#makeithappen TTC through Donor IUI or Donor IVF or just undecided. All welcome. Thread 7

[kwick]

This thread is for anyone trying to conceive... or thinking about doing so through donor IUI or donor IVF. Nothing TMI - feel free to join, we are a lovely group here to support and help keep the cray-cray away!

Here is the link to the previous thread: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/donor_conception/2863056--makeithappen-TTC-through-Donor-IUI-or-Donor-IVF-or-just-undecided-all-welcome-Thread-6

Here is the link to the one before that: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/conception/2832207--makeithappen-TTC-through-Donor-IUI-or-Donor-IVF-or-just-undecided-all-welcome
Here is the link to the one before that one: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/conception/2769549-TTC-through-Donor-IUI-or-Donor-IVF-or-just-undecided-all-welcome-makeithappen-loadsofBFPs
Here is the link to the thread before that: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/conception/2688511-TTC-through-Donor-IUI-or-Donor-IVF-or-just-undecided-all-welcome-makeithappen
Here is the link to the one before that one: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/conception/2587046-TTC-through-Donor-IUI-or-Donor-IVF-or-just-undecided-all-welcome
And the one before that!: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/conception/1877198-Donor-IUI

Shoes - I was one of those less is more success stories. Admittedly for IUI not IVF but... did 4 rounds of IUI medicated, all failed, plus 2 additional medicated rounds where they gave me too much medication and I ovulated too early... then we tried 1 round of unmedicated and as if by magic it worked! Not sure how IVF would compare as we didn't (have to) go down that route, but could be worth investigating.

In other news, a friend of mine used IB in Barcelona with donor eggs and her husband's magic potion and from it has an almost 3 year old and an 8 month bump.

x

Resist Pickle!

On my way home from a run and need to pass a shop but then I'm safe from carbs tonight!

Brazil nuts and pistachios should become your new snack pickle!!

Ah ah witch, don't worry I have no intention of hijacking the plane or van!! That made me laugh though as yesterday me and my colony of follies were seriously considering going to Denmark to bring the potion back!

Boy is the thread moving fast.

I must say I was most surprised by my brothers thoughtfulness which is somewhat out of character... the price was still on it though!!!

So good to have support caution

pez you are a legend now on MN due to your amazeballs parking thread 
Best of luck with egg collection!

pickle not long to wait now. You have been so patient.

stork what an absolute fcuker 
It is just so hard... especially when you have an ET. I think you should discuss with FC - do they think egg quality is the issue?
Also what shoes said re testing - like I just did.
I know you may not want to hear this but unless FC tell you to ditch plan A with own eggs (like they have with me) then you should try again with your own eggs. But maybe consider moving clinic if you are not happy at all.
Spanish FC = IVI, more to follow on that later in my post

They can mature eggs outside you witch??????

Thanks pez
I was told to take baby aspirin at some stage in my multiple tries - I now take as a matter of course in 2ww.

That is great news @MiriAmmerman!!! Best of luck!

Thanks for app recommendation witch I have had a good food day so far: porridge, lentil soup and now hake and cabbage for dinner (cooking it now). Am back on (with a vengance) a hypnosis thing for weightloss - no harm right?

late this such good news

shoes I am not sure singles are covered by NHS - always has been a "no" when I have asked GP

So I contacted IVI in Spain yesterday and asked for a call back - they have told me to contact the IVI in London - all tests cam be done there and then EC/ET done in Spain. I much encouraged by this - the regulations around donors are better in Spain than the UK - so more choice/better ethnic profile for moi.
Now that I have more time to process what consultant told me on Friday:

• pissed off that they will not let me do IVF with my own eggs anymore - it could have been bad luck to have two MC
• very pissed off my BMI has suddenly become a big issue - I have been same weight since I started treatment in 2015. Nevertheless I will do all I can to lose weight.
• feeling more positive about a donor egg/donor embryo scenario

pez and her pep talk made a big difference to me - thanks you my lovely

Yesterday was really hard... today was a bit crap too - just finding work such a struggle, but I am hopeful about that too.

bear retail therapy is the best

kwick re: weight loss, agree my consultant didn't think weight was a big issue for getting pregnant. They worry about it more when you are pregnant and BMI above 40. If it is an issue would be better if they just told you upfront.

I have a nut allergy so can't get any of those lovely nutrients from them
I did go and get crisps but I'm still within my daily calorie allowance 😇

Kwick glad you've contacted the other clinic to get u started on new options

witch I have downloaded the app - thanks for recommendation

pez hi! I'm doing some research, and I'm trying to figure out the cost of meds on a mild ivf cycle, you're doing that, right?

Also, having a real hard time trying to ascertain the differences between a short protocol and a mild ivf? From everything I'm reading, it see,m the same, anyone have anything to add?

Stork, I don't think there is much difference in timings but I believe the dose of FSH is lower. I was on 150IU for 8 days. This was based on the number follicles they saw on my previous scans and AMH. Stims + Cetrotide (5days) and trigger cost me roughly £600

Tomorrow is CD10 for me so not sure if this is similar to short protocol?

I'm glad you're planning the next step by the way 😊

Stork not sure if they are the same, the IVF Lite page on the LWC website implies they are. For the first cycle I was on the same dose of Gonal F as Pez, 150, but I think for more days, can't find my treatment plan or invoice, but probably more like 10. Either way it meant starting the second Gonal F pen, which were £324 each. I have got the plan for the second cycle which ended up being 11 days of Gonal F at 175 (so 2 pens in total plus a extra dose at £54), four days of cetrotide at £43 a pop (was orgalutran the first time, I think for 3 days), and the buserelin trigger at £50. So meds for second cycle cost me £924 and presumably the first cycle was slightly less. As I was freezing all the embryos I didn't have any further medication.

I was 36 when both cycles took place. When my initial tests were done earlier in the year I was still 35 but weeks away from being 36. Have looked back in case you want the context and one of my ovaries looked polycystic and had 25 antral follicles. The other one apparently doesn't present in a polycystic way (the distinction has something to do with how the follicles are arranged on the surface of the ovary) but had 17 follicles and an 18 mm corpus luteum (i.e. a follicle which had recently ovulated - I was so relived about that as I was thinking of IUI at that point). My AMH was 50.2, so high for my age range as you would expect given the polycystic ovary.

The first cycle I had 21 mature eggs, 14 fertilised (IVF), 4 blastocysts by day 5 and another on day 6. Second cycle I had 22 mature eggs, 15 fertilised (ICSI this time as the sperm didn't defrost well), and 6 blastocysts (can't remember if all on day 5, I think so). Didn't ask about the grades of the embryos at the time and am now too scared to find out, but the consultant seemed optimistic. She was bit reluctant for me to do a second cycle in case it wasn't necessary but I wanted more chances in the freezer as by the time I try and use them it may be too late to do anything else if I have trouble with implantation or sustaining a pregnancy. I think the minimum cut off point in my head was 6 because of what I'd read about frozen embryo transfer success rates (I'd ideally like two children), so if there had been one more the first time around I might have stopped. But I didn't want to spend the next couple if years worrying about it, hence the second cycle.

Kwick apparently they can! I had no idea! www.hfea.gov.uk/fertility-treatment-options-in-vitro-maturation.html

Bit puzzled why they don't mature any immature ones they pick up during an egg collection - maybe it doesn't yield much extra?

Just wading in briefly, as cant believe having decided I am going to keep on top of this thread, am away for a few days and I ve missed pages!!

kwik I cant believe they are querying your BMI now when they never have before. Pretty ridiculous if suddenly this is one of their main issues. My BMI is still high following pregnancy and I ve been told to lose at least 10 lbs before they will treat me which rather puts the kybosh on me starting at next cycle and my cycles have been long so will get delayed till June, unless all the suggestions made earlier on the thread will work (thanks to all who replied to that). We could have a spin off diet club, there seems to be quite a few of us in this predicament. My clinic is very anti IUI in anyone over 38 so they just wont entertain me doing that which I did want a shot at.

I was at the Manchester fertility show on Sunday and Create, ESB and IVI-Spain were there, had I known I could have quizzed anyone on any of you lovely ladies behalf. So sorry Pez with the situation you ve been in, and keeping fingers crossed for your EC. Bit of a mixed bag day and I found all the non medic people far more helpful, and inspirers of hope. However I focused in on all the negatives of course... A Dr from Manchester fertility who was so patronising and said most of his clients have left it too late totally due to being career girls. Well one brilliant girl challenged him on that, along the lines of we re all here due to low ovarian reserve and you ve had nothing positive to say apart from jump straight to donor eggs. Very disheartening.

I am glad you seem to have had a positive response from IVI Kwik. They were pretty scathing of my situation, saying that if I didn't PGS test any embryos I would have a very high chance of having a baby with a chromosome disorder recurrence, I know that is total bs and not remotely in line with what consultant ob said, and also with so few eggs collected first time round, I would have to pay for multiple rounds to get even half a dozen embryos so basically they were telling me to spend maximum amount of cash or go for donor eggs. I know this is just one Drs opinion on a very snap shot version of my own history, they are supposed to be one of the leading clinics.
I have had both IB-Spain, Embryolab, Greece recommended,as well as hearing consistently brilliant results from Serum in Greece

Stork Am so so sorry. Its so shit. I hope you find a new way forward soon.

Will re read thread tomorrow. Hi to everyone else xx

Sympathies re work. I keep hoping for a lottery win, but you being hopeful about a new job is probably more constructive.

I would be pissed off about the BMI thing too - either it's a problem or not!

Good news about IVI Spain/London, hope you have an appointment soon. Glad you're feeling more positive about donor egg/embryo, at least it's there as an option. I started this process thinking I wouldn't want to use donor eggs, having not really thought about it, but honestly now I think it would absolutely be an option if necessary - the being pregnant and having a baby are important to me, the genetic heritage less so. I've just remembered that a colleague and his wife had to use donor eggs in the end (they were going to use a Spanish clinic for heritage reasons but found a suitable donor with LWC in the end) - I had totally forgotten and certainly never thought of the child as being any less hers.

OK so it was a bit more than wading in briefly.... sorry x

ever my experience of IVI this far is a call back after a Sunday request made - which I thought was a very fast turnaround and then a pleasant lady on the phone - but I have shared none of my history etc.
When I had the Hycosy and I had a lengthy discussion with Dr as she put something about my weight on the report, she said try to lose weight but the important thing is do not gain anymore - which I have not.
I am not stupid though - of course I need to lose weight, but had some crazy idea I would do that once pregnant...ok so maybe I am stupid!

pez best of luck this morning!!!

Best of luck pez hope everything goes well and your little donor is there well in time xx

Good lick @Pez82

Oops good luck @Pez82 dang autocorrect 😖

Yes good luck Pez! Hope all goes well today. Will be thinking of you!

It's great you haven't put any on for such a time Kwick. At least you're not trending in the wrong direction.

Ever hello, nice to have you back. I wondered about a spin off weight loss thread too but didn't know if it would be weird to have the conversation spread across two places?

I hope that everything is set for your trip to the clinic this morning. Good luck!

Morning, I'm at the clinic, waiting on my bed... and getting nervous I'm nearly 37h post trigger
Magic potion was delivered shortly after 8am - phew!