TTC 18 months or more -moving on to IUI/IVF/ICSI part 3

[bluebird3]

We have relocated from the conception board where we were previously chatting under the thread 'ttc for 10 months or more'. A lot of us are now long term ttc-ers and are going through infertility treatment or looking to take steps in this direction so we feel this might be a more suitable home for us!

Feel free to stop by and say hi and hopefully we can share the journey together and make it a little easier along the way!

I hope Christmas is ok Angel and glad to be grateful what you DO have, we all understand what it’s like though to want things we don’t seem to be getting too and spending time with others at Christmas makes it hard. I hope you all have an amazing Christmas x

Hey everyone i hope that you have all had a fantastic christmas.

Sorry i havent posted lately. I had my IVF and OHSS.
Freeze-all which is dissapointing. But a few Blasts! A few day 5 and a few day 6. So its not all that bad. It just means more waiting.

Hope you are all having a fantastic time.

Congrats @ScottishJaggyNettle that sounds like a great clutch of embryos in the freezer. Hope you're recovering well.

Hope everyone has had a good Christmas! Im glad it's over, but I did manage to enjoy it as well. Currently at the hairdressers with the most drastic hair change I've ever had. That's not saying much but I am going brunette from blonde. Just wanted a new look after the shittiness of this last year. I went to the gym yesterday and feel reasonably positive about trying to sort myself out before more treatment.

Am reading a book called 'Is your body baby friendly?' It's about immunology and it's role in multiple ivf failure and recurrent miscarriage. I know it's quite a dismissed area for the NHS and HFEA but the doctor who wrote the book has been working in the field for 30+ years. He helped one couple with 20 IVF failures conceive and carry to term. He has a 85% success rate for 3 cycles and most of those that go to him are older women or those with several previous failures. His view is there is 'always a reason' for a failed pregnancy and it shouldn't be chalked up to bad luck. Nobody would accept this for any other medical condition. I don't know what to think about it all yet but as we are looking into getting the tests done I'm trying to learn more about it.

Hi bluebird I am going for immunology in jan, is it dr terranassi or Shehata the author?
I believe there are Lots of people who have killer cells/ immune issues and not “unexplained infertility” they just haven’t found the issue on NHS. I almost hope this is my issue so that I can at least try treatment. Where are you based?

Hi ttc. The author is Alan Beer. He's American. I'm going to get immune done as well but need to speak to my clinic about it first. I'm up North but willing to travel to specialists in London if we don't have any luck this year.

Scottish exactly the same as me - OHSS and freeZe all. We got three 5 day blasts, one is top quality. When is your fet starting?

New hair sounds fab bluebell x

Hi blue! Well I think the best are Dr Shehata and the ARGC but it will be tricky I guess travelling down :-( definitely worth it though as if that is the problem you can treat it :-) FX for you and hopefully we will all get some good news in 2018
Xx

Jamon Early start of the year. I have no idea what the quality is. I was told that they were all good but i have no idea of the grades.

Hope you all had a fantastic new year!

Scottish I meant to say - I've been reading and hearing quite a lot that FET is increasingly popular over fresh transfers. Was listening to the Fertility Podcast today and they were saying in the States FET is more routinely done. Stims and egg collection take a BIG toll on your body and it's not a good environment to put a fragile little embryo back into.

So the waiting is a bitch but hopefully we will be beautifully prepared womble temples for our embies.

Yes i can understand why it may be better in a freeze all. Im very worried about defrosting them and my body doing its bit to cope with being preg if it works.
I was very ill so it was the best to do a freeze all even though i was gutted. The doctors know best!

I have my fingers crossed that this year we will all get good news x

Hi folks, can I join you? I’m due to start first IVF in Gateshead in Jan/Feb (not sure exactly when yet - see consultant in about 2 weeks to find out). Been ttc#1 for 2 years with no sniff of bfp - unexplained. Am scared but resigned.

Anyone had endo scratch? Been offered place on trial for that so think will give it a whirl (half of those on trial get scratch).

Hey Rational Welcome . Its annoying when they cant find a reason isnt it. Try not to worry too much. Im sure a few of the ladies on here have had scratch (Not me though).

Hey how's everyone doing? Hope you all got through Christmas & nye ok.

Welcome rational. It is quite scary thing to have to face up to, but the thought of it is usually scarier than actually going through it.

Thanks nettle and angela. Yeah I’m sure it won’t be so bad. Most days I’m ok about it, it’s just sometimes I get a wave of being overwhelmed and fearful - what if I get OHSS, what if it doesn’t work.... pointless what ifs. Being told to use barrier contraception was a bit of an “omg this is really it - it’s definitely happening” moment that unexpectedly threw me slightly.

I’ve bought a hypnotherapy CD (it’s aimed at IVF) and have listened to that the last two nights, which did make me very relaxed. I think I just need to crack on, because no amount of thinking will move me forward. Hoping I’ll feel better when I’ve been to info evening next week and then had consultation a couple of days after.

I know I’m being a silly billy over it all. Just got a lot else on my plate with work, ancient grandparents being poorly, house renovations etc so I’m bound to feel a bit stressed at the mo.

Is anyone else new to IVF or are you all further down the track than me? I hope that 2018 brings great things for you all x

Hi rational!
I have my appointment tmrw at ARGC so will have all this to come to. Not sure if we will try anything else before IVF depends on their results and findings, if anything as we are currently unexplained!

Hi rational. I've had the scratch. I had it with the trial as well. I had a bfn that cycle despite a 'perfect' top quality embryo. I found it horribly painful as I had vagus nerve stimulation. Rest assured...this is a rare complication and most people who have had it have said it is painful for only a short time and then no big deal. I wouldn't worry.

I have had 3 IVF fresh cycles, first BFN, second was a mc, 3rd was a chemical. I've never had any left to freeze so now considering options.

Best of luck. It's not as bad as I thought it would be before hand. You just do one step at a time and before you know it it's egg collection time.

Hope your appointment went well, ttc1

bluebird Hi there, I remember you from previous boards. I’m sorry you’ve had such a difficult ride. I hope you find a way forward and this year is a good one for you. Thanks for the reassurance, I’m sure you’re right and once I get started it won’t be so bad

Rational we've had 1 failed round of icsi (only got 1 egg, which wasn't matured properly) in nov. Since then they've re-tested my amh, we'll see the clinic again in march to get results & think about future treatment planning.

Hi everyone. I've been for my follow up following the last failed IVF and it wasn't good. The dr basically said we have shit embryos, they don't know why and they can't do anything about it. They recommend moving to donor eggs. I'm heartbroken. I'm only 31. I don't understand why I have such bad eggs...like it's not enough to just have to contend with my husbands MFI. It looks like we are falling into the category of those who IVF doesn't even work for.

We're having some tests done to look at blood clotting and karyotyping to look at chromosomes but they expect they'll all come back normal. I can't even think right now. I'm devastated.

So sorry to hear that, Bluebird. That must be very difficult news to take and I’m sure anyone would feel the same in your position. It’s not fair and I’m sorry you’re having to deal with it x

I'm so sorry @bluebird3 that must be incredibly hard to hear. What made them say your embryos weren't good enough? What characteristics led them to that or was it just because they didn't implant (which could be for loads of reasons!)?

I am so sorry @ blubird3. I Am heartbroken and crying as I Am typing this.
I Am also so so scared.

I Am sorry to barge in this way but I have been following everyone's ivf journey.
I am due to start my first Ivf in March and I Am so scared Of The unknown.
Big hug to U @ blubird3

@bluebird3 have you read "is your body baby friendly"? I've just got it as our next step is immunology and I think you'd find it useful too. He specifically says in it that women are often told their eggs aren't good enough when it's actually an NK issue. I've only just started the book but that's the direction I'm going in anyway.