Bec,
You are still pretty young, and research into infertility and treatment motors along rapidly. I would seriously talk to your FS about what options might be available to you in 5 or 10 years time before you make any decision.
all the best,
Kate
I have just read through this thread ... while I don't have any answers for either of us ... I may hold just a little bit of hope ..
DH and I have been on this rollercoaster since we found out in Nov 05 that I have PCOS .. and we also found out that DH's swimmers weren't the best so I took him off coffee straight away and moved him onto tea and a good multivitamin also (In April 2008 - DH's swimmers were classed NORMAL !!!!) .. in 2006 we did 8 months of OI and IUI - all BFN month after month ... we had a 5% chance each cycle because of DH's swimmers ..
We left that FS and moved onto another clinic just up the road and started IVF - I can't remember the quality of our embies (hopefully I will know more tomorrow - long story) .. I got OHSS and ended up in hospital .. not long after we left that FS for yet another FS - within the same clinic .. Alot of moving around I know - but totally unavoidable ..
Anyway since March 07 we've done 3 IVF's with 1 of those cycles in april 08 being cancelled due to E2 levels of 22,000 !!! .. we've also done numerous FET cycles during that time ..
At our last FET in September 07 - we thawed out 9 D1 embies to take to D5 - sadly we only ended up with 2 out of 9 ... so that to me suggests that egg quality wasn't good ..
It wasn't until our cancelled cycle that we started to think maybe this is the end ? .. well here we are in Dec 08 8 months later and I"m ready to FIGHT for our miracle .. so what has made me want to fight again ? .. it's amazing what RESEARCH on the net can do ..
We are in the process of changing clinic's yet again - yes I know .. lol .. change clinic's like we change our undies .. rofl .. rofl .. so why are we moving to this new clinic ? what makes it so special ? .. well the fee's aren't cheap that's for sure .. BUT ! there are 2 Dr's - well 1 is a Professor who hold a CREI ..
What is CREI?
Certified Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility (CREI) subspecialists are specialists in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, electing to undertake an additional three years of subspecialty study to ensure comprehensive management of patients with reproductive endocrine disorders and infertility.
After going to Monash IVF at Sunnybank, Brisbane last Saturday - just flipping for ideas etc ... and seeing the brochure I proceded to ask the recpeionist about the Dr's .. who told me about the 2 Dr's who hold the CREI .. our new FS who see on the 14th January is Professor Bruce Dunphy - who has studied in America/Canada/England and holds a CREI ..
When I got home ... I sat down and started thinking - hmmmmmmmm ... maybe this is a worth a try .. so I started researching .. and found more out about CREI ....
out of all the FS's DH and I have seen and been to in the past 4 years - all have just been a gyno/fertility specialist ... none have had the qualifications that our new Dr has .. none has trained overseas .. none had the CREI ..
I am also a member of another forum - and there are 2 girls who are seeing Dr Dunphy and they have said how his treatment plans are so different from their other specialist's .. 1 girl is so happy with him that she's thinking of leaving her current Dr to move over to him .. (her current FS is away on holidays and Dr Dunphy is looking after her) .. they also said even the FN's can't talk about Dr Dunphy enough - and how is treatment so is different - and the new idea's that he's bringing to the clinic they said is amazing !
They also told me about "Luveris" which can help improve egg quality .. so yet MORE research .. lol .. and low and behold what i found shocked me ! .. most of the cases I read were all women with poor egg quality - so their FS's put them onto LUVERIS .. some embies weren't even making D2 ... yet when put on LUVERIS they were getting HIGH QUALITY embies at D5 and most had got their BFP !
So then I sat down and asked myself more questions ...... why didn't my FS mention LUVERIS to me ? .. surely she know's about it ......
So the point of the above essay ? .. lol .. I think when looking for a FS it's important to check their qualifications - I had no idea about the CREI until Saturday when I went to Monash .. our new FS is actually a PROFESSOR not just a Dr/Gyno/FS ..
Apparently Sydney IVF have some Dr's who hold a CREI - not sure about other states - but it sure is worth checking into that's for sure in my opinion ..
We are starting IVF #4 in March 2009 - and I know that in April we'll be annoucning our BFP !!!!
GOOD LUCK to everyone .. and I hope this information has helped !
go to pages 9 and 10 .. there are 3 Dr's in Qld - Dr Forbes, Dr Dunphy - both at Monash IVF, Sunnybank Brisbane and Clare Boothroyd - Assisted Conception Australia - Brisbane ..
We have done 3 IVF's of which 1 cycle was cancelled in April this year due to E2 levels of 22,000 .. we've also done hatching and glue - neither worked for us .. but a g/f used glue and now has a beautiful 4 month old daughter ..
we are in the process of moving clinic's to a new dr who has a CREI and all the reports I've heard about this new dr are fantastic! ..
We see him on the 14/01/2009 and start IVF #4 in March 2009 .. I can't wait I'm so excited !!!!!
Hi Bec,
DH were also told when we started IVF we would get pg...but after two stim cycles and 4 transfers, I knew something was not right. We started IVF because of poor sperm, and I was like you, I'd had very few tests as it was male factor infertility.
Anyway, I was sure something was not right - reading the stats I was convinced that after what we had done we should have got at least a BFP - even if we then went on to lose it - but nothing. So based on some info from BB, I asked for more tests...the ones that BW mentioned. And despite the odds, I came back positive for ANA - antinuclear antibodies (test is positive in only 2% of the population which is why they dont automatically test for it). I was refered to another specialist who put me on 100mg of asprin and 2 x .2ml 5000u heparin injections from transfer, as treatment for antiphospholipid syndrome (APLS) (this causes my body to attack the embies - we never had a hope of falling pg without this medication). We have just got a BFP on this FET now that we are on this protocol! We still have a long way to go, but this is the furtherest we have got so far.
I guess I'm just trying to illistrate that even a FS does not have perfect knowlege and if you are in doubt ask for more tests - it would have been another 4 failed transfers before they would have done the extra BTs for me had I not asked for them to be done sooner. Just because you have MFI, does not mean there are not other underlying issues affecting the ability of your embies to implant. Keep asking questions and push to have tests done.
tctbub1 - I just read your post and i just felt like i had to reply. Now before I go on i just need to say that I am not trying to burst your bubble but my story is slightly different.
My DH and I have been through numerous (as you can see from signature) transfers all resulting in a BFN. And many BB users have said to me that they can't believe that i haven't demanded more tests and more ideas from my FS. So this year i switched clinics and ended up at Monash Sunnybak also. And i too started seeing Prof Dunphy this September when he first arrived. I have just completed my first cycle with him which ended in a BFN. So to date thats 8 failed transfers for me, so I made a follow up appointment with him this week to insist on more tests to find out why i fail to implant everytime. I went in there armed with info from fellow BB members about tests their FS had done as well as some of my own research and ideas. WELL to my absolute shock and horror he shot down each and every idea - right down to farmgirls aspirin protocol (even though it clearly worked) and told me that there is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING he can test me for or nothing we can do differently. I am still in shock!!!!
Please feel free to PM me if you want any more info but that is the absolute truth about what he said.
Can't wait to see what some of you guys think about this. Professor or no professor title i think i would prefer someone who is at least willing to try something. I don't really have much to lose at this stage!!!!
I can't do PM's cause I don't have enough posts or something ? .. I"m sure that's what I read somewhere - and not only that I can't find where I send a PM ... lol ..
I would really like to talk you ..... so if you can PM me ? .. then we can exchange email addy's or even phone numbers ..
I wouldn't say you've burst my bubble - but it is a little deflated
ttcbub1 - yeah i tried to PM but it wouldn't work. Not sure how else to get in contact but i would really love to talk to you and find out where you live - we might be close
I'm really sorry to hear about everything you are going through. You are a tough cookie!
You mentioned some 'look outside the box' suggestions, so I thought I would mention 2 natural fertility experts that I know of working in Perth. They are loaded with info and advice that you are most likely not ever going to hear from your GP or IVF specialist (no offence to them- the things I'm referring to are just not their forte).
One specialist is Natalie Pickering, of Perth Natural Medical Clinic in Mt Lawley, the other is Jane Lamprell-Jarrett, who works at both Pivet Medical Centre and Synergy Clinic in Leederville.
They conduct intensive 3 month pre-conceptual care programs (sperm takes 3 months to fully mature) which incorporate intensive diet control and supplementation tailored to each partners individual constitution, as well as rigorous detoxification. They are also able to conduct blood, saliva, and hair analysis tests to ascertain any hormonal imbalances, heavy-metal and pesticide toxicity, as well as many other common barriers to conception.
Friends of mine fell pregnant after following Natalie's pre-conceptual care program- although they had been trying for 2.5 years to fall pregnant naturally prior to this and were ready to board the IVF train.
I wish you both all the very best in your journey to becoming parents. I will say a little prayer for you, your DH's sperm and your eggs!! Remember, miracles DO happen every day........ I believe your time will come.
BellyBelly Member
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... so that to me suggests that egg quality wasn't good ..
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