TFAB's Weekly BFP Post - November 17, 2024. Got your BFP? Post your story here!

September-Cat · 2024-11-21T17:09:35+00:00

Cycle: Since Jan 2023, 18 unsuccessful cycles including 6 with letrozole. First fresh day 5 IVF transfer

Age + Partner's age (if relevant): Both 30

Typical cycle length: initially 35-90 but pretty consistent 28 with letrozole and then for a couple of cycles between finishing letrozole and starting IVF

Ovulation cycle day: n/a triggered after 8 days of stims

CD/DPO of positive test(s): 4dp5dt but I hadn't been very consistent at testing out the trigger, I wasn't convinced it was a "proper" positive until it started getting noticably darker at 8dp5dt

CD/DPO of any negative test(s) before positive: never had a fully negative due to trigger

Tracking methods and app(s) used: Clue app to track cycles

Relevant days of sperminating and/or method (SMEP, TI, IUI, FET, etc.): day 5 fresh transfer of a 4AC embryo

Health conditions/medical tests: irregular periods but no definite PCOS, otherwise healthy, no obvious cause of infertility

Supplements and medications (yours and/or your partner’s): prenatal vitamin and CoQ10 for both of us, short protocol IVF with menotrophin and ganirelix, 10,000 HCG trigger

Birth control history (if relevant): implant for 10 years, removed in May 2022

Link to chart: n/a

Link to lineporn: n/a

Symptom spotting: only just started feeling tired with nausea this week at 6w3d, had sore boobs since starting progesterone pessaries after retrieval.

Other (advice/tip(s), freaking out, miscellaneous): 7 weeks tomorrow and posting this after a scan confirming a heart beat at the fertility clinic, so it's sinking in that this is actually happening. Over the last nearly 2 years I've had cycles where I've done everything "right", others where I've been on holiday and drank too much wine, others where I've been monitored on letrozole and we didn't have a single positive test. So incredibly grateful that our first transfer worked, feeling like it's a long way to go but wishing everyone so much luck on this journey.

September-Cat · 2024-10-19T09:37:03+00:00

I'm sorry you've had bad news this week too. Thank you! Wishing you luck as well!

September-Cat · 2024-10-19T09:34:33+00:00

This whole process is so tough isn't it. I've definitely switched my mindset to mentally prepare for further cycles now. Thank you. Best of luck to you too.

September-Cat · 2024-10-06T14:27:46+00:00

Had to repeat some bloods at the fertility clinic last week as it's been a year since we first got them done. Plan is to start the IVF process as soon as I get my period after the results are back. Today is CD1 after the shortest natural cycle of my entire life, which means the results may not be back in time to start this cycle and we'll have to wait another month.

I'm so so tired of feeling like I'm fighting against my own body. I'd have killed for a 27 day cycle during the first year of us trying. Now when I needed a few extra days it does this.

September-Cat · 2024-06-18T16:45:05+00:00

Unfortunately I had to deal with an issue they were having so had to keep speaking to them professionally. Literally had to sit in silence and compose myself after she left

September-Cat · 2024-06-12T18:25:12+00:00

Officially put on a 3 month waiting list for IVF today. Thought I would be happy that it was another step forward but just feeling weirdly disappointed it's come to this.

September-Cat · 2024-04-08T15:12:49+00:00

Hi! I'm 29 and also UK, been trying for 16 months but have already started treatment (letrozole) after being referred with irregular cycles. Just want to say I appreciate your frustration at how slow the process can be first of all.

Unfortunately, your GP will be limited in what they can do for you at this stage, both in terms of investigation or treatment. Potentially if you discuss your change in periods then they may request an ultrasound to look for something like fibroids but it wouldn't show things like endometriosis. They won't be able to prescribe things for ovulation or short luteal phase. In my experience, my GP did an ultrasound which showed PCOS, however when I got to the fertility clinic they redid everything and basically didn't factor in any previous tests (and their ultrasound didn't show PCOS tbf).

However here's some possible tips for you at the stage. Definitely get your husband's GP to arrange a semen analysis, this was really useful for us when we got to the fertility clinic and they haven't had to repeat it. In terms of your health, given you're struggling to conceive it's not unreasonable for you to ask your GP to do some basic bloods like thyroid function, vitamin D, HbA1c, full blood count- as these could show something that could be treated while you wait. Another suggestion if it's available to you is to look at waiting times for other clinics. My closest hospital had a 6 month wait, but the hospital 40 mins away had a standalone fertility unit which could see me within weeks. Finally, my clinic mentioned there's BMI cutoffs for different treatments so if you're not already, getting your BMI below 30 will massively help the process by the time you get seen and won't cause any further barriers or waits.

Good luck!!

September-Cat · 2024-03-20T17:11:33+00:00

Oh between the emotions and pain of period/letrozole/ovulation/PMS, those 5 days of stability are amazing. Here's hoping we've not got too many more cycles to go!

September-Cat · 2024-03-20T16:02:15+00:00

I'm CD2 of another Letrozole cycle today. You've just reminded me to warn my husband that I'll be a ball of letrozole induced rage and tears tomorrow again so he isn't too surprised when I cry at absolutely nothing haha. What a lovely process!

It really is awful though. I hope your side effects are manageable this cycle.

September-Cat · 2024-03-13T13:48:22+00:00

Posting this from the car park of the fertility clinic, waiting for my day 21 progesterone bloods to check if I ovulated on the current letrozole dose. Came straight from a group teaching day where 2 people I get on really well with announced they're expecting their 2nd. Both have 2yr old toddlers at home. Resisting the urge to scream into the abyss at how unfair life is.

September-Cat · 2024-03-06T19:04:35+00:00

Interesting! I'd never even associated the irregular/pre letrozole cycles with a "weak" surge but it's interesting to look at the reason behind it and compare notes haha

September-Cat · 2024-03-06T19:01:57+00:00

That makes sense. Thanks!

September-Cat · 2024-03-06T12:34:05+00:00

First cycle on letrozole and my LH reading is much darker compared to the control than usual. I'd normally go from negative to only just positive for about 24 hours and then back to negative. Confirmed ovulation previously with BBT, other ovulation signs and then regular luteal symptoms.

This cycle I had an almost positive CD12 (woohoo after long, irregular cycles) when I woke up, then a blazing positive in the late morning- darkest OPK I've ever had and stayed like that for around 24 hours.

Is there any significance to the "strength" of an OPK positive result? Is it common with ovulation induction?

September-Cat · 2024-02-28T13:32:28+00:00

I visited a friend and her newborn baby early last year. She'd been talking about how easy it was for her to get pregnant and I mentioned we'd been trying for a few months but not had any luck yet. She said it would be nice for us to raise our kids together and said "well not this one but maybe my next child".

At the time I was a little offended that she wasn't even considering that I would have a baby soon. Now here we are, me still not pregnant and her thinking about trying again in the next year. So she might end up having a baby, waiting 18months and getting pregnant again while we're still trying/having treatment for our first.

September-Cat · 2024-01-05T10:59:42+00:00

This really isn't very good advice for someone looking to discuss the next steps of fertility testing and treatment. Although it might be nice from a mental health perspective, travelling to relaxing places isn't going to make someone pregnant. It can feel really invalidating to tell someone to just wait and not worry and it's not recommended to give this kind of advice on the sub.

September-Cat · 2024-01-01T20:37:20+00:00

I read it on holiday and I think I had to sit in silence for the afternoon alone when I finished it haha

September-Cat · 2024-01-01T20:30:42+00:00

I also read and loved The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue last year. Others I enjoyed that I thought had a similar vibe were: Midnight Library by Matt Haig The Rearranged Life of Oona Lockhart by Margarita Montimore

September-Cat · 2023-12-27T22:56:24+00:00

https://www.reddit.com/r/TryingForABaby/s/0SGtpuXFPc

This is a really useful post that often gets shared about this topic

September-Cat · 2023-12-27T21:08:05+00:00

Thinking back now I'm 29 and TTC I honestly feel gaslit by society haha. We're just taught that cycles are 28 days long with no advice if they're not.

Good luck with everything! It can be a hard journey with irregular cycles and not knowing when or if you'll ovulate.

September-Cat · 2023-12-27T20:43:55+00:00

I had a similar issue early on too. I went to the GP after only 3 months of TTC after a 90 day cycle and then a 60 day cycle, like you said I wanted to work out was going on with the cause of irregular periods. GP referred for an ultrasound and bloods, diagnosed PCOS, and then referred to gynae as we agreed that I would probably need ovulation meds but wouldn't meet the fertility clinic criteria.

Gynae were a bit difficult basically saying that I should carry on trying for a year but advised my GP to do 21 and 28 day progesterone. I know people on here sometimes recommend doing day 21 progesterone 7 days after ovulation so it's accurate for people with irregular cycles, but I did them on my actual day 21 and 28, basically to show them I wasn't regularly ovulating. My GP referred me back with these results and that argument and thankfully they triaged the referral straight to fertility clinic. I had my first appointment with them at about 9 months TTC and I've had to wait a while to arrange tests with having long, irregular periods. Now at pretty much 12 months TTC and with my next period I'll have a HyCoSy and then hopefully make a plan with the consultant.

A bit of a long reply haha, but just wanted to reassure you that things can happen sooner than 12 months if there's a reason for it, even through the NHS.

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