Long Term TTC & Assisted Conception - June 2007 #2

wow holly! all sounds great and good to get such a happy positive vibe from your post - which wasnt self absorbed at all! its interesting to each persons stories and stages in the TTC cycles....

ME - dropped DH at the airport today and he and his mates are now in Thailand (and probably very drunk!)
just waiting for AF. she is due sometime in the next few days...hoping the first IVF cycle hasnt thrown my body out of whack and my cycles are still regular. i think half the reason my first cycle didnt work is because my body reacted slowly to the drugs and by the time i had my embie put in i was actually waaaaay past ovulation and it was actually done the day AF was due! so fingers crossed with my natural FET this time.. Gawd i hope im pregnant by the end of the month!!!!! (but dont we all)

thinking of you heaps BW... i hope all your dreams are about to come true! are you going to wait for BT wednesday or are you going to do a HPT beforehand?

Still reading everything ladies, and keeping up with all your news.

Mel, special mention to your man for taking one for the team.

hi ladies ,
my name is ray. in the next couple of months my hubby and i will trying ivf we already have 3 boys jamie 10, matthew 7 & brandon 5. About 2 years ago i got my tubes clamped because i kept on getting pregnant, but know we have decided for another one saw the gyno about tubal reversal and he said no because i have a blood clotting disorder so ivf.
I'm from geelong in victoria we have prices from ballarat ivf which is $5300 & also waiting a phone call for a appointment at monash ivf in geelong. I'm very excited but nervous at the same time i so bad want another child .

ray:D

"because i kept on getting pregnant". Wish that was a problem we all had!

Welcome.

Ray - welcome and i hope your dreams for no #4 happen soon....

Me - i cant believe how much i want AF to arrive! bring it on....then i can start my natural FET...

hi all i am new here and just wanted to say Heloo and wish everyone the best of luck, my husband and i are 25 and have been trying to conceive for 13 months, i have been on clomid 4 times as i wasnt ovulating properly, i ovulated 3 out of the four times but no pregnancy, i had a laproscopy on thurs and everything came back clear but hubbies SA came back only 19%motility and 98% abnormal, so they sent us to an ivf doctor and looks like we might be starting it in september ( as i am going overseas soon ) But it will be icsi not ivf unless hubbys sperm imporves in the mean time! Children have always been the centre of my life and that is alli have ever wanted to do was to be a mum, we would have started long ago but we wanted to set ourselves up first house etc. We are both 25 and healthy( hubby does play rugby union and trains ALOT so we are wondering if that has abything to d o with it and he had a cold when he did the SA ) not to make excuses though. Anyway just wondering if anyone has been through ivf or starting and i am wondering the process and time frame
best of luck to all xoxox

i'm sorry if i offended anybody writing because i kept getting pregnant.

ray

Hi Sparkles and welcome.

I'm relieved to see find someone else in my position almost exactly. Your hubby has almost identical results to me (I'm the token bloke here). I've got 100% defects (96% head defects) with motility of 44%, which was better than my first test which was somewhere around the same as your hubby.

Until our second FS appt, we're not sure if we need ICSI or just plain IVF, as I've had more extensive testing done with the andrology people. She seemed to think IVF was still an option, and she also said that falling pg naturally was also still a possibly - which quite frankly seems impossible in my opinion.

I gather that for ICSI, defects of the tail and mid section are irrelevant so I'm hoping one of the 4% without head defects will be up to the job and imagine your hubby would be in the same boat. I don't believe having a cold would affect the outcome for your hubby's test, but I am no expert.

We're both 26 and been TTC for exactly the same time as you. We even held off until we got our first home, same as you! We think we will also be starting IVF or ICSI around September as well. As for your hubby's sporting stuff, I've wondered exactly the same thing because I spent most of last year training really hard with running, and lost a lot of weight in the process. I play sport, eat well, am fit and all of that but it just seems to be luck of the draw.

Keep us informed of how things are going. I am really interested to know as our cases are so similar. If I can help with any info at all based on the bit we have learnt recently please ask.

Ray - I just thought it was ironic that's all! All the best with your treatment as well.

:

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hi all i am new here and just wanted to say Heloo and wish everyone the best of luck, my husband and i are 25 and have been trying to conceive for 13 months, i have been on clomid 4 times as i wasnt ovulating properly, i ovulated 3 out of the four times but no pregnancy, i had a laproscopy on thurs and everything came back clear but hubbies SA came back only 19%motility and 98% abnormal, so they sent us to an ivf doctor and looks like we might be starting it in september ( as i am going overseas soon ) But it will be icsi not ivf unless hubbys sperm imporves in the mean time! Children have always been the centre of my life and that is alli have ever wanted to do was to be a mum, we would have started long ago but we wanted to set ourselves up first house etc. We are both 25 and healthy( hubby does play rugby union and trains ALOT so we are wondering if that has abything to d o with it and he had a cold when he did the SA ) not to make excuses though. Anyway just wondering if anyone has been through ivf or starting and i am wondering the process and time frame
best of luck to all xoxox

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Welcome aboard, Im new here too, mainly reading everyone elses posts. It's never nice to be in this position, but it's good to know that there are other young people out there going through this. Every book that I have picked up has focused on 'advanced maternal age', there is barely any mention of a 20 year old like me not being able to fall naturally. I'm so over people telling me "you have heaps of time". Sorry vent over, just frustrated at in-laws today.

Bed, don't worry, we all get fed up with muppets asking questions about stuff which has nothing to do with them. People think it's this god given right to interrogate you about your family/private life. I just fob everyone off and say I don't want kids yet. Shuts them up.

Rols, my DH does exactly the same thing... frightened the life out of me when I saw him do it at a wedding today - but then I realised what he was doing...

BW

hi all thanks for the welcome
Wow Rols we are in a very similar situation!!! thats good to know that we have eachother to swap stories with, did yougo for further tests to see what abnomal sperm you have?
and i am also sick of people saying lucky your young...i dfont care i wanted kids 5 years ago
All my friends are falling pregnant around me first go, its very hard even though i love alll their bubs sooo much i have another baby shower to go to next week and my best frineds 2nd bub is due in 4 weeks and she wants me in the room with her, i really dont think i can handle it. They will never understand the pain as i wouldnt have if i fell first go too. I am day 10 of cycle so hopefully i will ovulate on my own this month and we can still try naturally just incase then i go overseas so will miss a month, then when i get back we will get hubby tested again and go from there.
Rols- Have you spoken to docs about the icsi much?? how involved is it? expensive?
good luck and keep in touch xo

Rols - may i ask where your from? if you dont want to share no dramas !!

Bec, sorry, I called you "Bed". I can't type today.

BW - it's a fairly typical bloke thing I reckon. Good on him. Wish I knew more blokes in the same boat, because I just fob off all of the others except for my best mates who I have told and they are all awesome fellas.

Sparkles, I was so pleased to read your post. Not pleased that you guys are having trouble, but just pleased that someone else is having the same issues as me. Makes me feel like less of a leper.

OK, to answer your questions which I am very happy to do:

1. We live in Tasmania

2. I had two initial tests done at pathology. The first routine one which was the worst, then another 3 days later because I decided to. This one was better as far as motility but still crap for defects. I've since given another sample (I'm a factory) to the specialist andrology ppl and will get the results on the 19th. Not expecting any better, but perhaps a bit worse because apparently they "grade it harder" with specialist testing. The FS says its only to determine which treatment we need and not whether I can get the job done because she assures me that I can. Between the GP appts and the FS appt, I had convinced myself that I couldn't be a father, so just hearing that they could do something was awesome.

3. The abnormalities I've got are almost all to do with the head section (96%). 40% or thereabouts havie dodgy midsections and the tails are all pretty much OK. Which is pretty much like having a car with no engine I reckon.

4. ICSI adds about $500 to a standard IVF cycle, and the good news is as of last month I think, Medicare now covers it. However, we are with Sydney IVF and they charge mega bucks for anything (like $200 for an ultrasound the other day for my wife) so I guess it will still add more to the bill. That's not to say SIVF are bad, because we are very impressed so far. Not that we have any other choice on the island. The only other place that does IVF employs one of our old uni friend's as an IVF scientist!

5. ICSI not much more complicated than IVF. They just inject the sperm into the egg instead of letting the sperm enter on its own in a dish.


It seems heaps of ppl we know are pregnant, or have kids etc and we don't know anyone who has had trouble. But I guess you never do because most ppl keep it fairly quiet. WE all just notice the babies now, not the ppl who may or may not be struggling! Don't worry, what you are feeling is so normal and what everyone feels.

Don't despair, unless you both have massive issues (which you don't), IVF has a great success rate. My FS said my case is only mild to moderate in severity which staggered me. I think it's safe to assume that your bloke could be described similarly. Whatever you do, live life normally and don't let it consume you. Chances are, you'll get there in the end.

Definitely stay in touch, I'm so pleased you posted!

Rols- hee hee, so you have two heads too hey?? I am also a tassie girl, but moved to Syd a couple of years ago. I did some work with the ivf docs down there bout three years ago, before i knew anything much about it, let alone knowing that one day id be doing it!!
Hi Sparkles!! I am kinda new here too, even though have been following the posts for last 2-3 months. I am 26 and DH is 27. I have endometriosis- never knew i had it until last year when was seeing gynae about other stuff...then had a lap in Nov to remove all adehsions etc... We have been trying to fall preg since Dec 05, and my gynae said, just to exclude any male probs, would also check DH sperm. Then probs started....he has triple defect abnormalities. So met FS in Jan, and completed first IVF cycle in Mar, then had m/c in Apr :( About to do our first FET this month or next. We had to use ICSI. Like Rols said, Medicare are now covering some of the costs so that is added benefit. Nothing about ivf is cheap :( It pretty much sucks. But you have to think of the benefits in long run. The costs increase depending too, if you have embryos transferred at day 5- which are blastocysts, i think for us that cost an extra 600 dollars out of pocket, but also has a higher success rate. With IVF aus, we paid money up front for a full cycle and that included cost of everything, including all u/s and blood tests. But there are hidden costs too like hosp excessed and anaesthetist bills. Just make sure you have a credit card!! With a good limit, so you have extra money if you need it! Hey also, my DH also plays a lot of sport, really into fitness. He rides quite a bit and does a lot of running, dont think it makes much of a diff. If you have any other questions feel free to ask, might be able to answer some. We have same problem as in we are still youngish and people question why we want kids so young??? It is so frustrating grrr.
Welcome too Ray, hope everything goes well for you.
BW- only few days left??? How are things going?

Very up and down, Mel. Thanks for checking on me.

One minute I can be absolutely convinced the transfer has worked, the next utterly devestated because I just know it has failed... just trying to keep myself distracted for now.

Welcome to sparkles and ray - missed you earlier - oops! :redface:

BW

Have my fingers and toes crossed for you BW. I got a BFN on the Monday before my BT on the Friday. I called the nurses and just asked them if it was likely to be right, one of the nurses said, sorry hun, its prob right :( wow was i upset. But for some reason, i tested on the Wed (with the digital one)- and a BFP!! The ones where you have two lines can be so frustrating, id always double triple even after the ten mins heee. But the dig ones always right. Dont give up yet, as some of the girls on here have said, some dont even get a positive urine test, only positive BT's. Go eat some yummy choccies and give DH a cuddle.

Hey Everyone!

Just checking in to see how everyone is - we haven't had any electricity for 24hrs... its all back on now, though but OMG!!!
No phone line & no electricity... I was starting to wonder what we were going to eat for dinner - everything in our cupboards required some type of electricity to cook it... and our shopping centre has been closed due to the storms & flooding!!!
Its not wonderful on the Central Coast at the moment, but am feeling sympathy for those in Newcastle....

ANYWAY!!!

Just wanted to say hi to everyone & welcome to you newbies... I hope you guys aern't here for too long ;)

The people on this thread are truly amazing, and it is just a gift to have the daily encouragement, advice & well wishes that everyone so selflessly offers.... You will find everything you need on the compassion side of things right here ;)

BW - How are you holding up???!!!!! Hoping that the wedding today gave you a little distraction from everything.. and hoping that noone was insensitive (re. baby comments - People always seem to come from all directions with their baby questions at events like these!) Hope everything is going ok and you're keeping positive xxx

Thanks so much to all of you who have mentioned my post after returning from Melbourne... DH & I have talked about it non stop since we came home, and are both in such good minds about it all!!

To everyone else that I've missed, a big:hello:

Hope everyone is great and snuggled up somewhere warm & dry!!!

Talk Soon,
Love Holly
xxx :D