[bd711]

Hi all. I hope everyone's doing well. Kay, I think your lining check's tomorrow - I hope those shots and patches are doing their job! Justine and Shelly - I hope your 5 little guys are doing well.

I've got a protocol question. On the IVF front, there are so many differences in what folks are doing. It seems like our experiences should be a little more similar (since they're just trying to make us happy, healthy homes for our little guys to grow). But I see some are doing patches, others shots. I meet with the nurse coordinator Friday, so I'd like to have a sense of what others are doing.

I'm on lupron for 4 weeks up to the ER. 2 weeks before the ER I start on estrogen shots (IM) 2x week, and when our donor does the ER, I start PIO shots (hopefully for a long time). For some reason I thought going this route would at least save me some shots - alas no.

Hope everyone's having a good week. -B

[BabySteps]

bd711, there are many different protocols, This was mine. Yours is simular except I took estrogen pills and progesterone suppositories, no shots!!

First week in Nov they called when my donor was getting her 3rd day of period u/s...to line up our cycles. It was also my 3rd day!! So we saved at least a month because naturally are cycles were the same time. The next day I started taking the pill.
Nov 24 - Dec 12 Lupron
Nov 26 Last bcp
Dec 13 I began estrogen
Dec 16 began progesterone suppositories
Dec 17 was the DE retrieval and sperm collection
Dec 22 was our 5 day transfer
Still taking estrogen and progesterone until week 12

[bd711]

Thanks Shelley. Our protocols are similar except with one HUGE difference - you're doing this without shots!?!? Mine is all shots, which is quite a pain (no double meaning intended). And per my schedule, my first shot is when I'm going to be on travel for work - in a hotel room in Phoenix. Not my idea of an auspicious way to start off. I'm going to at least lobby my doctor for the estrogen patches. Seriously, you're maintaining triplets on the patches! Thanks for sharing your protocol. B

[BabySteps]

Hey B .... I am taking estrogen pills 2mg 2X daily. I never did the patches. It would be great if you could take the pills .. save you some pains in the butt.. The suppositories are not as bad as people say..it is a bit yucky but it is not forever and them seem to be working which is the important thing. Good luck shooting up in the hotel room

[Justine]

Hi,

Thought I'd chime in here too. I'm 7w3d and am prescribed all three through week 12:

1cc PIO at night
Prometrium suppositories 2xday
2 Vivelle dots every other day

I'm really looking forward to the end of these meds, but it's still awhile off.

[chantalTTC]

Lol - that's funny picturing poor B shooting up in the hotel room...hopefully the maid doesn't walk in unannounced!

For what it's worth, here's our protocol:

Dec 12 started BCP
Jan 24 ended BCP
Started Lupron shots somewhere around then (all the dates have blurred together!)

2 days before donor's expected CD1, I started:

Azithromycin (antiobiotic) for 5 days (dh, too)
Estrogen patches (2 vivelle dots)

Baby aspirin
Folgard (folic acid)
Estrogen supps
continued Lupron

On day 8 of donor's stims, I up'd my estrogen patches to 4 vivelle dots.
Day before ER, I'll start Prog in Ethyl Oleate (I'll never go back to PIO - awful!).
Medrol and Prednisone prior to and following ER.
Three rounds of HCG shots following ER.
At week 7, I'll switch to a once a week prog shot plus prog supps.
I'll also be on prog, baby aspirin, folgard and estrogen patches (and supps I think) through first trimester.

It's interesting how different the protocols are, isn't it? I go once a week to a free mind/body session through my clinic and I'm fascinated that even with the same exact RE, our protocols are so different. That gives me some comfort that they're tailoring everything to each couple...

[Kay]

Hi everyone... I got good news today. My lining is at 9.5 and our donor has responded very well. The RE said to plan on 15 to 20 eggs! I am getting very excited and hopeful! Thanks for your well wishes and . The retreval should be on Tue of next week and the transfer should be on the 24th of Feb. Too exciting!

Kristen- Did you have an apt today?
Kay

[chantalTTC]

Yay, Kay! Awesome progress...! This is so exciting...

I posted in the Feb thread, but I'm waiting to hear our donor's u/s results today and I go in for lining check on Friday afternoon. I wish it were March already! Man, how am I even going to make it to next week...????

[Kay]

Kristen- I don't know... how are we gong to make it through the next THREE weeks?! I'm glad I have some buddies though. Tiny is right there with us too. I want to know about your donor report. I guess we better get used to being on pins and needle for a while.
Kay

[chantalTTC]

AHHHHHH - I'm soo unproductive at work. This is crazy. The anticipation (waiting for donor report) is akin to waiting for the ****ed Beta!

btw, I learned through those mind/body sessions to do 'misogi' (sp?) breathing. In through your nose, out through your mouth, slowly and deeply. I'm sure my colleagues think there's something wrong with me because I'm over here breathing so heavily... Believe it or not, it does seem to work to bring my blood pressure down and help me focus for more than 30 secs on something other than why haven't they CALLED ME yet? LOL - I'm losing it...

[Kay]

Kristen- just don't hyperventilate The trick is SLOW breathing. Or hitting someone or something Happy thoughts.
Kay

[BabySteps]

Congrats on the great news about your lining and the donor Kay!!! Wonderful...you are well on your way! Yipeeee

[Kay]

Thanks!
How was your nutritionist apt? I'd love to know what eating suggestions you are following.
Kay

[BabySteps]

The nutritionist appt went good. I got a lesson on carbs and protein. I have never counted carbs before so it was an eye opener. I never knew I was a carb junkie. She wants me to limit empty carbs and focus on getting between 150 and 200 grams of protein a day!! I don't like meat either so I am drinking a lot of whey isolate protein shakes, I do eat eggs, milk, cheese and yogurt, beans, nuts. Eggs are a really good source of complete protein.

Actually the protein that is most easily absorbed is whey isolate protein. It is 100% protein. I am experimenting with adding different ingredients.

I need to eat about 2500 calories a day and gradually work my way up to possibly 4000. Needless to say I am never hungry. I wish I could just eat potato chips but I have to eat the healthy foods. For the babies I will do anything! Eating for multiples is much different than eating for one. With a singleton pregnancy the baby will take what it needs from the mother so you really only need something like an extra 300 calories a day!! The goal with multiples is to eat to get the babies a good size early in the pregnancy since they are almost always born prematurely.

[Kay]

Shelley- Holy criminy! 4000 cals?! Is that even possible? Especially if you can't eat chips? LOL. You must be eating all day long. I can relate to being a carb junkie.
I know you will do just fine because your first concern is those babies. You are a great mama! Keep up the good work and enjoy all the new ways to eat protein.
Kay