About to start IVF

Hi everyone, thought I would pop in and introduce myself!
I am from Melbourne, I am 30 and my husband is 29, we have a three year old son concieved naturally (without trying) and have been trying for number two for 18 months. We had undergone all of the preliminary tests which haven't shown any reason for our difficulties and were referred to reproductive services at the Womens hospital (an affiliate of Melbourne IVF)
Today we had our first nurses appt as well as our appt with the accounts department, my head is spinning from all of the information! Melbourne IVF also ran a second semen analysis on my husband and the nurse informed us it showed 92% abnormal morphology but said we would still go ahead with normal IVF as opposed to ICSI. Does anyone know how bad that result is and how much it effects our chances of success? The nurse also asked if there was a reason we weren't starting with IUI - the doctor never mentioned this so now I am wondering if we are jumping the gun going straight to IVF?
I am doing a down reg cycle with gonal f and synarel, starting the first day of my next period in mid december. I am so confused, I also suffer panic disorder and am on medication to control that, so am interested (and frightened) to see how this journey may effect that! Anyway I am rambling that the confused goose I am today Glad to be here!

Hi everyone, thought I would pop in and introduce myself!
I am from Melbourne, I am 30 and my husband is 29, we have a three year old son concieved naturally (without trying) and have been trying for number two for 18 months. We had undergone all of the preliminary tests which haven't shown any reason for our difficulties and were referred to reproductive services at the Womens hospital (an affiliate of Melbourne IVF)
Today we had our first nurses appt as well as our appt with the accounts department, my head is spinning from all of the information! Melbourne IVF also ran a second semen analysis on my husband and the nurse informed us it showed 92% abnormal morphology but said we would still go ahead with normal IVF as opposed to ICSI. Does anyone know how bad that result is and how much it effects our chances of success? The nurse also asked if there was a reason we weren't starting with IUI - the doctor never mentioned this so now I am wondering if we are jumping the gun going straight to IVF?
I am doing a down reg cycle with gonal f and synarel, starting the first day of my next period in mid december. I am so confused, I also suffer panic disorder and am on medication to control that, so am interested (and frightened) to see how this journey may effect that! Anyway I am rambling that the confused goose I am today Glad to be here!

Hi Sharee,
welcome to BB. The ladies on here will give you a (cyber hug) just when you need it, & do there best to help you if they can!. I myself am a newbie. Hope this helps in my experience so far.
I, have just had my first cycle of IVF. DH had the sperm prob, so was adviced to do ICSI.
I used Gonal & synaral. ( symtoms on this, bit of a bloating tummy! & some moodiness), but we all get that at TOM anway!. I got 6e. 2 made it to blast, unfortunatly, they did not implant. ( not sure why?), We have an app on thursday to see a new OB (who, has it happenes did my EC!), our OB, we had before has a very long wait list, he was, with SIVF but now is with AIVF, So, the OB we are seeing (also with AIVF) was adviced by the fN that he is very good also.. so we shall see how that goes..
Good luck on your IVF journey, I will keep an eye on how your going






Goldi

Yay I have finally found some ivf buddies. I just started on bellybelly today. I am also starting ivf and i have been taking syneral (headaches, moody and a bait yuck). I start gonal injections tomorrow and I am a little frightened, after that in 2 weeks or so will be the harvest. Its ok we can stick together, big big hugs girls and fingers crossed for us all.

Nice to have some other newbies to share this with. Sorry your first cycle didn't have the outcome you wanted, hopefully just unlucky and next time they will get in there and stick tightly! Look foward to hearing how your appt goes Goldie!

I'm sure you will be fine starting your injections babytalk! How exciting you are in the 'action' part! Was IUI a possibility for you Babytalk?

I think I am doing so much research that I am frightening myself even more! But I am still excited that finally something is happening. Then of course there is that voice in the back of my mind that says maybe I will get a miracle this month, concieve naturally and not have to go down this path.

Hi ladies. I wanted to wish you all luck with your cycles.

Sharee, I found my first IVF cycle terrifying (I mean seriously terrifying - so much so that I sped up the life insurance application process we had coincidentally been going through). I'm a chronic worrier so I found the whole thing overwhelming and emotionally exhausting! The best advice I can give you now is that it is nowhere near as bad as it seems before you do it (or I wouldn't be planning #4 ). That said, I find the best way to deal with an IVF cycle is to break it down into its steps and just concentrate on the step you're on - don't think ahead! If you're like me (and it sounds like you are), you'll want to read as much as you can so you understand what's going on. That's fine, but make sure you stop researching before you start your cycle. Chances are you'll know all you need to by then. When you start your cycle just focus on where you're at and let your Dr worry about what comes after - that's what you pay him/her for!

If you have any other questions as you go along I'm more than happy to answer them (if I can). You'll also find there are a lot of wonderful and knowledgeable ladies here on this site who can help!

if you think you are jumping the gun, then maybe hold off for a month and ask the questions? I know though, time is precious and every month counts. I certainly wish I'd been armed with more information when I went into my first cycle. I've done 3 full cycles and 1 FET. All last year. Now I've had a lap and hysteroscopy a couple of months ago and some comments from my gyno has made me doubt my treatment from last year and whether we rushed into it. I still think we'll need to do IVF..but anyway, that's another story....but I wish I'd looked at everything possible before doing our first IVF and subsequent cycles.

When I signed up to do IVF I don't even think I knew about the injections etc. It was just we'll do IVF, I hadn't actually thought about the steps involved. With my first cycle, I didn't really find the injections, the scans, bloods the hardest. What I found surprising was just how emotional I was afterwards. I mean I knew I'd be emotional, I just didn't realise how much. But I ended up having to have 3 days off work after the surgery because I just was crying on and off and I was overwhelmed with emotion. Maybe the realisation of it hit me. I think I probably crashed a little when I heard how many eggs fertilised, and then how many actually continued to grow.

I wasn't on this forum back then, I wish I was and had have read a bit more from people that had gone through it, not just what you read in the literature you get from the clinics, so I knew a little more what to expect. I didn't even realise until the day of the surgery, that I was going to be knocked out! I thought I'd be awake, having never had anaesthetic before, I almost burst into tears when they told me. I didn't have a clue, and I've always been nervous about the thought of going under. A surprise I didn't need on a day when I was already anxious. So ask as many questions of them as you have to. You're paying them a fortune after all, it's your right.

Let us know how you go. Wishing you well.

Sharee, a small question, have the prelim tests included a laparoscopy?
Personally speaking, there was no way I would tackle IVF without having a physical look into what's going on in my body... I had scar tissue and endo which I would never have been able to predict without the lap. Not to say that it was a miracle cure for my unexplained infertility but it was good to rule that out before spending thousands on IVF.
Another little suggestion from the experience of others with male factor would be menevit - there have been some very strong cases here for its improvement on sperm quality/quantity.

I also did IUI first, and for me, that made jumping into IVF a little easier as I had more experience with the catheter/scans/blood tests etc.

IVF is tough physically and mentally - self injecting and the moods etc... You really need to feel supported and educated to manage the multitude of changes that will occur with IVF.
I would definitely take some of the info here, write a huge list of questions and take it to your clinic... at least that will give you some answers around what might make you most comfortable in taking the next step.

hi girls,

I started Gonal yesterday and it was not pleasant. I am also suffering terrrible mood swings and I was not told about thins in my first appointment, I can be angry one sec and the next I am crying. Moving state during this process is not going to help matters either I can imagine

Now why I am doing IVF straight away and not other alternatives, is because we dont have any other alternatives. My fianc'e had a vesectomy and the reversal did not work which had left him with asospermia. My side is good that we know of, young, fit and healthy. I am a little worried if the Dr can't aspirate the sperm, if its not being produced then what? I am trying to think possitive but this seems like our only way to have a child.

I really hope all goes well for us all, IVF is certainly harder than I originally thought.

Hi guys. Todays is officially day 1 of my first ivf cycle. Nothing has happened yet (excpept AF) but I am officially underway. So excited (and nervous) apparently the nurses will ring me in the next couple of days to let me know when to start the pill.
How are all of you other ladies doing?

Sharee I started the pill yesterday for my first cycle of IVF. So looks like you and I can enjoy the crazy road together!
I hope that all works out well for you, and we both meet up in the pregnancy forums end of january XX
Let me know how you are doing, im pretty nervouse and completely excited all at the same time.
I get to pick up my meds next monday but will prob start FSH on 30-31st Dec.
Best wishes, keep in touch XXX

babytalk I do wish you all the best, I'm sure that they will be able to get those spermies out X I haven't started meds yet but I'm sure they will make me go bonkers also! X

Thank you for your advice Srose, as much as I think I am mentally prepared, I also mentally have no idea how hard it is going to be!!

Goldilocks, juniper, incomplete, thank you also, It is nice to know that the girls here are very supportive and patient with answering our questions XXX

Have a great christmas girls XXX

Hey guys, just wanted to update, started sniffing the synarel yesterday, first sniff gave me a nice panic attack as I sat there and imagined all sorts of symptoms but hopefully that is the end of that so it is all really happening now, how is everyong else doing, babytalk, murraycod, goldilocks?

Wishing you all lots of luck with your cycles, we went through our first cycle in Sept/Oct and were so lucky to be successful. Syneral is the worst part part, my nose wouldn't stop running!! Great advice to take each step as it's own journey, our Doc told me to do that & I think it really helped me to not get too overwhelmed. Just remember it only takes one egg & one sperm, we only had 1 good embryo & it was a sticky one!! Be strong & lucky x

Sharee started the orgalutran inj tonight, was fine, I was so scared it was going to urt!! Thank you for asking X
Hope the synarel is being kind to you!! I never had that. What is it for?

Emma1975, thank you for the lovely advice, I will so take it on board has made me feel more confident with each step already

Hey ladies I am dying to know how you guys are? I have great news I am pregnant with the last lucky embie we had!!! I am due in august around te 19th. Good luck everyone and I really want feedback lol.

OMG OMG OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
BABYTALK CONGRATULATIONS!!!

What wonderfull news darling I am so happy for you XXX
I wish you a H+H pregnancy, please drop by to let us kow how you are going XXX
So great to hear success stories, makes me feel confident I will be soon!!

sharee: IVF is a hard thing and we're sending you a big hug and good luck that you only have to do this once.

Hi Ladies

Im a newbie here its great to find other ladies like myself

im 27 and my husband is 29, we have been ttc for about 2+ yrs (though i have ttc with my previous partner for 6+ yrs) for the past 2 yrs i have been on clomid, with one in feb 09 5wks. my FS upped the dose of clomid and have had 8 cycles with no luck , i seen my FS in dec and we made the decision to start IVF.

my 1st ivf app is just over a weeks time and really starting to get worried about it!!! not sure what to except.....

Babytalk: Congrats!!!!

Good luck with your journey's

Hi all,
Please join the LT TTC & AC thread, or LT TTC two week wait thread to discuss your cycles.
Thanks,