Is the next step IVF and if so, how?

[sorrycamel]

Hi,

Quick background, have an almost 4yo DS and am almost 35. I have been ttc for over two years and in that time had two mmc (May 2015, June 2016) and one early chemical pregnancy (Feb 17).

I had the standard mc tests with Prof Quenby and the NK cell test in Sep 16. Prof Quenby diagnosed APS, and to take heparin during my next pregnancy.

For me it feels like its a long time getting pregnant on each occasion, so i feel its not only the 'soil' which is the problem. Which is making me think I should start considering IVF.

I'm not really sure where to start with this, there is a part of me that thinks IVF clinics are unscrupulous for making so much money out of people's desperation.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how I start this process? Or any recommendations on where to go? My GP has been unable to help in the past. I live in London.

Thanks
Sarah

[LapinR0se]

Hi Sarah
I went to the lister in London and they were amazing. I got pregnant 1st cycle and had two embryos to freeze in addition.
I never ever thought they were trying to make money out of me.

[JoJoSM2]

Do you feel like you've tried other options? I.e. Healthy lifestyle, acupuncture, herbs etc? Personally, I'd make sure I've given that a go for a few months before moving on to IVF. It's a very invasive process and if you look at the statistics of live births per embryo transfer, you'll see that it's more likely to be a failure than a success. I wouldn't go for IVF until I knew that both my husband and I have been eating healthily, taking supplements, limiting alcohol and caffeine, obviously not smoking etc. for 6 months or so.
Also, statistically speaking, time to pregnancy is very strongly correlated to sperm quality (and especially count, provided all else is ok). Has your husband been giving himself he best chance?

[Tootsiepops]

If you are able to get pregnant without medical intervention, I wouldn't touch ivf with a barge pole.

[sorrycamel]

Thanks for the advice.

We are healthy, eat well, exercise, don't drink very much and don't smoke. I don't take IVF lightly, but do feel like I am out of options, apart from to carry on doing what we are doing with no results. And after 2+ years, that doesn't seem like a sensible plan...

[LapinR0se]

I would say to go along to somewhere like the lister for a full battery of tests on both you and your husband and then you'll know what they recommend. They don't always go straight to IVF or ICSI

[Tootsiepops]

You have been given a diagnosis for your miscarriages, and a treatment plan for your next pregnancy. In less than two years, you have been pregnant three times. Taking up to two years to get pregnant is within the realms of normal.

I've had ivf. It's not fun, and the success rates are utter shit.

Chances are, you won't get pregnant any faster with fertility treatment than you would trying naturally.

A full cycle of ivf can take up to three months. That's 3 months you'd miss out on trying naturally.

Then, if your cycle is unsuccessful, you need to wait up to another month for your period to start and finish, and I don't know of any clinics that will allow you to go straight in to another cycle without a break to recover.

Then there's the cost, the invasiveness of it, the appointments and endless injections and your hormones being all over the place.

IVF isn't anywhere close to a guarantee of pregnancy. I'd judge very harshly any clinic that thought ivf was a good idea for someone who can get pregnant without intervention.

[Fishface199]

I would look at free patient information evenings. I know many clinics hold some. Some clinics also hold free 15min sessions with consultants. I rang round and found a few that did free mini consultations. It's a good thing to have a ring and find out first what a consultant would recommend as they can be very helpful in these mini 1 to 1s (without paying a big fat fee upfront!)

[LapinR0se]

@tootsie I don' think the success rates are shit?

[Tootsiepops]

HFEA puts has the national average of a live birth per cycle of ivf at 25.6% I think that's pretty shit odds of success.

A couple with no known fertility issues has a 20% chance of a natural conception any given cycle.

Obviously if you're willing to pay a lot of money, you can pick a clinic with a higher success rate, BUT, if you have no problem getting pregnant in the first place, then you have a better chance at natural conception over 6 months than you would having ivf.

[LapinR0se]

Oh I see. Yes the success rate at my clinic was significantly higher than that, I got pregnant first cycle and am now pregnant from an FET. I would never have conceived naturally as we had infertility factors on both sides. However the NHS misinterpreted our test results and told us to keep trying naturally. It was an awful time.
I don't know very much about the OPs condition but it could be worth a chat with them. They will not recommend IVF if it is unnecessary.

[Steph999999]

Just wanted to say if you do decide to go down the IVF router not to worry about IVF clinics being unscrupulous money makers. I never felt like that at the clinic I used. The clinic had a large research facility attached to it which was funded by the clinic and actively looking into ways to improve fertility treatments (not just IVF) which I found kind of nice that they are investing in so hopefully future generations won't struggle as much as we are.

The clinics also publish their success rates. The one I used was around 33%.