First IVF in August,

[wannababy1229]

Lola--certainly keep us posted! I hope you can start soon.

Sam-Have you told many people about your BFP? Are you going to wait until after the 1st trimester?

Hopeful-I have been documenting everything in my journal ever since I started this whole thing. It helps me to sort out my emotions, plus, it will be interesting to read in the future.

I have another u/s and b/w tomorrow morning. I'm hoping they can confirm my ET date. BTW- I'm in New Jersey!

[Shapooh]

Hi Girls!

The office just called and said I have 6 embies left and 4 of them are grade A and they are the best eggs the embryologist has ever seen! So he doesn't want to wait and I am scheduled tomorrow at 1:00pm to transfer 3 embies. Keep me in your prayers everyone.

Wannababy - Good luck at your u/s tomorrow. Can't wait to add you ET date. And we will hunt you down if you change boards now!!!

Mia - We are all really close, I live in Arizona. How are the shots going? Hopefully better.

Lola - Well my big day has arrived and I am really nervous. I will update everyone as soon as I can. The cramps are better and today I feel pretty good.

Sam - How are you feeling? I'm sure your still floating on clouds. I know I would be. I am sooo happy for you.

Okay now to be honest about the PROGESTERONE shot! It felt like all the other shots EXCEPT about 1 hour later (ouch) was I sore. It feels like I have a huge bruise going on. And today it still hurts! Other than that it was fine!

Love you all,
Alicia

[wannababy1229]

Shapooh--That is great news! Let us know how it goes! Sending lots of Baby dust your way!

[Champa]

Sam- many Congratulations to you!!! I am very happy for you. Now, if I worry, I'll think about you and that will make me feel positive.

Thanks to all of you for the support. I finally got my periods the day I started my stim(12th). So far I don't think the stims are making me more emotional as the nurse mentioned.

I am looking forward to my next appointment that's on 16th. Hopefully things will be fine

Champa

[samandaw1]

Alicia,

WOW! Good luck! Transfer is a peace of cake. Have sex tonight even if you do not feel like it. IT helps embrace the ebryos. Then take it easy and I mean easy. I was not allowed to move for about 5 days. I know that is extreme but my clinic has really high statistics so I listened to everything he said.

I am originally from Az. and my husband and I would love to move back. Lots of friends/family there and go home all the time. Where in Az do you live? IF you go on bed rest, try to get a lap top to keep in communication. It made my time faster.

Remember to massage the spot with a hot cloth after the progesterone shot. IT makes the soreness go away as it takes away the knot.

Girls--Good luck you are all getting closer!

I am on cload nine. I printed out all the positive things people have said for my future baby book. I took a HPT today just so I can see the word pregnant pop up and it did!! I also ran out and got all the books as I would not let myself go there before the testing.

Sam

[empmtb]

Shapooh - you might try icing the area for about 20 min. pre-shot and warming the oil for the same period of time; it seems wierd, but on another site they suggesterd putting the syringe (w/o needle!) or the vial between breasts to warm it; I tried it along with icing down the area and it worked like a champ and I could actually walk the next day! Also, immediately put pressure on the shot right when the needle's withdrawn and it will help get it into the muscle and reduce the bruising. good luck!

[Lola]

Alicia --- I will be thinking of you tomorrow and good luck!!! 1am in Arizona is noon here, so I will be driving from the docs office around that time. I cannot believe you are already doing ET. Seems like once the stimulation starts, time goes by very quickly...

Mia - I looked at your website, you could be a writer! It is very nice.

Looks like we are all doing IVF in the US. Thanks, it is nice know where we all live.

My headaches were terrible today , I cannot wait to get off these souble shots of Lupron. Tomorrow I should know my next protocol.

Good luck girls and again, stay POSITIVE and you will get a big fat POSITIVE at the end!!!
Lola

[wannababy1229]

It appears that I am the only one on the east coast, so right now you ladies are probably sound asleep. It's 8:20 NJ time and I just got back from having my u/s and b/w. The doctor confirmed that my retrieval will be this Friday. I guess that means I do the dreaded progesterone shot Saturday I asked how many follicles I had, he said 5 or 6. That doesn't sound very good to me. Then he said, "enough to work with". Does that mean that there is one egg in each follicle? Help!

[suzhan]

Hi all. I just found this site and wish I had found it much earlier. I'm on my 2nd IVF cycle and am 4 days post ET (day 4). I had 5 embies transfered this time, 4 were called 'compact morula' (2 grade 1, 2 grade 2 with grade 1 being best) and 1 was 10-cell. My first beta pregnancy test is 8/19 and second on 8/21 to confirm (they never tell you results of first test, only second test so i'm waiting another 7 days - ugh!)

I did get pregnant from my first IVF cycle but had m/c in week 9, which is still stinging and making this second cycle even more nerve-wracking. M/C was from trisomy, though, so better to find out early than later. First IVF we transferred 6 embies, but RE says they were all of poor quality and only 1 implanted. He says the embies this time are much better.

We wanted PGD this time to avoid this, but on day 3, only 4 embryo's of 8 were sufficiently developed for PGD. RE said too risky to put them through the test (might result in nothing to transfer because of high error rate.) That's why we did the day 4 transfer this time.

Also, it was interesting to find out all of you were told to avoid alcohol during stims and prior.....my RE never told me this! I drank through both all the way up to ET - not loads but a glass of wine or two with dinner now and then.

Also, I was told to have complete bed rest for 3 days after ET - only allowed to get up to go the bathroom, nothing else. Anyone else heard of this? This is really hard for me and wonder if it was really necessary.

By the way, Wannababy - there isn't necessarily an egg in each follicle. On this past ER, I had 15 follicles, 13 eggs retrieved, but only 9 were mature enough to use. 8 ultimately fertilized with ICSI. I've heard the average number of eggs retrieved per cycle is 7-8, but as a few people have said, you really only need a couple of good ones, so best of luck!

Anyway, I'm really glad to hear all of your stories and wish you all the best of luck!

(I"m still learning all the abbreviations, so excuse me if I misused any of them!)

[wannababy1229]

Welcome Suzhan--you are going to love it here! The ladies here are absolutely wonderful. I hope that you are taking it easy during your 2ww. I don't think my facility requires bedrest, but I am going to do it anyway. It worked for Sam. I'm willing to do whatever it takes. How long did you wait before your 2nd cycle? I wish you all the best. Certainly keep us posted! Where are you from?

Sam--You are suggesting that sex the evening before the transfer will help? My Dh will be glad to hear that! Poor baby has been deprived since this has started.

Are/have any of you had/having sex during this process? I know that after the transfer it's a no-no, but what about before? I was told that it is ok, but I am terrified.

Champa-I'm glad to hear that the meds aren't turning you psycho! I have been surprisingly good myself!

Shapooh-How did it go today? How are you?

Lola-How's it going? What's up with the cyst?

Hopeful-Where are you?

Where's the newbie, Dawn?

I have to start the Ganarelix this evening in preparation for the retrieval. I had my gynecologist appointment today for my annual. This was an appt I had made back in April. It went pretty well. She was very encouraging. The pap was a breeze, but when she was pushing on my abdomen (to check for whatever she checks for), it really hurt!

Is it just me, or are you ladies feeling like you just want to get this all over with? I am becoming tired of the injections but sucking it up so that I can be a mommy!

[samandaw1]

Suxhan--

My doctor had me on five day bed rest with only getting up for shower/bathroom/or retrieve something from the kitchen. I thought it was worse than the injections. I am not sure if I thought it was necessary but I do know I got a BFP and my clinic has good stats. THe 2WW sucks but it is all worth it. My clinic as well does not let you know until the 2nd BETA test.
IT sucks but I would rathr wait than have a false positive. Do not do HTP!

Wannababy--I know you have heard this a million times and it might not make you feel any better but you only need one. I would rather have one great one that 8 mediocre (sp?) I was also bummed when I only had two at the end but according to my doctor, they were perfect ones. Keep good faith that the ones they get are the ones they need.

Lots of luck!!

Sam

[Lola]

Hello my dear girls!!!

Wannababy --- yes, you only need one and one is all you need. Sometimes they say it is not good to have too many anyway, as their quality decreases with the quantity. So don't you worry. I had to laugh when I read your post today about having sex. I know, when I saw "the DVDs" and playboy magazines in the room where my hubby will have to entertain himself while I am having my ER, I was thinking the same thing... how deprived he will be and how embarrassed I will be explaining to my baby one day how he/she came to this world....
I have not asked about having sex, but I think it is ok until the retrieval.

Suzhan --- welcome, I hope you will stay with us, you will like this group. There is 6 of us that write regularly and we all support each other so much! You will love it. I don't know how I would be going through this without these girls.... Sorry to hear about your first IVF. All I can say is that you have to stay POSITIVE no matter what and my clinic also suggest to stay in horizontal position as much as I can right after the transfer for at least 3 days. Well, I am gonna do 5 days, just like Sam did, she is my role model!!!!

I came back from my U/S and B/W and I am waiting for the phone call. My doctor said that everything looks good now, my cyst is little smaller and my terrible headaches are a good sign that the Lupron is suppressing my ovaries. I am supposed to start stimulation this Friday and I am just waiting for the blood test results so they can confirm it. He also said I should not worry about the cyst, it developed when I started taking LUpron - (Lupron has a stimulating effect at first, before it starts suppressing the ovaries). It is going to disappear and it is a good sign that I will be easy to stimulate. He said I have a higher estrogen then other women, that's why I have to take double shots now and have all these side effects, but it's a sign that I am actually very fertile. So now I am not worried at all, I just hope my estrogen is finally under 30 and I can finally start. I will let you know my dates after I get that phone call.

Alicia --- I was thinking of you and now you are done. Do you have a laptop? I have a desktop, I was just thinking, how will I be keeping in touch with you guys after my ET? I guess I will just sneak out and write shorter messages.... Anyway, hope everything went well and your embies like their new home so much that they'll stay there for another 9 months (or 8 and a half that is now...)

Lola

[Lola]

Just got to know that my Estrogen is down to 10 compared to 115 from last week (no wonder I felt so awful this week) and they want it under 30, so I am good to gooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!
My stimulation starts on 8/18 - this Friday and the ET should be on 8/28 the latest, but probably much earlier. And I am down to single dose of Lupron a day, just 5 units a day compared to 40... so hopefully no more headaches.. yupee!

Lola

[samandaw1]

I want to be clear on the sex thing. We were not allowed to have sex before egg retrieval. They told us to have sex the night before ET.. I know this part may be too much information but they also injected me with DH's seamen during ET. I guess it holds those ebryos in. At our clinic, they asked if I wanted to go in and "help" my husband out. I did it once on a sample day and just found it so mortifing. I hated walking out of the room. In actualality, my Dh was a bit uncomfortable with me helping him out with Doctors next door. I can't wait to share that story wwith my child on how he/she/they were conceived

[suzhan]

Thanks for the warm welcome, Lola, Sam & Wannababy! It's so great to have all of you to talk with as we all go through this together! Oh, and I'm from California here in the USA.

And it was good to hear many of you had bed rest as well. It was so hard for me to stay horizontal, but I did it for 36 hours exactly and then took it very easy for the next 24 hours. Today was my first day of really being 'active'. Anyone hear anything about how much exercise to avoid? My RE has said easy walking is okay, but no major exercise (jogging, etc) or lifting anything more than 10 pounds (DH is getting to carry things up and down the stairs for me because of that - - ha, ha....)

Wannababy - I had to wait about 3 months after m/c to start my next cycle (by start, I mean the first cycle of birth control pills you do before the lupron/stim shots). My RE wanted 2 regular cycles on my own before starting again and it seemed like it took forever to get my first AF - about 7 or 8 weeks. But, RE says to stay positive since I did get BFP first time and it was just bad luck that the embie with the trisomy implanted. Hopefully, since he seemed so much happier with these embies, things will go better this time! Anyway, I'm definitely thinking positively!

And, yes, Sam, I know all about those darn HPT - very tempting buggers! My first IVF, I took one 4 days after ET and it was BFN and I was a nightmare, emotional wreck thinking it didn't 'take'. DH begged me to stop taking them and just wait for blood tests with the doctor and I finally listened to him and then finally got the BFP. So....I'm trying to resist the 'urge' this time!

Thanks again for the nice notes and welcome, ladies!