IVFers thread

[TheMNPeacekeepingForce]

Anyone fancy starting an ongoing thread for those who are having IVF/ are planning to try again via IVF soon?

Ds was conceived via IVF - he's now 2.6 and we're stepping back on the scary rollercoaster ride with a FET - I started taking the drugs yesterday!

NoMore, is there anything you do to help you relax and take your mind off things. I really know that this is probably a really stupid thing to say but anything including wine that helps you relax will be a good thing. you are more likely to conceive if you are relaxed and drink a glass of wine a night than it you cut it out completely before your 2WW. As I understand it from my consultant the key is too be relaxed, and I have to say the two times I have been PG I was v calm. I just don't want you to get soo stressed out, whatever happens it will be a shock. So just try (and this is really hard) to treat it as if nothing is happening.

I am thinking of you and trying to follow my own advice!, getting v stressed about house move.

Oh soosy, if only we could exchange tasks - you seem an expert at all this and I am an expert at house moves . . . here and back from 0z three times and also as a renter of 20 years . . . need I say more. My advice for moving is simple. Throw out heaps - how to do this? Three criteria 1. Is it beautiful? 2. Is is practical? 3. Is it of sentimental value? Now the catch is that in order to keep it, you must satisfy 2 out of 3 criteria. Not just 1, don't cheat. Good luck.

I am stating my menopur today, feeling quite optimistic and happy to be getting going - though still a bit stressed about the three injections. It will be a relief though after a month of suprefact injections to know the end is in sight, especially as DP (Darling Partner) is phobic and will have nothing to do with them - bless him. Apart from that he is a solid rock of support so can't really fault him.

Good advice about the wine, I have been moderate, but from what I can tell the only influence of wine on conception seems to be in terms of potentially playing around with your hormones - and I think the drugs are well and truly in charge of that right now. There is so much nonsense out there on the web about alcohol, it's as if they think we are too stupid to understand the difference between TTC and implantation/PG.

And nomore - you are lucky about it happening quickly at least - we had to wait 6 months for our cycles, and as I am now 39 that was quite hard - kept thinking we should go private anyway. But we didn't so here we all are . . .

soosy thanks for your advice - I really don't know how you manage to keep going through this if. You're amazing. I am gonig to try and relax - DH has been sending me to have long soaks in the bath and telling me to listen to my hypno cd! I can't stop thinking about it but will make the effort to try to.
sootyk Great advice for moving - we have also moved loads (DH in the forces) but 18 months ago we bought our own place. The other thing that makes you throw away loads of stuff is having to pack, load, unload, unpack all your stuff yourself. I found myself being much more ruthless when I knew I was the one who would be loading/unloading all the boxes from the van rather than having removal men!

I started my withdrawal bleed yesterday and some of the pmt symptoms are fading off (the emotional bits) so that's good. Still got a stressy headache, but that may well be down to being so stressed. Did I tell you my job's being re-evaluated at the moment too? Couldn't have come at a worse time!

Sooty, you will feel much better once you start the FSH injections, but you may also feel very full after about five days, it is your follicles growing, if you don't feel it either don't worry it doesn't mean that the drugs aren't working. Good Luck.

NoMore, Hypno CD very good I have one too, I get so relaxed that I fall asleep! If you can try and listen to it before and after Embryo Transfer too, as the more relaxed you are then the better.

I am keeping everything crossed for you two... Have a good weekend.

Hi gals, yes soosy, I already felt some 'movement' in my abdomen after my first injections last night. Gave me some serious insomnia too - but I'm not sure if that isn't just anxiety about 'the next stage'. One of the other stresses for me is that my much younger sister (32) is pre-menopausal and basically 95% infertile. Hoping to become pregnant myself gets all mixed up with her pain. And because she is also quite competitive with me it will be even harder for her. So in a funny way it will be a double edged sword if it does happen.

Hi all. I hope you all had happy, sunny long weekends and that's why everyone's been silent.

Nomore, how are you getting on? and you Sooty? I hope all those injections aren't too bad.

I'm now being monitored for the frostie transfer. another scan on Friday. Hopefully it will all happen in 2 weeks. oh, the joys of waiting!

Yes, this weather is certainly lifting my spirits.

Can I ask, now that I am on the Menopur is it normal to get hot flushes and nausea? I am also really tired . . .

um, I think people react differently. I often got sick (a thumping cold) but my worst reaction was complete short-term memory loss. Goldfish-like. At least so dh tells me. I can't remember much about it

Hi Swerve, could you explain to me the process for having a frostie implanted? I was just wondering what the protocol and timeframe was . . . ?

swerve
Nothing much to report here - I seem to have hit a bit of a quiet patch. Got blood test on tues coming and start fsh a week today if all goes well at blood test. Off for a hen w/e this weekend.

I had my first seven day scan today - apparently there were four small eggs and they have increased my dose of drugs.

Does anyone know if that's it? Four eggs? Are you likely to grow more or will the drugs just develop these four more?

I was hoping to have more but I the woman before me only had two growing so I guess I can't complain. . . it's just that I have heard that the more eggs the greater the chance of success - is this an old wives tale ?

How are your drugs going nomore? Haven't heard from you for a while, hope that means you are feeling better. .

Sooty don't worry about the eggs you only need one! I produce so many eggs, but I don't get pg very often. So more eggs don't necessarily mean success. I have a friend who on two cycles had none. Keep calm.

Thanks Soosy, yes there seems to be so much chance involved in it all doesn't there? And you never know when your luck's in (or out). Have you moved house yet?

Hi sooty and soosy I'm fine - have been away for the w/e at a hen do. Got blood test on tues and start fsh injections on thurs if all's well on tues.
sooty I'm sure your eggs are fine - though I haven't a clue what's good/bad/average

No sooty! Hopefully the sale is going through (major stress point!) And we have found somewhere, but we have to do the whole offer thingy. Which I find v scary! Hope you have had a relaxing weekend both of you! Good luck with scan on Monday Sooty. Good Luck with Bloods on Tues Nomore. Hoping af will not arrive as I want to go to Wales for Half term with my brother and his family, and won't be able to if af arrives as I will be having FET!

Watching Indy on TV, can't believe this film was made so long ago, I am officially old.

Morning girls! How's the sunburn? I hear it's been a scorcher over there! I had a long weekend with dh and dd in Istanbul - good and bad in parts (the bad was dd getting a tummy bug, the good - staying with glorious friends & grand bazaar).

to my reckoning, May is a busy month for us. first sooty - egg collection this week? nomore starting stabbing on thurs, me peeing on a stick to see when i ovulate then dashing over for the fet maybe next week, and soosy buying / selling houses while hoping AF doesnt wreck half-term - nothing like keeping the stress levels low, eh? I asked about stress levels on one round and the dr told me it was very hard to define how much it affects outcome. As he pointed out, this is an incredibly stressful treatment and yet it still works well enough to have 1000s trying it. and the harvest when i got pregnant I was so stressed I could hardly speak for the whole month. Maybe distraction will be a good thing.

I ended up having a scan (monitoring for ovulation - very routine) in Istanbul because otherwise it was either that or cancelling the trip. It's so damned hard to keep life going on in some pretense of normality while doing all this. We have completely ditched the idea of booking a summer holiday again because we may well want to do another harvest exactly that week.

Wishing you all a happy and fertile week!

Hi all, did anyone miss me?? Lots of new faces on the thread, lovely to see,

Well, we have now made the move 250 miles north and have settled into our new (or old in my case) home. The weather has been fantastic so we have spent most of the time in the garden trying to weed out 10 years + of weeds - I think my father thought he would let the land lie fallow for a while. And broadband has been installed at last, yippee.

I'm in the middle of downregging, and will stop this on 25 May. No symptoms at all yet, as my lovely clinic lets me downreg using the pill rather than injections etc. Am feeling positive about this cycle already, the failed one earlier this year seems a lifetime ago.

Re stress - I actually see it as a positive thing (within limits, obviously) as my first successful cycle was over year end at work for me, deals closing all over the place, busiest time ever (16 hour days etc) plus I had 12 people staying for 3 days + over Christmas, couldn't fit the scans into my work schedule at all, and yet the cycle worked. This compared to my last unsuccessful cycle where I was at home all day, no stress at all, looking after DD all the time.....and no luck. I'm hoping the house move during this cycle and commuting 250 miles back to the clinic will be a positive thing!

Hi OAP and swerve good to see you both again

I'm getting myself in a tizz about the injections - any advice? I'll be learning how to do them tomorrow and starting for real on thurs.

hi OAP, so glad to have you back with us! How've you been? congratulations on being in your new (old) home! I'm excited for your next cycle. We're all busy at it here!

Nomore: don't get stressed. It's much easier than you think and much more of a mind-game than anything else. For my first cycle I got my dh to give me the injections cos I was too scared. Then he went away for a couple of nights and I had to face it. I sat on the edge of the bath for about 15 mins thinking "I have to do this, I can do this". then I ran through the alternatives: getting my mum or dad to do it (PLEASE!!), going to the clinic, etc etc. I did it, realised it was much easier than dh's injection technique and have done all of them since.

another scan for me today to see how i'm getting on.

Completely agree about the injections - DH did them all on the first cycle when I had an auto injector pen that just shot the needle into you. Last time around I just had syringes and did them all myself. Best tip (got it from this thread actually!) is to put a lump of ice on the area (I always use my tummy) for a few minutes first as this does numb the area for you, so you don't worry about it hurting and tense up.

And I have found it a lot easier just to do them myself actually - takes 3 minutes max including icing time, rather than faff around waiting for DH to be ready.

Speak soon

Gosh, it feels like first day back at school with more people to meet - Hi from me old girls.

I had my second scan today and still only 4 eggs. ER will be friday if the right side doesn't develop further (in which case it will be 2 eggs) or monday if it does and therefore 4. Seems like the drugs are taking control of me, must be the build up - tears most days, over trivial hurts! I keep telling myself it's the drugs, and obviously it is, but they still keep coming. I went to see Nick Cave on Friday (who was tremendous) but found myself crying through the gig! Guess this is must be like to be one of those really emotional types, so I am trying to think of it as just another little thread in life's rich tapestry!

Hang in there with the injections Nomore, I have to say I am strangely starting to enjoy that part of it (or maybe I've just been listening to too much Nick Cave).

No more don't worry about the injections, it is much easier to do them yourself, my DH can't even watch!!!! and you'll be a pro in a week.

Sooty, don't worry about the eggs you only need one good one!

OAP I have really missed you, glad to hear you are settled up north and to hear you have your mojo back!!!

Swerve, I am having a natural FET too, just trying to time the whole thing. AF I think will arrive tomorrow, which means i could go away as they could do some early scans then kit it. They could then scan me before doing FET, but I don't know if my clinic would let me...

The stress thing, I think if you have stress which distracts you from treatment then that is a good thing, but if you are constantly tense about treatment (hard not to be I know!) maybe that is not so good. I think it is being relaxed that is important. I really tense up after ET and I know its a really bad thing to do. When I got pg with DS just after my Mum died and at the time I was resigned that nothing else could go wrong, so i sort of reached a level of calm, even though it was a stressful time.

Sorry long rambling post.

Good luck to everyone!

Hi

I'm sure you will be able to help me with this query.

It looks like we're getting to the 'IVF is your only option' stage.

Can someone who has been through it recently/going through it now give me an idea of how much it costs now?

I've been told costs have dramatically reduced but keep hearing/reading different things. I would be going to a clinic in Manchester if that makes any difference?

Many thanks

Eleveld, I wish you lots of luck with everything.

In London, Self funding (ie NHS, but you pay for it) is about £900 for drugs, £2,750 treatment, and £100 or so for consultations. With NHS you don't usually get charged for investigative bloods or procedures. Privately you would be charged.

I don't know about Manchester, I know in London there is quite a lot of competition which keeps prices down. Some clinics give prices on their websites. Check out the HEFA website too for info about any clinic you are considering!

AF arrived today have first scan on Monday 19th for FET. OAP how is in going?

Swerve when do you think your FET will be, I am guessing mine will be either 29th or 31st May. Should I be laying bets?

Hi eleveld You should be able to find the prices on the website of your clinic Our is between £3,500 and £4,300 for fresh cycle and about £1000 for frozen plus £300 initial consultation fee/andrology assesment and £600 to freeze embryos.
I have been taught how to do the injections now and am not worried at all - the needle is tiny! Am actually excited about starting the injections - is that a bit weird?