The embryologist called with the results of PGS testing this afternoon...and I sorta don't know what to feel/think?
2 of 3 embies were PGS Normal (both girls). The Day 6 embryo came back as inconclusive due to not enough dna in the sample. The embryologist wanted my ok to thaw and do another biopsy before freezing again. He said while there is some risk in thawing and refreezing, it's worth it in this instance since it could come back as PGS norm. And if it doesn't or we lose the embryo in the thaw/refreeze, then we're only back to where we starting (two PGS normals)...so we only gain by retesting. So he said he would do the biopsy again this afternoon and send off to the lab before closing tonight. He's going to call again to let us know if he was able to do the biopsy and freeze it again. It's 5 now here and he called about 2 hours ago, so hopefully I'll hear something soon. If it was successful, we should know something by mid next week.
So 2 good ones thus far -- which is more than I expected (but I'm not surprised they are girls, girls run in my family!). I'm going to talk to the doctor tomorrow (telemed) and we'll see about setting up a schedule to do the first FET of one of them. -eeeee-. I literally JUST started my period today, so we'll have to wait for the following cycle unless we're able to start tomorrow (not sure if it's possible once my cycle has started....).
~~ 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!
@mbradfo2 that’s amazing!! Yay!! We had 2 embryos with insufficient samples, but we’ll try our 2 normals first and then re-test those ones if needed. Our samples were sent to another lab for testing and we never had the option to retest them.
@danij823 - thanks, girl! And super excited for you - I found the worst part was the wait and you are SO close to actually starting. Hoping it's a super successful round for you!
@dukie001 and @mbradfo2@sfield21@kat6714 - thank you! That's actually really encouraging that a "lower" grade can still be promising. I thought it was highly unlikely but you guys are convincing me we still have a shot which is awesome! Great to hear that your son was a 2BB, @dukie001🙂
@sfield21 - YAY! so glad your transfer went well (although the full bladder sounds like no fun, haha). Crossing all my fingers and toes!
@kat6714 - 8 / 8 fertilized is awesome!! Congrats! Hope you're feeling better now - going back to work was kinda tough for me but also honestly kinda nice because it stopped me from thinking about IVF all the time, haha.
@soccergirl23 - So for the lupron protocol, you start on CD21 of the previous cycle and have 7-10 days of lupron before you do the regular stims (Gonal-F, menopur, etc.). So basically it means I start a full month later since I won't start any medicine until 3 weeks after my next cycle starts. She didn't have exact stats for that protocol but did say that some people tend to see better egg quality at the risk of possibly having lower yield. My yield wasn't fantastic before but it wasn't bad, and I feel like my RE now knows that she can ramp up my gonal-f / menopur earlier - so hopefully I get quality without the reduction in quantity!
@mbradfo2 - AMAZING on your 2 (or maybe all 3)!! that's so exciting! your transfer will be here before you know it! hopefully they can still do this cycle but if not, at least you can rest easy that you've got 2 potential baby girls waiting for you
@mbradfo2 congratulations, that's so amazing to get 2/3
@hej2021 ahh okay, yeah that sounds like a good plan! I feel like with every cycle our RE's learn more and more about what to do for the next one to get optimal results, which is kind of cool. An extra 7 - 10 of stims doesn't sound ideal but once you get past that I feel like you would never look back an regret it, it just is hard (and a little painful) in the moment.
Yeah, I still feel sorta shocked, I guess! I was not anticipating 2 normals (or potentialy 3) considering my history of m/c. Doing a telehealth with my RE today to see what the next steps are.
@hej2021 Those extra days of stims will just be a blip on your radar soon enough! And quality is sooo important; I don't get huge numbers of eggs, but I get enough that are able to go on and be a healthy baby. That should be the goal, anyway: a healthy baby, not a zillion eggs. I think sometimes that gets lost in the mix, especially since people feel alot of pressure to have a huge number of embryos from one IVF cycle due to financial concerns (in the US or anywhere IVF isn't covered by insurance). Having done 2 retrievals now; it's really not that awful and sorta prepares you for the discomfort that is pregnancy (where you get a gold star for feeling like crap!).
This is a slightly off-the-wall rant, but does anyone feel like IF primes you to be more jealous about things than normal? Not even just baby stuff, but life in general. I was jealous enough of my little sister (how can you avoid it?) when she had 2 babies while we were trying to get pregnant with 1, and now she's moved to a city I really want to move to as well and posting photos of her pretty house and her kids in the snow. There's nothing wrong with my house; I've completely renovated it to be exactly what I want...but somehow when I see the pictures, I just feel like 'that should be me'. Like she's living my dream and it's really not fair. Even though logically I know that she has had many struggles of her own, particularly with her husband finding good, steady work (they moved so he could start a new position after being let go at his previous job) - and I should feel grateful: I have a lovely house, a beautiful little girl who is full of pep, I'm able to stay at home with my daughter, my husband has a great job which lets us do most of the fun things we want to do like traveling (back when we could travel). Maybe it's just something from the stims at the beginning of the month that's made me extra sensitive. Hormones.
-sigh-
~~ 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!
Oh man y'all I am such a rookie! I wasted 2 doses of Menopur this morning trying to get air bubbles out of the syringe! That's 6 vials of wasted Menopur. when I tried to get the air bubbles out like half the dose would pop out. I thought I'd be better at this.. Got it on the third try and was able to get my full dose in but oh man.. Any tips on how to get air bubbles out without losing any medicine? I pushed it so slowly I thought..
@danij823 Hold the syringe up right in your hand (needle pointing at the ceiling) and gently tap its side with a finger of your other hand. You want quick, focused taps that jiggle the syringe without shaking it. The bubbles should rise to the top and dissipate. Trying to push the bubbles out of the syringe with the stopper never really works and you can lose part of the dose (unless you overfill). I'm used to giving vaccines and the amounts you need to give are pretty specific, so I can't risk over or underfilling the syringe (esp. with some vials where I can get multiple doses from the same vial).
I found this picture of the technique on google, so it might be easier for you to see this way?
Oh, a way to get good taps without much effort is to hold your finger behind your thumb and release your thumb...sorta like flicking it?
Also, I would call your doctor's office and see if you need to order more menopur! Better safe than sorry. They'll understand; this sort of thing happens quite frequently. I screwed up my first Gonal-F injection (yes, it has an injection pen. I just was so flustered!) and had to get another injection pen.
~~ 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!
Thank you @mbradfo2!! That is super helpful! I reached out to my nurse about getting more Menopur and explained what happened. Hopefully she'll get back to me soon. I have my first Gonal F experience tonight..I'm just gonna take it super slow!! Congrats on your 2 embabies, that's awesome!!
Hey all! I realize I ghosted the Bump forums for a bit and need to update and read through all the posts but I wanted to give a tip for injections
@danij823 really you only need to worry about getting out the big bubbles, the tiny bubbles aren't going to matter and don't impact the dose. I just say this so that you aren't sitting and tapping out bubbles forever. When I first started nursing I remember it would take me forever to get the air out and finally the older nurses told me that tiny bubbles aren't going to hurt anyone.
Hope that helps!
Me: 34 DH: 43 Our Journey for #1
2014 -- Started TTC casually 2017 -- Discovered MFI but didn't move forward with treatment due to expense and grad school Spring 2019 -- Started with RE and confirmed MFI Fall 2019 -- 3 cycles of Clomid and TI, 3 BFNs, discovered hostile cervical mucus was also contributing Spring/Summer 2020 -- 3 cycle of IUI, 3 BFNs Nov 2020 - First IVF with 3 little frosties, had to change to freeze all due to OHSS Feb 16, 2021 - FET #1 - BFP! Beta #1 100 Beta # 2 541 EDD 11/4/2021
Hi ladies. I'm enjoying reading through all of your journeys. At my first US I had a hormone producing cyst so BC for about two weeks. Went back the cyst had shrunk just a bit but it was no longer producing hormones. Went back on Friday for a baseline and still had the cyst but they started me on my stims since it still isn't producing hormones. The wait may have been good because at the beginning of the month I only had about 5 follicles and Friday I had 10. 🤞🏾that they will all grow. It took me forever to prepare my meds last night. I had an extra shot of the HGH which you have to prepare similar to Menopur but they only have me regular needles. Luckily with Menopur you have way more Q caps than you need so I used that to mix the HGH as well. ...and so it begins.
Hi previously was on the January group got to egg retrieval and it got canceled because i caught covid so all those stims i did were in vain😩😩, i tested negative last weekend so they started me back on bc to start stims hopefully by the end of this weak, currently i have more anxiety than the last time as im scared of catching covid again on top of having to do stims
@sfield21 so happy u made it to ur other transfer!!! Praying it sticks❤️❤️❤️
Hi ladies - just checking in. Thank you for sharing your journeys. I’m waiting to get my second period following my egg retrieval and then to start the FET process. The first period post egg retrieval came very early and was honestly pretty terrible: extremely heavy flow and cramps in totally new places. They want me to do a natural cycle with only some progesterone to assist the development of my uterine lining. I’ve been grateful for the break from all the procedures and appointments. DH and I still gave it the old college try this month, but of course there’s little chance of that working. I’m looking at a late March FET timeline I think. I have an appointment with my doctor late this week when hopefully he’ll outline it for me in detail.
I honestly just generally feel down. I’ve never been depressed, but I feel like this last week I’ve been carrying around a heaviness - maybe a hopelessness - and feeling unable to experience delight. It feels like there’s nothing to look forward to. Today I had a good day in every sense of the word and yet the heaviness persists. DH says we’re human and it’s perfectly okay to feel down sometimes. Maybe he’s right and I should just let this phase run its course.
@thezaltyberger totally normal to feel that way especially with all the emotions we are going through. Take some time to breathe during the next few weeks as you’ll be back full swing into TTC mode very shortly with your upcoming FET. I know I find it a little harder this time around since I have very few distractions (thanks Covid) try to plan a little getaway for you and DH maybe, take a drive somewhere new, go for a walk on some trails, order out from a new restaurant... try to find something to look forward to.
AFM: I’m 6DP5DT and I’ve been testing negative so I think this month is a bust. I’ve been feeling crampy and had night sweats last night, so I think my period just wants to come but the progesterone is holding it off. My beta isn’t until Sunday... another 6 days. Ugh, I’m sort of throwing in the towel already on this transfer. I only have one more pgs normal embryo... now the pressure and stress levels will rise.
@danij823 I hope everything worked out with your gonal-f pen and Menopur! I ended up combining my gonal-f and injecting it into my menopur vial to only get one injection/night (while it remained under 1ml). I also had some rookie mistakes with my stims - one time I didn't tighten the needle on the syringe tight and the needle came off, my last dose of gonal-f and menopue spilled out all over the floor, and the needle was left inside my stomach. It was horrible haha so don't feel alone, it's kind of insane we're left to handle these injections ourselves!
@adamae1216 thats great that they're seeing 10 follicles!
@vl__2019 welcome back, glad you're covid negative and can restart your stims soon.
@thezaltyberger I know what you mean, it seems like we end up linking so much of our happiness to this process, it becomes all consuming. I've been trying to get out of that mindset and focus on every day things and keep this process to a sideline and just something additional to add to our daily life, but it is really difficult and I definitely can't maintain that all the time. I agree with your DH though,we are human and it's okay to feel down sometimes, just try not to let it be all consuming or stay there for too long.
@sfield21 I wouldn't count yourself out yet, that's still early for testing! It stinks that you have to wait so long for your blood test . Thinking of you and sending lots of positive thoughts !
@thezaltyberger I'm sorry you're feeling soo down love FET is just around the corner and then I bet some happy times are coming
@sfield21 Dang it, you're still early tho, I'm keeping my hopes up for you and sending all the good vibes!
@soccergirl23 Thank you, it helps to hear other's stories!
I got my first check yesterday, Day 4 of Stims, the nurse said I have 15 follicles and didn't change my meds. I had another check this morning, and will have one every single day this week, waiting to hear. Does this seem like a good start? My nurse said it's fine, they really don't elaborate. I saw this on my portal tho.
@thezaltyberger I totally get what your going through, i felt like this the last 3 weeks, but u will get past it, and im sure u will feel some type of happiness once u start preparing for ur FET.
@danij823 ur follicles are growing😍😍 took me a while to get it too last time..my clinic dosent really elaborate either so I understand, ur doing great what day of stims are you on?
@vl__2019 Today is day 5 and I got my call just now, everything got a tiny bit bigger. I'm adding Cetrotide as soon as I get home. I asked her if everything was looking good and she just said "Um, ya we're going in the right direction". . LOL it's so frustrating how little info I get. Thank God for these forums! I was so sorry to read about what happened to you the last cycle! That must have been devastating! I hope this round is amazing for you girl!
@danij823 yes its soo annoying that they give u so little information and ur left trying to find answers by urself...i had to redo my saline ultrasound today and before they started they scared me cuz they said they thought I ovulated 🤦🏽♀️ Had to get bloodwork done that proved that the bc was working and that i can keep moving forward. Thank god, i should be starting stims this week again, still havent hrd from finance if my last cycle counted as one i hope it didnt😞... but day 5 ur doing great
@danij823 I understand the frustration with the lack of information. My last clinic didn't tell me anything and didn't call out the sizes of the follicles during the u ultrasound. I was so jealous when I would come to the boards and people knew all their info. My clinic now is much better at relating info during the visit. I just feel so much more informed.
Ladies... looking for your thoughts. I’m 7DP5DT and testing negative... 99% sure I’m out this month and I just really want to stop taking my meds and let my next cycle come. My beta test isn’t until Sunday at 12DP5DT ...I want to call my clinic and ask about stopping meds early or at least doing my beta test a bit earlier.... what do you think? What has your experience been? When do you usually do your beta test?
@sfield21 my beta is scheduled 10 days after FET per my clinic if that helps at all! I would definitely call your clinic and ask if they could move it up - it may depend on each clinics protocols? I'm not entirely sure though.
@danij823 that looks great day 4/5 results, hopefully they all keep growing and are mature!!
I just got confirmation that everything looks good with my lining and my FET is scheduled for March 2nd, which means I begin my PIO shots Thursday (freaking out a little about those.. ).
@sfield21 that sounds like a good plan! I read somewhere recently that it can take 5 - 6 days for the embryo to implant after a FET (2 days usually for a fresh transfer), so it may take longer to show up as a positive? No, I haven't done PIO before this is my first time and I'm freaking out a little so yes please, whatever advice you have!! I've been reading mixed reviews about icing before, some say it helps but I've read other places that it's not good to ice before IM shots. What did you do before and after the injections?
@sfield21 I think just hang in there and wait a little longer. Did you do the test with FMU? It could have just been too diluted if you used a later sample.
@soccergirl23 I don't ice before my PIO injections but do have my hubby massage the area and then sit on a heating pad for a bit. For me if he pinches the skin around the area and goes slowly with the medication it doesn't really hurt going in. The pain is more later on that evening and the next day but I don't know there is much you can do to avoid it.
Me: 34 DH: 43 Our Journey for #1
2014 -- Started TTC casually 2017 -- Discovered MFI but didn't move forward with treatment due to expense and grad school Spring 2019 -- Started with RE and confirmed MFI Fall 2019 -- 3 cycles of Clomid and TI, 3 BFNs, discovered hostile cervical mucus was also contributing Spring/Summer 2020 -- 3 cycle of IUI, 3 BFNs Nov 2020 - First IVF with 3 little frosties, had to change to freeze all due to OHSS Feb 16, 2021 - FET #1 - BFP! Beta #1 100 Beta # 2 541 EDD 11/4/2021
@soccergirl23 they really aren’t bad once you get the hang of it. I think being scared/nervous makes me screw it up more! Mark out an area you want to give the injection. I use a heating pad prior to injection, lay on my stomach on our bed with a few pillows to prop up my chest, turning around to reach is the hardest part (if you’re doing it yourself) I sort of pinch up my bum fat with one hand and dart it in, super fast with the other. Then push the medication in really slowly, it might take me 20-30 seconds to inject 1mL. Then massage the area afterwards, fairly hard/deep, then heating pad for another few minutes. Good luck! Let us know how it goes for you. Just don’t be afraid... but I know it’s super intimidating, there’s a lot of muscle and you can dart the needle in fast and will barely feel it. Look up Nurse Linda IVF videos for some help too.
Oh, I also keep a Kleenex beside me, sometimes there’s a bit of blood after I pull the needle out and I use it to help massage the area after.
@KNB1027 yah, it’s been fmu every day. And my previous positives were showing at 5DP. I’ll give it another couple days just not feeling hopeful anymore.
My update: My nurse called this afternoon to increase my Gonal F to 375 with anticipated trigger tomorrow. Totally wasn't expecting that news , I'm only on day 7 of stims today. My Estradiol is 1332 and I have 15 follicles. There is still a little guy at 9mm and the rest are at 11-17mm. I was thinking I'd need longer but I'm ok with this being over quicker! I just have to trust my doctor and know that she's doing what's gonna work for me. This process is exhausting.
@sfield21 Sorry love, the disappointment is so hard and lonely. Sending positive energy your way
@danij823 Stims were exhausting! The appointments and emotions and ovarian swelling were intense. Yay for triggering soon - go little follicles go!!
ETA: Punctuation
Me: 34 DH: 43 Our Journey for #1
2014 -- Started TTC casually 2017 -- Discovered MFI but didn't move forward with treatment due to expense and grad school Spring 2019 -- Started with RE and confirmed MFI Fall 2019 -- 3 cycles of Clomid and TI, 3 BFNs, discovered hostile cervical mucus was also contributing Spring/Summer 2020 -- 3 cycle of IUI, 3 BFNs Nov 2020 - First IVF with 3 little frosties, had to change to freeze all due to OHSS Feb 16, 2021 - FET #1 - BFP! Beta #1 100 Beta # 2 541 EDD 11/4/2021
@danij823 that's awesome, always exciting to have to do fewer days of stims! Glad to hear everything is progressing well .
Update on PIO - did the first injection this morning and it wasn't bad at all! I barely even felt the needle go in, but I can slowly feel the soreness creeping in haha. Unfortunately we're also going to be doing another tonight to get on a PM instead of AM schedule moving forward. Thanks for calming my nerves ladies!
@danij823 good luck on your retrieval. That does seem short but your ovaries seem like they are responding well to the meds. This morning I had to add in my Ganorelix. I got to work only to realize I forgot to do the shot. Luckily I live close to work and was able to go back home and had the shot done by 9:05...a little late but at least I got it done. I usually don't feel anything with my ovaries during stimming but this time I can definitely feel my left ovary. I'm thinking it's because I have the cyst on it and it looked huge at my last ultrasound.🤷🏾♀️. I go in tomorrow morning for another ultrasound and hopefully these eggs are growing.
@soccergirl23 Congrats on your first PIO! I thought the first shot was the hardest because I had built it up in my head.
Me: 34 DH: 43 Our Journey for #1
2014 -- Started TTC casually 2017 -- Discovered MFI but didn't move forward with treatment due to expense and grad school Spring 2019 -- Started with RE and confirmed MFI Fall 2019 -- 3 cycles of Clomid and TI, 3 BFNs, discovered hostile cervical mucus was also contributing Spring/Summer 2020 -- 3 cycle of IUI, 3 BFNs Nov 2020 - First IVF with 3 little frosties, had to change to freeze all due to OHSS Feb 16, 2021 - FET #1 - BFP! Beta #1 100 Beta # 2 541 EDD 11/4/2021
Good morning ladies! Had my ultrasound this morning and had 18 measurable follicles and 4 smaller ones. I couldn't believe it as I've never had that many follicles. Hopefully they keep growing and have mature eggs in them. I've been feeling my left ovary and thought it was due to the cyst because I only had 3 follicles last time but today they measured 10 on my left! I go back on Sunday for another ultrasound. I only have 4 more doses of Menopur so if I don't trigger Sunday I'm going to be in trouble.
@sfield21@KNB1027 thank you! Yes, I absolutely alternated sides and am definitely feeling it on both sides today.
@danij823 I was also terrified but I honestly can barely feel them going in, it's more the soreness afterwards but it's not awful, just not pleasant (like much of this process) Good luck with your retrieval, so exciting!
Excited for all these retrieval’s coming up! Good luck ladies
AFM: beta was negative as suspected... at least I can stop meds now and let my cycle come, since I’ve been having period cramps for a couple days now. Bummed, confused and questioning why a normal embryo didn’t implant into a 15mm lining... ugh. I only have 1 more normal embryo left.. pressure is on.
Re: February IVF/FET
2 of 3 embies were PGS Normal (both girls). The Day 6 embryo came back as inconclusive due to not enough dna in the sample. The embryologist wanted my ok to thaw and do another biopsy before freezing again. He said while there is some risk in thawing and refreezing, it's worth it in this instance since it could come back as PGS norm. And if it doesn't or we lose the embryo in the thaw/refreeze, then we're only back to where we starting (two PGS normals)...so we only gain by retesting. So he said he would do the biopsy again this afternoon and send off to the lab before closing tonight. He's going to call again to let us know if he was able to do the biopsy and freeze it again. It's 5 now here and he called about 2 hours ago, so hopefully I'll hear something soon. If it was successful, we should know something by mid next week.
So 2 good ones thus far -- which is more than I expected (but I'm not surprised they are girls, girls run in my family!). I'm going to talk to the doctor tomorrow (telemed) and we'll see about setting up a schedule to do the first FET of one of them. -eeeee-. I literally JUST started my period today, so we'll have to wait for the following cycle unless we're able to start tomorrow (not sure if it's possible once my cycle has started....).
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."
We had 2 embryos with insufficient samples, but we’ll try our 2 normals first and then re-test those ones if needed. Our samples were sent to another lab for testing and we never had the option to retest them.
@hej2021 ahh okay, yeah that sounds like a good plan! I feel like with every cycle our RE's learn more and more about what to do for the next one to get optimal results, which is kind of cool. An extra 7 - 10 of stims doesn't sound ideal but once you get past that I feel like you would never look back an regret it, it just is hard (and a little painful) in the moment.
Yeah, I still feel sorta shocked, I guess! I was not anticipating 2 normals (or potentialy 3) considering my history of m/c. Doing a telehealth with my RE today to see what the next steps are.
@hej2021
Those extra days of stims will just be a blip on your radar soon enough! And quality is sooo important; I don't get huge numbers of eggs, but I get enough that are able to go on and be a healthy baby. That should be the goal, anyway: a healthy baby, not a zillion eggs. I think sometimes that gets lost in the mix, especially since people feel alot of pressure to have a huge number of embryos from one IVF cycle due to financial concerns (in the US or anywhere IVF isn't covered by insurance). Having done 2 retrievals now; it's really not that awful and sorta prepares you for the discomfort that is pregnancy (where you get a gold star for feeling like crap!).
This is a slightly off-the-wall rant, but does anyone feel like IF primes you to be more jealous about things than normal? Not even just baby stuff, but life in general. I was jealous enough of my little sister (how can you avoid it?) when she had 2 babies while we were trying to get pregnant with 1, and now she's moved to a city I really want to move to as well and posting photos of her pretty house and her kids in the snow. There's nothing wrong with my house; I've completely renovated it to be exactly what I want...but somehow when I see the pictures, I just feel like 'that should be me'. Like she's living my dream and it's really not fair. Even though logically I know that she has had many struggles of her own, particularly with her husband finding good, steady work (they moved so he could start a new position after being let go at his previous job) - and I should feel grateful: I have a lovely house, a beautiful little girl who is full of pep, I'm able to stay at home with my daughter, my husband has a great job which lets us do most of the fun things we want to do like traveling (back when we could travel). Maybe it's just something from the stims at the beginning of the month that's made me extra sensitive. Hormones.
-sigh-
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."
Hold the syringe up right in your hand (needle pointing at the ceiling) and gently tap its side with a finger of your other hand. You want quick, focused taps that jiggle the syringe without shaking it. The bubbles should rise to the top and dissipate. Trying to push the bubbles out of the syringe with the stopper never really works and you can lose part of the dose (unless you overfill). I'm used to giving vaccines and the amounts you need to give are pretty specific, so I can't risk over or underfilling the syringe (esp. with some vials where I can get multiple doses from the same vial).
I found this picture of the technique on google, so it might be easier for you to see this way?
Oh, a way to get good taps without much effort is to hold your finger behind your thumb and release your thumb...sorta like flicking it?
Also, I would call your doctor's office and see if you need to order more menopur! Better safe than sorry. They'll understand; this sort of thing happens quite frequently. I screwed up my first Gonal-F injection (yes, it has an injection pen. I just was so flustered!) and had to get another injection pen.
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."
@danij823 really you only need to worry about getting out the big bubbles, the tiny bubbles aren't going to matter and don't impact the dose. I just say this so that you aren't sitting and tapping out bubbles forever. When I first started nursing I remember it would take me forever to get the air out and finally the older nurses told me that tiny bubbles aren't going to hurt anyone.
Hope that helps!
Our Journey for #1
2017 -- Discovered MFI but didn't move forward with treatment due to expense and grad school
Spring 2019 -- Started with RE and confirmed MFI
Fall 2019 -- 3 cycles of Clomid and TI, 3 BFNs, discovered hostile cervical mucus was also contributing
Spring/Summer 2020 -- 3 cycle of IUI, 3 BFNs
Nov 2020 - First IVF with 3 little frosties, had to change to freeze all due to OHSS
Feb 16, 2021 - FET #1 - BFP! Beta #1 100 Beta # 2 541 EDD 11/4/2021
@sfield21 so happy u made it to ur other transfer!!! Praying it sticks❤️❤️❤️
I honestly just generally feel down. I’ve never been depressed, but I feel like this last week I’ve been carrying around a heaviness - maybe a hopelessness - and feeling unable to experience delight. It feels like there’s nothing to look forward to. Today I had a good day in every sense of the word and yet the heaviness persists. DH says we’re human and it’s perfectly okay to feel down sometimes. Maybe he’s right and I should just let this phase run its course.
@adamae1216 thats great that they're seeing 10 follicles!
@vl__2019 welcome back, glad you're covid negative and can restart your stims soon.
@thezaltyberger I know what you mean, it seems like we end up linking so much of our happiness to this process, it becomes all consuming. I've been trying to get out of that mindset and focus on every day things and keep this process to a sideline and just something additional to add to our daily life, but it is really difficult and I definitely can't maintain that all the time. I agree with your DH though,we are human and it's okay to feel down sometimes, just try not to let it be all consuming or stay there for too long.
@sfield21 I wouldn't count yourself out yet, that's still early for testing! It stinks that you have to wait so long for your blood test
@sfield21 Dang it, you're still early tho, I'm keeping my hopes up for you and sending all the good vibes!
@soccergirl23 Thank you, it helps to hear other's stories!
I got my first check yesterday, Day 4 of Stims, the nurse said I have 15 follicles and didn't change my meds.
I had another check this morning, and will have one every single day this week, waiting to hear.
Does this seem like a good start? My nurse said it's fine, they really don't elaborate. I saw this on my portal tho.
@sfield21 dnt give up ur not totally out yet.
@danij823 ur follicles are growing😍😍 took me a while to get it too last time..my clinic dosent really elaborate either so I understand, ur doing great what day of stims are you on?
@danij823 that looks great day 4/5 results, hopefully they all keep growing and are mature!!
I just got confirmation that everything looks good with my lining and my FET is scheduled for March 2nd, which means I begin my PIO shots Thursday (freaking out a little about those..
@soccergirl23 I don't ice before my PIO injections but do have my hubby massage the area and then sit on a heating pad for a bit. For me if he pinches the skin around the area and goes slowly with the medication it doesn't really hurt going in. The pain is more later on that evening and the next day but I don't know there is much you can do to avoid it.
Our Journey for #1
2017 -- Discovered MFI but didn't move forward with treatment due to expense and grad school
Spring 2019 -- Started with RE and confirmed MFI
Fall 2019 -- 3 cycles of Clomid and TI, 3 BFNs, discovered hostile cervical mucus was also contributing
Spring/Summer 2020 -- 3 cycle of IUI, 3 BFNs
Nov 2020 - First IVF with 3 little frosties, had to change to freeze all due to OHSS
Feb 16, 2021 - FET #1 - BFP! Beta #1 100 Beta # 2 541 EDD 11/4/2021
Oh, I also keep a Kleenex beside me, sometimes there’s a bit of blood after I pull the needle out and I use it to help massage the area after.
@danij823 Stims were exhausting! The appointments and emotions and ovarian swelling were intense. Yay for triggering soon - go little follicles go!!
ETA: Punctuation
Our Journey for #1
2017 -- Discovered MFI but didn't move forward with treatment due to expense and grad school
Spring 2019 -- Started with RE and confirmed MFI
Fall 2019 -- 3 cycles of Clomid and TI, 3 BFNs, discovered hostile cervical mucus was also contributing
Spring/Summer 2020 -- 3 cycle of IUI, 3 BFNs
Nov 2020 - First IVF with 3 little frosties, had to change to freeze all due to OHSS
Feb 16, 2021 - FET #1 - BFP! Beta #1 100 Beta # 2 541 EDD 11/4/2021
Update on PIO - did the first injection this morning and it wasn't bad at all! I barely even felt the needle go in, but I can slowly feel the soreness creeping in haha. Unfortunately we're also going to be doing another tonight to get on a PM instead of AM schedule moving forward. Thanks for calming my nerves ladies!
This morning I had to add in my Ganorelix. I got to work only to realize I forgot to do the shot. Luckily I live close to work and was able to go back home and had the shot done by 9:05...a little late but at least I got it done. I usually don't feel anything with my ovaries during stimming but this time I can definitely feel my left ovary. I'm thinking it's because I have the cyst on it and it looked huge at my last ultrasound.🤷🏾♀️. I go in tomorrow morning for another ultrasound and hopefully these eggs are growing.
Our Journey for #1
2017 -- Discovered MFI but didn't move forward with treatment due to expense and grad school
Spring 2019 -- Started with RE and confirmed MFI
Fall 2019 -- 3 cycles of Clomid and TI, 3 BFNs, discovered hostile cervical mucus was also contributing
Spring/Summer 2020 -- 3 cycle of IUI, 3 BFNs
Nov 2020 - First IVF with 3 little frosties, had to change to freeze all due to OHSS
Feb 16, 2021 - FET #1 - BFP! Beta #1 100 Beta # 2 541 EDD 11/4/2021
@danij823 I was also terrified but I honestly can barely feel them going in, it's more the soreness afterwards but it's not awful, just not pleasant (like much of this process)
@adamae1216 congrats, those are awesome numbers!!
AFM: beta was negative as suspected... at least I can stop meds now and let my cycle come, since I’ve been having period cramps for a couple days now. Bummed, confused and questioning why a normal embryo didn’t implant into a 15mm lining... ugh. I only have 1 more normal embryo left.. pressure is on.