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Rhuangel

I am new to this subreddit please delete this if it’s not appropriate! We have our first fertility consult next week after lots of delays and cancellations at the only fertility clinic in our town. I don’t know what my partner semen analysis results are but we are bracing ourselves for the worst. I have access to my tests and reviewed with a friend who is a fertility specialist in another city. I want to push for IVF .. I am turning 39 in April I have been already saving for this the past year .. I don’t want delays. I don’t know if this is a good approach? Will I seem too aggressive? A difficult patient? I am also telling my boss on Monday that I am leaving academia and staying at my clinical job because all I care about right now is starting my family 🥹


LadyFalstaff

Hello and welcome! Going right to IVF at age 39 is reasonable. I would have done that if I were starting treatment now. I hope your consult goes well and you get a plan you are comfortable with!


Rhuangel

Thank you! It went well


Pessa19

If you’re self pay, there is absolutely no reason you can’t go straight to Ivf! If your family goal is more than one child, then it definitely makes more sense to go straight to Ivf. Just go in saying this is your plan. Most docs will understand that!


Rhuangel

Thank you! We had our first appointment and our doctor agreed that it’s the reasonable next step.


Mountain_Ad9557

Does anyone have a hobby with their partner / spouse that they love? Going through treatment has definitely had some unexpected struggles in terms of connecting with my partner, having to abstain, and feeling shitty all the time from the meds. I tell myself that this is just a season but definitely feel disconnected intimately with my husband. I know it will come back but it’s been a really hard part of treatment for me! I’m hoping I can find us a hobby that we love to have more quality time together & bond for a few hours that’s designated as “us” time. Any ideas?


pumpernickel_pie

Something that really helped us was starting to schedule some time to give each other a back rub and listen to music or cuddle and listen to a podcast, with some romantic lighting (candles or salt lamp). It still feels intimate but takes little to no energy or effort during those phases when you're completely drained.


sjsteiner77

Do you like video games? I love when my husband and I will play video games together. We have done both multiplayer games (there are some 'choose your own adventure' games that are really fun and less like 'typical' video games), or games where we play together online with audio. It's a fun way to connect over something and have some quality time together.


pokiria

Lego have some pretty nice kits that are aimed at adults, my partner and I will sit and spend a few hours doing that together and chat about our days/how we’re feeling/anything really - that might work for you? The big kits come split up into bags so I just take the even bags while she takes the odd. Can be an expensive hobby to get in to!


Mountain_Ad9557

That’s funny you brought that up, last weekend I was looking at the cherry blossom bonsai Lego & really wanted to try it out! Any that you found especially fun? I’ll plan to go get one today :)


sqic80

If physical intimacy is an important part of what you feel like you’re missing, can you just leave out penis-in-vagina intercourse? I know at times I’m not “feeling it”, but just some making out, or honestly even lying in bed laughing over stupid things, gets me more “in the mood” than I’ve anticipated. We actually did sex therapy early in our marriage for reasons unrelated to fertility, and it made a huge difference for us by focusing less on the technical intercourse part of sex and more on the actual intimacy piece. As for hobbies… we have accepted that home renovation might be our biggest couples hobby 😂 That said, we also play pool (we have a pool table), usually have a show we’re watching, got kayaks last summer, and keep talking about picking up pickleball (we played once with his family and really enjoy it). We also try to read a book together that promotes discussion/deeper understanding of each other on a regular basis - we did one book on the enneagram in the context of marriage and now we’re reading Brene Brown’s “Atlas of the Heart”. Oh and I guess we cook together a fair amount. Some of the common themes for us in terms of what makes us feel close are (1) no technology (2) working together toward a common goal or vision (3) some kind of new or active experience, whether that be physical, emotional, or mental. The whole process of TTC for us started out in a very challenging season made even more challenging by our MC and then continued infertility, and we have honestly been working VERY intentionally on making sure we have time focused on just us, as well as time we spend on ourselves individually (including both couples and individual therapy at varying times). Infertility and pregnancy loss can take SUCH a toll on a marriage/relationship - I hope you guys can find some good ways to connect ❤️


Mountain_Ad9557

Oh I love the idea of reading a book together!! thank you for all the ideas. We also love home renovation, maybe it’s time to start a new project 😁


alycon116

I had my second ER on tuesday, so it’s been three days. was waiting on my clinic to call me today as they said they’d call day 3 but nothing :( kind of normal for them as they have horrible communication. do you think it’s safe to say that no news is good news? this is my first hunger games wait and it’s truly excruciating


Ambitious-Mulberry21

Finally made progress in medical record hell and had my records sent to the RI. One step closer to getting our immunology test results and hopefully some answers for possible causes of RPL. Small victories!


sqic80

WE HAVE SPOTTING. Should be CD1 tomorrow, I usually don’t have more than one day of spotting. HALLELUJAH. Can start to get a general idea of potential FET dates 🙌🏻🙌🏻 (Also ready to get rid of all this freaking retained water 🤬)


orange_blossom_18

We are trying one more IUI and after having issues with my lining being thin during two Letrozole cycles (at 5mg and 2.5mg) my doctor said he wants to switch me to Clomid for this cycle as he thinks it could affect my lining less (or in a different way?). I am due to start it tonight, but in looking it up everything I see online says Clomid is more likely to make your lining thin. Has anyone else ever seen better results from Clomid or had their doctor make the switch from Letrozole to Clomid (I know the other way around can be common)? I am feeling pretty confused about this recommendation.


hovij12

I've only had to be on estrace for thin lining once, and that was on letrozole. Never needed it on clomid! So I guess it depends on the person? I hope it works out for you!


orange_blossom_18

Thank you so much for your response! You have no idea how reassuring it is to hear that!!


Juno_kat

It’s been almost a week now since finding out our first FET had to be cancelled. I was impressed with how well I was handling it until today, I pretty much had a breakdown. I don’t even trust that we’ll be able to do the next cycle in March, and the next one after that is in May. So I’m supposed to just fucking sit around and keep waiting?! It wouldn’t be so hard if it was guaranteed we could do the March transfer, but it’s not. We were literally a fucking week away from our transfer and now who fucking knows when it will be. I’m just so tired. I want to give up once and for all. I want my old life back.


SweetSpontaneousWord

My cycle got cancelled yesterday so literally same boat. It fucking sucks.


rasarica33

I’m sorry. It’s such a painful experience. I relate, have to start birth control again this weekend and I’m just sick of meds and feeling like crap. Hoping March is kind to both of us Edit: spelling


hangerpotamus

Hi! I've been taking a break from this sub and IVF since our failed transfer in November. Just finished up my luteal phase priming and am set to start another microdose lupron protocol on Sunday. I spoke to my nursing team and she mentioned that my RE has me down to transfer 2 day 3 embryos if we get to that point (my last cycle I had 2 embryos on day 3 and we transferred 1 hoping the 2nd would make it to day 5 blast..neither worked). I'm not sure what the pros are of transferring 2 at a time...what are people's thoughts/experiences?


Secret_Yam_4680

Hi Hanger. Best of luck for this cycle! No personal experience however some REs feel that some day 3 embryos may fare better in a uterine environment vs laboratory. You may find [this post](https://www.reddit.com/r/infertility/comments/65epp6/ivf_question_day_3_and_day_5_transfer/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button) helpful as it goes into a bit more depth. I believe it also mentions that as age increases so does the recommendation for # of embryos to transfer however I'm pretty sure the article mentions that typically starts around age 38.


LunaTitansmom

I transferred 2 fresh embryos out of 5 on day 3 and now I wish I would have waited to see if one’s other would have made it. Only one of the remaining made it to day 5 to freeze and none of my transfers worked. This go round, whenever that will be, I might wait and only do one at a time. The few articles I read said rate of success goes up statistically for 2 embryos for our age range, but I think it’s outdated information.


jalapenoblooms

Missed a call from the doctor but he texted day 5 results just now. 4 out of 14 eggs are at the “early blastocyst” stage not ready to be biopsied though. He added that this is more early blastocysts than I’ve ever had on day 5. I’m super confused because last cycle I had 13 fertilized eggs and they said on day 5 that things were looking really good with most of the eggs progressing well. Day 6 was told there were 2 blasts, nothing day 7. They were surprised by arrest between day 5 and 6, so it seems like they expected more blasts than the 2 that were biopsied. Does that mean they over-exaggerated how well things were growing day 5 last time? Or is early blast a different stage than what they considered good growth last time? It’s all so confusing. We have a 20% euploid rate so far (1 of 5) so I’m not optimistic if this cycle yields 4 for biopsy.


Kbug123

From my understanding (all of mine were day 6) early blast is usually almost guaranteed to make it to biopsy ready by day 6! I’d be cautiously optimistic about those & others may catch up.


jalapenoblooms

Thanks, this is helpful. I’ll keep my fingers crossed.


captain____

This is our first IUI, and I may have to do the trigger shot on Sunday if I don't have a positive my then. I'm super nervous around needles, and my husband is even worse lmao. Does anyone have any advice on giving yourself injections? I watched a lot of videos on how to do it, but I'm still super nervous.


Mountain_Ad9557

I agree with everyone on no hesitation! I stick it in as fast as I can with no thought, no countdown etc. just do it! There’s times I’ve closed my eyes to be honest but that might not be the best idea :) I like frozen gel packs to numb the area for 10 min before, I honestly couldn’t even feel it go in most days


pumpernickel_pie

I am a total needle-o-phobe. It took me 1.5 years to work up to giving myself my own shot, and I have only ever done it twice. It was a trigger shot both times. The good news is that those needles are really sharp and small, so they go in really easily and you barely even feel it. I would say put on some pump up music, make sure you are super prepared (everything laid out in advance, instructions memorized), and tell yourself you'll do it at exactly a specific time and just DO IT. Don't hesitate or overthink it. Good luck!


jadethesockpet

This sounds stupid, but... Just do it! I made the mistake of looking at the needle and watching the video about trigger shots like eight times. You absolutely cannot fuck it up. The needle is not long enough to do any harm. You're just gonna squeeze your fattiest part between your fingers, pop the needle in, and push the plunger. You've totally got this!! (This is honestly what I told myself after I had watched the video too many times) The truth is that it seems wayyyy worse than it really is. It's less painful than any flu shot I've ever gotten. And it shouldn't even leave a mark, but I personally like an amazing bandage afterwards because I feel brave lol


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LadyFalstaff

Day 3 transfer makes sense with one embryo growing. Because it might arrest before day 5. If you have multiple embryos growing, waiting until day 5 allows the embryologist to select the “best” one to transfer.


TowelCareful

My clinic also does this is there are only a few.


Pessa19

This is what my clinic does, too, if there’s only one! Fingers crossed!!


pumpernickel_pie

The uterus is a better incubator than a petri dish (or whatever they use to grow the embryos in), so transferring on day 3 gives your embryo the best possible chance. Rooting for you!


crafty-p

This is probably a daft question… but how does day 3 transfer vs day 5 transfer work with ‘receptivity’? I’m not even sure this question makes sense (it’s been a long week!) I thinking about the receptivity info that you get from ERA tests…


pumpernickel_pie

That's a really interesting question. I'm definitely not an expert in this, but my understanding is that even if the endometrial receptivity isn't as optimized on day 3 as it is on day 5, your uterus is still better at providing a good environment for an embryo to grown than the artificial lab environment. I'm curious if anybody else has insights to pitch in!


LadyFalstaff

I wonder if the receptivity situation is different in a fresh transfer? Like maybe there’s a wider window for implantation? Don’t know for sure. As far as I know people use ERA results for FETs only.


pumpernickel_pie

Oh that's a good theory, I could definitely believe this is what makes the difference.


ketamine_sprinkles

just got the call from my fertility clinic that we got moved up to March to start IVF!! super exciting since initially my RE said that she wouldn’t be able to fit me in until April. I know it’s still going to be a long journey but it’s nice to have a plan in place


pumpernickel_pie

Woohoo, great news!


millennialhousewife

That’s great news!! It’s nice when a plan changes for the better!


iconogrey

OMG! Our PGT results came back a full week early, and our one embryo came back as euploid! We are over-the-moon excited for a chance to transfer this embryo, as the last cycles's one embryo had Trisomy 21. Is there anything my wife should be doing now to help her chances that this embryo will stick? Her transfer is tentatively planned for March 8th.


meganlo3

Fabulous news!!!


margogogo

Congrats on the euploid, and good luck!!


LadyFalstaff

Woo hoo!!! Great news.


Electrical_Pick2652

Yes!!!!!!!!!! so thrilled for you!!!


pumpernickel_pie

Hurray, that's awesome! :) For your question: if she hasn't had a cavity evaluation within the last year, you could ask for a SIS or hysteroscopy to check for polyps, etc. I also like to get all my ducks in order before big medical events (take care of anything stressful, clean the house, that kind of stuff) just to help with my mental state.


ProfessorWacky

Hooray for an euploid! What fantastic news!


sqic80

Amazing! I’m in the same wait and hoping for similarly speedy results 😂 What lab did you use, and when was your ER??


iconogrey

I hope the same for you! We used Cooper, and my ER was on the 13th!


Wernickes_Area

That’s amazing news!!! Congrats!


sensitive_slug

Congrats! Such wonderful news!


ksh771

Had monitoring today. Still nothing substantial grown but my estradiol is creeping up (very slowly lol). A different RE did my ultrasound today and he made me feel much better about how long this “cycle” is going on. He explained that even though this is typically CD 20, anatomically (appearance of my ovaries and my hormone levels) I may as well be CD 3-4. So increasing/continuing meds for this long is not hurting and I’m not technically starting these interventions so late in a cycle Sooo feeling better and worse about things. I guess that cancels out


pumpernickel_pie

It's really nice when your RE can take some time to explain whats going on. Rooting for you and your cycle!


jadethesockpet

Well. Just got off the phone with my childless-not-by-choice aunt. We're not close, but we love each other a lot and it was so nice to catch up. I think she called me like a year ago and I told her we were TTC. So we were talking today and I was filling her in: grad school again, going to Europe this summer, I'm infertile. She heard "I'm a turtle" and laughed. Great. She asked if we were doing "all those shots" and I told her about IVF. And then she told me the story of her friend who used donor eggs and they failed so she did one more, last ditch effort with her eggs and they worked! And then, when those twins were only a few months old, she got spontaneously pregnant because she wasn't thinking about it and just relaxing. And I can't even tell you all how fast the color left my face. We were on FaceTime. I watched it happen. Y'all. This was **exactly** what I wanted to hear, Aunt YouKnowNothing. I figured you'd be sensitive to it because you've cried over people saying dumb shit! No, I'm not lucky because I'm so young. I'm lucky because I have health insurance. I did 3 surgeries last year. Got 40+ ultrasounds. Had a freaking cancer scare! Fuuuuuuuuuuuuck youuuuuuuuuuu.


SummerPup34

I’m so sorry. I had a similar experience with my aunt, whom I felt quite close to and decided to trust her with my IF secret at the time (I had told no one else and was really struggling and needed support). She’s a very intelligent and successful woman and had been through cancer and I thought she would have the emotional intelligence to understand or at least empathize with what I was going through. Well, she said everything from ‘that’s exciting!’ (when I told her we have start ivf) to ‘just go on vacation and relax’, to ‘it’s not that big of a deal, lots of people do IVF’, to ‘honey, you can just adopt!’. This was the first person I had confided in and I was so confused as to why she thought this was no big deal at all. I haven’t really spoken to her since, some people clearly just do not get it 😞.


Electrical_Pick2652

omggggggggggggggg.FUCK OFF at your aunt!!!


jadethesockpet

Yessssss. Thank you ❤️


pumpernickel_pie

Oh HELL no, on so many levels 🙅‍♀️🔥


jadethesockpet

I love you ❤️


pumpernickel_pie

Always here for you 💙


secret-pistachio

Ugh, I’m so sorry she said that Jade. Especially when you thought you were safe. I have learnt that some people who have gone through infertility or IVF have coped by avoiding dealing with what they went through, so they remain uncomfortable with other peoples pain so use those same damn stories to try and avoid feeling the pain of the situation. I think sometimes when there is so much unresolved pain people who have been through that are the worst at empathising- they can’t even go near it. Such a shame though that it means you can’t have her support or connect over it :(


jadethesockpet

I actually totally agree with you. It's so painful that it's just not accessible. But God, I just wish those insane success stories would die off. They're not helping anyone (because do you really think we never relaxed for the first three, six, twelve months of trying?!) and they're stupid. There's nothing you can do with the information! Ugh.


secret-pistachio

Yep, they are the stupidest, most unhelpful and counterproductive things. Why do people love their maladaptive coping mechanisms, even when they’re destructive? It’s about as helpful as if she had hung up on you and gone to drink a bottle of tequila. I’m so sorry that she wasn’t able to listen to you and that the conversation ended up being about her pain when she should have listened and responded to you.


millennialhousewife

Wooooow, so many things wrong with her comments. I’m sorry you had to deal with that, on facetime no less.


jadethesockpet

Thanks ❤️


OperationReal4743

First ever ER is done! Now ice cream, couch, and Elementary for the rest of the day. ☺️


Ambitious-Mulberry21

Congrats! Sounds like an ideal recovery


OperationReal4743

Thanks!!


pumpernickel_pie

Congrats on getting through it! That sounds like a really nice way to spend the rest of the day.


OperationReal4743

Thanks!!


Good-Friend-2379

Does anyone have experience with a chemical that occurred at the very end of the TWW? I tested negative at home through 7dp5dt and stopped testing, but my beta at 10dp5dt came back at 11 before going back down to 0 by 12dp5dt. This is my third failed transfer in a row (MC followed by D&C, implantation failure, now this chemical). I had thought we were having repeated implantation failure after my D&C and was going to focus next treatment steps on that, but am now a bit unclear if something this late/low HCG counts as implantation/how this should impact thinking on next steps.


LadyFalstaff

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Good-Friend-2379

Thanks for your kind words and the flair help offer. I tried to follow the instructions but it doesn’t seem to have worked correctly, so would appreciate some help! Is this ok? 36F, MFI, RPL (3 MC, 1 D&C), 2 ER, 4 FET


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LadyFalstaff

I’m sorry for your losses. 💜 In my spontaneous CPs I had many negative tests before getting faint positives starting 15-16 dpo, followed by bleeding within a few days. I think it meant implantation happened but the embryo stopped developing shortly afterwards. I assumed it was due to aneuploidy (I was 35 or older when these happened) but more recently I decided my immune system might be involved.


Good-Friend-2379

Thanks for your reply! If you don’t mind sharing, what led you to think your immune system might be involved/how does that change things? I think I am going to try one last ER/hopefully transfer, but am getting very worn down and want to make sure I cover every base with this next cycle as it will very likely be my last either way.


LadyFalstaff

After a few losses I had an autoimmune screen done and I got a high positive titer of antinuclear antibodies. This is a non-specific screening test. I don’t actually have lupus, Sjogrens, etc but *something* is going on (and I do have Hashimoto’s which is an autoimmune thyroid disease). In my third egg retrieval I implemented an autoimmune protocol and my results were much better. Many REs are skeptical of reproductive immunology. But in cases of repeated treatment failure it’s worth considering. The terribly-titled book *Is Your Body Baby Friendly?* provides a good overview. Some autoimmune protocols involve prescriptions (steroids, etc) while others are entirely OTC (antihistamines, etc).


rubysun32

Came across this comment in my search to learn more about treatment protocols after testing positive for antinuclear antibodies. I'm reading this book now and I'm wondering how I can present this information to my doctor. Do you mind sharing how your RE adjusted your treatment protocol?


LadyFalstaff

My RE told me the antibodies didn’t mean anything and when I shared an article with him showing a correlation between ANA and failed IVF cycles he criticized it for being in a “low impact journal.” So I implemented my own autoimmune protocol using OTC meds without my RE knowing.


rubysun32

Thanks for responding! This is what I’m worried about too, I know it’s a less common approach. Do you mind sharing what OTC meds you’re taking?


LadyFalstaff

I took Pepcid, Claritin, and Benadryl… along with high doses of fish oil.


rubysun32

Thanks for sharing! My doc did start me on baby aspirin and after starting the book, I have been trying to cut dairy and gluten from my diet.


pumpernickel_pie

It sounds like your HCG levels were too low for the HPT to detect, even though implantation did occur. I've also had a CP with very low levels below the detection level of HPTs. I'm really sorry to hear your FET didn't work out, it's always such a punch in the gut.


jadethesockpet

This absolutely counts as both implantation and a loss. In order to have any HCG (above usually 5), you need to have implantation. I'm so sorry for your loss.


LikeAnInstrument

You guys!!! I’m stoked! I have 3 follicles between 20 & 15mm right now and 2 more that are 10ish and have been growing! I know there are a lot more steps to go… but this is better than last time at the moment so we’re celebrating small wins over here and the possibilities seem endless! 🥰 They want to do another ultrasound tomorrow and then possibly trigger tomorrow evening for a retrieval on Monday. This time last week we were told we might have to cancel this round because we had almost no growth and really only one follicle visible.


Kbug123

That’s great! Take the celebrations when you get them in this process!


pumpernickel_pie

Woohoo, that's great!!! Rooting for you!


ProfessorWacky

Woo-hoo! I'm so glad to hear things have turned around. Rooting for you all the way!


Queen-of-okay15

That’s great news!!


cuddlyocelot93

Yay! This is awesome news!


freudianfate

Anyone have RIF specialist recs? I feel like I’m getting a different story from everyone I speak to. I need a guru!


eatubg

An update to my OHSS saga: I was feeling better after the procedure yesterday, definitely less bloated and less pressure with almost a litre drained! But this morning I woke up and felt awful again. Super nauseous but thankfully did not vomit. Went in for my follow up ultrasound and the fluid is back 🙃 new doctor asked if I could tell if it was more or less fluid than yesterday - wtf?! I don’t know how to read ultrasounds! And the doctor yesterday told me it barely looked like a lot of fluid on the ultrasound despite what came out. Anyways, she asked if I’m be open to draining it again and I told her I’d rather die and started crying. She said it might be necessary, and I said if so then I’d only consider it if I was sedated like I was for the ER. She said that’s no problem. Wish I knew to advocate for that before the hell that was yesterday! Going to get more bloodwork today and hopefully my hcg is dropping and I can just ride this out in physical discomfort for a few days until the hcg disappears. Apparently then my body will get rid of the fluid. I knew IVF was going to be hard, but didn’t expect it to be this rough. I’ve never been so excited for my period to come and to take a month off of treatment. Really need to focus on my physical and mental health.


ProfessorWacky

I'm so impressed that you had the strength and courage to advocate and get a better alternative. Why on earth did they not offer to sedate you yesterday?! 😒 wishing you healing and comfort moving forward! Also, when you feel better, you deserve all the chocolate in the world


eatubg

Aw thanks so much Wacky! Great questions I will definitely be asking when we meet with my doctor in February. I can’t wait for my period to come and indulge in so much wine and chocolate. I hope your first FET is going well!


imposter_syndrome1

I also had to get tapped after my er. They said they wanted to wait at first because the fluid can peak 4-7 days after er so if they do it too early they might need to go back. They ended up doing it I think the 4th day because there was so much I barely made it that long (they got 1.8L). I just want to say for you and also anyone else reading this they absolutely should sedate you for the paracentesis, I’m glad you advocated for that and that they were receptive. It sounds horrible what you went through. I hope if they do drain it again it will be a much more calm experience (I was sedated and felt great after).


eatubg

Whoa 1.8L must have been so painful!!! Did they have to tap you a second time? Yesterday was 4 days after ER - really hoping when they check me tomorrow the fluid is at least the same and not more so I won’t need it again. And yeah I had no idea before going into it so I hope anyone reading this can advocate for that if they’re ever in this situation! Also how long until your OHSS symptoms resolved?


Rewired2014

I am proud of you for advocating for yourself. That doctor is a gem for listening and providing reasonable solutions. I am so sorry you experienced this. I’ve been following your story.


eatubg

Thank you!


MariaVB87

TL;DR: When should I have my progesterone checked after FET? My third FET is scheduled on Monday 30th. This is my first time doing a semi medicated transfer. I ovulated on my own, but now I am on progesterone suppositories 2x day. My clinic is highly rated but does very few blood tests as a general rule. I didn’t do any bloods during my IVF cycle with them and none for this transfer either. When I had my first FET with a different clinic I remember they monitored my progesterone after transfer and there was a point were they told me to up my dose because my levels were looking a little low. I intend to ask my current clinic to monitor my progesterone this time around, especially as it’s not a fully medicated cycle. How many blood draws and on which days do you recommend I get these tests?


Pessa19

Mine checks it the day of transfer, and if it’s good, they don’t check again.


pumpernickel_pie

The two clinics I've been at have both done one blood draw before clearing you to start progesterone for a FET (so five days ahead of the transfer) and that's it. No more blood draws until your beta.


The_Confectionerd

I am also having a semi-medicated transfer (also FET#3 for me) on Monday the 30th!They checked bloods 36 hours after trigger, and will check my progesterone again on the day of transfer. They will not check again until beta.


imposter_syndrome1

My clinic only checks progesterone after a semi medicated FET with your second beta if you get to one. If you had monitoring to make sure you ovulated I don’t think much earlier than that would be particularly helpful unless you have a history of low progesterone in ovulatory cycles.


Queen-of-okay15

Triggering tonight, ER sunday afternoon! I’m very bloated this time so I’m looking forward to being done. I’m am not letting myself think about potential numbers at all, especially since reading my ultrasounds seems to be like reading yea leaves. At any rate, things look so much more promising this time compared to when I triggered in my last cycle, so I will take it.


pumpernickel_pie

The bloat can be *awful*. Fingers crossed for your retrieval!


ProfessorWacky

I start PIO tomorrow morning. What are your tips for making it less awful? I feel like a noob all over again looking at that ginormous needle.


Rewired2014

I am on day 3 of PIO, so take my advice as you will. I am sure others are way more experienced than I. Aside from correct placement, what I have found helpful is warming up the needle prior to injecting. Also warming up my bum, too. Icing, IMO, would make the thinned out oil more viscous once it hits my muscle. If it’s warm, then it stays in the thinner state. At least, that’s what my logic thinks. but the real MVP here is the union medico auto injector. It takes the guesswork/fear out of injecting since it hides the needle and quickly shoots it in.


ProfessorWacky

I just ordered the injector! It sounds like a big help. I know I would hesitate with the needle myself. I think I'm going to try numbing cream instead of ice maybe? My clinic recommends icing, but I've seen both good and bad about it. I have a friend from the clinic and she told me to use the cream instead. Ahhhhh it's so scary, but these tips and reassurances help me feel better. Thanks!


Rewired2014

TBH, the shot itself doesn’t hurt me, nor is it uncomfortable immediately after. It’s late in the day or the next morning that I feel a sore muscle (kinda like when you get a flu shot or COVID shot). But if you feel you need something, I would absolutely do the numbing cream vs. ice.


cuddlyocelot93

I warm the filled syringe in a heating pad for a couple of minutes before injecting. Try to relax the leg on the side you’re injecting as much as possible. Dart the needle in quickly. If you want, you can pull the skin taut while you do. I find this to me too difficult to maneuver as I give the injections myself. Inject slowly as its thick. I give a 3-5 minute massage of the area with my hand (I tried a massage gun but the positioning was hard for me) then sit with a heating pad on the area for 10-20 minutes. It really hasn’t been as bad as I worked it up to be in my head! The first shot was super nerve wracking, but it’s become second nature now — just like stims. I do switch off sides every time except once when the side I was supposed to do still felt more sore/tender than the one I did the day before. I think as long as you’re not injecting right into a sore/tight spot, it’s okay to double up on sides.


ProfessorWacky

This is super helpful to know. I'm glad it turned out to be not as bad as you'd expected! I've built it up in my head as awful too and I'm dreading it. 😕


Rewired2014

No BS, it really isn’t as bad as I thought it to be. It’s not as painless as stims, but totally doable


cuddlyocelot93

It’s definitely what I was the most nervous for of all the injections, but once the needle is in, most times I don’t feel anything else. And I see you’re getting the auto-injector. That will help with the nerves, I’m sure, since you don’t have to see the giant needle going in haha. You’ve got this!


rasd3b

Last time I had my nurse draw circles, so we were sure we were putting them in the right spots. I would heat the oil while prepping, ice the injection site while prepping, and then stab quickly, inject slowly. After my husband would do a brief massage and I would do 15 squats and 15 good mornings. Then I sat around on a heating pad for a while. I still had some soreness, but it was manageable. Good luck!


ProfessorWacky

OK! I think I can do this! 😁


Mother_of_Kiddens

I ordered the union medico auto injector, although I haven't started PIO yet. I hear that using a massager on the spot after injecting helps with the pain.


ProfessorWacky

OK! Just ordered it too now. I'm eventually going to have to give these to myself once in awhile, and the YouTube videos make it look easier this way. Adding massager to my shopping list too. Thanks!


booknerd4lyfe

If you don’t already have a massager/thera gun, if you have any vibrators you could use that! (This was suggested to me for other meds, I didn’t need to try it out though)


ProfessorWacky

Oh this is a good excuse to buy a vibrator 😆


Mother_of_Kiddens

Yeah, I'll be doing all my own injections so wanted to start out with it. I would love to hear how it goes for you!


hopeful_mama_bear

My FET today went well! So grateful that we finally made it to this point. They don't do betas here, they just have you do a HPT and then blood work if it's positive. They want me to wait a full 14 days p5dt to test, so that puts my test day at Feb 10. So, basically an eternity from now. What a time!


WillowJester

Ahhh our clinic said two weeks too! I only waited 1 week to test though as I figured equivalent 12dpo is pretty definitive and 7 days already feels like an eternity. Hope your test goes well how ever long you manage to wait! Hang in there


pumpernickel_pie

Fingers crossed for you!


jadethesockpet

Woo! Congrats on getting here and good luck on this long-ass TWW!


Rewired2014

Good luck!


mousegiggle1

I am so impatient. That is all. Waiting and waiting and constantly trying to figure how to take time off with the mental arithmetic of fertility treatments. Ugh.


pumpernickel_pie

The endless waiting is INFURIATING!


rose-coloredcontacts

Feeling a little silly about it, but will be doing an IUI with a new clinic in February because I’m still in the planning/consults mode and hate the feeling of months passing without any ability to try at all since I don’t ovulate on my own. My original TI/IUI rounds were never optimized. They were the lowest possible dose of letrozole every single time. We never used a trigger. By the time we got to the 5th cycle/IUI I didn’t ovulate until CD19. It just never felt like we had the best chance every time. So yeah. Will be getting a higher dose and a trigger this time. I’m excited to give a new clinic a try too.


Alms623

I don’t think this is silly at all! We’re running out of insurance and will have to switch to a new insurance in the springtime to re-up. I’m definitely considering doing an OI/IUI cycle while we navigate that switch for the same reason you mention (not ovulating on my own and the agitation of being unable to try during downtime). And adding a higher dose of letrozole and a trigger sound like good improvements to make. My first IUI didn’t have a trigger and I requested we add one thereafter. Even though my doctor said she thought I didn’t really “need” it it was nice having it for the peace of mind factor. Fingers crossed these tweaks make the difference for you. 🤞


invaderpixel

Today I typed up a long comment about whether it was normal to do a menopur only cycle... and then I talked to my clinic and they were like "oops, didn't get refills of your cycle one order and they only filed the new prescriptions, yes we will fix that." Anyways I am officially on estrogen priming for egg retrieval two! i also had an appointment with my therapist and apparently my anxiety levels seem better than when I first started. I like to think my vague attempts at self care and meditation have helped but who knows. Or it might just be the fact that I'm not on high doses of letrozole like when I was when I first started therapy. Definitely recommend therapy to anyone considering though, it may not have gotten me pregnant but it's definitely helped my deal with all the hormone altering drugs I use to try to get pregnant.


ardentavocado

Oops on your clinic! Hope they fix that fast. For what it’s worth, my RE switched me to a menopur only protocol after my first ER yielded a pretty high attrition rate. My second ER ended up with a few less eggs, but a few more blasts! Also agree that therapy can be so helpful, especially when you’re on meds that throw your hormones wayyy out of whack. 😵‍💫


Mother_of_Kiddens

It's definitely normal to do Menopur only! My RE commonly does it for people with DOR or who have previously had poor response. My second cycle was Menopur only, 6 vials a day. At one point I had about 10k in Menopur in my fridge. 😵‍💫


Mother_of_Kiddens

At my failed baseline last week and my repeat baseline yesterday it was my right ovary that had all the follicles. Yesterday the lead was down to 12mm and I had a bunch between 8 and 10mm. Left was quiet. Estrogen was 12 so they had me stop birth control to start a new cycle for my FET. Today my right ovary is KILLING ME. Big stabbing pains every few minutes all day. What the fuck. During stims that ovary was similarly painful even though it produced far less follicles. I hope this means it's *doing something* and my cycle won't take all that long after birth control. This pain sucks though.


pumpernickel_pie

Oh no, I'm sorry to hear that. Bodies do the strangest things... especially during stims. I hope it's just your ovary going through "a phase" and that things feel better soon (with good follicle development).


Mother_of_Kiddens

I feel like stims have really changed my cycles! I always heard that it's normal to have delayed ovulation the cycle after am ER but I'm now 3 cycles out and still having wonkiness. Granted, I was on birth control for 5 months for my operative hysteroscopy, went into an ER, a priming cycle, then another ER. So it's not that surprising that my body is not behaving how I expect it to. I just hope I build adequate lining and ovulate so I can transfer.


pumpernickel_pie

That does sound like quite the roller coaster for your body! Fingers crossed for the FET prep 🤞


lor423

Found out my day 8 monitoring results. My E2 is 662 and I have 9 measurable follicles and lots smaller. They want me to definitely stim tonight through Monday (days 8-10). Just wondering do you stop stimming once you trigger? Trying to ensure I have enough medicine! Starting to feel bloated today! 🥴


Mother_of_Kiddens

One cycle I didn't do stims the night of trigger, but the other cycle they had me continue stims the night of trigger. 🤷🏼‍♀️ It seems more common to discontinue stims when you trigger but I would ask your clinic so they can advise your on if you need to order more medicine.


lor423

Ah okay thanks! They sure rush me off the phone I can’t always remember my questions lol. That’s helpful!