Long Term TTC & Assisted Conception - Oct 2007

[Shannon22]

Good Job TL good to see the pregnyl kicked in! Good luck with trigger tonight!

[briggsy's girl]

called the clinic this morning, and the counselling is compulsory so i have now called the coordinator and waiting for her to get back to me. Clinic nurse thinks we should be able to get something organised to slot me us in, and is sending out the registration paperwork for me today - hopefully we'll get booked in for counselling soon so that by the time we see FS on the 8th we'll be ready to go (nurse loves that i'm on a flare cycle so no need to worry about coordinating down reg!)

now, wonder if we'll be lucky enough to catch an appointment with the counsellor on thursday when they're local rather than having to travel to Melbourne....

[arielle]

A big hello to everyone!

BW - I am truly sorry for this devastating result. It just doesn't seem fair! You are in my thoughts hun, and I hope you're able to take some time out to heal. Be kind to yourself xo

BG - bugger! Sorry it was a BFN for you. I have every faith that IVF will do the trick for you and DH, so hang in there ok. It will happen! (I keep remembering what your gorgeous niece predicted!!).
Also, I think you're with Monash IVF right? It definitely is compulsory in Vic to have IVF counselling before starting a cycle, but I am sure they should be able to squeeze you in before November, as they certainly managed to do that for DH and I, b/w FS appts.

Carla - I'm also sorry for you hun, and thinking of you too. Wishing you much better luck next time, whenever you're ready!

Ellie & Dusty! - bring on AF, hey!

TL - yay for you and your follies! What great results! Still thinking VERY pos thoughts for you hun. I've so loved seeing your awesome attitude leading up to and during this whole cycle. You're an inspiring lady! Wishing you much luck for trigger and EPU. Looking forward to hearing some eggsellent results from you.

Melbel - hope all is going nicely for you with those injections, and that those follies are plumping up nicely.

Rols - all crossed for you and DW. Did you make a decision re: 1 or 2 at transfer?

Hope I haven't missed too many people, but for those I have, I'm sorry, and I wish you much luck and success on your journey!

As for us..........................
Just waiting!!! BT was this morning, and the clock is certainly ticking VERY slowly right now.
I still have my heart in my throat even though 5 HPT's (3 diff brands) have come back positive now. LOL!! Yes, I know, I'm a bit obsessive, but am having a lot of trouble believing it's real right now! Not sure if you all remember, but out of 9 eggs, 7 fertilised, but we only got the 1 embie, so are feeling pretty shocked and amazed right now.

Take care all!

Arielle

[briggsy's girl]

ok - minor tanty here!

just got the call from the local coordinator - no counselling appointment available til december, which would put us out of a pre-christmas cycle - not loving that idea - so she gave me the number for the melbourne mob - who refuse to even look at available appointments until they've received the required registration paperwork - so, we're down to 3 weeks before FS appointment, and getting no damn help in booking an appointment - and we can't do anything til we've had the damned appointment anyway. arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh!

[slyder]

TL, well done and GL.

Arielle, your BT will be positive. Guaranteed! It's amazing that after the initial troubles you had it really does only take one good embie.

As for compulsory counselling, I'm probably in the minority here but I can't help thinking that making it compulsory is an unnecessary burden and a waste of time. If someone isn't coping then they should definitely get help, but I know for DW and I we would've just turned up, nodded and smiled and counted down the minutes until it was over. We know that our chances of getting pg naturally are less than average, we know what IVF involves, we know we want kids so let's just bloody get on with it. Same with the compulsory marriage counselling we had to have before actually getting married.

[slyder]

BG, fun and games for you then. Frustrating.

Arielle, I missed your question. No, no decision has been made yet about one or two because the FS didn't do the u/s this morning and the reception staff were all coy about DW actually being able to speak to the FS (like it's asking to speak to Gandhi) because she is busy with EPUs. Fine, but I don't imagine she's doing EPUs for the next week. They referred DW to the nurses, who initially suggested if we weren't sure to speak to the FS. As far as I'm concerned if it means not signing the paperwork until transfer day and pinning the FS down there and then so be it. Twins are fine by us, but there's no point increasing the chance for no reason.

[arielle]

It is pretty amazing isn't it! It just goes to show that some hiccups along the way (low follie count for us), isn't necessarily indicative of a poor result, so hang in there everyone! Don't lose hope!

I agree about the compulsory IVF counselling Rols, and have to say the actual session itself (ours was a group session), was pretty useless really. I didn't come out of it feeling any more enlightened about the process, nor did it help us feel more ready. I think it was the non-compulsory information evening that did helped us feel like we were in the know.

Arielle

[barney]

ARIELLE.. .im thinking positive thoughts today and cant wait to hear your news

BG.. we were the same and had to wait for councelling as it has to be done at sivf it really does stink i rekon as yes some people mite need it but not everybody so i wish you all the best hun it really does slow things down

ROLS & MRS ROLS.. i wish you all the very best with your fet.

to everyone else best of luk to you with your journeys.
oh BW.. im thinking of you to hun and im so sorry to hear your news take care

NIC..best of luk with EPU today hun

[slyder]

I guess we've been fairly fortunate. We found out in May that there were problems, had our FS appt the following week, further testing done in June, then the pill for DW for a cycle, nurses appt. in July for all the techy info, then the cycle started at the end of July. So from start to finish involved 2 FS appts, 1 nurses appt, and a few other tests.

[briggsy's girl]

i am with the two of you - to be honest, i've had counselling with a local psychologist with regard to some other pretty major things that were happening earlier this year, and found that beneficial - but being forced into pre-ivf counselling is something of a waste of time - we KNOW what we're getting into - we've had 5 attempts at IUI this year - all with stimulation - first two cancelled, two failed, and one successful (chemical pg) - we KNOW how to deal with the struggles we're going to face - so why we have to go and speak to some stranger is just beyond me - even mid cycle, if i were having issues, i'm not going to call the clinic counsellor, i'd go to the one i know already....

BUT, if this is what we HAVE to do, i'll do it to get us started (plus it will be another outing to Melbourne with DH for a day, so we can have some time out together - can't complain too much about that...)

[slyder]

BG.. we were the same and had to wait for councelling as it has to be done at sivf it really does stink i rekon as yes some people mite need it but not everybody so i wish you all the best hun it really does slow things down

We're also with SIVF, but no compulsory counselling. Interesting.

[barney]

hi guys well i also no that missy who goes through sivf as well does not have to have councelling at sydney but through sivf in newcastle we had to have the councelling and it was a complete waste of our time as BG has just said we no how to handle stress and it was just a pain in the but as we had to travell 400 kms for each clinic,but i think it is only a one off thing,say next time we go for our ivf we wont have to do the councelling
things we have to do but in the end it will be all worth it.
best of luk and have a great day

[Baby Bliss]

Bah. Just got SA results back, and looks like we will need ICSI. I guess its best ti know now, at the start of the cycle so it can be planned for, but I still feel flat, its yet another thing to overcome. I know hubby is feeling a bit depressed about it, and I have no idea what to say or do to help. Rols, don't s'pose you can help me out with ideas on this, giving the male perspective of how you might feel?

Am trying to find the positives, more eggs ought to fertilise, right? What are ICSI success rates like, or does it not really affect things in that sense?

[Carla MP]

My DH and I had councelling with IVF and the stupid woman had to look into our file when we atarted talking about which treatment we were having. She didnt even breif her self on our situation before seeing us.......we were wondering why she was asking us the wuestions she was. I myself think its a waste of time too. Im with Rols.......we want kids so lets get on with it!!!

[barney]

well said carla.thats so right yes we do want these babies so let us just try and get on with it gee

[NellieW]

Wow, I am away for a few days, and I have heaps to catch up on. I have missed a lot, so I won't try to do personals. Sorry. Just wanting to send huge hugs to BW and Carla. So sorry.

And a tentative congratulations to arielle.

Sorry that I didn't come on here earlier to give you an update about our EPU on Friday. It has been a big few days.

Well, after being told at our scan last Monday that we had 8 good size follies, and a few others that might get there, imagine my surprise when I wake up from my EPU to be told they collected 25 eggs!!! I couldn't believe it. And the best bit is, while I was pretty sore Friday, but Saturday I was fine.

Then, we anxiously waitied for our fertilisation results on Saturday, as it is our first cycle, we still had doubts about how we would go at this stage. But the news is that there were 18 fertilised! And another 3 that might possibly get there, they were going to check on them later that night.

I can't quite believe it. We are scheduled for a blastie transfer on Wednesday.

I am unsure of how many will make it to Wednesday, so we are keeping our fingers crossed tight.

[slyder]

Wow Nellie, great result! I was really nervous about fertilisation too - I had it in my head that it was just such an amazing thing to happen that there's no way my sperm would be up to it. Dunno why, mine aren't awful, but that's what I was paranoid about. Anyway you've done a great job, especially with all those hidden follies. As a guide, I think it's something like a 1/4 or a 1/3 make it to blastocyst from initial fertilisation and this is totally normal and means that the ones that make it to day 5 are the best ones for the job. We had 12 fertilise I think (terrible, I can't remember) and 4 made it to blastie.

Carla, it's not cool to turn up and have them sitting there with no idea who you are or what your story is. Sort of suggests they think it's a waste of time as well.

And BB, I am going to dedicate a whole new post to you and your DH in a few minutes, once I knock over a few other jobs. Stand by!

[arielle]

BG! - unfortunately we just gotta do what we gotta do on this frustrating TTC journey, but am really hoping all falls into place for you, and it will be full steam ahead for you in November. Fingers crossed!

BabyB - sorry to hear your Dh's results. My DH knows how that feels, and it's not easy. I have found LOTS of love and reassurance has done the trick. I am sure they will find many good'ins in his sample on EPU day that are fine for doing the job, as they did with us.

Smithy - I wonder why one clinic insists on counselling and not the other? Odd!

Rols - just toss a coin on the day re: 1 or 2, me thinks?? Just kidding! I know it's a big decision, so am not trying to downplay it, in any way, shape or form. I think it's great that you actually have the option to make such a choice (DH and I were upset we were not lucky enough to get frosties), so best of luck deciding. I think I would lean towards two myself (given statistics), but would also be daunted by the prospect of twins, so may change my mind at last minute?? GL deciding anyway! I just think it's so great, and promising that you have a few tries ahead of you if this one doesn't work, which I REALLY hope with all my mite that it does.

Arielle