#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

I was worried on the second cycle Pez because they seemed to keep me waiting over the expected time but it was fine. My tip is to tell everyone you're nervous and they'll look after you!

I'm awake! Slept during the whole procedure, don't remember a thing!
13 eggs collected (hopefully that's a lucky 13 🍀). Now waiting to hear how many were mature.

The embryologist told me they're going to do ICSI for free due to the previous incident with the sperm - so that's good news I guess!

Oh good Pez!

Glad it went well pez!

Yay Pez! 13 eggs is good going, well done you!! Great news about ICSI too!!
You must feel such a sense of relief now!!

Witch, I totally agree... We don't give the older generation enough credit; they're more lenient than you think!

Kwick, I personally think it's so wrong that they're making a big fuss of your BMI now... If it's never been a problem before, it shouldn't be now.
Saying that, I know my clinic wants my BMI to be under 35 before treatment... It's currently 35.4 (if I haven't put any on through being inactive from my surgery, which I think I probably have), so I still have some to lose. I'm in favour for a spin-off weight loss club too!!
You'll get there. It seems like a massive hurdle but once you start it kind of just rolls and progresses; a few pointers and tips I found though were:-
• I found that eating little and often kept hunger away and made the weight drop off, but I also restricted my calories to around 1000-1200 a day - not ideal, maybe, but I don't need a lot to get by and lost weight at a quicker rate...
• I also completely cut out anything like chocolate, fizzy drinks, and just stuff that was bad for me - I didn't realise how much bad stuff I was eating, so when I stopped eating it, it caused a huge change.
• I didn't exercise overly, just walked for 20mins a day. Some days I'd go to the gym and do a bit more, but as a basis I walked 20mins and made sure I did it without fail... Power walking, though
I have faith in you lovely. You'll be fine fine

Hey everyone else! Xo

Great news Pez Fingers crossed for the next phase!

Fab news pez on both fronts ....perhaps this was meant to happen so I could get free icsi. What is the difference with icsi to ivf?

Pickle in IVF the put eggs and sperm in a Petri dish, or maybe Tupperware, and they get on with it themselves. In ICSI the embryologist selects specific individual sperm and injects one into each egg. It gets used when the sperm's swimming capability looks a bit dodgy. Or in some clinics as more of a standard thing. There are a few risks associated with but as it's relatively new they don't have the full picture yet: www.hfea.gov.uk/icsi-risks.html

I should say that most of the risks don't apply in our case because the donors are tested for lots of stuff and are not themselves infertile.

Would you also have said yes to ICSI witch? I had initially said no to this option as using good quality sperm but this morning as they were offering it free I thought let's do it!

Pez I said yes for my second cycle. They rang me just after I'd left the building and said that the sperm hadn't defrosted as well as they'd liked and they recommended it. So I took the recommendation. My logic was they can tell the quality of the embryo before it goes back in so the risk was minimal.

Ever Two of the three Drs I've seen at Manchester Fertility were lovely, and one was awful (didn't introduce himself, failed to complete the IUI, ignored me when I asked about the ultrasound which the previous dr had used to great effect). I bet he was the one at the show...

I get so frustrated that men have the option to become parents far later than women, where as by the time I had my life in some sort of order, decided that I wasn't going to meet anyone and I was fine about that, and was starting to feel ready to be a parent, the window was closing. Hurrah for clinics giving us options!

I'm having ICSI as recommended by the clinic - I think it is standard for them. I said yes because who knows, my eggs might have tough shells...

So glad it all went well Pez!

Ah ok, thanks witch

Another woman at work in a different team is preg and I said to her today.."I knew it, I didn't tell u in Jan (when saw her last)as I didn't know how far along u were and it may have just been Xmas splodge' she was like jeez how did u know, I didn't have my scan until mid Feb!!! - I swear I have a baby-dar that I just know-guessed everyone at work and best friends and sister

Ha Pickle - I have a friend who can 'smell' pregnancy! He can as well. With my first pregnancy (2nd IUI) this time last year, I told his partner 'I've got something to tell you' and he said 'We already know; X can smell pregnancy.'

Weird, but true!

Yeh I kinda ruined my besties speech to tell me for her 1st (have guessed the latter 2 as well) & invited me over and said oh yeh I need to tell u something and I said 'yeh I know, ur pregnant' think it deflated her balloon a bit 😬oops!!

We'll have just binged on 2packets of crisps, a tea cake and a (small) bag of popcorn! I'm so hungry today!!!!

I have a baby-dar too Pickle! People just seem different when they're pregnant, their aura changes. I've guessed with all my godmothers pregnancies (she's 43 and just had her third!) and I did with a friend, too. It's so strange!
Shoes - I love that - smelling pregnancy. He should write a book!

I've just sat and worked out when my future periods will be, and when I'm likely to start in August. I'm due on on the 4th August, so will ovulate around my Dads birthday - my Mum always jokes that that's when me and my brother were conceived because we're both May babies - so would be strange if it works first time (very hopeful, I know!) and we have another bubba in May...

I did that too caution unfortunately my body had other ideas and after af being 26 days for MONTHS I then had a 28day and a 33day cycle hence why they put me back on the pill. Altho if your a bit more flexible with dates it's not as important but with my job random dates doesn't fit in too well :/

I also mapped out my next few cycles pickle and caution but then it started to stress me out a bit working out the dates and all the potential difficulties that may arise with work and personal commitments. Decided just to take each cycle as it comes, hope for the best with each cycle but (try) and prepare for the worst.

Aargh decisions, I have chosen my donor and am about to order but the number of straws left is now only 7. Realistically I am aware that it is probably not going to work first time and have prepared initially for 3 attempts. The straws are expensive though so don't know whether to order 3 now to secure the donor or just order 1 and accept I may need to change donor if it doesn't work out. Any advice?

Hi bear, I guess it depends if you're thinking of siblings in the future. If so, it won't be a problem to have left overs.
I very naively thought when I ordered my first 3 vials that my first IUI would work and i would be left with 2 to keep in the fridge! Believe me, 3 really isn't a lot 😉
I know that if this cycle works for me I am definitely ordering more for the future.
Also, 7 could just mean it is a fairly new donor and lots of his vials are still quarantined. Are you booking a pregnancy slot?

Because my clinic charge for storage and stuff EACH time u order a new donor I decided to order 6 straws instead of 2 (my clinic and sperm bank recommends not to order 1straw incase when defrosted it's not great so have to order minimum of 2) I did lots of sums (altho more £ in advance it worked out a lot cheaper in low run, but that's maybe due to my clinic cost and donor clinic having hidden costs)and decided I would order 6 so I didn't have to worry bout paying for donor for a while, reduce stress if THIS HAS TO WORK I ONLY HAVE scenario, I like my donor and would want to try again with them so for me I ordered bulk but a lot of others have reasons why they only ordered one.

It's such a hard decision to make! What's ur donor like bear?

Also if you only do IUIs (and hopefully it won't get to this stage), they normally recommend changing donor after a while anyway.
I only kept the same donor as I was moving to ivf (this was one of the reasons I moved to IVF, I really like my donor!)

pez wow 13!!!! Very well done - glad you were so juicy

Thanks for the tips caution

bear aaah decisions decisions!!! When you get your BFP on the first go are you planning to have more kiddy widdies after? If so they buy the 3 or if there are delivery cost savings. I always bought "in bulk"!!

Ok so new role that has been "created for me" has been posted and I have applied. Everyone is saying how there will need to be a big transition and that I wil be hard to replace... hope I have made the right decision...

So I decided that as I was in the pill and I wasn't checking for LH surge anymore that I would every now again check that I wasn't having any surges. I can safely say not even a feint line and would have something there from around day 10 even tho wasn't positive and nothing on tests I've done ✅ yay!! Come on body keep playing ball little body 😁