IVF or FET November/December 2015 - chat thread

[Asterimou]

Hope everyone had a nice Xmas. My day went pretty well and I was actually in a really good mood. I did cave and test in the morning and got a bfn I was only 6dp so I'm still hanging to some hope. I still have no symptoms though and think if I'm honest with myself I know it hasn't worked. I will test again on the 28th and if negative I will follow Klik and Amanda's advice and go away somewhere nice for a few days. The tww has by far been the worst part of this process. At least I know what I'm in for if there is a next time.

 

[amanda1235]

6 days is still really early, don't completely lose hope yet! But i completely hear ya, the tww is absolutely the most brutal part of the whole process. Hang in there, and know that we're all here for you if in the end you don't get that BFP. However, don't give up hope yet!!!!

 

[Disneyfan88]

We had a nice Christmas surrounded by family. My immediate family (parents and siblings) are aware of our recent disappointments and have been very supportive. The rest of my extended family knows nothing about anything, which is how I prefer it. I'm a little sad that Christmas is officially over. I LOVE Christmas!

I talked to my doctor today, and we are able to plan for the next transfer right away. I think we will be looking to transfer towards the end of January. My thyroid levels were checked along with my first beta, and I guess it was not as under control with my medication as originally thought. It was 2.8 before we started prepping for this last FET cycle and went down to 1.73 after I started my medication. My doctor wanted it under 2.5 with it being optimally under 2. On Thursday, it was 4.28. Still within normal range (though close to the high end) for non-TTCers, but way too high for me. She does not think the thyroid issue is the cause for our negative outcome but has upped the dosage on what I'm currently taking. I am officially off of my other medications starting today and am now waiting for my period to come (she said 3-5 days from now). I expect that it is going to be an annoyingly heavy one after all of these meds that I took to make my lining plump for the transfer. I'm trying to stay positive for the next cycle. We have 2 attempts left. Between our recent cycle and our recent home renovations, we're really starting to feel it in the wallet. It's so not all about the money, but these things are so gosh darn expensive when you have to pay out of pocket.


Asterimou - Hang in there. You're not out yet!

 

[klik]

Asterimou: I think 6dp is too early to have symptoms, anyway, and I think too early for a test to be conclusive... I've gone through a couple of days of being sure it didn't work, and then of being quite hopeful that it has, and this is all without any definitive symptoms (apart from PMS ones, which I'd expect with all this progesterone anyway!) I'm sorry the 2ww has been so tough... I'm feeling it too...

Amanda: You are always so sweet and supportive!

Disneyfan: when I took progesterone supplements for my IUI, my period after the progesterone withdrawal was not only heavy, but I also had very painful cramps. I hope this is not the case for you, but, whatever your experience is, I hope you are as comfortable and supported as possible... As for your thyroid levels, your doctor may have said this to you already, but in my understanding they are important for the foetus's brain development, especially, and not so crucial for these early stages... I hope you cope with this disappointment, and this multiple loss (of an embryo, of time, of money, of hope for this particular cycle) as well as possible... And I really, really hope your next attempt, a little girl-embryo, will turn out to be more resilient.

 

[Asterimou]

Thanks for all your support everyone. Unfortunately I got a BFN today at 9dp 5dt. The clinic isn't open until the 30th so I will discuss next steps then. I still have a NHS funded round left, and if I get Frosties next time then I'll have 2 NHS FETs also. I'm hoping they can fine tune my stimms next round so that I get more eggs. Does anyone have tips on improving egg quality?

 

[klik]

Hi, Asterimou. I'm so sorry you got another BFN today... you are still 5dt so of course that may yet change, and hopefully it will--but I understand you're discouraged and thinking of next steps...

I have limited knowledge of stimming, as I'm only doing natural cycles now, but there are a couple of questions for you and/or your clinic:

1. do you down-regulate before your IVF cycle? (with the birth control pill, say, or estrogen, or progesterone, or some mixture thereof). This calms the ovaries down, and it seems like in the next cycle, the follicles respond better both to the FSH that the body produces and to the stims.

2. have you been using the human growth hormone while stimming? (It would have been prescribed by your clinic.) That presumably helps...

3. must you take your embryos to blastocyst stage? My embryologist decided to do a day 3 transfer, rather than day 5, because he believed it didn't make sense to put the embryo through the extra stress in the lab, when the uterus is its home. He said taking embryos to blastocyst is important for the purpose of selection (which makes no sense with one, of course), but even with five embryos that may be something to think about... For the sake of completeness, he did say that if the embryo was not very high grade, it would make sense to try to take it to blastocyst, as the probability of success would be low anyway, but if it was high grade, he thought it best to give it a chance as early as was sensible.

I know there are different protocols for stimulation, and that it may take some rounds to fine-tune them to each woman's body... I'm sorry the NHS only provides you with two... hopefully they will have learned enough from your previous cycle that your next one will be more successful...

One more technical point: the fact that only one embryo survived to blastocyst does not mean your other eggs were bad quality--again, it might have been that lab conditions were too harsh... or it may be that the sperm introduced chromosomal abnormalities... egg quality is related mostly to age, and as I recall you are still pretty young.

Best of luck... And I really hope that BFN is just from testing too early!

 

[amanda1235]

Oh asterimou I'm so sorry!! Huge hugs to ya! How many eggs did you get last time? As klik said, sometimes it's just a matter of changing your protocol or meds. Sometimes it's just bad luck and the embryos had abnormalities. I know it doesn't make it easier to deal with, but try to stay positive and I'm sure one of the next rounds will work! Take care of yourself Hun!!

 

[Pothole]

Asterimou, did you take DHEA supplements? My RE had me taking 50 mg/am 25 mg/pm. I bought them at a vitamin shop.

 

[Asterimou]

Thanks everyone. I'm 36 and my blood work shows a good reserve so I guess the egg quality should be okay? I did a long protocol this time and did down reg with the pill. I used Gonal-F to stimm but it didn't work well so they swapped me onto Menopur for the last 4 days. Apparently my estradiol levels were high so I wasn't able to stim the day of my trigger. I got 7 eggs and 5 fertilised. 4 embryos were still there on day 3 and I had a couple of 5AA at that point. By transfer on day 5 only one was left and they didn't tell me the grade (so I assumed it was low). My lining was really good and the transfer went well so I think the issue was the little embie I will ask for all the details when I go in for the review and see what they suggest.

Pothole: what is DHEA?

I've just made New Years Eve plans and am going to drown my sorrows. I will dance in 2016 and hope it is the year I get my little star⭐️

 

[Disneyfan88]

Asterimou - Sending lots of hugs your way! I'm praying that we both find success in the new year.

 

[Wish2BMom]

hi girls
hope you don't mind an old name rejoining?

aster - I'm so sorry about the BFN. I understand the planning for the next - it's what keeps me sane. You'll get your little star this new year, we just have to believe!
as far as quality - my RE just said to take prenatals but I think it's good if you can find some with DHEA in them.

disney - I think we'll be transferring around the same time in Jan! I think I just O'd yesterday or today (going to BD tonight for kicks - why not?) but that means that AF should come around 1/6 and transfer would be 20 days after that. Yippee! I'm doing my first FET with our only frozen guy. Glad to have another month off of stimming but if needed, we'll dive into that in Feb.

:wave: pothole, amanda and klik! I need to go back a few pages to catch up.

 

[Hope16]

welcome back wish! You and I seem to cycle around the same time...AF should be showing up for me 1/6 as well. They are gonna start me on birth control for 2-3 weeks to help get my follicles regulated and then I will start my first IVF cycle. I'm anxious to get things going.

 

[klik]

Asterimou, 36 is a pretty good age--you should still have lots of good eggs in there! But yes, maybe talk to your clinic about doing an earlier transfer (perhaps of two embryos) if you again only get a handful next time... the others can either be frozen immediately or taken to blastocyst before freezing. But hopefully you'll get more, now that they know Gonal-F wasn't working for you. Either way, I wish you much, much luck in the new year, culminating in a gorgeous, healthy baby!

Disneyfan, Wish, Hope: best of luck to all of you, too! I hope the next cycle is the one for all of you!

I am being extremely "good" and waiting until OTD before testing. Feeling mostly pessimistic, really, but would welcome a nice surprise...

 

[Wish2BMom]

thanks, Hope! how exciting! I don't have to go on bcp this time. Actually, these FETs seem to be really nice - only taking Estrace and baby aspirin and then add in the Crinone before the transfer. No shots!!

klik - did I read that you had a day 8 transfer?? I think I misread that...

 

[klik]

Hi, Wish! Day 3 transfer--much more conventional

Best of luck on the upcoming FET!!

 

[Disneyfan88]

hi girls
hope you don't mind an old name rejoining?

aster - I'm so sorry about the BFN. I understand the planning for the next - it's what keeps me sane. You'll get your little star this new year, we just have to believe!
as far as quality - my RE just said to take prenatals but I think it's good if you can find some with DHEA in them.

disney - I think we'll be transferring around the same time in Jan! I think I just O'd yesterday or today (going to BD tonight for kicks - why not?) but that means that AF should come around 1/6 and transfer would be 20 days after that. Yippee! I'm doing my first FET with our only frozen guy. Glad to have another month off of stimming but if needed, we'll dive into that in Feb.

:wave: pothole, amanda and klik! I need to go back a few pages to catch up.

Welcome back, wish! I'm waiting for my sure-to-be-super-annoying period to begin so that I can get my next calendar drawn up. My doctor said I can most likely transfer again as soon as the 21st of January, but I'm eyeing a week later (January 28). This all assumes that my thyroid levels will be under control by then. She upped my medication dosage from 25mcg to 50mcg (Synthroid), so hopefully all looks good when they do my next blood draw at my lining check. Fingers crossed that these guys hold on for us!

Asterimou, 36 is a pretty good age--you should still have lots of good eggs in there! But yes, maybe talk to your clinic about doing an earlier transfer (perhaps of two embryos) if you again only get a handful next time... the others can either be frozen immediately or taken to blastocyst before freezing. But hopefully you'll get more, now that they know Gonal-F wasn't working for you. Either way, I wish you much, much luck in the new year, culminating in a gorgeous, healthy baby!

Disneyfan, Wish, Hope: best of luck to all of you, too! I hope the next cycle is the one for all of you!

I am being extremely "good" and waiting until OTD before testing. Feeling mostly pessimistic, really, but would welcome a nice surprise...

Thanks, klik! I admire your ability to hang in there for this long. I'm really pulling for you!

 

[Wish2BMom]

ha! that makes way more sense, klik. My old eyes must have connected the other side of the 3. heehee!
Are you feeling anything different?? OTD is so soon!!
sorry, i'm a bit of an enabler when it comes to symptom-spotting. Then i'm all cool in my own TWW.

disney - good luck to getting that thyroid under control quickly! yeah, I'd reeeeeeally like my little bugger to hang on this time. I think it's really cool that you already know the gender! We didn't do testing, so ours is still a surprise. Though I've been calling it our little Frozen Ace in the Hole and referring to it as 'him'. no pressure, little guy.

 

[klik]

Thanks, Disneyfan! I hope your period is not too heavy or painful...

Wish: I have PMS symptoms: occasional cramping, feeling bloated, but I'm on masses of progesterone so no wonder... I'm also finding myself rather easily out of breath, but I haven't exercised in about two months, with these crazy back-to-back cycles. So nothing I could even remotely consider evidence in either direction! I love it that you ask about symptoms and then are cool as a cucumber in your own 2ww!

 

[Disneyfan88]

ha! that makes way more sense, klik. My old eyes must have connected the other side of the 3. heehee!
Are you feeling anything different?? OTD is so soon!!
sorry, i'm a bit of an enabler when it comes to symptom-spotting. Then i'm all cool in my own TWW.

disney - good luck to getting that thyroid under control quickly! yeah, I'd reeeeeeally like my little bugger to hang on this time. I think it's really cool that you already know the gender! We didn't do testing, so ours is still a surprise. Though I've been calling it our little Frozen Ace in the Hole and referring to it as 'him'. no pressure, little guy.

Thanks! Yeah, it's kinda cool to know the genders of the embryos ahead of time. We transferred 2 fresh "perfect" day 5 blasts during my first IVF cycle and were gutted when my beta came back at 1 on test day. We opted to do PGS and another cycle of IVF even though we had 2 frozen embryos remaining from our first cycle (and we thawed and tested those 2 with the fresh biopsy). My RE suggested the second cycle to preserve my fertility and increase the chances of more than 1 baby since my AMH and antral follical counts implied a low reserve (at the ripe old age of 28 ). She recommended PGS because she had said that oftentimes when you transfer perfect looking embryos (especially more than 1) and it doesn't work, it's likely a genetic issue with the embryos. It turns out that one of the 2 that we previously froze from cycle #1 was not genetically normal, and though he seemed resilient, the other one is the one we just tried to transfer and didn't implant. The second IVF cycle yielded one abnormal embryo and 3 girls of varying grades. I feel so incredibly grateful and lucky that we got one baby from those embryos. I'm hoping that my body can cooperate and help produce a little sister for her.

Thanks, Disneyfan! I hope your period is not too heavy or painful...

Wish: I have PMS symptoms: occasional cramping, feeling bloated, but I'm on masses of progesterone so no wonder... I'm also finding myself rather easily out of breath, but I haven't exercised in about two months, with these crazy back-to-back cycles. So nothing I could even remotely consider evidence in either direction! I love it that you ask about symptoms and then are cool as a cucumber in your own 2ww!

Thanks! I'm trying seriously hard to not be a bad influence on you so I will sit on my hands and zip my lips and offer you When is your official test date?

 

[Wish2BMom]

ridiculously interesting, disney! Your journey reminds me of a friend of mine from high school who just authored her first book - called True North - about frozen embryos and embryo donation, siblings from the same set of frozen embryos having to come together for genetic/familial things. I haven't bought it yet but it sounds so interesting.

klik - ooooh, good stuff!! thank you for sharing! I actually found that progesterone didn't do crap for me the 2 cycles we were negative, and the positive cycle felt like pms! except the cramping, now that I look back on it. I don't usually cramp before AF like I was. Good luck!