First time!

[Montgomery2]

Hi Ladies

I got the call that I was hoping for, starting our cycle on my next period. So that’s around 10th February. Can anyone tell me roughly the outline of everything that happens from then on in?

I’m on long protocol, they are explaining everything when I go along on my second day of my cycle. (Long and complicated story)

It’s just so I know what to expect

Thanks xx

[Hidden]

Hi!

I'm currently on my 1st cycle and just had my egg collection surgery yesterday - so currently resting up. Here is the lowdown, feel free to ask any questions:

- If you've not already had your first clinic appointment this is purely for you to meet your consultant, get any results you've been waiting for, and discuss your options - they call it counselling, but it isn't.

- Next appointment will be your meeting with the embryologist who will talk you through the procedure in detail, and work out when you will start our injections - plus make an appointment for your injection teach.

- then you will go in for your injection teach and they will give your first lot of meds and tell you when you need to start.

- You'll down reg for around 4 weeks (I did it for more like 6 due to Christmas and other ladies already being booking in). If you're on it for longer it's not detrimental, just a bit of a pain for you.

- You'll then have your baseline scan so they can check that you have 'quiet ovaries' and a nice thin lining - which is the job of the first lot of meds. all being well you will be given your stimms meds, your trigger shot and your pessaries. You will then start the stimms on the date they specify, but carry on your downregs too - so 2 jabs per night.

- During this time you will have a couple (sometimes more) scans to see how you're responding so that they can adjust our meds/timeframe accordingly).

- Once they're happy you will get a date for egg collection and instructions on taking the trigger shot and last lot of down regs and stimms - 3 jabs that night.

- Then 36 hours later you'll have your EC surgery (no jabs during this time - yay)! Then you wait to see how many fertilise, then wait for transfer date. then it's the 2 week wait for the pregnancy test.

I just found out we have 4 fertilised - they collected 4 so that's all of them! Now just waiting to see how they develop and get a transfer date :). Wishing you all the best with your cycle - my advice is research, be proactive, try and relax as much as you can, and don't be hard on yourself - don't kill yourself trying to follow every bit of advice online. By all means do your research (as the clinic only tends to give you the medical info, rather than indepth lifestyle), but pick what works for you and what you are comfortable with. Acupuncture and hypnosis seem to be the forerunners for helping (there's a CD called the IVF companion), plus health diet, limited exercise, conception supplements, cutting out smoking and only the occasional glass of wine - for both of you) xx

[Montgomery2 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks so much for replying ♥️ Understand it a bit more now x

[Looby25]

Charlie has hit the nail on the head that’s exactly what happened on my first cycle too! There is also a app called mindful ivf, i found this really helpful to relax at night all the way through treatment! Good luck with your cycle x x

[Montgomery2 in reply to Looby25]

Thanks xx

[JB1988]

Mine was a bit like that but I didn't have injections for down reg I had a nasal spray that I had to do 3 times a day.

I didn't get an injection teach until day 1 of stimms but mostly was the same as above

GL with your cycle xx

[Lizzielizzielizzie]

My treatments have been similar except I didn’t meet an embryologist until EC day, all my consultations were with doctors or senior nurses. After each scan during stims phase I had to wait until that afternoon for a phone call to find out whether I needed to change my injections.

Also, for my second and third cycles I was on two different stims drugs at the same time so had three jabs per night for about 11 nights before trigger.

Finally, when I’ve had fresh transfers scheduled, I have had to start pessaries after egg collection to support progesterone levels ready for embryo transfer, but on this cycle I’ve not had to as they’ll be freezing anything that survives to day five.

[Montgomery2 in reply to Lizzielizzielizzie]

I think we don’t meet our embryologist until egg collection day as nobody has mentioned it at all..

My clinic have been very good at not giving usbanything uneccssery to worry about. So it’s like a need to know basis and they are ultra positive.

Good luck everyone xx