Ivf-how long did it take?

[Kitkat369]

Just wondering from consult to bfp how long the process takes?

Took me 9 week weeks from first consult at fertility clinic to bfp. It will depend on what protocol you are on though. We were very lucky to get bfp after first round of ICSI.

Hi-I’m NHS and I went for my first consult last year in June-I just had my first IVF round this April. I got diagnosed with endo though and had to have a laparoscopy in August and then try naturally for 6 months -as you can see it varies hugely on your diagnosis and also if you are NHS the waiting list. My waiting list is actually short -but I have a friend who’s was about 12 months. Good luck.

Unfortunately we don’t qualify for free round on nhs so will have to go private. We may try mukticyle in case doesn’t work first time.

I’m thinking maybe have consult next month. When I do start what day of cycle do I start norethisterone. I guess I’m curious as to rotocol.

I’m rather petrified by it all given the expense plus I know dh isn’t thrilled at idea but has said he’ll do if that’s what I want.

Are your partners as full involved as you?

We had our consultation in April last year, ivf/egg collection in August, and three frozen transfers later (Sep, Oct, Jan) we got our bfp in January this year. So 9 months. We delayed one month due to a pre booked holiday last July but otherwise it would have been 8 months. We did a straight-to-frozen cycle as I'm at high risk of ovarian hyper stimulation so didn't do a fresh transfer straight away.

We went private.

My DH is really supportive and engaged, takes notes, asks questions and is there for every major treatment (appointments, egg collection, transfers etc). He wants this as much as i do. Good luck!

Time taken should be measured from consult to live birth, not bfp. Ivf pregnancies can be high risk depending on your condition so when you research clinics you need one with a good live birth rate for your age group, even if the bfp rate is lower. Some women (with unexplained or implantation issues) can get IVF bfps really easily as there are no egg issues but may struggle with a live birth. Some women (with pcos or pof) won’t get IVF bfps as easily due to egg issues but may be more likely to have a live birth. Some women with both (like me) will struggle with every stage of the process.

ICSI tends to work really well for male factor if that’s the only issue. Nearly everyone I know with male factor got their bfp and live birth after the first transfer; some clinics can breakdown their success rates by male / female factor if you call them.

When you start taking the drugs depends on your protocol. Ivf is not one size fits all. Your clinic will provide you with info of what drugs to take and when, depending on what is most appropriate for your body.

Not to be an arse about it but can I just gently challenge the idea that IVF will definitely result in pregnancy? (I'm sure you know that, but lots of people don't, so I think it's worth a mention in that sense.)

For me, my first consultation was about 5 years ago. Still not pregnant. So, there's not really a definitive answer!

Good point persipan, it's never a given

Saw gp in 2007. He said young at 33 - carry on trying for two years and come back

Original nhs consult was 2009 when put on waiting list for nhs

Huge wait in my area at that time

Dh died 2011 and week later letter arrived we could start :(

Obv didn’t

Then after met new partner as he had kids we had to do private

Consult was Feb 2014 - ivf May 2014. Failed June 2014

2nd cycle Aug 2014 failed

3rd cycle Dec 2015 failed JAN 2016

4th a fet Feb 2016 failed

5th a fet July 2016 and first ever bfp in 10yrs of ttc

So guess 2007 and 2016 - tho dh dying obv make a difference plus then having to save up /loans and credit cards to pay for ivf with new partner

Or if once actually started ivf

Feb 2014 - July 2016 - but was 5 cycles in those 2.5yrs

2.5 years since consult, four failed fresh rounds of IVF/ICSI with nothing other than the briefest of brief chemical pregnancy on the fourth round

@dude 💐 have you had an era or clinic suggested one

Thanks for the

Yes, had ERA for last cycle (which lasted 8 months due to losing one cycle through not responding to drugs for ERA cycle and cyst, and another cycle through not responding to downregging before transfer). ERA turned out normal - husband had high sperm DNA fragmentation which we discovered after 2nd failed cycle (despite amazing basic sperm analysis), but surgically removed sperm was perfect which we used for 3rd and 4th rounds but still no joy. We've now been advised that donor eggs may be our best option which am now wrapping my head around. I'm surprisingly calm about it though - can't keep doing the same tho ha over and over again.

I had 3 friends recently go to Prague for de and all 3 got preg first time

Ive worked for several mums who used de (I’m a mn) and babies do look like the mum if you see worried about that

more then the mums 1st child which was her own egg

Def an option to think about

Df and I always ssid we would try de if our last frozen embroyo failed

Thanks for sharing those success stories! I know it's not guaranteed, but it feels good to move to something else. I'm a bit wary of anonymity laws abroad (would prefer my child to have the option despite my own feelings about it), so we would probably try UK first.

I'm so sorry you're going through heartache as well xx

Sorry you've not you're!

I was lucky as simple ish problem to fix, I always feel v sorry for folks that have infertility with no known cause must be head wrecking trying to work out what’s not working
My partner very much did not want kids and it is somewhat of a spanner in the works of our marriage to say the least but I wasn’t going to be childless. We got bfp first try and third try and fail in between. 5 year age gap for finances to recover
We went private 20k spent roughly
Good luck op but please remember the stats are available online to look up and believe them, not everyone walks off with a baby lots of folk have to deal with complete failure but you don’t get to hear their stories so much xx

6 years for me, 2012 first consultation, baby born in 2018. 5 cycles including 3 with donor eggs

We are nearly one year in. 2 cycles failed starting 3rd now. All private.

Nofunking-did you pay per cycle or do multicycle? We’re the bfps from fresh or frozen rounds

I know I may not come out with a baby which makes even harder to decide

Saw GP may 2016. Under nhs fertility (no ivf just tests (many repeated for no reason then long wait for next appointment) until March 2018 when we were told we couldn't have nhs ivf. Went private. First saw clinic late May 2018. Then we decided to take a break and get ourselves in right place after stress nhs had caused. Had transfer feb 2019 and now 12 weeks pregnant today.

Our private clinic very much said speed was our choice. They'd have started us next month if we'd wanted. Glad we took our time though.

From first consultation to the bfp that was successful, 3 years.

From when we first started trying to DS being born, 5 years.

3 failed fresh cycles and one failed FET before eventual success. We had very mild male factor, and all the docs kept saying, “I can’t understand why this is not working”. Not hugely helpful or encouraging.

It’s a long old road....

Went through all the tests on the NHS only to be told that our CCG were stopping funding IVF. Had a private consultation, spent a few months saving every spare penny and going on a health kick, then in a year I've had a freeze all egg collection (OHSS), two BFP and one BFN. No baby as both BFP ended in miscarriage.

As PP said, make sure you look at live birth rate not BFP. Private clinics will generally go as quickly as you want - we could've started the cycle straight after the first consultation if we'd wanted to.