What to expect?

[Kat9lives]

We're starting ICSI in approx 3 months and don't know fully what to expect. We're waiting for our date of 1st appointment from our chosen hospital (I have PCOS and husband has low sperm count and have been referred by our fertility specialist). I'm told I need to take metformin soon, followed by hormone injections. Can anyone tell me what happens on your first appointment with the ICSI clinic in the hospital and what stages to expect? Any help on what we can do in the meantime would also really help.

Thanks x

[Poppynco]

Everyone's treatment is a bit different I went to Glasgow and my first appointment was lots of paper work and consent forms height weight smoking test bloods to measure ur egg producing and hiv hep c . Then an explanation of what happens . I was then told to call on fist day of my period for a date to come up for a prostap injection and a mid cycle catheter test . This is normally day 21 of cycle u get your jag and that's basically to whipe the slate clean clear out ur hormones so they can start again . They ask u to come bk a few weeks later for a vaginal scan which is ur base like scan measures ovaries and womb width and send you home with your injections for 10 days they also give u a specific day to start nose spray . When u go bk up they scan you to make sure womb thickening and follicles in ovaries they keep scanning and testing blood until they are big enough so they send i home a few times with your jags . Once ur ready they give you a time and date to take booster and 36 hours after you have egg retrieval . Where u get out to sleep and take them out you find out that day home many eggs . The next day phone to say how many fertilised and when they go bk in . You go bk up with a full bladder put them in and get sent home with 2 weeks of pessaries and a two week date to take a pregnancy test and that's it . As I say everyone is different but that's what my treatment was like . Good luck xxx

[Kat9lives in reply to Poppynco]

Wow thankyou so much for all this information poppynco. This is the first time I've found all the steps in one place, even from reading a lot about ICSI online. It's very kind of you to take the time to explain things. I hope your IVF/ICSI journey is going well for you. Xx

[Poppynco in reply to Kat9lives]

Not a problem I take great comfort out of ppls replys and if I can help any anyway I'm happy to . Hope all goes well I was terrified first time round coz I didn't know what to exspect much more relaxed second time round when I knew what was going on so do what ever it takes to make ur journey less stressful for u . Fingers and toes crossed for u xxx

[gillybean78]

Hi Kat9Lives, I'm just starting my protocol next week and start taking my injections on 21/11. I'm the same situation PCOS and husband low sperm count so we are also going to have ICSI. Will see how it goes x

[Kat9lives in reply to gillybean78]

Thanks for sharing gillybean78. Did you have to take metformin? What was involved in your first appointment with the ICSI clinic? Hope all goes well, sending you baby dust! Xx

[Parentsofangels]

Depends if long or short protocol. We found getting to the clinic the longest part, we then had appt with the clinic, went through the protocol they suggested, went through all the paperwork we'd signed, he discussed several options regarding how many to transfer back etc etc (he's very very risk averse so was steering us to one at a time). Then booked nurses appt for the drugs. That was tad annoying as it was 6wks away I think. Anyway, saw the nurse and my period was late, so she put my drugs on rush delivery for the following day, low and behold, 48hrs afterwards I was starting the drugs, the Monday I had the baseline scan! Scanned every other day to check ovaries etc etc, two wks after had the trigger injection and egg retrieval (varies from person to person, I reacted bit too well to the drugs so wasn't pleasant for me), got calls everyday about our embryos, on 3rd day only two were good enough so had transfer, that bit was so easy and quick and amazing when we got a photo of the embryos, very cool! Then two week wait, which I was nervous but no way near as bad as I expected, taken so long for us to get there I was just appreciative of the chance to even try I guess. Had blood test test which was a bit lower than hoped, so further week wait, which showed Hcg levels were through the roof so embryo just took a day or so longer to implant than usual. If you've seen my posts before about my little one passing away, please please do not think that's because of the treatment etc etc, it really wasn't, nothing to do with the treatment or OH fertility issue, been advised it was a fluke accident that happens 1% of labours. We're hoping (please god no more delays!!!) to start icsi in January, so cross fingers for us both hun xxx

[Kat9lives in reply to Parentsofangels]

Oh my goodness, I am so sorry to hear about your loss. Life can be so cruel sometimes. Xxx Thankyou so much for the information, I hope you get to start ICSI in Jan. Wishing all the luck for us both. Xxx