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Hi ladies
A bit of a thread "gate crash" here, so I hope you dont mind. I often read your posts and am in aur (sp) of how informative and supportive you are to each other, its really lovely to read.
I had a big chat to my FS today, as we are hoping to get to PGD stage, she was very impressed at my knowledge, and I have to give you guys the credit ... we are lowering my puregon this month to try and get quality vs. quantity, so that we can get to day 5, or god willing - pgd - after 16 eggs, I cant get past day 2/3 ...
I am having the dhea test when the bt slip arrives, however apart from lowering my dose, and giving me suppositries this cycle, instead of crinone, im still in the lap of the gods, so here's hoping I can gain more knowledge from you lovely ladies, as well as wishing you all the best for your journeys xx
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CP - Gotta hand it to the universe - just likes to make things tricky for some of us! Glad you are going to "let go" and not stress much about the BBQ. Your embie HAS to be the most important thing in your head that day. BTW, correct me If I'm wrong but if you O on Sun then wouldn't day 5 ET be on the 6th? Don't fully get exactly how they time FET sometimes
Sara - thanks for the encouragement but this cycle not really much better than last time. We had 2 in last time ( although did ET at day4 after day 3 PGD). Only difference is the one frostie
WLAB - welcome. We are always willing for new comers and will try and answer whatever we can about the PGD process. I didn't do it for this IVF cycle but did so in Nov and still think there is a lot to learn about it.
I assume you are wanting to do PGD to determine if your embies are not sticking due to aneuploidy?
I am not trying to dissuade you but will share my own history just as a bit of caution on hanging to much on PGD. I did it due to history of recurrent m/c. I can't really concieve naturally due to ovulation issues but have fallen pg 5 times with just OI/IUI. One m/c was confirmed due to trisomy 15 and although I also had confirmed "normal" losses too, we chose to do PGD to lessen the chance of more heartbreak.
I got 21 eggs from cycle in NOv at 200iu puregon, 14 embies all going strong for a day 3 PGD - fabulous result so the lab told me. Of those 14 tested, 5 abnormal and 9 "normal". of those 9, 5 going ok the next day. We chose to transfer two embies on day 4 as I was scared by letting them go much further. Quite a few made it to blast by the next day but none suitable for freezing. We sadly didn't fall pg and obviously nothing left to try again. Bottom line, we learnt that PGD results within normal range for my age bracket and of those testing abnormal, only one would have even made it to transfer stage. Hence the reason for not electing to do it this time - just wouldn't seem to gain us anything other than potentially more damage to our embies. It also revealed that although 9 tested "normal", they obviously weren't good enough a) to stick or b) grow on to freeze. To me this indicates there can be a LOT, LOT mor wrong with embies than just the chromosomes they can test for.
This time, we did the same as you aiming for less eggs of hopefully better quality and trying to get to blast to at least get some form of "selection". I was on 125iu puregon initially but was dropped to 100iu during cycle. In the end, I still got 23 eggs - 13 embies - 4 at blast on day 5 - 2 x ET and 1 to freeze. I am still in TWW so can't comment on whether more sucessful.Yes embie results prob slightly better than last time but still not that great. And if we go by the odds of our previous PGD, it wasn''t becuase of the standard aneuploidy issues.
Sorry for my long ramble but still trying to figure it all out myself how I personally seemed to be far more successful just with OI/IUI ( when only 1 or 2 eggs resulted in 100% growth beyong blast - 2 sets of twins!)than IVF. Also just wanting to prepare you that PGD may not be the total answer.Much as I still think it has a true place. If I was lucky enough to fall pg this time ( although not that hopeful), then I will kind of wish I had the saftery net of knowing their PGD results.
Hope you can have more success whatever you chose to try.
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Meredith, your experience ties in closely with what my FS has said. After three miscarriages we asked about PGD, and he said that there was too much that could be wrong that PGD couldn't test for and the best way to filter out the bad embryos for us would be to grow to blast and then see if the embryos could survive freezing and thawing. Not that it was a 100% test for us. Of the three miscarriages, all had been grown to blastocyst stage, all had survived freezing and thawing. However, there were another 7 blastocysts from two cycles that did not survive freezing that weren't transferred and I don't even want to count the number of embryos that didn't make it to blast!
And then, in the end, what worked? A fresh day 3 embryo transfer. No matter how much the IVF doctors like to make out that they know everything - they don't, and as painful as it is to hear it, sometimes it really is just a numbers game and waiting until you finally get lucky.
I hope people don't find that too depressing.
BW
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WLAB - :hello: and welcome to our wonderful thread. IVF with PGD has left DH and I a bit dazed and confused. We have lost four bubbas all naturally conceived in the past 1.5 years, two were confirmed trisomies. So we tried IVF with PGD to reduce the chance of aneuploidy. In two cycles we have had four blasts tested using 8 colour FSH (we added Trisomy 15) - and they all came back normal :wtf:. We now wonder if the IVF is improving my egg quality? We are hoping we do not have to do another stim cycle in the future, but are now wondering if IUI would be just as effective - that what my body needs is the extra estrogen boost. Would be alot cheaper, too! I started DHEA at the beginning of December, but I did not do the BT. So, that is my story in a nutshell. It is great to have you here - though I hope it won't be for long :D
Cuddlepie - spoke to the clinic about FET protocol (just getting my head around what will hopefully not need to happen for a year or two). I was telling them how it would be great not to do any meds until the luteal phase, only to learn they control the cycle with estrogen and progesterone. I would much rather do your natural protocol. Did your clinic give you a choice?
Meredith - hope you are doing ok, 2ww buddy :D
AFM - still trying not to analyse possible symptoms, but it is getting harder each day!
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WTH, about natural FET, because my cycle is regular and I ovulate by myself, so they are happy for me to do a natural FET with no meds. I only just started prog pessary two nights before to support Luteral phase. But even in a natural cycle, like me this time, O time can be earlier or later...the fun of dealing with our body! I truely hope you don't need it until two years later.
Meredith, the clinic said I Oed somewhere between last Saturday or Sunday, but they prefer to TF earlier than later. Because embyro can wait till lining and Uterus environment is optimal to implant but it TF to late, it won't be able to catch up. So when there is a choice of two days, they always do on the earlier date.
WLAB, good to see you popping in...I so far haven't done PGD yet, purely because the number of blasties are not many and there is no concrete reason that I have to to PGD, its just the age thing and FS wants to be more efficient. Anyway, good luck with whatever path you choose.
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WTH/Meredith: I have everything crossed for both of you! :hug: :crossfingers:
WLAB: Welcome! :hello:
CP/BW/Sara/Kate: :hello: :hug:
AFM, I went to see FS yesterday morning and AF turned up this morning (should have been this coming Saturday). I start the OCP again (active only, no sugar pills) when AF is done and down regulate for about five or six weeks (because I don't cycle on my own), then I start again with the Synarel and a lower dose of Gonal-F (75 IU). I'm hoping that six weeks is long enough for us to finish licking our wounds and get going again, though I can't see why it wouldn't be, it's not like we haven't been this disappointed before. That being said, I still cannot believe that out of 16 embryos we have nothing to show for it. :( Back in the saddle again... DH and I decided last night that if this next cycle doesn't produce any good embryos then we're going to meet with the counsellors at QFG about embryo adoption and go on the waiting list.
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WLAB: Welcome - wishing you goodluck with your journey. While some of us are doign PGD because of recurrent miscarriages other (Kel and myself) are trying to exclude a genetic condition, so probably can't be of much help to you as it works differently for me.
Kel: That sounds like a very productive chat with your FS. From experience I can say that 6 weeks can be a long time. I think it is very interestign that you're thinking about embryo adoption, I am sort of also thinking about this or at least donor eggs but don't know much about it - do you know how long the waiting lists are?
CP: Keeping everythign crossed for your transfer tomorrow. have a wonderful birthday.:partysmiley:
:hug: WTH & Meredith - hope the TWW is kind to you.
Buliej - hope you're doing well, are you now doing a cylce in Februrary? Just wondering if we are cycle buddies
:hello: Lisa & BW
Sara
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Sara: At QFG the embryo adoption waiting list is less than 12 months, and egg donation is five to seven years. I would have thought it the other way around. If I had a sister I'd have asked for eggs by now, but I'm sure that my brother would object! ;) I had actually considered asking my brother to donate sperm and my youngest SIL to donate eggs, but could never quite come to suggest it to DH.
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Hi Kel,
That is interesting, wouldn't have thought that either, just goggled it and found an article about it:
Surplus to requirements - Pregnancy & IVF - Health In Focus - Health And Fitness
My sister are unfortunately not an option, one is positive like myself and the other doesn't want to get tested which I respect. May ask SIVF how their waiting lists look like, maybe it's possible to go on the waiting list just in case.
Sara
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Kel - good to see you back in here. Hoping you are feeling better from your OHSS. Good that you now have a plan for the future. I pray that next time works for you. This road is hell and would at least be ok if we knew there was a light at the end.
I do think that although you would obviously like your "own" children, the embryo adoption is certainly a fair option. To me this would at least bring the experience of pregnancy and carrying the child which personally I find more important than genetics. Unfortunately for me, at this stage we seem to have a uterus issue too so likely wouldn't help me much
BW - I agreee that there is just FAR more to making a baby than anyone, no matter how expert, really knows. My FS is quite free to admit that she has no idea of why things often don't work for me. I wish she did have an answer but no point giving me "Dr talk" that doesn't mean anything.
She did kind of say that they just can't say if some people's embies just don't do well with the whole IVF process. I don't truly believe that every embie of ours that failed to make blast, would not have made it naturally.
Sara - how close are you to starting again?
CP - Only one more day until your little one will be on board and you can join WTH and I in TWW madness
WTH - hello buddy. I would push your clinic re a natural FET given you cycle normally ( if you happen to need it in few yrs!!). GIven i don't ovulate, my clinic would prefer to do fullycntrolled HRT cycle but i have requested doing FSH ovlulation induction as I really believ for me it would much better to be more "natural". My FS is fortunately VERY acomodating to whatever i want to do.
How are you coping with TWW? After last cycle whe I was sure i was pg, I don't trust anthing I am feeling, not feeling. Don't have to much confidence in this cycle but it will still be a huge crash if AF comes next week. Guess at least i can go straight into FET.
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Just managed to lose my post. Here I go again...
Cuddlepie - I also wish you a :happybirthday: and will be sending lots of :stickyvibesgirl: up to Kent St.
Sara - I will be interested in hearing about the SIVF egg donation waiting list. If things do not work out for DH and I with TTC over the next year or two we will be certainly looking into it.
Kel - Glad you have a plan. I did not know there was an embryo donation option. I think it is wonderful that people out there are willing to do this :)
Meredith - The days are starting to draaaaaag a bit, but on the other hand, I am scared of finding out one way or another. Don't know what is Pregnyl and what is Hope IYKWIM. I also thought I was in with a shot last cycle. Promised myself I would remember just how pregnant I felt - when I wasn't.
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Hi everyone
I've been lurking and not posting because I wanted a break from all things ivf related until it was time to start again...which it now is. Although my period was not due until Sunday, it arrived late morning, making this Day 1 of my first IVF cycle post miscarriage. I have my FSH test tomorrow (Th), and if results are OK start with the Gonal F on Friday. I can't believe I'm back to square one ...I know you all know all too well what this feels like. I doubt we will do the PGD testing - for the reasons just given by the other ladies who have done it to avoid miscarriage as we do not have any known genetic condition that we carry and need to test for.
So fingers crossed about my FSH levels - should know tomorrow afternoon, a few hours after my blood is drawn and then we begin again.
I'm keeping my eyes open for some good news from the posters in this thread!
Julie
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Hi girls
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and experiences. I did type quite a long reply the other night, and it disapeared :-(
FM: I doubt very much I will get to PGD stage, I have been flat out trying to get to day 3, let alone blast. Interesting BW, that you had success with a 3 day fresh transfer. It makes me wonder, when to pop these little embies back in...
With my first m/c at 11.5 weeks, I didn't know you could test a m/c, I think the bub would of shown something was wrong, as we saw a strong heartbeat at 8 weeks, then unfortunatly we m/c. The second m/c I had tested, nothing came up. I am beginning to wonder if I should do some IUI's in the middle of IVF cycle's, with a touch of gonal to move things along.:think:, as a few of you ladies, think the same ...
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Buliej - hope FSH levels all good today and you can get back into jabbing again.
CP - hopefully you have a precious embie on board now. Do NOT strerss over your BBQ today. Relax and have a great day
WLAB - it is so hard to know what to do isn't it? Personally, I can't stand doing nothing so I am kee to do a few IUIs whilst having an IVF break to keep myself sane and maybe somehow have a better chance of pg? I know thats not what the stats wold say but has worked better for me in the past
Feeling more and more negative about this cycle but trying to hold some hope for a miracle. Just seen to many bellies and newborns today..... really digs the knife in
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CP - hope you are enjoying your birthday in a very relaxing way - I wish you the best present in the world!!!
WLAB - I've wondered the same thing during the between cycles - however, my FS told me that using gonalF in back to back cycles doesn't give your body a break and the eggs aren't so great - I opted to do back to back any way and she was right! and I ended up pregnant from a frostie! that later miscarried due to a trisomy issue, but it was a frozen one.
Hi to everyone else - it will take me a few days to really catch up as I'm now back in the game.
Just got the FSH results - down to 6.6 - it was well over 9 last month. I'm thrilled. Apparently this fluctuation is very common with older women but I'm just focused on the lower number even though it doesn't necessarily my ovaries have miraculously gotten younger in the past month. Also, I was chatting to the IVF clinic nurse about this drop and her first question was: have you been seeing a naturopath? [NO] an acupuncturist? [Yes] - she said women often see improvement as a result of either or both of these....
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Hi everyone, after a VERY busy day, finally I have my little star performer on board now!
I normally mute my phone on the FET TF day as I get jumpy to hear phone rings because I dread to hear the bad news about the thaw...this morning, because its my birthday, there are these sms flooding in and it got my heart sink every time when I see a mesg comes in. Anyway, we not only made it to the transfer but got told that our embie thawed beautifully 95% cells recovered. All went smoothly without a glitch. I hope this is the sticky one and is here for the next 9 months.
BBQ went ok, it was really hot, got me a bit worried, as I heard your body temp can't be too hot, but it might not matter that much at this stage, more so after implantation, I think. I am so glad its all over and I can just now lay back and relax and enjoy some breeze.
Thanks for the good wishes girls, now I am officially in TWW again. Let's hope this time its not that mad. But I know doesn't matter how much you try to control your emotion, it manages to suck you right in!
WTH and Meredith, hope we all have much better luck than last year and this one is IT!
Buliej, welcome back to the game. FSH level sounds great. They do say it can fluctuate and I'd ignore the higher one...;)
Sara, when your next cycle start? Or just wanting to have a little break?
:hello: WLAB
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CP: Happy Birthday! :birthday2: I have my FX for you this next two weeks.
Meredith/WTH: When will you test? Or will you wait for the beta instead of doing HPT's?
WLAB: I wonder that about our one and only blast, whether it just didn't want to be in a dish. Unfortunately, with a translocation like mine it is highly likely it was anueploidy that caused the failure to thrive.
Julie: GL, chick. What dose have they got you on?
Sara: How are you going, hon?
Hi everyone I missed.
AFM, just waiting until March (FS pre-cycle appt is booked for the 9th). Bet that doesn't come quickly...
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CP - good luck - that sounds really good. Some people believe that only the strongest embryos survive thaw so let's hope you have a fighter in you!
I'm on 450 gonalF - if this sounds high to you please keep in mind I'm 42 - so I don't expect too many good eggs much based on my last cycle...I'm only hoping for 1 really good one.
