Jan/Feb 08 Cycle Buddies

[waitingforMia]

Hopin: Thanks for the explanation. I don't think my RE told me either way. In fact I feel like they rushed through the IVF class! I will try to ice it.

MP

[cornybaby]

Good morning ladies! Happy New Year! Well, AF is 10 days late now and still counting. This is not good as I travel for work and I only have until mid-February before my schedule has me on the road again. If that witch doesn't get here in the next couple of days, I may have to postpone until August. I will be devastated if that is the case. As much as I didn't enjoy acupuncture the first time around, I am thinking about calling to see if she has some voo-doo she can do to make AF get here quickly. Ok. Sorry to be so negative..just tired (we went to the Rose Bowl yesterday) and frustrated. Thanks for letting me vent.

[riogirl71]

Hi Mia - Hope your back is feeliing better! You said your clinic rushed your class, I have mine tomorrow, is there anything you would like me to ask for you? I would be happy to.

cornybaby - fingers crossed here for AF to show up very soon, we want to keep you as our cycle buddy keep us posted (when did you ever think you would be praying for AF? Much less having other people wishing with you that it come soon!!!)

hoping - thanks for the tips, I am starting to get a little nervous about all the shots and everything... I am so glad I have all of you guys!

Have you guys decided on how many embies to transfer or does the clinic make that decision for you? My Re said 3 or 4, I am a little nervous about transfering 4...

Were you guys told to do all shots on your tummy?

Happy New Year and tons of BABY DUST for 2008!

[hopin4ababy]

Hi Cornybaby!

Keep your head up! It will be here soon! I have found luck using yoga. It has helped me regulate my cycle some, I used to be a 42 day cycle!!! I like the Kathy Smith DVDs, she is pretty good at giving instruction and it is very calming and relaxing. Its about an hour long, and I ususally get on the elliptical for about 10-15 minutes to loosen up and then pop in the DVD.

I know it can be frustrating and the timelines are so important. I hope she arrives soon!

[hopin4ababy]

Rio:

Don't be nervous about the shots, they are not that bad! You will do it because you want a baby, and in the end you will look back and think what was I so nervous about! You are strong, and you are working toward something so wonderful! After a few days it all becomes part of the routine!

Life presents the difficult tasks to the strong, you can do this.

As for the number of embryos, my RE doesn't like to transfer more than 2! But I think my hubby and I are going to request 3 this time. My RE described my previous embryos based on the number of cells at the time of transfer, I had 1 embryo that was 7 cells and 3 that were 4 cells last time. Ideally they are looking for 8+ cell embryos to transfer back. Some clinics/doctors use a grading system, so you might have that information too.

I know several people who have succeeded with in vitro, 6 couples to be exact. All of them transferred 3 embryos back at a time. 2 had twins, and 4 couples had singletons! So I guess it is a personal decision, combined with what your RE will do, and also your history!

[Ems79]

Hi Ladies, I hope you have all had a fab Christmas and New Year, I have just got back from our festive hols, tired but looking forward to getting back in to a bit of normality.

Hi to all the newbies, been quite a few since I last posted, hope you are all here for the shortest time possible (in a nice way) and that your treatment works first time.

BETH- I am undergoing our 2nd attempt at a FET, I have just started Buserlin to down reg and will continue till my next af. I then go for a blood test and receive Estrogen tablets which I start taking on day3. This carries on for 2 weeks when I then go for a scan to check the lining of my womb (during the 2 weeks I still inject the Buserlin). If the lining of the womb is thick enough I then stop injecting, start taking progestorone pesseries for a couple of days then have the transfer. So all in all only 1 lot of injecting then the rest is tablets which is not too bad. I know some places do not use any medicine and just transfer in your natural cycle and others use more medicine. Do you know what your clinic protocol is?

RIO- my dates etc are, start down regging 12/28, start estrogen tablets roughly 01/10 and hopefully transfer around 01/29 Fingers crossed


xxx

[cornybaby]

Thanks to all for your AF wishes. I have a call into the acupuncturist and in the meantime, we're just praying.

Hopin- thanks for the yoga tip. I have a studio that I go to every once in a blue moon, and it probably wouldn't hurt for me to get back in there.

Rio - the shots are a piece of cake, after the first one anyway. I did exactly as hopin described and looked back and said "what was I so nervous about?". And let me tell you, I was a mess when I had to do my first one. It really does just become a routine. As for the number of embies transferred, it's really a personal decision, and I think the results are different for everyone, but this has been my experience...

I did a 3 day transfer of 3 (1 8-cell, 2 5-cell) - got a BFN
One girlfriend of mine did a 3 day transfer of 4 "awesome" embies and got a singleton BFP.
Another girlfriend did a 3 day transfer on her first try with 2 "so-so" embies, got a BFN, and did a 5 day transfer of 2 blasts on her 2nd try and got a BFP. She finds out next week whether she's carrying one or 2.

I guess my point is, in my mind, there's no way to tell. It's a gamble and I think you have to base your decision on what you are willing to risk and whether or not you would consider reducing. DH and I decided we were willing to risk having triplets (although a singleton was the goal), that's why we went with 3. Next time around I am hoping for a 5 day transfer of blasts and if so, wouldn't transfer more than 2. My friend who did the blast transfer wanted to do 3, but her RE told her all that would do is increase the chances of having triplets, not increase her chances of a BFP...my gut instinct tell me she's having twins (but I haven't told her that... )

[waitingforMia]

Ems: Glad to hear your holidays went well

Corny: I know how frustrating it is to wait for AF. And usually the more I want her to come, the slower she is!! and I know the pain of scheduling IVF around work! So I hope the witch vists you soon!

Hopin: hmm, yoga... I might try that. I need something to do that doesn't involve jumping.

Rio: This clinic will only transfer 2 blasts. So I guess 2 it is. I think you just need to decide how many you realistically can handle emotionally and financially. Do you have a strong support system with family and friends, etc.. I think we could manage triplets, but I would be really worrried at putting the babies at risk for health problems. My first IVF the RE put back all three that made it to day 3. And it was a BFN. We'll see. Dh really wants two so we only have to do this once But then I think I really want to be pregnant more than once...

MP

[waitingforMia]

Rio: Thanks for the offer. Most of my questions have to do with meds though. Maybe we can compare notes after your class. I don't remember when dh and I are supposed to start the antibiotics.

Good luck - ask lots of questions - and don't let them rush you

MP

[loopie]

Hi ladies,
happy new year!
Corny- i hope AF shows up ASAP -i'm getting mad at her on your behalf, too!!!
mia- I'm sorry to hear about your back -it is really sucky to be in pain all the time I hadL4-L5-S1 fused a year ago, and have the same concerns about multis - pretty sure my back will be trouble throughout, but I"m willing to take a chance - doc says I can still take some of my pain med, though I will do some more checking to be 100% that it's ok -
tomorrow morning I meet with my docs to learn what meds i'll be on as well as how to take them- guess they will give me scripts at that time, too
do you all need to go in 6-9xs during they med cycle to have your blood and other levels checked? is this normal?

i'm so happy that January is here HOORAY!!!! we're making babies this month!!!
love, hope and babies all around
loopie!

[waitingforMia]

loopie: Yes you have to go in so they can do u/s and check the size of the follicles. This determines how long you will be on meds. I actually am not in any pain after I had four shots in the back earlier this year. Every now and then my siatic (sp?) nerve sends a pain down my leg, but I don't take meds for it. I might have to be on bedrest though with the weight of even a sigleton. But I will cross the bridge when I get to it!

MP

[TammyS]

Hi everyone and Happy New Year! I had my first appt and consultation with the new doc today and am very excited. I had to transfer after starting the bcp and having 3 day bloodwork done due to insurance covering it at the new place and not the place where I had the IUI's covered at. My DH had his SA done and bloodwork done today and I had a mock transfer and some cultures done today. Yayy! Dont have to go back till the baseline. Everything is done and ready to go.

I had been reading up on microdose flare protocol or it is also called microflare lupron protocol. They say it is an extreme protocol for over 39 girls, like me. The last resort before donor egg. Strangely enough I stim well...my fsh levels and everything is great...just cant get pregnant. I was very happy to hear that he was going this route before I could even ask him about it. I find it to be different than the protocol the rest of you are on. If anyone else is on it...let me know. I stop the bcp on Jan 8 and go in for bloodwork and baseline ultrasound on the 11th. I start Lupron on the 11th in the evening, then start follistim and lupron on Sat the 12th 2xs a day for each med. I was told somewhere between the 20-23 for the HCG shot. I know from 3 IUI's I trigger pretty quick and he has even up'ed my dose of follistim from 225 (old doc) to 350 (new doc). So my best guess is that I will take HCG on the 20th and ER will be the 22st...ET the 25th. Pregnancy test Feb 5th. I only had to be on the bcp 18 days for this type of protocol and may or may not even have a light AF this month. My AF wasnt even due till Jan 17th...so this is all super quick. Transferring to the new clinic was super super fast and easy. Even the doc commented on it. Must be a good sign.

[TammyS]

Mia and Loopie...I, too, had back surgery just 7 weeks ago. (L-5/S-1) Hopefully we will all do great while pregnant. I was told if I need to take vicodin on bad days that I could...all through pregnancy too, but honestly I have only taken 3 pills since Nov. So I am doing pretty good.

Cornybaby...I am praying for AF to get here already, for you.
Rio...my doc told me today that they will do 2 or 3 depending on how good the embryos are and how many we have to freeze. It really is a personal decision...but we decided to go with 2 if great embryos and 3 if they are not very good. The doc will help us decide based on that when the time comes. He does both 3 day and 5 day transfers...again just depends on what we get.

[Optimistic1]

Hi everyone! I'm new to the group, just found this site today. I am on my first round of IVF, just started my Lupron shots 3 days ago and waiting for AF to show so we can get going on this cycle. We are hoping for e/r and e/t the week of 1/21.

I feel that I am with a really good specialist out of IN, so I feel good about the whole thing but also trying to keep in in perspective that it may not work the 1st time around.

The shots haven't been bad so far, dh did his first one on me tonight, that was actually hilarious to both of us b/c he is a goof ball...but I don't know what is worse, him giving them or me. Goods and bads to both ways I suppose.

Anyways, I'm rambling, just wanted to introduce myself. I hope to learn a lot while being on here and provide some encouragement to others at the same time.

Baby dust to all!

Danielle

[TammyS]

Hi and Welcome Danielle! My DH and I busted up laughing the first time too...took us 20 minutes to stop laughing and get serious. Sounds like our ER and ET are the same week.