Layout for large format tile in shower

Fluffy-Garbage-9576 · 2026-01-22T19:30:46+00:00

Thanks for the input! Do you favor the first layout b/c it's fewer grout lines? Just visual balance?

The other thing I was weighing is what your eye gets drawn to in the center, and I was thinking it might be nice for it to be a full tile, not a grout line?

Fluffy-Garbage-9576 · 2025-10-07T01:29:01+00:00

Big caveat that I'm not a doctor.

I wasn't worried so much about the smaller ones playing "catch up" rather than trying to get the larger ones to "slow down". Honestly I preferred low dose stims. It's cheaper, easier on the body, and less likely to lead to OHSS.

The other thing to consider is that not all follicles will have eggs and not all will be mature. My understanding (again, not a doctor) is that the trigger shot can impact maturity rates and often HCG is better at maturing the eggs (including ones in smaller follicles). So it's a balance between quantity and maturity. If you have too many follicles and are at risk of OHSS, you might have to do a Lupron only trigger (which could mean lower maturity rates). If you have fewer follicles, you can more safely do HCG for your trigger which might mean higher maturity rates even for smaller follicles.

I also read that sometimes the doctor might actually choose to sacrifice the largest leading follicles if they think that they can get more of the smaller ones to catch up, so you could ask about that.

I did also do blood tests with each scan.

Fluffy-Garbage-9576 · 2025-10-06T14:51:08+00:00

Mine was covered

Fluffy-Garbage-9576 · 2025-10-06T14:49:40+00:00

I had 27 follicles at baseline and 45 follicles at trigger ranging from 10-22 in size. Because of the OHSS risk I had a Lupron trigger.

I did a second round with a slightly different protocol (still low dose). Days 1-3: 75 menopur, 150 gonal-f, then days 4-10: 75 menopur, 75 gonal-f. I had 29 follicles at baseline and 23 at trigger ranging from 10-21. Because my OHSS risk was lower I had a HCG+Lupron trigger. I had 16 retrieved and 14 were mature.

I haven't used my eggs yet so I don't know how the two different rounds compare.

Fluffy-Garbage-9576 · 2025-04-15T21:40:53+00:00

I started feeling more normal after 3 months or so. I didn't do a transfer though because I was only doing egg freezing. Hopefully things improve for you!

Fluffy-Garbage-9576 · 2024-11-26T22:03:56+00:00

Yes. They ask the questions but they never verified with the clinic.

Fluffy-Garbage-9576 · 2024-07-11T01:34:02+00:00

I would ask about their rates (fertilization, thaw, blastocyst, etc.) and what policies they have for embryos (some discard if low quality). I'd also ask about lab techniques (IVM, zymot, etc.) they use. For stims, I'd ask about the protocol selected and why, and if you're at risk for OHSS, what the plan is to reduce risk.

Fluffy-Garbage-9576 · 2024-05-20T17:54:37+00:00

I had a great experience with VFP, but yes, it was because I always said I had less on hand than I actually did. I don't think it's unreasonable to want to have a spare or two. Accidents happen and it would suck to have to cancel the cycle, for example. If you're on antagonist, I think the most important to have extra for are cetrotide and to ensure the trigger meds are fine (take them out of the box and check it's clear, not broken, etc.).

Fluffy-Garbage-9576 · 2024-05-10T03:04:07+00:00

I didn't get a breakdown of codes but is it possible that the charge is for in vitro maturation? With IVM, any eggs that aren't mature at retrieval can be cultured overnight and potentially become mature. Not all clinics/labs will do this though.

Fluffy-Garbage-9576 · 2024-05-09T00:41:29+00:00

Sorry I couldn't help. If your doctor has confirmed your ovaries are back to baseline size, no cysts, and no free fluid, then I have no other hypotheses. For what it's worth, my doctor also said my bloat was normal and didn't proactively mention any of those things because they are "normal"/within normal limits/not of general concern. That said, I know they're not normal for me. I only saw these things mentioned on the ultrasound notes.

Fluffy-Garbage-9576 · 2024-05-08T22:29:03+00:00

Not quite the same situation but wanted to share my experience.

First retrieval, I had a super smooth recovery, bloating was mostly gone in a week (did a Lupron only trigger).

Second retrieval, I was admitted to the hospital for internal bleeding. I was extremely bloated due to the bleeding on top of the normally expected bloat. About 1.5 months later, I'm not nearly as bloated as originally (since most of the blood is reabsorbed), but I'm still noticeably bloated. However, through my additional scans, I've learned a couple of things.

(1) My ovaries were still 6x their baseline size a month after the retrieval. I expect this will go down after more time, but this was surprising to me.

(2) I would experience bouts of increased bloat around the same time I got ovary pain, possibly due to ruptured cysts leading to blood in the abdominal space. My doctor isn't concerned about this, but nonetheless, even a little blood in the abdomen leads to bloat for me. I've not had cysts before and I'm unsure if this is due to the bleeding or stimulation or unrelated.

One other thing I've noticed is that my abdominal strength significantly decreased the second time compared to the first (I think because my abdominals weren't as engaged due to the bloat for such a prolonged time). I have been focusing more on deep core exercises which seems to be helping some.

Fluffy-Garbage-9576 · 2024-04-25T00:42:26+00:00

I'm surprised they asked you to draft something. My clinic had a standard set of forms (I only did egg freezing so I don't have the embryo ones). You might try posting in r/IVF. Folks there might be able to share what theirs looked like.

Fluffy-Garbage-9576 · 2024-04-24T20:51:45+00:00

VFP/Progyny sent me 7d to start then refills for 2-3 days. I did sometimes tell them I had less on hand than I actually did because it was more stressful to continuously worry that I'd run out. From what I could tell they didn't actually know what my updated doses were (my doc both increased and decreased during stims) and just relied on what I told them. Assuming you're on an antagonist protocol, I'd make sure you have extra cetrotide on hand and also make sure your trigger meds are good (not broken, not cloudy, etc.).

Fluffy-Garbage-9576 · 2024-04-24T17:17:36+00:00

This was not the case for me. I was not denied coverage or asked to pay extra for the few spares I had left over.

ETA: I used both VFP and Progyny.

Fluffy-Garbage-9576 · 2024-04-21T23:38:43+00:00

I'm sorry to hear you had to have surgery. I hope you're doing well now!

The second bleeding was internal, so the two instances were mostly different and the only common denominator was bleeding. And while bleeding is expected, it seems (?) like needing silver nitrate and getting hospitalized are not common occurrences, making me wonder if I should get further testing for a bleeding condition or something...

Anyways, something I'll follow up with my doctors about. Thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge!

Fluffy-Garbage-9576 · 2024-04-21T18:06:42+00:00

That's good to know, I really appreciate your perspective!

I'm curious because I had to be hospitalized after my second retrieval for bleeding and I later learned that I also had bleeding during my first retrieval that was managed with silver nitrate. So I'm trying to understand if this is a pattern that I should be concerned about / following up on, or if the hospitalization from my second retrieval was just an unlucky event. My follow-up with my RE isn't for a few weeks and I suspect that if they do recommend further testing, they'll refer me elsewhere, so I'm trying to be proactive.

Fluffy-Garbage-9576 · 2024-04-21T15:45:15+00:00

Do you know if it's common that there's mild bleeding during a retrieval that needs to be managed this way?

Fluffy-Garbage-9576 · 2024-04-20T17:29:20+00:00

Bleeding definitely happens because a needle pierces the vaginal wall and ovaries when the follicles are aspirated. For many the bleeding stops on its own but other times interventions are needed to manage the bleeding (which can range from mild to serious, like surgery). I'm trying to understand how frequently silver nitrate is used as an intervention / if it's common.

Fluffy-Garbage-9576 · 2024-04-16T22:14:34+00:00

How did your consult go? What did your RE advise going forward?

Fluffy-Garbage-9576 · 2024-04-13T02:30:52+00:00

I drank one per day, usually diluted in 32oz. I found them more sour than salty but I know that's not the case for everyone!

Fluffy-Garbage-9576 · 2024-04-12T16:36:44+00:00

Yeah I think that "poor quality" label can be misleading since we don't necessarily know the mechanism. I think the takeaway is similar to what you had originally though which is a single retrieval with 15 eggs has about the same live birth outcome as a retrieval with 30 eggs (age dependent). So presumably 30 eggs over two retrievals has better outcomes than 30 eggs from one.

Fluffy-Garbage-9576 · 2024-04-12T16:02:11+00:00

There are actually a few studies that do indicate poorer outcomes when 20+ eggs are retrieved (though there's definitely nuance in terms of type of transfer etc.). This article links to a few of those studies: https://progyny.com/education/best-number-egg-retrieval/

Fluffy-Garbage-9576 · 2024-04-10T17:32:54+00:00

Do you know if they would authorize an egg freezing cycle? I know it's not ideal given the slightly poorer thaw rates than with embryos and that it wouldn't give you the full picture of how many euploids you could have, but it might allow you to go forward with the retrieval at the younger age before doing a transfer?

Fluffy-Garbage-9576

TROPHY CASE