Any on looking to start ivf/icsi in the new year?

[lucieloos]

Just wondering if anyone would like to keep me company and share the ivf/icsi journey. DH and I are both 35 years old and have been trying to conceive our first child for 10months. DH has lowish sperm motility and I have a low amh (7.24). We haven't had any luck so far and so the next step will be ivf with icsi in the new year. We are thinking of starting end of feb or march. Would be great to share the journey with others in similar situations and hopefully make some friends along the way

I think feeling worried is a pretty normal reaction Cheesy! So so pleased for you. When will your clinic scan you? Two weeks or so?

Gosh, that's brilliant news! Well done and fingers crossed!

Okay, so I'm off the progesterone and will start another natural frozen cycle when my bleed begins: soon I hope. We have a one 3AB left in the freezer. If that doesn't work, straight on the stims again but icsi this time... Sheesh. Daunting. Thankfully I have some very supportive in laws and good friends (even if some of them don't know why I need so much distracting right now) and you all. Makes it easier. Thank you xxxx

Yep, should have a scan at around the six week mark, all being well. Our beta is on Saturday so assuming that's positive they will give us a date for the scan in a few weeks. If that's ok I think we'll pay for a private scan around 9 weeks and then we'll have the 12 week scan, so hopefully we won't go more than a few weeks without some reassurance. Fingers crossed that's how it works out.

Warrior, that totally sucks but good to be straight back on the horse (so to speak, maybe a bad phrase when we spend so much of our time with our legs akimbo). Hopefully your little frozen emby is as sticky as anything.

Good luck today Cheesy, I hope the Beta goes well. I am contemplating paying for a 9 week scan too...

How are you warrior? Is your bleed due soon? Good to hear you have an excellent little frosty waiting for you and I am sure you're excited to be getting on with things. Don't be daunted to go into ICSI if needed, it's just another miracle option in these journeys.

badger thank you, I had my beta this morning and I am definitely pregnant. They said they were looking for a figure over 50 and mine was 309 so I'm really pleased. ee have an early scan at 7w2d so I'm on the countdown to then.

warrior you and others on this thread are still very much in my thoughts.

Also - it was ICSI we had as DH has 95% antisperm antibodies. It hasn't seemed to hold us back at all - we still got a great quality blastocyst and a BFP. Before we knew about the antiperm antibodies I thought we would have 'traditional' ivf and was glad that some element of natural selection would be involved - the strongest sperm would fertilise the eggs in the lab. With ICSI that is removed and I was sad about that. I felt that it makes an artificial process even more so. Then I began to realise that we are so lucky and blessed to have the technology and capability to do ICSI, and it should be celebrated. An amazing, clever embryologist picked out the best sperm for us and helped it along, and that in itself is a miracle. If we were in this position 20 years ago we wouldn't have been able to achieve this and I am so grateful for ICSI.

Sorry to gatecrash your thread (can I join?) I need some advice.

We've just found out that DH has no sperm, not one! He has a SA last week and the GP just called. He wants him to have a blood test to check his hormone levels.

Is anyone else is this situation? I'm panicking a lot now that this is the end of the ttc road for us and I'm devastated

Welcome Twinkle. I don't have any direct experience of no sperm but I know from other threads on here that it happens a fair bit. I believe in some situations it's possible to operate to extract sperm directly from the testes. Have you had a search on other threads? I think it's called azoospermia. If I were you I'd be asking my GP to refer us to a fertility specialist. They are the best people to speak to (and in my experience a GP's knowledge of fertility issues can be fairly limited). Don't give up hope, speak to the specialists to find out your options. I am sure you are both very upset and shocked at the moment but try and think of a referral as a positive step towards TTC. Finding out the issue why you might not have conceived before now is a big help towards overcoming whatever the issue might be.

Thanks badger for the welcome I've been researching it since we got the call yesterday, I feel like I've been hit by a bus. Yes it says that there could be a blockage and that he may still be producing sperm in his testes that just aren't getting through and we could have IUCI (?) for this, and I'm going to cling to that with all my heart because I just cant bear to think of the other reality
I'm hoping that the GP will tell us what the next step will be but we are in for a long road of tests I think.

Keep hoping Twinkle , you just never know what they might be able to do for you. Push your GP for a referral ASAP. And things can move pretty quickly sometimes, so don't think it will necessarily take ages. When our fertility initial tests showed that DH had a low sperm count the clinic didn't even bother checking what my issues might have been (I had long irregular cycles and occasionally missed a period so I suspect I have some ovulation issues), they just suggested we went straight to ICSI. Although in the end we ended up with conventional IVF on the day due to sperm changes from our initial test.

Sperm and drugs both ordered this week for next month, so just another three weeks or so of the Pill and I'm back underway. And my mission to shift the last few 'overweight' pounds and get my BMI to 25 continues...

Good progress Persipan!

Hi everyone,

Please can I join this thread? I'm starting my first IVF soon, begin down regulation meds on 22nd June, endo scratch following day, EC and ET mid July-ish. Feels very surreal at the moment. Anyone due to have treatment similar time?

It would be nice to go through it with others who are having treatment as I do not know anybody in real life who's had IVF. (I'm 35, DH 38, ttc 2 years unexplained subfertility. 3 x failed IUIs, AMH 9.4, antral follicle count 9).

Dive in, Nonconformist! I'm due for retrieval and transfer probably in the week of 13th July, so it sounds like we'll be cycling at roughly the same time. (No down-regging for me, though; I'm short protocol).

ThanksPersipan Have you done short protocol before? I can't see your background details so far back in the thread. Trying to distract myself as much as possible that it's coming up to keep myself calm (apart from coming on mumsnet obviously).

Yeah, my first cycle was basically the same protocol, except we're upping my starting dose of Gonal f (last time I started on 300 and ended on 450, so this time they decided to split the difference and start me at 375) and adding ICSI 'cos my fertilisation rate was a bit underwhelming last time.

Hi everyone hows tricks....ive not been on here a while since i had my miscarriage after 1st time success with icsi But 2nd cycle begins again this month so fingers crossed. Twinkle: my fella is producing but not enough "normal" sperm hence why its prooved v difficult for things to happen naturally & the icsi is best for us they didnt recommend iui thing u said about. The icsi they r literally picking out his sperm & put into the egg. Hope u get some results & reasurance soon, all this takes over yr life without u noticing!..x

Hello new people and returning folks! Good to see we're still hanging in there.

I'm in a natural FTET cycle with the second of the two embryos we managed to salvage from the cancelled cycle. This blastocyst is a little stronger-looking than the other: it developed with much more regularity than the one we tried with last month. It's a slightly higher grade - not stellar but pretty good.

Still feel utterly convinced that this is all for nothing though... Anyone else feeling a bit wary after a setback?

My drugs just arrived. Assorted musings:

• 3 pens of Gonal f. ROFL, that'll last like a week.
• Dear god, why so much Suprecur? Last time I had one vial (and used nowhere near all of it; not even half) so I can't think why they think I need two.
• Utrogestan instead of Cyclogest. :-( I got on quite well with Cyclogest via the back door and suspect this will be way more faff.
• The cute little bag the sharps box comes in is less cute second time around.

Persipan I have quite a lot of unused Cyclogest if you want me to post it to you? (Or is that a bit weird?! The gesture is well meant if so!) Although my clinic's current advice is that you have to use the front door (I got on much better with the back door as well three years ago on DD's cycle!) I didn't realise you used Suprecur at all on a short protocol.

Welcome back kaz. Sorry your first cycle ended so sadly but good positives to have got pregnant. Hopefully this is the cycle for you. Are you doing the same protocol to last time?

Chin up warrior, warrior spirit out front please! Although I know it is hard after a set back. Sounds like you've got a great little embryo waiting to burrow in. (Slight aside, but what is the first "T" in FTET? I've not heard that acronym before)

Hello nonconformist, this is the place to hang out to distract yourself (and AIBU!). The endo scratch sounds a very positive step, I'd been looking into those for my next FET cycle before our natural miracle took place.

How are you doing Twinkle? Push your GP for a referral if you've not already. The fertility clinic will want to do their own tests so I'd get on the referral list as soon as you can if I were you. The GP can always help in the meantime if there's a waiting list in your area.

Things are going well at Badgers Towers and the house project is keeping me occupied. I am still blown away by the turn of events if I think about it properly but still also slightly pessimistic (or realistic?) that things might not work out. I've booked a private scan for Saturday when I should be 10 weeks so we shall see if things are progressing as they should...

Anyway, keep on keeping on everyone, as they say round these parts.

I just wanted to say hi to everyone, and can I hang out here for some support etc. as am about to start a frozen cycle.

kazcal looks like we are in very similar boats, could be nice to go through this together - we have male factor infertility meaning we needed ICSI and while our first round was sucessful at first it sadly ended in a miscarrage at 11 weeks. I'm just waiting for my period to start to have FET, hopefully just 10 more days to go! Do you know what sort of protocol you're having? It seems they have decided to do an almost unmedicated cycle for me - I just have one injection on Day 2 and then start taking estradol 2 weeks later for 2 weeks and then they do the transfer once my lining is thick enough. sounds unmedicated anyway, compared to the number of injections and pills and fanny candles we need to do for a fresh round, eh?!

Hope everyone is well, I'm going to read the whole thread now to catch up with what's going on.

Badger hope yr scan goes well on Sat, the whole waiting game of this journey is draining huh!!, yeah on my front good that i actually got pregnant shame they did'nt hang on but positive vibes for this time...fingersandtoescrossed....this time im on a pretty similar cycle just shorter & higher dosage im taking as of 11th june Norethisterone pill then from approx end june the injections... buserelin, followed by 225 fostimon & 150 merional do that for approx 15 days then egg removal.. its nice to share experiences eh. Good luck everyone, x

Hello Toes, all welcome! FET is way easier on the body and emotions than a fresh cycle I found, and your short protocol sounds good, I had to do 3 weeks of buserelin injections in February when I did my FET! Is your injection on Day 2 a down-regging injection?

Hello Toes, all welcome! FET is way easier on the body and emotions than a fresh cycle I found, and your short protocol sounds good, I had to do 3 weeks of buserelin injections in February when I did my FET! Is your injection on Day 2 a down-regging injection?