TTC Super Ovulation part 3

Aarrgghh I just typed a whole big post and the stupid iPad lost it!

pebbles I'd be happy to go to NewLife myself, I feel very comfortable there and of course they have Mr Gafar, if it weren't for the DE lack of anonymity (and the price of course!). I'll be by interested to hear how you get on, wherever you choose.

brown I'm glad to hear your OH has agreed to try to buck his ideas up a bit. I think sometimes they just need a bit of a wake up call. I was actually going to say I wouldn't rely too heavily on those Internet cheapy tests, I know some ladies swear by them but I've never found them to be accurate for me at all. I only ever use either clearblue or first response tests, as experience for me has shown that the cheapies fluctuate too much in their responses - they just cause too much worry, you don't know if there's a problem with you or the test! Obviously YMMV but it's worth bearing in mind. Also be a bit wary of the digital tests, they are also well known for being unreliable. In fact - just step was from the tests!! Of course I know that's not possible :). Anyway, I'm really really pleased all is well, fingers crossed it carries on that way!

buzzy Interesting to hear you're going to Reprofit also for DE, I've only ever read good things about there. If you don't mind my asking, what made you choose there? I'm really ingested to hear of people's different clinic experiences.

duggs Agreed on the thread title! I still think SO was worth trying, I don't regret doing it at all. It has worked for some people, just not me! You're doing IVF again as well, is that right? Are you going back to LWC? And are you getting the embryos tested again? Hopefully since you sorted out your DH's fragmentation you should do better this time?

AFM well we have our first consultation tomorrow night, so I'm quite excited about it, although nervous as well - what if even this doesn't work? Can't think like that though. Here's a question for you ladies .. I'm due to ovulate this week, would you (if you were in my shoes, with worries abut egg quality) try naturally or avoid it given that we're going to be doing donor IVF hopefully soon? Should I give up on my eggs altogether, not run the risk of delaying doing IVF by having another possible chemical?

/waves to everyone

5000? duggs with your own meds on top. But as I mentioned if you need ICSI, assisted hatching or anything it's included.

Oh, meant to say (god I'm rubbish at realising I left things out) that if they feel it beneficial to you, there is no extra charge for IMSI, PICSI or assisted hatching, whereas I believe most IVF clinics charge extra (I was just looking at New Life's costs, and ICSI is an extra £1000 ... !). Irrelevant of course if they're not needed, but nice to know you won't get a hefty extra charge if they are needed.

Bugger, that'll teach me to hit post before I finished a sentence! I meant to say ... "intralipids alone I think are something like 100?". Whereas we all know, NLC charge £350! :(

Weeeeell, there are a number of reasons I'm choosing Serum pebbles, to be honest. Bear in mind these are completely my reasons, and may be irrelevant to anyone else!

First and foremost is a combination of cost - full DE cycle is 5000?, full OE cycle would be 3000? (not including any meds you need) - alongside the really excellent and personal treatment you get there, so I've read from many ladies, and so I've found from talking to Penny myself several times. Secondly for me is that egg donors in Greece (in most EU countries actually) are still anonymous, whereas here they have to be registered. That means not only are there less egg donors here now (numbers of both egg and sperm donors here dropped sharply when the law was changed requiring registration in 2005), there is no potential future possibility that they may be allowed to track down the product of their donated eggs - if you see what I mean. Thirdly is that I know Serum do their utmost to match you with a donor that has as close a match to any requirements you might choose to specify, not just the standard height/weight/hair/eye colour that so many places do. Plus I know Serum screen their donors really carefully, a lot of them are personally known to the staff at Serum, and they always make sure they have a full medical history as well as doing various tests on the donors themselves. Also I understand they really look after their donors, as well as they do their patients/recipients. Fourthly is that Serum really do tailor medications/programs with fine-tuning for each and every individual, rather than putting most women on the 'standard' protocol of drugs/tests etc that so many IVF clinics seem to do.

Additionally consultations are free, and follow-up/aftercare is excellent, so I've been told again and again. And costs of things like LIT and intralipds is a fraction of what they are here - intralipids alone I think are something like
Success rates for fresh DE cycles are I believe something like 60 to 70%; I don't think they publish OE cycle success rates as I think they believe those largely irrelevant given that every woman generally brings with her a history of problems that have to be factored in. I could be wrong about that last, but I don't recall seeing success rates published for OE cycles - although I think you could easily email Serum and ask them, they're very helpful.

I know none of you are looking at donor eggs so some of my reasons would be irrelevant to you. And it's such a very personal choice too, everyone has different reasons for where they choose to go and all are extremely valid to the person choosing. There is no right or wrong answer, I feel, just what suits you personally. These are simply some of my personal reasons for choosing Serum. To me, the advantages of going to Serum outweigh the undoubted pain in the @rse of having to fly there.

Apologies for the long post, I'd honestly be really interested to know why people choose the clinics they do - and more apologies for taking this thread completely off the original topic!

How have you found ZW to be belly? Just out of clinic-comparing-interest, you understand :). Do let us know how you get on!

And mel how were you with the anti-bs last night?

brown How was Poland? And how are you doing? Assuming you're back of course!

So do you actually need to do humira pebbles, if your TNFa levels aren't that bad? Relief to hear Mr S isn't grumpy about doing IVF elsewhere, interesting to hear his views on Create though. Awful having to make the decision between clinics, especially if you haven't got an unlimited budget. One of the posts on FF I was reading yesterday, the lady had done 11 IVFs to date and I had to think How? How on earth did she afford it? That's really serious money!

Well news from me is ......... OH said we should try IVF and is ok with going to Athens! Said he's been thinking about it all week and decided we should try after all. Men! Confusing or what?! I'm so relieved though. First (telephone) consultation with Serum on Monday, please please let this work!!