Excellent (or should that be eggcellent?) egg buddies! Anyone having IVF/ICSI in April/May/June 2013 come and join us!

[EuroShaggleton]

We've almost filled the second thread so here is a new one, so we can carry on chatting! Threads #1 and #2 saw some stunning successes and some sad outcomes. We'll have more of the former and less of the latter on thread #3 please!

All comers welcome. I found it very useful to be with people going through the same thing when I did my first cycle, so if you would like to join us, please come on in!

buzzy, the downregging is the mock cycle, I think. I start my HRT drugs five days into my next period and that lasts for 21 days. I then begin the transfer cycle, which I assume is all the oestrogen and stuff?

Does Reprofit guarantee two five-day blastos on the day of transfer? Are you guaranteed frosties?

euro I think you are right, you have to draw a line somewhere, but the goalposts do seem to change don't they? I imagine that near-successes make it almost impossible to stop. I had originally said that I would not pursue fertility treatment at all, and now look where I am!! I just hope that I can be strong and draw a line at a sensible point.
cuckoo I already feel that I am playing God by going through this whole process - really I should just accept that I am 41 and too old to have kids! I'm really nervous about choosing a donor. I hope that their fertility is proven, and I just wonder whether the facts about their medical history and education etc are verified by the clinics. I guess that I only care about not looking too different from me (though I don't look much like my parents) and some evidence of a reasonable IQ would be good.
motor or mama is just fine - I hope one day I'll be called mama for real!
Let me know how you get on with the drugs.

cuckoo They are not calling this a mock cycle, this to me is the cycle, I have to set my body to hers but maybe different. I'm not sure if any clinic can guarantee two 5 day blastos and frosties as it will depend on the sperm as well so no they haven't promised me anything, I haven't asked either

Motor I also said I would never pursue fertility treatment. But I found it too difficult to give up on Project Baby once I had started!

You are not too old - plenty of women have babies well into their 40s and always have done. The only difference is that in the past it was rare to be having a first baby then!

cuckoo I don't think you are denigrating my choices at all. Everyone has to find their own way. I found the whole idea of intervention particularly difficult because of my unexplainedness, I think. Having agressive treatment when on paper at least we should both be fertile was something I found very difficult to accept. In no other area of medicine would a dr say "we have no idea what's wrong with you, but tell you what - hand over a few thousand, take some drugs with lots of side effects, have a GA and minor surgery and we'll see if that helps".

buzzy, you are right, of course, how can they guarantee a certain number of embryos? The mind boggles and I really need to get my head out of the clouds I think. I was told this by the ladies on the FF ReproG forum and I have simply believed them Perhaps they are using donor sperm? Even so, I can't see how anything as delicate as five day blastos can be 'guaranteed'. I now know that frosties are only 'guaranteed' when using the clinic's donor sperm; even then...how so?

euro, your last post makes loads of sense. What really upset me was when my consultant said he refused to attempt to repair my blocked tube because 'at your age it is more likely to be a problem with your eggs' - despite my getting up the duff easily last year. I've only been 'infertile' since my erpc and now, all of a sudden, I'm flying to a foreign country for DE IVF

Hello lovelies...no news today as they don't check them on day 2 if going to blastocyst...embryologist said it isn't good to keep taking them in and out of, um, wherever they are?!?! So am waiting for a phone call tomorrow to see how things are going. Back to work tomorrow to tell them I'm going to be off on the Wednesday...they'll be thrilled to have yet another excuse not to promote me...they seem to think that having IVF is tantamount to being pregnant, ha, if only

Will check in tomorrow and do personals then, much love to all X

crisps we are all waiting and hoping and praying for you. I'm so pleased your sense of humour is intact! Good luck!

good luck crisps, I have my fingers crossed for you.

Good luck crisps!

Hello Everyone, We have our first appointment at the ARGC this Friday and I am nervous! No idea what to expect!!! Has anyone else on here been to this clinic? what happens on your first appointment??? travelling (4.5 hours to get to London) so plenty of time to let my nerves build and build!!! lol!!!

Lovely to see that one of the first messages above is from a argc lady (Karbea) ....

Motor... I am 41 too and been right around the 'too old to have kids' wheel many times! ....... then decided, to hell with it, i want to be a mummy!!!

Hi chummy. Karbea started this little club 2 threads ago. I know of another regular in conception who recently cycled with ARGC but I don't think she is on this thread.

That's quite some journey! Will you stay down here for your cycle? I know they do a LOT of monitoring.

I have a follow up appointment at my clinic to discuss my next cycle on Thursday. I am past being nervous now!

Hiya everyone!

I am awol at the mo but have tentatively joined an IUI thread in anticipation of the biggest waste of my time since I worked at Phones4U for 6 months

Just had to share this gem I found on ff not still obsessively googling abnormal embryos, honest

Fertilisation: Of my 5 eggs only 3 fertilised and of those 2 were grade 1 8 cell on day 3, the 3rd was not usable as it went from 3 cells to 14 cells in an hour. The embryologist suggested it had a genetic defect. DH thought it may have had super powers

Heh. That's briliant.

Welcome chummy!

GP agreed to do the blood screening which has saved us £250. It's only a drop in the ocean when you compare the full cost of treatment, but every little helps!

crisp how is it going???

chummy welcome

motor that is good news, and yes every little bit does help

scarlett when are you having IUI??

hello to everyone else :)

Hi all

It is going fabulously at the moment...the awesome foursome are all still here, embryologist says that they are all progressing as we want them to (8cells at the moment) and are good quality. Over the moon as we really didn't expect to still have all four. Now have to wait until Wed (transfer deadline day!) to see how many make it to blast, but still have fingers crossed. Apparently that number at this stage puts me well in the range of normal in your face endometriosis!

Trying to be realistic but hopeful without getting too excited (I vetoed DH's wish for our own five a side team)

Just trying to relax while applying for a promotion and looking after a hyperactive Dd and wait until Wed. Does anyone know what I should be eating at this stage? Protein shakes and progesterone have made me look about six months pregnant so far, which is not so cool.

chummy welcome, I don't have any experience of that clinic but I would ask for timelines, success rates for people in your position(age, AMH if you know it, previous history) and whether they are involved with any new types of treatment or trials (my clinic are doing trials with DHEA, endometrial scratch etc which IMO shows they are quite progressive, which I like).

scarlett DS best friend is an IUI miracle so do a Bon Jovi and keep the faith!

motor that's ace, it's lovely to have a supportive GP mine is Percy and thinks endometriosis and infertility is all a myth

Euro good luck for Thursday. I always feel more positive when I have a plan so hope it goes well.

Thanks everyone else for the good vibes and well wishes, the petri dish is very responsive it seems so keep sending them along!

...my GP is pervy, not Percy. Stupid iPad and fat crisp shovelling fingers

crisps that is fantastic news! How exciting!! And the predictive text error was hilarious.
Hi, and welcome chubby. Best of luck with your endeavours. Becoming a mummy doesn't feel like it should be too much to ask, but sometimes it seems like asking the impossible, doesn't it?

Sincere apologies chummy , not chubby!! No offence meant.

crisps that is great news :)

Ooh well done crisps!! That sounds brilliant.

euro good luck for Thursday. A plan is always good. I really hope it works out again for you soon.

Just wanted to say hi, and I'm thinking of you all.

Urgh, euro, I mean you get a bfp but it sticks. Sorry. Foot in mouth disease.

Oh hi chummy good to see you here and good luck for Friday. They're meant to be brill. I'd check on the monitoring schedule they expect if you live far away.