Long-term TTC & Assisted Conception - Oct/Nov 2009

Rob - With my first cycle i got 8 eggs 4 fertilised 2 made to blast both A grade...ended in chem pregnancy....2nd cycle got 10 eggs 4 fertilsed by day 2...2 were left 1x a grade 6 cell 1x A grade 4 cell....did a 2 day transfer...no result....my FS said that because they are graded when fertilised doesn't mean the egg is A grade it means the cell division AFTER fertilisation is graded...NOT the actual egg...does that make sense. So with this Polscope you can actually tell the grade of the egg which in normal IVF they can't tell. Hopefully its worth the $350 !! but then again we've already spent so much money.. whats another $350!! at the end of the day when you think about it people spend $1000's of dollars on new cars and furniture...for a baby...PRICELESS!!! :D

Emerald Star, don't let the age thing get you down. I know plenty of women your age or older who have succeeded with IVF. Some took a long time to succeed, others didn't. There's no guarantees no matter what you're age. I'm 33, respond poorly to the stims and took 2.75 years to get my first bfp (on a natural cycle of all things). No guarantees at all. You have just as much chance as any of us as far as I'm concerned!

Gee, it may not seem like it, but you ladies have done quite well in the weight management stakes! I gained 20kg (oh, yes, that is not a typo! :redface:) in our first year with the FS! I've lost 5kg since my last IVF cycle, but it's been slow going. I gained and then re-lost a couple of kilos after the chem pg, but haven't lost more. I was overweight to begin with so I just feel like a whale now...

Juniper76 - Thankyou for your positive words.....deep down i do feel somewhat confident that it will happen one day...just hope it is soon before i'm tooo old and can't push the pram around....or i start looking like its grandma instead of mum!! LOL...yeah thats right i'm joking about it now..but imagine if it comes true..i'd be mortified...luckily i dont look my age yet..so possibly could get away with it for now...:redface: As for the weight thing i was 58 kilos when i met DH 5 years later i hovered around 65 kilos NOW since may i have reached 73KG's!!! Im heavy chested as well and my weight goes straight to my BB's and stomach area...my legs are skinny and i have a flat butt...oooooh my god!! the mental pic is embarrasssing!! I can't believe i'm actually telling you guys this...but i look embarrasingly out of proportion!! :doh:

Emerald- Thanks for sharing! Yes! I do have a mental picture. :lol:
I'm 33 and my neighbour is 40. We are both doing IVF and I can tell you, she is much healthier and fitter than me. She looks fabulous! Don't let age get you down, I have 2 other friends who have had babies in their forties.

AF The weight issue- Emerald, Juniper, Rob, Terry, :grouphug:
I think I might change shoes and go for a walk!!! It's great to know I'm not alone. I love the Liteneasy advertising on the BB forum site! They know their target audience!:p

Quick question:
Does anyone know why some FS choose antagonist protocol as opposed to Down reg? DH and I asked FS on Monday and he couldn't give a clear answer.

Morning Ladies

It's funny :lol: that we have been talking about the weight issue over the past few days. I spoke with my FS today and told her that I was finding it hard with all the stop start each ccycle. She suggested that I can do my normal gym workouts pre transfer and then just swicth to toning & light walking for the 2WW.

EmeraldStar don't be disheartened about the age I know how you feel. I turned 40 a few months ago so I too wonder if time has passed me by sometimes but then take comfort in the fact the woman older than us have conceived.

AFM had my scan this morning FS thinks I will ovualte MOnday so have a BT scehduled then so hopefully FET will be next Wednesday.

Evening news .... LOL

No BT Tomorrow, they will ring me with todays results tomorrow, levels rising slowly, I asked if they had any idea for transfer day but they said as they are only rising slowly not.

DH is a little optimistic now. If none of our three embies thaw this time we won't give up but will look at going from Repromed to Flinder's IVF. It's an overall thing. Costs and services.

We are in the middle of a drought and the farm is struggling, so we have to justify the expense, as does everyone, although previously we haven't had to. But this is a lesson well learnt. Also they have a dr that specialises in Vas Reversals, so he might also be able to offer some more advise. Maybe even checking for a blockage, as the count is there but low, and different each time.

So I am now at least less stressed about where to from here. Ladies, thanks so much from the bottom of my heart for all the times you listen and offer advicem you are truly a great group of women and don't any of you ever underestimate the power of your friendship. :grouphug:

Star - bright - Thanks for laughing with me....( at least i hope you weren't laughing AT me!!) As for the Antagonist vs Down Reg ?? Well, i was under the impression that the Down Reg was for anyone with irregular periods?? :confused:

Terry - I know older women get pregnant..but really " how many actually use their own eggs??" ;) and also most women don't say anyway....i know it "may" happen for me..I haven't given up hope yet! (completely anyway) :D

Rob - I hear ya!! If you have to move do it....its your money..your time...your mental health...your body and most importantly..your Dream! If people aren't giving you the results or at least answers..go!! You never know the move may make all the difference. I hope whatever you and DH decide gets you results!! GL ;)

Hi all

I have lurked in here a little and posted in here maybe once before but Im getting ready to make my debut into the thread.

My name is Eliza, DH & I have been TTC#1 since 2007 and as of Monday we're starting to go through the process of IUI. We fell pregnant naturally in Feb this year m/c @ 7weeks. I had a laparoscopy & Hysteroscopy in July this year and found I had endometriosis which had been cut out, tubed were all clean no blockages, normal cervix & uterus and ovaries...No reason not to get UTD.. and now been TTC since then with no avail and all attempts with :bd: at the right times, fertile CM etc etc etc..

I havent had a consult about it all just yet so I dont know all the names of things etc but I thought I would follow Murraycod as I have been chatting in the TTCAML thread for a little bit now.

Feeling nervous about taking the plunge on doing this, and I have some questions I need answered re IUI if anyone is able to??

1. If I can ovulate on my own and do so regularly like on day 14, do I still have to do the stimulation? WOuld that make it a higher chance of the cycles being cancled if my follicles produce stimulated eggs plus my normal monthly one?

2. Is the cost of the treatment ($1192) for one month's cycle??

3. If I have a normal cycle and have unexplained infertility will I need all the medications?

4. Has anyone just had progesterone only to see if that is what the problem is before starting IUI?

Sorry for the long post. Looking forward (errmm kinda) to getting to know you. You know what I mean...obviously dont want to be here longer than I need to be.. :)

Emerald, of course I wasn't laughing at you. It is a great distraction from TTC and IVF though. I almost went for a walk today. That has to count for something!

Thanks for the info about cycles. That makes sense. I do have irregular cycles, but FS said I could still do the short cycle. I'm confused too. :doh:

rob- It's great to have a plan. :pray: the thaw goes ok.

Terry- FET sounds like it is around the corner, well done! That exercise plan sounds good. I really need to start walking again. I was walking every morning when I had my first ectopic. I got scared ever since that maybe that had something to do with it. i really need to move past that, otherwise the weight is going to keep piling on and cause more health issues.

Emerald Star good point I've never even thought about the eggs older women use. I think sometimes I can get absorbed into my own situation. I often think about my own eggs at this stage I have 5 that are still 39 so I really hope one of these work. Don't give up hope I have a friend who feel pregnant at 43..I suppose in the end it's your decison and choice to make but when you start to doubt think back to a time when you wanted something and eventually it came your way. When I have bad days I think of my DH and how he came back into my life...we were friends for 10 years both married other partners and then met up again through mutual friends...I hoped that one day I would find the love of my life to have a family with..part 1 happened now for part 2

Coco1411 - Welcome..I did two IUI's before moving on to IVF..personally not a fan of IUI's and They do work for some people. Your questions are valid points, however i think each FS treats each patient differently depending on our individual problems with male issues or just our issues. I have no issues apart from age and 1 missing tube due to ectopic and at the time we had a small male Low Motility issue...i am glad i moved on to IVF...but that is just a personal opinion.

Star - bright - i walk my dogs everyday for 40 mins to an hour...it has done absolutely nothing....:shakehead: hope you have better luck!! :D I also wanted to share something with you the best way i can...I too had an ectopic (twins) ...anyway get ready for a long read.....a few weeks ago i went back to my GP to get a referral for the IVF as my last one was ready to expire...during the consultation my GP asked if I was given any reason why any of the assisted conception hasn't worked? i told him that i assume its a numbers game and evetually it will happen and anyway he and my FS are the doctors you tell me!!....he then proceeded to explain to me that ONE of several reasons for ectopics is infections.....and asked if i had been given any antibiotics to treat (just in case) I said no and he prescribed me some...i have now finished the cycle of antibiotics...when i went to see my FS on Monday i told him the story with my GP and he said that they don't check for infections and that after i had the surgery i should have gone back to GP for after treatment before i started IVF...i didn't...i went straight to IVF.....well i'll be starting my 3rd stim cycle in the next few days and i'll be curious to see if i get a better result in the end!! :pray: I was just reading your signature and saw your ectopics and thought i might share this with you....maybe something you need to know why you keep getting ectopics and BFN's...but then again maybe its got nothing to do with it!!! Hope this helps anyway...

terry - Thankyou again for your positive words.... I will keep positive :)

Hey girls for all you oldies (LOL sorry over 40's) seriously there is hope, my mum was 44 when she gave birth to mem and when I was a kid she weighed 26 stone, whatever that is on kg's, now she has lost weight down to 120 kg, and funnily enuff I was number 14 (don't faint) anyway a friend just did ivf at 43 and is pregnant, I also had a cousin that did it for 10 long years nothing, then got a BFN all on their own and she was overweight.

Anyway after such a long post just hang in there, and just for thought here is a poem i got in an email ... no idea on the author sorry.

Thoughts on Becoming a Mother
There are women that become mothers without effort, without thought, without patience or loss and though they are good mothers and love their children, I know that I will be better.
I will be better not because of genetics, or money or that I have read more books,
but because I have struggled and toiled for this child.
I have longed and waited. I have cried and prayed.
I have endured and planned over and over again.
Like most things in life, the people who truly have appreciation are those who have struggled to attain their dreams.
I will notice everything about my child.
I will take time to watch my child sleep, explore and discover. I will marvel at this miracle every day for the rest of my life.
I will be happy when I wake in the middle of the night to the sound of my child, knowing that I can comfort, hold and feed him and that I am not waking to take another temperature, pop another pill, take another shot or cry tears of a broken dream. My dream will be crying for me.
I count myself lucky in this sense; that God has given me this insight, this special vision with which I will look upon my child that my friends will not see.
Whether I parent a child I actually give birth to or a child that God leads me to, I will not be careless with my love.
I will be a better mother for all that I have endured. I am a better wife, a better aunt, a better daughter, neighbor, friend and sister because I have known pain.
I know disillusionment as I have been betrayed by my own body, I have been tried by fire and hell many never face, yet given time, I stood tall.
I have prevailed.
I have succeeded.
I have won.
So now, when others hurt around me, I do not run from their pain in order to save myself discomfort. I see it, mourn it, and join them in theirs.
I listen.
And even though I cannot make it better, I can make it less lonely. I have learned the immerse power of another hand holding tight to mine, of other eyes that moisten as they learn to accept the harsh truth and when life is beyond hard. I have learned a compassion that only comes with walking in those shoes.
I have learned to appreciate life.
Yes I will be a wonderful mother.

And I know one day all your dreams will come true and you will all be wonderful mothers!

thanks Rob! What a lovely poem!!

Coco1411 welcome to the thread!

I have done two IUI's earlier this year (seems like a lot longer ago than that)! Looking back i think we did that as a stepping stone to IVF, cos each step of the way IUI, stim cycle of IVF and then FET you realise the scariest bit is not having done them before and not knowing exactly what to expect more than how scary the actual process turns out to be!

We didnt have any known fertility problems at the time of doing the IUI's - we were diagnosed with unexplained infertility, even though i suffer from Hypothryroidism.... With the IUI's we had letrozole to induce ovulation and then a trigger injection to make my ovulation timed and then the transfer of the sperm. It was super easy, and it didn't work for us.

It must work for some though - otherwise they wouldnt do it/offer it! Good luck with what you decide!

Thanks for the welcomes ladies :) Hope you're all well and hope you have a good day xx

Welcome Coco1411 all your questions are valid especially as you are just about to start on your journey. Like you we have unexplained infertility I did 2 cycles of IUI which for me I feel now were a waste of time. I ovulate regularly too but still had to take the medications so I'm thinking whoever you decide to see you will probably need to take something. Prices vary depending on the clinic and your treatment but you should be able to see someone who will explain all the fees to you ...be sure to ask what sorts of things aren't included in the fees and what they cost as some medications you need to pay for...you learn this along the way. Best thing I can advise though is to read some of the posts in here the information you receive is invaulable and don't be afraid to ask questions of the nurses your FS etc this is your dream and you are paying them to help you achieve it

Rob just wanted to mention that I also loved the poem thanks for sharing it with us

Hi lovely ladies
Sorry Ive been MIA. I wont be in here as much for a while because now is the busiest time for my work plus Im just waiting until Feb to do another IVF ICSI cycle.

Just another quick one.

Hi and welcome to the newbies, hope you are all not in here long, can go to the PG forums ASAP. All the best.

Motherhood ~ excellent news and progress. All the best in TWW :pray:

Mummawannabe ~ Sorry things havent gone the best for you but hang in there, you'll get there!

Emerald ~ Good to see you are still very positive. Hope you're well.

Sorry there are so many in here, that will have to do for the time being. Thinking of you all though :bluedust::stickyvibesgirl:

AFM ~ AF finally arrived, on the weekend as predicted but after a 46day cycle. I was relieved to get AF in the end so hopefully now my body will go back to normal and perhaps I will get a natural miracle or my body will settle ready for cycle in Feb.

I hear you all about the weight issues - no-one is alone on that one I think. This whole process is such an emotional rollercoaster - how could we not go through so many weight changes. Ive gone from about 62kg to 68kg's throughout this whole TTC process, mainly from emotional eating and lack of exercise due to being buggered all the time :doh:
Time to get things back on track!!

Good Morning Ladies,

Sorry I've been a bit quiet- I've been licking my wounds since my BFN last Thursday as well as trying to deal with exams- urgh! I'm off to see the FS this afternoon to talk about the next step. I have 5 lovely frosties so it's just a matter of when I can go again.

Rob- you mentioned last week that you were able to go straight into a frozen transfer after a stim cycle (thank you for that) so I called the nurse and she said that while FS prefers a break he may consider it because of how well I coped with the stim. After thinking about it, I decided that I will take the break because as well as I felt physically, the BFN has really knocked me around emotionally and I don't think my stressed state at the moment would be ideal for conception...

Coco1411- Welcome! I haven't been through IUI so I can't help you on that front but I am a fellow endo sufferer. Unfortunately I had to go straight to IVF because I was so racked with endo scar tissue that to clean it out could have risked damaging those vital bits! Anyway, good luck!!

Hi to everyone else. I hope all is well. xxx