3 failed IUIs. How do you cope?

[Mrs. T]

My clinic called and updated me on the status of my day 3 embies. There were three originally but one arrested overnight last night. I still have two and I think the nurse said they are nine cell and doing well. I don't know why I didn't get a 3dt since I only have a couple of them but I am doing a 5dt (Wednesday) which can't come fast enough

 

[Maverick007]

My clinic called and updated me on the status of my day 3 embies. There were three originally but one arrested overnight last night. I still have two and I think the nurse said they are nine cell and doing well. I don't know why I didn't get a 3dt since I only have a couple of them but I am doing a 5dt (Wednesday) which can't come fast enough

mrsT, I'm really sorry to hear about the one embryo not making it, but i am hoping and praying the other 2 stay strong!!

 

[Breaking Dawn]

Hi ladies..,

We are starting IVF this cycle after 5 failed IUIs and 4 BD only cycles.

It was a tough decision but I was told go with my gut and I feel this is right.

CD1 today and very nervous for this journey.

 

[Mrs. T]

Good luck Breaking Dawn!

 

[StayHopeful]

Good luck, Breaking Dawn! I know how hard of a decision it was for me to move on to IVF, but in the end it was worth it.

Mrs. T, thinking about you and those embryos!

 

[Strawberry13]

Mrs t praying for those 2 embryos! Only a few more days till transfer.

Breaking dawn sorry AF showed. There are a few of us starting soon so you will have lots of support. Take your time with your decision on timing, ect. It's an important one.

 

[Strawberry13]

Quick question for everyone- what types of lifestyle changes did you make for ivf? Did you give up all alcohol, caffeine, and sex? My clinic has a very different approach than others... They said I can feel free to drink as long as I don't get too drunk that I forget the injections. They actually encourage a drink the night of transfer. And they only prohibit sex after the ER.

What are your thoughts? I think I'm going to only drink if I'm really stressed that particular day and limit to just one, same for caffeine, I normally don't drink a lot of it but can one small cup in the morning be bad? Also planning on lots if protein and water starting now.

 

[Maverick007]

Quick question for everyone- what types of lifestyle changes did you make for ivf? Did you give up all alcohol, caffeine, and sex? My clinic has a very different approach than others... They said I can feel free to drink as long as I don't get too drunk that I forget the injections. They actually encourage a drink the night of transfer. And they only prohibit sex after the ER.

What are your thoughts? I think I'm going to only drink if I'm really stressed that particular day and limit to just one, same for caffeine, I normally don't drink a lot of it but can one small cup in the morning be bad? Also planning on lots if protein and water starting now.

I didn't really drink during stims, but I don't normally drink anyway so it wasn't really a change. I had a few drinks during the period between ER and ET though.

I tried to give up caffeine but decided to just drink it in moderation so I have a 6 oz cup in the morning and that's it. Very rarely will I have something else that has caffeine, like soda or tea.

My dr said no sex after ET and I believe that rule is still holding for me because they haven't said it's OK yet - so I'm going to ask at u/s tomorrow what the deal is with that. Seems like a silly one to me, but I've tried to comply.

I didn't really do anything else different, just tried to eat healthfully and not put a bunch of garbage in my system but I didn't really make a major lifestyle change.

Oh, one other one, they said no swimming, esp. in lakes, ocean, etc. b/c of bacteria risk.

 

[PinkPeony]

Ok so much to catch up on....


Mrs T sorry about your embryo. 9 cells on day 3 is great though. I'm sure they thought it best to wait till day 5 bc they're such high quality. Are you hoping to put back one or 2?

Breaking Dawn - sorry your last IUI didn't work out. I think I haven't seen any IUI's work for someone on this thread. you have lots of us here now that have been through it so you can benefit from our experiences.

Strawberry - I have cut way back on caffeine and drinking during IVF. I still drank coffee and had some drinks during stimming and between ER and ET but both in moderation. Then after ET my clinic gave me a pile of restrictions. No alcohol, no caffeine, no sex, no orgasms (!), no heavy lifting, no exercise involving bouncing. So I have managed to avoid all these things so far. From what I understand, all of these have more to do with mitigating OHSS symptoms and the potential of twisting one's ovaries. Other than that, I've been eating really healthy, lot's of veggies and protein, drinking lots of water. I like your clinic's attitude! It definitely will help make things less stressful.

 

[Mrs. T]

We're putting in 2 providing they make it. LifeQuest just called and said my transfer is at 1:15pm tomorrow. I asked how the embies are doing but apparently they don't assess them on day 4 so they don't know. Ugh!!! One more day of torture!!! She said when they check them tomorrow morning they will call me if anything is wrong.

 

[baby.wish]

Good luck Mrs. T I hope everything goes smoothly for you tomorrow, then REST!
Breaking dawn sorry to hear of AF but glad you are taking the next step, its a hard decision but it definately gives you the best odds.
Strawberry where are you at in the procedure?? Have you started??

Can I ask you guys a general question, how do you tell how far along you are? What is considered day 1? Days stims start?

 

[Strawberry13]

Thanks pink and mav for your advice! I think I will follow the everything in moderation rule also.

Mrs t it's only one day away! Hoping that they're both still very healthy tomorrow.

 

[Maverick007]

Good luck Mrs. T I hope everything goes smoothly for you tomorrow, then REST!
Breaking dawn sorry to hear of AF but glad you are taking the next step, its a hard decision but it definately gives you the best odds.
Strawberry where are you at in the procedure?? Have you started??

Can I ask you guys a general question, how do you tell how far along you are? What is considered day 1? Days stims start?

babywish, i used an online calculator, i'm going to try to post a link here but if it doesn't work, search google for 'ivf due date calculator'. The site IVF connections has one that tells you what week you are and other info, very useful.

https://www.ivfconnections.com/foru...-Transfer-Retrieval-Ovulation-or-Insemination

 

[Strawberry13]

When's your dd maverick??

Baby wish are you going for any other betas or appointments before your sono in a few weeks??

 

[Maverick007]

Estimated to be April 25, 5 days after me and my dad's bday, wouldn't that be cool if he/she were a little bit early.

 

[Bma11]

Quick question for everyone- what types of lifestyle changes did you make for ivf? Did you give up all alcohol, caffeine, and sex? My clinic has a very different approach than others... They said I can feel free to drink as long as I don't get too drunk that I forget the injections. They actually encourage a drink the night of transfer. And they only prohibit sex after the ER.

What are your thoughts? I think I'm going to only drink if I'm really stressed that particular day and limit to just one, same for caffeine, I normally don't drink a lot of it but can one small cup in the morning be bad? Also planning on lots if protein and water starting now.

Strawberry- my clinic said no alcohol during stimming as it can affect the quality of the embryos. The said I could have a cup of coffee.

I, however, quit caffeine, no drinking and no sex once it became uncomfortable... Trust me it will :/ the ultrasound wand was bad enough.
I just wanted the best possible outcome and whether eliminating that stuff did anything, I will never know but I don't think I would have been able to live with myself if it didnt work and I had went against my clinics rules.
I would think havin a few drink after ER and before ET would be okay.
Do what you feel is right and just make sure you do what the clinic says

My clinic gave me a Valium the day of ET to relax my uterus. Will yours be doings the same?

 

[Bma11]

Strawberry- these were the recommendations from my fertility clinic

Sexual Intercourse: In general, there are no restrictions on intercourse during your stimulation cycle. You will be asked however, to refrain from intercourse for 2 days prior to egg retrieval and until the pregnancy test. If the pregnancy test is positive, nothing is to be inserted vaginally (i.e. intercourse) until a fetal heartbeat is seen.

Smoking: The detrimental effects of smoking on general health are well established (e.g., heart disease, cancer, and chronic lung disease). Smoking also impacts reproductive health. If you smoke, we feel strongly that for general and reproductive health concerns, you must stop. If you are unable to stop smoking on your own, then you should contact your primary care physician to enroll in a smoking cessation program.

Alcohol: Alcohol should be avoided starting from the time of ovarian stimulation. Although the mechanism of action is unknown, alcohol can interfere with fertility.
Recreational Drug Use: The use of recreational drugs is absolutely contraindicated. Furthermore, the use of intravenous drugs increases the risk of acquiring an HIV and hepatitis infection.

Medication Use: All over the counter medications and non-fertility medications that have been prescribed should be discussed with your physician. Herbal remedies should be completely avoided since their effects on fertility are unknown. Aspirin, Motrin and similar products (i.e. Motrin, Advil, Anaprox, Aleve, Bayer, Nuprin, etc.) should be avoided during treatment. Tylenol or Extra Strength Tylenol is a suitable alternative. Should you need any other type of medication for minor illnesses, please call our office for recommendations.

Exercise: The benefits of exercise on general health and mental well-being are well established. As your ovaries are stimulated you may experience abdominal discomfort with vigorous exercise. If you begin to experience these symptoms, reduce your exercise intensity. Following the embryo transfer, you will be on strict bed rest (allowed to bathroom only) for 3 days. The IVF protocol sheet explains requirements in greater detail.

Nutrition: Our general health is influenced by what we eat, how much we eat, and how much energy we expend with activity and exercise. In addition, our nutritional state can impact reproductive health. As a general recommendation, women are encouraged to maintain a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, breads, meats and dairy products. Foods with high content of fats and oils should be used at a minimum. In addition to a balanced diet, caloric intake should be limited to maintain a normal body weight. All women planning for pregnancy should take prenatal vitamins regularly.

 

[Bma11]

Baby wish CD1 is the first day of your period.

 

[Strawberry13]

Ohhh thanks for the info! That's really helpful. I'm definitely not planning on drinking much alcohol or caffeine, only a little in moderation when I'm craving it. I don't think my clinic gives Valium but maybe I'll be surprised w the good stuff.

 

[Maverick007]

good luck tomorrow mrsT! we'll be thinking of you. get lots of rest and relaxation for the next couple days.