Betweens IVFs (again) day 13

This is my IVF diary. My husband and I have been trying to have a baby for nearly four years now, and have a diagnosis of 'unexplained infertility'. We have finally reached the top of the waiting list for IVF - a form of assisted conception. I'm blogging about what happens as it happens, as a kind of therapy for me and as an awareness raising exercise of what IVF is all about.

Yeah don’t even get me started on how this letter is marked ‘Strictly private and confidential to be opened by addressee only’ and was sent to me and not my husband… A couple of weeks after the event it confirmed what we knew from two negative pregnancy tests and me getting my period.

We’re in limbo again. Not much to report. On the plus side I can have a few beers, exercise, eat McDonalds, er… bleach my teeth. It’s not so bad, we don’t have to wait too long and as it is Edinburgh Festival Fringe time I can happily have some fun and get on with things for a bit. I’ve been feeling a bit sick which seems to be easing off now but I’ve not got my libido back. This is annoying. But as the sickness is going and I’m starting to show a bit of interest in attractive young comedians the husband thinks this may be related to my natural cycle resetting and my ovulation which is due around now.

I have a few musings to post so I’ll feed them in over the next few weeks.

First, a summary of the thaw cycle. Overall, the thaw cycle took a bit longer than the fresh cycle, but has been considerably less inconvenient with fewer appointments and fewer invasive drugs and procedures. However in some ways I have found it harder to cope with, with less for me to do!

Stats for the second IVF (thaw) cycle

Number of days from first trying to conceive to pregnancy test: 1,421
Number of days properly trying to conceive (tracking the 'right' days) to pregnancy test: 1,032
Number of days on IVF waiting list to pregnancy test: 478

Number of days from first appointment of cycle to pregnancy test: 62
Number of days from starting drugs to pregnancy test: 46

Number of different types of drugs administered by self: 4
Number of days taking a drug by injection to bring on rapid menopause (Suprecur): 28
Number of days taking HRT drugs (Climaval): 33
Number of days taking a drug to increase progesterone (Cyclogest): 18

Total number of times injected by self: 28

Number of appointments at IVF clinic: 5
Approximate number of hours spent at IVF clinic: 2.75
Approximate number of hours spent traveling to and from IVF clinic: 10
Number of appointments before 9.30am: 4
Number of appointments during working day: 1 (One 45 minute appointment)
Number of days of notice given for appointments during working day: 6
Number of unavoidable days off work: 0

Number of times blood taken: 1
Number of internal scans: 3

Number of blastocysts thawed: 1
Number of blastocysts lost in thaw: 0
Number of blastocysts transferred: 1
Number of blastocysts remaining frozen: 6

Number of days between egg retrieval and pregnancy test: 133
Number of days between embryo transfer and pregnancy test: 13

Pain and inconvenience of drugs and procedures

Climaval
- Reason to take: HRT, to artificially mimic a natural reproductive system to compensate for the other drugs
- Method: Three pills each morning
- Side effects: Turned me back to normal!
- Comparable pain: Like taking vitamin tablets.
- Inconvenience: Have to remember to take daily.

Please see my last summary for the other drugs and procedures used this cycle - Folic acid, Suprecur (Buserlin), Cyclogest, Internal scan, Dummy embryo transfer, Egg retrieval, Embryo transfer and IVF overall.