@vl__2019 they try to just do a quick phone call with me with results but I always stalk my patient portal and look at them and have my questions ready for when they call, which I've found helps. But they do just say everything looks good and proceed. I always probe with follicle counts and make them explain everything while I have them on the phone--I've learned through this process that you have to be your own advocate. This is random, but do you use Boston IVF? The only reason I ask is because I've seen that background picture before on their website (that's where I go).
@soccergirl23 no i go Rsony its in New York, i guess i need to speak up, this is my first ivf so im new to this..I thought someone would be explaining everything as it goes on
My clinic would tell me left and right ovary, every follicle and what it’s measurements were. This was pre-pandemic though so I would sit down with the nurse for 5 minutes after the ultrasound. Not sure what they are doing now. I would ask for them to explain it to you, but I think soccergirl is right.
I started stims on Friday and had my first scan today -- looking pretty OK with 2 folli on the left and 3 on the right. They were measurable so decent size. My doctor is hoping for a few more to start popping up over the next couple days; I go back in on Wed and then Fri for some more checks; by Fri he feels we'll know more about where we stand for ER.
I have been having my normal stim side effects -- hot flashes and headaches, yay.
My clinic sounds different from you guys' clinics -- my RE does all of my scans himself and every appointment is with him. But it's a solo practice and pretty small so that's probably why. The embryologist I had for my cycle has retired which disappoints me a little since he was pretty cool. He graded the embryos following the standard scale, but always had his own opinions about the quality based on their overall behavior etc. He was so happy when my day 6 embryos started hatching after they thawed them; he said they were doing perfectly.
We're debating ICSI this time since our fertilization rate naturally was sorta meh before (5 out of 9 fertilized) and they are hoping that ICSI will give me a couple more fertilized. But I'm sorta against it since studies suggest that ICSI fertilized embryos have more issues as far as birth defects or complications. Depending on the number we get, we'll decide for or against PGS testing. I'm sorta for it since I am running a track record of 2/3 miscarried implanted embryos, both due to suspected chromosomal abnormality.
We had to do a bit of unconventional baby sitting so I could go to the appointment -- I dropped DD at DH's office and he watched her while I basically went across the street to do my appointment. She was happy since he got her burger and fries for lunch lol
~~ Our Story in Spoiler! TW loss/child~~
Fall 2012 -- started TTC Summer 2015 - no BFP yet, labs normal, referred to RE Fall 2015 - Summer 2016 - Further testing all normal. 3 IUI's -- BFN. Recommended move to IVF. Planned cycle for fall 2016. September 2016 - Surprise natural BFP. MMC @ 8 weeks. RE expressed confidence that we just needed the 'right' embryo. Fall 2016 - Spring 2017 -- Break from TTC June 2017 - Started IVF; egg retrieval for freeze all cycle. 9 mature eggs retrieved, 5 fertilized. 2 4BB embies on ice. August 2017 - FET transfer both embies. BFP. Twin pregnancy confirmed by ultrasound. EDD 4/28/18 September 2017 - Twin B stopped developing; Twin A doing perfectly! Graduated from RE @ 10 weeks March 2018 - Baby Girl born via C/S due to pre-eclampsia -- strong and healthy!
TTC #2 January/Feb 2021 - Freeze-all IVF cycle March 2021 - FET of 1 PGS normal female embryo. BFP! Beta #1 156, #2 472, #3 1241, #4 5268 EDD 12/5/21 - Christmas baby!
I received a call from the embryologist. So initially of you recall I started with 12 eggs retrieved. Today is day 6 and the final number of at 4. These 4 will be biopsied and frozen. Hopefully we get at least 1 or 2 that come back normal after the genetics testing is done. @thezaltyberger that is odd that one would disappear. Hoping it's was just missed. Are they increasing our changing the medication? Everytime I went in they changed my dosage. @vl__2019 my place is the same they just call and start reading of the numbers. All I ask after is if those are good numbers and am I where I am supposed to be. @sfield21 it's great that you have your transfer date. @soccergirl23 thank you for your positive thoughts.
@mouse39 how exciting!! 4 embryos!! Endless potential! So happy for you
@vl__2019 you inspired me to investigate my own portal and find results before the nurse calls! I'm so hoping that today is the last day of all of this. At this point I can't straighten either arm from all the bloodwork over the last four days. Please just let them call and tell me to do the trigger shot and that's it!!! @soccergirl23 I go to BostonIVF too! I know they have a great reputation. I love their acupuncture. I get frustrated with them sometimes, but overall I feel like I'm in good hands. Are you having a good experience with them?
@vl__2019 I thought that too, but I think they're so methodical and busy that they don't stop and answer questions unless you make them (at least in my limited experience).
@mbradfo2 your clinic sounds lovely, I definitely wait nervously by my phone/check my portal until the afternoon when I find out the results. I didn't realize that about ICSI, interesting - I wonder if I should have requested that they not do that. I recommend PGS testing for ease of mind, although I know it is expensive but it could ultimately save you time with cycles/embryos that wouldn't have worked.
@mouse39 that's amazing, congrats! The odds are definitely for you getting at least 1 or 2, hopefully they give you speedy results .
@thezaltyberger your results from today look amazing! Although I'm sorry about your arms . Yeah, I've really liked going there - I definitely have some difficulty getting a lot of information out of them past 'everything looks good, continue your meds', but like I said above I just hold them on the phone until they answer all of my questions. I go to the one in Albany, NY and sadly they don't offer acupuncture at their office now, but I am looking into an alternative location for that. But they are definitely very thorough, going through my whole medical history every time I speak with my doctor and I have liked my experience with them overall (and they're SO organized with appointments).
@vl__2019 I think I kind of understand yours? AFC is antral follical count, and then I think they're calling out the big ones they could measure already. Also I understand the uteran lining number. You're on...day 5 of shots? I'm not a doctor but doesn't look too different from mine!
I just go the call and the instructions were pretty intense. Take a shot as normal tonight at 8pm, but then wake up at 2am to administer two trigger shots. It's frustrating that the office doesn't know what medication was actually prescribed to me (they vary based on your insurance) and so they had to give me instructions for each possible brand (they're all different! come ON!) and then I have to go and check. It was overwhelming.
My egg retrieval is scheduled for Wednesday midday. Lots more instructions because of the anesthesia. The nurse also said that because of my "robust" response, they may delay my embryo transfer to February to allow my body to heal. She said my ovaries were the size of grapefruits right now, so that's a happy visual...sigh. I guess I don't know how I feel about it. I am so terribly uncomfortable right now that I was honestly dreading the transfer and so I feel some relief knowing that it could be delayed. At the same time, I was hoping to already have an answer in 2-3 weeks.
Mostly I just feel tired. I can lose myself in thinking about why it's harder for me than for other people around me - but if I have to go through this, if WE have to go through this, then at least we have each other.
@thezaltyberger yay ur at the end of stims...sorry ur so uncomfortable. Yes im on day 5 of stims today yesterday was day 4..praying everything goes well on Wednesday, how many days in all have you been stimming for?.. thanks for explaining its making sense when all of you broke it down for me
@thezaltyberger congrats on making it this far and hoping your egg retrieval goes well!! I had the same issue, my ovaries were huge and my body needed to rest so we waited a month. I did a frozen transfer the next month and got pregnant with our daughter... all this waiting sucks but believe me, you want to be in the best shape and mindset you can be. It will all be worth it! Try to stay positive
@thezaltyberger Congrats on a good follicle count and good luck to you on Wednesday! Fingers crossed everything goes well and without any complications. 🤞🏻❤️
@vl__2019 the trigger shots weren't painful like some of the stimmies, but were frustrating in their own way. First, I had to get up at 2am. When I started this journey and they asked me to choose a time between 5pm and midnight for stimmies, they could've helped my decision by telling me that the trigger shot has to happen 6 hours after stimmies. I would've happily committed to 5pm instead of 8pm and then triggered at 11pm, a perfectly reasonable time to go to sleep! What gives?
I had two different trigger shots, Lupron (sp?) and Novorel, each with their own frustrations as well. I needed 80 units of Lupron, but the syringes only go up to 50, so I had to get two injections to administer one dose. Can't you just make the syringe bigger??? I'm already a pin cushion!
Novorel is one of the meds where you have to mix with a diluent and a powder. Thankfully they gave us two boxes of it because the first powder vial just refused to dissolve and then a bunch of air bubbles formed. We waited and tried to move it around without shaking it and it just wasn't working. We opened the second box and it dissolved just fine, but not before calling the on-call doctor in a panic in the middle of the night. She was very sleepy. Long story short, we injected 30 minutes late and DH and I were very frustrated and a little panicked wondering if everything I just went through over the last 11 days was for nothing, but the on-call doctor said the delay was just fine.
The good news is that for the foreseeable future I am done with injections. That being said, I'm starting to get a little nervous about the general anesthesia tomorrow, but I trust that everything will be okay
Went to my appointment this morning E2 is at 520, i think the way u all broke down the ultrasound was correct i have 2 measurable ones one the right and 1 measurable one on the left they always see 10 on the left that isnt big enough to measure and 6 on the right. They want me to come back in the morning and to bring in the medication cetrotide with me.
@thezaltyberger sounds complicated but glad u made it through..praying that all goes well with ur retrieval 2maro
@thezaltyberger I am sure you will be fine. They didn't time my trigger shot like that. They didn't even ask what time I was taking my stims, which they told me between 6-10 pm. Just make sure you tell them exactly what time you took it at your retrieval. Good luck on your retrieval.
Okay... looking for some reassurance. I am 5 weeks 2 days today. Last weekend I had a good bit of nausea, twinges and sore breasts but the past few days I have felt perfectly fine... I hate to complain about feeling fine but I’m also paranoid it means things aren’t progressing. I don’t have my u/s for another 2 weeks. Anyone experience symptoms disappearing like this?
@emilynoel810 When my sister was pregnant she said her symptoms came and went. Will your doctor see you? Keep is posted please. Hopefully everything is fine.
Hi everyone! I'm new here and am just so happy to find a group of people who understand what it feels like to go through IVF. It's difficult navigating this emotional journey without any friends or family understanding, you know? I had my first FET (post PGS) on Jan 22nd, and am of course constantly asking myself "Am I warm enough?" "Am I too warm?" "Can I eat this?" "Should I not have had a cup of decaf?" "Did I get too winded going up those stairs?" etc. It's hard not to put pressure on yourself when you just want it to work so badly. I do have a question for you all, I have a blood pregnancy test scheduled with my Dr. for Monday, but do any of you prefer to test at home in the days leading up to it? Or do you recommend holding out and waiting? Thanks so much <3
@mouse39 I think a Feb FET thread could be good since Jan is almost over!
@emilynoel810 with my son my symptoms came and went a lot. One day I would feel pregnant and the next day not at all - I think any doctor's concern comes from bleeding. To be honest, I didn't really feel much until I was like 4 - 5 months along. Not sure if that's helpful at all?
@lbnyc85 welcome and that's so exciting that you already transferred and have your test Monday! After my first IUI I tested early and got a positive, but it was actually a chemical so I was super disappointed when my blood work came back. I kind of like the idea of testing the morning of your blood test to have a little bit of an idea, but I think everyone feels different about when to test.
@emilynoel810 my symptoms came and went as well. I wouldn’t worry too much about that, but maybe ask your Dr for an earlier US to ease your mind. I’ve definitely been there and even had bleeding... a lot of it! But it was a Subchorionic hemorrhage (SCH) causing the bleeding.
@lbnyc85 welcome to the group! Hope you’re feeling well post FET! I am a crazy tester and begin testing 4 or 5 days after FET. For me, testing at 5DP5DT it has been accurate. I know that’s early for some though.
Im starting to feel pressure on my left side😩😩 they are upping my dosage of menopur and gonal F tonight and 2maro night, they counted 9 today but said theres more that can be there
@mouse39@vl__2019@sfield21 thank you for the love ❤️❤️❤️ I am feeling okay, just tired! A little bit of discomfort, but the heat pack and pizza are helping 😝 I should know by late tomorrow morning how many fertilized and then we’ll start watching them. I have a call with my doctor tomorrow and I’m anticipating that he’ll say he wants to wait and do a FET next month instead of fresh now. The doctor who performed the retrieval today said that’s what she would recommend because I had such a “robust” response and also my estrogen is high. I feel pretty relieved honestly because I need a bit of a break. I’m a little anxious about the period I’ll get, they said it would be very heavy....what do you guys think?
@sfield21 I don’t think we’re doing ICSI because we don’t know that we need it. This is the first time anyone actually sees my eggs, so we don’t know if the sperm has an issue penetrating the egg. I certainly hope they perform ICSI if I do have a problem??
@vl__2019 hang in there!!! Try to lay on the couch as much and as often as possible!!! I had weird pain and pressures too. Tea, heat packs and Tylenol are the name of the game!!!
@thezaltyberger congratulations on 28 eggs...woo-hoo🥳 that’s a great number!!!
@lbnyc85 don’t worry too much. My doc said to me that after transfer you pretty much can do anything, if the embryo is viable it will take. I know it’s easier said than done but at this point it out of your control. Less stress is probably the best solution! And if testing will make you feel better than definitely test. It’s just sometimes POAS is addicting and some people driving themselves crazy trying to compare lines. Good luck to you. Keep us posted.
@lbnyc85 I completely understand the burning desire to test! All I’ll say is that my clinic warned me that they see enough false negatives that they encourage their patients not to emotionally go through that.
Ladies I am panicking a little bit...sorry in advance..
How do I know if we need ICSI? So after my egg retrieval today, presumably all of them are sitting in Petri dishes with DH’s sperm in an attempt to be fertilized. Will the lab know by then if I need ICSI or not? All of DH’s analyses were great. This is just the first time anyone has taken a look at my egg quality, egg walls, etc.
what I’m getting at is say none of them fertilize and there’s some kind of problem, meaning we actually needed ICSI...do I have to go through the stimmie process again?
@thezaltyberger sorry if I got your brain spinning!! My clinic basically always does ICSI, or at least recommends it. Who knows, could be a cash grab! With 28 eggs I’m sure you have a good chance of quite a few fertilizing even without ICSI. I don’t know if they can perform ICSI afterwards... like tomorrow or the next day. Maybe though? Good question to ask them tomorrow. Just rest... your body and mind. You’ll find out some information tomorrow from the clinic and I’m sure everything will be fine. Hugs to you.
@thezaltyberger I am sure your doctor will call you tomorrow. Then you could have a conversation about your options. I wouldn't work right now your body just went through alot and it needs some rest. You had a lot of eggs retrieved you will have a great outcome.
@thezaltyberger don’t worry, embryologists monitor your eggs/embryos constantly. They probably have protocols in place that if for example there is no certain %of fertilization by certain time - then time for ICSI, or something similar.
@thezaltyberger wow, that's a fantastic number of eggs, congratulations!! I wouldn't stress too much about fertilization methods, I agree with everyone above - these people are pros.
Re: Jan 2021 IVF/FET
I have been having my normal stim side effects -- hot flashes and headaches, yay.
My clinic sounds different from you guys' clinics -- my RE does all of my scans himself and every appointment is with him. But it's a solo practice and pretty small so that's probably why. The embryologist I had for my cycle has retired which disappoints me a little since he was pretty cool. He graded the embryos following the standard scale, but always had his own opinions about the quality based on their overall behavior etc. He was so happy when my day 6 embryos started hatching after they thawed them; he said they were doing perfectly.
We're debating ICSI this time since our fertilization rate naturally was sorta meh before (5 out of 9 fertilized) and they are hoping that ICSI will give me a couple more fertilized. But I'm sorta against it since studies suggest that ICSI fertilized embryos have more issues as far as birth defects or complications. Depending on the number we get, we'll decide for or against PGS testing. I'm sorta for it since I am running a track record of 2/3 miscarried implanted embryos, both due to suspected chromosomal abnormality.
We had to do a bit of unconventional baby sitting so I could go to the appointment -- I dropped DD at DH's office and he watched her while I basically went across the street to do my appointment. She was happy since he got her burger and fries for lunch lol
Summer 2015 - no BFP yet, labs normal, referred to RE
Fall 2015 - Summer 2016 - Further testing all normal. 3 IUI's -- BFN. Recommended move to IVF. Planned cycle for fall 2016.
September 2016 - Surprise natural BFP. MMC @ 8 weeks. RE expressed confidence that we just needed the 'right' embryo.
Fall 2016 - Spring 2017 -- Break from TTC
June 2017 - Started IVF; egg retrieval for freeze all cycle. 9 mature eggs retrieved, 5 fertilized. 2 4BB embies on ice.
August 2017 - FET transfer both embies. BFP. Twin pregnancy confirmed by ultrasound. EDD 4/28/18
September 2017 - Twin B stopped developing; Twin A doing perfectly! Graduated from RE @ 10 weeks
March 2018 - Baby Girl born via C/S due to pre-eclampsia -- strong and healthy!
TTC #2
January/Feb 2021 - Freeze-all IVF cycle
March 2021 - FET of 1 PGS normal female embryo. BFP! Beta #1 156, #2 472, #3 1241, #4 5268 EDD 12/5/21 - Christmas baby!
"When all is lost then all is found."
@thezaltyberger that is odd that one would disappear. Hoping it's was just missed. Are they increasing our changing the medication? Everytime I went in they changed my dosage.
@vl__2019 my place is the same they just call and start reading of the numbers. All I ask after is if those are good numbers and am I where I am supposed to be.
@sfield21 it's great that you have your transfer date.
@soccergirl23 thank you for your positive thoughts.
@vl__2019 you inspired me to investigate my own portal and find results before the nurse calls! I'm so hoping that today is the last day of all of this. At this point I can't straighten either arm from all the bloodwork over the last four days. Please just let them call and tell me to do the trigger shot and that's it!!!
@soccergirl23 I go to BostonIVF too! I know they have a great reputation. I love their acupuncture. I get frustrated with them sometimes, but overall I feel like I'm in good hands. Are you having a good experience with them?
@mbradfo2 your clinic sounds lovely, I definitely wait nervously by my phone/check my portal until the afternoon when I find out the results. I didn't realize that about ICSI, interesting - I wonder if I should have requested that they not do that. I recommend PGS testing for ease of mind, although I know it is expensive but it could ultimately save you time with cycles/embryos that wouldn't have worked.
@mouse39 that's amazing, congrats! The odds are definitely for you getting at least 1 or 2, hopefully they give you speedy results
@thezaltyberger your results from today look amazing! Although I'm sorry about your arms
I just go the call and the instructions were pretty intense. Take a shot as normal tonight at 8pm, but then wake up at 2am to administer two trigger shots. It's frustrating that the office doesn't know what medication was actually prescribed to me (they vary based on your insurance) and so they had to give me instructions for each possible brand (they're all different! come ON!) and then I have to go and check. It was overwhelming.
My egg retrieval is scheduled for Wednesday midday. Lots more instructions because of the anesthesia. The nurse also said that because of my "robust" response, they may delay my embryo transfer to February to allow my body to heal. She said my ovaries were the size of grapefruits right now, so that's a happy visual...sigh. I guess I don't know how I feel about it. I am so terribly uncomfortable right now that I was honestly dreading the transfer and so I feel some relief knowing that it could be delayed. At the same time, I was hoping to already have an answer in 2-3 weeks.
Mostly I just feel tired. I can lose myself in thinking about why it's harder for me than for other people around me - but if I have to go through this, if WE have to go through this, then at least we have each other.
@vl__2019 the trigger shots weren't painful like some of the stimmies, but were frustrating in their own way. First, I had to get up at 2am. When I started this journey and they asked me to choose a time between 5pm and midnight for stimmies, they could've helped my decision by telling me that the trigger shot has to happen 6 hours after stimmies. I would've happily committed to 5pm instead of 8pm and then triggered at 11pm, a perfectly reasonable time to go to sleep! What gives?
I had two different trigger shots, Lupron (sp?) and Novorel, each with their own frustrations as well. I needed 80 units of Lupron, but the syringes only go up to 50, so I had to get two injections to administer one dose. Can't you just make the syringe bigger??? I'm already a pin cushion!
Novorel is one of the meds where you have to mix with a diluent and a powder. Thankfully they gave us two boxes of it because the first powder vial just refused to dissolve and then a bunch of air bubbles formed. We waited and tried to move it around without shaking it and it just wasn't working. We opened the second box and it dissolved just fine, but not before calling the on-call doctor in a panic in the middle of the night. She was very sleepy. Long story short, we injected 30 minutes late and DH and I were very frustrated and a little panicked wondering if everything I just went through over the last 11 days was for nothing, but the on-call doctor said the delay was just fine.
The good news is that for the foreseeable future I am done with injections. That being said, I'm starting to get a little nervous about the general anesthesia tomorrow, but I trust that everything will be okay
@emilynoel810 with my son my symptoms came and went a lot. One day I would feel pregnant and the next day not at all - I think any doctor's concern comes from bleeding. To be honest, I didn't really feel much until I was like 4 - 5 months along. Not sure if that's helpful at all?
@lbnyc85 welcome and that's so exciting that you already transferred and have your test Monday! After my first IUI I tested early and got a positive, but it was actually a chemical so I was super disappointed when my blood work came back. I kind of like the idea of testing the morning of your blood test to have a little bit of an idea, but I think everyone feels different about when to test.
@thezaltyberger I hope your ER went well today!
@sfield21 I don’t think we’re doing ICSI because we don’t know that we need it. This is the first time anyone actually sees my eggs, so we don’t know if the sperm has an issue penetrating the egg. I certainly hope they perform ICSI if I do have a problem??
@vl__2019 hang in there!!! Try to lay on the couch as much and as often as possible!!! I had weird pain and pressures too. Tea, heat packs and Tylenol are the name of the game!!!
How do I know if we need ICSI? So after my egg retrieval today, presumably all of them are sitting in Petri dishes with DH’s sperm in an attempt to be fertilized. Will the lab know by then if I need ICSI or not? All of DH’s analyses were great. This is just the first time anyone has taken a look at my egg quality, egg walls, etc.
what I’m getting at is say none of them fertilize and there’s some kind of problem, meaning we actually needed ICSI...do I have to go through the stimmie process again?