Summer Monkeys IVF Check-in 09/18

[babyhopes]

Welcome to the IVF check-in for September 18!

Check-ins will be every Monday (babyhopes) and Thursday (bonzo). If we've left you off the check-in, or if you'd like to be added or removed, please let us know!

This is a check-in for those who are doing IVF or FET. Please don’t hesitate to use this check-in for IVF/FET info and support even if you’re not currently cycling.

If you are interested in joining, please fill us in on your cycle. Everyone is welcome. Also, please update us along the way!

Asterisks will appear by your name if you do not update us in a check-in. After four consecutive asterisks (2 weeks), you will be removed from the list. Don’t fret if you are removed from the list, check in again and we will add you back.

Once you get a strong repeat beta, congrats! We eagerly await your 3TIF Grad Check-In posts! We encourage you to intro on PAIF, and while here in the meantime, please consistently use warning tags in posts and siggies, and be mindful of your status, especially on 3TIF outside this check-in. To hide content behind a spoiler tag use (without the spaces) [ spoiler = Spoiler ] Hidden content here! [ / spoiler ]

Summer Monkey Image: i.imgur.com/mgKLzNp.jpg

QOTW: What is your favorite fall activity? I am ready for cooler weather. Ha! 

BFP! Congratulations!

BFN ((Hugs))
jense927, sending you so many hugs.

PUPO! Congratulations! Rooting for all of you!
mela99, Good luck with beta.

Cycle Complete (ER only/testing)

Between ER and ET

Stimming/FET Main Prep
bonzo, Glad things are progressing well so far.
hoosiermama76, Hope your lining is beautiful at your next check! My RE says being trilaminar is more important than thickness...
babyhopes, Cruising along on estrogen...

Waiting to Cycle
** fikafairy, Hope you're doing well.
daisy818, Woohoo! Good luck getting started. Almost there...
bananas22, Hmm can't think of anyone active on the board doing intralipids. Paging lemonliz <3
birch113, Hope baseline went well. Get yourself together, ute!
*** skidevil87, Hope you are doing well.
happyin14, Hope you are able to decide which plan to pick. I am completely OOP, too. Yay for getting started soon.
jense927, I am so sorry. ((HUGS)) Hope BCP treat you well.

[babyhopes]

Hi guys. Sorry I missed last week's check-in. Irma ended up hitting FL and we lost power for 4 days and just got our internet back yesterday. I am praying that we don't get hit with Maria that is projected to take the same path.

I started patches Wednesday for an early October FET. I had my baseline today and have my 1st lining check next Tuesday. Hoping my lining cooperates and we aren't delayed or cancelled.

[birch113]

babyhopes No worries! I'm glad you guys are ok! Fx Maria changes course. I'm sending you all the good thoughts for a perfect lining!!!

AFM, baseline was fine this morning. I start Estrace and Baby Aspirin tomorrow and tomorrow night get to drop from my Lupron from 20 units to 5 units. I'll be on Lupron until the day before I start progesterone. Hopefully the lower dose puts an end to the hot flashes and headaches!

Can you guys believe I had to ask for mid-cycle blood work again after two consecutive cancelled cycles? I swear my nurse just likes to eff with me! Also, she made a point to tell me "everything is tentative" at least three times. I finally had to interrupt her to remind her that after two cancelled cycles I am well aware that everything is just tentative!

I am starting to feel more positive about this cycle. My *tentative* transfer date is 10/13. Thirteen is my lucky number, and 10/13 was my grandpa's birthday. That has to be a good sign, right???

QOTW: there are so many, but my absolute favorite is The Garlic Festival Columbus Day Weekend. The drive up is gorgeous. All the leaves are starting to turn. The festival itself is so much fun, and there is so much yummy, garlicky food. We look forward to it every year!

[bonzo]

babyhopes, I remembered after I got last Thursday's post up that you may have been in Irma's path. I'm glad you're ok! And I'm glad that all looks good for FET!

birch113, your nurse is driving me crazy just from your stories! Id be so frustrated by their lack of monitoring, especially after two consecutive cancelled cycles! Everything crossed that this time works!

AFM, I have a 15 and a 12, and a couple 11s, plus some smaller. Starting Cetrotide, and bumping up my PM Menopur to 5 vials. Yeesh, thats going to be 8 vials of Menopur just today!

QOTW: I love fall baking. Not even just eating fall treats, which I like too. But as the weather gets cooler I just really enjoy the activity of baking, especially if it involves apples.

[jense927]

babyhopes glad you guys are okay and I hope Maria stays away! Good luck at your lining check. I hope it goes well!

birch113 how annoying about your nurse and the extra blood work. Ugh hopefully this cycle works and you don't have to deal with her anymore!

Insurance approval has gone through and we paid the fee for the PGS so we should be good to go for this cycle. Just hanging out on BCPs for the next two weeks before the suppression check on oct 6th.

[hoosiermama76]

babyhopes, glad you are all right and praying Maria stays the hell back;)

birch113, seriously with your nurse!!! Wtf! How do you feel about your doctor, though? Can you request a different nurse?

bonzo, good luck with the menopur!

AFM, I'm just praying here for Wednesday and trying to prepare myself for the worst, though I think I'm in serious burnout mode. I loathe Lupron, and the thought of doing this all again is terrifying.

[jense927]

bonzo wow that is a lot of menopur! I hope it works and those smaller follies catch up!

[lemonliz]

Hi guys! Just wanted to pop in and say hello! Good luck this week!! So many DOR girls currently cycling! 🍀🤞🏼

Qotw: campfires and cider and scarves and cross country running!

[birch113]

bonzo wow, that's a whole lotta Menopur! When do you go back? Fall baking is the best!!

jense927 I hope these next few weeks fly for you!!!

hoosiermama76 Lupron is the devil. I am sending you all my good thoughts for Wednesday!

Thanks for all the commiseration re: my nurse. It gets worse!!! I was just entering my medications into my calendar and realized she has me scheduled to start progesterone exactly one week before transfer, you know, two days too soon. We may as well just toss out embryo out the window. I am beside myself right now. That is a massive eff up.

@hoosiermama she is the head nurse at my location and is responsible for all of the protocols, so there is no avoiding her unless I change office locations. I am contemplating driving to their main location, but it's really, really out of the way after the protocol is ironed out, I only have two monitoring appointments. Honestly, if this FET fails, I think it's time to move on.

hoosiermama76 My RE is very likable, but I don't feel like I'm getting individualized care from him. I feel like it's the cookie cutter protocol all the time. He would not consider or discuss a natural FET or stimulated FET after two cancelled cycles.

[bonzo]

birch113, I have daily monitoring, so I'm in every day until trigger. It's not too bad, I'm only about 2 miles from my clinic's main office. I'm not a fan of daily blood work, but I kinda like getting to see how the follicles grow daily!

I can't believe your nurse screwed up your calendar like that! That is so incompetent. What a good thing you knew what it should be and were able to catch it!

[birch113]

Sept 18, 2017 19:17:46 GMT -6 bonzo said:

birch113, I have daily monitoring, so I'm in every day until trigger. It's not too bad, I'm only about 2 miles from my clinic's main office. I'm not a fan of daily blood work, but I kinda like getting to see how the follicles grow daily!

I can't believe your nurse screwed up your calendar like that! That is so incompetent. What a good thing you knew what it should be and were able to catch it!

That's a great way to look at daily monitoring!

I can't even calm down. And I am so stressed out thinking that this may have happened to other people who didn't know about the timing, you know?

[bonzo]

Sept 18, 2017 19:23:00 GMT -6 birch113 said:

Sept 18, 2017 19:17:46 GMT -6 bonzo said:

birch113 , I have daily monitoring, so I'm in every day until trigger. It's not too bad, I'm only about 2 miles from my clinic's main office. I'm not a fan of daily blood work, but I kinda like getting to see how the follicles grow daily!

I can't believe your nurse screwed up your calendar like that! That is so incompetent. What a good thing you knew what it should be and were able to catch it!

That's a great way to look at daily monitoring!

I can't even calm down. And I am so stressed out thinking that this may have happened to other people who didn't know about the timing, you know?[\b]

That was one of my first thoughts too, what if someone wasted a cycle because of an incorrect calendar? Never having gone through an FET, I may not have caught that! 

[hoosiermama76]

Sept 18, 2017 18:53:27 GMT -6 birch113 said:

bonzo wow, that's a whole lotta Menopur! When do you go back? Fall baking is the best!!

jense927 I hope these next few weeks fly for you!!!

hoosiermama76 Lupron is the devil. I am sending you all my good thoughts for Wednesday!

Thanks for all the commiseration re: my nurse. It gets worse!!! I was just entering my medications into my calendar and realized she has me scheduled to start progesterone exactly one week before transfer, you know, two days too soon. We may as well just toss out embryo out the window. I am beside myself right now. That is a massive eff up.

@hoosiermama she is the head nurse at my location and is responsible for all of the protocols, so there is no avoiding her unless I change office locations. I am contemplating driving to their main location, but it's really, really out of the way after the protocol is ironed out, I only have two monitoring appointments. Honestly, if this FET fails, I think it's time to move on.

hoosiermama76 My RE is very likable, but I don't feel like I'm getting individualized care from him. I feel like it's the cookie cutter protocol all the time. He would not consider or discuss a natural FET or stimulated FET after two cancelled cycles.

birch113, that is too bad about the head nurse. He should totally be listening to you. I feel you on the cookie cutter. It's the same protocol for everyone. Prayers it works and you never need to deal with them again (unless you want to).

[hoosiermama76]

I didn't even know that about the progesterone five days earlier until you mentioned it since this is my first FET. Glad they got that right at my place.

[mela99]

Favorite fall activity? Hitting the orchard for sure.

Also....

I got my beta. 109.6
As the nurse said .... DEFINITELY pregnant. I am still stunned beyond words.

[skidevil87]

I'm here! Had my appointment with Dr. Allison Rodgers this morning. Oh my goodness, she is so nice. SHG next month with some thyroid anitbody tests. My AMH is still over 5... I thought that was great. But she thinks there could possibly be some PCOS in there because we can't keep control of my thyroid and because my ovaries feel like avocados. We are not candidates for INVOCell as she wants me to have more monitoring because of my cysts. Ugh. Now we are looking into financing options.

[birch113]

So, this is the reply I got from my nurse re: the wrong start day for progesterone.
I am absolutely stunned by how flip she is about this. I've drafted about 8,637 responses but haven't sent one yet.

[hoosiermama76]

Sept 19, 2017 13:14:12 GMT -6 birch113 said:

So, this is the reply I got from my nurse re: the wrong start day for progesterone.
I am absolutely stunned by how flip she is about this. I've drafted about 8,637 responses but haven't sent one yet.

I am stunned too. The comma splice is driving me nuts. JK! You shouldn't have to monitor your monitors!

[hoosiermama76]

Sept 19, 2017 7:14:34 GMT -6 mela99 said:

Favorite fall activity? Hitting the orchard for sure.

Also....

I got my beta. 109.6
As the nurse said .... DEFINITELY pregnant. I am still stunned beyond words.

Hi! So happy for you! If I had that news, I would shout it to the world. I would definitely put a trigger warning or use a spoiler alert, however!

[bananas22]

babyhopes, I'm glad you are safe from Irma and I hope Maria doesn't come your way. This hurricane season needs to end. Hope your lining cooperates.
birch113, I can't believe your nurse. At least you are on top of it. I'd be furious, especially because her attitude about it. Hopefully you won't have to deal with her much longer.
bonzo, You've got some good follicles growing! That's a lot of Menopur though!
jense927, Yay for a new cycle and insurance approval but I'm sorry you have to go through this again.
hoosiermama76, FX for you tomorrow. Hope all goes smoothly.
mela99, Congrats! Hope you have a great repeat beta. However, like hoosiermama76 said, anything related to pregnancy or children is usually marked with a trigger warning or a spoiler in case someone is having a rough day.
skidevil87, Glad your appointment went well. I hope you can figure out financing.

No updates here. Still on birth control until late next week when I start Lupron.

QOTW: I love fall but my favorite activity is probably seeing the fall colors in the mountains. It's so beautiful.

[happyin14]

babyhopes - glad things are settled for you and that they stay that way for a bit!!
birch113 - How horrible to be feeling like there's a what if in the process. This is why I need to spend more time learning myself so thanks for that kick. Purely for my education, would starting progesterone 2 days early have a huge impact? How?
bonzo - I sorta love seeing the biological process also. Not sure it's still biological... hmm. Anyway. Good luck with the menopur and hope it's not much longer!
jense927 - we are on similar schedules! I'm probably a week ahead or so. Glad you got the approval.
hoosiermama76 - thinking of you today. Keep us posted....
skidevil87 - financing for this is so fun. <---- sarcasm font of course. Good luck.
bananas22- I'm right behind you so I'll be stalking your process. My suppression check is Tuesday, I think? Starting meds presumably on the 30th.

AFM: Not much since the last check-in. Still waiting. I know I have to ultimately do these early injections myself, but MH has to leave town for a week the day after my first injection. So I'm alone as I start them which makes me crazy.

QOTW: I LOVE fall. Apple picking, cider donuts. Colorful leaves.... it all makes me happy.

[daisy818]

Sorry I'm late to this party this week!

babyhopes, glad you're safe from Irma - hope Maria stays away. Good luck with FET prep!

birch113, wtf with your nurse - I can't believe her attitude. She should be horrified by a mistake like that!

bonzo, holy lots of menopur! Hope it does the trick

jense927, glad you have approvals to move forward with the PGD testing - FX for you!

hoosiermama76,GL today!!

lemonliz, hiiiiii!! How are you??

skidevil87, glad you liked Dr. Rodgers, but sorry about the need to figure out financing - it sucks.

bananas22, hope the BCPs aren't giving you any crappy side effects

happyin14, good luck with starting the injections!

AFM, waiting to hear if I'll start stims tomorrow or Friday (or maybe even this weekend) - since I didn't get a period after stopping BCPs (thanks weird body), he may build in an extra day or two buffer to make sure the BCP hormones are out of my system. Having some mildly annoying Lupron side effects, but nothing too awful - fatigue, running a bit warm, and the occasional upset stomach. Can't believe I'm almost to the active part of this!

QOTW: I really like hiking once the leaves start to change color - it's so pretty.

[daisy818]

happyin14 , jumping in on your question to birch113 to share my understanding - the window for implantation is really fairly narrow, so for the average person, implanting, say, a 5 day embryo in a day 7 uterine lining would likely ruin any chance the embryo has to implant during the correct time. Occasionally people have a slightly unusual implantation window (which they may have figured out after an endometrial receptivity test) but the average person would want to transfer a 5 day embryo on the 5th day of progesterone to have the proper timing for implantation. So a mistake like the nurse made could very well lead to a wasted embryo transfer.

[bonzo]

jense927, I hope your time on BCP goes quickly!

hoosiermama76, good luck today!

mela99, congrats! But please spoiler your results.

skidevil87, that's too bad that you're not candidates for InvoCell. I hope you're able to find a financing option that works for you!

bananas22, I hope that last week of BCP goes quickly!

happyin14, sorry your H won't be home for the start of injections. I have so much admiration for women who can do injections on themselves!

Still growing follicles here. My ovaries hurt, and by evening my joints hurt. I'm such a baby when it comes to pain! But I'm doing way better at still mostly keeping up with regular life than last time, and it doesn't hurt quite as much...I think not having a cyst this go around really made a difference there! Still, I'm looking forward to retrieval and then having my ovaries feel normal again.

Oh, and with Rosh Hashanah tomorrow (Jewish new year) I will not be posting Thursday's check in on time. I'll post it Friday morning, unless by some chance I'm having a retrieval. We shall see!

[hoosiermama76]

Bad news: lining is getting thinner despite the increase in estrogen. Anyone have this issue? So, next time (November is the soonest for transfer), they are skipping the Lupron for me because I said it made me feel awful. I go in for more monitoring, but they are just doing only estrogen Injections and vaginal suppositories, maybe adding in Ganirelex if necessary. Basically, at my second ultrasound, if I have a good lining, even if I have a follicle, they will prepare for transfer. I could go earlier in November so that is good and it is more of a natural cycle. Anyone know how close to ovulation they want to do these transfers? Five days after for a blastocyst transfer? Or just around ovulation? Anyone do this without Lupron? I just felt horrendous with Lupron. Anyone do estrogen only?

[mela99]

Okay I'm really scared now. My HCG did not double. It went up from 109 to 147. The nurse said it could be a couple things - slow riser, maybe only one embryo implanted. There could be cramps but it could all be just fine and normal. they have seen this sort of thing happen before and everything is just fine.

But it could also be a miscarriage or ectopic.

I am so scared I can't see straight. 

[jense927]

Sept 20, 2017 9:18:39 GMT -6 hoosiermama76 said:

Bad news: lining is getting thinner despite the increase in estrogen. Anyone have this issue? So, next time (November is the soonest for transfer), they are skipping the Lupron for me because I said it made me feel awful. I go in for more monitoring, but they are just doing only estrogen Injections and vaginal suppositories, maybe adding in Ganirelex if necessary. Basically, at my second ultrasound, if I have a good lining, even if I have a follicle, they will prepare for transfer. I could go earlier in November so that is good and it is more of a natural cycle. Anyone know how close to ovulation they want to do these transfers? Five days after for a blastocyst transfer? Or just around ovulation? Anyone do this without Lupron? I just felt horrendous with Lupron. Anyone do estrogen only?

Ugh I am so sorry! That sucks about not being able to transfer. My first FET we did a natural cycle (no estrogen no lupron) and did monitoring to check when my body was getting ready to ovulate. Once the lining was thick enough and we had a lead follicle at 16mm I took a trigger shot and then we did a day 5 blast transfer 6 days after trigger.

Our next FET we did estrogen and baby aspirin. 14 days after taking estrogen we did a lining check and then transfer 6 days after that. Hope this helps and I hope your November protocol is the one that works!

[jense927]

Sept 20, 2017 11:40:33 GMT -6 mela99 said:

Okay I'm really scared now. My HCG did not double. It went up from 109 to 147. The nurse said it could be a couple things - slow riser, maybe only one embryo implanted. There could be cramps but it could all be just fine and normal. they have seen this sort of thing happen before and everything is just fine.

But it could also be a miscarriage or ectopic.

I am so scared I can't see straight. 

I am so sorry. Fingers crossed it is just a slow riser.

[hoosiermama76]

Sept 20, 2017 14:45:39 GMT -6 jense927 said:

Sept 20, 2017 9:18:39 GMT -6 hoosiermama76 said:

Bad news: lining is getting thinner despite the increase in estrogen. Anyone have this issue? So, next time (November is the soonest for transfer), they are skipping the Lupron for me because I said it made me feel awful. I go in for more monitoring, but they are just doing only estrogen Injections and vaginal suppositories, maybe adding in Ganirelex if necessary. Basically, at my second ultrasound, if I have a good lining, even if I have a follicle, they will prepare for transfer. I could go earlier in November so that is good and it is more of a natural cycle. Anyone know how close to ovulation they want to do these transfers? Five days after for a blastocyst transfer? Or just around ovulation? Anyone do this without Lupron? I just felt horrendous with Lupron. Anyone do estrogen only?

Ugh I am so sorry! That sucks about not being able to transfer. My first FET we did a natural cycle (no estrogen no lupron) and did monitoring to check when my body was getting ready to ovulate. Once the lining was thick enough and we had a lead follicle at 16mm I took a trigger shot and then we did a day 5 blast transfer 6 days after trigger.

Our next FET we did estrogen and baby aspirin. 14 days after taking estrogen we did a lining check and then transfer 6 days after that. Hope this helps and I hope your November protocol is the one that works!

Thanks, that makes me feel better. I am trying to just hang in there. What other choice do I have?

[happyin14]

Sept 20, 2017 9:18:39 GMT -6 hoosiermama76 said:

Bad news: lining is getting thinner despite the increase in estrogen. Anyone have this issue? So, next time (November is the soonest for transfer), they are skipping the Lupron for me because I said it made me feel awful. I go in for more monitoring, but they are just doing only estrogen Injections and vaginal suppositories, maybe adding in Ganirelex if necessary. Basically, at my second ultrasound, if I have a good lining, even if I have a follicle, they will prepare for transfer. I could go earlier in November so that is good and it is more of a natural cycle. Anyone know how close to ovulation they want to do these transfers? Five days after for a blastocyst transfer? Or just around ovulation? Anyone do this without Lupron? I just felt horrendous with Lupron. Anyone do estrogen only?

Jesus. This makes me hate that nurse so much more. Oh my goodness.

Also - I'm sorry to see your own news. I don't have any experience whatsoever and wish I had more words.