# what to expect for first cycle of IVF June 2013



## Mandy22 (Jun 10, 2012)

Hi everyone   I am having my first cycle of IVF around late June early July 2013. I have my first two appointments for tests etc. I'm just wondering what advice yous have and any tips, also what to expect? 
This is all new to me, I'm not on any fertility meds. 

Baby dust to you all 

xox


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## Sjhansf (Apr 5, 2013)

Hi Mandy

Couldn't believe you'd had 50+ views but no comments.

I'm also on my first cycle of IVF on day 6 of stimms. I guess therefore I don't have masses of experience to share but just wanted to wish you luck.

My biggest learning so far is to stay positive, i had a little wobble Friday and it surprised me just how quickly I came down and felt sorry for myself. All we can do is follow the advice of the consultants and put our faith in the process. I would also say don't be alarmed of what you read in the forums if it doesn't happen to you - we are all on similar journeys but ultimately all of us are different, so our drugs may be different, out number of follicles and eggs etc etc will be different - my wobble was related to this and I had to remind myself not to compare to others.

This forum has been amazing - I'm part of a cycles buddy group for May & June. Take a look at that as you'll see the types of convos we're having - not sure if they have set up a June/July one yet but it's helpful to go through this with others at the same time.

Wishing you the very best

S  x


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## goldbunny (Mar 26, 2012)

hi mandy , good luck with your cycle

top ten tips! (ok i'm just making that up, but here are mine)
1. tell nobody. if you have to tell people that's ok but much easier the fewer people who know.
2. expect strange reactions from anyone you do tell, including people you didn't expect them from.
3. google is not your friend.
4. don't test early! if you get as far as a 2ww, hold out as long as you can. 
5. treat yourself. it's a tough process so whatever helps you get through... box of chocolates? cinema trip? new shoes? try and enjoy the whole treatment because it's a tough ride and if you get to the end with no progress that's hard enough to deal with without having suffered too much in the meantime. 
6. hormones drive you crazy so expect a few wobbles...it's all part of the process.. feeling down or moody or whatever will pass.
7. keep a diary, write everything down.
8. it's very nerve-wracking waiting for the phonecall to find out if you have embryos. worst part of ivf. plan nice dinner that day, celebrate or commiserate either way it is a crucial part of the process.
9. all the injections, scans, egg-collection etc seem weird at the time but afterwards, no big deal. you'll get through it! 
10. think of your first go as a trial run. great if it works, but if it doesn't, that's ok too, you can learn from the cycle and try again.


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## Olive18 (Feb 23, 2013)

Gold bunny - I love your top ten, spot on! I have to admit though, I've taken number 5 a little to the extreme!  

Mandy - I think the other ladies have pretty much covered everything, so I just wanted to say good luck! It's a very exciting time, stay happy and as relaxed as possible.  My mantra is "happy mind, happy uterus"!  

Xxx


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## sarahsuperdork (Mar 12, 2013)

Just wanted to wish you lots of luck! I'm hoping to start my first cycle in July.


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## Daisy-Chain (Aug 12, 2012)

Hi Mandy!

Goldbunnys list is a good one  

In terms of the cycle itself, if you are long protocol, you will have down regulation injections which will start 21 days after your period and go on until the end, when your next period arrives, you should then be fully down regulated and you will then start stimulation injections!

The down reg medication usually gives most people headaches, you need to just drink as much water as you can and paracetamol are fine to take!  When you start stimulation, you will reduce down regulation so hopefully any headaches will subside!  Stimming is usually between 10 and 14 days depending on how you respond.  Towards the back half of stimulation, you may feel bloated and tender around your ovaries!  You will be scanned and have blood tests to monitor your response through this.

If short protocol, you skip the first few weeks of down regulation and just start the stimulation drugs!

Once you are ready, you will be told to take your 'trigger' injection which matures your eggs ready for collection!

Iv always been pretty sore and tender after egg collection for a few days, some people opt to take time off work, I totally rest after egg collection for a couple of days!  The wait between egg collection and fertilisation call is a pain   time stands still!

Usually it's then either a embryo transfer on day 3 or day 5 after collection!

Embryo transfer is usually pretty simple and painless and to me, feels like a smear.  They use the speculum, feed a catheter into your uterus and send the embryos down it, remove catheter and you go home!  The next two weeks (two week wait/ 2ww) absolutely drags   and then you do your pregnancy test!

And with a bit of luck, you will see a BFP


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## Daisy-Chain (Aug 12, 2012)

Oh and if you have any questions at all, just post them, there will always be someone who responds!  And no question is a daft one, its a lot to take in and pretty daunting the first time around


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## Cay23 (Jan 12, 2011)

Just a quick add.... make sure you take a good prenatal vitamin like Pregnancare, and listening to an IVF relaxation cd helps to reduce the   wobbles - I use Helen McPherson's The Belief CD (off Amazon).

Good luck  

xx


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## Mandy22 (Jun 10, 2012)

Wow! Thankyou for the replies! 

It's so much to take in and its very daunting. 

I'm quite young and having treatment this young because i have alot of health issues and need more very major operations which will completely mean no babies for me   thing is.... I still live at home with my parents and so does my partner, we just bought our own house, which is having alot of work done on it, therefore during my ivf i will still be at home. My house is sooo stressful and this is really worrying me (to the point I've already broke down with the stress). Also my partners parents aren't really saying much about it? Its like they don't care and this is also really upsetting me. I feel as if i should be with my partner during this process, not at my parents house.

I'm trying to take everything in and have been preparing myself for this for over 2 years and emotionally im a trainwreck just now   .

goldbunny- thankyou for all the tips, I'll keep the checklist lol!

daisy-chain - thankyou for going into detail about the treatment, as i really didnt know much about what happens.

sarahsuperdork - oh are you! thats great! Good luck! I hope it works for you 

cay23 - i only take pregnacare, as the doctors say i dont need any other vitamins or supplements 

Olive18 - lol i reckon i'll take no.5 to the extreme aswell!

Sjhansf - thankyou, i'll go on and have a look.


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## Daisy-Chain (Aug 12, 2012)

Oh Mandy   sounds like you have lots on your plate, I really feel for you.  If you can take some comfort from the fact that you are your boyfriend are not living together, it's that sometimes the injections can make you tired, a bit lethargic and definitely moody ha so you may actually like your own space!  I do understand that you probably wish you were both together the whole way though!

Really hope things work out for you, sounds like you could do with a bit of positive news


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## Cleohegarty (Jul 18, 2012)

Good list from gold bunny I have just been referred for ivf so am feeling apprehensive but also hopeful.


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## RuthB (Sep 20, 2012)

gold bunny - great list - I have totally failed on point 1...in my current situation am already regretting that so will remember for next time if needed!

Mandy good luck, take each day as it comes and dont worry about your inlaws - people's reactions are very wierd, my boss said "wow thats exciting" when I told him about ivf, not a word I would use.


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## goldbunny (Mar 26, 2012)

yeah one of my best friends said 'congratulations' when I told him... like, er, 'I just told you I can't have a baby without expensive risky medical and surgical intervention which has no guarantees at all of a baby at the end and you are congratulating me' people seem to think IVF is like popping into argos and picking one up. 'Two please, do you have this in blue?'


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## sarahsuperdork (Mar 12, 2013)

I think people who have no knowledge of IVF always think it's exciting because they only think about the end result - a baby. My colleagues are excited and happy for me but being infertile at 26 wasn't my idea of good news!


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## Cleohegarty (Jul 18, 2012)

I am trying to keep positive outlook for ivf. I have had someone say that is exciting in a way it is a little as i may get my positive result. So try to stay positive.


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## goldbunny (Mar 26, 2012)

oh i think *we're* allowed to have a glimmer of excitement... after all, we have to hope or we wouldn't try... it just seems freaky when other people assume that to be the overriding factor.


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## sarahsuperdork (Mar 12, 2013)

Oh, definitely, staying positive is the best thing


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## MandyQ54 (Feb 1, 2011)

Hi Mandy 
Just wanted to wish you luck, I am also just starting out on my journey and not quite sure what to expect. 
Fingers crossed for us both hey
X


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## Janeliot (Jun 3, 2013)

I love the list Goldbunny.  Wish I'd read it before.  I do agree with the strange reaction thingy from other people.  Choose wisely the people you tell.  Although this sight is brilliant it is good to have someone, not just your partner, that is there for you in person.  I have a couple of friends who have been awesome.  They're not even the people I necessarily feel closest to.  I would like to add though my own tip which does sound a bit mean and drastic.  Try and distance yourself from people who may upset you.  I have told my DH that there are a couple of people who are very close to us and we both love them but I cannot be around them next time I am in my 2WW.  They are incredibly tactless.  Although there may be people you dearly love, if they are going to send you in an emotional spiral it's just not worth it.  

I don't know if this is just me but I found that gentle yoga exercises and meditation really helped.  My follicles weren't growing as well as I hoped they would and I was worried that we wouldn't have many viable eggs to collect.  Then I started relaxing, meditating and gentle yoga.  It is probably superstition but it makes me hopeful for next time because once I started that my scans showed vast improvements.  Next time I'm going to do more meditation in the 2WW.

Stay positive is the best piece of advice though.  It's really hard and I don't think I did it very well sometimes.  It's hard to stay positive when you've got these questions forever buzzing around your head and your self examining every strange feeling in your body.  This is tough and a lot of people who have never had IVF won't understand how tough it is.  That's why this sight is so great.  

I liked tip 10 the best.  That's a very good way of looking at my situation anyway. 
I had my stims changed and dates changed and progesterone amount changed.  They will know all that for next time and be able to work on the results from this cycle.  

Anyway, good luck and stay positive.


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## tatty84 (Mar 8, 2013)

hi

I just wanted to say that I should be starting treatment in July. I am egg sharing, so far the majority of people have been supportive only one friend was a little strange but she asked questions and once I told her how I felt she then understood. I think she found it hard as I chose to do it on my own. However, I currently have a very supportive partner, so finger crossed

Good luck everyone
xx


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## Mandy22 (Jun 10, 2012)

Thankyou so much for all your support and responses!

Just going to quickly update on whats happened  went to my first appointment for bloods and was basically told I can't have my treatment because me and my partner don't live together!!! 
They said its the rules but not at any point has any member of staff asked us or told us this was the rules! I explained that we just bought a house and its theres work being done so we havent moved in yet and all they said was well thats not our fault you weren't told and said he's going to speak to the head consultant but he doesn't know if we'll be put back to the bottom of the waiting list!

I'm so upset about this words cannot even describe. Also, my partner and I never had our bloods took and we weren't given any further appointments? So where does this leave us?

I am phoning up tommorow as at my appointment I was so scunnered I was literally speachless! But I will be asking to get an appointment with the head consultant myself to discuss this. They also weren't taking into consideration the fact that we now have a house


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## ArmyWife (Nov 23, 2011)

Mandy, that is complete balls! How can they do that?  Why don't you just tell them that you will rectify the situation and will move back into the house. (whether you do or not is completely your choice) Problem solved. 

Try not to stress.  I know that seems like such a stupid thing to say,  but please do try.  Like everyone has said, it already is a stressful situation so remaining as positive as possible does help you get through it. 

Re Goldbunnys list - I like it, but I went the complete opposite on No 1.  I live on an enclosed army camp where everyone knows everything about everybody. So, I decided to beat them to it and just tell the world. Done. No gossip, because I was so transparent.  Worked for my situation, but maybe Goldbunny's idea of telling as few people as possible is the way to go in a normal situation. 

Either way, let us know what happens with your tx. 

To all those other ladies about to start IVF tx - good luck to you all xx


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