IVFers thread

Lulu, we had one NHS cycle, but we have been able to self fund our treatment, which is not private, but paying for NHS treatment, so it is cheaper than attending a private clinic. We have not been stopped from self funding either even though we now have a child! It seems that different trusts run different programmes, which means the "NICE" fairer one free cycle for everyone is complete bo**ocks, (excuse my language). It sounds like you have to fight for everything, and then they manage to make you feel more stressed by losing notes, forgetting to call you back or charging you for stuff you though was NHS (and you pay for already!) I have spent wait for it £75,000, it may well be more, (i daren't add it all up) on having my one child! (that includes having him privately as after spending seven years and 10 ivf attempts I wanted everything to be ok.) But if I were to spend seven years and have 10 abortions they would all be free. I think the Red Queen and I had this discussion before.

Swerve, enjoy the G and T, what are your plans for the Frosties. I am going for it at the middle to end April (have been pg twice in April and one chemical pg in May/june, so pbviously a good time of year for me. My only worry is that it was five years between my first two pg's, I hope its not another year from now before I get pg again!

Has anybody transferred Frosties?

OAP good to see you too, how's the weight loss going? mine is not at all. I am not overweight, but my cycle shortens when I lose weight, which seems to work in my favour, but to do it I have to truly starve, not appealing given present weather!

Bambi sorry those hormones going wild, but if it does the trick then it will be worth it!.

SS where are you are you sunning yourself somewhere lovely.

Sx

hi all, thanks for all your messages and thoughts. I'm sitting here with a big fat g&t... says it all. f**k. we've got 2 good ones in the freezer so i guess we'll try those next.

locket: i hope it goes well. bring on those follicules & make them good ones!

lulu: what a nightmare having to fight for treatment. Is it all just lip service to the criteria? I hope you get it sorted.

Thanks, Only and Malaket. I'm still getting the run around, but they said they are trying to locate my notes and will let me know.

Malaket- I can't believe you had to fight for NHS treatment since you fit the criteria. Sounds like we do too. Good luck to you.

Only- great news that it worked for you in the end.

I really appreciate your thoughts.

Lulu - I think it depends on the area as to how they treat funding - we were on the waiting list for our "free" IVF treatment a while ago, and decided to jump the queue and go privately. I told the NHS we were doing this (as in our area once you paid for IVF you weren't allowed the NHS cycle) and our call up for the "free" IVF arrived when I was 19 weeks pregnant. The NHS got quite shirty with me when I explained and said I ought to have told them! It turned out that when the funding is allocated every April, there was only enough for 60 couples to have treatment, so as we had backed out it meant another couple could have treatment that year. Maybe that is how the funding works where you are?

Hi Lulu

We had to fight for ours because our borough said they didn't have the funding for it, which was terrrible seeing we both fitted the criteria. We had to contact our MP who managed to fight for this on our behalf.

We fitted the criteria which was as follows:-

we were both under 40
didn't somke
never had IVF treatment before
didn't have any other children from previous relationships.

We got it in the end, about 3/4 months of fighting, more added stress which we can all do without!!!

There lovley at the JR but felt we needed a change.

Hope this helps.

Malaket

thanks, only and malaket.

I will be going to the JR at Oxford too- so I guess one cycle is all we get. My GP thought it was 3. I've been ringing around and nobody can seem to find my notes! Trying not to get too worked up.

Malaket- why did you have to fight for your one free one?

Hi Malaket here

We had 1 free NHS and then have had to fund the other attempts ourselves.

We had to fight for our free one but we did manage to get it.

There were certain criterias they requested ,if your lucky enough to get a free one and it is only the one.

Not sure about the age thing for the NHS but we did our free NHS through the JR at Oxford where we have all our past treaments.

This time we transferred our eggs to the Chiltern in Amersham, we thought a change would be as good as the rest.

Regards
Malaket x x

Hi Lulu - can you find the website for your local NHS anywhere as this will tell you their criteria for treatment
this is the one for my local

I think 39 is the cut off for most NHS IVF, so please don't panic. Number of rounds should be 3, can often be one. If you can find the name of the clinics (or may even be a hospital) that provide IVF on the NHS where you are, you could call them and ask what the waiting times are. Finally, I found my NHS fertility consultant's secretary knew the answers to all these questions and was frankly a good deal easier to reach than the consultant.

sorry, must dash, Soosy lovely to see you again.

hi all- sorry to bust into your thread. I have been TTC for 2 years (mmc 13 weeks in OCt06 then nothing) have been on clomid, had lap and dye, ovarian diathermy etc etc. I have now been told IVF is the next step. I'm now totally confused as I've been told many different things, mainly because I was a private patient but now NHS. I am turning 34 very soon. I have heard that NHS won't do IVF after 35. Is that true? Any ideas about how many rounds given on the NHS (I'm in Oxford)? and also, an ideas about the waiting list? I've tried to ask these questions, but am getting nowhere. Any thoughts would be very gratefully accepted.

Again, sorry for busting in, but I thought you ladies might be a real source of wisdom. I have a few friends who have done/ are on IVF, but all were private.

hello everyone especially those on 2ww,

swerve I really hope you had a bfp yesterday? even if you didn't i'm sending you lots and lots of good wishes.

malaket, it sounds like you have been on a long haul, it took 12 years and a m/c with our first IVF cycle before DD was conceived. It can happen even after all that time so fingers crossed for you to be successful this time.

I've started injections (last Friday) with a view to EC on 8th April etc etc. Does anyone else find that they go into the worst mood ever when doing this, I'm like a caged animal snarling at all who pass by, it's terrible but I just don't seem to be able to calm down. I don't know if it's the stress or the drugs - or both!

I agree with others re Chlomid for someone who's had recurrant m/c, doesn't make sense. Is your friend going to feel able to challenge the doctor if she needs to? I hope so.

Hi EHM and Malakat keeping everything crossed for you both on the 2WW.

Just waiting for af to arrive and then another cycle before trying FET at end of April!

Had a lovely weekend, didn't have to see MIL which was a huge relief. She's off in a tizzy about some builders she should have paid and didn't and they took her to small claims, she lost and now she wants to appeal. So hugely pleased we didn't have to sit through lunch with her.

Found a School for DS!

Hope everyone else had a good weekend, how are you SS?

malakat I have everything x for you.sorry to hear about your mc last year.life just really isn't fare.keep me posted. what part of the country are you in. I am in the South East & We had our transfer at the Lgfc.

Hi

I am 40 this year and have been trying since I was 25 its been a long road which isn't yet coming to an end.

Just keeping everything crossed at present.

I think I am convincing myself I am pregnant as I am feeling exactly as I did over a year ago when I fell pregnant for the first time.

My test in on the 17th March and counting

Are you going to try again ?

Take care Malaket x

hi EMH

Good luck EHM lets hope its our time.

One week to go and everyting crossed.

Let me know how you get on.

Hi Everybody
Just wanted to pop by & say hello hope you are all ok?
Day 6 of our 2ww.
Especially good luck to malaket I too had transfer on 3/3.

Hi Malaket

So sorry to hear about your m/c last year - you would think if life were fair that once you got pregnant after fertility treatment then all should be plain sailing

Do you mind me asking how old you are? Seems like you have had a lot of treatment, poor you

No advice on the 2WW really - last time I was convinced I was pregnant, only to find I wasn't - but being convinced I was pregnant made my 2WW a lot better! When do you test?

Hi all

Thought I would just wish everyone luck with there IVF's and FT.
I am currently half way through my 2 week wait after having a FT on the 3rd March. The 2w wait is a nightmare I dont know what to do with myself, trying to keep busy but not always easy.
This is my 2nd FT and my 5th attempt going down the IVF route. We have also tried IUI 4 times.
I had one MC just over a year ago which was very sad and have now decided to go for it again.
I have lots o twinging going on at the moment and am praying its not my period coming.

OAP yes apparently they can increase the blood supply to the uterus and help you relax. There are some recent studies that say that acupuncture immediately before and after an ET can improve chances of pg by 65%. (The study took place in a chinese fertility clinic which have lower success rates, but still that is a hell of a difference.) They use very small needles and I hardly feel them at all, then I don't mind needles, but they hurt much less than using Gonal F pen. They are put all over your body and sometimes in your ears, not only your back. Although my last cycle was unsuccessful, i did manage to freeze four embryos and had the best quality embryos for a very long time and I think the acupuncture had something to do with it. I did have reflexology for about a year and it did make me feel v relaxed, used to fall asleep on the treatment couch thing! I loved it, but it didn't help, sadly, i would love to justify having some more!!!

Sx

Swerve, so difficult to resist testing early, but Sunday is still a long way away in terms of hormones. Best of luck for your retest on Sunday morning anyway.

Have been decluttering all week in preparation for our move north next month. Cannot believe how much crap we have....still, at least Freecycle has benefitted from this!

Soosy, I've never had acupuncture. What exactly do they do (I have visions of you lying face down covered in great big needles!) and do they do anything specific for fertility?

Swerve NMM is right,Wait til Sunday, the fat Lady hasn't sung. Lister was on our list for 2nd Opinion. We have seen Sam Abdullah at the Chelsea & Westminster, but they won't do more experimental procedures. So perhaps we'll have a go there.

OAP, yes I have acupuncture every week now, hoping it will do wonders for my forthcoming FET. I am a glutton for punishment. Hope your friend gets some answers, the place to be referred to is the Lindo wing at St Mary's Paddington, about recurrent mc. It is private but they are the best. Good Luck to her.

SS get that piriton, you'll feel much better.

Having nice glass of Red. See you all tomorrow.

S x

Morning Yorky (well afternoon now!)

Good morning nomore!

((swerve))
Sunday's still a long way off - you could have tested too early

so i did it... and a big fat nothin. now i'm trying to convince myself that its a false negative and sunday will be totally different. hmm....

i love the team at the lister. they have all been so kind and helpful through this.

Can't get MN to load pic at the mo - will try again tomorrow.