for IVF#3. I just had my baseline u/s this morning (4+4 which is normal for me), and now I'm just waiting on AF to start stims the later of this Monday or CD2. This will be my first cycle after a full 3 months on a ton of supplements so I am wondering if I'll see any difference.

SP128 · May 2017

Hi. I belong here now. I introduced myself in the may ivf board *****tw******* but had a cp before I started. I'm hoping it didn't mess up my cycle too much to get this started. ****end tw****

for those not taking bcp, are you using protection for sex? Once I have my meds delivered my insurance company counts it as an ivf cycle...... just in case I'm a special snowflake...

overall im super nervous about ivf. We will be transferring one fresh and freezing the rest for pgs.

artemis618 · May 2017

@SP128 Sorry to hear about your CP

. We had to use protection (condoms) during our FW because of the testosterone gel. Otherwise it sounds like we could have tried naturally (since I had to wait to ovulate to start lupron for suppression). DH is convinced we would have been pregnant again long ago since we got KU our second month trying, but the whole reason we went straight to IVF was for screening after our *TW* loss. Turns out we don't get many embryos (much less normal ones), so we'll probably go back to trying naturally after this cycle since it seems like our embryos just don't really like IVF (and really don't like ICSI).

Try not to be nervous! The prescriptive part is pretty easy to just take day by day, it's the waiting that is excruciating.

Edit: I did start stimming last night as planned. ER should be 6/2 or 6/3, assuming all goes well.

bionerdsteph · May 2017

Got my period this morning now the count down starts- OPKs in 9 days, expect pos on the 7th & then start Lupron on the 11th. A litte nervous I was on heavy doses of Lupron to put me in chemical menopause to starve any remaining cancer since it was fed by estrogen. I was supposed to be on it for 3 years but I couldn't do it & only made it a year because of lack of sleep/not functioning in life & generally feeling crazy. I know this is a much lower dose & only for a couple weeks but I get the nervous sweats thinking about it. My strategy right now is to keep busy enough to not think about it.

SP128 · May 2017

@artemis618 thanks lady.

@bionerdsteph gl

artemis618 · May 2017

@bionerdsteph Yikes, sorry you're feeling anxious about it. How much lupron will you be on for suppression? I think some (I suspect younger than AMA me) women do 20 units then go down to 10 when they start stims. My last two cycles have been luteal lupron, and my RE had me on 10 units going down to 5 with stims. I'd read all sorts of terrible things about the headaches and hot flashes, but I honestly didn't notice much on this low dose. I think after a week the first cycle on it I noticed my skin seemed a little drier. Hopefully you won't even notice anything with the lower dose!

bionerdsteph · May 2017

@artemis618 Thanks! It's comforting to know that the 10 Unit dose I'll be on is usually not bad. Good luck with your ER next week!

@SP128 No protection recommend for us but bc of MFI there is pretty much no chance so we might be a different case.

SP128 · May 2017

Had blood work done today and unfortunately it hasn't showed o yet despite my opk and temps. Body is being a jerk. More blood work on tues.

Aera11 · May 2017

I am officially underway with IVF #3. We re-signed all our paperwork and I had my uterine scape/biopsy last week in hopes of helping implantation. I am CD 5 and have been stimming for 3 nights now with a steroid added in in the morning to help produce maybe a few more eggs. I am on Gonal F and Menopur and I am sure I will be adding in the Cetrotide in a few days. Tomorrow (Tuesday) will be first blood draw and then Wednesday starts the every day blood & u/s, which get so old...

It's sad that this process seems so familiar now... hope everyone else is doing okay! I know it's not June yet, but this board seemed so quiet.

artemis618 · May 2017

Hi @Aera11! I'm under way with IVF#3 too - been stimming 8 days and ER will likely be Saturday or possibly Sunday. Was your scrape/biopsy to prep for a fresh transfer? I haven't tried a steroid with stims, but have primed with Androgel (or generic this cycle) for each of my cycles. I'm at a large public university satellite clinic, so I don't get the daily drill. Sometimes I wonder if they'd have better information if I did (at my u/s this morning I offered to come in again tomorrow if it made sense, but they still didn't want to see me till Thursday). Hopefully just two more nights of shots before trigger for me. With the luteal lupron it feels like so many (like almost 20 more than with my antagonist cycle)...

Hope this cycle is the one for you!

JaeJayStark · May 2017

Hi there, Good to see some familiar names on here although I wish we all didn't have to be here!

I start my first IVF cycle this month. I'm a bit nervous with all the tracking and monitoring. I thought I was obsessed with IUIs. This will be even more to keep track of. Just waiting for AF to start. She seems to be arriving gradually as we speak. Hurry up!

Sorry for the newbie questions, but for those doing egg retrieval, did your RE put you on birth control to give you time to get situated?

artemis618 · May 2017

Hi @JaeJayStark For my first antagonist cycle (adding the antagonist - Cetrotide or Ganirellix in several days into stimming), I was on OCP for suppression which offered more flexibility in scheduling. With luteal lupron (which I've used for the last and for this cycle as it seems to agree with me more), I have to wait to ovulate, go in to confirm O with progesterone blood work to start lupron, then scheduling/my calendar depends on when I get my period (to start stims on CD2 or 3). Some people on long lupron protocols do OCP overlapping a few days with lupron, but I am AMA so my RE thought (and I was afraid) that that would be too suppressive for me.

JaeJayStark · May 2017

Thank you for the info @artemis618!

Aera11 · May 2017

@Artemis0685 are you doing a fresh or frozen transfer or banking? I've heard the luteal lupron is longer; what made you change from the antagonist to that? Another bumper messaged me after my last failed IVF and suggested a change in protocol but I am pretty much doing the same thing. Yes, the scrape was for a fresh transfer. I am not an ideal candidate for frozen or testing because I don't produce that many eggs and so far, I have ended up with just two day-3 embryos each time. I'd love to bank embryos, but at this point, I'd happily take one baby and call it a day. Three rounds of this is a lot and I know so many people do many more. Do you trigger with Ovidrel?

@JaeJayStark I was on birth control prior to every IVF; it helped small cysts go down and it was an easy way to kick up a period since I don't get them on my own usually. It was much faster than doing provera for 10 days and then waiting another 3-4 for AF. Do you have your protocol for your IVF and will you do a fresh or frozen transfer? I only did one IUI and I wish I would've skipped it and gone right to IVF. FX this works for you (and everyone)!!

artemis618 · May 2017

@Aera11 I guess I'm banking for a frozen transfer later - but I only have one PGS normal so far and am not really wanting to do another cycle OOP (we may go back to trying naturally for a cycle or two, since we *TW* actually got pregnant the second month we tried...we just didn't make it to 12 weeks). I switched to luteal lupron because my first cycle (antagonist) resulted in one day 7 morula (12R, 7M and ICSI'd, 3F) and I really wanted to try something different. I actually started the estrogen and progesterone to prep for a fresh transfer after my last ER in case it went as poorly my first one did. We weren't open to a day 3 transfer the first cycle because the whole reason we went straight to IVF was for screening (and I had insurance coverage for two cycles).

Also because I'm AMA and sort of subscribe to Dr. Sher's theory of too much endogenous testosterone being bad for egg quality, and the luteal lupron addresses that. Second cycle we tried luteal lupron and ended up with 6 blasts (from 5 IVF, 3 ICSI of 10 retrieved), but only one normal. We think maybe our embryos just don't like IVF. And yes, I trigger with a single dose of Ovidrel.

JaeJayStark · May 2017

Aera11 I get all my details as soon as AF starts. I am just spotting right now. On CD 4 I start BCP. so we have time to get everything scheduled. Plus, I'll be in Vegas for the weekend. Blah. Not too excited about that. Assuming all goes well, I will do a fresh transfer.

*TW* I got pregnant on my first IUI so they have every reason to believe that it will work. It didn't end as I had hoped but I am ready to get this show on the road!!

bionerdsteph · May 2017

On my way to get a saline ultrasound on my uterus to make sure there is nothing funky there and then learn all about how to give myself the meds, they call it "medication education". I guess how to inject yourself with hormones doesn't have the same ring.

Are bcp the norm? I'm trying to figure out if they are trying to do as little estrogen as possible for me of if it's generally not given if ur cycle is predictable enough.

SP128 · May 2017

Hi there. My RE did not prescribe bcp for me. I started taking estrogen yesterday after blood work confirmed I ovulated. I'm supposed to get my period after about 7 days of the estrogen and will begin with the injectables on CD2.

artemis618 · May 2017

@bionerdsteph I also don't do BCP - just lupron for suppression as overlapping with BCP would likely be too suppressive for me. I just start stims CD2 (I'm normally pretty regular, but I think maybe the lupron made those cycles a little longer by a day or two).

AFM, really hoping that tonight's my last night of stims! Tomorrow morning's monitoring appointment will tell...

Aera11 · June 2017

FX tonight is your last night @artemis618!

@bionerdsteph I don't get a period on my own usually and so far the bcp hasn't been too suppressing, so that's what we do. Good luck with your medication education! It felt like a lot of info at first but you get the hang of it

AFM, CD7 estradiol was 414 (up from 325 yesterday) so I am staying with the same Gonal & Menopur dosage. My largest follicle was 13 and then 15 ranging from 11-7, so hopefully we'll get a few more eggs this time!

artemis618 · June 2017

It's June! Rabbits rabbits

. Looks like at least one more night of stims for me - ER should now be Sunday or Monday, will decide based on tomorrow's monitoring appointment. But I'm looking at 8+8 (not all the same size, unfortunately) when last cycle I had 8 prospects (6R, 2L) total (ended up with 8M of 10R).

Apparently my follicles are growing more at a 1.5mm/day rate this cycle than 2mm/day. I a little wonder if I screwed anything up not stopping inositol for my first week of stims (last cycle I stopped when I started stims), but can't do anything about that now. RE says she's okay with up to 12 nights of stims (10 was the most I'd done before but tonight will be 11). Ovaries feeling heavy and the left one twingey, and I'm ready to be done with this (whenever eggs are as ready as they'll be)!

@Aera11 What's your timing looking like?

Hopeful_mom · June 2017

HI Ladies!

Since it is officially June i guess its time to move over from May IVF to June IVF yay!! IVF cycle #7 and hopefully the last one!! See some familiar faces hoping ur break will be you success this month. And look forward to catching up and meeting the rest of you!!

For those that dont know me my cycles are in my spoiler box. I was fortunate enough to get my fist BFP even in Nov 2016 with IVF 3 via a fresh transfer. I also (TW) MC my angel in Jan 2017 (10 weeks) Still dont have the answers as to why. Had an US earlier and they were both perfectly strong and healthy until they were not. (TW over) So now I am banking a few cycles with PGS testing so that I can hopefully have more then one child down the road. Time is also not on my side so banking feels like it was to be now or never.

This is my 4th ivf cycle back to back...have been through March, April, May and now June. Funny my birthday is March and that cycle only brought me abnormal embryos. I'm lucky that April and May bought me 2 each so now I have 4 normal frosties in waiting for me...all the same gender REALLY!!! Even without knowing that I was already stemming this cycle before my May results came in and was always going with another cycle. SO heres hoping for the best!! I always want 5/6 normies before moving on to an FET...so hopefully I will get there with this cycle...not to sure after my follow up today.

I'm did a few days of estrogen priming with an antagonist protocol. Today is day 4 and I'm off to a slow start. I have one 1 follie on the right (7) and 3 on the left (9,7 and 6.) Luckily I dont have to go back till sun for BW and US. I feel like that appt will probably be the indicator as to how things are looking. I have low amh so for me its always quality over quantity but its still nerve racking and super expensive being OOP!

artemis618 looks like you're getting close thats exciting!! i just started a whole bunch of different vitamins today so hoping they can help make some super babies

@Aera11 hey twin ur definitely looking great and ahead of me! My E2 was 41 today so my body definitely has some work to do!! Hopefully the rest of urs will catch up to the 13!! When do u go back?

bionerdsteph After my MC I asked about the estrogen priming BUT my levels were always fine so they didn't think I really needed it. I believe they usually look at your levels and thats the indicator. Hope ur appt went well.

Aera11 · June 2017

@artemis618 my follicles don't usually grow the 2mm/day either and my estradiol always drops a day when I add in the cetrotide, which always makes me so anxious for some reason (I guess b/c the cycle could get cancelled if it doesn't go back up). Hopefully one more night of stims will let some catch up! I always forget they keep growing after the trigger too

I still take the inositol too, I didn't know that effected growth! And my left ovary gives me so much trouble too. Do you take time off for your retrieval and recovery?

AFM, I am CD8 and adding in cetrotide tonight. Largest follicles were 15, 14, a few 13's 12's, & a handful of 11/10's. My first round I added in cetrotide on CD8 and last time it was CD9, so I wondering if I will have a CD13 or 14 retrieval. I guess I'll be looking at next Tuesday or Wednesday. This cycle has gone by pretty quickly so far, it just took a while to get to day one.

@Hopeful_mom welcome to June! And you're amazing, four back-to-back cycles is intense in so many ways. This is my third since February and I can't even believe that. I am crossing my fingers so hard for you round! I didn't know you knew all the genders of your frosties! I usually start slowly too, it's like my body needs a jump start to get the ball rolling haha. I'll go back tomorrow for another u/s & blood...my insurance capped out mid-cycle this time, so I pay $232 each day, literally makes me want to cry but if this works...I am sure I won't ever regret that!

artemis618 · June 2017

@Aera11 My follicles did actually grow at that average rate of 2mm/day last cycle, but every cycle is different. Studies show different things - I think inositol is fine for PCOS ladies (not me), but have shown reduced #s (though maybe not results) per _It Starts With the Egg_. Who knows? I didn't get an E2 number until 5/6 days into stims - I guess I'm around 4200ish today (from 2200-ish Tuesday? I'm more of a visual person so if they don't post it to my online account I don't keep track of the specifics). I think it tends to be a little higher for me at least with lupron vs antagonist. I lucked out last cycle and my retrieval was on a Saturday, so I didn't have to take PTO and got Sunday to recover. If ER falls on a weekday, I'll take the day of ER off (anesthesia, plus I take the norco just the day of for pain, which means no driving). Assuming this happens on Sunday, I'll be back to work on Monday. Knock on wood, I've actually tolerated all the drugs and ER pretty well - I think my first period after my first ER was worse than the ER itself! (Of course I was on pain drugs for and the day of ER

)

@Hopeful_mom Hopefully this is it for you! Your persistence and stamina are amazing. I'm feeling pretty over all this after three cycles and am *probably* done after this. Even though it's only been three cycles, with the lupron I've been on some sort of medication every cycle this year, and IVF just doesn't seem to agree with our embryos that much. Plus with this cycle and going forward we're OOP (except meds, thankfully - which certainly helps!). But we'll see. Also, I'm just about out of that acupuncture coverage (20 visit cap) for the year as well!

funkykey · June 2017

Hey guys, took a bit of a bump break there for a while. Have posted some of this update in another thread, but here goes:

We had an IVF orientation today, and we shelled out a few thousand dollars for the drugs, which I put on a line of credit. Now, my fridge and a cupboard are full of FSH (stims) and some antagonist - they'll have me on orgalutran (Ganirelix).

I'll start birth control next week, and will be on that for three weeks before we start stimulation.

All through the orientation, I was so irritated about the scheduling. I was irritated that we couldn't have done this last month - that I'm not on birth control now. I was pretty forthcoming with my doctor's assistant that I wanted to start ASAP, but she wanted me to wait for his schedule to be clear (and to make sure my IUI hadn't worked) to move on, and then we had to wait for a nurse to be free for the orientation, etc. etc. Part of me is grateful we're moving on, or thinks it was good for my body to have a month off after my last clomid cycle, but part of me is so annoyed. Like, I feel like my patience has been tested a little too far.

And my H, he wasn't annoyed at all. Now that we're spending $15,000 he's really sitting up and paying attention - he wants to mix medications and help me with injections. Like, he's less pissed off by my clinic than I am, and thinks we should just focus on the future. But I can't help but think: "Oh, now you want to help?!" Like, I'm annoyed with him and my clinic. I'm annoyed that I've been trying so hard for so long, with nothing to show for it.

Then I feel guilty, because he's a good guy and I love him and he's just trying to help, and the reality of the situation is that women have to do all the heavy lifting of fertility and infertility - them's the breaks. I just wish I weren't so resentful about it!

Anyway, this cartoon felt especially apt today:

artemis618 · June 2017

@funkykey Sorry that you're frustrated, but I'm glad that you've got a plan/calendar and are finally getting started. If this is the timing that works for the Dr. then it's probably better not to have been on birth control for too long because it can over suppress some people.

I see my DH drinking beer and having coffee (even decaf/half caf) and it makes me feel like he's not taking this seriously. I keep reminding him...$15,000!! But that also makes me not want to do another cycle.

Unfortunately, there is a lot of hurry up and wait with this process

. But you'll be in the thick of it before you know it!

funkykey · June 2017

@artemis618 - thank you for the support!

Gah. I know I'm probably just being impatient, but my God! Every woman going through IF has the patience of a saint, you know?

Some days are easier than others, and all of it is an awful slog!

FX you have great, great, blow-em-outta the water eggs at your ER

SP128 · June 2017

@funkykey Sorry you are stressed out about the clinic and DH. This is definitely stressful. I feel like this whole process is hurrying up and waiting. Just waiting for the next step and each next step is like two weeks away. This is worse than the waiting with ttc naturally!

I'm glad your DH wants to help though.

What frustrates me with the clinic and I'm sure it is common is that they are not in our shoes. When things don't start when we want it (ASAP!!), then it could mean waiting another cycle.

@artemis618 Good luck this cycle. Hope the ER goes well : ) I have no clue what follicles need to be how large and what the growth rate should be since this is my first cycle. I'm rooting for you : )

artemis618 · June 2017

Thanks @funkykey and @SP128! I got the OK to trigger tonight at 10:45pm for a 10:15 Sunday AM retrieval. Also doing 300 of gonal (my usual dose had been 450 of fsh - all gonal for the first four days, then 300 gonal+150 menopur for the balance) along with my Ovidrel trigger which is something new this cycle. Looks like we're going in with 15 prospects (not all quite there yet - largest I think is 23), and since we're doing all conventional IVF my RE mentioned there was some chance of borderline ones coming around in vitro since they won't be stripped like they would be for ICSI (our embryos appear not to like ICSI). So here's hoping.

My estradiol was ~4400 yesterday, and I had blood drawn again this morning - this will be the first cycle I'll know what my E2 was on trigger day (last two cycles I only got the numbers from the days before).

Really excited about only two more shots after...61(edit: an extra b/c I was short 75iu of gonal from overfill last night) shots so far this cycle (I had to count!) and to get this show on the road!

Edit: @SP128 Your user name looks familiar to me - were you on the April 2017 BMB, by chance?

SP128 · June 2017

@artemis618 I was on May BMB. Before that, I was briefly on TTC over 35 last summer.

bionerdsteph · June 2017

@artemis618 FX for your ER!

I'm in wtf is going on land. Had a saline sonogram on my uterus & they found polyps. I was on a drug that puts me at a higher risk for edometrial cancer so trying to get these out ASAP. The fertility clinic can do it Monday but it wouldn't be covered by insurance so I'm going through my onocologist & normal Gyn group. That's proving to be more difficult, even though my onocologist gave me a urgent referral of 5-7 days for an appointment. They tried to give me June 27th & just NO. Now I'm insisting on next week- they had agreed to that but said they'd have to call me back with an exact appointment. They called me back & said by the end of the month right? I'm starting to feel crazy.

I'd really like to know I don't have cancer again & be able to do IVF as planned but can't get an answer about an appointment, ugh....

o0smn0o · June 2017

Hi! I am new here, and my husband and I will be starting our first IVF cycle in a couple weeks. I am excited but also so nervous! I have PCOS and Endometriosis, DH is 32 and I am 28. We skipped IUI's and are heading straight into IVF, and looking for any tips and insight! Praying for a whole lot of BFP's this month!

SP128 · June 2017

@o0smn0o Hi There. We skipped IUIs and are going to straight to IVF as well. Where are you in the process? Oh, this is my first one too.

funkykey · June 2017

@artemis618 great news! GL with the trigger and retrieval, and FX you get lots of beautiful eggs - 15 prospects sounds great!

@bionerdsteph - oh man, how stressful! That's awful! FX you can have the polyps removed ASAP and that they are totally benign... UGH! so sh*tty!

@o0smn0o - welcome!

My H and I share our online calendars with each other. Yesterday, I put my tentative IVF schedule in my calendar.

I was checking something today, and noticed this new little note, above mine:

Touché!

I mean, I'm not someone who is afraid of confrontation on my best days anyway, and I have been extra grouchy lately. So it really made me laugh. Hahaha.

artemis618 · June 2017

@SP128 Ah it was probably TTC>35 - I was on there mid-June-early August last summer (then April BMB, then back...).

@bionerdsteph Thanks for the wishes. Ugh, I'm so sorry to hear that and for the extra insurance stress on top of it

. I'm sure you are, but make sure that you stay on top of them! Sadly it's more in your interest than in theirs.

@o0smn0o Welcome!

Learned that my E2 was ~5900 this AM and my RE was going to give me the option to trigger with lupron instead of Ovidrel to reduce OHSS risk...till she realized that I'm on a lupron protocol and can't. Just sort of reinforces how we have to pay attention because other people aren't always (and they're dealing with multiple patients/cycles at once). Edit: DH pointed out that it could have also been baby brain on my RE's part, plus the IVF nurse is out today.

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