IVF/FET in Aug'13' - Aug'14' buddies wanted!!*13 BFP's!!**Updates on first page**

[Disneyfan88]

Megan - I hope your lining check goes well. I have a massive bruise on my right side as DH was giving me all of my injections in the same area. He has since moved to the left because he's scared to go anywhere near the bruise. Luckily it doesn't bother me. I hope you feel better soon.

Sorry, this post will be TMI. I've been feeling "itchy" for days now. I stopped the Crinone suppositories on Saturday under the direction of my doctor with the hope that it would alleviate the issue (I'm sill on my PIO shots anyway -- with a whopping bruise to go with it! ), but it's not getting better. I'm thinking possible yeast infection, courtesy of the Crinone . Yay for me.

How lovely!!!! Just kidding... I've been itchy, but not enough where I feel it's anything other than irritation..I think I'm able to stop the Crinone at 8 weeks... So hopefully only a week to go!!!!
Any idea how long you'll have to do the POI?

I'm on the PIO until the placenta takes over (whenever that is), so I'm guessing towards the end of the first trimester??

 

[Breezie613]

Jessica - I am so sorry. We are just going to hope that December will be your month. Try and stay positive.

Katie - Good luck today! This is so super exciting! My husband and I were in complete disagreement of how many to transfer. I was set on two and he only wanted one. We agreed that we would strictly go off of the advice of the doctors and embryologists the day of. We only had 3 make it to day 5. They didn't tell us the grades but said that one was amazing and 2 were just ok. Her recommendation was that we only needed the one but could do two if we wanted. So I lost and we only did the one. And then only one of the remaining two made it to freezing on day 6.

Our doctor had said the same thing that someone else had mentioned - transferring more embryos does not increase your chance of getting pregnant but only of having multiples. (I really wanted twins lol!) Good luck again - PUPO!!!

Does anyone have an opinion - is it worth saving only one frozen embryo for when we are ready to have our next child? I know the storing is costly and we will still have 2 more (mostly covered by insurance) allowed cycles of IVF. I know I want to at least save it for a little longer because I am so terrified that I will have miscarriage.

 

[Plex]

Jessica - So sorry about ur cycle being pushed back xx

Chloe - How r u getting on? Sorry to hear about the bleeding ur going through - hope u managed to get a response from ur clinic too xx

Ive had my nursing session today and have to wait until boxing day now to start my next treatment so im hoping this next month flies by too fxd! I already have my script for all my meds which has blown my mind a little as i wasnt expecting to come away with that lol I get a phone call 2moro to let me know how my eggies faired for my lady and am hoping to hear they were good quality

 

[Samsfan]

Plex- Good luck!

Breezie- So exciting. I would definitely freeze an embie if you have one...

Katie- Goodluck!

Disney fan- Hope you are feeling good and nurturing the baby!

AFM- I trigger tonight.. er on Friday. I have 6 follies.. the left caught up. My E2 stopped rising.. I don't know what that means, but I'm glad we are coming to end with this cycle. I'm tired and bloated.

 

[Katielbkr]

Well we had our transfer! We decided on 2!

 

[Breezie613]

Yay - Congrats Katie!!!

 

[Samsfan]

Awesome news Katie!

 

[MeganScott]

Katie congrats on being PUPO! Yay!! Fxd for you!!!

Plex I hope you get to hear good news about your egg quality, goodluck!!

Samsfan, good luck with your ER!

Breezie, I would most certainly save every single one that can be frozen... Even though you have two more attempts left, there's no guarantee that each one of those will yield enough in quantity/quality to freeze, and that's true with the healthiest of women. My first fresh cycle yielded 10, 8 mature and yet we had nothing to freeze.

Disney, thank you

Chickadeedee, I hope you get to stop Crinone soon enough, I can't even imagine how you've put up with it for so long!

AFM - First u/s and lining check tomorrow. We want to schedule the FET for Saturday the 16th of Nov, but the RE's office will confirm that only after checking my lining tomm so I will know the official date and timeline then... Its close now, beginning to feel nervous and excited now...

Ladies, I've heard about the benefits of pineapple core and brazil nuts for implantation... Any experiences or advice to share?

We were considering acupuncture too, but decided to skip because it was getting tight on the budget without insurance... And all therapists wanted us to go for multiple sessions, and not just one session on the day of transfer, which added up to a few hundred dollars

Thank you in advance for your inputs!

 

[Luciola]

Hi Ladies! I am pretty new here - I am too going to do IVF the ER part this month (November) but it is possible that we will freeze all the embies until Feb2014, as our RE will not be around for Egg Replacement... A bit disappointed and indeed patience needed! But at least we start stim this month and only do the second part of IVF later, it may be less stressful...

 

[adroplet]

Got a BFN on a FRER this morning. My beta is tomorrow. I need a miracle at this point.

 

[Disneyfan88]

Does anyone have an opinion - is it worth saving only one frozen embryo for when we are ready to have our next child? I know the storing is costly and we will still have 2 more (mostly covered by insurance) allowed cycles of IVF. I know I want to at least save it for a little longer because I am so terrified that I will have miscarriage.

Tough choice. How many eggs did you get from your last retrieval? My 2 IVF cycles only yielded me 5 and 6 total mature eggs, respectively. Because we ended up with fewer eggs/embryos than other ladies produce, and because there are not guarantees on how many embryos might make it to the blastocyst stage or be eligible for freezing, I'd always be tempted to keep as many embryos as I could. Good luck with your decision.

Ive had my nursing session today and have to wait until boxing day now to start my next treatment so im hoping this next month flies by too fxd! I already have my script for all my meds which has blown my mind a little as i wasnt expecting to come away with that lol I get a phone call 2moro to let me know how my eggies faired for my lady and am hoping to hear they were good quality

Plex, I hope that the time flies by quickly for you. Good luck with the news on your eggs from your previous cycle!

AFM- I trigger tonight.. er on Friday. I have 6 follies.. the left caught up. My E2 stopped rising.. I don't know what that means, but I'm glad we are coming to end with this cycle. I'm tired and bloated.

I'm glad to hear that the 3 extra follies caught up. I thought that they might. I hope that things progress ok with your E2 levels. You're almost at your ER - hang in there and feel better!!

Well we had our transfer! We decided on 2!

Congrats!! When is your test date?

AFM - First u/s and lining check tomorrow. We want to schedule the FET for Saturday the 16th of Nov, but the RE's office will confirm that only after checking my lining tomm so I will know the official date and timeline then... Its close now, beginning to feel nervous and excited now...

Ladies, I've heard about the benefits of pineapple core and brazil nuts for implantation... Any experiences or advice to share?

We were considering acupuncture too, but decided to skip because it was getting tight on the budget without insurance... And all therapists wanted us to go for multiple sessions, and not just one session on the day of transfer, which added up to a few hundred dollars

Thank you in advance for your inputs!

Good luck with your lining check tomorrow!

My acupuncturist recommended pineapple core for 4 days starting on the day of transfer. He told me to cut off the pineapple meat to isolate the core, then cut that into 4 equal pieces. He then said to chew on the core pieces as much as I could. I was told to swallow what I could/want, but it was ok to spit out the rest. I had DH cut the 4 pieces into bite size pieces to make it easier. I was also to eat lots of protein (chicken) starting on the day of transfer. I ate chicken for dinner in various ways every day for about a week. They also say nothing cold by mouth (hot soup is great, though), and keep your feet covered and warm. It has something to do with keeping the uterus warm.

I did acupuncture before ER and continued through my ET. I'm actually still going twice per week now. It's expensive, and I'm not sure if I really "need" it still, but they tell me to continue to minimize risk of miscarriage. I'm not sure what I believe, but I hope to eventually phase out to once per week and eventually stop. Did I mention it's expensive?

Hi Ladies! I am pretty new here - I am too going to do IVF the ER part this month (November) but it is possible that we will freeze all the embies until Feb2014, as our RE will not be around for Egg Replacement... A bit disappointed and indeed patience needed! But at least we start stim this month and only do the second part of IVF later, it may be less stressful...

Welcome! Good luck with your ER. I hope the wait for your transfer passes quickly.

Got a BFN on a FRER this morning. My beta is tomorrow. I need a miracle at this point.

I'm sorry, adroplet. How many days past transfer are you? I'm hoping that it's still early for a urine test and am praying for your beta tomorrow.

 

[MeganScott]

adroplet I'm sorry to hear that. Praying your beta comes positive though.. good luck!

Chloe I hope you're feeling better and your clinic responded... how are you feeling now?

Luciola welcome!! Good luck with your ER!! When do you start stims?

Disney thanks again! You're awesome! I was wondering how the pineapple core is to be eaten, how many days, what diet to follow, etc. and you just gave me the exact information I was looking for... I've told DH we're buying the whole pineapple and cutting out the core, something he was reluctant to do, and always suggested just buying pineapple juice from the store.

We'll also stock up on chicken for that following week, and he's gonna have to make it for me while I rest (wink wink) which he's agreed to do.

UPDATE - The lining check today came at 8.31 and the RE said they like a minimum of 8. I'm just borderline, so I'm not sure what they want to do. I'm sure it will continue to thicken, and I'm asking for transfer on 16th which is 9 days to go, plenty of time to thicken further, isn't it?

They're going to wait until they get results of my bloodwork, and then call me with further instructions.

We were considering getting flu shots this Saturday, but one week before the transfer, is it safe or avoidable?

 

[sunshine1217]

Hi ladies! Sorry I've been Mia since my bfn from the FET. I was planning my sons birthday party then we went on vacation then he got sick the moment we got back.

Amidst all this, I started ifv, here's a summary:

10/20 10 days of Stims
11/1 19 retrieved, 14 mature, 10 fertilized.
11/6. ET now am on bedrest. We transferred only 1 hatching blastocyst of good quality.

Waiting to hear how many frosties we have, I know at least 2 other hatching blasts but maybe more. I've been so anxious! Anyone have or had trouble sleeping??

 

[Hennapop]

Got a BFN on a FRER this morning. My beta is tomorrow. I need a miracle at this point.

Hang in there droplet. I had a late implanter last time I was pregnant.. Good thoughts your way.

Hi Ladies! I am pretty new here - I am too going to do IVF the ER part this month (November) but it is possible that we will freeze all the embies until Feb2014, as our RE will not be around for Egg Replacement... A bit disappointed and indeed patience needed! But at least we start stim this month and only do the second part of IVF later, it may be less stressful...

Its always hard when your schedule is not your own. Hang in there - Ive been going since August - time flies, and though I am impatient the time off the meds is such a relief. Good luck!!

Well we had our transfer! We decided on 2!

Yeah Katie!! Congrats on being PUPO!!

Plex - Boxing day is a great day to start!!! You can enjoy your holiday cheer Fxed for you!

 

[sunshine1217]

Disneyfan. I'm also doing acupuncture, are you doing it in la? I ate a lot of pineapple core last time but did not bother this time. I'll be vet regretful if I don't get my bfp.

Megan, 8 sounds fine, that was me in my first ifv.

 

[Hennapop]

Embie update!

We rec'd word yesterday that of the 4 remaining embs, 2 made it to Blast!

So, we have 7 total that made it to blast (50% of sample),
4- 3BB
1- 4BB
1- 3AB
1-6BB

They are all frosties again. :frosty:

The PGD biopsy was done on Mon & Tues, and we expect results in 7-10 business days. I am bracing myself that 60% will be abnormal (typical stats for my age - 41). Hoping for that or better. That would leave us with 2 embies that will be ready to go.

FET as soon as possible - waiting for AF then BCP then AF then meds and ET!! (Does this sound right?)

Hoping to get done before end of year so we do not have our insurance deductibles zero out (and start over!!). Ive met all my patient share & deductibles so I want take advantage of that.

Thanks so much for all your support everyone. I feel so lucky to have this group.

 

[Disneyfan88]

UPDATE - The lining check today came at 8.31 and the RE said they like a minimum of 8. I'm just borderline, so I'm not sure what they want to do. I'm sure it will continue to thicken, and I'm asking for transfer on 16th which is 9 days to go, plenty of time to thicken further, isn't it?

They're going to wait until they get results of my bloodwork, and then call me with further instructions.

We were considering getting flu shots this Saturday, but one week before the transfer, is it safe or avoidable?

If I remember correctly, my lining grew from 9 to 10 over a similar number of days. I had to have my lining check early because I was going away for a conference the week before my transfer when my doctor would normally schedule the lining check. I was concerned about the possibility of my lining growing "too much" (because I really had no idea how fast or slow it grows, and I read that it's possible for it to be too thick for a transfer), so I requested another lining check a few days before our transfer. My doctor said that my lining would be fine, but she understood our desire to double-check before we thawed one of our precious embryos.

As for the flu shot, my doctors (I checked with my RE and my OB) both said that the flu shot is safe at any time during pregnancy as long as you get the preservative free version. If it's safe during pregnancy, I'd imagine it's also safe before a transfer. I got mine from the OB office (they carry the preservative free version) when I was 5 weeks, though I wish I had gotten it sooner just for piece of mind. When I asked my RE about doing it before my transfer when that cycle was just starting, she said that she would wait because a lot of people feel pain after the flu shot (it's intramuscular), and she preferred that I didn't go into the transfer feeling any pain. That said, I didn't really have any pain in my arm after I got my shot, so I probably would have been fine doing it earlier. I do know that you don't actually build up any antibodies from the flu shot for about 2 weeks. Not sure if that answer was really helpful...

 

[Disneyfan88]

Hi ladies! Sorry I've been Mia since my bfn from the FET. I was planning my sons birthday party then we went on vacation then he got sick the moment we got back.

Amidst all this, I started ifv, here's a summary:

10/20 10 days of Stims
11/1 19 retrieved, 14 mature, 10 fertilized.
11/6. ET now am on bedrest. We transferred only 1 hatching blastocyst of good quality.

Waiting to hear how many frosties we have, I know at least 2 other hatching blasts but maybe more. I've been so anxious! Anyone have or had trouble sleeping??

Congrats on being PUPO!! for many frosties!

Disneyfan. I'm also doing acupuncture, are you doing it in la? I ate a lot of pineapple core last time but did not bother this time. I'll be vet regretful if I don't get my bfp.

Megan, 8 sounds fine, that was me in my first ifv.

I'm in Northern California, so I'm doing my acupuncture in the greater SF Bay Area. I'll be praying for your BFP!

Embie update!

We rec'd word yesterday that of the 4 remaining embs, 2 made it to Blast!

So, we have 7 total that made it to blast (50% of sample),
4- 3BB
1- 4BB
1- 3AB
1-6BB

They are all frosties again. :frosty:

The PGD biopsy was done on Mon & Tues, and we expect results in 7-10 business days. I am bracing myself that 60% will be abnormal (typical stats for my age - 41). Hoping for that or better. That would leave us with 2 embies that will be ready to go.

FET as soon as possible - waiting for AF then BCP then AF then meds and ET!! (Does this sound right?)

Hoping to get done before end of year so we do not have our insurance deductibles zero out (and start over!!). Ive met all my patient share & deductibles so I want take advantage of that.

Thanks so much for all your support everyone. I feel so lucky to have this group.

That's a great number of embies, Henna. The timeline sounds similar to the one I was given for my results. We jumped right in to prepping for the FET as soon as AF started after my ER. My doctor didn't have me on any injectable meds for my cycle, so the timing worked out to about 5 or 6 weeks after ER (I think she said that I could do it as early as 5 weeks, but I had to push it out a week for a work conference). I'm praying that you get lots of normal embryos. It will be fun to know the gender of each embryo, too, though gender did not play a factor in our decision on which embryo we selected for transfer (our doctor selected to highest grade available).

I've been milking my insurance, too (all legitimately, of course ). I met my deductible and out-of-pocket max a long time ago, and though I have a low lifetime cap on fertility benefits, the cap doesn't include meds. I was lucky that most of my meds for both cycles were covered entirely by insurance. It's CRAZY how much my insurance paid for my meds this year. My doctors visits no longer count as fertility-related, so all of those are covered through the end of the year, too. I'm not looking forward to everything resetting back to zero in January, even if a certain number of maternity visits are covered in full by my plan.

 

[sunshine1217]

Hennapop, 7 is awesome! I only had 3 hatching blasts that were good quality, the others may not even make it. How many will you transfer? Do they get frozen till you do the transfer, how does it work when you do a pgd?

Disney, I guess judging from your name I guessed la congrats on the baby girl! There are some great fertility centers up in norcal.

 

[Disneyfan88]

Hennapop, 7 is awesome! I only had 3 hatching blasts that were good quality, the others may not even make it. How many will you transfer? Do they get frozen till you do the transfer, how does it work when you do a pgd?

Disney, I guess judging from your name I guessed la congrats on the baby girl! There are some great fertility centers up in norcal.

Thanks! It was a fair assumption. We are going to Disneyland soon, though.