Feb 2009-IVF cycle

[Dani44]

Any thin cysters doing IVF this month?

[Cher7921]

I was very similar to you. I had three unsuccessful IUIs (never matured more than one egg) I did one IVF cycle last January and I had 23 eggs remove and 2 embryos emplanted. I am now looking at my twin boys! Chances are your dr. will soon move you to IVF. I had much more success with the shots than I did with simply clomid and Metformin for the IUI cycles. I was afraid that I would have trouble maturing eggs like I had previously, but it was much different with IVF. You will have your baby (or two!)

[Dani44]

Cher- Congratulations on you twins! Thank you so much for the support and encouragement. I really need it. I am so nervous. I started my stim shots on Sunday. I am doing Gonal-f, low dose Hcg 20unit and Lupron 10units. My dose of Gonal-F started at 260units the first two nights and then 225 the next two nights and then I am suppose to only do 160 tonight. I am very nervous like you because I only had one mature follice with inj and IUI. I go in Friday for my first ultrasound and more labs. I just really hope there is at least ten or more. I know it's not numbers but quality. But the more numbers you have the better chance of having some good ones, right?!

Cher, if you have time I would love to hear more about your cycle. 23eggs retrived, but how many fertilized? How many do you have left? Trasnfered 3 or 5day embryos? What were your meds? Sorry, I know I have lots of questions. But it is always nice to talk to someone who had success with IVF. It gives me encouragement.

[Cooperme]

Can either of you tell me more about the IVF process? I am going to be starting my 3rd IUI using Bravelle when AF comes in the middle of February. My doctor says we can try IUI three more times since I am responding well to the injectables. If they dont work, we will move on to IVF in the spring. Do most doctors do IVF cycles when it is time for you or do they only do them certain times of the year? A friend of mine is having to wait until April because thats the next time her doctor does IVF. Does this sound right?

[Dani44]

cooperme- I know my RE didn't do IVF during Nov and Dec. because of the holidays. But otherwise they started me when I started my next period. I would hate to be your friend and have to wait unitl April. Maybe she won't need it then, miracles happen!

[sabcab13]

Hello ladies! I would love to join you guys. I will start lupron 02/03. Very excited to get this show on the road. Any insight into what to expect would be great since this is my first IVF.

[Cooperme]

Thanks! That is a BIG relief! I am a teacher and we have planned out three more IUI's and then start IVF if needed in May when I am out of school and able to be off work. I do not know much about IVF other than it is much more entailed than IUI? What can you tell me as far as meds, bloodwork, and how long it takes? My friends said after the transfer, she will have a week of bed rest and twelve weeks of progesterone shots? I'm wondering why the week of bed rest and TWELVE weeks of shots?? Is IVF different for everyone?

[Dani44]

This is my first IVF, so I can only tell what i have experienced so far. My friend has done it twice, one fresh and one frozen cycle, successful both times.

Cooperme- At my clinic IVF is a two month process. I had to take birth control pills for the first 3 weeks, so starting that in May would be good. Then you can start the stim meds in June when you are off. When I was on the BCPs, I didn't have any dr appts. I really hope the IUIs workout for you!

sabcab- Welcome! Good luck! did you do BCPs first? The lupron gave me bad hot flashes and headaches. When will you start the stimulation shots? Do you know what meds you will use yet?

I went in for a trial transfer and labs 1/21. Then I started Gonal-f 260units, low dose hcg 20units, lupron 10units every evening on Sunday 1/25. I then had labs on Tuesday, they check estradiol to make sure I was responding to the meds. They called me and decreased my gonal-f to 225units the next two nights and then 150units tonight. I will go in tomorrow morning for more labs and an ultrasound. I am excited but nervous for that. I hope they see lots of follicles growing! From there, they will tell when I need to come back again. Hopefully, ER Feb 5th or so. Then ET 5days later. My RE says two days bed rest after ET to let things settle and then I am unsure how long I will have to to the progesterone shots.
The meds and schedule are different for everyone. My friend didn't have PCOS so she took gonal-f twice a day. She also developed a cyst with her first cycle and they had to cancel and restart her. So sometimes it can take awhile to get through the process.

[Cooperme]

Danie44-
I'm not sure what some of the meds you are talking about. What is: Lupron and Gonal-f? Are these injection shots like Bravelle? How was your doctor visit? Did they see follies, i hope??

[Dani44]

Danie44-
I'm not sure what some of the meds you are talking about. What is: Lupron and Gonal-f? Are these injection shots like Bravelle? How was your doctor visit? Did they see follies, i hope??

Lupron totally suppresses your body, so when they stimulate your eggs you won't ovulate. The gonal-f is the drug that stimulates your body to produce the eggs. Gonal-f is straight FSH and I think Bravelle has FSH and LH hormones??? Every dr uses different meds to stimulate. I have read alot of people using Follistim and Menopur too.

My drs appt went very well! Thank you! I have numerous follicles growing. I decreased my gonal-f dose again and will go back on Monday again for labs and us. Then hopefully ER Thurs or friday!!

[jessi2424]

I'm also doing my first IVF cycle In Feb. i just lowered my lupron to 5 today and start follistim tommorow...did anyone's skin (acne) get worse or better on the follistim?
thanks!
Jess

[mickiemck]

Cooperme- I would think it is 12 DAYS of shots, not WEEKS. I think I had to take progesterone shots for 14 days. I was on bedrest 3 days. (My IVF failed, but I believe it was due to my meds prior to the retrieval. I switched drs and actually conceived on IUI instead - much easier!) Much of the schedule depends on your clinic & the protocol they follow. My doc did the nearly 2mo schedule that included starting with BCP.

Dani & Jessi - Good luck this month!!

[Cher7921]

Dani-
I wish I remembered more about the exact medicines I used for IVF. I remember the Follistem pen because I had to click to the right amount of medicine. Then I the shots that just go into your belly, and closer to egg retrieval I had the one that goes in your muscle. It's probably the same meds that you are taking. I was also on Metformin (1000)I remember I ended up having to go every morning for bloodwork because my levels were getting too high too fast. They kept cutting my follistem down and I was afraid that my cycle would be stopped, but it wasn't. I had 23 eggs initally removed and the number was down to 19 right away. Some of the 23 weren't fully mature. We then had 15 embryos. It was pretty crazy though because each day we had fewer and fewer. It was weird to get that call each day! By the time of my originally scheduled 3 day transfer, we still had 9 going strong, so they held me off until a day 5 (blastocyst) transfer. 2 were transferred and by the end of that day, none of the others were worth freezing.I was so upset because I thought for sure I would have to go through it all again! 7 and a half months later I had my twins. (They were premature, but that had nothing to do with IVF.) They were born at 3.14 lbs. and 4.1 lbs. and started out their lives in the hospital, but they are doing well now! You will get pregnant!!! I really thought for sure that I would be one of those that would just have to give up, given the fact that it took over a year for me to even complete an IUI, since I had the hardest time maturing just ONE little egg! The IVF medications are much more powerful! I used to wish I could have gone to IVF sooner, but now each time I look at my boys, I realize that everything worked out the way it was meant to be... I just didn't want to hear that while going through it all. My only advice to you is to try to relax as much as possibe. I usually work out and I forced myself not to while going going through IVF, especially after the transfer. IT's impossible to think about anything else, but try to do some things for yourself! My thoughts and prayers are with you! Before you know it, you will be giving advice so someone else who is going through IVF!

[Dani44]

Cher-Thank you so much for your kind words, support and encouragement. I appreciate it so much. I am sooo nervous but I am trying to stay calm and relax. It makes me so hopeful to read your story. Thank you. Congratulations again on your wonderful, precious gifts. How old are your twins now? I bet you are loving every minute of it. I can't wait for that.
I go back on Monday for lab and us and hopefully ER this week! So far I have lots of follicles growing, hopefully they are maturing well.

[krissie]

Ladies, I am on BCPs right now, hopefully gearing up for my first IVF after 5 failed IUI cycles. Any positive stories would be so helpful as I am starting to lose hope. Thanks.