January 2019 IVF

ellis1983 · January 2019

@leela00 I think we are on exact same schedule. I triggered tonight and have retrieval wed morning. Today’s ultrasound showed at least 14 follicles ranging from 14-22. Several around 10-13 too.

Best of luck to everyone!

scseeff · January 2019

@ah80 Oh no, I’m so sorry!! That must be so frustrating. I hope things turn around this week. Keeping fingers crossed for you! Don’t lose hope yet, its not the end!!

@ashcash03 Wow 26! That’s great!! Hope you get good news tomorrow. And your body will thank you later for taking a break. The meds are just so hard on our body. I always feel like my body has aged 10 years while i’m on stims.

@leela00 @somewhereinnyc Good luck on your ERs this week, ladies!

I had my ER this morning as well. They took out the one giant follicle and a couple smaller ones. It felt like the doctor poked me 10+ times but they only ended up with 3? It was so painful.. i think the oral meds i took before didn’t kick in at the right time or wasn’t strong enough. Does anyone else feel like the ER is a traumatic experience? I’m always so shaken up afterwards. The RE later called us into his office and told us the big follicle was not viable and the chances of the other 2 fertilizing are low because they were small. We decided to scrap the rest of this cycle and start over again next cycle. So needless to say, its been a frustrating and emotionally draining day.

ah80 · January 2019

@scseeff So sorry about your ER. Were you awake for it? I've just had one ER and they were only going after one follicle, so it may not have been as painful as it could have been if I had more. Regarding ER being a traumatic experience, I think it is and I was not conscious for it. For me, the traumatic part was hearing the outcome - that the one follicle I had was empty. I don't think I would have experienced it as negatively as I did if we had gotten a more positive result. Before we started, the RE talked about the physical, emotional, and financial toll that IVF takes. In the beginning, I focused on mostly on the money we were spending and the physical parts like the shots and procedures. The emotional toll is by far the most difficult. Now, I feel like just do whatever you want to my body and charge me whatever is needed to just make this work. The ups and downs - good news one day, bad news the next is so hard.

ladythor31 · January 2019

@somewhereinnyc I'm not even on stims yet. I can only imagine I am going to get much more crazy when I do. I can't even handle the BC. I guess I just need to get my mind right.

We are all doing so great. This is definitely not easy, but the end goal is amazing. We can do it! :-D

ladythor31 · January 2019

@ACAC25 did you get sick while taking BC? If so, any tips on dealing with it? I feel like doing nothing, and I kind of hate everything right now. I know it's just the hormones, but I'm only a week in.

@ashcash03 that's an impressive number of follicles! Take a month off to treat yourself and recover. :-)

@ah80- I'm sorry to hear things are starting off rocky. I know that's not easy. Please keep us posted.

ACAC25 · January 2019

@ladythor31 to be honest I haven't felt too bad. A little more motion sick in the car but not much more than that. I have been a little more hormonal, definitely drastic mood swings and very easily irritated. I feel kinda bad for DH and my parents coz they've definitely gotten the brunt of it. We are in the middle of moving too so lots of stress all around.
Today was my last day of BC, I'm just waiting for AF to arrive. Hoping to go for my first monitoring and start stims Saturday.
I am kinda concerned about the side effects from the stims. Any advice from anyone for a newbie starting stims?

sbhawnani · January 2019

I just got back from my ER. They were able to get 9 eggs and said they'll call tomorrow with the fertilization results. My ER was almost painless and super quick. Now, all we can do is wait.

@ah80 I can understand how frustrated you must be. I hate when the doctors say let's wait and see what results we get. you're a doctor, work towards getting results. You hang in tight there; sometimes the darkest tunnels lead to the most beautiful valleys. You will be in my thoughts as we plough through this together.

sbhawnani · January 2019

@ACAC25 this was my first time doing stims and honestly, it wasn't bad (though I couldn't be happier once I was done). The fact that my husband was willing to do the shots helped so much. Do read about the syringe bevel online before your shots; it makes a world of difference.

@ladythor31 I was an emotional mess while on BC. The motion sickness in the car was real. I just chugged water and hoped I was flushing all the side effects. No suggestions as for how to make it better. Just keep going and think about the next steps

lauralee00 · January 2019

@scseeff I'm so sorry for your bad experience. I had a traumatic experience 5 years ago when I was awake for ER. They only got 4 eggs but I still experienced the worse pain in my life 2 days later. I was so bloated I couldn't even walk. We also had 0 fertilize so it was just an overall terrible experience. But here we are trying again! Every cycle is different so hopefully next time will be better for you!

I will be put asleep tomorrow so I'm hoping it will not be as bad! My butt already hurts from the trigger shot so I'm really dreading the painful PIO shots!

pgdwivf · January 2019

scseeff it only takes one! I was discouraged at first too (Day 6 US only 2 were growing) but then I started to remember we actually only need one good one.

ah80 Positive thoughts! Best wishes

AFM I have day 8 ultrasound tomorrow so we shall see!

scseeff · January 2019

@ah80 Yes, at our clinic most women choose to stay awake during the ER because our RE specializes in mini ivf and only a few eggs are taken out so full sedation isn’t necessary. It’s an option they give you but its an extra grand and I’d rather just put up with the pain rather than spend that money. And yes, the emotional toll is definitely the hardest. The highs are high and the lows are soo low. But if we can make it through infertility, we can make it through anything, right?

@sbhawnani I’m so glad you had a smooth ER. Keeping fingers crossed for you!

@ACAC25 For me, my main symptoms during stims are headaches and anxiety. Also I get super moody and just want to be alone. I take hot baths at night to help me relax and it makes a difference. Also what @sbhawnani said.. the needle bevel! It makes a HUGE difference when you’re injecting yourself.

@leela00 Yes, its the worst when you’re put through all that and no embryos to show for it. Good luck tomorrow! And you’re right, every cycle is different so hopefully you’ll have success tomorrow!! I am also dreading the PIO shots. 😣

@pgdwivf Yes that’s true.. we only need one. We just got our day 1 results and turns out one of them was able to fertilize so now we wait to see if it matures.

ashcash03 · January 2019

@sbhawnani good number! FX for good results on tomorrow... I’m certain it will be great.
@ladythor31 that’s my plan. At first I was really bummed about. I put my head under the covers and cried. But honestly, with as much pain as I’m in today, I know it’s for the best now.
@ah80 I’m soooo sorry they are being so nonchalant. If only they could walk in our shoes for a day. I hope they decided to make changes soon. I would think that they would have by now. Almost makes you want to increase your dosages on your own.

Update: 19 mature out of 26. 16 fertilized. Next update will be on Sunday when they let me know how many they can freeze.

ACAC25 · January 2019

@sbhawnani and @scseeff thank you for your advice. Luckily my DH is planning to do my injections too. I've been seeing posts about bruising and seeming like the needle bevel is helping. So when I have my appointment this weekend I am going to ask about it.
Thank you for the advice!

mizztyra · January 2019

Checking back in...had my baseline today. 9 on one side and 5 on the other. Same exact starting amount as my first cycle. Starting stims tonight. Higher dose of the Gonal-F this time around. Feeling bummed out for some reason. Scared, I guess. My pregnant best friend also had an ultrasound today and sent me all her happy news and pics...kinda bums me out if I'm being honest. Oh well, here we go again! Next monitoring appointment is on Friday. Wishing all of you ladies peace and strength. It just got very real for me again today.

ACAC25 · January 2019

@mizztyra I'm sorry you are feeling down. I'm sorry that you had to see all of your friends pictures. I know how hard that is. My cousin just announced today that she is pregnant with her second baby. This is super hard for me. I know you all understand but DH and I are so ready for a baby. Waiting is brutal. I feel like it's even worse because my appointment is likely in a few days!

Tulips29 · January 2019

@Mizzytizzy it's so hard when you want to feel happy for someone but at the same time wish you were the one sharing happy news. Hang in there and hopefully you'll get to share your happy news soon! I feel the same, everyone around me is pregnant, it seems. I can't even open instagram without another celeb or blogger sharing their announcement.

@ashcash03 those are amazing numbers! FX for great numbers on Sunday!

@scseeff I'm sorry things didn't turn out as expected

. I can't believe you were awake even for any part of it! That sounds so traumatic and painful...ouch! I hope you got yourself some delicious treats (or some liquid encouragement if that's your thing) as a pick-me-up after such a stressful day!

Day 3 stims here and I'm starting to feel bloated. Today's menopur injection stung. I am not looking forwards to over another week of this.

ellis1983 · January 2019

Hi All! Had retrieval this morning. All went smooth. They were able to retrieve 20 eggs. Still a little groggy but looking forward to hearing news tomorrow about how many make it. Feeling positive. Best of luck to everyone! Thanks for everyone’s support and positive vibes

Tulips29 · January 2019

@ellis1983 that's great and glad it all went well!

I'm on the edge after today's monitoring appointment. Last night was day 3 of stims and they had me lower my gonal-f dosage after yesterday's bloodwork. Today RE said my follicles are still small and he may change my dosage again. That's all fine, but when we started stims on Sunday, they got my hopes up that my retrieval would happen by 2/4 as I have a HUGE 2 day meeting at work that first week of February. Now he's saying it's unlikely and my retrieval may just fall on the days of that meeting. I'm so stressed! I can't miss the meeting, but obviously would need to go in for the retrieval if so. We won't know for sure for at least another week as they have to see how I continue to respond to medication. But I'm so freaking stressed! Can't focus at work, I just keep sitting here and thinking of what I'll say to my boss if I have to miss this meeting...which will majorly suck! Ugh...why can't things ever go smoothly?.....end rant.....

ladythor31 · January 2019

@ACAC25 oh no! That sounds awful, and pretty darn close to what I was dealing with. Luckily today I am feeling pretty much normal after a week of BC. Will be happy to be off of it though, that's for sure.
@sbhawnani I starting drinking hot water with ginger syrup in it yesterday and I think that made a big difference in the nausea. And drinking more water for sure. But I do feel much better today. :-D
@leela00 good luck with your ER!
@pgdwivf good luck with your ultrasound!
@ashcash03 things will get better, and every day is one step closer. :-)
@mizztyra this is definitely a tough place to be in. I had a best friend that only wanted to talk about her baby, and shop for her baby while spending time with me, even after knowing I was having a hard time getting pregnant and was devastated about it. I am sure she just wants to share her exciting experience, and it's hard for anyone who is not having trouble, to understand what we are going through.
@ellis1983 20 eggs is amazing! best wishes on great numbers!

laurenc436 · January 2019

@ellis1983 20 eggs is fantastic!

I just got the call from my embryologist on how many of ours came back normal from PGS testing...we have 6 that are normal! We did ask the gender mix and found out we have 3 of each. Oddly enough, it took that call to make me cry and feel like this is real.

lauralee00 · January 2019

I just got home from my ER! They got 4 eggs which is great for me since I have DOR! Praying that they all fertilize! I'm ready to take a nap and relax all day!

@ellis1983 congrats on 20! I can't imagine!

@Tulips29 I hope everything works out with your work and timing of ER & ET. Try not to stress too much. I know it's easier said than done

@laurenc436 Wow 6 normal and 3 of each! That is wonderful! Congrats!

Pain meds are kicking in so I can't respond to everyone! Thinking of you all 😘

saidebea · January 2019

@ellis1983 congrats on 20 eggs, rock star!

@leela00 hooray for you!! Positive thoughts --- all four WILL fertilize!

AFM, I had my day 5 stim u/s yesterday, have 11 follicles ranging from 11-17mm! I'm pretty happy with that amount. We go back again on Friday for another look, egg retrieval is tentatively planned for Monday. Eeeek! So exciting, so nerve wrecking.

Tulips29 · January 2019

@leela00 congrats! FX for 100% fertilization rate!

@laurenc436 woohoo! Are you going to let RE decide which one to implant based on their grading or are you choosing a gender?

@saidebea that's great! You're less than a week away.

So I had my gonal f dosage lowered again for tonight and I go back in tomorrow again for b/w and u/s. I'll ask the doctor this tomorrow, but does anyone know how follicles are affected by stims? I thought higher dosage of stims makes them grow faster, but maybe that's my ignorance and lack of knowledge. They keep lowering my dosage saying they don't want to overstimulate, which I understand...but won't that make the follicles grow at a slower rate?

laurenc436 · January 2019

@Tulips29 thanks! We are letting them pick the best one....although my husband is adamant he wants a boy. Regarding stim dosage, I had the same fear. They started me on the lowest dosage possible (1 vial menopur and 150gonal) as they said I was at severe risk of OHSS (I have pcos). They extended my stim period by two days and upped one of my meds the last two days. On the ultrasound it showed I only had 5 folllicles ranging above 16 (their requirement) but my es2 total was above 5000. The tech said if your e2 levels are rising your follicles are most likely growing. When it came to ER they took 25. I was also told if they grow too quickly it could hurt the egg quality. 🤷🏻‍♀️So long story short, I have zero understanding of how it works, the ultrasound made no sense, and my results were much better than when they prepped me for. I’m sure it’s fine and you will have a great number of follicles to work with!!

@leela00 congrats! Hoping for a great fertilization rate for you. Get some rest!!

Tulips29 · January 2019

@laurenc436 Thanks for that explanation, that's really helpful. I also have PCOS and RE is afraid of OHSS. I started out 3 nights ago with 225 of gonal, then it was lowered to 187.5 on day 3 and today I was instructed to do 162.5. Although my menopur dosage has stayed the same at 75 IU. They told me my E2 level jumped from 200 to 400 from yesterday to today, thus the lowered dosage. I was just trying to connect the dots and make the connection between everything. Ya, also hoping for good results, but also super nervous about it all!

ellis1983 · January 2019

@laurenc436 that’s awesome news and I would do the same thing by picking the strongest regardless of gender

@Tulips29 I also am told I may have PCOS and was on a really low dose of gonal f and menapour due to avoiding OHSS. Was only on 150 of gonal f for first 3 days then lowered to 75 for last 8 days. I also had a very low trigger dosage where it didn’t even go in my butt just abdomen and leg. It seems they want growth super slow, around 1-2 mm per day and hopefully they grow at similar rates. Regarding work, I understand as I also have a demanding job that I need to be present for including the big meetings. I ended up telling my boss what is going on because of having so many doc appts (been doing fertility treatments for 10 months). He was very understanding and realized that I needed to put myself first. Not saying you need to tell him or her, but if you decide to it may help with the stress of it!

@leela00 great to hear!! It only takes 1! Are they planning transfer for day 3 or day 5?

Tulips29 · January 2019

@ellis1983 Thanks for the feedback. It seems consistent with what my RE said today about follicle growth and medication dosage. And yea, I've thought about all the possible ways I can tell my boss without telling him exactly what I'm going through. He's very understanding, but I'd rather keep it to myself that we're going through IVF.

sbhawnani · January 2019

Good luck to everyone for their transfers/retrievals this week. My transfer has been scheduled for Sunday this week and it seems so far out. Every hour since my retrieval has been a challenge. Embryology called and said all 9 of mine fertilized; I don't trust them but we'll see when we get there on Sunday. Hoping that we will have enough for transfer because she said they will not be bothering them until Sunday morning.

Tulips29 · January 2019

@sbhawnani Sunday will be here before you know it!

laurenc436 · January 2019

@sbhawnani Good luck with your transfer!

ladythor31 · January 2019

@sbhawnani good luck!!

laurenc436 · January 2019

Has anyone had a hysterscopy? Mine is Tuesday and I’m starting to freak out. I’ve had an HSG and that wasn’t bad. But I’ve done two SHGs (saline) and it was beyond painful. I’ve tried to talk my dr out if this but apparently it’s standard protocol before a FET. Any advice?

pgdwivf · January 2019

Many blessings to everyone!

AFM: Scan this morning looking good with lots of follicles of all sizes. Retrieval Mon or Tue.

ladythor31 · January 2019

@laurenc436 I have only had a hysteroscopy to have polyps removed after my HSG came back showing I had two, and I was put under for that. I imagine that would be rather painful though. Why would you need to have that done and the SHGs?
@pgdwivf very exciting! best of luck with your ER!

sbhawnani · January 2019

@Lauren436 I've had one done with my laparoscopy and I was put under for that. I would ask for sedation or take something before the procedure. You are strong and you can do it. Good Luck.

Thank you, everyone, for your best wishes. Trying to keep myself busy and waiting for Sunday

daaly · January 2019

Good luck everyone, just had my ER, 6 eggs . Praying that they all fertilize . Going to get some breakfast now

hugs to all

Tulips29 · January 2019

@laurenc436 I had one done in November to remove a cyst and some polyp. My RE wouldn't let me proceed with the retrieval until the big cyst was removed. But I was put under and woke up after the procedure was done. Do you know the exact reason your RE wants it done? When will they proceed with your transfer? Mine wanted about a month off before we did anything, thus the reason we started the retrieval process in January.

laurenc436 · January 2019

@ladythor31 they do this to make sure you do not have any polyps or fibroids and I was told it’s similar to the SHG. I had two surgeries over the summer to remove all the fibroids they found on the 1st SHG (the second was to get another tissue sample as they thought it was cancerous, but it wasn’t). I had the second SHG after they thought they saw something on a day 3 u/s, which came back negative.

@sbhawnani thanks. They did give me something for before the procedure but nothing for after. Maybe it’s a different type of a hysterscopy?? I can’t imagine it being the same and my previous two procedures where I was put out. If it is, I’m in trouble!

@daaly happy your ER went well. Get some rest!

pegs007 · January 2019

Hello Ladies! I am sorry to barge in here and this may not be the most appropriate group for my query but not sure where else could I ask this.

We have been TTCing since last one year with no luck. No kids.After 3 failed IUI's we have decided to move to IVF.We were trying to figure out costs w our insurance and were devastated to know we have no coverage for IVF medications and we may to have to self pay for the medication. Do you know any pharmacy which is cheaper for IVF meds or any other way to save the costs?

We had never thought conceiving would be so draining emotionally and financially

. Any suggestions or guidance in this matter will be truly appreciated.

I am trying to hold up, not break down emotionally.Thinking happy and positive thoughts for you all!

We will start our cycle next month but there was no Feb forum so, thought will ask here.Apologies if this wasn't the right place.

daaly · January 2019

@pegs007 my first IVF cycle I used Mandall online pharamcy. It was the cheaper at the time. This cycle , my ER clinic recomended a pharamacy in <Park pharmacy >UK . They have been very good too. Good luck !

January 2019 IVF

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