One or two of you may know me from the TTC after MC pages.
As you can see from my sig, after a successful pregnancy delivering in 2005, I have lost 3 bubs in the past year. Two were caused by chromosonal error. After spending a lot of money on tests, DH and I have been found to be normal. We can only assume our losses are due to poor egg quality. We have been advised to start IVF with PGD (7 tests) and I have commenced accupuncture. I am on Day 8 - start the Provera day 19 for our long Lucrin cycle. Unfortunately we will not be able to do accupuncture on the day of the pickup/transfer as we have to travel to Sydney (though we could do it the night before). So that's my story in a nutshell.
Just wondering if anyone has any tips for the journey ahead - perhaps anything I can do to help our chances?
Hi WTH,
Oh my, I am so sorry, I can't even begin to imagine how you feel. I am not the best example (having never conceived), but I too am concerned about embryo quality and am doing every thing I can to make sure that I produce the best embryos possible. This includes a very specific diet of mostly organic fruit, veg and salad, only hormone free or organic meats, and no sugars, no dairy or white bread/pasta etc (I am slightly lactose intolerant and have a food sensitivity to processed flour etc). This also includes no alcohol (I miss my champers but the time for self indulgence is long gone, this is too important to me) and caffiene/soft drink etc. I had a naturopath test me for food sensitivities. I take Sharkey's Healing Centre herbal formula every day (if you have not heard of this, they focus on using natural herbs to support your own hormone function and focus on gut heath etc on a cellular level, all designed to put your body in the best possible position to create healthy embryos/concieve etc) and a probiotic for good digestion and to ensure that I am absorbing all the good stuff I am eating. I have also just stated taking Maca Root (I am on a pill cycle so no conflict with IVF) which is surposed to be a superfood. This plus a good quality antioxidants and mulitvitamine etc. So I believe it is all diet related, and I am very conscious of the fact that they say eggs start growing up to 3 months before you ovulate, so long term health is important. I also have just had a colonic to get rid of any build up of toxis in the lower intestine/repoductive area, and feel great from this also. So I am hoping my next stim cycle will result in some great embies (I wasn't so strict with the first two and I regret it).
Also, I don't have much experience with MC but am very aware of the importance of the right hormone levels at the right time of your cycle/pregnancy, and don't want to be ignorant but have to ask if you had your levels monitored prior to your MC to ensure that you had enough say enough progesterone support? Acupuncture is good to encourage hormonal balance also.
Sorry if I have said anything you already know, just wanted to lend by support and wish you all the best. xx
I have seen your posts in the ttc after miscarriage forum and thought I would reply. I haven't gone through PGD but I have had two miscarriages.
I am seeing a FS at SIVF and they have also suggested PGD testing to my DH and I as all my blood test come back normal. However they did find that I had a subseptum which was removed on the 31/07 and have been on meds since the op so haven't been able to ttc.
Af arrived today and DH and I have decided to give it another go naturally which the FS supports. DH has another sperm test this Tuesday as he also has a pretty sever sperm problem and if that doesn't come back any better FS said we have to consider IVF with PGD to rule everything out.
I wish you luck and if you wouldn't mind in keeping me updated with your progress as I would like to know how you go. Best of luck and lots of
I am the mum of 16 week old IVF twins.
The best advise I can give is try not to stress too much ( I know this is hard ).
I wrapped myself up in cotton wool so many times thinking this would help and the one time I didn't I got pregnant.
If you get the right egg at the right time I don't think it would really matters what you do.
Baby Dreamtime. That is an amazine regime you have. But I understand. The reward is so big. I am a vegetarian and am gradually moving across to organic dairy (I have the cheese and yoghurt covered). I am taking an increasingly ridiculous ****tail of vitamins, including Megafol and CoQ10. Hate coffee, no softdrinks or alcohol. Do you know if it is safe to drink organic black/green/white tea? Would love to know your thoughts on this. I have had my hormones checked and they are all fine. I took progesterone in the last PG just out of desperation. But nothing could have saved the baby because it was a Trisomy 15 (sporadic and not compatible with life). Thanks for your response
Tam83 - I am with SIVF, too. I had an appointment with my FS today. He has spoken with a genetic scientist who still does not think I may need to take the PGD path as my losses have been "sporadic". However, my FS does think it could be due to my age. He thinks that IF I manage to fall PG with IVF using PGD, I am at least less likely to go through the anguish of yet another MC. We will also get a better picture of how many of my eggs are not good. They can only do 7 tests. But it is a start. I got an Day 2 FSH of 3 which is hopefully means I will be a good responder (and I did one in May and got 4.2). I am happy to keep you posted. PM me if you like. And good luck with TTC
Ann14 - congratulations on your twins! Do you mind if I ask your age and if you did PGD? What should my expectations be? Thanks
I haven't been using BB for very long and hopeless with computers so please excuse my ignorants but what does PM stand for? I would love to chat with you. Hope you dont mind me asking but which FS are you seeing with SIVF? I am attending the Liverpool clinic.
I am seeing the FS on the 18/09/08 after that we will know whether or not we are going to go down the PGD IVF path.
Maybe we could meet on chat at a specific time that way we can chat.
Good luck and hope you get lots of excellent quality sticky embies
Just joined this forum today and wanted to say hello.
Not sure if this is the right forum for me. I haven't done TTC but will start IVF with PGD in late October due to a genetic condition.
I was diagnosed about six years ago and became pregnant. The CVS showed that the baby had the condition as well and I had an abortion in week 14, subsequently my marriage went apart, I am now trying to have a baby with my new partner.
I am with Dr Gee at SIVF, she told me that due to my age (39) the chances to have a successful cycle are only about 15%, my partners (42) semen analysis SCSA also showed bad DNA damage (>30?), we have tried a few things and done another test last Monday - we'll get the results on October 1. Dr Gee said this may mean we'll have to use PICSI.
I've also done a blood test for hormone levels today and will have a pelvic ultrasound on Monday, I have had one before but it didn't show anything since I was on the pill.
Would be thankful for any advice. Has anyone experience with PICSI?
Good wishes for all of you
Sara
Last edited by Sara69; September 13th, 2008 at 10:55 PM.
Are you saying your chance of a successful IVF cycle with PGD is 15% or 15% naturally TTC? I have had PGD figures for aneuploidy sent to me and it showed if you get to Egg Transfer you are looking at roughly 45% chance of a heartbeat for over 38 years. I am counting on this! Also does PICSI mean IVF with PGD and ICSI?
Another possibility is ICSI with polscope - a special light source that helps them do ICSI without damaging the egg itself. I have no idea what it may actually be referring to, though.
I think that PICSI is a sort of ICSI where the sperm are screened in some way before being injected.
The cycle "success" rate depends most of all on the number of eggs that fertilize, which is a strong function of age. And with PGD for a genetic condition, some of those embryos won't make it to biopsy; some may have the genetic disorder; some may not survive biopsy.
Once you have a "good" embryo, the chances of it making it to heartbeat stage (if there are no other issues) are around 40%, pretty much regardless of maternal age.
Thank you very much for your replies.It's really good to be able to speak with people who do this as well.
KW: I agree with you I think PICSI is a special way of screening the sperm before ICSI but I don't really understand how it works will ask my Doctor when I speak to her.
WTH: The 15% is only a very rough guess which I made after my doctor showed me some figures of the PGD cycles of women of my age last year. The way I understand it the challenge will be to have an embryo to transfer. My genetic condition is a dominant condition so statistically 50% of the viable eggs I produce will be screened out as they will have the condition. I am not sure how the PGD works that you describe but hopefully it means you have to screen out o a smaller percentage. Good luck with you talk to the FS and the SCSA
Hi Tam: We're in the same boat my partners result was similar. Good luck with the SCSA results!
Went to the baseline ultrasound today and had a real fright. The technician said she only saw one follicle in one of my ovaries and none in the other. Thankfully she then got the doctor who saw another one or two in the first ovary and detected that what the technician thought was the second ovary was actually something else and then found the second ovary which had four to six follicles. That's probably not very good either but I was much happier with that result as just one! It was just the fourth day of my cycle so hoping that when I really got for IVF next month with all the hormones it may be a few more which would be great.
I have just gone through the 2 days of meetings and my hubby and parents have just given blood to start the dna linkage for the Haemophilia, so from what I understand around 10 weeks from now I start all the injections etc....nerve wrecking!
One questin I have if anyone can comment is - did any of you get any side affects from the injections etc?
I am just so happy to have found this forum as its so hard to talk to anyone about this as none of my friends really understand....
WTH - great job! Praying for those embies to be strong little ones. What a stressful few days you have ahead..... I am scared in anticipation for you! Just need one tough, "normal" one to make it to the end!
CP - how's the jabbing going? GL with thursday. Hopefully gives you a positive note to go forward with
Sara - hope you had great time away and now ready to get fully "into" what should be a great cycle.
Gingie - Welcome and best of luck on your upcoming journey. IVF is stressful enough but adding PGD just brings ina whole new range of emotions. This thread has been a godsend to all of us.... women walking the same path
Me - last pill on friday and have started to spot today so expecting more full on AF tomorrow. Can't believe how glad I am to see her! The journey is about to start!!
Prior to really getting to know about all this, I had in my head that we may end up with 3-4 good blasts. NOw I am realising we will be just soooo lucky to get anything from 1 upwards
Gingie,
The main side effect I had was from the synarel, which is one of the medications used to shut down your own hormone production. It made me very tired, rather spacey, and very, very stupid (like I ran the car into a pole in my carport and did not notice). The injections themselves were not a problem, although the few days before egg pick up were uncomfortable, since your ovaries get quite big and swollen.
I also found that crinone (which is a progesterone supplement used after embryo transfer) gave me nightmares - that improved when I switched to taking it in the morning.
But - everyone's responses to the medications are different.
Another thing you need to be aware of is that the times given by labs for starting can be quite variable. 10 weeks could easily be 20 - it's just their best guess of how long it will take, and it can take much longer if they have to try several times to get a working test and backup test.
WTH - holding fingers crossed for Tuesday - just remember you only need one. Hang in there it's a really tough time - I am pretty scared of it myself.
Gingie - Welcome, quite a few of us are currently going through it, feel free to ask any questions you like. Do you already know when you'll be starting?
3 MC's. Starting IVF & PGD, any advice?
xx
you get great results.
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