IVF with PGD #2

WTH - Very happy that the BT showed a good level - lots of luck for this cycle and ultrasound tomorrow!

Sara

Oh sorry Sara :hug:

It sounds pretty cleasing with the swim the rain and I hope the next cycle will be like the clear blue sky after thunderstorms...I agree with you that overall this cycle went well. Out of 3 eggs you get 1 biopsied. And it also proves that it is just so worthwhile to do PGD, imagine the one with the bad gene was put back in. Hope DH keeps Menevit up, I just bought DH another bottle which made about $69 damage to my pocket. Ouch!

I hope you will have a good chat with FS to discuss this past cycle and form a great plan for the next one!

Cuddlepie: Yes, absolutely agree - If I imagine we would have done it naturally and another termination, I couldn't have survived. It's so much easier this way.

Have already talked to my FS, she said a flare cycle would be another option but she is not sure it would work for me and that this cycle in principle worked okay, so she only thought we could try a slightly higher FSH dosage (350mg)

Sara

Sara - :comfort: What a huge week you've had. I have been wondering about you all day and am sorry to read that it did not work out... this time. But like I think Kate said, you have come a good way from your first cancelled cycle. Getting to blast from three embies is an accomplishment in itself.

I don't know if you are impatient like me and already planning your next step? Please feel free to write to me with any questions you may have about DHEA. From my readings, you are the perfect candidate. Costs me about $75 a month and I have not had any side effects so far.

BTW you are very daring swimming in a thunderstorm. It does sound moody and cleansing. I hope you manage to get some sleep tonight. Thanks for wishing me luck on my cycle :hug:

Sara - oops, posted at a similar time. Seems you are like me and already planning the next step. BTW - I've been told flare cycles suit us "older women" with lower egg numbers. Our own natural FSH gets to work alongside the stims :D

WTH,

Yes I am exactly like you in this respect, thinking about the next step makes me feel better. May take you up on talking about DHEA - I actually talked about it with my FS this arvo, apparently she has one or two patients who are on it and is happy to give me a script as long as I come in and she can go through the studies with me (I actually really liked that she wanted me to have the full knowlegde).

She is not thinking about it positively, she said that the SIVF docctor's met and they are in general against it but will prescribe it if the patient asks for it. She is concerned about possible side effects. As a first step she'll send me a form for a BT so that we can check on my natural DHEA levels and also on cholesterol (She said DHEA could increase it and I had slightly high levels when I checked mid last year but have since changed my diet).

Not sure about the flare cycle, she said in general I'd have to go on the pill before and that could again suppress me too much like the first time, the other option is to do it without the pill but the danger is that some hormone level (testosteron?) rise too much so that any resulting embryos might have to get frozen, as a fresh transfer wouldn't be possible - are you doing a flare cycle currently? I thought with an antagonist cycle natural FSH can also walk alongside the Puregon?

Sara

Sara - I'm so sorry - It sounds like you were very close - given the 50/50 - odds are the next one that you have tested will be fine!

Sara - I couldn't get on comp yesterday or all day today but was thinking about you lots! I am so, so sorry. I think you are being remarkably brave about the whole thing. To come so far and then get 50/50 go the wrong way. I do agree that it must be far better to know now and deal with one level of disapointment than to go along and have to terminate. It is great that you can at least look at the positives of what you have learnt from the past two attempts - I would get to that point eventually but tonight i would be curled up sulking or haveing a stiff wine..... well done on being so brave!

WTH - bloods sound good and well done for looking out for yourself and asking for u/s. You are paying for it so may as well get as many as you like!! My clinic seems to just routinely do u/s with every BT so I've fortunately never had that issue

Kel - glad things are tracking along ok. Hope Mon comes along soon and gets you great results

CP - how are you doing darl? Hope you got a swim today

AFM- Well, a few hrs of VERY light spotting on Tues seems to be all I get this mth. Saw my nurse yesterday and had some bloods done which showed everying "flat"/ baseline ( as it should be had AF started). She said it does happen to some women that they just get no bleeding after Provera so was ok with me just starting up. I have always bleed at least a bit with Provera, so am still concerned as to why there was no lining to shed etc but she didn't even feel the need to consult my Dr so praying all IS truly ok in there. So, started up FSH, LH and my plethora of other meds today.
First scan and BT on Mon. Let the turbulent ride begin!!

Sara,
Big hugs - fingers crossed for next time
Kate

Thank you Buliej & kate, it really helps to have your Support

Meredith: Thanks for thinking of me. I am seriously not brave, I balled my eyes out when the nurse called with the news and did hang up the phone on her (I rang her back and apologized later on). About the light spotting I remember they told me before my downregulated cycle that that could happen and would be fine as long as the hormone levels are okay. if you're nto sure you could always ask your doc or insist on the nurse does that. Good luck with the jabbing.

Sara

Sara - I think I am confused about the definition of a "flare" cycle. Some people call the Orgalutron cycle a "flare", others don't. I am on an Orgalutron cycle (no pill/Lucrin prior). I think this might be what you have just done. It sounds like your FS is being thorough with the DHEA testing. I did not have my levels checked before going on it. Did not even think of asking. Anyway, I would be very interested in sharing any new information your FS may give you about it. I only know about it through the University of Google ;)

Meredith - I am thrilled you are finally on board for your next cycle. My clinic does not actually do the US or the BT - have to go to separate venues for each and the BT's must be done by 9am. Bit of running around. Worse thing for me is we have to wait until after 2.30pm to get BT results. I can't stand the waiting. Wishing you all the best this time around :goodluck: and hope we can be in the 2ww together.

AFM - first US this morning. Interesting result: 8 follies on RHS 5-11mm, and just one 5mm on the LHS. The total number is similar to my last two cycles. Previously the LHS has dominated so I guess it needs a break. Wonder also if my chem PG last week came from the LHS and if that affected things this cycle? DD came from the RHS so I am hoping it is a good omen :pray:

Sara: I'm so sorry about the biopsy results, mate. If I can do anything to help you out let me know. :comfort: FX for your next cycle. There's some interesting studies done on DHEA-s with regard to libido and to egg quality, too.

WTH: Good news about your BT results and on your follicle count! I hope your mind is a bit more at ease now. Is Orgalutron an alternative to Synarel for supression or something completely different?

Meredith: Day two today? I'm glad you're aboard! The spotting alone for AF is so frustrating; I'm always uncertain that that's it when it's like that. :rolleyes:

CP/Julie/Kate: Hi! :hello:

AFM, Monday is just not coming fast enough for me, though I'm sure the weekend will just fly by. My appt is at 0630, so at least I'll know first thing in the morning. I'm really interested (and anxious) to see how many follicles I have on 112.5 IU. I've heard a bit about women getting 20 follicles on a dose, and then 3 on the same dose in the next cycle, so I'm a bit worried that even though I got more than 20 last time on 75 IU of Puregon that I'll get far less than that this time on the Gonal-F; our game's a numbers game, with (statistically) only one in six of our embryos being completely unaffected, and one in six being viable with a balanced translocation like me. Day five of injections today (all going fine), and I just want to hurry up and get to EPU next week! At least on Monday we should know when the EPU, PGD and ET are going to be. I'm going to ask on Monday, too, whether or not we should be doing ICSI just to increase the fertilisation rate. DH has supersperm, so I'm not sure that it would make much difference. Any advice on the ICSI component?

Kel, ICSI isn't a free pass to 100% fertilisation rates. On my last cycle, of 12 usable eggs, only 3 fertilised even with ICSI. Something went funny and the clinic just couldn't explain it. ICSI also has a tendency to damage the eggs in the process - plunging a metal tube into the egg is far more traumatic to it than having a sperm burrow in naturally - and can cause a lot of fragmentation issues. If there are no sperm issues, then I'd really suggest leaving things alone and having them do their thing without outside interference... That said, I have heard of cases where the eggs have such a tough outer skin (can't think of the right word - zona something or other) that even super sperm can't get in and ICSI is needed despite there being no sperm issues. Could still be worth chatting to your clinic about it.

Sara, I'm so sorry to hear of your embryo result. Hopefully things will work better and the stats will take your side next time. :hug:

BW

Kel - Hi. What day FSH are you up to? Interested in why your FS switched you from Puregon to Gonal-F? My FS also made the same switch. His hope is that swapping brands might improve quality... Best of luck with making it through the weekend and looking forward to hearing how your first scan goes :goodluck:

BW: Thanks for the info on ICSI. I'll be interested to hear FS take on it knowing that.

WTH: Thank you for the luck! I'm on day five of FSH today, what about you? FS at QFG is FS3 (who I went to after a debacle with FS2 at Monash IVF/ACA, the long version of that story is on my webpage), and his preference is Gonal-F instead of Puregon (which was FS2's preference). I found a study yesterday that said the difference is that while the two are both recombinant FSH preparations, Gonal-F is FSH-A (FSH, or follitropin, alpha) and Puregon is FSH-B (follitropin beta); FSH-A consistently shows better pregnancy rates than FSH-B, and I'm assuming that that's why FS3 has chosen it as his preference. Either that or it's cheaper from their supplier. :D

WTH - glad your follie numbers are looking on track. It is interesting to see the spread between ovaries. My "dominant" side always changes from one side to the next. Guess its like a natural cycle when they ususally take it in turns.
Re flare cycle - I am not 100% but i am fairly sure a flare cycle is when FSH and and "agonist" eg Lucrin are started together rather than the agonist starting with the whole downregulation process so NOT quite the same as orgalutron/antagonist cycle.

Sara - hope today is a better day and you are looking after yourself. When do you see FS again?

Kel - I would have to agree with BW. Personally, i would go with the au natural fertilisation. YOu have had several pregnancies so obviously there is no natural fertilisation issues. ICSI may only increase the potential damage to your eggies and there is still PGD to put them through once theye become embies. My last PGD cycle we just went standard insemination and got very good results.
Will do the same this time. Interesting stuff about gonalF vs puregon. I may be synical but I wonder if the higher pg rate stats are put out by the makers of GonalF. Stats really can be twisted to suit whatever wants to be heard. I have always used puregon and had several pregnancies. Only one has been successful but obviously not the FSH fault.

Not much to report here. Day 2 of FSH and feels all a bit repetative already. Was signing some consent forms last night and noticed with some despair that this is our 9th cycle with Monash IVF.... never thought I'd be in that kind of "bracket"!

Meredith: The follitropin study was independent, but you can never be quite sure who it was requested by. Thanks for the input re: ICSI, too. I hope the injections don't keep feeling so cumbersome for you, it'll be over in a few days. :hug:

AFM, time is just continuing to drag by, which is making me feel a bit :angry::rofl::D:pray:, if that explains it :redface:. I'm an impatient control freak at the best of times, so the waiting is what kills me! I have some swelling and discomfort in the lower part of my pelvis (and, sorry for the TMI :tmi:, terrible constipation), but nothing as bad as last time. I can't get over how thirsty I am, though; I'm drinking anywhere up to six litres of water a day! :o

Hi girls,

My FS explained the flare cycle like Meredith did, you just do one day on Lucrin and then start FSH. I did the Cycle with Orgalutan (it's really expensive isn't it was quite chocked when I bough my first doas aas it was $90 and I used 8 altogether). In any case it worked for me and will probably do the same type of cycle next time.

WTH: Great news about follicle numbers!

Meredith: Good luck with jabbing.

Kel: Please dont answer if you don't wnat to but I am a bit confused. To me it was explained that we had to do ICSI as otherwise it is possible that a second sperm tries to fertilise an already fertilised egg which could cause a wrong diagnose for PGD. I am also wondering that you can only use 1 in 6 embryos :hug:
For me it's one in two as I have a dominant condition and my partner does not have it.
Good luck on Monday

:hello: BW & CP & Buliej

I am feeling pretty weird this morning. Going back to work was a bit traumatic. I think I was/am feeling much worse than I admit to myself. I told my male co-worker what was going on and he nearly started to cry. Then I had the mad idea to tell my manager. I thought previously it would be better not to tell as you never know to what conclusions they come if they know you might take maternity leave at some stage but I had taken four sick leave days in the last two weeks and thought it would be better for her to know as I'll have to do the same thing all over again. Anyway I told her it was IVF and she reacted okay to that, said one of her former collegeagues had done IVF etc and then started to ask about my condition, anyway I told her that I had had an abortion as the baby was affected, she said " thanks for sharing", got up and ended the meeting. I realise that it probably was inappropriate to tell her but I just felt awful at that moment and ever since :wall:
Now I am also scared that the whole thing will get around to my former partner who works at the same place ( I was with him during the time of the abortion), we have a good relationship but I don't want him to know about doing IVF now. If he had been a bit more open to IVF I would have children know, he absolutely didn't want to hear of IVF and so we tried naturally with the devastating result and broke up afterwards.

Sara

Sara: ICSI's an optional extra for us at our clinic. We've been told that we would only have to do it if there were sperm count and/or motility problems, but that it can increase your fertilisation rates. I don't know anything about the second sperm trying to fertilise an egg, I'm afraid, but I'll ask on Monday. The "rule of six" is a geneticists statistical way of looking at viable embryo rates in balanced translocation pregnancies; statistically, one in six embryos will be normal, viable embryos, one in six will have my balanced translocation and be viable, and the other four in six will be aneuploid (monosomy or trisomy) and will either be viable but affected and have Angelman, Prader-Willi, and Patau Syndrome (because the chromosomes involved are 13 and 15) or will not survive (always in the case of monosomy, and more likely with trisomy than live birth). This doesn't mean that if we get 12 eggs we're guaranteed to have two normal viable, two balanced viable, and eight unbalanced/affected embryos, it's just the statistical way of looking at it. With PGD they can't tell the difference between normal and balanced embryos, either, so we could have with a baby (God willing) with my translocation, but if we could avoid that I would (I wouldn't want my children going through what we're going through now). I hope you're feeling better soon, too. I'm sure that if your manager has any sense she won't discuss your situation with anyone within your office, especially not someone who may confide in your ex-partner. :comfort:

Hi ladies,

My next FS appointment is tomorrow morning at 0630, and it feels like forever away. I've been pretty uncomfortable (physically) for the weekend so I'm hoping that the positive spin on that is lots of follicles, not just that I am hypersensitive to anything going on with my ovaries. I'm actually really nervous. I don't want him to tell me to come back in a couple of days for another scan and then he can tell us what's going on then, IYKWIM; I want to know tomorrow when the EPU, PGD and ET are going to be, and I hope that's what happens. I feel a bit all over the place, actually, and I've not exactly been a peach this weekend (poor DH).

Kel - Such a tough journey to try a get that 1 or 2 "good" embies. Just think, you made it into the world with presumably no ART so there is great chance with all that you are doing. Just hope you get lots of eggies to choose from. Hoping tomorrow goes well.

Sara - Don't be to hard on yourself. You are entilted to be a mess right now. YOu need time to grieve over what could have been and get back on track to look towards the future. Don't rush things - it may catch up with you sooner rather than later.
As for your manager. I don't think it was inappropriate to tell her your circumstances. At least you are being honest about the need for time off. It would certainly be inappropriate of her to tell anyone else you story, however. I can understand your stress. Working with the father of your lost child must be very tough.
I am amazed about the 8 doses of orgalutron.I only had 2 so cost wasn't too excessive
My clinic also doesn't recc ICSI for PGD unless deemed necessary. I did have 2 embies fertilisied by 2 sperm but they can pick that at day 2 so they never got to PGD. NO worries about "odd" results.

WTH - is your next scan Monday? Have you started orgalutron yet?

CP and Buliej - hope all is ok

AFM - just done 4th dose of FSH and really been feeling it early this time. My ovaries are aching!
First scan and BT tomorrow at 7.45am so interested to see where we are at.

Hi,

Just dropping in quickly to send a hug :hug: to Kel - Hope there will be lots of eggies tomorrow.

Meredith: thanks for being so supportive, it really helps.

Lots of :bluedust: to all of you.

Sara

Hi everyone - we have company from the States, so I haven't had much time to spend on bellybelly as we've been playing tour guide (and haven't thought about TTC too much which has been great). I hope everyone is doing ok. Those growing follicles - I hope there are many (but not too many), those in the TWW (are there any at the moment??), I send sticky vibes, and those who are trying to recover from disappointment, that takes time and hope for the next cycle. I should be able to catch up a bit more after Friday when my friend heads back home....

PS - why am I being asked to answer a random question before posting?
Julie

I think that ICSI is a requirement for PGD to exclude a single bad gene. It should not be needed for PGD to screen for cell division problems though.

Meredith: Thanks for the luck! GL with your u/s this morning, I have my FX for you.

Sara: Thanks, hon. Are you feeling any better?

AFM, I have 12 to 15 follicles in each ovary between 7 mm and 13 mm, average size 12 mm. I?m still sniffing Synarel and will still be injecting (same dose) tomorrow and Wednesday, I have another scan on Wednesday morning (at 0630 again), and our egg pickup is going to be on Friday or on Monday depending on the hormones coming back today and the ones they?ll take on Wednesday. More good news, the lining is perfect. I really wanted to know today when everything was going to be, but knowing that there?s plenty of follicles has helped to ease my mind a little bit (though not as much as I would have liked). Now all we need is one good embryo from 24 to 30 follicles; I just hope that those numbers are actually as good as they sound. I'm still feeling really anxious, so hopefully Wednesday will bring the answers.

Kellie: that's great news! Grow follies grow.

A good start to the week to everyone.

Sara

weird, did a long post but its not there! Yeah, what's this random questions?

Hello everyone, I was busy exploring my artistic side over the weekend sorry didn't get much chance to be on BB, but now I have two little paintings hanging on the upstairs family room, they are so cute. :D

Wow, great result Kel, that's a lot of follies and I hope your EPU later week will find you many good quality eggs.

Meredith, good luck with the scan, I know what you mean by repititve. I got that feeling already even this cycle started. In SIVF, you need to sign on this form before going into procedure, and I can see that my list is getting long, damn it! :o

WTH, hope you are happily jabbing and scan went well...

Sara, I am so sorry to hear you've been feeling down but it is most understandable in the aftermath. I don't think telling your manager is inapproperiate. It might be just her way to react that way, some people don't know what to say even they are trying to be supportive. Now things are in the open, you might be able to get extra support ie. leave etc. It is hard to work in the same place with your ex, but chin up girl, I hope you soon will deserve what you should have and can show off your belly soon. :hug:

Sara - awwwww :hug: It is tough facing colleagues, even friends, when the last time you saw them you were filled with such hope. I do that "last time I was here" thing (in my head) all the time. But it is good you got that first-day-back over and done with. Also good that you have that great male colleague that you are close enough to to confide in. I find my male friends a great sounding board. They always tell it like it is. It is good you will have someone there in the trenches with you who will understand and hopefully support you. As for your boss, well, if they are professional then they should keep what you said to themselves. If they are aware of your loss in the past they should be sensitive enough to leave it in the past and not spread gossip with your ex.

Kel - that is a fantastic result - you must be thrilled :clap: I've had really nasty headaches since commencing the Gonal-F, which did not happen at all while on Puregon in the other two attempts. So, if the fertilisation/growth is no better than last time, shall request Puregon if we have to go ahead with another round.

Cuddlepie - I envy your ability to paint, you clever girl :D While handy with a camera I never graduated past stick figures :rofl:. I would love to be able to express myself with a paintbrush and fancy trying it someday.

Buliej :hello: It will be great to see where you are up to when you get more time to post on Friday.

Meredith - the early days of your cycle sound promising. Looking forward to hearing your first scan result. I commenced the Orgalutron on Saturday night (Day 8 FSH) which was one day later than last cycle.

Lisa - if you are out there, looking forward to hearing your overseas BT results soon (hope you don't have to wait too much longer)

AFM - scan this morning. While there were 11 follies all up, they are mostly small. Of the potentials, there are 6 between 10mm and 16mm. I do not seem to be responding as well on this cycle on the Gonal-F (had 8 between 12mm and 18mm at this point last cycle which amounted to 7 mature eggs). So, realistically, I think I may maybe 5 eggs at EPU? Great lining - already 9mm. Now I just need to have something to put in there! Got my third accupuncture session late this afternoon so :pray: that it gives my follies a little more oomph.

Sara/CP: Thank you. We need all the luck we can get!

WTH: I just hope they all keep growing and that most of them have eggs in them! I've had headaches, too, but had put it down to inhaling the Synarel like a little huffing junkie, but maybe it's the Gonal-F instead; I don't usually get headaches (maybe once or twice a year) and I never had them on Puregon, either. :think: Do you know what day you're going in for EPU yet?

Meredith: Are you back with your results yet?

Kate/Julie/BW/Lisa: :hello:

Sara - I am so sorry for you, I know exactly how you are feeling. The roller coaster sucks hey. :hug:

WTH - Phoned the clinic the other day and results not in yet, still just hanging in there and hoping with all my might that they tell me that they couldn't find the faulty gene in Brendan and that I am not a carrier. Then we can go back to the old fashioned way. I have 2 perfectly healthy girls so a little part of me is focusing on that and that it was just bad luck and was some sort of test????

Kel - We did ICSI to boost our chances of fertilisation but even with DH's healthy swimmers, we still didn't get 100%.

Have a great day lovely ladies

Just a quick one.

WTH - don't be too concerned about the numbers - I know it's little consolation at this point but the numbers are really not so important, with all you've been doing in the last weeks and months I think the quality should be very good, so hoping for a good number of blasties for you.

About Gonal _ F I also had bad headaches when my dosage was increased to 385, so possibly it's a side effect.

Sara

Kel - everything sounds great for you so far. Hope Wed scan shows some nice big follies for you.
Just remember, not every one of the follices will yield a mature egg - just so your not disappointed.

CP - well done on your artwork. Nice to have a hobby to take your mind off things

Sara - how are you doing at work? Hope you are at least feeling a touch brighter

WTH - Your scan sounds fine darl. Try not to compare one cycle to another on a time scale as each time you will respond differently and at a different rate. I have had some cycles with 6 days of FSH and some with 12 to get to mature follie stage. YOu may still get your 8 or more eggies yet.
Well done on the lining - I've never had one that good even at final scan

Lisa - hoping Brendan's results are in soon. What an agonising wait

me - scan this morning showed about 30follies in total but only 8-10 of reasonable size. Max being 10mm. So happy thus far. About on par with this time last cycle, only less maturing follies which is what we wanted ( sounds strange to want less!). E2 900 so ok with that too. Lining only 4.4mm but thats probably about normal for me too. Hoping it really thickens up in the next few days.
Next scan Wed and will prob start orgalutron then if follies behaving.
Was feeling fine with the day until I saw some friends. One is about ready to pop her second child, one is 9 wks preg, which I already knew but another announced she is 11wks. I tried so hard to sound happy but inside i was truly crying out " why not me? Its not fair!!". I feel guilty now as i just couldn't continue on the cherade so made a fairly rapid retreat home to sook. These girls are from my mother's group and none had trouble concieving no 1 or 2 so really have NO idea what I am going through even though I have tried to talk about it a few times. Now I am not sure I can keep facing them to just have every conversation turn to pg and babies which is what I know has already started to happen. I just feel left out, lonely, mad and sad!! Sorry about the whinge. I know I will deal with it and feel better in time

Hi Girls,

It's a beautiful morning down here in Sydney - thank you all for being so supportive already feeling much better.

Meredith: this sounds great, hope the follies keep doing so well. I can understand how you feel about your friends. I think you have done the right thing, you need to be protective of yourself. It's amazing how little understanding there is for people in our situation.

Kel: Well done. Keeping finger crossed for you for Wednesday.

WTH: thinking of you :goodluck:

CP: That sounds like a great weekend. Really good that you put them up so that you can see them.

Lisa; Hope the results come soon.

:hello: Buliej

AFM: Was a bit shocked yesterday when I found I had put on 2kg over the last cycle, so trying to get back on track. I've started a walking group to walk around a beautiful bay close to my house at least once a week after work (CP if you're interested let me know), I'll go twice this week (already did a smaller walk with DP yesterday) and have booked walks for the following three weeks. Also organising some longer bushwalks on the weekends.

Have the feeling that I am getting some strange vibes from my manager at work, not really sure what to do a bout it and if it's true or if I am just overly sensitive, may just have to try to ignore it for now.

Sara

Just quickly, yesterdays BT results:
LH: 2.0
P4: 1.80
E2: 6,520.00! :o

Meredith: IKWYM, my BFF is 21 weeks pregnant, and at the minute it can feel suffocating and like there's nothing else that we can talk about. Hang in there. :hug:

Hi everyone I missed!

Meredith : I can only sympathise with how you are feeling with pregnant ladies around you. There are 3 ladies here at work pregnant at the moment. One is due in the middle of March but I have been OK with her because she is a very big lady so you couldn't tell, but she came back to work this week after having 3 weeks off and now does look preg, so that sucks. Another is now 20 weeks and a little fat so still not obvious. It is really hard to see how easy it comes to people, and I am the lucky on here at least I have 2 beautiful daughters.

Meredith - Glad you are happy with your first scan :D Yes, I am hoping my eggies get the opportunity to bake a little longer so we get a decent number. Another reason why I think I prefer the Puregon, as the doses are in smaller increments. If my FS had put me up on the next click of Gonal-F, it would be 37.5 more, whereas only 12.5 with the Puregon. I do believe I need just a slightly higher dose from onset. So many follies just sitting around the 9mm mark, only about half looking like they might make it at this stage. Meanwhile I am having a similar issue with attending my Mum's group. None of them had any idea I had had some MC's until some months after the second loss. Then I confided in one or two about doing the MC investigation program with SIVF. Big mistake. Now they can't wait to get me alone and have weekly updates on my progress. Makes it really hard to go there and enjoy it. I know I am incredibly blessed to have DD. Most of them have churned out two babies now, some are even on their third. There is always at least two growing bellies there. I dream of the day I can have my turn and walk in and confidently say I'm PG, which will not be until the 2nd trimester.

Kel - wow - your follies are really pumping. I have just learned on this cycle that they aim to have your LH around 2 - my clinic said it is believed to do with the egg quality. Last cycle my LH was never over 1, even before the Orgalutron. This time I have been circling around 2, like you. This is a good start for us.

Sara - I've put on three kilos since my first IVF attempt in October. I have been wonderfully plateauing for years. So lately I have been trying to increase my walks (pushing DD on her bike) and have had a couple of attempts at a pilates DVD. Problem is, we are not supposed to diet while doing this IVF. I am not a huge person, but it has gone completely to my waist and my current wardrobe options are slim pickings! Good on you for starting your walking group :D Sorry to hear you are feeling a little awkward at work with your Manager.

Lisa - I hope you get a good result in the near future so you can get "back in the saddle" ;)

AFM - doing ok. Trying to be healthy. Accupuncture yesterday, which always includes a lovely massage at the start. My E2 is rising very nicely now (Cuddlepie, happy again to say you were sooo right :D). Next scan and BT tomorrow.

WTH - hoping your BT and scan show great things for you tomorrow. Do you know when est EPU will be yet?

Kel - phew, that E2 sounds pretty high already. get stuck back into that water to avoid OHSS.
Scan for you tomorrow too?

Looks like it will be us three reporting back again - I am in at 8.00am in the morning so early start again

Just quickly, appt went well this morning, EPU is on Friday (YAY!) and PGD should be done on any embryos that grow to blastocyst stage, so the PGD's actually going to be done Tuesday/Wednesday instead of Monday; I'm assuming that ET (God willing) would be Wednesday as well, so I'm going to ring the lab today and just ask them what they think. There's more than 30 follicles (shared between the two, but mostly on the right, which is very odd for me) all measuring 14-18 mm today. BT done again, so I'll post them when they arrive. hCG trigger tonight at 2300 (super).

Meredith/WTH: GL this morning!

Hi Kel, that's great news. I'd assume that the lab won't be able to tell you know, they will have to wait how fast the embryos grow, ET woudl usually be straight after the test results.

Sara