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Original poster

What's IVF *really* like?

63 replies

JaneHH · 01/03/2008 17:59

Hi everyone

DH and I are almost 99% sure we're going to start on IVF in the next few months - I can get pregnant but I don't want to pass on something hereditary which I have. So IVF will -hopefully- help us in that department.

So I was wondering whether anyone else has done IVF with PGD (pre-implantation genetic diagnosis)?

But I was mainly wondering what it's REALLY like to have IVF... What can we expect besides all sorts of trips to the chemist and self-mutilation with daily hormone injections? Is it manageable or more realistically truly hideous? What do I need to steel prepare myself/ourselves for?

Thanks for all your help, MN'ers!

---------------------

Hi there - this thread is a little old. [[https://www.mumsnet.com/conception/ivf
If you want to find out about IVF, we’ve got more information here]]. MNHQ

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coggy · 01/03/2008 19:23

Jane - I have just finished my first (and probably only) cycle of IVF. Unfortunately it didn't work for us this time but I wanted to let you know that I found it all fairly easy.

I was really quite worried about it all before I started as I'd heard all the horror stories and hormonal mood swings etc.

There are different protocols that clinics do and mine meant that I was very evenly tempered and balanced all the way through.
Injecting myself was fine - I have previously injected for 4 cycles of IUI so that didn't bother me.
The drugs got courier-ed (?!) to the front door so the only really time-consuming and frustrating thing for us was that the clinic is a 3-hour round trip and I had to go back every other day for about a week because my follicles weren't ready (I'm a slow grower!! )

Don't get me wrong - there were nerve-wracking moments and the end result was really sad...but I expected hell and took it all in my stride. I am naturally a fairly accepting person and I think it helps that I came to the point where IVF was just the next logical step, so we just did it.

I hope that makes sense...and I would hate for anyone to think that I was belittling the procedure because a lot of drug regimes are FAR worse than mine. I am just giving you my feelings.

I hope all goes well with you.
X

1wish · 01/03/2008 19:17

Trust me JaneHH my degree is the least of my worries. Every single person around me is pregnant, friends, sisters, dps friends, people at uni. I never thought i'd reach this point, and if IVF doesn't work....well it doesn't bear thinking about
Your situation sounds terrible too, I can't even imagine your pain

Original poster
JaneHH · 01/03/2008 19:13

sorry takes me ages to think up my replies... hadn't seen your post, 1wish, when I was replying to Jenkel! Well, your situation sounds more stressful, in a way, because you're still studying and have to decide whether or not to wait. Will you be able to deal with your finals / thesis AND IVF? Wow!

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Original poster
JaneHH · 01/03/2008 19:11

mmhh I can imagine, Jenkel, what you mean when you say, "by the 3rd time". I think there must be some magical threshold - trying twice is do-able (relatively ) but by the third time you're beginning to wonder whether it will ever work. Precisely the reason why I don't want to try to get pregnant "normally" a third time, if you see what I mean. Terminating is horrid horrid horrid but better than the consequences of not doing so. I'm very glad to hear that it did work for you in the end - 1wish and I can take heart

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1wish · 01/03/2008 19:07

Hi JaneHH, we are just considering where to have our IVF at present, and as I am in the final year of studying a degree we thought we'd wait til the summer.
However we are desperate to get started as we have exhausted all other options, we both have problems (little ovulation on my side, bad sperm morhology for dp)
I know this is a desperately stressfull time for you, so you have my full emphathy

jenkel · 01/03/2008 19:05

The only things I done that was a little different to how I normally live, was to drink lots more water, 2-3 liters a day and I also had refelxology which helped me relax.

Must have been awful for you to terminate 2 healthy pregnancies, so I guess you have gone through some of the pain.

To be honest, the first time we went though it I was fine, almost quite flippant about it, but by the 3rd time it was awful.

Original poster
JaneHH · 01/03/2008 19:03

luckylady74 you live up to your reputation, then - your story sounds very lucky! I didn't really dare ask how many attempts people had had... but if anyone wants to share how long they were trying before it was successful then I would be interested to know. With us they would only put back one embryo (medical risk for me if I had twins) so that reduces the chances even more

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Original poster
JaneHH · 01/03/2008 19:00

1wish, good to hear that someone else is in the same boat . Whereabouts are you in the whole decision process? Or have you already started IVF?

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luckylady74 · 01/03/2008 19:00

I think my experience is quite unusual - I was dx with endemtreosis and when they removed cysts said that considering i had been trying for 2 yrs that ivf was my best bet. I was 27 which seemed young next to the other women in the clinic. The short story is that I have had 2 ivf attempts and have 3 children as a result. The treatment didn't have any significant impact on my mood - I was fat and depressed because of the endemetreosis anyway! It was very straight forward - thw worst bit was waiting for the test and when we thought one of the twins might have gone.It was fine, but I imagine that all the stress must arise from repeated failed attempts which I didn't experience.

Original poster
JaneHH · 01/03/2008 18:59

Hi Jenkel and 1wish, thanks for your replies. Well, to be honest, this is also the only real way which can work for us, as we have -with much disappointment- had to terminate two naturally-conceived pregnancies because of what I don't want to pass on. Terminating a much-wanted pregnancy is something I do NOT want to repeat, so IVF seems like the "easy" option [sarcastic laugh].

Pleased to hear a happy ending, however. How did you make sure it worked in the end, Jenkel? Did you do anything like acupunture or was it pure luck?

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jenkel · 01/03/2008 18:49

My experience in IVF is from somebody who couldnt conceive naturally, so we were desperate and this was the only way it would work for us.

The medical stuff didnt really bother me, the injections my dh had to do because that was one thing I just couldnt do to myself. It was the mental toll that I found hardest to cope with.

I have to say that even though I though I was prepared I was shocked at how difficult it was, I was shocked at how all the hormone treatments made me feel, the pressure that we were both under as it was costing us a serious amount of money each time, the awful feeling when we found out it had failed, the time it took up (trips to the clinic at odd times, trips to the clinic every other day). We had 3 failed attempts and towards the end it was the darkest stage of my life.

But you have to remember that you are going into with a slightly different background so I'm hoping you dont get the desperate feelings that I had. Also, I have to point out that I did go through the darkest stage of my life, but that in turn led to the happiest stage of my life.

I dont want to put you off, but I dont beleive its something that you can go into lightly, it does take it out of you, so please be prepared. If you can allow for some good times during treatment, little treats for you and DH.

1wish · 01/03/2008 18:39

Hi, I can't offer any advice as I'm in the same situation myself. But thought i'd bump this for you as it's an interesting question, which i'd like to hear about as well, the IVF booklet i've been given makes the process look so complicated i'm starting to wonder whether i could cope with it.
Good luck

Original poster
JaneHH · 01/03/2008 18:34

Is there just no-one out there in this topic at the moment who's had IVF or have I unwittingly touched on a taboo topic? I'm sorry if I have. It's just that we have our appointment next week with the gynae and I can choose - either set the whole thing in motion with the medical information we've been given and just grin and bear it all as and when it happens (which I will do if no-one replies ) or make use of the vast store of MN knowledge [grovel, grovel] and know what exactly I'm asking for when I say we'd like to go for IVF.

Having said that it's tea-time in the UK so I may just be posting at the wrong time... will be patient

Any reply is much appreciated. Thanks.

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