Assisted Conception (and all the bits that go with it) volume 9

[Scrummybumb]

A new snug for us AC ladies

Lissy congratulations and welcome to lovely Rosalie.

Oh Lissy wonderful wonderful news (I'm bawling my eyes out - happy tears). A huge welcome to beautiful little Rosalie. Sorry you've had a difficult time - let everyone look after you. You've done brilliantly. I'm so so so pleased for you and dH xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hi All

Firstly a BIG congratulations to you Lissy and welcome to gorgeous Rosalie (also love the name) That is the best news I've heard in a while. Very very happy for you and DH. Enjoy this special time ooxo

Josie - great you are starting your IVF so soon. I can't remember are you NHS? Best of luck darl and yes it really does impact on your life. I've only done IUI so far but even all involved with that was more than people think.

Scrummy - I hope work settles down soon dear. I've heard stress can be totally related to FSH levels.

Keziah - hope you are feeling better.
Italian - we've missed your humour here! Welcome back. Fantastic news February is a go go. Fingers and toes crossed hard for you.

Bugsy - how are you doing dear? Have you met with your consultant yet re steps from here?

Mo - are you still there my dear? How are you doing?

And welcome to Mini-H and Slighlybabycrazed - everyone is so caring and helpful here you've found a good home!

Sorry I've been a bit absent. Also just pottering along. But the good news is that have now been to 2nd clinic re egg sharing which was much better. Just overall friendlier and more encouraging (not too much to ask hey!). I can't remember who said it but in the end I think it comes down to your gut feeling. Just what feels like the best place. So looks like we are going to go for it! Pending more testing, prodding and poking, if all good we could start in the next 8 weeks. More waiting, but aren't we all good at that? Have been recommended to do ICSI, so onwards and upwards to ICSI.
Still waiting for medical records from original clinic. Even wrote that email to our consultant begging for her help, but no response, at all. So am going to call the medical records department tomorrow to see what I can do. It's worth a shot. The egg-sharing clinic we've gone with will accept those tests done previously, but will also do some of their own. Some of which we had at the consultation so should have those results in a few days. Then if test results okay off to see a counsellor (part of procedure) to make sure we understand the legal implications etc. So just following the steps, ticking the boxes and hoping we can start sometime before April.

A big Hi and hugs to Lexie, Weller, Teds, Beginnings, *Chutney) and anyone else I have potentially missed!

oxox

Hello gorgeous gals

Sorry for radio silence, just needed a bit of 'me me me' time!

Congrats again to Lissy - such brilliant news.

Josie how did your appointment go today? Hope your nurse was helpful and kind in your jab lesson. How are you feeling about it all?

Italian glad you've got all those tests behind you now - and great to have you back in the game. Next month is nearly here and so is your cycle - exciting!!!

Lexie loved the Zumba story it did make me smile (I would be so rubbish, I remember doing step classes and my arms and legs were always out of sync). But well done you with all fitness, its very impressive

Mini glad you're feeling okay about ivf. Youre in the right place for lots of support x

Sunny great news about finding your clinic - gut feeling counts for a lot. 8 weeks is no time to wait, i really hope they work very very hard for you

Lucy 16 weeks - brilliant. Have you got a little bump yet? I've been checking out ARGC and have some questions (i) what is it that makes them so great (ii) if I have frozen embies at another clinic, could I transfer to ARGC (iii) why should I consider ARGC?????

I'm having mega dilemmas about what to do next. i'm becoming obsessed with immunes and really take on board all of the great stuff you've all posted on here about it. I have very have mild asthama and mild hayfever - I'll ask my clinic again but I've been told the prednisolone and aspirin is what they want to put me on. In fairness I did get the BFP, I just need to get another one AND keep it.

I've been to see my osteopath tonight - firs time since BFP. I told him the full story and brilliantly and bizzarly he's recommended a local acupuncturist whose a fertility specialist and who worked at zita west. i think i'll go for it. but what exactly does it claim to do for ac? does it have any links with immunies???

Hi to anyone i've missed - and hope you're all doing well.

Oh, btw, i've decided that we need some good news on this thread, so ive requested lots of BFPs for Spring/early Summer - so here's to a busy time and lots of BFP news

xxx

I am completely obsessing about immunes. Given I've only had one mc and that is claimed to have been a blighted ovum, do you think i should still get tested? It's so expensive and rather controversial I'm so confused.

Sorry to bleet on - is the consensus that if it's on my mind I should at least go for the tests (argc £780 plus whatever meds are needed after). Lucy I know you'd vouch for them.

Italian since you've just embarked on this what do you think? Which clinic did you choose and what made you choose them - you don't have to give details if you'd prefer not to.

Lissy still smiling about your news. It was about time we had something to celebrate. Hope you're all doing well.

pocket I have never had IVF at any other clinic (or indeed at ARGC due to my surprise BFP), but attribute the coneption in part to ARGC and the continuation of it entirely. When i went to see them i was 39 with one ds 3 conceived naturally. Since then i had had one termination at 20 weeks and one mc at 8 weeks. They seemed to think from the start that i had immune issues and tested me before doing anything else. It turns out it's quite common for older women, who have conceived naturally before to develop immune issues. Apparently the body switches from reproduction mode when the immune system is a bit lower to 'preparing to get old' mode, fighting off diseases etc. So, it turns out my immunes were high, and I got preg on the medication the gave me to bring down immunes in prep of IVF. I asked them to monitor my pregnancy, which meant daily blood tests at first, then every other day, and then once you get to about 6 weeks weekly bloods and scans. The benefits of such close monitoring are obviously that if any hormones aren't behaving, they can change your medication accordingly. With this pregnancy, I felt that if there was something chromosomally wrong, nature would take its course, but if a problem was preventable, ARGC were on top of it and could stop anything bad from happening. They err completely in the side of caution, and many ARGC patients are medication for way longer than many other clinics, but I kind of like it that way as it leads nothing to chance. They test immunes monthly, and treat monthly too up until 24 weeks normally (when baby is viable) but some women with particularly high levels have been known to be treated up to 32 weeks. I don't know if you can transfer frozen embies over but I'd be very surprised if you couldn't. If you look on the HFEA website I think you'll find that ARGC have the best success rates in the country, and also anecdotally I have met many women there who have had BFNs elsewhere and a BFP at ARGC. It has been dubbed the 'last chance saloon'! I'm not sure what medication is required for DEIVF from frozen, but I do know that Mr Tarinissi checks every woman's blood tests daily when they're cycling, and no two women's medication is the same, it really is completely tailored to you. I'm writing this on my phone, but later will try to post a link to the ARGC bit on fertility friends. You could post some questions on there. So in short, I'd advise you to get your immunes tested and as for ARGC, I am an absolute convert and very grateful to them, but they have got their brilliant reputation for a reason.
And as for my bump? Yep, as soon as we got the all clear at 16 weeks I 'popped' so am very definitely out of my regular clothes!
Anyway, sorry for the ramble, hope it's been of some use!

And sorry for all the typos, hopefully you catch my drift !

Hi everyone, just a quick post from me.

Appt went much better than expected. We both practised injecting into a pretend bit of stomach fat then DH injected me with salt water. I was so terrified! We must have looked ridiculous I held my stomach in one hand, then DH's hand in the other, so he only had one hand to inject with, but he said it was fine and we can do it like that in future if I need to. I had my eyes squeezed shut, was wiggling my feet and blowing out my breath (it helps me stay calm) It stung like crazy at first, and was a little sore afterwards, but nothing I can't handle I don't think. The needle is long but really really thin so it's not as bad as I was expecting. I'm not as scared for starting properly on Sunday now

Hope you are all ok

Josie, that sounds brilliant. Your DH sounds lovely and supportive and hopefully things will only get easier after Sunday Lots and lots of luck and positive thoughts are being sent your way.

Lucy thanks for all your help and for indulging my immunes obsession (DP won't listen to me at all about it, thinks its just for the clinics to get more cash). I will do some more searching online and investigate the potential to move my frosties. I think some clinics will treat immunes for you if your fertility treatment is happening elsewhere so I need to look into that also. Really appreciate your help. And great news about the bump

Great news Josie im pleases it went well and has been a help. I'm sure sunday will be fine - will be thinking of you. But let us know how you get on.

First, thank you to all you lovely ladies for the well wishes. We're still in hospital at the moment because Rosalie isn't feeding properly yet. Hopefully when my milk comes in that won't be an issue. In the meantime I'm expressing colostrum and she's being cup fed formula.

As far as immunes, when I chose to go to ARGC I knew that I would go with whatever they suggested. After a miscarriage and a failed cycle I wasn't going to argue. And now I have little Rosalie!

Pocket I hope this works. Here's the link to the ARGC section on fertility friends. I'm sure if you asked about transferring embryos (or asked about anything else ARGC related) you'd get lots of answers very quickly.

[http://www.fertilityfriends.co.uk/forum/index.php?board=210.0]

Lissy lovely to hear from you. Hope you're getting lots of assistance at the hospital. Depending on where you're based in London I can recommend a good breast feeding consultant, she helped me a lot with latching on problems and positioning when I was having problems at the beginning with DS.

hmm, why didn't that work. Try again:

www.fertilityfriends.co.uk/forum/index.php?board=210.0

Sunnyg thanks honey. Now feel the need to be humorous ... An Englishman, Irishman and Scotsman walk into a bar and ........ No it's ok I prefer observational humour! ?I am an evil giraffe, and I shall eat more leaves from this tree then perhaps I should, so that other giraffes may die?

thinkexist.com/quotation/puberty-is-the-sickest-joke-god-plays-on-us-so/348311.html

Hugs to you all, we need humour!

lissy big hugs, and for Rosalie too. Lissy are you boob feeding? It's so worth it but can be a hassle to get started. I found feeding lying down was easy but then I would do most things lying down if it were possible!

Pocket I choose Care because:

They did donor eggs and did not limit them to people who have no children as some clinics might have done.
They offered freezing of embryos
They also did IUI so we could try that first
They were not too far away
They did not involve going into London on the tube! I just felt if I were to be collapsing due to sad news I would rather do it in a heated car than on a packed Bakerloo line train!

I guess they were also in our price range but to be honest that was not a huge factor but WOULD have been if there was a huge choice and they all quoted different prices.

I could not find their numbers on success but I feel they are good. Who knows where to find numbers on success rates?

HUGS to ALL.

Lissy don't lie down, feed, fall asleep and squash the baby, it's a serious thing but if it is very hard feeling maybe explore different positions!

Eddie Izzard again ...

"??Cause Jesus I do think did exist, and he was, I think, a guy who had interesting ideas in the Gandhi-type area, in the Nelson Mandela-type area, you know, relaxed and groovy; and the Romans thought, "Relaxed and groovy?! No, no, no, no, no!" So they murdered him. And kids eat chocolate eggs, because of the color of the chocolate, and the color of the... wood on the cross. Well, you tell me! It's got nothing to do with it, has it??

thinkexist.com/quotes/like/i_am_an_evil_giraffe-and_i_shall_eat_more_leaves/345755/

ooopse, that was the giraffe again!

"Eddie Izzard again ...

"??Cause Jesus I do think did exist, and he was, I think, a guy who had interesting ideas in the Gandhi-type area, in the Nelson Mandela-type area, you know, relaxed and groovy; and the Romans thought, "Relaxed and groovy?! No, no, no, no, no!" So they murdered him. And kids eat chocolate eggs, because of the color of the chocolate, and the color of the... wood on the cross. Well, you tell me! It's got nothing to do with it, has it??

thinkexist.com/quotation/-cause_jesus_i_do_think_did_exist-and_he_was-i/341220.html

italian all clinic's success rates can be found and compared on the HFEA website.

[www. HFEA.gov.uk]

Had friends over for dinner tonight. DP was telling a story, context not relevant but he said something like '...if ever we had kids...'. My friend literally said "it's too late for that". Now I know she really meant no harm but I am feeling sensitive about being judged if I do ever get pregnant - i am 45 very soon and wonder I'd I've just left it too late

Pocket I am so sorry thos person said this totally unkind and untrue thing about it being too late. Who says when it is too late for any person. NO ONE would say to a 45 year old man it was too late to have kids. I know it is harder for us ladies but NOT impossible. If it is easier to ignore that kind of stupid comment then please do ignore it, if you ever feel the need to rebuff such idiocy, please remind them of Cherrie Booth (Blair's wife) and Mimi Rogers both having babies at 45, Susan Sarandon having a baby at 46, Beverly D'Angelo, having twins at 49 and Cheryl Tiegs hvaing twins at 52. BUT of course if you start that discussion they will almost certainly either ask if you are trying or will start talking about fertility treatment and donor eggs or will start giving examples of much older parents and aksing if it is right etc to have babies older etc etc! All of this maybe be fine and if they were really good friends you may feel able to discuss it but maybe you will not. You can tell them you ahve a friend (me) who has just turned 47 and is trying for a baby! Just let those comments bounce off you, either they have their own child/children, or they did not want any, or like you they have tried. Maybe they have decided it is too late for them or too late for another, maybe they wondered if you would disagree with them! Just let that thought spur you on, you are not too old, it is NOT too late. Hugs.

www.mothersover40.com/celebrities.html

Thanks Lucy I have hjad a look at www.HFEA.gov.uk and specifically www.hfea.gov.uk/fertility-clinics-success-rates.html I could not find the actual data, there was lots of info on what the data would mean and how it was expressed etc but the actual data eluded me!

I was going to say for me that I was feeling slightly pee-ed off! Our treatment starts next week but it is longer than I thought! We are off for a holiday to Spring Harvest and I am not sure when our treatment will happen in relation to it! I am just so fed up that every stage of the way is complicated! I am not sure whether to just go for it and hope it all happens before we go away and use the time away to relax, or to try and delay treatment so it happens when we are back! I just really really feel I want to get started soon! I know delaying by a week or two would probably not make any difference, maybe two weeks wouldn't but I am just feeling so much I just want to get started! As I said reading about others experiences reminds me to chill and try not to get too stressed.

Hugs to all.

As I said on another thread, I mean, about not worrying about myself. Others have much more humbling expereinces.

Just a quickie Italian, I don't think you can see ALL the clinics displayed at one time, but if you were trying to decide between 2 or 3 you could print out their data and compare success rates for your age group. I've no idea where you're based, but here's a link to the data section for Care Notts. There are also lots of buttons within the data to refine your data. Hope this helps!

[http://guide.hfea.gov.uk/guide/HeadlineData.aspx?code=101&s=l&&nav=4&rate=i&rate_sub=FSO]

Not sure why link isn't working, but I'm sure it'd work if you cut and paste