Assisted Conceptions (and all the bits in-between) Volume 11

[vallinnapod]

I really hope I haven't missed someone else starting this!

Just popping in to say how happy I am to see all the pregnancies progressing so well for sunnyg, pocket, minih and weller. Really glad for you girls - it's such an exciting time.
Our Scrummy little boy is 17 weeks now and busy learning to roll and sit up. He's a lively one, but a very easy little fella to look after. We managed to fall into a routine and he only wakes up once or twice for a feed at nights - and goes straight down again after his feeds (very important that one). I'm enjoying it whilst I can - teething is just around the corner for us!
I hope all the girls cycling the very best of luck. Don't stop believing!

Yay Scrummy how lovely to hear from you. And so fab to hear how well your little boy is doing - 17 weeks wow! Thanks for your kind wishes too - not long till I meet the munchkin who is kicking me right now!

Ladies, don't ever stop believing x

Thanks Pocket, I know I am being daft worrying about the scratchy thing, I'm sure it will be fine. I have been advised to take paracetamol before too, so I'm sure that will take the edge off.

Srummy lovely to hear tales about your gorgeous little boy, it is so lovely to hear these success stories. Hopefully we will be on here posting with similar by next year!

Love to all.

Hello! I'm about to start my mock cycle (HRT) for my first ever IVF. We're flying to Reprogenesis mid-June for DE IVF where we are guaranteed ICSI, embryo monitoring and 2 x 5-day blastos on the day of transfer. Does this sound too good to be true?

I'm nearly 42, got pregnant immediately after trying last January and mc'd in March. Since then...nowt. A lap & dye in February showed a blocked tube which I am utterly convinced was caused by last year's ERPC. Anyway, I'm too old to fuck about and I'm not prepared to throw good money at bad eggs - hence the donor. I'm so excited and utterly terrified that this, our only shot, will fail.

I will try to stop disbelieving

Congratulations to the blessed mums-to-be and good luck to those cycling and planning x

Welcome Jewcy! What is a mock cycle? Good luck for your DE IVF cycle in June. The clinic sounds great, and I really hope it works for you. Sorry to hear about your mc, I also had one last year so I know how awful it can be. I will keep my fingers firmly crossed for you.

Hi lovely ladies and hi to new lovely ladies too. Good to hear from some of you mums, mums to be and those still believing that the next round will be the one :-)

I can honestly say in day 2 of injections (cycle 5) and I've never felt so chilled and upbeat! I keep needing to punch myself! I think it's all the vitamin d from the sunshine I've had!

Ginger - honestly and truthfully there is nothing to worry about re the scratch I went into a meeting straight after, which I never usually combine Ivf and work but it was fine! One things I would advise though is always always ask for a small spectulum ladies in both the scratch, collection and transfer! I had the mistake of the nurse using a medium one on my scratch day, and it irritated the tissue and caused me an infection, 3 days on antibiotics there after. But all was fine!

So lovely to hear the final stages of your pregnancies ladies and the early weeks after delivery! I don't think I can ever quite believe this is actually where it will lead, but I'm starting to tell myself it really could again! :-)

So fingers crossed to vanilla, jewcy and ginger. We're in it together ladies!

Hello and hugs to all those I haven't mentioned or for those we haven't heard from for a little while xxx

Usual typos from me on this bloomin iPhone, but I assure you I haven't punched myself - just 'pinched myself' haha!
Ill use my laptop for my next post I think!!!!

Welcome Jewcy. Great news that you're about to start your cycle. It's exciting and scary but hang in there. This thread is a lifeline too, where you're always in good company and there's someone to listen/talk to. So much so, I'm still loitering as I prefer this thread to the pregnancy ones. Besides I want to see you all graduate with BFPs

Your story is similar to mine. I'm a bit older than you. Needed DE ivf and also mc last year. But I am now 30+6 and expecting a girl in July, so there is proof that it can all happen. So don't stop believing.

Ginger a mock cycle is when the clinic give you the meds whilst monitoring your progress, eg womb lining and quality. So that they know exactly what you need and how long it takes to get you ready before you cycle for real.

Hope everyone is well. And enjoying the sunshine.

Don't stop believing ladies

Ps. Ginger, I'm not sure but I think mock cycles are used for donor egg rather than own egg ivf to help sync donor and recipient.

To all of you out there, hello!
I've just had a call from the clinic to say that they have a potential match/donor! I'm in a spin, as they gave me her TTC history.. She had treatment in Jan, produced 15 eggs, had BFN herself, and recipient had a chemical pregnancy. I'm so keen to get started, but think I maybe should be asking for more details?? Any advice from anyone?

Motorcyclemama that's great. Its a brilliant call to receive.

Perhaps ask if she already had children (proven fertility always a bonus with a donor), and of course physical characteristic (which match you or DP) - if that's of interest. All the health related checks they should do as a matter if course, ie hep b, hep c, HIV etc etc. good luck.

Thanks Lucky for your comforting words, you were absolutely right, it was fine! Took much less time than I had thought, and barely hurt, just a small sharp pain, but very brief. Feel silly for getting all worked up now, but glad it is over and done with. Now just waiting for AF in about 10 days time then we can crack on with the all important FET cycle! Yey!

Hello to Pocket, thanks for filling me in on mock cycles. You really learn a lot on this AC road, don't you!

Fab news about the donor Motorcyclemama. I do hope this is the one for you!

Motorcyclemamma - presumably if they say they are a match then they have considered your cmv status. I've learnt that they match this up with yours and the donor sperm. So pleased youce got the call :-)

Ginger - fab news roll on FET :-))

Well done Ginger. Glad you've ticked the scratchy thing box. So you really are on your way. Did you treat yourself to anything afterwards? x

Hello, everyone, and thanks for the welcome. Glad to hear your scratch was painless, Ginger. I had one done during a lap & dye in February. Do you know for how long this procedure is supposed to make us more accommodating to an embryo? I had mine in February and am cycling in June; I'm sure the scratch is only good for three months?

Pocket, congratulations on your pregnancy! May I ask how old you are and was it your first DE IVF? Was it this country? Thanks for explaining the mock cycle - you were bob-on.

Motor, please don't use that donor. She has no proven record of fertility and - sorry to be brutal - the very least I would demand of my donor is that her eggs have never led to miscarriage/CP.

Yes Pocket, I did treat myself. I went shopping and bought some new Spring/Summer clothes and then had lunch out too. I had booked yesterday and today off work to have a nice long bank holiday weekend so I could enjoy myself before getting back on the AC train.

Jewcy, I'm sorry, I do not know how long the scratch thing is effective for. I assumed as my clinic told me to cycle the month after that that is how it has to be done, but I may be wrong. Maybe check with your clinic?

Hi jewcy - I've said no to the donor - it just didn't seem right to go ahead. Not easy though, as I just want to get on with it as we all do. I also felt bad for the donor.
I was told that I have to have the scratch the month before ET, but I don't know how long it lasts for. My understanding is that it is the healing process following the scratch which improves chances of implantation, so if it was left too long, it will have done all its healing and the benefits would be reduced. I could be wrong though.

Motor, you made the right decision, I'm sure of it. Hang on in there, love, don't let impatience skew your choices. I'm thinking of you and don't forget to update us on t'other thread, too. We miss you there

Both you & ginger, thanks for the scratch info. I reckon my healing has all been completed

I start downregging on Sunday!!

jewcy that is really exciting! You must be relieved to be in the process, rather than just waiting. I can't wait to hear how you get on. I'll let you know as soon as I hear about another donor.

Motor, I command you to come and whimper as often as you need to about donors/husbands. You have two AC threads holding out hands and hope. You are not alone xx

None of you are alone, we are all here for hand holding and a listening ear for any who need to let off steam or have a whimper, cry or anything.

Great news jewcy, do keep us posted, won't you!

DSB

Can I ask whether you think it is reasonable to ask for fertility history, AMH and FSH levels of the potential donor? I'm guessing that these need to be healthy before someone is accepted as a donor.
BTW, I'm feeling a lot more positive today. I told DH how bad I was feeling, and that seemed to help.
Any of you ladies parkrun fans? I'm off to my 7th today, and then a 10k 'race' tomorrow, so am being ultra-boringly healthy for a b/h weekend. Once the race is done though, I look forward to plenty food and wine.
What are your plans for the weekend?

Forgive my lack of etiquette! Thanks to jewcy pocket lucky for kind words.
lucky keep us posted! When is ET?

Hi lovely ladies

Day 5 today and just off to London for my scan. No date for collection yet, but I should imagine a week on Monday at the earliest. Combining my trips into London with exciting things, tickets to see beyonce's closing night tomorrow - whoop whoop!

Advice needed please - after celebrating successfully getting my immune drugs prescribed from my gp, I had a phonecall from him yesterday saying that after referring my case to the local medicines manager in the trust, he is not to prescribe any of my Ivf immune drugs including thyroxine and they should all be self funded (but he'd let me keep the last lot he's prescribed!) LIVID was not the word, he wen on t say how he wanted me to like him and he wanted to be an advocate and how I should now take up a grievance and with the local authority and report to my local mp! I had to remind him at this point that I am mid cycle and these drugs were a necessity for sustaining a pregnancy as was keeping calm and positive! Bas**rd health trust and their complacent non empathetic staff! However rant over, I do remain calm and somehow can smile abou this, but I will take them on.

He is emailing the head of the trust and cc'ing me in to ask where I direct my grievance and to emphasise the urgency of this. I now lovely ladies need evidence that women right across the country are ring prescribed immune drugs to sustain their Ivf pregnancy and some ladies are even receiving their stimulation drugs too. My gp said if I can can evidence of this and also raise support in a forum / support group my actions should be taken seriously.

So anyone have any national guidelines they can share on Ivf drug prescriptions - stimulating and immune drugs? Anyone able to share evidence that they have received these drugs and why their gp was able to prescribe? Any help would be much appreciated!

Have a great bank holiday girlies :-)

Hi I got thyroxine, aspirin, clexane and prednisone on nhs prescription, BUT only after I got to 8 weeks pregnant. The aspirin and clexane I got till six weeks after pregnancy but I had unfortunately had a stroke the year before so it was more for medical reasons than Ivf reasons. Dr will not prescribe the progesterone or intralipids at all and nothing before a bfp.