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February IVF - Page 3

post #41 of 184
1/28/09 at 2:34pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pookietooth View Post
Could you add me? I am going to have my ER tomorrow (Thursday).
You're added. If you want to let me know when you started stims, we can add that info, and of course the ET date when you know.

Good luck tomorrow! May your follicles be many, large, and easy to reach. My your dh's sperm be many, strong and have good direction.
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post #42 of 184
1/28/09 at 6:24pm
Hi All
I'm here too even though ER and ET are in March.
Instead of bcps my RE is doing a long protocol where I take natural estrogen and progesterone and start Lupron in third week. Anyone heard of that before?
Got all my meds yesterday. It's all a bit hard to process.
To help ease my mind, I got some guided meditations from anji.
One cd is general relaxation (5 exercises) and the other is guided imagery specifically for the ivf process, if anyone is interested in that.
I'm not sure I want to give all my dates and everything just yet. I'm so afriad right now that it won't work and I just don't want to tell anyone that. Does anyone feel that way? I am usually so open and chatty, but I don't want to talk about it at all. Guess my #1 priority is to try to process this fear and build up an attitude of strength and optimism for when I start stimming.
Anyway, that's where I am right now. Any sage words of advice?

Pookie, GL tomorrow! We'll be thinking of you and wishing you a perfect ER.
post #43 of 184
1/28/09 at 7:27pm
Thread Starter 
Jennifer - Process it however you want. I was all chatty the first time, but this time I want my life to be normal, with just a few needle pricks along the way. I too am terrified it won't work. However, I try and push that as far out of my mind as possible. Right now, I can do that since we've already decided to freeze and have a plan set as backup. What's stressing me out now is how many to transfer. My dh is insisting on one, and I agreed. However, as it gets closer and the time and money invested grows, I really would like to do two. I'd love to have twins, knowing that I'd be done forever (cue the angels chorus of hallelujahs) with fertility treatments and ttc worries. Whenever I stress, I try and do some deep breathing and meditative thoughts. Several women have used anji and enjoy it immensely. Please feel free to lurk for as long as you want and add info as you feel comfortable.

Oh, I haven't heard of that protocol, but it doesn't sound too different. Aren't bcp's just estrogen & progesterone anyways? If so, then I did similar, bcp's for 3 weeks, then add lupron, then later stop bcp while continuing lupron and on to stimming (with lupron)...
post #44 of 184
1/28/09 at 8:39pm
THANKS J's Mom, You're the best.
Your perspective is much appreciated. I will try to help keep it 'normal.'
That sounds like a good way to go.
My protocol is similar to bcp, I think the RE thought since I am so sensitive to meds, taking the est/prog naturally would be better for me than the bcp.
We will def. put back 2 or 3 as we feel we're dealing with POF and amen, I would love to have 2 (no more fert. treatments!) and I'm not sure we'll get the chance for that in the future.
I can understand your change of heart around this though. Will your dh ultimately let you decide?
post #45 of 184
1/28/09 at 9:56pm
Lucky, yikes what a scare.

Poet, at first I was worrying I would end up with twins, which I wouldn't mind at all, just wondering how I would "explain" it to everyone since NO ONE knows we are TTC. With a singleton, no one would ever ask any "rude" questions. Now I have started worrying that it wont work and I'll be in the same place 6 weeks from now! Sometimes I don't know how much more of this I can take, then I realize I am going to keep going until I get my BFP!

Julia's Mom, it turns out my ER will be between 2/11 and 2/14, not sure if you need to update it since it is still a "range" instead of the date. But I'll be keeping everyone posted as the date draws near!

AFM - I have my suppression check tomorrow and I am nervous, I guess from just not knowing what to expect! Should there be lots of little follies? Or just a few? If anyone has any first hand knowledge I would really love to hear it!

Today was my first day BCP free! Just the Lupron. Does anyone else feel like they have a stomach worm? I normally eat very planned and portioned meals...now I am starving ALL the time! I don't know what to do...other than try to satisfy my hunger by eating everything in sight (which I am). Right now I am just trying to pretend it is weight I will be gaining soon anyway! Anyone else in the same boat?
post #46 of 184
1/29/09 at 3:32am
Pookie - Best wishes for your ER! Let us know how it goes!

JM - you, bellybean and I are all stimming together!::

AFM - tonight was my last BCP I'm doing FSH with micro HCG starting 2/2.
I've always had a dream of having twins, boy/girl. Really, for a long time before I was married and ever dreamed of having any fertility issues! I am hoping to transfer 3 embryos but I am 39 so it's not so many.
post #47 of 184
1/29/09 at 3:43am
Quote:
Originally Posted by BellyBean View Post
Now I have started worrying that it wont work and I'll be in the same place 6 weeks from now! Sometimes I don't know how much more of this I can take, then I realize I am going to keep going until I get my BFP!

AFM - I have my suppression check tomorrow and I am nervous, I guess from just not knowing what to expect! Should there be lots of little follies? Or just a few? If anyone has any first hand knowledge I would really love to hear it!

Today was my first day BCP free! Just the Lupron. Does anyone else feel like they have a stomach worm? I normally eat very planned and portioned meals...now I am starving ALL the time! I don't know what to do...other than try to satisfy my hunger by eating everything in sight (which I am). Right now I am just trying to pretend it is weight I will be gaining soon anyway! Anyone else in the same boat?
Hi Bellybean! We're going to have great IVF cycles!!! Stay strong, this is our month! You read about my suppression check...it can be stressful, but it will probably work out ok. It doesnt matter if you have lots of little follies or not. All that matters is that you dont have a dominant folicle - if he sees a big one, then you have to test E2 and P to see if you're ovulating. Dr. S told me that the 5 or 6 resting follies that were on the right looked good and were a good sign. As for the belly worm, I'm pretty nauseated on BCPs so not too hungry. My belly is a bowl of jelly, though. It's gross, so much bloating!

Well, I'm of to the Bahamas for some R and R tomorrow. I hope I can get wirless in the villa so I can keep updated! Thinking of all of you!
post #48 of 184
1/29/09 at 11:31am
Thread Starter 
Poet While my dh may let me ultimately decide, if I did two then it would be a huge stress on our marriage, which would not be a good place to bring kids into. He's just not prepared I need to find a way to respect that and just trust that it will all work out.

Bellybean The suppression check is easy-peasy. Don't worry about how many follicles they find, as it changes as you stim. Regardless, I always find the u/s get a bit more uncomfortable as the ovaries grow, but still not bad.

LuckyIVF It's great to have so many starting together! I wonder if the clinics all like to schedule their stim starts like that? Now, let's just hope we all end together in the same ddc!!

As far as stomach feelings (TMI), when I stop bcp and start lupron, I usually have the opposite problem than constipation. However, if this is true for you, don't discount CRM's warnings because the problems reverse once the stimming starts. And yeah, I do get more hungry and also have to pee a lot. It feels eerily similar to early pregnancy.
post #49 of 184
1/29/09 at 9:48pm
Julia's Mom, great point about the Due Date Clubs!!!! That makes me so happy to think about... 1) Finally getting to be in a DDC and 2) Already having amazing friends to share it with!
post #50 of 184
1/30/09 at 9:56am
BellyB - how was you checkup? R u doing micro HCG? Anyone else dong micro HCG with stims?

PookieT - Hope your ER went great!

JuliasM - Bellyb and I have the same RE. What a coincidence, huh. Hope u and DH find your middle ground. So hard to go thru all of this without his full support.

Hugs to all.
post #51 of 184
1/30/09 at 1:18pm
JuliasM, is the decision about one or two based on hoping it will up your chances? I wish I were young enough to be able to just do two, I think they are going to do like 5 or 6 for me, hoping that one is good.

Bellyb good luck with the stims. Yes, I was hungry all the time too. I've gained weight, and my jeans don't fit. Some of it might be bloating though, which I hope subsides soon.

Well, I had my egg retrieval yesterday (and boy am I sore today). I know what you meant by not letting yourself get constipated --yikes! -- made the recovery much worse. They got 15 eggs, which is pretty good apparently. They will decide soon when to do the transfer --- either Sunday or Tuesday the doctor said. Depends on how many make it to day 3.

Oh, and Julia's mom, I started my stims on 1/21.
post #52 of 184
1/30/09 at 3:44pm
Hi Poet,
I wanted to respond to your protocol since you and I are similar in that we stimulate early and get a dominant follie early. I was at my IVF appt. on Friday before I heard the BFP news, and we had gotten a protocol all set up. It was to try to prevent a dominant follie and also prevent poor response. She was going to have me take estrogen during the luteal phase of a natural cycle, then do antagonists during my period, and then start stims. Apparently the estrogen can prevent a dominant follie while priming the follies to respond to FSH. I don't know what the prog, is for or why you'd do Lupron after. I know at my clinic they'll make up protocols for each individual if necessary, so maybe yours is special!

IVF is such a big investment, it's hard to give advice about how to handle it. When I got my cycle converted, I was devastated at first, but then I just realized that I had to let things happen as they were meant to be and trust that it would be for the best even if I didn't understand it. That got me through my cycle conversion and my 2WW and is now getting me through this early stage of the BFP world. The hurdles don't stop with a BFP - then you have to wait for your betas, then your U/S, then do you do all the tests??? And I'm sure once the baby is born there are hurdles for the rest of your life! So I think this is good practice for finding a way to deal with the hurdles of parenthood. I just have to be happy about what is now, and trust in what will be.
Is your fear about not being able to get pregnant? That's different than fear of IVF. If so, it's important to believe in your body. I don't know your history - any medical issues causing IF? If it just hasn't happened yet, just believe in your body and know it will happen one way or another. If IVF isn't successful, it can still happen naturally. It's not over til it's over, and as long as you've got eggs, it's possible.
I think the thing that helped me most after 16 months of TTC was going to hypnotherapy/past life regression. Over the past year I did cognitive therapy, Mayan Abdominal massage & acupuncture, massage & chiropractic, but not until I did Hypno (and maybe as a result of a year of other therapies) did I get perspective. I also read Emotional Alchemy and The Mind Body Fertility Connection. The last one has good exercises to do to explore deep beliefs and experiences around fertility, pregnancy, and motherhood. You can find out if you have any unconscious resistance to pregnancy or motherhood, or where your fears about IF might come from.
okay, I could write a book about this stuff so I will stop now!
Good luck!:



Quote:
Originally Posted by poetgirl View Post
Hi All
I'm here too even though ER and ET are in March.
Instead of bcps my RE is doing a long protocol where I take natural estrogen and progesterone and start Lupron in third week. Anyone heard of that before?
Got all my meds yesterday. It's all a bit hard to process.
To help ease my mind, I got some guided meditations from anji.
One cd is general relaxation (5 exercises) and the other is guided imagery specifically for the ivf process, if anyone is interested in that.
I'm not sure I want to give all my dates and everything just yet. I'm so afriad right now that it won't work and I just don't want to tell anyone that. Does anyone feel that way? I am usually so open and chatty, but I don't want to talk about it at all. Guess my #1 priority is to try to process this fear and build up an attitude of strength and optimism for when I start stimming.
Anyway, that's where I am right now. Any sage words of advice?

Pookie, GL tomorrow! We'll be thinking of you and wishing you a perfect ER.
post #53 of 184
1/30/09 at 5:45pm
Thanks Joy for taking the time to write such a thoughtful post. I guess the whole time we have been TTC (28 cycles) I have always been able to pick myself up, dust myself off and go into the next step ready for success, knowing there was always a next step beyond that if we needed it. Now at ivf, it feels like we hit the final frontier and I never thought we'd need that. Like you, I have a list of similar things I've tried along the way. I'm coming off 8 failed ART cycles and I just feel, suddenly, like the wind is knocked out of me. I think a big part of it is that I watched my sister go through 4 failed ivf cycles this fall and now she is coming to terms with it not happening. It's so close to home for me. She is dealing with POF and though I don't seem to have that right now, we do think I am going down that road. This isn't really the time to wallow or be a Debbie Downer so I need to tap back into that inner strength. I'm somewhat afraid of the process but most afraid of it not working. Ultimately, the time to feel sad is later if it doesn't work, not now, so I'm trying to find my way to that place of readiness. Sigh.
(hope this message wasn't too much of a downer for anyone, I'll come around)

Pookie, Such great news about your ER!

to J's Mom, Bellybean, Lucky.
post #54 of 184
1/31/09 at 11:03am
Hi everyone!

Lucky, I am doing 3 bravelle vials morning and night for the first 2 days, with the micro HCG with the evening dose. Then I get b/w on Tuesday and they will adjust the meds. I couldn't find much information on micro HCG on the internet, so it makes me wonder a little. What I did find was "hcg will "tease" the ovaries and encourage them to produce more follicles/eggs". This sounds good to me, I : eggies!

AFM - My check up went well, I am totally suppressed! I couldn't see anything on the u/s (not that I know what I am looking for). I start stims tomorrow!! I am a little nervous for the stim shots. They are still SC, but 3 vials is a little intimidating, luckily I get to mix them before so it will only be 1 shot.

I finally started AF today, my last BCP was Tuesday, so I was starting to worry and wonder if I could continue my cycle without it. Nothing to worry about now. I think this is the first AF I have been happy about.

This morning DH watched me take my Lupron shot for the first time, he HATES needles, so he has been avoiding it. Anyway I ended up doing something different and I had a couple drops of blood when the needle came out. Has this happened to anyone else?? It hurt, but not that bad. Should I call the doctor or is this pretty normal?

I am so excited for us ladies!!!!!
post #55 of 184
2/1/09 at 2:07am
Thread Starter 
Bellybean Congrats on the first day of stims! It is exciting! I've had blood drops on about 50% of the shots. I don't think it's a big deal, unless you hit a real gusher, which has never happend for me.

I'm taking lupron and repronex in the am and then follistim in the pm. Whew, three shots a day. My next check is on Wednesday. Here's to many plump little follicles for both of us.
post #56 of 184
2/1/09 at 2:09am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pookietooth View Post
JuliasM, is the decision about one or two based on hoping it will up your chances? I wish I were young enough to be able to just do two, I think they are going to do like 5 or 6 for me, hoping that one is good.
Yes, it is about upping my chances. Supposedly, transferring two will give me about 60% chance of pregnancy, while one is a bit lower. Although, I thought I saw an article saying the chances were the same, only the chance of multiples increased. My dr recommends two for me, but will leave it up to us.
post #57 of 184
2/1/09 at 2:07pm
Thanks for the response Julia's Mom! I got more blood this morning (maybe 2 drops) so I must have just gotten lucky the first week I am taking 3 shots a day now too! Seems like so much more than before! Lupron and Bravelle in the morning, and then Bravelle/Micro HCG mix at night.
post #58 of 184
2/2/09 at 1:29am
Hi Guys,

Sorry I've been away a few days but I'm actually on a big family vacation in the Bahamas - yeah, i'm a nerd for bringing my laptop but I'm glad I did because now I can talk to you guys. I have been doing lupron shots this whole time and tomorrow I start stims! I dont want to make a big deal about it since I'm here with all my inlaws - grandparents, grandkids, etc and they're all trying to have a good time. My husband's whole family is here so of course he's preoccupied with them. I know it's only a shot and all, but it would be nice if someone noticed! Anyway, you all know what I mean, but I doubt any of them would! Thanks for letting me vent!

Bellybean I'm taking 2 Bravelle tomorrow AM and 4 in the PM with micro HCG. After tomorrow it's only 4 Bravelle at night for 2 nights. I have tubal factor not ovarian, so maybe that's why I'm on less?

Pookietooth Wishing you a smooth and easy ET and tons of sticky vibes!:

Joyakshi Following your posts on Jan IVF. Hope you're feeling better and sticky vibes for you, too!:

Juliasmom, poetgirl - Thanks for the you guys are all such a great source of support!

Starting stims TOMORROW MORNING!!! Yay!
post #59 of 184
2/2/09 at 11:53am
Thread Starter 
luckyivf I hope the shots went smoothly this morning. I do know what you mean about having someone notice. I'm always torn between making a big deal out of it for sympathy, or acting like it's nothing in an attempt to not get our hopes up. :rofl

Pookietooth I just read about your Tuesday transfer. You're going to be the first one. Yeah!! You'll have to let us know how it goes.
post #60 of 184
2/2/09 at 12:39pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Julia'sMom View Post
Yes, it is about upping my chances. Supposedly, transferring two will give me about 60% chance of pregnancy, while one is a bit lower. Although, I thought I saw an article saying the chances were the same, only the chance of multiples increased. My dr recommends two for me, but will leave it up to us.
We transferred one and are now pregnant. Being that we're there now, I'm super glad we didn't transfer 2, as I feel we would now be pregnant with two. I too came across the same literature that said the pregnancy rates are almost the same. And once we found out we had tons of eggs, I figured we'd just keep doing FET's, one at a time, till we got pregnant. There's always that chance that the one you transfer will be abnormal, even if it gets the highest grade. It also depends on how strongly you feel against twins. We really really really did not want twins. Btw, take what your doc says with a grain of salt - they're a bit compromised with their decision-making, being that they have to report their success rates. I don't think my doctor ever recommends an SET, but she agreed to ours. HTH.