IVF only due to genetic screening

[ColdCottage]

Hi, I am wondering if anyone else has had IVF only because of genetic disorders which they wish to screen for?

I have been fortunate enough not to have had issue getting pregnant before, one DS and 1 miscarriage but have now learnt my DS has a medical condition which DH and I are carriers for.

Feel quite torn and emotional about the IVF process when I feel I shouldn't need it. I know that probably sounds silly and I would be choosing it to avoid another child having a potentially life threatening illness and I could risk it with a natural attempt.

I just wondered if anyone else had been through this and could offer any words of wisdom.

Thank you.

Thanks @Verbena87

Hi@coldcottage. Sorry to read about your situation. Me and my partner are considering IVF and I'm concerned about my familys medical history and wondered about testing. Did you get your genetic testing done on NHS or privately?

Hi @PeteMcL we haven't had it yet but if blood tests confirm we have it and the generic condition is on the approved list we will get up to three attempts to have a live child.

You can get this until the woman is 40 as long as you have no fertility issues and have no children who are free of the condition.

If I were you I would ask for a referral to your closest Genetics clinic.

So we have the Genetics appointment last week.

It will take 3-4 months to get our son's blood test results back which with either show

• 1 of the 3 known genes for his genetic disorder
• nothing
• or something else
• it mutated in DS

From this they will then test my blood and my DH's blood if it shows one of the marker genes or something else

If one of use is a carrier (which they can tell much more quickly as they will then know where to look) we can then be referred for genetic screening IVF. Timeline to this point looks like less than 6 months

If we do have genetic screening they then need to make sure they can test for what we have. This can take a while as they have to build the test. How long this takes is unknown.

Once/if they can build the test then we can start IVF process. Then they screen the embryos which again as they know what they are looking for this is quicker.

Probably looking at 1 year minimum I am guessing before any embryo could be implanted if we are lucky.