Assisted Conception 2WW

[Leeze]

Hi everyone

I thought it might be fun to share 2WW with others on an assisted conception journey. I had 2 3 day embryos transfered yesterday so now I'm in the 2WW. Anyone want to join me for symptom sporting, trying to be patient, should I or shouldn't I POAS debates etc?

We've been TTC #2 for just over 3 years and found out recently my womb lining was too thin due to excessive scarring. Probably as a result of the c-section I had with DD. I had a hysteroscopy recently to remove the scarring and am on my first IVF cycle. The consultant recommended IVF because of my age (44). It's the first 2WW in about 18 months where I've actually had any sort of feeling of hope. Fingers crossed for us all

 

[PrincessPearl]

Hi Leeze. It looks like we are 2ww buddies! I had 2 5day embryos transferred yesterday (tuesday). For us, this is our 5th 2ww. We have been trying for baby #2 for about 8 years (the last 2 1/2 years with assistance). Secondary infertility is such a kick in the gut! So far, I have dealt with all my 2ww differently. Some I felt very positive and calm, others I was an emotional mess!!! As of right now, I feel really good, almost even more hopeful than I did when I did it the first time (but we shall see if it stays that way ).

 

[Leeze]

Hi Princess! 8 years, that is some journey. You really deserve this. Have you been given any possible reasons for the secondary infertility or is it unexplained? Is this your 5th time of IVF? 2 x 5 day embryos sounds promising. Fingers and everything crossed. I had some good news today that my 3rd embryo that I left to develop has turned into a blastocyst and is going to be frozen. So if this doesn't work then we've got another chance. I'm feeling quite hopeful too. I'm trying really hard to nurture myself too. Good healthy food, lots of sleep and not too much stress - that's my aim anyway! Look forward to sharing the 2WW with you!

 

[PrincessPearl]

This is my 7th ivf cycle, the 3rd fresh cycle. I have also had 2 frozen cycles and 2 cycles that were cancelled due to a lack of response to the stim meds. Our main problem is mfi. My husband had fought cancer twice, and after chemo twice, radiation once, and a stem cell transplantation, his fertility took a real hit, but we are thankful that he is alive and has been cancer free for over 10 years now! I have pcos, so that hasn't helped.

That is so exciting that the third embryo made it that far!!!! It definitely helps ease the mind to know that after all that work you had to go through you still have another chance at getting that baby!!

As far as poas goes, I have to admit I am a poas addict! I always did one on the day before the beta. I wanted to be prepared for the call, I figured I would rather prepare myself for the possible disappointment alone rather than have the letdown with someone else on the other end of the phone. Every time I did it, I kind of already had a feeling how it would turn out. For some reason, it always felt more real after seeing the test say pregnant (or not) as opposed to the nurse telling me on the phone. Right now, I feel like I don't need to do it, but next week everything could look different!!

How are you feeling? Have you recovered from the whole egg retrieval?

 

[Leeze]

7 cycles. You really deserve this. That's a lot of physical and emotional upheaval to go through. Sorry to hear about what your husband and you have been through with his cancer. Sounds like you're both fighters. Great that he's been clear of cancer for all that time now. Have you been given any clear reasons why the IVF hasn't worked so far?

I'm still quite tender from the egg retrieval and also feel really bloated. I'm not sure if it's from the procedure or the meds or both. I actually look about 4 months pregnant at the moment. I have a definite little bump. I'm getting a few twinges and cramps too which is playing havoc with my imagination even though I think it's probably to do with the procedure and meds and not implantation signs. I can really see now how hard this is emotionally to go through. I feel like my body thinks it's pregnant, and I know that should be a good sign because hopefully it's helping those embryos have the best chance possible. But I can see now how devastating it would be to go through all this and get a BFN.

I'm going to try hard not to POAS until the day the clinic told me to I've got lots of Internet cheapies from the many months of TTC. I did read that you have to wait at least 10 days after the HCG shot to test to make sure it's not going to give a false positive from the meds. But I'm thinking it will be better to stay hopeful as long as possible. My clinic just gives a home pregnancy test to do 16 days after egg collection and they will call me to find out the result. If positive then I keep taking the progesterone for another few weeks and then go to see them for a scan. If negative I go see my consultant to discuss future options and try to review what happened to see if we can learn from it.

Have you been to the same clinic for all of your procedures? I feel like I have put a lot of trust in my consultant. He seems very knowledgeable and caring. He did say from the outset that he would put my chances of success around 15-20% which I realise is quite low. But not that different from a healthy fertile young couple trying naturally and some people manage it in their first month! I'm going for acupuncture regularly and I read that can increase your chances by around 60%. So I'm trying to imagine my success rate being more around 25-35% or so!

 

[PrincessPearl]

I was told one of the reasons a few of the tries didn't work was due to an elevated number of killer cells, so for all the following treatments I had to take a cortisone along with all the other meds. The other reason (and the most frustrating to accept) is that there is only so much medicine can do before nature takes over, and sometimes nature does not want to play along. Here in Germany, genetic testing is very restrictive and therefore very expensive, so as far as our doctor knows without concrete evidence is that some of those embryos must have been genetically not normal. My doctor said in our case since we already have a healthy child conceived naturally before my husband got sick, he doesn't think that the testing is worth it for us. He thinks it is a matter of luck finding the right egg cell and sperm cell to put together. We are very lucky that my husband was able to freeze a good amount of sperm before he started his first cancer treatment, so we have plenty of good sperm to keep trying. I just have to stay positive and believe that eventually luck will be on our side!! We have been at the same clinic with the same doctor this whole time. That clinic is where all of the frozen sperm is stored, and they have a very high reputation, so we decided to continue treatments with them. I had a few moments when I was devastated with how things were going that I considered finding a new clinic, but at the end of the day, I don't know if that would make a difference or not.

This retrieval was a lot harder on me than the other times. I had to stay home longer than I thought I would. Luckily the bloating is finally starting to go away, and I am only getting up once in the night to pee

It is impossible to tell what symptoms could be pregnancy symptoms for me since I am on so many different meds right now that all have side effects that mimic pregnancy. That is the most frustrating part of the 2ww. The meds give me a tiny glimpse of what the next couple of months could be like if it works, and then I get my hopes up only to be just as close to a pregnancy as if I hadn't done anything at all! I can either go in on Oct. 11th for the blood test or mail it in, but the blood shouldn't be drawn earlier than that.

 

[PrincessPearl]

Over half way there! How are you doing?

 

[Leeze]

I'm still really bloated. I'm trying to embrace it at the moment as there's no chance of holding it in!

Work has been really busy, not sure if this has helped or made it harder.

I so know what you mean about the symptoms. I had a little bit of fluttering yesterday that felt different from other cramps and aches. I'm trying hard not to read too much into it as I'm sure it could be to do with the meds. My breasts are not tender at all, and I can't work out if this is a good sign or not! Last month they were so tender by this stage and we didn't DTD last month as I'd just had my hysteroscopy.

I've been waking at 4 am most days to pee and sometimes finding it really hard to get back to sleep. So, I'm feeling exhausted too.

That is some journey you have been so far. Like they say, sounda like you need to find that special egg and sperm. Is your womb-lining OK? I'm most worried that my womb won't do its job, I'm not as worried about the egg and sperm quality but given our ages that's got to factor in too. So much to think about. OH is over 50 and I'm 44. I'm keeping everything crossed that those little embryos hatched and then at least one found a nice place to snuggle in. Doesn't sound that difficult! And like you say, we've got one healthy child so we know it's possible

I'll be testing on Sunday. Have you decided what you're doing yet? I'm determined not to test before then even though it's really tempting!!!

 

[Leeze]

I meant to say, I'm so sorry for your losses. I had a loss at 5 week 6 day before my DD. It was so devastating at the time

 

[PrincessPearl]

I am also sorry for your loss. It really robs you of going into following pregnancies with joy. Every cramp and every spotting brings fear, and you can't really get excited about the pregnancy due to fear of loosing it.

Everything is fine with my uterus and the lining. They did a hysteroscopy and biopsy last year. That was when they found the killer cells, but everything else looked good. They also saw at the ET the lining and said all looked good. Did your doctor put you on progesterone for the lining?

I have yet to sleep through the night without having to get up to pee too!!!!! Most nights it's twice. I complained to my husband about it yesterday, and he was like if you are already sick of it, then you are in trouble cause it will only get worse if it works! He does have a point The bloating is back, and now my intestines are angry at me, and overreacting :/. I don't know if it is the meds, or something else, but it makes for some uncomfortable moments at work.

I think I will take a test either Monday or Tuesday. I get blood drawn on Tuesday, but since I really don't want to drive over 2 hours just to have someone stick a needle in my arm I will have to mail it in. That means they won't get the blood until the next day, and I won't get the results until Thursday at the earliest. That is 2 weeks and 2 days wait, and I just can't wait that long!

Oh, and that picture is too cute!!!!

 

[Leeze]

I know exactly what you mean. I had an early scan with my DD and saw a heartbeat at about 7-8 weeks. That helped a lot although I didn't stop worrying until I held her. Then a whole lot of new worries!

Funny and also true what your husband said. I'm kinds feeling the same. I want to be pregnant more than anything right now but I'd also quite like to get a good night's sleep and not feel so bloated and exhausted.

I don't get a blood test done for mine. The clinic just gave me a HPT to do myself. I've also got one HPT left from a while back when I thought I was pregnant. I'm really tempted to do it tomorrow morning..am finding it so hard to wait now

That's an old pic of my DD. She had just taken all the washing out of the wash basket and was really pleased with herself. She's nearly 5 now. She really wants a baby sister and keeps asking when she can have one..she doesn't want a brother, only if it's twins and there's one of each!

So will you hold out till Monday or Tuesday then forecour test or any chance you might be tempted to test sooner? I'm so impatient now!

 

[Leeze]

Yes, I'm on progesterone pessaries..and last month had to take oestrogen then progesterone to try build up the lining to help it all get back to normal ..my cycles had gone to 24 days and AF was pretty light too. Hopefully my body has been given the help it needs

 

[Leeze]

I caved in and tested this morning..11dp3dt. BFN. Gutted..I know it's possibly too early but I think that progesterone has been playing tricks on me.

 

[PrincessPearl]

I'm so sorry!!! I know how crushing it is to pour your heart into the whole process just for it to end in a negative. You still have that little polar bear, so try to take care of yourself until you feel ready to think about trying again!

 

[Leeze]

Thanks. How are you doing?

 

[PrincessPearl]

I just got the results of the beta test and I am pregnant. We are cautiously excited as we have been at this point before without it ending in a live birth, so we are crossing everything that can be crossed that this bean (or beans) are extra sticky!

How are you doing?

 

[Leeze]

Wow! Congratulations. I understand wanting to be cautious.I've got everything crossed for you. Hoping this one (or more) sticks! Did you transfer 2?

I'm feeling really sad at the moment. I was OK initially but I think it's sinking in now. And the progesterone has worn off. We went to see the consultant on Wednesday and we're going ahead with the FET asap. So I'll start injections day 20 (my cycles are normally about 24-25 days) and then make preparations for FET next cycle. Good luck! Let me know how it goes xx

 

[PrincessPearl]

We did transfer 2. I had my first US on friday, and we saw 2 sacs. One had a beautiful heartbeat, and the second one wasn't as developed. The next few weeks will show if baby #2 will make it or not. My dr. said in his experience, he doesn't think it will develop enough, but my entire journey has been full of things happening that he didn't think would happen so I will just cross my fingers that this will be yet another time he is wrong!

I did 2 FET cycles, and they are much easier physically (emotionally they are just as crazy!!). Did your doctor have any idea why this try didn't work for you?

 

[Leeze]

Wow, that is so exciting that you saw 2 sacs and a good heartbeat. Very promising. How would you feel about twins? Hoping things continue to progress and the second one catches up

My consultant said he thinks it's either to do with my age or my womb lining as to why it didn't work. Although he also said there could be a problem with egg or sperm quality. He said my womb lining can be made thicker with meds but he's concerned about the womb structure. I've been doing lots of reading up about conceiving after removal of uterine scarring and one clinic said that some people with this condition won't conceive on a fresh cycle but will be able to on a frozen cycle. I've started the injections again today and FET will be in 4 weeks as long as my frostie survives the thaw. It's hard only having one left!

When will you next have a scan? Are you okay or feeling understandably anxious (I know I would be). Any symptoms?