TTC for 12 months +

Yep I'm on the roller coaster too! Hope we get a good list of grads this time round.
Shimma it's almost like you're in my head...I've got through those exact same thoughts about the last fet. Depending on my emotional state is what determines my thoughts on it all. Supposedly there is nothing wrong with me fertility wise so I struggled to understand why four iui didn't work and to then have a good embryo die on me is mind boggling and yep I freak out that it's me and the next one will die too or it's bung like the first and die. I just have to have trust in the professionals is all. We all do.

I had about 30 follies come egg collection day and wowsers it was not comfortable. Couldn't stand up straight or sit down lol. Unfortunately I remember quite vividly them doing the collection. But luckily not everyone is like that so don't take my experience to heart.

On a more exciting note my man is coming home next week!!! Super excited on many levels.
Hugs and luv from me girls. Chins up we can do this!
Agirl good luck for tomorrow's appt??? Have I got the right day??

Hi Storm. It does get quite confusing. There is short and long protocol (google them) and they pick the best one for you. I was told that long protocol was the "default" one, it's been around the longest and it's what most women get. However a few of us, (myself, BC, maybe Shimma?) were on short protocol. Which they choose if there is a chance of overstimulation, more common in woman under 30 and with PCOS who have a high egg reserve. In my case it took 10 days from start of cycle to egg collection, which is really short, but also quite intense (I had three scans in that time).
I was lucky in that I didn't overstim so I could have a fresh transfer (not that there's anything wrong with a frozen one, I'm just impatient!). They got 14 eggs, only 12 were good enough to fertilise and only 10 of them actually fertilised. I had a day 3 transfer as there was one looking better than the others, then only one made it to freezing. That was pretty disappointing but they did say they except about 25% to go from fertilisation to blastocyte. So I have one in the oven and one in the freezer!

Good luck, ask any questions you have, I found that really helpful here when I was freaking out a bit.

Oh, and if anyone is taking progesterone, I found the boob pain quite difficult for the first 5 days or so post transfer (then progesterone naturally tails off). Still a bit tender and slightly bigger (DH is pretty happy...) and I found that soft cup crop top bras SO helpful. Kind of like that "thin lizzy miracle bra" or "ahhh bra" on TV. Farmers have a bunch and the lyric ones are only $20, half price over easter. I sleep in them and they're wayyyy more comfortable than an underwire bra during the day.

BC, YAY, so glad you're going to have your man back

Shimma, I am on amoxicillin too (cough + asthma)so doing a lot of lying on the couch. It would normally drive me mad, but after the last month of stress, I am actually pretty happy with the chance to get my body and mind rested :)

Oops Auntie you snuck in there as I was editing a spelling mistake in my post haha.

Yep, I was on short protocol for the reasons you have given, as well as that DH was leaving and he wanted to be there for as much of the process as possible before he did.

With me they retrieved 35 eggs, 17 fertilised, 12 made it to day 3, 9 made it to day 5 and were of good quality and were frozen.

The whole 'day 3 day 5 8-cell blastocyst' thing threw me a bit, but basically, eggs that fertilise are left to grow to day 3 (being 8-or-so-cell embryos) or to day 5 (being 'blastocysts', i.e. multiple celled embryos). It all depends on a LOT of stuff whether they choose to transfer and/or freeze day 3 or day 5 embryos - they'll choose whats best usually on the spot based on all the information.

In terms of what happens after that with regards to protocol leading up to embryo transfer, it again depends on the individual. Some people do what is called a 'natural cycle' and others do a 'manufactured cycle'. A natrual cycle (from what I understand, not done one myself) is just slotting the embryo in during your 'natural cycle' funnily enough. A manufactured cycle usually involves taking estrogen (usually in tablet form) and then progesterone (usually in pessary form) over a few weeks and after transfer (and if you get a BFP, often for a few weeks after that as well).

Both Auntie and I did manufactured cycles, while BC did a natural one - so feel free to ask us questions about that Again, you get different reactions on a manufactured cycle. I eventually got bad cramping from the progesterone, but no boob tenderness at all.

BC YAY for DH coming back! My DH sent me a very sweet message this morning that he misses me and had a horrible dinner and is sick and lonely - broke my heart when I was already missing him!

Shimma - IVM is like IVF, just they collect the eggs when they're immature and ripen them in the lab. So less drugs, but one more step as the eggs have to mature before fertilisation (the 'M' part of IFM), plus no chance of fresh transfer (all will be frozen if they make it).

Regarding day 3 and day 5 freezing - from what I've understood from my friend who's been there, it's harder to get the embryo to day 5 in the test tube, which is why freezing on day 3 is more successful. However, day 5 freezies are more likely to actually implant and grow with the FET, so it's better if you can get day 5s. If they have enough embryos I think they tend to hedge their bets and freeze some at day 3, and some at day 5 if they make it. Otherwise they make some judgement at day 3 as to whether they can survive to day 5 or best to freeze while they're still healthy.

Thanks for remembering my apt yesterday BC! It went ok. I thought we would get more info and guidance than what we did, but the doc was really reluctant to say anything until we meet with the genetic counsellor at the end of May. I was hoping to get a bit more guidance about IVF but he wouldn't really say yay or nay until he hears what our "chances" are of having a healthy baby (I think it's only about 33% but he thinks it's much higher). He said the waiting list is about a year and a half for IVF with pre-genetic testing though :-( When we inquired about doing it privately before private funding kicked, the price tag of $25000 popped up pretty quickly. In addition, the stuff we have to do for the genetic testing may take 4 months to do before IVF even gets STARTED. I felt quite deflated, actually. It feels like we're always just waiting :-( The only funny bit was when I mentioned that Repromed would be doing IVF with women whose birthdays are in Sept/Oct... he was pretty surprised I knew that because it isn't public knowledge yet. Hehe. Good ol' forum info and expertise triumphs!

Anyway, it was lovely to have all your advice and experience rolling around in the back of my head. I could follow along very well with things he spoke about because of all the conversations in this forum!

BC, I hope your leg is ok! That totally sucks :-( Have you done this before?

I hope all you other lovely ladies are having a great day!

Oh hugs Agirl sorry your appt wasn't more informative. Sounds like you've got quite the journey to go through. We'll be here to help and support you along the way chick.

Just waiting at docs now. Wasn't too bad getting around this morning a bit stiff until I got going. A totally new injury Agirl on leg opposite to my acl injury so I presume it's a spin off of not being able to use that leg properly for so long. It'll come right with some physio I suspect.

Oh gosh a.girl! That's a bit useless of them! I would be so peeved! May just be worth the trip to Auckland for an earlier appointment? Def better than waiting a few more months.

BC hope your foot is doing ok.

I have just spoken to the nurse at FA and I have my appointment with them on the 14th to go over everything for IVF next cycle I think I've asked this before, but may have got missed but any advice on what to expect for this pre-IVF meeting? this really is better than Dr Google haha

Hi Storm. I was with Fert + so possibly a bit different. We had an orientation day 3 months prior to IVF where we met with embryologist, who explained their part. The dr, who explained that protocol we would have, the counsellor to introduce themselves and then the nurse who explained hot to contact them etc. Just before I started I had an injection teach with the nurses, which was super quick cos they were really flat out and I'm a nurse so the actual injecting and pens etc weren't new to me. They also explained when to call them (i.e. on first day of my period) and gave me a blood test form. To be honest, I don't think anything was new for me, it had all been explained here or in a great booklet them have http://www.healthpoint.co.nz/specialists/fertility/auckland-dhb-womens-health-fertility-plus/in-vitro-fertilisation-ivf/
Obviously it's fert plus but I found it really handy to go over again.

Hey everyone!

Hope your leg is feeling better BC.

Just did my first gonal f injection, woohoo!

HT - how are things with you?

Les that is seriously cool! So not long to go now sweetie