Assisted conception and the bits inbetween Part Two!.......

[spook]

Hi everyone.
New thread starts here....

KC11 - at your employer. It will depend on what your company's maternity policy says. Usually, and I think for stat mat leave, salary is based on average over 12 weeks prior to starting mat leave.

Islegrin - Great that you can start IVF whenever you're ready. Understand your cost reservations and % chances. I thought that too, and don't want to scare you, but after 8 IUIs (5 natural, 3 with clomid), I only had an mc at 5 weeks (on the first) and a cp on the 6th to show for it. I just really wish I'd moved onto IVF a lot sooner. Mine were with donor which makes slightly less effective, but they did once tell me the sample was better than they usually get for fresh - in fact that was the first time, when it worked (sort of). There is someone on another board who got pg on her 11th IUI though.

Have a lovely Easter everyone. So looking forward to not coming back into work until Wednesday when I leave tonight.

Issy wow - thanks for your insight - 8 IUI and 11 IUI, I thought we were thinking high with 6. My doc usually progresses to IVF after 3 or 4 cycles of IUI. So what's your status now?

I'm just trying to keep my mind open, but I know I'm not ready for IVF yet. There may come a time when I am... so I'm just taking it as it comes.

We've also been considering adoption, we've been through the required class already. Funny - that's what made DH want to try IUI. At first he wasn't interested in any fertility assistance.

Islegrin - the 4 to 6 attempts was always in my head too - I was in shock when I got pg on 1st attempt, but then another 4 with no result. Then I thought I'd give Clomid a chance for 3 months. It's hard to give up hope esp when IUI is so much cheaper than IVF and you can try every month. Kept thinking it had worked once and would do again. The key facts that changed my mind were that, at my clinic, the IVF success rate for my age is about 40%, whereas I was always led to believe that IUI was only 10-15% (actually my old clinic reports 20% in the recent figures). Also the IVF success rates for 38-39 year olds was significantly lower (I'm 38 this year). But it was a very hard decision to move to IVF, so I understand your reluctance. Really hope you just tested too early and you get your BFP this month.

I'm 8 days into downregging with estimated egg collection around 29th. Since all my other tests have been really good for my age, one reason why the IUI may not have worked for me could be my eggs. The only way to find that out is a cycle of IVF. If it turns out they are a problem it'll mean about 2 years on an egg donor waiting list, so I may as well get on the list sooner rather than later. I'm trying to see that as the positive side of failure.

I can't adopt as I'm doing this alone and don't have any family living close by (parents are 6 hrs away and everyone else is 3.5 hrs away) so I'd be unlikely to be accepted. It is something I would consider if my circumstances change in the future.

I've updated the list for me too:

Dharma - ttc#2 BFP!! smile
Gillydaffodil ? ttc#1 EC 1st April
Duplomania - ttc#2 starting DR ~ 1st May
Pinkie08 ttc#2 BFP smile
NappyValley - taking a break and trying TCM before attempting last IVF cycle at end of summer.
Issy - ttc#1 started downreg 2 April, dr scan 16th, EC ~ 29th
KC11 - ttc#1 1st IVF cycle - Embryo transfer 2 April
NotPrincessAnne ttc#1 started stimming 8 April, EC - 22nd

Whomever asked upthread - I'm on Gonal F too. I have no idea what the units of measurement are (that's embarrassing!), but I'm taking 450 of them daily.

Good luck for another test Islegrin. And sorry to hear about your job news KC. It's a grim world out there at the moment, several of my friends have been made redundant or had to take paycuts

AF showed up Sunday evening, so it's cycle 3 of IUI for me. Good luck to all who are still in the tww!

Hi all,

I'm here in a vain attempt to keep from going completely mad this month

DH and I have been ttc #2 for almost 3 years now (I'm 31 and dd is 5). In the past 3 years I've been pregnant 5 times, loosing 6 babies -- 4 early on and 2 near the end of my third trimesters.

I've done 2 months of IVI and last month I was on Gonal-F (150), we also did IVI and now I'm on Endometrin until the all-important blood test next Monday.

We had 16 follicles when we did this last IVI and although that may sound like a high number, some of them weren't that big. And, considering the amount of pregnancies we've had stop developing for no reason, the docs decided to up my odds that something will stick and grow and went ahead with the IVI

And now we wait

Being the impatient person that I am, I'm going slightly mad.

Yesterday I had a tiny bit of spotting, which has happened a lot in the last few months...but this time I'm trying to convince myself it's not the beginning of more of the "unexplained bleeding" the doctors can't explain and is instead implantation bleeding (which I did have a little of with dd.)

So, like I said, I now need to wait until next Monday...

If I am pregnant this month and if I do manage to hold on to anything I'll be due Dec 31

Hello

May I join the thread in an attempt to learn the lingo intitially and moan about side effects in a few weeks? I start injecting in 21 days, hoping to transfer my sister and BIL's embryo in early June (I am the surrogate). A bit scared now especially of the pessaries side effects as I get bad enough nausea anyway.

Heidi wow you have been put through the mill! I certainly hope this time is the magic one. Truckloads of babydust for you - and you might want to think about a board game to help take your mind off the waiting!

GILLY! OMG - I'm so sorry to hear your wait is over SO SOON!!! Huge Hugs! Take care, sweet mama - it will happen!

Beehive welcome! Everyone's trying to get preggers around here, plenty of worries, symptom spotting and knowledge on every poke, scan, and medication there is. Best of luck on the surrogacy!

Dharma - ttc#2 BFP!! smile
Gillydaffodil ? ttc#1 waiting to test Friday
Duplomania - ttc#2 starting DR ~ 1st May
Pinkie08 ttc#2 BFP smile
NappyValley - taking a break and trying TCM before attempting last IVF cycle at end of summer.
Issy - ttc#1 started downreg 2 April, dr scan 16th, EC ~ 29th
KC11 - ttc#1 1st IVF cycle - Embryo transfer 2 April
NotPrincessAnne ttc#1 started stimming 8 April, EC - 22nd
Islegrin - ttc#1 3rd IUI around April 25

Hi HeidiS and Beehive!

So sorry to hear your news, Gilly.

Bad news for me too, by the look of it. I had a scan this morning and they could only see 2 follicles, and the womb lining wasn't as think as it could be. I'm to go back on Friday for another scan, but assuming the situation is the same then they'll pull the plug on the cycle then. I'm really quite shaken, to be honest, as this was my first cycle it genuinely didn't occur to me that I wouldn't respond to the drugs, I thought the potential pitfalls would come later on. Oh well, I guess you deal with the hitches as they come at you....

Sorry to add to the bad news. Had BAD BAD stomach cramps Sunday overnight and my AF arrived full and fast Monday am. No question of possible implantation. Bleeding heavy, painful and bright red with clots sorry for TMI! Have to wait for Bart's clinic to give me follow up apmnt. Presumably I have to wait 3 months for the drugs to leave my system. I am so F*ed Off. DH is upset but is trying to put on a brave face.

So sorry for you gilly. Apart from "gutted" how are you feeling physically?

Sorry for you too isle. Hope the next one is The One, for you.

Hi newbies Heidi You poor cow. You really have been through the s*. Apologies for my language but I'm a bit raw today. Fingers crossed for you for next Monday.

((((KC11)))) hugs to you too! I'm so sorry to hear your disappointing news! Especially when you weren't expecting it - that hits the hardest. Take care of yourself - maybe find a little treat then set your mind to the next cycle - there is hope there.

Oh no, I can't believe what's been happening over the weekend. Gilly and KC11, I'm so sad to hear your news! I was really hoping it would work out. give yourselves time to grieve and be angry and after that I hope you will be ready for the next attempt soon. You both had so promising cycles, I'm sure you will be successful very soon. but I know this won't help you much at the moment.

Islegrin, sorry about your bfn too! hope this time it's going to work. I had 3 attempts at iui and the dr said we had a 50% chance of it working within that time. Unfortunately it didn't for us but it must work for a lot of people. after that the chances apparently go down, but it can still be successful. Unfortunately my ovarian reserve is declining already so the dr advised us to move on to ivf.

NotPrincessAnne, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for your friday scan, hopefully everything will still be ok. have they increased your dose?

Welcome heidi and beehive! so sorry to hear your story heidi, you have been through way too much, it really isn't fair. All the best for monday!

My af came this saturday pretty much as expected. so I will start dr may 1st just like I guessed. not that long really.

Thanks for the welcomes. Still no idea what yuo are on about on here most of the time

Sorry that there has been bad news for some.

So sorry there's been so much bad news on the thread this weekend. Gilly and KC11 so sorry the IVF hasn't worked for you - like the others have said allow yourself time for body and mind to recover. Sorry the IUI didn't work Islegrin .

Sorry AF got you too Dup - had you had IUI this cycle or were you having a natural one before starting dr?

NPA - must be so disappointing for you too. I've heard it can take a while for the ovaries to restart so hopefully things will be better on Friday. Keeping my fingers crossed for you.

Lottie - Hope your reaction to stims means you've got lots going on this time.

Welcome Heidi. So sorry to hear about your mcs - I can't even begin to imagine how heartbreaking it must have been for you. And welcome Beehivebaby - you'll soon pick-up the lingo. It's amazing thing you're doing for your sister.

I got AF on Monday. A friend came through for me this cycle, so I had actually tried naturally, but I know that he was probably a day too late as was evening after ovulation, so wasn't really expecting a BFP, but always disappointing to get BFN even when expected. However, even though hospital told me it was OK to try, I had googled to see if Buserelin affected a pg test and read that it has caused deformities in rat babies so at least don't have to worry about that. AF was due Thurs and been having BFNs since Wed so in the end was just relieved it arrived before dr scan, so don't have to delay. Just hoping I've downregged OK and my ovaries wake back up. Getting a bit scared now of everything which could go wrong.

Good morning Ladies and Hi Lottie

I am on for advice please as I am not too familiar with assisted conception. I have a good friend out in Norway just now and she was to have her EC yesterday. She sent me a text last night saying it didnt work - no eggs were found in the follicles at EC.

Does that mean it is game over for her or can she try again? Sorry if that sounds a daft question I am a novice with IVF. She has had such a tough time with her fertility and I just want to send her encouraging words without making it worse.

Thank you in advance.
Amelied

How many follicles were empty? I'm imagining it was 6-12 range since she was going through IVF - if there were no eggs in any of them, she MIGHT need to move on to egg donors... the IVF experts on here will be waking up soon, so I'm sure they will have more brilliant things to say.

Hi Islegrin and thanks.

That was all she told me - no eggs found in follicles.

I imagine she has had a rough night.

Gosh Amelie your poor friend must indeed had had an awful night, she must be so worried and confused.

Good luck for the next few days LL, hopefully your follicles will develop in the next few days.

My clinic told me to keep taking the Buserelin and Gonal F at the same doses, and just come back in on Friday for the next scan and they'd see how things looked then. If it's still just the two follicles however then we won't progress further. I've had quite a tender abdomen since taking the Gonal F, which I never normally get in a regular cycle so am quite surprised to discover that nothing's actually happening, who knows what's going on in there?

We'll obviously discuss options with the Doctor on Friday, but she mentioned that they'd likely look at the flare protocol for a next cycle. I know nothing about that, so will have plenty of questions. Am also thinking glumly of the money down the drain on this cycle, as I'm fairly sure we don't get any refund if it's abandoned part way through, and so essentially we'll have paid £1000 for each appointment! I must keep reminding myself that it's not my ovaries' fault

I decided to take a day off work today, on the advice of my boss, who has been soooo understanding. He has a daughter my age who had a Miscarriage and has since had two daughters.
My DH sems to have gotten over the disappointment and keeps saying that we'll try again in 6 months!!!!!!! FFS! Does he think we have all the time in world? I feel really down today. I want a big hug and some pampering. Scrub that. I want to scream and cry and sob.