My husband and I have been trying to conceive for a couple of years. I will soon be 32 years old. After about a year of trying, we did a bunch of tests and were told that we have unexplained infertility. We went through a handful of IUIs with no success and recently started IVF. Now I'm waiting for the second period after an overstimulated and thus freeze-all IVF cycle but it seems like my usual regular cycle has been disturbed and my period has disappeared. According to the doctor, I didn't respond well to the FSH hormone (despite having been overstimulated) that I was given since many eggs didn't mature well. As a result, we only had 2 embryos to freeze. Since yesterday I am learning to let go and not spend time and effort thinking about my period and when we can start the FET. Thinking about it won't change the outcome anyway. Is anyone else going through something similar?
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Patience2022
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Hi, just wanted to reassure you that I went through this same scenario last week! I was waiting for my 2nd period following EC so that we could get our FET planned, and it just wouldn't come! I really tried to relax and not think about it, but that's really hard! Anyway, it eventually came 9 days late. I think after all those hormones it does mess up your cycles for a while. So frustrating when you're keen to get going! Sounds like we went through something similar as I also didn't respond as anticipated (they were expecting 30+ follicles from me, ended up with 6 eggs and then 3 embryos frozen). Hope it turns up soon for you so you can start your fet x
Thank you for your response. I'm new to this forum but it's already feels like I'm in the right place. It's honestly so hard, isn't it? With everyone else around me just accidentally getting knocked up and then even giving birth (as happy as I am for them...), I feel pained as if I'm constantly witnessing the passing of time and we seemed to have taken some steps forward with IVF but now it's like we are standing still on square one almost.
Did you do your FET then? I'm sorry to hear that you sound disappointed about the numbers... But hey, if there's one thing I've learnt, is that numbers don't mean much, you only really need one good one to attach... I really hope you get pregnant with one of those frozen embryos. Best of luck!!
To be honest, I really don't know what is happening with my cycle or when I was supposed to have the second period because the first "period" came 5 days after my ER (which they predicted upfront) and lasted for 20 days (normally 6-7 day period!). Now we are 3 weeks since that first period ended, but I had a blood test done last week and they said I should expect my period within 7 days. Well, those 7 days have come and gone. Normally I hate my period but now really hoping it'll make an appearance... It made me sad to think that maybe my body is not cutout to do IVF... Yes I agree, I feel the same way. It is so frustrating that you want to get a move on and nothing is happening.
I'm rather astounded to hear that you were expecting 30+ eggs. That is much, much higher than the normal range... In my case they were expecting 10 eggs, as they said that this was the normal expected and therefore good response. I was overstimulated by the FSH that was prescribed and they extracted 23 eggs, which they said was on its own would have been an above average result. Of the 23, the protocol they performed was half got sent to IVF and half ICSI. Then they said fertilisation wasn't a problem for either protocols, which is good news, but after 5 days, only 2 embryos (1 from IVF and 1 from ICSI) were good enough to be frozen. In retrospect, they said this result was because the eggs were not mature enough and that they'd switch me to a different drug + wait longer before ER if we'd have to do IVF again.
I totally get how you feel about feeling at a standstill. That's got to be one of the worst bits of ivf is all the waiting! I had EC March 1st, and yesterday started the meds for our FET due w/c 6th June. With the expected eggs I remember the doctor counting them on my final scan and the nurse saying I was "chock-a-block". So when the doctor came to see me after EC and said they'd got 6 it just felt like a massive disappointment. However, since reading the experiences of others I now see we were very lucky to get those 6, especially because they couldn't reach my left ovary so only took from my right. And of course very grateful we've got 3 embryos frozen.
It's so frustrating when your cycles suddenly go awol and there's just no knowing when it'll come. Have you spoken to your clinic? I think they can give you medication to help bring it on?
It's great that you've got 2 day 5 embryos frozen. Wishing you all the best when the time comes. Fingers crossed for period soon x
Can you pls tell me what type of test you done for the period because I am in same both like you my period doesn't for 4month after failed ivf.Now I still waiting.
Can you pls tell me what type of test you done for the period because I am in same both like you my period doesn't come for 4month after failed ivf.Now I still waiting I don't know its because of ivf medication or hormonal imbalance.
I just went through a really similar egg collection - they thought we would get 40 eggs, and a football team of blastos but ended up with just one to freeze after a fun surprise additional problem of a low fertilisation rate. I'm sure in a month I'll be posting again wondering where my period is! Maybe you can trick it into coming by going to a spa or for a weekend away. They like to come when it's most inconvenient 😂Can I ask whether you've done anything diet wise in between EC and now? I have a few weddings coming up I'm going to be relaxed about but then planning to get back to being good as we'll inevitably have another EC coming up!
Did you already have the first period then? Was there a reason they didn't do a fresh transfer? I mean for me, it was a total no-go since my hormones were totally out of whack and they said the changes an embryo would stick were low so that's why they told me to wait till my body went back to normal. But what if that takes...months?!
Diet wise... I actually did do something slightly different but only as they told me to expect heavy bleeding (first period) after the ER and I'm vegetarian. Since the day of the ER, which is now almost 7 weeks ago, I have been taking iron pills daily since the ER instead of 2 times per week previously. I thought I'd have constipation from the daily iron pills but I don't have any issues. My previous blood results also showed normal levels of iron or vitamin B12 but I think I'll keep up taking iron pills daily.
For the upcoming weddings, it sounds like fun! We actually just went through a wave of 3 weddings too. Do you mean you intend to drink/freely eat whatever? Or are you talking about supplements?
I usually drink max one cup of coffee per day and sort of stopped drinking alcohol since we started trying? It's just too much annoyance at social gatherings where people joke about you being possibly pregnant and that's why you're not drinking, so I just stopped drinking altogether so that they'd stop making a big deal of when I did or did not drink alcohol.
Yep same with a fresh, my progesterone showed I was already in the luteal phase and I had 50+ follicles so they said it was completely the wrong environment hormonally.
That's a good idea about the iron tablets! I do eat meat, had cut down massively but reintroduced to try to improve my protein intake and balance my glucose as I have PCOS. Don't love it as an ethical/environmental choice but I'll go back to it as soon as I can.
And yeh I meant eat and drink freely. I don't drink that much usually, and have been teetotal for all but maybe 3 weeks of the year so far. I just want a couple weeks of feeling normal and then I'll go back to no alcohol to avoid the comments like you say. But I'm starting to worry that I'll regret that time off if I have another poor round. I just find when I'm not drinking I sit there thinking about how it's because I'm infertile if that makes sense. Doesn't help that it's usually in a group whether the other non drinking person is pregnant 🙄 I need to reframe it in my mind as a positive choice I'm making for my health rather than a negative thing I'm being forced to do but it's hard!
Yeah you got to do what's comfortable/relaxing for you. Of course I'm not saying drink excessively but I think it can be worse if you're stressing about not drinking when you'd actually be more relaxed if you had a couple of drinks.
Sorry to hear you have PCOS. Sorry for my ignorance, I don't know too much about it to be honest. What I understand is that with PCOS, the menstrual phase is more painful and has heavier bleeding because the tissues that cause bleeding grow additionally outside the endometrium?
Oh no that is endometriosis! PCOS is poly cystic ovarian syndrome so I have too many follicles trying to become dominant each month leading to none of them being successful and very long cycles/no ovulation. It's really an endocrine disorder of the hormones and impacts insulin and things like that in a sort of feedback loop (more out of kilter your insulin is, worse the cysts get, the more cysts, the poorer you handle insulin). So I basically have no periods rather than the heavy painful ones women with endometriosis get.
I'm really sorry. Please accept my sincere apologies for my ignorance... That sounds really disappointing and difficult to manage. We already have to live with so much uncertainty with infertility treatments... I wish you the best of luck for your next FET! Hope you can relax and have some fun in the upcoming weddings too. Thanks for responding to my post.
Update:Got my period (second after ER) so for me this is almost 7 weeks after the day of ER. Once I let go, then the period arrived, but it could also just be a coincidence
Hi there,Just so you know the exact same thing happen to me. Overstimulated and retrieved 14 eggs, 13 ‘mature’ (they later said they did not think they all were mature), two fertilised (which I was very upset about at the time) and frozen.
I’ve just started my second period after EC but my clinic is waiting for my third period to start FET.
Oh wow, yeah totally, it was really painful to hear that only 2 made it after all that.. In our case, we didn't get to speak to a doctor until 6 weeks after we had started the IVF cycle. We had only heard from a receptionist tell us casually on the phone that yes we had 23 eggs but after 5 days, only 2 were deemed of a quality good enough to be put in the freezer. It was absolutely devastating to hear that we basically had 90% loss without any explanation! The doctor later explained that the prescribed FSH hormone didn't have the desired effect to cause the eggs to properly mature but that we still have 2 embryos to work with and if necessary, we would try a different drug and stimulate for a longer duration in the next IVF cycle. So yeah the first IVF cycle was like a calibration cycle...
And thank you. The very best of luck to you too! Lots of courage xxx
I had fresh transfer but out of 12 usable eggs only one made it to transfer due to egg quality with PCOS and endo and it didn't take. My cycles, moods, everything is still massively out of whack 4 months later and they never know exactly how your body will respond x
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I wish you the best of luck for your next FET! Hope you can relax and have some fun in the upcoming weddings too. Thanks for responding to my post.
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