IVF and Fertility Treatments

1
Hi everyone, some of you might know me from my endless and annoying posts on the TTC threads. 18 months of trying with no success. Never been pregnant to the best of my knowledge (and in these 18 months I’ve been a prolific pee-er on a stick!), PCOS and endometriosis and I’m 39. What a catch!

We had a private fertility assessment as my BMI is too high for NHS. MrDragName’s sperm is fine and healthy. I have a very high AMH level for my age and lots and lots of follicles in my ovaries, exactly as expected. The doc’s recommended IVF, frozen transfers utilising my natural cycle, which is regular to within a day or two. He doesn’t think anything else is viable given my age and the fact that my eggs might not all be very good quality these days, even if they are seemingly abundant. We’re now thinking about whether we do this or not over the Christmas period.

There’s a couple of things I want to ask about, and that’s the egg retrieval and transfer processes. I had a very traumatic experience of having a mirena coil removed and another one inserted which was over 6 years ago now, but it’s really affected my willingness to have investigations where I get poked and prodded so, err, deeply. I’m fine with a smear test, no issues around sex and trans vaginal ultrasounds have been totally fine. It’s the idea of instruments of any sort going in through my cervix that leave me sweating. Even when I had my mirena removed to TTC I was absolutely freaking out and it made it a lot more challenging for the poor nurse. I see you’re sedated for egg retrieval (and also that it’s a needle through the vaginal wall rather than going through the cervix) but the transfer must involve going through the cervix to pop that little collection of cells in. Of course what I read online says stuff like ‘you might feel some discomfort’ which is exactly what they say about a Mirena change. It’s clear they lie to women! So I wanted some real life experiences if anyone is ok to share?
I’ve bag two transfers, and both times didn’t feel the catheter or anything going in. The biggest discomfort for me was having to have a full bladder, which I think in part may have made me not notice any discomfort from the actual process! I’m pretty sure my clinic had the option for transfers under GA, at a cost though.
 
I’ve bag two transfers, and both times didn’t feel the catheter or anything going in. The biggest discomfort for me was having to have a full bladder, which I think in part may have made me not notice any discomfort from the actual process!
Ahh yeah, I don’t have the strongest bladder in the world so that will probably cause me a tonne more stress than the transfer 🤣
 
Hi everyone, some of you might know me from my endless and annoying posts on the TTC threads. 18 months of trying with no success. Never been pregnant to the best of my knowledge (and in these 18 months I’ve been a prolific pee-er on a stick!), PCOS and endometriosis and I’m 39. What a catch!

We had a private fertility assessment as my BMI is too high for NHS. MrDragName’s sperm is fine and healthy. I have a very high AMH level for my age and lots and lots of follicles in my ovaries, exactly as expected. The doc’s recommended IVF, frozen transfers utilising my natural cycle, which is regular to within a day or two. He doesn’t think anything else is viable given my age and the fact that my eggs might not all be very good quality these days, even if they are seemingly abundant. We’re now thinking about whether we do this or not over the Christmas period.

There’s a couple of things I want to ask about, and that’s the egg retrieval and transfer processes. I had a very traumatic experience of having a mirena coil removed and another one inserted which was over 6 years ago now, but it’s really affected my willingness to have investigations where I get poked and prodded so, err, deeply. I’m fine with a smear test, no issues around sex and trans vaginal ultrasounds have been totally fine. It’s the idea of instruments of any sort going in through my cervix that leave me sweating. Even when I had my mirena removed to TTC I was absolutely freaking out and it made it a lot more challenging for the poor nurse. I see you’re sedated for egg retrieval (and also that it’s a needle through the vaginal wall rather than going through the cervix) but the transfer must involve going through the cervix to pop that little collection of cells in. Of course what I read online says stuff like ‘you might feel some discomfort’ which is exactly what they say about a Mirena change. It’s clear they lie to women! So I wanted some real life experiences if anyone is ok to share?

I’ll admit I find the transfers uncomfortable but not painful if that makes sense, the worst part for me was always the speculum at first and trying to bring the cervix forward. The catheter going through the cervix after this I always found ok. I also found the full bladder unbearable for my first, I’d drank so much on my way in and afterwards they told me it really didn’t need to be that full. So after that I just had a few cups or half a bottle of water just before I arrived. To be full but comfortably so.

They did sedated transfers at my clinic but not sure on cost and I know you couldn’t do a sedated natural cycle FET as they couldn’t do sedated transfers at weekends and natural FETs could fall on any day depending on when you ovulate. I’ve only done natural FETs too btw.
The nurses are always really supportive I find and would be with you the entire time, talk you through breathing etc if you were anxious.
 
I’ll admit I find the transfers uncomfortable but not painful if that makes sense, the worst part for me was always the speculum at first and trying to bring the cervix forward. The catheter going through the cervix after this I always found ok. I also found the full bladder unbearable for my first, I’d drank so much on my way in and afterwards they told me it really didn’t need to be that full. So after that I just had a few cups or half a bottle of water just before I arrived. To be full but comfortably so.

They did sedated transfers at my clinic but not sure on cost and I know you couldn’t do a sedated natural cycle FET as they couldn’t do sedated transfers at weekends and natural FETs could fall on any day depending on when you ovulate. I’ve only done natural FETs too btw.
The nurses are always really supportive I find and would be with you the entire time, talk you through breathing etc if you were anxious.
Thank you, this is all super helpful!
 
Hello! Currently 37 and pregnant post-IVF, masses of PCOS and very high AMH etc. I have no memories of my transfer between the very glamorous anaesthetist telling me I’d feel very drunk in a moment; I felt euphoric and drunk for about two breaths (having felt very nervous), and then being awake in the recovery bit. Nothing, I promise.

I was very nervous about my transfer but honestly, it was absolutely fine. I didn’t feel it go through my cervix, they were very gentle and slow and it was much, much better than a smear.
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Oh, and yes, the full bladder!! That was the worst bit!
 
I also found the full bladder unbearable for my first, I’d drank so much on my way in and afterwards they told me it really didn’t need to be that full. So after that I just had a few cups or half a bottle of water just before I arrived. To be full but comfortably so.
I think my clinic said to have two pints, which I did and soon found was massively uncomfortable. I had to empty my bladder twice, and got told off by the embryologist for having a poor pelvic floor, when all I was focused on was not weeing myself! Honestly such an unpleasant experience, but I was successful so clearly I did something right 😭
 
I think my clinic said to have two pints, which I did and soon found was massively uncomfortable. I had to empty my bladder twice, and got told off by the embryologist for having a poor pelvic floor, when all I was focused on was not weeing myself! Honestly such an unpleasant experience, but I was successful so clearly I did something right 😭
You don’t need that when it’s already a stressful time! I must’ve been around 2 pints the first time too but there was no need 😅

@ThisIsMyDragName sorry you mentioned egg retrieval too - you’re asleep, I had no awareness at all. One minute they were counting down from 10 then the next I was waking up back in recovery. It was a good nap 😂
 
Hello! Currently 37 and pregnant post-IVF, masses of PCOS and very high AMH etc. I have no memories of my transfer between the very glamorous anaesthetist telling me I’d feel very drunk in a moment; I felt euphoric and drunk for about two breaths (having felt very nervous), and then being awake in the recovery bit. Nothing, I promise.

I was very nervous about my transfer but honestly, it was absolutely fine. I didn’t feel it go through my cervix, they were very gentle and slow and it was much, much better than a smear.
---
Oh, and yes, the full bladder!! That was the worst bit!
Thank you, this is super helpful! We have a 2 1/2-3 hour journey each way for these procedures and I just want it all to be easy peasy!
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@ThisIsMyDragName sorry you mentioned egg retrieval too - you’re asleep, I had no awareness at all. One minute they were counting down from 10 then the next I was waking up back in recovery. It was a good nap 😂
Ahhh that’s good!
 
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