Assisted Conception (and the bits in between) Volume 5

[Bumpless]

Thought I'd set us up a new home! kettle's on and choc tin open.

This is a lucky start to our new thread: 2 BFPs and a fantastic fertilisation rate from Dueling!

Boobs and biscuits to everyone

Italian in answer to your question I am on heparin (= clexane) and aspirin because I had investigations after my second miscarriage (private, not NHS). These showed I had antiphospholipid antibodies, i.e. a clotting factor that could be linked to a failure for embryos to implant properly and hence they may get started but would never be able to last too long. Clexane/heparin and aspirin are the default treatment for this issue and are said to increase your chances of a live birth from 10% to 70%, so a massive difference.

Please everyone wish me luck for today - my scan is at lunchtime and I am bricking it.

Good luck, Cerubina! Thinking of you.

Best of luck, Cerubina.

Hope all went well.

Sorry to intrude, but I'm having IUI after miscarrying my first baby, which we were trying to conceive for 7 years. Sorry you guys all find yourself in this position too and good luck to all of you

Don't know anyone in real life who has actually had fertility treatment, so I was hoping to find a thread where people would know lots of stuff!

The procedure will probably be tomorrow but might be Monday. I was on clomid (100mg) for 5 days and the follicles were 16mm and 13.3mm yesterday. Uterine thickness was a bit less than they were expecting so am now on progynova.

I know the odds for IUI aren't brilliant and I was hoping they'd recommend IVF (we're doing this privately because I can't get IVF on the NHS where I live for another two years - I'm too young, even though we've been trying for 7 years...) but I'm hoping there is at least a small chance it might work.

Anyone got any advice or success stories?

Oh MM, my love...I'm so sorry to hear about your loss. I can't think of anything to say but to let yourself cry and mourn, and then focus on that other little bundle of joy in there.

Cerubina--I hope things went really well, and I'm looking forward to good news on Monday.

Horton--How you holding up, love? Hope you're reading lots of trashy books and watching loads of silly movies.

BB--Sorry about your crap week. Hope your DS does ok with the testing.

Shooting up is going well. Have scans scheduled for next Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Am definitely feeling twinges in my ovaries at this point...

Adding myself to the roll call

Idream - TTC#1 Age 32 1 failed ICSI cycle April '10 Male & Female factors Planning next ICSI cycle late '10.
Italian - TTC#2 (1 DD aged 5 from IUI) Age 45 1 failed ICSI cycle with donor eggs April '10 plus IUI attempts hopefully donor IVF May 2011
LissySilver--TTC attempt 2 (Husband is paraplegic so need IVF/ICSI) First attempt successful but miscarried in ninth week. Now in stimulation phase of second cycle.

Adding myself to the roll call

Idream - TTC#1 Age 32 1 failed ICSI cycle April '10 Male & Female factors Planning next ICSI cycle late '10.
Italian - TTC#2 (1 DD aged 5 from IUI) Age 45 1 failed ICSI cycle with donor eggs April '10 plus IUI attempts hopefully donor IVF May 2011
LissySilver--TTC attempt 2 (Husband is paraplegic so need IVF/ICSI) First attempt successful but miscarried in ninth week. Now in stimulation phase of second cycle
KeziahHopes - TTC#1, Age 35, 10mths of testing, now hopefully will be given treatment, likely to be ICSI due to dh's poor morphology. Meet new consultant in 2 weeks.

Cerubina how did the scan go?

DachshundsRule welcome. Another dog-type-person, great (no, I don?t own one in real life but in my imaginary world I have a wonderful dog!

We had IUI (both aged 39) and it worked second time with just one follicle and now we have a wonderful daughter aged 5. So it can work. I think after 7 years of trying I would want to ask them what they think is the problem. If they (the docs) have suggested IUI it must mean they think it will help and could maybe explain more what they mean. Did you have the actual IUI procedure today or is it Monday or did you mean you had the appointment today/Monday? All the best and feel free to ask anything at all, I am sure one of us will know something.

All the best, DachshundsRule.

Bagofholly as you are catholic will you be meeting the pope, no not meeting him but being somewhere where he is? I know what you mean about the whole fertility stuff and church. We went to a fairly charismatic (happy-clappy) Anglican church and now go to a free church and some Christians can be quite negative about assisted conception but most are pretty neutral or actually quite positive (if it helps you kind of thing) so I don?t say too much to anyone until I know that I won't end up having to explain why we are doing what we are doing. I have only had one slightly negative reaction form a Christian but that is probably/possibly because I am careful who I tell and work on a need to know basis!

Loujalou, Levistubstears,MM, Lissy, BB, Idream, Lottie and big hug for you dear Horton - thinking of you all. If I have not name checked it is because it is late and I am tired but just wanted to say hi to our new chum.

Love to all, thinking of MM and BB especially tonight.

chocolate boobs.

Keziah thanks for the email, I will reply a.s.a.p. sorry I did not name check you but you were on my mind!

Rowing likewise!

If anyone else ever wants to email I am my name here Italiangreyhound and my IMAGINARY age 39 (I am really older) and it is at yahoo dot co dot uk

Hi all

VERY good news from the scan. I am carrying twins! They look fine at the moment, the right size for the dates (though one is very slightly smaller than the other) and they are definitely non-identical. I'm back to Guy's for another scan in 2 weeks and then if all is well the normal NHS takes over. I am also seeing the m/c specialist this week so will be scanned then too.

I am conscious that this is still at a very sensitive stage so trying not to get too ahead of ourselves (particularly given poor MM's experience ) but we feel very blessed indeed and so hope that it will go well from here.

Hope everyone else is well. BB I think you have done the right thing in waiting until things are a bit calmer in the rest of your life, but that is great about your little boy's allergy! Hope he enjoys all the cake coming his way.

Lissy twingeing ovaries sound good! Hope the cycle continues to go well and you get some really good quality eggs. Good luck for all the scans this week.

Horton you must be due to test very soon. Hope it is good news xx

Dachshund I'm so sorry to hear about your m/c and after such a long time trying. It is always doubly cruel when they are so hard-won. Best of luck for your IUI.

Adding myself to the rollcall:

Idream - TTC#1 Age 32 1 failed ICSI cycle April '10 Male & Female factors Planning next ICSI cycle late '10.
Italian - TTC#2 (1 DD aged 5 from IUI) Age 45 1 failed ICSI cycle with donor eggs April '10 plus IUI attempts hopefully donor IVF May 2011
LissySilver--TTC attempt 2 (Husband is paraplegic so need IVF/ICSI) First attempt successful but miscarried in ninth week. Now in stimulation phase of second cycle
KeziahHopes - TTC#1, Age 35, 10mths of testing, now hopefully will be given treatment, likely to be ICSI due to dh's poor morphology. Meet new consultant in 2 weeks.
Cerubina - TTC1 - Age 38, male and female factors, two natural conceptions both MMCs. Successful first ICSI cycle in August, carrying twins (7w4d). Taking clexane and aspirin for blood clotting disorder.

We both said "thank God!" and started laughing. We had both convinced ourselves there would be nothing there, or another MMC, but privately whenever I visualised my womb I saw two in there. I had actually spent such a large portion of the last 3 weeks thinking of them as two babies that I had to remind myself there might be one on the scan and that would also be an amazing result. So in a way when we were told there were two it was as expected, but also an incredible relief/surprise/pleasure!

May I ask LL, did you take any extra folic acid during your pregnancy? I am not sure whether I should double the dose in view of the news.

Congratulations Cerubina! Fantastic news!!!!

Just poking my nose in to say DOUBLE CONGRATULATIONS to Cerubina, as I forgot to do so on the BESH thread :).

Looks like you ladies have very nearly filled this thread up. I might be joining you on vol 6 as have recently been referred for IVF. Maybe see you there...

Ooh Lyra, welcome - how exciting to have lured someone over here! You will find the pace of postings sedate compared with the BESH palais but this one is packed full of experience, good advice and occasional outpourings of bitterness which is surely the ideal mix.

Congratulations Cerubina on your scan result!

Oh my God! CErubina! How wonderful! Congratulations!

Cerubina I think it you should name the babies with a legal theme seeing as it was so close after your jury service. I think Rumpole would be a great name congrats on the twins - fingers crossed it all stays good.

Ha, good idea Loujalou! Rumpole and Kavanagh, do you think?

YAY CERUBINA!!!! That's so amazing!

Self-centered post--

I had my first scan today after starting stimulation last Wednesday. VERY different results than last time. On the same protocol, last time first scan showed 7 on right and 8 on left. This time I have 3 and 3. Slightly nervous over this result...

Thanks for the good wishes! I think they worked. I'm not going to tell DH what they said about his swimmers as I think it would make him very unbearably smug! Bit confused though - I thought you were supposed to test 2 weeks later, but they said 16 days. Is that right?