Elocin,
guess it's time for me to be brave although I'm not sure what scares me more, the cost or the needles!
Are FS at IVF clinics or are they a separate step?
Registered User
Elocin,
guess it's time for me to be brave although I'm not sure what scares me more, the cost or the needles!
Are FS at IVF clinics or are they a separate step?
Registered User
When my DH & I decided to have a baby, I went off the pill in April then we headed overseas in July and we were basically not trying/not preventing (NTNP). I feel pg whilst overseas, doing a pg test when I got home (I was 28 yo) I was scared but happy all at once, only to m/c a week or so later. We started actively ttc again, but alas it was not to be again (another m/c). It got to 12 mths of ttc then I went to my GP for a referral to the OBS/GYNO only to fall pg whilst waiting for an appt. This pg resulted in my DD (now 4 yo).
DH & discussed when to started ttc again & given my poor history, we started just after DD turned 1 yo, only to be met with issues again. After 6 mths of ttc & two more m/c I went back to the GYNO/OBS who put me on Clomid for six round (no pg resulted) and then did a lap & dye study which showed nothing. I fell pg about two months after the lap only to m/c again & was referred to a F/S. It was thought the best things to try first was IUI - three rounds and nothing. I found IUI very hit & miss. We took a break before deciding to be referred onto IVF, did a round in November which failed and are now waiting to do another cycle in the New Year. I am now 35.
If I had my time again, I'd probably be more forceful and bypass the OBS/GYNO and go straight to as FS and do IVF. After three years of TTC # 2, I am nearly at breaking point and I know that if the next cycle is not successful I really need to start to seriously consider when I am going to stop TTC for another baby because it is all too time consuming and emotionally draining. I want to have another baby but there comes a point when enough is enough and I need to start living my life with perhaps only one child.
I actually find the IVF process the most easiest in relation to proceedure and how the clinic goes about it. I found Clomid, IUI and naturally TTC much more stressful.
GL with your decision
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Hi there - I would think all FS's work out of specific clinics, but remember, they want to get you pregnant, it's in their interests to do that as their success rates bring in 'new' business. Personally, I think having the same GYN and FS would be a bonus (assuming you feel comfortable with this person). I went straight to an FS (referral from GP) after trying for a year. Straight onto clomid for upteen cycles, then onto IUI and then onto IVF. Being conservative with your approach is dependant on your medical problems, but in hindsight a lot of people (including me) wish they had gone straight to IVF, but this is an entirely personal choice. Clomid and IUI works for lots of people, just not me. The needles weren't that bad at all, but am over blood tests! I don't have PCOS or endo, so for me being conservative initially made sense, however it took me years (over three) to get pregnant and I started at 30. My desire was always for more than one child, so the earlier I got onto the issue, the more likely I was to be able to have #2. Goodluck with your decision, and if you have any more Q's we are here to help you
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FWIW, I also found IVF much easier than I imagined it to be. One or two needles a day, a few scans, a blood test, the big day is egg pick up day (which wasn't too bad to be honest) and then transfer day (also, kinda a non event medically). It was the excitement and expectation that was harder. Best of luck with IVF or whichever treatment you end up going with.
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When my DH and I decided to TTC a baby together I just "knew" it would be a while. My first took 2 years to have so I was kind of expecting 2 years to concieve.
But when I got to around 5 months TTC I thought it might be a good idea to see a GP and maybe he could suggest something. I didn't know what just anything. He ran BT and it showed I have PCOS so I had a referal to a OB/GYN. I had an appointment with the OB/GYN for the July and started clomid that very day. We did 4 clomid cycles and had a chemical pregnancy in the September 09 (I didn't know it was a chemical at the time. I thought it was a dodgy HPT. Thank you BB for educating me lol) I kept going with the clomid as I was booked in for a lap in February 2010. I fell pregnant on clomid cycle 7 the cycle of my lap. But sadly had a M/C and had to have a D&C. I did 1 last clomid cycle 2 months after my M/C just to keep my cycle regular because by this stage I was over the whole TTC thing and wanted to get results so we skipped IUI and headed straight into IVF. This resulted in our DD. We are now into our first FET in the hopes of a sibling for DD.
I found IVF less stressful than the other treatments because I was actively doing something. Weather it be jabbing with needles or multiple FS appointments. I felt we were being pro active as opposed to taking a pill and waiting for AF or a BFP. I thought I'd struggle with injecting myself but I didn't. I don't like it but it is all worth it in the end. Overall it took us 18 months to get our DD. I really feel if I had waited any longer to seek help we may still be TTC. If your over 30 don't wait start investigations now. The best thing I ever did!
Everyone has their own journey with TTC. How fast or pro active is entirely up to you. I wish you all the best.
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10 months, two miscarriages, went to GP for immunology testing as we were about to get married and wanted to check if something may be up with my bloods causing the losses - was diagnosed with PCOS and sent to gyne. lap/ovarian drilling/3 rounds of clomid and gyne said i was beyond his help (thanks) and referred me to FS. that was the only referral i got from specialist - it lasted three months - i then got one from the GP which, from memory, was able to be for a much longer time (i don't believe it had an end date on it)
the needles aren't that bad - i found other people freaked about them while i didn't. i was sitting down doing my nightly jab one night and my brother was around - he didn't realise what i was doing, looked over, seen the needle, and near fainted as i jabbed myself lol. i honestly rarely felt the needles. there was a batch of one of the meds that seemed to have a blunt (ish) needle so i mentioned to my nurse and she got the next ones from another batch, which were much better. i'm not someone that is keen on needles, but i'm not phobic about them...
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My fertility specialist is also a GYO/OBS, so whatever happens I have all areas covered :-) lol My GP referred me to him in ther first place, and as he is linked with MIVF it has worked well. So I've had all procedures (including a Lap/D&C etc as well as IVF) through him. I kinda like that.
i think it's probably right that they will all be a bit biased - but either way you have to speak to a FS, and they will be linked with some centre - so.... you may just have to go with whatever. I suppose the other option is to go your regular GP and talk through the pros and cons of each service and pick a FS based on that discussion -- I just went to whomever my GP suggested - no questions asked lol.
seriously though I agree with the others, you can't feel the needles -- seriously! I was very surprised. The worst I had was an itchy reaction to one of the injections, but the needle itself - easy. In fact it was really good that the nurses made me do a practice 'stab' before I left their office and I think that was essential! It meant I was not scared when it came to it. And I am glad I do the needles myself cause then I know I am in control of them - but you can always get DH/DP to do them for you
Bite the bullet sweetie, it will be fine!
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I agree with what Maruschke has said. We didn't do IVF for fertility reasons so I can't comment much for you about that side of things, but when it came to the actual IVF process I found it easier than I thought it would be as well. Once the ball got rolling things moved very fast for us. I started with daily injections of one med, then twice daily when the second med was introduced. The needs are really tiny (insulin sized needles) and they are in either individual syringes with a preset amount of med in them, or in "pen" syringes with the dose pre-set, so you don't have to sit there drawing up meds into syringes and getting nervous while you do that. I found the very first needle the hardest. I sat there going "ok, one, two, three, go....." and then just not moving, lol. I think I did my count down about 5 times before I actually did the first injection. Then laughed at myself because it was a real non-event haha.
For me personally I found egg pickup the hardest. I had quite severe pain for the couple of days after both my egg pickups. It was worse after my second egg pickup and I was still having pain about 4 days later. Then I freaked out when I was in the shower and something stringy came out from inside me. Luckily I worked in a medical field before having kids and I recognised it at stitch material. After feeling inside myself I found that there was also another stitch still inside me. I rang my clinic the next day and they checked my records and found out that they had forgotten to tell me that I had had some additional bleeding during my procedure which required internal stitches. The said it was a major fail on their behalf and were very apologetic as you can imagine. Apparently that sort of bleeding is pretty uncommon, and it's "unheard of" for the patient not to be told about it when in recovery.
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I think, for me, the hardest thing by far is recurrent bfns. I am sure any ivf veteran will tell you it gets harder and harder each cycle. Hopefully, you won't have to worry about that though!
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The first FS I saw worked for an IVF clinic, was a specialist in fertility issues, but would've had to refer me onto another specialist at the IVF clinic had I stayed with her.
The second FS I saw was the guy that I saw the whole way through - initial appt, appt to chat about starting IVF, he did the egg pick up and the transfer.
I don't hate needles, but the thought of so many in a short period of time was enough to make me want to cry. I got my DH to do the needles for me - it kept him involved in the process, as it was something we were doing together, which made it easier.
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