Infertility Rant!

[loopylou1984]

Thread two moving on from infertility meltdown!
Feel free to join us to rant about any part of the infertility journey

RUBY - If you check here again soon - I'd love to hear why they plan a c-section in advance (just to learn from everyone else and help my next birth go more to plan after my first horrible experience). Do they just do that as standard because it's twins, or did the scan show some medical reason for intervening? I've heard that many twin pregnancies go into labor before 38 weeks - what is the plan if that happens? Good luck - you are going to be one busy and very tired lady very soon!

Sorry for going AWOL sammy. I'm still here. You say you will most likely do a fully private frozen round, but am I right that you have not yet done your private fresh round yet - or have I missed that somehow??

As for me, I am 11 weeks this Saturday. Still can't quite believe I am actually pregnant after 11 IVF attempts. I have put on a few kilos but I think it has more to do with the fact that I am needing to eat very frequently otherwise I start to feel nauseous. I am trying to choose healthy food but I am sure it is still way too many calories and that it's not all baby weight!

So Shell, you must have a scan coming up?? Or is it different timings where you are?

No, we haven't done any nhs yet, just the private fresh which was abandoned. We were allowed 1 fresh and 2 frozen privates before losing our nhs entitlement. Xx

Hi all,
I've just joined as I started my Menopur injections last night. I'm 40 and been ttc for 6 years with hubby. It is probably the scariest thing I have ever had to do. They've put me on the highest dosage possible as my fsh levels were high.
I really hope we can get some eggs, but the thought of collection makes me terrified! Please if anyone has any advice, help, funny anecdotes please feel free to pass the on! ????????????????
PS this is our first and only NHS IVF cycle (because of my age) ????????????

Probably just bloating shell I put on and lost a few kilos in the first trimester with no overall gain. Now however....!!!!

sammy not long now til your baseline, it will soon be here. Sorry for going AWOL, I'm still watching for your updates :-)

ruby 6 weeks til you see your babies! If not before! Squeeeeeeee! Is it a c section coz of your bp? How is your health generally?

Me, I'm 25 weeks, really speeding up! Me and dh are going away on Saturday for a week so might be radio silence as campsite not renowned for phone reception!!

Sorry crossed post tasha I can't help you with ivf as I've never gone through it. I'm sure shell or sammy will be on to help you through it :-) best of luck though x

Can I join?

I am having my last ivf appointment next week and I think il start the first injections then. I am so worried and I am starting to feel sick. Mainly about it not working but also work don't know and I don't want to tell them so I just said I was having treatment when I was doing a clomid cycle.

I have pcos and have been ttc 3 years since my miscarriage. No children at the moment. Tried 3 cycles of clomid and it did NOTHING at all. So starting on til the journey of ivf.

Hi Tasha

Please don't worry about the egg collection, I don't even remember most of mine thanks to the sedative! I vaguely remember some discomfort and hearing the consultant say I was bleeding... It's a little like I was drunk, blurry half memories.
Unfortunately I developed OHSS so was in quite a lot of pain afterwards but for most people it's fine.

Chops! You're pregnancy is going so fast! Crazy :). Glad you're still around, xx

And welcome to vixx too, don't worry about your injections, and don't worry about work.
The only day you'll need to take off work is egg collection because you'll be sedated. The other scans and things don't take long, so you can probably nip out for an hour or so. Try not to get stressed about work, it won't help and will just make you feel horrible. Xx

Welcome Tasha. Did you ever get any infertility diagnosis in that time? I suppose now they would be quick to point to your age and high FSH levels, but obviously that wasn't an issue 6 years ago. I did IVF between age 35-38 and I too was always on a high dose due to poor response. I read a study online about high protein (greater than 25%) low carb (less than 40%) diet for two months prior to and during the IVF stim phase increasing the number off eggs that survive to blastocyst to 50% and the pregnancy rate to a whopping 80%. I knew I couldn't make a higher quantity off eggs with my poor response, so I focused on quality with this diet instead. My last IVF produced only 3 mature eggs, but the two that fertilised were both top quality at day 3 and one took. This was in vast contrast to my first IVF where the embryo disintegrated before day 2 and I had nothing to transfer. So I personally cannot recommend this diet enough. I know it's too late to do it for two months prior to IVF, but better late than never as now is the time when your eggs are growing rapidly. Good luck. When is your first scan?

Welcome to you too Vixx. I know how stressful it is. It's very different to trying naturally. We have years of build up to get to this point and this is our one chance at success. I think I felt (a bit) better once the cycle started and I was injecting and going for scans, rather than the lead up where all you do is wait and wonder, so hopefully you will find the same. The two weeks of stimming goes fast as you are injecting every day and going for regular scans, and we will be here by your cyber side to help you through so please feel free to vent away here if it helps get things off your chest.

Hi Sammy, Shellster and Vix,

It is unexplained infertility with me and my hubby. His count etc is fine and I'm ovulating and tubes fine etc. just a big mystery! We were due to have IUI but they cancelled it as stopped doing it in our clinic and by the time we'd got the IVF referral I was 40 and only allowed one free go. Very annoying but glad we get at least one!

the diet sounds really good, I do actually eat really healthily and loads of protein through eggs, fish, dairy etc stopped the booze and trying to drink loads of water and milk. The injections have been really scary to do and I cry every night when I have to do them p, but I just jab it in and it's fine! I think I'm just an emotional wreck. I have never been pregnant and I really worry my eggs are going to be crap and it all goes wrong. My family keep saying keep positive but I keep thinking the worst so it doesn't affect me too much if it doesn't work.

Both my best mates are pregnant at the moment and my twin sister has just had her second child. It makes me so depressed and jealous and I hate feeling like that cos I love them all and am happy for them. Sorry I'm going on and on!

Shellster. I'm so pleased that it worked for you, it gives me hope

Vix. Please don't worry about the injections, they are scary but don't hurt and practise makes perfect (I'm only on my third day of taking the maximum dose and no side effects so far apart from thirsty)
I told my boss I was going through treatment simply because my clinic is 2 hours drive each way, so even scans take ages for me even tho I'm only in there 10 mins! I live in rural west wales you see. Work have been very flexible and understanding, I'm very lucky.
The only day you will need to be in all day is egg collection and transfer I think.

It would be great to go through the journey together and swap info if you will find that useful.

Good luck to everyone xxx

Shellster - sorry forgot to say my first scan is Monday. Fingers crossed they will be growing well xxx

Tash - we're unexplained too, it's so frustrating isn't it?
Especially when it seems like everyone around you gets pg at the drop of a hat! I feel your pain, we've been trying 2 years nearly and sil announced her pregnancy 2 months after their wedding, it's so unfair! Xx

We were mostly unexplained, dh's sperm were all in the good category except for the morphology which wavered between suboptimal 2% and acceptable 5%! We got our bfp after 27 months trying, 32 cycles or something. Kind of lost count! Our bfp was natural BTW just before our 3rd attempt at iui. Our first 2 attempts of iui were cancelled before they really got going!

At 40 your eggs won't be as good, shell knows the stats of how many will be duff when released. But it still can happen naturally. I was chatting to a lady in my preg exercise group who said she was 40 years old, been with her partner 9 years with no contraception. Assumed they were not going to have babies as nothing happened. Then realised her period was a few months late and tadaaaa! She's now 19 weeks, a total shock!

Hello ladies,

I posted a while back after GP diagnosed me with high prolactin and now had DH's SA back (the second one) which has confirmed male factor infertility with swimmers which don't swim! 70 odd percent are immotile.

Really hoping you ladies might have some words of wisdom or similar success stories to share? We are waiting for our first visit to the clinic and we think we might be heading in the IUI or IVF route from what we've read so far...

Hi itsme, sorry for the diagnosis... However at least now you have a problem to work with you can fix it :).
Yes, I'd say you will be going for IUI as there is obviously a problem with the swimmers reaching the egg. Good luck :). X

Hi ladies, I'm sat in the hospital car park waiting to go in for my 2nd scan after Menopur ?? I'm early AGAIN!
Anyway my scan on Monday showed 4 follicles on each ovary, which I was chuffed with seeing my FSH was high and my age! Started injecting Cetrotide that day too. Will keep you updated. I think egg collection is Monday but I'm hoping to find out more today xxx

Tash, that's a fantastic first scan result. I was 35 - 37 when I did IVF and the most eggs I ever got was 4 mature, so I can understand you being chuffed with 8 at 40. Will wait to hear how you got on at your second scan and hope they were all growing. Glad you've been eating a healthy high protein diet. I had poor embryo quality with first IVF at 35 that didn't even surivive one day, but excellent quality embryos at last IVF EC days before turning 38 after being rigid with diet and supplements, so I really hope your healthy lifestyle helps you too.

What a rough trot you're having Itsme - first high prolactin, and now swimmer issues to boot. Trying to reply to your request for words of wisdom or success stories... my husband had low everything (count, motility and morphology). His diet was terrible and with my efforts to change that being futile, I gave him supplements. His count and motility both improved drastically. But with your hubby having 70% immotile, it sounds unusually high as though something specific might be causing it rather than a general diet, supplement thing? I think Vit C is known for significantly increasing motility and it's very cheap to try while you wait for your appointment. Either way, ICSI did (finally) work for us so we are a success story.

Well my follicles haven't grown! I don't know whether this is normal for my age, but the nurse just said I have to continue going back for scans and taking Menopur and Cetrotide. I have another scan tomorrow. I had one 12mm and 7 10mm. I don't even know what size they need to be for collection? Can anyone help? Ha ha I should be asking the nurses this at my scans I know, but I just forget all the time.
Plus I am now starting to get quite bloated, but I think this is a good sign, well I hope so.
Good luck to everyone going through this at the mo. I'll try and keep you all updated on my journey xxx

Tash - I think they have to be over 12... But not too much over 20. I hope they have grown by your next scan, Xx

Thanks shellster, high prolactin was okay I just expected to have some tablets to level out the hormone, then got completely blindsided by his test result!

it is really reassuring to know there are things we can do! he's on supplements from the first time because he was determined to get a better result, the count improved but the motility stayed the same :(

Just waiting now for the ball to get rolling and a plan of action, will update!

Hi everyone. In desperate need for some independent advice from women going through ivf. I am single and therefore paying thousands for it. Have just failed a first cycle after transfer of 2 embryos. 4 eggs were retrieved. Anyway in the post failure meeting with my consultant I was told the eggs retrieved were post mature. Ie they had left it too late to trigger and this resulted in poor quality embs. I was only scanned once during stimulation phase on day 9 and by then I presume it was too late. What kind of monitoring have others received during stimulation. Upset and disappointed.

Entourage, I'm so sorry that your last round failed. I've just had my eggs collected today and during stims I was scanned every other day. So Monday, Wednesday and Friday. My follicles weren't growing, but when i went back on the Friday they were ready! I'm so glad I had the scans. It seems very strange that u were only scanned once!
They collected 5 eggs today, they're doing ICSI as its going to give us the best chance so I need to wait till 10am tomorrow to see whether they are fertilising. I'm keeping my fingers crossed and wish you lots of luck for the future xxx

Tashab07. Thanku so much for this reply. Felt like I am going mad. Having had time to absorb what my consultant told me I have done a bit of reading and feel completely let down. We all know the odds are tough anyway. Seeing a different consultant to discuss it and looking forward to answers and trying again. How are u feeling after collection? Such an exciting day! Did u get all the drugs?? I loved it! Good luck to u too and if u get chance please let me know how u get on. Rest up xxxx

Entourage luckily we've had this round free on the NHS (I'm 40 so only allowed one!) and this is our first ever round. I was so petrified of egg collection, I was crying! BUT..it was absolutely fine! I must have fallen asleep on the drugs as cant remember anything! Result! Feeling a bit tired, but a great excuse to lie on the couch and do nothing ??
I'll definitely keep u posted about what happens with the eggs and thanks so much for your kind words, it means a lot xxx

Tasha, 5 eggs is great! Glad that you found egg collection wasn't the big deal you were expecting. Will wait for your update!

Entourage - how frustrating . I too had many more scans than just one and so has everyone else I have seen go through IVF on here. Do you know what size your follicles were at your stim day 9 scan? I can totally understand you feeling totally let down. I had 7 EC's before the last one finally resulted in BFP. One IVF cycle I had two mature follicles and 3 smaller ones. I wanted to go ahead with egg collection as I read the 'first to mature' follicles are the ones the body is naturally selecting and contain the best eggs. The clinic made me wait for the 3 smaller ones to catch up. The result: 5 eggs were collected but two broke apart with the ICSI process which the Dr later said happens when the eggs are over mature! So I lost my two best eggs for the sake of 3 lower quality ones of which only one fertilised and died before transfer. I felt so frustrated and wanted a refund but of course I knew that wouldn't happen! I hope your new consultant gives you a renewed sense of hope (and more than one scan!)