874 replies to this topic

[WandaMoosejaw]

Oh wow - that is a journey! I have done Calgary to Halifax with our DD (when she was 11 months) when not on hormones so whatever prayers/thoughts/jedi forces - all heading your way, haha. Do you have lots of things planned to help your toddler (and you)?
 
Fingers crossed! We on on BC now, stopping on the 20th (last round of IVF, my day 1 was late but my clinic doesn't care so long as the bloodwork and ultrasounds go ok). U/S and blood on the 24th, start injections on the 25th, with the every other day appointments starting on the 29th.
 
I have started getting pretty emotional about the whole process. I am trying to just detach and head into survival mode for now. That has meant lots of walks with DD, and lots of pizza.

[Dory]

Oh wow - that is a journey! I have done Calgary to Halifax with our DD (when she was 11 months) when not on hormones so whatever prayers/thoughts/jedi forces - all heading your way, haha. Do you have lots of things planned to help your toddler (and you)?
 
Fingers crossed! We on on BC now, stopping on the 20th (last round of IVF, my day 1 was late but my clinic doesn't care so long as the bloodwork and ultrasounds go ok). U/S and blood on the 24th, start injections on the 25th, with the every other day appointments starting on the 29th.
 
I have started getting pretty emotional about the whole process. I am trying to just detach and head into survival mode for now. That has meant lots of walks with DD, and lots of pizza.

[Dory]

Yes, its a super long flight. Should he interesting. We are going to do some fun stuff with my son so hopefully it will make it a little less stressful.

My clinic has the same thing in mind. They said I should start my period three days after the pill is done which I dont think I will. They said if I dont start on the 11th then I can just get bloodwork done and go from there. Im praying it comes on time just to make it less stressful. Ive taken two packs of birth control back to back to make the dates line up with Easter break (teacher) See how it goes I guess!

I am super emotional about it this time! I feel like the last time I was so excited to actually have a chance of having a baby. I didnt realize how lucky I was to get pregnant on the first try. Now that Ive had a few failed fets, I am feeling more stressed and more pressure. The cost is crazy and if it doesnt work this time Im not sure we will try again. Trying to be positive though lol

Glad to have this website as a place to vent!


Is anyone doing anything extra to help with success? I started coq10 pills because they are supposed to be good for egg quality but who knows!! Any other tips?

[MrsCann]

Just had my follow up from my surgery, I won’t get to start my next ivf cycle until around May 12 or so. She’s changing my protocol to the micro flare so I should start birth control in the next week or so just because my cycles have varied from 18 days to 27 in the last 5 months which they always used to be 27 days. So originally I did the estrogen patch 5 days before period then 450 Gonal f , 150 luveris and cetrotide. This time will be abit different but I’m willing to try whatever they think is best.

Dory- I was also told to start coq10 today but my pharmacy only had coq10 with omega3 which I’m sure will be fine? I also take 2 vitamin d 1000 a day and folic acid and iron once a day or every other day. Are you doing micro flare protocol?

Anyone else try a micro flare protocol?

[BTGirl]

MrsCann - Thats not far away! Time will fly by! I'm surprised they are starting you on CoQ10 now, typically you need 100 days of supplements to make a difference in egg quality, I thought (no, ?)  I didn't know you were on estrogen last IVF cycle. They put me on 4 mg oral estrogen today, I think my period will come Friday and I should be starting injections Sunday..... 

 

I was just checking my new injection protocols: 300 IU Puregon, 75 IU Menopur and then add in Ganirelix when the time is right. Last IVF cycle (10 months ago) I was on 225 IU Puregon. That seems like a huge increase to me!!!!!! My AMH level is borderline high satisfaction/ low good so I don't know why they are trying to throughly cook my ovaries.... 

 

I'm nervous to switch protocols. I was able to obtain 13 eggs last IVF, I mean they were all genetically crap, but still that seemed like a good response... (We just didn't put the correct bet on the genetic lottery that month for those eggs)

 

Dory - Ive been taking CoQ10 for the past three months with Vit D. I figured what the hell, the CoQ10 is just a half drop in the massive preverbal bucket of IVF costs..... Plus it made me feel like I was actually contributing somehow to the possible success (although, truthfully the amount of wine I have had in the past three days may completely counteract that concept) 

 

UGH. I. Hate. IVF. 

[MrsCann]

BT- I was thinking the same thing but was told that it would take full affect within the 3 months but it will still help a bit just not 100%. I think the estrogen patch was called Estradiol 1 or 2 mg maybe? Lol but wasn’t on it very long. 13 eggs last time does seem like a good response, maybe you’ll end with only a few more so you are not exploding lol I felt that way even with the 6 they got. My dental hygienist had 33 retrieved and ended up with severe ohss, I could not imagine having that many follicles. I’m nervous to switch protocols too but I trust her. She originally was going to keep the same protocol but with a double trigger instead of ovidril but I asked a question if I had endometriosis but she said I do not she looked through the lab reports from the surgeries so that’s good then asked me if my cycles were still normal which they are not so she was instantly like okay we gotta switch protocols, she explained the patch priming is only good for when you know the time of ovulation but since my cycles could be so random now she said with the birth control they know for sure and can control it. Which makes sense

[yaenaSK]

Dory - I am also on CoQ10 (we asked for anything else we could do at our WTF back in January, it was their only suggestion). I started taking vitamin D about a week ago for other reasons. And I keeping "meaning" to take the omega supplements in my fridge. Oops.

 

I'd love to say I'm doing yoga or acupuncture or something like that but I tried acupuncture a couple of times and it was still just all needles to me. It freaked me out too bad. And I fall asleep in yoga.

 

I hear you on the extra emotions this time around. I realized this fall/winter how lucky we were in our first cycle, and am going into this one with a healthy dose of realism and bargaining with the universe. I don't even know if we could afford another FET if this doesn't work (although of course we would try to find a way).

[AvaEva999]

Anyone else starting an IVF cycle in April or May?

Hello! I am a newbie here. I had 3 IVF attempts in the past and know what it is. Is it your first cycle? Where are you undergoing it? 

[yaenaSK]

Hi AvaEva - welcome to the gang!

 

It will be my second round of IVF (we did a round back in January 2017, that resulted in our daughter, followed by a couple of FETs last fall to try for a sibling, that both failed).

[Dory]

Anyone here with Regional Fertility Clinic in Calgary?

mrscann- I have no idea what a micro flare protocol is lol I am doing an antagonist cycle. 150 gonal f 75 Luveris and then adding in cetrotide. I have pcos so thats why my meds are lower. At least there will be room to increase them if needed. I retrieved 14 eggs last time with this.

[Veet]

Hi everyone,
Ill be starting my priming Cycle in May at Mount Sinai. Im a total newbie, and I feel like no amount of research is enough. Im so confused with all the abbreviations, and keep searching them up. I wish all of you the best of lick
- Vee

[Veet]

Hi everyone,
Ill be starting my priming Cycle in May at Mount Sinai. Im a total newbie, and I feel like no amount of research is enough. Im so confused with all the abbreviations, and keep searching them up. I wish all of you the best of lick
- Vee

[BTGirl]

Hi everyone,
Ill be starting my priming Cycle in May at Mount Sinai. Im a total newbie, and I feel like no amount of research is enough. Im so confused with all the abbreviations, and keep searching them up. I wish all of you the best of lick
- Vee

Hi Veet! 

 

Welcome! I'm at mount sinai so if you have any questions please feel free to message me here or personally. Don't do too much research. Half the nonsense on the internet isn't written from a reputable source. You have to remember that in the infertility world, we are unique in a sense that what is causing the infertility affects how you respond to certain protocols and how your body individually responds to everything else. So what works for one person, may not work for another, and what didn't work one time could, with a few teaks, become your best cycle next time! It's difficult and confusing and emotionally draining.  

 

AFM (As for me): I'm on estrogen! Started Monday! I think I may be starting stimms as soon as Sunday if my day one projection for Friday is correct..... 

[yaenaSK]

Welcome Veet! Best of luck to you!

 

BTGirl - such great advice.

 

Countdown is on. My cycle officially starts two weeks from today. Are others telling friends/family? We've told a few but aren't telling people actual dates (kind of being vague about it so that we don't have to tell them when retrieval/transfer happens - or doesn't happen - or share results until we feel ready.)

[MoJo]

Just found out that I will be joining you guys! Our RE gave us the green light to start IVF #3 today! We did two IVF cycles last year with terrible results. I am a very poor responder and only managed to get 1 Day 2 embryo each cycle. Our first cycle ended in a chemical pregnancy and our second ended with a 6 week miscarriage. We will be switching from antagonist to microdose flare to see if that helps me respond better. I'll start BCP as soon as AF arrives, which could be in a few days.

Very excited but also very nervous. If we don't see any improvement, this will likely be our last shot before considering donor eggs or adoption.

[Dory]

Mojo-great news! Hope all goes well for you this time around!!

Quick questions-does everyone try to take their injections the same time? My cetrotide needs to be taken at 1:00pm so wondering if I should start my gonal f and luveris at that time as well! Tia!

[WandaMoosejaw]

I am yet to get the injections. Started ocp today until April 21.

[yaenaSK]

Hey Dory - My clinic told me to take my Gonal F and Menopur injections between 7 and 10pm daily (same time every day). When I start Cetrotide (or Orgalutran), it will have to be between 10 and 11am. Might be worth a quick call to your clinic?

 

MoJo - welcome to the group! Fingers crossed for you this cycle!

[MoJo]

Thanks for the welcome, ladies!

Dory - I have always had the same as YaenaSK. Cetrotide in the morning by itself and the rest of my stims in the evening. I'm not sure why it was that way but they were very specific about the timing.

[Queen17]

Hey everyone. Im going to join here too. My wife and I are heading into our third ivf cycle. First was in Jan 2016 with my eggs which we have our daughter from. Have had fets in aug nov 2017 which failed. Fet in Jan 2018 and ended in a miscarriage at 10.5 weeks. We did another ivf cycle last June with my eggs, fets in sept and nov all high quality embryos but failing to implant. My RE thinks that there is something genetic wrong with my eggs so suggested sending them for testing if we did another cycle with mine.
So we decided to use my wifes eggs for our upcoming cycle because she is younger than me (29) butttt her tests didnt come back as good as we hoped. Her AMH is 5.8 and AFC 17. FSH was high but I cant remember what.
So we are going to be doing the estrogen priming protocol (I have done antagonist). She got her surge this week so will start her estrogen patch on the 20 and then 3 days of Cetrotide which needs to be giving at 1pm according to our clinic.
For stims she will be on 300 of Gonal f and 150 menopur to start.
Right now I am taking suprefact injections and tomorrow will count as my CD 1 so will be starting estrace since we are going to be transferring in to me. Its looking like our transfer will be the week of May 12.
Im doing acupuncture and seeing a naturopath for ozone therapy and intralipid infusion. I have also had an endo scratch done a week ago.
Feeling sort of nervous since this is a new protocol for us and my numbers were all way highs than her (AMH 53, AFC 30+). But obviously that isnt been working for us lol.
I recognize some of you from other months lets hope this works us this time

[Queen17]

Our clinics instructions in regards to times are cetrotide at 1 and then the Gonal and menopur between 1-5 but at the same time every day

[Queen17]

And my wife is also talking the ubiquinol which is a form of cq10 as suggested by my acupuncturist to improve egg quality.

[MrsCann]

Welcome Veet, Mojo, and Queen wishing us all the best of luck

Mojo- I am doing same protocol just waiting for period to arrive to start bcp, I have not done this protocol yet either.

Dory- I always did cetrotide first thing in the morning and then Gonal and Luveris between 4pm and 6pm

Yeana- a lot of family and friends know about us doing ivf, I just got sick of explaining all the time lol and I work in a nursing home so my workplace knows as we have residents on certain medications where I will not be allowed in their room when I start my ivf cycle and working shift work I had to tell them I need time off without much notice because I have to drive 1 hour for blood work and ultrasounds and the. 2.5 hours for when the satellite clinic can’t do it

[Dory]

Hey Queen! I remember you from previous cycles! I hope everything goes good for you this time!!

We are at the same clinic! 

They told me i could take all the injections at the same time but after reading everyones comments i don't think i will.

 

Yaena- We aren't really telling anyone except people who need to know. My mom(because she needs to take my dog), my boss and my brother and cousins who live in Calgary(so we can do things together and make this trip seem more like a vacation) lol I told them not to tell anyone. The way i look at it is, if it doesn't work you don't have to tell everyone but if you want to it's on your own terms and if it does work its an awesome surprise to everyone! 

 

Started my period yesterday(if you can call it that) its been a light pink all day yesterday and today getting a little darker.Barely even there, so weird! Never had a period come on so slow in my life. Has this happened to anyone else? 

 

Starting injections today!!! Here it goes......

[Emerald_Jade]

Hi Everyone! Best of luck with your cycles. I've just started my first IVF cycle at the Victoria Fertility Clinic (So nervous) and will have my retrieval early May, and aim for a fresh transfer. I start the injections next weekend (eeek). My clinic mentioned taking extra folic acid. My current pre-natal has 5mcg, so does that mean I need to take 10?