#makeithappen TTC through Donor IUI or Donor IVF or just undecided. All welcome. Thread 10

[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/2944496--makeithappen-TTC-through-Donor-IUI-or-Donor-IVF-or-just-undecided-All-welcome-Thread-9
And the one before that: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/donor_conception/2908645--makeithappen-TTC-through-Donor-IUI-or-Donor-IVF-or-just-undecided-All-welcome-Thread-8
And the one before that: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/donor_conception/2886793--makeithappen-TTC-through-Donor-IUI-or-Donor-IVF-or-just-undecided-All-welcome-Thread-7
And the one before that: 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

We also have a weight loss spin off thread: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/donor_conception/2889818-TTC-through-Donor-IUI-or-Donor-IVF-weight-loss-spin-off-thread

Glad it was not that bad munro
😂 life, limb or testicle!!! What about wombles and ovaries????

No response from IVI - I sent two emails yesterday pm - basically waiting to hear back on the following:

• UK invoice and payment details
• confirmation they have shared MC testing with Spain
• last set of blood test results. I assume that I do not have HIV or HEP whatever it was but I also want to specifically know about the Toxoplasmosis test I did
• news on donor matching, genetic testing and dates

Yay london!!! So exciting!!!
I did not have many physical reactions to drugs (apart from bruises, itching and I got an absolutely gorgeous blackhead, which still occasionally brings further joy) but I was a bit “emosh”.
IVF is a big step but I also found it less “wishy-washy” compared to IUI, especially if you are doing a stimulated cycle. For me the worst part if it all was the egg collection bit:

• having to depend on someone else to be there due to the GA (everything else I have done alone)
• being without my knickers on on a ward and being put under
• having to fricking walk into theatre with yucky open back gown on, where there are SO many people, have a scan done whilst awake and then being put under
• effects of GA and then waiting anxiously to hear how few eggs were collected

Eek London I'm so pleased you are getting so start this month. Obviously only had iui but had Menopur-didn't really have many side effects with that other than upset tummy but think that was more because of anxiety and ins mixed together but sure a number of others will be able to offer advice :)

Haha agree turtle gonal f is a horrid name-think it reminds me of gonads 😂

Kwick hope you get some replies soon

Thanks pez, really helpful to hear about your experience. I’ll plan to take a day’s sick leave from work in that case, and have some working from home days too. Hopefully I’ll emulate you in all the other respects too!

Totally agree, turtle, it’s a horrid name for a drug! Will try to share what it’s like real-time so you know what to expect too.

Thanks for the warnings about the GA kwik. I’ll make sure the missus is primed to stay close & bring a big scarf to protect my modesty / everyone else’s eyes!

And thank you pickle! Sounds like I’m in for a delightful tummy & bum time (sorry, tmi!) so I’ll get stocking up on the oil of peppermint, peppermint tea, lactulose, prune juice & suppositories! I’ve discovered whole new aisles in Boots during this process!

Yes it's all about the 💩 either too much or not enough. I found Tesco was a god send as my clinic only had one toilet 😱 and I have such toilet worries. All worth it (I keep telling myself)

Thats great london I can’t wait for my appointment next Friday so I can get my protocol. I am hoping af will hold off until after appointment do I can start cycle straight away but ot will likely depend on whether I need to down reg or not.

Morning ladies! I just saw an email from IVI Spain, so despite being at work and very busy!!! I thought I would share an update straight away - this is what they said:

^The ED team has also confirmed that your donors have been allocated . We will let update you as soon as the embryos have been created and then plan your frozen embryo transfer.

If you have some contraceptive pills at home, you could start today and wait on the pill until we are in a position to plan the rest of the dates (i.e. once the embryos have been frozen). This would bring us to potential transfer by mid-end November approximately.^

Unfortunately I do not have any pills at home (I plan to try Asda out tomorrow evening for the prescription they have given me) but actually probably not a bad thing to have a bit longer as I have holidays booked from mid December, plus gives me longer to lose weight and longer to sort out flat (and do a few more improvements). But I am still very excited by the news... I was beginning to think my amazing beauty and charisma was proving very hard to find donor matches to...

Oh wow - got a supersonic reposnse:

^We can keep the same potential timescale by skipping the cycle with the pill and start directly with your next scan.
Potential plan would.

• Wait for next period, around 10th Nov. Vaginal scan between Day 1-3 of your period.
• If scan results clear, to start Cetrotide injections + Progynova tablet.
• Repeat scan + blood tests for estradiol and progesterone after 12-15 days of having started with the medication.
• If scan results OK, frozen transfer to be scheduled one week after last scan, approximately.

We do open at weekends but not for frozen embryo transfers. We can plan yours on a Friday or Monday if easier in terms of getting time off work. We will be open through Christmas time but the lab will be closed for two weeks by the end of Dec-beginning Jan for equipment maintenance and cleaning.^

Well I had better shake a leg with the weight loss and home improvements!!!!

Once again a very quick response:

Yes, I can confirm that donors have been tested. In order to delay treatment start for recipients, we also have a large pool of donors that have been previously tested for genetic compatibility and are waiting to be stimulated. After allocating the potential matches (based on your physical characteristics), we cross match those donors and discard those who share the same gene mutations. Sometimes, if no matching donors are found (based on characteristics), we need to expand the search and test new donors for genetic compatibility. But the protocol nowadays at IVI is to test all donors for gene mutations to avoid delays in start of treatment.

Finally the italics worked!!!

Right - I really must get on with some work!!!

Have a great day everyone!

Wow. Exciting news Kwick. November will come round really quickly. It's weird the bit about letting you know when the embryos are created. I am surprised they don't plan on keeping you a bit more updated about the process. I don't suppose it really matters though.

Thankfully ovaries don't tend to twist round and cut off their own blood supply Kwick but testicles do so in that case we have to operate on them quickly before they start to die!

Please don't stress about the egg collection London. I actually think most of the time people have sedation rather than a GA but it is such deep sedation you don't remember much. I was wheeled round on the trolley (so no flashing anyone), they put on the monitoring, put in the drip, gave me some meds and then the next thing I remembered was waking up afterwards. I don't remember the scan or even having my legs put up in stirrups. If you don't want to be aware of these things just ask the anaesthetist if you can have the sedation before they do them.

Wow things are moving fast now kwick. Very excited for you 😀

Sounding positive kwick - not long now!

Also I agree with you about the point re having to have someone take you to EC. I'm really annoyed as while friends and family are informed I don't want anyone to know the exact timings to keep the pressure off having to inform of a result. Also as it's likely to be a weekday, whoever I ask will have to take leave to come along with me, which I feel is a big ask.

Pickle I also have IBS so not looking forward to the impact of the drugs. All worth it in the end, hopefully!

Jesus H Christ wonky!!! Poor testicles!!!

🐢 maybe if you are just being sedated they will allow you to go alone? I think I had a GA each time.

Not sure kwick, if I could taxi i would but it's too far and I'll have to drive, which prob makes it not safe

I was sedated (slept the whole time and didn't feel a thing). A colleague who was in the know picked me up from the clinic but then I travelled back home on my own, I was perfectly fine. The clinic would have let me go on my own anyway as long as I rested for a couple of hours after the EC. Worth asking the clinic.

Kwick, it's all systems go for you!!! I'm really pleased for you

Sorry turtle just noticed you would have to drive... so probably not safe for you to travel back on your own

You definitely can't drive after heavy sedation and generally the rule is that you should have someone with you for 24hrs afterwards (although I was on my own for a bit during this time, later in the afternoon rather than immediately post procedure). The annoying thing is that because you don't definitely know when your egg collection will be it is hard for someone to have enough notice to request time off.

Yes the logistics of that part of it isn't going to be easy. And not sure I'm going to have someone with me for 24 hours either! Ah well, sure I'll work something out

wonky please close your ears for a sec...
🐢I never had anyone with me for the full 24 hours....

As you were wonky

Well don't go home on your own turtle and definitely don't drive - I don't think you would be insured if you did and you may still have slower reflexes and worse decision making than normal.

Is it your scan today ever? Fingers crossed that you see the heartbeat.

Welcome 4leaf!

Kwik that is super exciting!!

TurtleTree Hope you find a solution!

Well I got my CMV results back today and I am CMV negative which is a pain in the bum. Being a worrier if I am fortunate enough to become pregnant I’ll probably spend the entire pregnancy being paranoid about catching it!

Annoyingly the nurse that coordinates all the donor sperm procedures is on annual leave for the next two and a bit weeks, then when she gets back from leave I am out of the country for two and a bit weeks, so I can’t talk through donor options with anyone for a month. On the plus side, that’ll be another month off the donor waiting list! (Although I think it’s likely I’ll end up using donor sperm from another clinic)

My partner has been abroad with the military since July although we did get to see each other a month or so back as her father unexpectedly passed away and she was given compassionate leave to attend the funeral. She returns in December so hopefully things will be all systems go by then (I doubt it at the rate things are moving though!)

sorry ladies, I’ve been a bit MIA!

kwick oh wow, it’s all going on! This is awesome! So does the new timeline work for you?

I’m heading off for Athens on Monday week. Very excited, obviously. I had my first scan last Monday morning, and my lining was already 8.6mm, so will be interesting to see how I go tomorrow. I have a small amount of anxiety that a) took the prostap down reg wrong (I followed the instructions for thigh or belly, but everyone else seems to have injected in the bum and b) that my lining will have somehow deflated in what is a longer than usual build up to transfer.

tiny I feel your pain on the delay to talk about donors, that happened to me on the first cycle of ivf. Is there anyway to communicate via email instead of phone so you can do it sooner?

Hey guys!!!
I've also been MIA. I've been in Spain for a cheeky October holiday. Get some sunshine before the winger hits the Highlands.
Looks like there's lots of exciting progress happening.
There seems to be so many of us that are CMV negative!!
Good luck with your journeys lovely ladies 😚

Hi all,

So baseline scan was today, and hurrah! the cyst has gone so all systems go for a short protocol IVF. Starting on Gonal F and Menopur tonight, and nightly for the foreseeable future. Super pleased. Thanks ladies for all the supportive comments & advice.