Infertility investigations/IVF in Scotland - thread 3

[itsmschanandlerbong]

A thread for those of us undergoing infertility investigations or treatment in Scotland.

Thread 1 - www.mumsnet.com/Talk/infertility/3742246-infertility-investigations-ivf-in-scotland

Thread 2 - www.mumsnet.com/Talk/infertility/4138992-Infertility-investigations-IVF-in-Scotland-thread-2

As you said @ally99101 it's that balance of IUI being a lot less invasive and less expensive per go but also might just not work at all. Whereas ivf is relatively likely to work for us. Or do we just do meds and no IUI? or do we do nothing at all as just wait a little while longer to see if we get lucky naturally?!

@TheDaydreamBelievers I think meds and no IUI sounds like a sensible starting point in my opinion, give that a few goes, see how you get on and if it's not worked decide IUI Vs IVF. I imagine that's going to be at least £1100 cheaper than including IUI in the mix for each go although will still have your meds to pay for.

Yeah, I'm actually thinking maybe 3 medicated cycles then consider ivf

Sorry, another Q, which I know is frustrating from a new person - does anyone have any idea of the wait times for assessment by the NHS Glasgow Assisted Conception service? Essentially I'm wondering if I could do medicated cycles with GCRM private then if that fails see what the nhs would offer.

Many thanks to you both for all the advice so far.

@TheDaydreamBelievers sorry I'm not sure, but I think you can use any test results from GCRM, so it should make the wait for NHS quicker, I would double check though. You can definitely do a private round and still be eligible for NHS though.

@TheDaydreamBelievers I was referred to the ACS in December 2019 and seen in the Spring of 2020. I didn't start any treatment until May/June 2021 though due to the waiting list.

Interestingly, they wouldn't use test results from GCRM (we'd had some investigations done while waiting) and insisted on repeating the tests themselves.

Thank you @itsmschanandlerbong @Scirocco that is so helpful! Consultant we saw at GCRM works for the ACS so I would hope they would!

@TheDaydreamBelievers I totally get what @ally99101 says about in hindsight feeling it would have been better to go straight to IVF. I feel that way too sometimes, but if it had worked, it would have been the best choice! There are no guarantees with fertility - we're well upwards of 20k at this point with no baby, and I have no known fertility or health issues. We've just been incredibly unlucky so far in the fertility game, and essentially we're just repeatedly told there is no known reason why we haven't had any success yet. I wish someone had cautioned me more at the start that even with apparently very good odds on paper, it still might just not work. You just have to accept going into this it might be a very expensive dissapointment. If you're on a waiting list for NHS, then you can try medicated cycles / IUI and if it doesn't work then move onto cycles with NHS funding, and that might be a good place to start.

My sister gave birth last night, after no problems ttc first baby in the family. Just finding it hard this morning. The more everyone else in the family is exctied, the more I just want to withdraw from it all. I've done the right thing and sent some messages this morning to her and things, but I can't help but feel sorry for myself. It like another milestone marking that we're still not pregnant.

How does everyone else cope with family when there is a new baby?

Me, me, me jumps up and down with hand in the air
(Also, sorry late to the thread as been trying not to obsess over it but I am anyway so what the hell?!)
I’ve just turned 43 and am on day 6 stims of my first (and only) cycle.

I hadn’t intended to be quite so old doing this but Covid delays and then an annoying ovarian cyst have pushed my cycle to just after my 43rd birthday.

I could definitely use a bit of support. My OH is great but not very good at the science part whereas I like to know stuff to the tiny detail.
I have questions, anyone up for being a sounding board?

Oh @2mumlife sending you hugs. Bound to be such a bitter sweet time. When do you think you'll meet the baby? Can you plan a few nice things between then and for just after that and take some time out to yourself? Look after yourself xx

@Dee3 welcome to the thread - I'm sure we'd be happy to try to answer any questions you have. I hope your cycle's going well?

@2mumlife it's really hard, I found I just couldn't cope with friends' babies - I'd do the socially expected visits and messages and calls, but then just feel broken inside. Be kind to yourself and take time for you and your partner.

@2mumlife my brother and partner had first baby of the family a few months ago and sister is currently 7 months pregnant with the next. We thought we'd be first (not that it's a race or anything). I felt similar when I found out both sister and sister in law were expecting. But to be honest, I've found myself living vicariously through my nephew, I want to see him and hold him as much as I can. I'm sure I'd have felt like that anyway but maybe a bit moreso because I want/wanted a baby so it's like the next best thing?

Sorry you're feeling like this though, I can understand why.

@2mumlife I'm sorry, sending hugs. Be kind to yourself- remember you're allowed to love them and still be finding this hard.

Welcome @Dee3 Happy to answer questions if I can.

Sorry I've been a wee bit missing the last few weeks, just trying to grab some normality when I can. I have my review appointment this week so hopefully can get moving again on what's probably going to be our final round.

@2mumlife totally get how you're feeling. At times you wish others were more understanding and you didn't always have to be the bigger person.

@LouScot Said to my sister once she is home and actually wanted visitors (becuase she has 2 sets of pushy first time grandparents to contend with) to let me know and we'll visit, so I'm hoping that means I'll have a bit of time now until needing to see her. We're not a close family really - I love my sister, but we don't talk regularly or spend time together that often to be honest. She does know we've been trying though, and she's the most considerate person, so I know from her perspective she'll be being as gentle as she can be, so there's that.

@ally99101 I thought we'd be first too as we started trying ages ago, and, to be honest, no one expected my sister to want a baby. Like you say, its not really like its a race or anything, but it does make you feel you've somehow missed out because TTC hasn't worked. I'm finding it tougher it being family rather than friends though. I think its really extending family which is doing it though - my dad was super insensitive and called after he'd done the hospital visit and just kept saying how lovely the baby was and how emotional he had been, and it just made me feel like shit. I know he's excited and everything, but I'd just like to be left alone rather than having my face rubbed in it.

@27DONFIN Its just shit, isn't it?

@Kamiros Thank you. Hope your review appointment goes well this week and you get a plan moving forward.

Sorry for the TMI chat but just a little concerned. I had my hsg test last Monday all went well not cramping or spotting afterwards. On Friday night I had thick dark brown discharge just like I do the first hour or so of my period and I thought great my periods arrived a week early which it never does. Then after that nothing each day since randomly il have this discharge but not progressing to my period. My major period symptom is night sweats snd Iv been having these since mid last week. Is this just a delayed side affect of the test? Or should I be concerned?

@27DONFIN Sorry, I've not had a hsg so not sure about this one. How are things now? If you're concerned I'd just give your clinic a wee call.

So, today my meds arrived for next FET cycle. I can't really quite believe we're about to go yet again. Don't think that it helps that this week has also been super crappy at work ontop of sisters birth (and now seeing the baby on Saturday to get that bit of truama over with). Hoping next week will be better and I can regain some energy and hope ready for this cycle!

@27DONFIN Sorry I've not had one either so not sure. Hope you're feeling better now.

@2mumlife Exciting to be getting going again, hopefully you'll feel more positive once you get started.

I had my review today and other than Marco comparing my ovaries to an Amazon warehouse it went well 😂. Looks like I'll be going again end of Dec/ Jan which is okay. We've also decided we'll definitely go to Spain for a donor cycle if this one doesn't work - but trying to keep our heads in this cycle first of course.

@Kamiros I'm trying to work out the amazon reference but failing . Really really hoping that this next round is the lucky one for you xx

Hi there. Is it ok to join in this thread? We’re just starting down the route of treatment. Been trying just under 2 years.
Have our nurse planning appt with Gcrm in January so hopefully starting treatment January/February.
Had our nhs call today. Plan was to be added on the nhs waiting list in January but just found out if we do a private round we won’t get any nhs funded attempts. After a long chat and given the fact I will be 40 soon, we’re sticking with private so hopefully made the right call!!

Had ovarian assessment last month and amh came back as 39 despite my age so I guess we have a good shot of getting a reasonable number of eggs. Hoping to get as much info as we can before making our final decision in January.

@Kamiros You're going to need to explain the amazon warehouse! Glad you have a plan now. I'm going to need to try to work on some positivity

@LT103 Welcome to the thread and best of luck!

Welcome @LT103

It was actually a really useful discussion. So I have an amh of only 0.3 - almost undetectable. We were realistic going into it that it may just never work. Round 1 got us 1 egg which was a 4AA blast but it just didn't take. Round 2 was cancelled cos there were no follicles. We have one paid round left with GCRM but if that doesn't work we think it should be donor eggs now. I was trying to work out whether there's any hope in this last round so asked him if things are just getting worse (like between cycle 1 and 2) or if there's a chance we could get another one like round 1. He said our ovaries are like an amazon warehouse - when we're young we have loads of parcels (eggs) coming along the conveyor belt , as we get older they're more spread out. 1 month there might be none, 1 there might be 3 and another there might be 1... but there's no test to know what's on the conveyor this month or next. So basically there's every chance that we could be lucky and get 3 parcels (eggs) on the month we stim but the odds of that happening are less and less.

In short there's hope for this round but after that we probably need to do what gives us the best shot and he says that's a donor in Spain - it's quicker, matching is better and success rates are higher out there.

@Kamiros Is it worth you pushing to get a baseline scan before starting stims? I know other clinics do this, so basically at cycle day 1 you go in for a follicule scan to see how many follicules you might have available to recruit that month before deciding if you go ahead with stims or not? A sneak peak at the warehouse so to speak!

@2mumlife You know, that's a really good question that didn't occur to me yesterday. He did say that there's no way of knowing if the ones you have are empty or not ( I had 3 empty ones last time that didn't grow) but does seem a good idea. Certainly worth asking the question. Thanks.
Hope you're feeling a little better.