Any help appreciated IVF 4th time maybe with donor eggs? Anyone been through this

[MrsLouB]

Hi all,

So long story short we went through IVF and FET about 2 years ago now, one early miscarriage and 2 failed. Now I have a very low AMH was 2.5 pmol but other than that all ok. Never fell pregnant on our own (or ones that did end in early loss)

When we have our lost Ivf the Dr said that we should think about using donor eggs given we have been trying and with Ivf for a total of 15 years and I am now 41

Now I would like to know if they still feel like this is the best option for me, but the clinic I went with last time doesn't seem to be very open on pricing etc until you pay for another consultation, but I feel that know our history so would be the best bet.

We are in the south-east so looked at London and local and even abroad, has anyone been down this route before?

I would like to use a clinic that can provide both, but also cost is a factor given this will probably be our last shot and we most likely need a loan!

Part of me feels hopeful, but then the other part feels that it might still be my body that's the issue.

Thanks in advance

@MrsLouB don't be afraid to change clinics. I was also recommended to use donor eggs after failed IVF but went for a second opinion. Took all my test results etc with me and told them my history. I was amazed how different the care I received at the other clinic was and had a baby with my own eggs. Of course donor eggs may be the right route for you but if you aren't 100% happy with your current clinic then it might be worth trying a different one, even for a donor cycle.

Thanks, @Teapot41 I was happy with them but then also feel like I was just left and was just a number. The nursing staff were amazing though. Cool thank you x

I was happy with mine too (felt attached to the staff I suppose) but DH not so much. Looking back it was a one size fits all approach whereas I needed somewhere that was better at dealing with low AMHers

Yeah, that's true, some other things like my TSH level were high and they brought it up and said they would like it lower and then did nothing, even though they made me pay for more blood. Can I ask how you picked the second clinic? Also, did you just request all your info from the 1st clinic? I have some results but not all of them as they were on a portal. I have AMH and DH analysis but think any clinic would want to redo them too. Just want to get some advice before diving back into more tests and the only places that seem to offer free consults is abroad, and I hate flying lol

That is annoying about your TSH, the medication is cheap and works fast and can be a factor in MC (I had this issue too so was medicated for it). Could your GP help with that? I picked the second clinic because I felt I needed a different approach as using the same stims again and again was not working. There are so many different stims out there. They scanned me a lot more, took bloods throughout the cycle so I was monitored a lot more than before. Also added steriods into my protocol at transfer stage. Again a very cheap drug (maybe £5?) but could have been the difference between it working and not, plus blood thinners both of which I hadn't taken before. I requested all previous results from my old clinic. The SA was technically slightly out of date but together with not having previously needed ICSI they accepted it and said that they look at the sample on the day anyway so could always convert to ICSI if absolutely necessary.

Oh wow, I know my TSH has gone up to 4.6 now and then down again to 1.9 but the GP is monitoring me, but I felt like the clinic made a point of wanting it lower and then never did anything, I've also heard that can be a cause. I did take baby aspirin was advised I believe, but funny you say about the steroid another lady mentioned that too. Glad that you found somewhere to do things differently, I am open to doing it again with a different approach but money doesn't grow on trees lol and would like someone to listen. My weight is also an issue with my BMI being high too, which I am trying to work on

@MrsLouB Hello lovely, just hopping on to say that we also went through the mill of ttc, then clomid, then ivf, without ever getting near a pregnancy... and then finally we did an cycle with donor eggs. I'm currently 5+1 with the first transfer from that cycle and we have 8 more in the freezer!
The main difference for me personally was that doing it this way was SO much less stressful and emotionally fraught. Also avoided all the ghastly stims which play merry havoc with everything.
Very happy to answer more questions if you would like xxx

Hey, @lickerdysplit oh many congratulations that's amazing news! I would love to ask some questions if that's ok? Did you go to the same clinic? I'm finding it more stressful at the moment just with all the information and choices to look at x

@MrsLouB No problem! We changed clinic as the one we had originally could only use known donor eggs, for some reason. And although lots of my friends said they'd donate for me, I just didn't want to go down that route. So! We looked about and decided the best thing for us was egg donation in Spain (we went to IVI Barcelona) and my word, I can't recommend them highly enough!

@lickerdysplit I have seen their name a lot 🤗 did you have other underlying issues? I am concerned that maybe there is something else going on, but at the risk of sounding all money, I can't afford to pay for more tests and PGS and have nothing. This is our last shot, looking at Spain and Greece and the options seem good, do you get everything included in the price like tests and medication etc? Also how many times did you have to go over there? Sorry for all the questions x

@MrsLouB I know exactly what you mean about needing certainty of some sort! Most things were included in the price - donor's meds, blood tests once there, scans there, transfer, etc. The two scans etc. I had before we went I had to pay for separately but we did those at IVI London and they sent the results over so fast, I was really happy. The progesterone etc that I'm taking now was also extra, but not very expensive at all.
The only issue we have is my shoddy eggs!
I've heard great things about Greece too, but we chose Spain as I can speak Spanish (and a smattering of Catalan) so I knew I wouldn't feel too overwhelmed while we were there.

We only went once - for the actual fertilisation and transfer. We were there for a week! They were super clear about the timeline beforehand and were excellent at communication throughout. There was also a cool biometric scan of my face so they could use that data to find a donor on their books who looked most like me 🤯 xx

@lickerdysplit wow, that is cool 👍 thanks that make sense, although not sure if we need any other tests as we are now a few years old. Can I also ask did they are prescribing the medication for you to pick up once back or before here in the UK? Was the timeline framed to the donor cycle? Also, did they help with any accommodation or transfers etc or are they pretty easy to find? I lol Sorry for all the questions, just normally you would need to stop your ovulation and increase lining etc ready for transfer 🤗
I am going to reach out to a few clinics for a consult least theirs are free

@MrsLouB I had my prescriptions way before the cycle started. Timing was dependant on donor cycle yes, but they synced us up really easily - I was on the pill for a short time to induce a 'period' and then we built up the lining from there. Period started on 30th November, we flew out on 14th December, transfer was on the 20th! Very organised and swift!
They didn't organise transport or accommodation for us but actually taxis/buses were cheap anyway and the hotel we chose we went for because we wanted a little luxury stay while we were there! Honestly we did manage to make it a holiday as well as a treatment cycle - I never thought that would be possible but it was!!

@lickerdysplit thanks so much, just trying to get an idea on total costs with extra tests medication and travel to the way up there or Uk. But I like the idea of a small holiday with it x

I had ED ivf at New Life in Thessoloniki. Before that I had a hysteroscopy at Serum in Athens but decided not to go with them for the actual ED.

I have POF and my AMH was 2.4 at 37 years old. I decided not to even try with my own eggs. In my case I had limited funds and decided to go with the option that gave me the best chance of becoming a mum. My MH was already shattered by infertility and I couldn't face the process when the chance of success was so low.

I was fortunate enough to be successful first time and I now have three year old twins They are the best thing that has ever happened to me. I will never regret my decision to go straight to ED.

I also couldn't recommend New Life highly enough. Their team are amazing. So caring, warm and reassuring. They made the process as simple and stress free as possible. They were always on hand to answer my (sometimes unhinged) emails and genuinely care about you as a patient.

@CrumpetStrumpet thank-you so much for sharing with me. I've rechecked and my AMH was 2 and I was 38 when the test was done, so this will need to be rechecked now. DE was never mentioned to me until after we tried the first cycle (eggs collected) I too have limited funds and they are gone now, this will be our last try and will be taking out a loan and getting into debt which I didn't want to do. But I am not in a position to give up. This is why I am trying my hardest to make the right choice now x

How did you get on @MrsLouB - I hope all worked out well for you xx