IVF with PGD # 11

Oh Joe - that is absolutely devastating news. I have tears for you. Life is so so cruel & unfair sometimes. I'm so sorry it's the end of the road for you. Thinking of you xx

Same goes for you Emma. Absolutely devastating for a pgd embryo not to work (I've had 6 of them fail on top of 5 other blasts) so I know how it feels. Just so unfair. I hope you are able to take some time out & save for another go. Have you had any immune treatment or other testing done? You are young so there should be good quality eggs in there. Thinking of you xx

Joe can you clear your inbox :)

Joe & Emma - I've been thinking of you both. I hope you are both are doing okay. Big hugs xxoo

Just popping in to see how you are doing elarwood. Few more days to bt. Hope you are travelling well xx

Hi Joe, beta tomorrow morning 13dp5dt. Nervous as anything. I have done a few POAS & they look promising but after my history of chemicals & ectopic I am no where near getting excited until I know the hcg numbers & viability. I know it's not embryo quality & more my immune issues - really petrified!

How are you holding up? I've been thinking of you. I couldn't imagine what you'd be feeling right now. I hope you've been giving your DD loads of cuddles - she's a special little miracle!

Oohh elarwood how exciting, I hope you get a good number at your blood test and things progress well, I'll be stalking

Way to go elarwood, sounds very promising for you :) hoping you get the best news tomorrow GL xxx

Still just processing it all but definitely getting in lots of special cuddles with my beautiful little princess :)

Hi everyone...
I'm upset to read that a few of you have been having a rough time :-( The ttc journey can be so cruel and I have learnt that so many people take falling pregnant and having a healthy baby for granted. Thinking of you Emma and Joe.
ellarwood also thinking of you and really hoping this one sticks for you!! after everything you have been through I hope you get your happy ending!!

AFM I have been well, 32 weeks now and not wishing the time away- like I said there is no taking this pregnancy for granted, I feel thankful everyday. Baby is small (4th percentile) so I am needing frequent scans to check growth so hoping baby can stay in there for as long as possible as I may need to deliver early.

Take care everyone

So great to hear from you Munchkin! Hoping the little one stays put for a few more weeks xxx

Any official word yet elarwood?

Sorry to keep you all in suspense haha!! I've tried posting a few times.

It's official - I'm pregnant! Hcg levels were 671 :-) after 9 cycles with 12 embryos including 7 CGH embryos that ended in 1 ectopic & 4 chemicals...cannot believe it!

To add to my previous post...

Joe - it takes a long time to work through the disappointment & grief. Such a difficult time for you both. I couldn't imagine being in that position since it was the end of your journey. I really hope you & DH are okay.

Munchkin - hello! Lovely to hear from you! Wow 32 weeks! That's flown! I remember cycling with you & I ended up with the ectopic. All the best for the rest of your pregnancy & that your little miracle continues to grow well & stays put until term.

Hi Minnie - thanks for checking up on me!

Hi to everyone else! Thank you all so much for being a wonderful support - there is no way I would have been able to get this far without being able to vent etc on here x

Elarwood I am so so happy for you :) after all that you have been through this is just magical! Wishing you the very best for a very happy, healthy, uneventful 9 months ahead. Be sure to keep us all posted on how you are doing xxx

Congratulations Elarwood!!! I so happy for you!!

Thinking of you Joe!

Just quickly popping in again, I met with my FN today to get the meds to start round 2! Just waiting on my next cycle to start to try again. Hoping to get to at least egg collection this time!

Take care everyone!

Elarwood great news, sending you lots of sticky vibes, hope things go well, will you have more blood tests in the next little while ?

Ellarwood that is wonderful news! so very happy for you... I hope you can sit back, relax and enjoy! Wishing you a smooth and healthy pregnancy. Yay!!

Thanks ladies, we are still in shock an cautiously excited. Repeat test on Friday & then heartbeat scan the next week. Ill be on immune treatment, so a little nervous of course but will take each day as it comes.

Snazzy - all the best for your cycle. I hope they have upped your meds so you get a good number of follicles.

Hey elarwood! How did your test go today? Hoping for good news xx

Hi Joe, thank you for thinking of me! Hcg was 12470. Amazing! Up from 671 in a week so things are traveling along nicely. Scan on Monday 10th at 7 weeks for heartbeat etc

How are you going? Been thinking of you..

Great news elarwood, that's a fantastic number !

Elarwood that is amazing. So so happy for you!!!

Off to counselling on Wed. Hoping for a miracle that will take away my still very strong desire for another bubba. Understand it is going to take more than just talking about it but it is still so real :( outwardly coping ok but torn up inside. Had to spend the morning with a 6 week old bub last Sat which nearly killed me. Long road ahead.....

Oh Joe - I can only imagine how torn up you are inside. Seeing other newborns or pregnant ladies would be emotionally draining for you. I hope counseling tomorrow helps a little. I am praying for a miracle for you.

I had LIT immune treatment today in Sydney. All went well. Things are progressing well so far but on alot of immune treatment until at least 14 weeks. Whatever it takes.

Hi everyone,

This is the first time I have posted in a forum ever, so if I get something wrong, please forgive me.

I come from a family where there are lots of children, which makes my journey a bit of a surprise to me. I've had a lot of endo removed (which ended with a post op bleed of 2L in my abdominal cavity and a week in hospital), one IVF cycle without ICSI, 2 embryos from 10 eggs and second stim cycle got 12 eggs and 8 embryos, to no avail so far.

Now doing a PGD cycle. I had an EPU last Friday. From that we had 12 eggs and 7 embryos suitable for biopsy. Hopefully one of those are suitable for transfer tomorrow.

I find I swing between cautious optimism and the idea that it's just not going to happen.

Some of your stories are amazing; I don't know how you keep it all together. Its great to know there are other people who can relate. My friends and family mean well, but none of them have any experience with infertility and really have no idea what its like.

Welcome ShellyBelly! What a journey you have been on. Hoping you get your much longed for bubba. Is your PGD for CGH or something else (if you don't mind sharing!). Sounds like you have got aome great numbers for testing. Hope you get good results tomorrow & am able to get at least 1 to transfer xx

I have found that whilst you have to remain somewhat realistic about it all, remaining positive is the only way I found to keep going. Haven' t quite reconciled tjay I may be at the end of my ttc journey. Saw the counsellor last week who at least let me feel like my feelings are valid. Have decided that before I make a final decision that I need to see my fs & discuss my options. If he can come up with a plan to try again then I am willing to give it another go. If he believes that we have exhausted all our options then while I may not like it now, at some time it will become easier & I know I have at least been blessed with my beautiful miracle princess.

How are you travelling elarwood? Have you had your scan yet? Wishing you all the very best xxx

Hi all,

Yes Joe, the PGD is for CGH, and of course I don't mind you asking.

Well, of the 7 biopsied, only one was suitable for transfer. Such a high attrition rate, from 12 eggs to 7 "good looking" embryo's to 1 good one! I really thought I'd get more than one. It's taken me most of the afternoon to get used to the idea that if this doesn't stick its straight back into another PGD cycle, with the physical, mental and financial toll that goes with it.

I did ask the FS if they had any idea why, is it my egg quality or possibly a sperm morphology issue and they just said they don't know. I find that hard, because if they have no idea of the problem, how do you improve it?

Does anyone know if the success rate from a good PGD embryo is higher than for a non-PGD'd one?

They said it was hatching as it got transferred, which was apparently a good thing.

I don't really expect success anymore, but hope for it. Any more optimism than that seems to result in a fair old melt down as I realise its another BFN. I certainly haven't accepted that we will never have kids, but I know its an increasing possibility.

For now I guess its just one foot in front of the other, I just wish it felt like I was getting somewhere.

And Joe it sounds to me like your feelings are totally valid and you are doing all you can, talking to the counsellor and your FS. It definitely takes some time to absorb the disappointments and decide what's next.

Welcome shellybelly!
Good luck hun :)

Joe- we are in the exact same position-
We would like to do 1 more PGD cycle,
But I really want some answers.
This is the part of IVF I HATE the most, you get to a certain point, spent thousands of dollars, and still- no answers. So frustrating!

Hi ladies,

Just a quick pop in update. After having a cancelled round in jan/Feb, we started a second round this month and excited to say we have made it to egg collection! I had the syrinal spray at an ungodly hour last night and will have the procedure tomorrow. Feeling a little nervous and worried about the procedure tomorrow. We have 41 follicles so fingers crossed we get some good quality eggs that successfully fertilise for pgd!

I hope everyone is keeping well!

Whoa snazzy even if you get half the amount of eggs to those follicle numbers you'll have a great start. All the best for epu xx

Snazzy: wow that's a crazy amount of follicles, you must have been feeling very uncomfortable, how did epu go ?

Shellybelly: it's tough just getting one embryo to transfer, I had that but I got my 5 month old from it :)

Elarwood: how are you going ? How was your scan ?

Joe: how are you feeling ?

Hi everyone,

Found out today that from the 41 follicles they collected 24 eggs. Yes minni I was feeling bloated, super tired and nauseated and not much has changed since EC yesterday. I was quite sore yesterday but feeling a bit better today.
So from the 24 the collected 14 were mature and good to proceed with. From the 14, 11 fertilised!
The FN said to expect 1in4 to make it to day 5 for PGD.

This is going to be a long weekend!!
How are you travelling Joe?

Holy moly snazzy! Great numbers. Hope you get a good % to day 5 for testing. Does that mean transfer on Monday? Hope you are feeling a bit more comfortable today. Easy to say I know but just try to take it easy & rest up xx

AFM nothing much new. Off to the fs next Friday to see if we have any chance of trying again. Not getting my hopes up as I have to be realistic about it all.

Anyone heard from elarwood? Hope everything is going well xx

Good luck for Friday Joe!

Afm we are down to 6 embryos that have been biopsied today, so we now have a 3 day wait to find out our pgd results. This will be a long few days however we are really happy that 6 embryos have made it to this stage!

No fresh transfer for me as I used the synarel spray as they were worried about ohss, all 6 have been frozen.
If we have any suitable we will look to transfer in a few months.

Hi ladies - I'm still alive! I've had issues logging in & posting & got fed up! All going well - I'm 9wks 2 days. Had a scare a few weeks back (a huge bleed) & thought it was all over but thankfully there was a strong heartbeat. Was put on bedrest for 2 weeks and some meds & it took almost the entire 2 weeks to stop! Then had another bleed on the weekend. Having scans every few days and bub is growing well & still has a heartbeat. The bleeding is from a Subchronic haematoma - at first I was at risk as it was near bub but my OB isn't worried anymore as its getting smaller & away from sac and placenta. Hopefully no more bleeding! Another scan tomorrow :-) been a very stressful few weeks!

Joe - have been thinking of you and wondering how you are coping. I hope FS can give you some ideas, or hope as it would be devastating to be at the end of the road.

Wow - snazzy that was alot of follicles no wonder they triggered you with synarel. I did that with my First CGh cycle but was able to go on to day 5 transfer. Congrats on getting 6 to test - you'll surely have some normals in that lot!

Oh elarwood, what a rollercoaster!!! You must surely have a little fighter hanging on in there. Must be a little reassuring that your ob thinks you are safe but I'm guessing you won't feel better about it until you are holding your precious little one. Good luck for your scan tomorrow xx

Snazzy congrats on getting 6 to testing. Not surprised that you won't be doing a fresh transfer considering the ohss risk with the numbers you stimulated with. Hoping you get at least a couple of normals xx

Hi Ladies,

Well, its taken me some time to process it, because I think deep down I had sort of given up, but it seems that maybe that lonely little emby stuck and I am in for my 6 week scan in the morning.

Really quite anxious about it, particularly since I have received a heap of material from the IVF clinic where they are really pushing for further genetic testing by way of a CV sample. Has anyone else had to make decisions about this? I would have thought that in light of the PGD already being done, the chances of there being any thing wrong would be lower than the risks of MC from CV testing?!

Glad to hear you are doing well Elarwood, you have had a heck of a time.

Good luck Snazzy, hope you get at least one!

congrats, shellybelly & good luck at your scan. : )

I chose to decline the extra testing suggested by the clinic. Like you I didn't feel the risk necessary, especially on a PGD embryo. I found their paperwork quite 'pushy' actually. All the best. Xx

Hi guys,

Shelly I completely understand your hesitation, but so happy for you! Good luck for your 6 week scan!

As for me from our 6 blastocysts only 2 were given the all clear from the pgd testing. When the embryologist rang to give the results she also mentioned quite a few times that they strongly suggest further testing whilst your pregnant as pgd is only 98% accurate and officially not a diagnosis because they are only selecting a few cells. 98% is still very high odds I thought!!

We are hoping to do a frozen embryo transfer within a month.

I hope everyone else is doing well!!oxo

snazzy, 2 pgd embryos is a great result. I bet you can't wait to transfer. : )

Congratulations Shellybelly! I did the amniocentesis at 15 weeks I think it was. I found taking to the genetics councilor was very helpful & they gave you information to help make the decision yourself. In my case the chromosomal translocation could have resulted in a sever malformation. It was still a very tough decision for my husband & I. Best of luck.

Sorry I've not caught up on everything that's happening here. Sending my love & positive sticky vibes to everyone.

Big congrats shellybelly! Such awesome news. Hope the scan goes well xxx

Snazzy 2 pgd embryos are fantastic! Hoping all goes well for your transfer xxx

Congratulations ShellyBelly - goes to show it only takes one! Have you had your 6 wk scan yet? I also declined the maternal21 test by my clinic and OB since it was a PGD embryo and I'm young.

Snazzy - also congratulations on getting 2 PGD embryos - you have an excellent chance!

Joe - have you seen your FS yet? I hope they had some suggestions for you.

AFM I'm 12 weeks :-) have had 2 more bleeds but bub is doing very well. Have my NT scan this week, looking forward to it. Otherwise the usual tiredness & nausea which is very reassuring.

Hi to everyone else