How long TTC in female same-sex couple

[2mumlife]

Hi everyone,

We're about to start of 6th attempt at trying to conceive. We've had 4 IUI attempts before moving to IVF, and had 1 fresh embryo IVF attempt. So far nothing but BFNs.

I'm just wondering how long it took other couples trying to concieve? I'm 31 and have no known fertility issues (normal AMH, normal weight etc etc) and I just want some hope that it will work eventually!

Thanks

I’ve got my fingers crossed for you!

3 tries per child. It felt like a long time at the time and my second IVF went wrong so it was not easy.
Friends of ours had 18 rounds of IVF, they both tried with various combinations of their eggs. Luckily the 18th time they had healthy twins.

@YelloYelloYello Thank you!

@MySocalledLoaf Wow, 18 rounds!? What troopers they are! Were your three tries all fresh or a combination of fresh and frozen tranfers?

Wow 18 rounds! They must have had so much strength not to give up. I hate to think of how much that cost them but I imagine it’s all worth it now they have their babies.

Hope everything goes OK for you and your partner @2mumlife. What have you been started on?

I do understand how lucky we are having paid for our first 2 rounds and the amount that cost. Really unfair the discrepancies in the NHS. We just get this one fresh transfer. So fingers crossed all goes to plan

No frozen but the embryos didn’t always survive until transfer day. In my case they used the appropriate dose for someone of my age with infertility so basically fried my eggs. When I did mild ivf I had our son plus had many suitable for freezing, though we have since discarded because we don’t want a third.

@Newchances Cocktail at the moment of Fyremedal and estrogen at the moment. Drop down to just the estrogen only from Monday then lining scan next week and add in progesterone suppositories and injections some point after that before transfer. That's interesting you only had to pay for 2 rounds before NHS treatment. That's tough though only getting the single go though. Hopefully it works for you this go :)

@MySocalledLoaf Ah ok. I do wonder if they tailor things enough for couples who don't actually have an underlying fertility issue, as I had a rubbish EC but at least we got lucky that both mature eggs made great little blastocysts. The embryologist was really surprised we didn't lose at least 1 of them before day 5. It's the only "positive" the consultant keeps going on about everytime I question all the bits that went wrong!

No, they don’t, nobody is keeping data on it separately from women with fertility problems so there’s no way to come up with a protocol.
Which surprises me because there are also plenty of women having IVF because their male partner has problems, but maybe it will get better in the future.

That must be so tough OP :(

Sounds like you have had a total of 5 attempts. So I suppose if you think about it, they say a heterosexual couple with no fertility issues can still take a year or more to conceive, which would be 12 attempts.

You'd hope it would be higher with IUI but maybe not? It sounds like you just haven't been lucky so far but fingers crossed you will soon!

@strawberrydonuts Yup 5 goes so far. My Mrs keeps saying "its really
1 go" as she says the IUI attempts almost don't count and there is only 1 unsuccessful embryo transfer so far. I'd just hoped to have something other than BFNs at this point. But yes, I keep trying to think about the general advice you need to try for 12 attempts as the equivilent of a year (we actually started this journey over a year ago, but with covid and breaks between cycles it just takes forever). I'm just impatient and a 'fixer' - I want to know why it doesn't work so I can fix it so it does work! I'm also just not used to things I set my mind on not working, and not seeing results coming from effort. This may all be one long process in learning patience and accepting unpredictability!

IUI chances should be slighlty higher, as I was on mild stimulation, so induce 2 eggs to mature each cycle, and because the procedure should be timed perfectly to ovulation. But no luck.

Hopefully this is your chance now,hoping it all works out for you,I feel like time stands still while you wait....Due to covid ours has taken 3 years to get to this point. Our first nhs appointment was May 2018...long waiting list and due to start march 2020 then again in December 2020. Is nhs an option at all where you live?

@Newchances Here you only become eligible for NHS after you've paid for 6 attempts privately as a same sex couple unfortunately. Wow long wait you've had for NHS even without the delay due to covid!

Hi everyone, so I quick update... this morning 6dp5dt of my first FET round I had some weird brown discharge, so I did a FRER, and...ITS POSITIVE! I really can't believe it, after 4 IUIs and a fresh transfer, I've never once seen that little pink line, but its definitely there

My OTD isn't until Monday, so I'm just hoping everything keeps going the right direction and this is finally it for us!

Ah huge congrats @2mumlife!! Nothing like the feeling of finally seeing that other line, wishing you lots and lots of luck!

Update from me I’ve got the meds in the fridge but last night my other half managed to break the fridge door 😱 it’s currently wedged closed so we can’t use it and we can’t buy another one till after we’ve used the meds as a new fridge takes 24hours to get to temperature! Couldn’t believe it 🙄 . Also waiting for period which is now a week late...always ends up late when waiting to start a round!

That's great. I hope things go well for you.

@2mumlife that's lovely news. Hope everything went OK this morning

Congratulations @2mumlife !!

@BuffyFanForever These things always happen at the worst times! Hope you got a new fridge ok.

Update from me isn't good. I'd suspected my HCG wasn't going up properly and my blood levels came back yesterday very low so looks like I'm likely having a chemical pregnancy. In a bit of limbo now until repeat bloods in a few days to try to figure out what's going on

Oh that’s so awful @2mumlife, I’m really sorry. Try to keep busy. I’ve got my fingers crossed for you in the meantime.

@BuffyFanForever I hope you get your fridge sorted - what bad timing!

We’re early days here: waiting to hear back from the day 2-4 ovarian reserve blood tests at the moment.

@YelloYelloYello Thank you. Its quite weird being in this kind of "not pregnant enough" space

Fingers crossed for good news re: AMH