ICSI/IVF/FET October/November Buddies wanted!!

[Psalm23v6]

Hi all. Not sure if I am doing this correctly. This is my first post on BnB. I have been a follower for a couple of years but never posted before. My husband and I are starting our first ICSI cycle in October. It would be great to share the experience with you all.

 

[Ilovetomatoes]

Hi Psalm, welcome! I think there are a few of us starting in October .

 

[Psalm23v6]

Thanks Ilovetomatoes. It's all so overwhelming getting started with everything and hoping it all goes well, but being prepared in case it doesn't. We have male factor infertility - hubby has very low sperm count, poor morphology and motility. He had a varicocelectomy in February which made little-to-no difference, so we are on to ICSI.

How does everyone cope with not getting stressed? Anyone tried acupunture?

 

[kaye]

Hey psalm. Welcome to the post.

Hopefully I will be starting in Oct/Nov too will know at next appointment.

I haven't tried acupuncture. Have you? To be honest I could do with finding something as I don't do well with my emotions and stress levels at times even though it has got better. X

 

[Ilovetomatoes]

I've been doing acupuncture for a couple of month now. I found it relaxing but after a while between IVF treatment and IVF meds, acupuncture has become a little more expensive. So, I am taking a break until October. Then, I'll visit my acupuncturist weekly just to make sure we have quality eggs.

In term of stress, well...nothing much that we can do right now beside waiting. Once I received my treatment schedule, I pretty much calmed down. We will start Stim at the end of October, ER and ET at the beginning of November, and hopefully we'll find out the result before thanksgiving .

The acupuncture helps w/ managing stress. Probably because I feel that I am doing something to up our chances in having a baby or two .

Give it a try and see how you like it ladies. Or, you can also try a massage.

Kaye, when is your next appointment?

 

[chimmi]

Psalm hi!
Me and hubby are having ICSI too (due to male factor-abnormally low count and poor everything really!)
We hope to start in October (I'm waiting for rubella immunity as they won't start without it so six weeks after booster which is next Tuesday and we can start)

I haven't tried acupuncture although I am interested, I'm trying not to spend excess money though as I will be having days off work unpaid to go and have our IVF done!
Haven't really got to the point of being stressed yet, I'm just really keen to start so hopefully that won't be an issue for me!
Keep us updated and good luck

 

[Psalm23v6]

Hi chimmi! Hi kaye! Good luck to you all!

I have definitely been thinking about acupuncture - I have a stressful job, so don't want to add issues of my own to an already problematic situation with my husband. Turns out my mother did acupuncture recently (not for fertility obviously) and she really liked it. Kaye - I will let you know if I try it out. I guess it can't hurt, right

Chimmi - sorry you are in a similar position to me. I think it has been really hard on my husband. He thinks he has failed me - which I don't think at all, obviously, but I do think it's a pride wounder for him. He basically shut down when a friend of his announced their pregnancy, so hoping this all works out.

Has anyone heard of the non-lupron 1+1 protocol? It doesn't involve any BCPs which I was surprised about.

 

[chimmi]

Sorry to hear he's not taking it well.
My husband has been fine (unless he is taking it bad and is hiding it from me!)

 

[Morana]

Kaye - Yes! There are no better news for me right now than no surgery I'm glad my doc doesn't want to do any extra surgery on my at all unless absolutely necessary. I had issues already with scar tissue from previous surgeries and D&C I had to have in May did not improve the situation with that either.

ILT, it's a FET cycle so I start BCP in September, then lupron and estrogen patches and ET sometime in October. Hopefully my snowbabies will want to lose that 'snow' prefix and become just 'babies'

Hi Psalm, welcome! My OH also has issues with sperm count. Doesn't seem like it ever upset him, really, since he first found out about it in the phase of his life when he didn't want to have children at all. He does think sometimes that he let me down, but perks up really fast thinking about not having to do anything to prevent unwanted pregnancies

 

[Plex]

all - not been online much, had a few problems at home/work so been busy!

nothing much is going on with me, i did get an appointment through for our nursing info session for the 26th September so then we're good to go when hubbies results get back

Hope u are all well x

 

[kaye]

Hi.

Hubby gone for SA at St Marys today. That's the last thing needed for our file. Just got to wait for appointment for consultation. Providing not surprises from AMH test (only one I've never had done) then it should just be treatment plan and ring up first day of my next cycle.

 

[Psalm23v6]

Hi all.

Just booked in for my first acupuncture session on Tuesday. Supposed to be one of the best fertility acupuncture places in NY so here goes. Will let you know how it goes. Has anyone had any success getting their OH's to get acupuncture too? I read that it can be very helpful for male factor as well. My DH lives in another country at the moment so I can't get him to come with me to anything.

That's just another complicating factor in our IVF cycle. He will be visiting for only a week in October and we will be fertilizing any eggs they retreive from me with his frozen sperm. Has anyone used their DH's frozen sperm in previous cycles? I have no information on the thawing process and how successful it is.

 

[Jungleland]

Welcome Psalm!

Sorry girls, I've been AWOL for a bit too, like Plex I've been very busy but the good thing is that time is flying towards October!

Psalm - we have OH's sperm on ice (surgical sperm recovery resulted in 5 straws of sperm) we used some fresh in firstcycle then frozen in second cycle, we got around 50% fertilisation rate in both cycles (our docs say there should be no difference to fresh) and although we havent got our BFP yet, the docs are happy for us to keep using the frozen. I'm having some unpaid leave from work next time (quite a stressful job) which I'm hoping will be the main thing that helps us get success

Ive looked into acupuncture but it's quite expensive near me, so I'm going to look into things I can do at home as long as I can take it seriously....meditation techniques etc, will share if I find anything that works for me

xxxx

 

[Psalm23v6]

Thanks Jungle. Appreciate the info. Our doctor did say the same thing but he sort of rushed over it and I didn't get to ask as many questions about frozen sperm as I would have liked to.

Last night I went to my first acupuncture appointment. It was pretty relaxing. They do want you to do a session a week and then they have certain timings for acupuncture during stimms, before ER and after ET. Not sure how I feel about all of that at the moment. I really think it should be a conversation with our fertility dr, to make sure everything is in harmony. He also recommended acupuncture for my DH due to his sperm issues and gave me a whole sheet of info on foods he should avoid/reduce and foods to increase, plus a whole list of supplements etc. Has anything worked for anyone else's DH to increase their counts?

xoxo

 

[kaye]

We started on soooooo many supplements but over the years they have dwindled down to nothing again and we didn't see any change. I've just started folic acid again though.

 

[Ilovetomatoes]

Psalm, glad to hear that you liked the acupuncture. I am taking a month of it but will go on weekly basis during Stim time and that's that. I know it's expensive but it makes me think that I've done all I can and wouldn't doubt myself later on if the IVF is not successful.

Kaye, I was told by my RE to take multi vitamins only. I've been taking the gummy ones. They are yummy! . I do add extra folic acid every couple of days .

 

[kaye]

Ilovetomatoes - when I get seen hopefully they will tell me what's best to take then too.

How is everyone doing?

Well I am soooooo frustrated. Had all my tests 15th July but they couldn't fit hubby in for SA until 20th August. He has had it done and I thought letter would be sent out pretty quick. When I rang clinic yesterday I got told it can take upto 6 weeks for the letter to be sent. Different story depending on who you talk too. I wanted to have had our appointment before then as it would of been 12 weeks by that point which is what they or gin ally said. I sometimes feel like we just get pushed further and further back and after nearly 5 years waiting I'm getting seriously annoyed. I've jumped through every bloody hurdle and yet still waiting. I'm counting to 10!! Think I need a good cry tonight.

 

[Plex]

everyone - hope u are all ok? Where is everyone on their journey? Im at work at the mo and rushed off my feet so cant read back (keep loosing my place )

excited that we're all due to start VERY soon!! xx

 

[Ilovetomatoes]

Kaye, hopefully you won't have to wait too long for SA.

Plex, nothing much going on here. Waiting for AF to show. It's a day late and I'm irritated by it! Can't believe I'm going to have AF on a 19 hour flight!! Good news is that I'm prepped for my surgery at the end of sept and starting BCP in a couple of days.

Hopefully Sept will fly by faster for all of us. Fx for those who are starting very soon!

 

[Plex]

Ugh af on a plane (Theres an idea for a film sequel lol) - not a good combo ....OMG thought i'd read it wrong but a 19hr flight????? blimey - Where are you off to if u dont mind me asking?

Bcp in a few days too? u'll be on those injections before u know it

I think September has come round quick! Still a way to go for me but excited to hear yours and everyone elses journeys! xx

Just 3 weeks till my nursing info session! then hopefully start the cycle after.

My cycles are stupidly long normally, very frustrating! Ive only just o'd cd35. Gord knows when ill get af if ever!

Hopefully this will be our lucky thread! to everyone! xx