Assisted Conception (and the bits in between) Volume 10

[MoJangled]

Our new home, hope you all find me soon...

Brilliant news Pocket. Hope I follow in your footsteps. My scan is next Wednesday. It can't come quick enough.

Thanks for all your good wishes ladies. Hope everything is going smoothly. Xx

pocket yay!!!! I am thrilled for you. We heard the hb for the first time today (clinic scanners are terrible so you can only see it but we went to another place today where they have decent scanners) and it is so so magical isn't it? Makes me smile and well up just thinking about it. Enjoy this moment.

sasha not long now. Fx for your scan next week.

Xx

Hoophopes - my natural killer cells were elevated apparently. Then we changed to The Bridge Centre in London and they diagnosed out of phase lining and did not see relevance of nk cells. We are going to get second opinion at ARGC - have heard good things about this place. But we've yet to hear about when our appt is and they said the waiting time is 4-6 weeks..

What are level 1 and 2s?

Pocket - really huge congratulations :-) :-)

pocket yeh that is soon exciting. Go mini pocket go. You so deserve it DSB

Well done pocket

absolutely fantastic news pocket. So excited for you.

and mini how great to hear hb.

twinkle sorry I don't know much about levels. But I just had my consult yest at ARGC which was interesting. I hope you get your appointment soon.

Yey Pocket! That is great news! Really really happy for you.

Twinkle I really do know how you feel. It is so confusing when different clinics tell you different things and you just don't know what to do for best. I also know what you mean about the conflicting feelings, when on the one hand it is so hard to decide to get back on the wagon when it has already caused so much heartache, but when the heartache of not having a family hurts just as bad. I am going through similar emotions myself. I am with CARE in Mcr and my consultant does seem to have faith in the NK cells test and all the other immunes (Chicago tests and level 1 that Hoops mentioned, which test for antibodies and the like, hoops and Mo know a lot about them, and can probably help more..) I am currently trying to read and digest all the info they have given me and trying to work out which tests I can afford to do and when. I think we are going to have level 1 tests asap and then see if we need the Chicago ones, and if so, beg and/or borrow the money for them. I really do want to be able to look back and say I did everything I could and not have any regrets, but it is hard. Good luck with whatever you decide to do, and I hope your wish to have a family comes true soon for you.

DSB

Twinkle the NK test is part of the level 2 tests for immune issues, which is why I asked if you had them all tested. I was with Care, though the consultant I was under (George Nduwke) who is a specialist in immune issues now runs a new IVF clinic in London (under Zita West's name).

sunnyg what did you think after your consultation. I wonder if I saw you as was around the clinic from about 11:45 to 1:45.

Twinkle what are your thoughts on The Bridge? Am there for our FET after successful IVF but not 100% I would do a fresh IVF cycle again...

Thanks Gingernut :-)

Hoophopes, I see.. I will ask ARGC to review the tests I've had to see if there are anymore I need to have done..

Vallinnapod - I love the Bridge I really do. The nurses are fab.. I just feel that perhaps there is no real thinking outside of the box.. Everything is methodical and slow paced and I need a bit more umph from a consultant at the mo - to push me forward to success! My fresh cycle was successful on all levels bar the BFP which I didn't get! But eggs, fertilisation and blastocysts were all tick, tick, tick! And the e tegrity test confirmed my lining was the problem on after the failed fresh cycle so I guess that is reason it failed.. The FET experience I felt less confident about and the transfer was painful because apparently I have a tipped uterus which they never seem to make a note of!! So now I am thinking that the painful transfer was perhaps to blame for unsuccessful FET. I dunno I am prob clutching at straws and disappointed and trying to find someone or something to blame.

Apart from my lack of success after only one round of IVF, I really rate the bridge and hope I don't decide to move clinic.. Good luck to you :-)

Thanks everyone for the support

Hi everyone

and welcome to Twinkle ! If you read back a couple of pages you'll find a link to the Fertility Friends Immunes FAQ in one of my posts, which is a good place to start if you want to dig out more info.

Hurray for miniPocket ! Fantastic to know it's all going along bang on track! Are you going to be able to relax and enjoy, at least a bit? (I know we're all programmed to be on tenterhooks and waiting for something to go wrong after the journeys we've had but I hope you can enjoy this bit of the ride, you deserve it!). What was the fatso clothing advice? I need it - can only wear jeans with the help of a hairband through the buttonhole and did 2 videoconferences at work and was horrified by the chunky vision I presented (I've clearly become very good at not really looking in mirrors...)

Hoops what a story! how terrifying - in retrospect - and what a good call by your consultant. Thank goodness it turned out alright!

Weller I can understand your disappointment but remember it only takes one [repeat ad nauseum]. But meanwhile here's hoping you can protein up and get a few more follies following on. Are they upping your stims?

I'm really looking forward to coming off some of these drugs, they're making me negative, headachy and tired (as well as fat!) - or even more so than I would have been anyway! Start phasing down in a couple of weeks...

Hugs and Don't Stop Believing

xx

Hi mini and all
Yes we had our ARGC consultation on Monday and it went well. As I expected really, but I guess that's because with each consultation or clinic I get better at preparing and getting my questions quite specific. Plus with all of the talking to ARGC ladies on this forum, past and present, and loads of reasearch I knew what to expect really. When we finished, it was the first time in a while that I had a real sense of (cautious) hope and posativity. I think I maybe even had a little spring in my step when I left the clinic. So drumroll...... I think we are going to go for it. I was tempted to do just the monitoring cycle and then decide, but actually it's not just about the monitoring cycle and maybe finding an immunes issue. For me it came down to a few main points:

1. The success rates, with both the clinical and live birth rate being the best in the country and literally double that of what I was quoted at the NHS
2. The fact that the live birth rate is almost as high as the clinical pregnancy rate, in that they are not only getting you pregnant but doing their best to keep you pregnant. After a MC earlier after our ICSI cycle that's something that is more and more important to me. I know that if we do get that elusive BFP, the post BFP monitoring can be very very stressful at ARGC, as some of you have attested to. But I've really thought about this alot, and I do believe that I'd prefer to know things weren't looking great, and that the clinic were trying to do absolutely everthing possible, as opposed to having that complete shock again of having no hb at the first scan. But that's just me.
3. The tailored and invidualised treatment

So now it's just up to the bank! I never thought we'd have to remortgage before we have kids, but I never really thought any of this might happen! So fingers cross we get the money we need and then if that's the case I hope to start a monitoring cycle asap. We should hear from the bank by Saturday so keep your fingers crossed for us. We've been given a tentative yes, but we need that confirmation.

I know some people will think we are mad not taking the free option first, and maybe if I was 25 and not 35 I'd be more willing to consider that. But I'm not the consultant at ARGC said my fertility was literally on the cusp of still being decent, so I think time really is of the essence.And I'm just not sure how many more times I can 'give it a go'. I really need to feel the next step is giving us the best possible chance we can.

So I hope that we can soon join in the long line of ARGC graduates.

In the past few weeks we've also been to see the famed fertility dieticien and nutritionist Mel Brown, whom I'd highly recommend. It's cost us a small fortune in vitamins and supplements but at least we'll be super healthy if nothing else. Also back to Acupuncturist recently too.
I don't know if it's a bit of a placebo affect, but I really feel that for the next cycle it's almost as much about feeling like we've done everything possible we can to make this happen as anything else. No regrets or something like that.

Wooo, so sorry for very long post!

big hugs to you all and thanks for all of your support oxox

Hi Sunny, so pleased to hear that your appointment went well and to hear you so positive! It sounds as though they have amazing results from what I've read on here and also the difference in success rates sounds quite something. Definitely worth the money.

I am a similar age to you and think I'd have made the same decision. The money doesn't matter compared to increasing your chances as best you can. Vitamins and acupuncture sounds like a good plan too. Anything to be super-healthy and decrease stress levels can only be a good thing!

Good luck with the bank - me and Mini-Badger have our fingers crossed for you.

Welcome to Twinkle, Vallinna, Monkey and Anaitis and waves to Ginger and Weller, hope you're doing okay. And everyone else!

And So much good news on this thread at the moment as well with Kitten, Mini-Pocket, Pip, Mini-Mini and Mini-Sasha! Wow, hope I got them all!

DSB

xx

many thanks badger and mini- badger for your good wishes. Not long now till mini badger is here right? very exciting.

And a quick update from me. Just heard from the bank and it's good news. It's great news. Loan approved! ARGC here we come!!!!

DSB oxox

Hurray for the bank! (don't say that very often ) So pleased for you sunny.

I've got 8.5 weeks to go, not many. Although I am currently mainly counting down the 4 weeks I've got left at work. I will start to count down to Mini-badger's arrival after that!

sunnyg that is fab news and I totally understand your logic, so well done. I will follow your progress with keen interest and don't forget to join the clinic groups on fertilityfriend.

pocket and mini great news about the hb. There is nothing quite like it!

mo glad you feel better about things now. One day at a time...

Hi badger how are you feeling these days? Have you got your birth plan ready or not quite yet?

Sunnyg great to hear you liked ARGC and are happy with your decision. As long as you are happy that is all that matters, and as they are near you that should really help!

badger - wow, that is not long at all! What a fab Christmas for you - I loved last Christmas with my ever expanding bump!

Mo I either had to wear maternity clothes or size up by 10 weeks, as it is the initial weight gain and uterus moving up (hence trousers not fitting). What I hadn't realised is that after giving birth I wasn't going to lose weight immediately, my big maternity clothes didn't fit (or were stretched) and I had the same problem. So, wish I had bought a few loser things at start of maternity, as ended up buying them post birth anyway . I found leggings and jumper type dresses did the job, think got them from H+M maternity (but not for work, just sized up!!). Then after 12 week scan I enjoyed buying proper maternity clothes!!

sunny yay for the decision and the bank. You probably already know but fertility friends do an argc board and that is so helpful for argc specific stuff. Definitely worth a look and I met lovely ladies that way who were cycling with meand kept me company during wait for repeats.

Xx

Hi ladies! I just wanted everyone to know that I lurk EVERY DAY, and I am seriously chuffed at all the good news that's been happening on this thread! I am thrilled to bits for Pocket and Mojangled and Catsofa and mini and all the other BFP's. Badger not too long before mini Badger makes an appearance! Hoops how's lovely David doing? Scrummy? You good? Italian, if you lurk, just wanted you to know I'm thinking of you...

I just wanted to put my two cents in for those of you struggling with immunes issues. I highly recommend spending the money and getting the Chicago tests done. In my experience on this thread, a lot of the women having recurrent miscarriages and cycle failures successfully got pregnant after being treated for immune issues.

I did my first two cycles at the Bridge Centre, like vallinapod and Twinkle. I got pregnant my very first try but unfortunately MC at seven weeks. The second cycle was unsuccessful after the exact same protocol only yielded three eggs. I wasn't thrilled with the way I was handled after the second cycle, and knew that I was going to switch clinics. Around that time, our turn with the NHS finally came up, after a three year wait, but we had already had our consultation with ARGC. We decided to go for it at ARGC, because I knew I wasn't going to get as intensive or specifically tailored treatment with the NHS. It turns out that I had elevated NK cells, and wound up having four intralipid treatments during the course of my time there, and our beautiful daughter Rosalie was nine months old last Thursday. I can't recommend ARGC enough. Yes it's expensive, yes it's majorly intensive, but that made me feel good, because I knew that this clinic was going to do everything possible to get me pregnant and keep me pregnant.

So ginger, sunny, weller, monkey, and any others I've missed, keep your chins up, there are still options unexplored, and DON'T STOP BELIEVING!!

Definitely don't stop believing......the 2 eggs we got on Tues BOTH fertilised and going in tomorrow for transfer

weller that is excellent news. Will be thinking of you for transfer tomorrow!

badger, scrummy, hoops, mini thank you so much for all of your words of support. lissy I can't tell you what your ARGC story did for me tonight. Gave me a real boost and I now feel more confident than ever that we've made the right decision.

NEVER stop believing oxoxoxo

Apologies for my absence - I've been so busy with work since my BFP that I haven't had much spare time. I have logged on occasionally though to check on everybody's progress.

Sasha -congrats on the BFP!! We have our first scans on the same day.

Mo -I am sorry the NHS weren't more helpful/reassuring. You do end up feeling that you're just shoved through a one size fits all process - with endless hanging around at hospital waiting for tests. I never saw a consultant at all when I had my DD and never saw the same mid-wife twice.All rather impersonal. I do think however that they will spring into action further down the line if anything goes astray. That doesn't help you now though, does it when you just want to know it's all still happening!

Mini, Pocket and Catsofa - hoorah for the heartbeats!!

Ginger - good luck with the testing. I'm sorry you've not been well. Tummy bugs are the worst. Hopefully better now.

Twinkle - welcome! I don't know about all the tests etc but I had a problem with out of sync lining too. I'm trying to remember what I did about it because it did improve - I think it was acupuncture that fixed it.

Sunnyg - I read your recent messages and I am sure you have made the right decision - apart from anything else because you sound so happy that your decision is right for you. I think at the "cusp of being decent" and having ARGC as an option, it's the decision I would have made too. At the ARGC you will know you are giving it your absolute best chance and that's very encouraging.

Badger - 8.5 weeks will FLY by!!

Wellerbabe - fab, fab, fab!! Best wishes for the transfer tomorrow.

AFM, I ended up telling my DP the BFP news all in a bit of a rush; I was about to go out and DD had just thrown a big paddy, leaving us with about 2 min to talk. His response was to declare himself "quite excited". That's it. Not the big rush of "how wonderful, darling" one dreams of but actually not bad considering he was not keen to add to our family and has come along way to agree to this. I asked him the following day if he had told anyone and he said with a big smile that he had already told half the office........... the previous week!!! He was so sure it would work and he couldn't help himself from telling people the news. I think this shows how pleased he really is.

I've had some slight spotting and I do sometimes wonder if everything is OK or if it's just the meds making me feel pregnant. However, right on queue, yesterday at 6 weeks, I started to feel nauseous. This is at least a sign that things are still progressing. I've also got cystitis (the doc says pregnant women are more susceptible to this) which hopefully the ABs will clear up soon.

Waves and hugs to you all and apologies to anyone I've missed. I might not be able to post again for a while but I will be thinking of you all and sending lots of positive vibes.

xxx

Hi Frosticle - how was your out of sync lining diagnosed? Was it an e-tegrity test?

Good luck for tomorrow Wellerbabe!