IVF process

Hello,

I am yet to decide whether I will actually go ahead with IVF treatment.

Could you please give me a summary of what happens. In my case I have had tests confirming that I have normal ovulation so i need to do ivf just to bypass the blocked tubes.

Things like - how long is the treatment time - to egg pick up - implantation etc. drugs you have to take and also committment needed - does it affect your work, do u need to take time off or can you do it undetected?

I appreciate your comments and experience.

Jules
(thinking about going with concept fertility in Perth)

At Concept the blood tests start from 7.30am, so if you start work, say, at 9am, you will make it 9 times out of 10 without any impact on your start time. I used to make sure I had my medicare slip imprinted and my pathology forms ready and I turned up at 7am so I was one of the first to get seen.

But you will be late for work if you need a scan to check your progress, and you have at least one of these per stim cycle. Then you have at least a day off for egg pick up (I always took two days off though coz you can be quite sore) and another day off for transfer. Transfer most times are first thing in the morning, but I have had afternoon transfers too. You also will need to see your FS prior to each stim cycle, so you'll need time off for that too. If it was an FET I only took the day of transfer off.

But when you look at the big picture, it means at least a day off per cycle, with at least 3 days off if it's a stim cycle, plus at least one day of coming in to work late. And every other cycle of mine was a stim cycle, so all in all there was no way I could do it without letting work now what I was up to. I didn't tell everyone, just management, and TBH that's about the only people who need to know at work.

Emotionally it takes a toll for sure. You are taking drugs, undergoing medical procedures and your hormones are skyrocketing. But it's do-able. I had 8 cycles all up, and I think it gets harder the more cycles you do, though.

Thank you for your in depth replies. It helps me a lot. My problem is im concerning myself with how all of this is going to disrupt my work instead of putting my baby priority first! Its good to have an idea of what to expect with taking days off etc.

So are is it one injection same time each day or a few during the day?

Sushee, when you say stim cycle and just 'cycle' is that because they can get a few embryo's on the stim cycle so the next time it is just a transfer? or are there different ways they do it?

Also how many eggs can they usually get? and then viable embryo's? How many does concept transfer?Sorry for the hundred questions, i haven't made the fs appointment yet. Plan to this week.

Jules, it will probably only be one or two injections per day.

A normal cycle would consist of lucrin (injected) or synarel (nasal spray) for two weeks, then the addition of puregon or gonal F which are the FSH injections that actually grow the follicles. Usually around the same time each day, I did mine in the evening, but would sometimes end up as early as 6 or 7 if we had something on, or as late as 10 if we were out all day and most of the night.

As for the number of eggs, fertilisation rates, the number of embryos - that all depends very much on the individual person, and it's pretty impossible to suggest how you might respond before you actually start a cycle.

I've been at this for most of this year now. At first I was very apologetic to work and did whatever I could to get appointments at reasonable times. Now, I've reached the point of "to hell with them!", and I now fit work around my appointments, rather than fitting my appointments around my work. Bit difficult when you're a teacher and actually juggling three different specialists, a psychologist, an acupuncturist and trying to have some sort of normal life around that.

Good luck with it all. I'm afraid I've probably given you even more questions rather than answered any for you!

BW

Actually at Concept, my natural FETs didn't involve a trigger, it was completely natural. They just did regular BTs until the LH surge was detected and then scheduled transfer. The clinic operates 7 days a week so no chance of missing the right time to transfer.

And whether or not you have excess embryos in order to do FETs largely depends on how you respond to the drugs. As a rule of thumb, your FS and your Dr will be aiming to get around 10 eggs, but obviously no one will know how you respond from the outset, so your first cycle wil be very much a 'look and learn' cycle. How many eggs then fertilise is another thing that is very variable, I'm afraid, even from cycle to cycle. I had 5 out of 6 eggs fertilise in one cycle, and 6 out of 10 in another, yet I was considered lucky to consistently get good fertilisation rates. Good fertilisation is not a given.

How many embryos you transfer will depend on your FS, but you will find that most will be very reluctant to transfer more than 1 if you're under 30 and/or if it's your first cycle. Esp if your main fertility issue is blocked tubes. There is a definite lean towards single embryo transfers now, in all clinics, as the success rates of single embryo transfers are almost on par with double embryo transfers nowadays.

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You still get the HCG shot to trigger ovulation so they can put the snowbub in at the right time.

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I just wanted to add that I have not had to have a HCG trigger for either of my natural transfers. They do a BT test and/or urine tests to see when I ovalute and then the transfer is two days time from that day.

So do you start taking the drugs on the day of your period? eg Day 1 or do u wait till after the bleeding? I hope that isn't a stupid question ! :) My cycles are pretty regular only varies between being 24 or 26 days.

And do u need to take any hormones after implantation to help maintain the pregnancy? or does it just depend on your body doing all the right things after that.

Jules, if you are down-regulating you actually start synarel/lucrin before your period. I think they like to time this to start a week before your period, you then continue for another week, and if hormones are low enough you can then start the stim drugs, which will go for 10-13 days depending on how you respond.

Different protocols work differently, though. I have only experienced the long down-reg protocol on a stim cycle, and a "natural" FET cycle. I have to take drugs to induce ovulation, but only at the start of the cycle, and once we get past day 8 everything continues as normal.

BW

Hi Jules :)

I did a TTC Journal through my IVF experience & explained everything on a day to day basis as it happened. So if you'd like to have a look at my journals they'll give you a good idea of the process, from a down regulation cycle prior to starting the injections.

Sarah's Journal #1 (day before injections start until the day before egg collection)
Sarah's Journal #2 (from egg collection day until blood test)

HTH

thanks for all the help ladies. I made the appointment today. I am seeing Dr Mazzuchelli at Concept on the 29th Oct. I will see if i feel comfortable with him before making any decisions.

I think its the SIVF internet site that has a great website re the various processes....have a browse around...:)

Thanks for the links to your journal Sarah. It is a great help.

I have another question in relation to taking the Pill as part of the treatment cycle. Do you always have to take the pill first in the stim cycle? or can you start off straight up with the Synarel?

That's something that seems to vary between clinics, Jules. I will be using the pill this time around, simply because I don't ovulate naturally and I had two options for the cycle in between my failed FET - the drug my FS uses to induce ovulation or the pill. I get 5 week cycles when we induce ovulation, but the pill is quicker, so I went that way just to make it easier to fit things in before the end of the year.

BW

Jules,
Good luck with it all. It took my DH and I over 6 months to decide to go down the IVF path following our first appointment with the fertility dr and confirming that IVF was our only way to get pg. before that point it took us at least 6 months to even get to the fert dr after finding out that we were not going to get pg naturally. so it is a long process. dont rush and dont let anyone make you feel like you need to rush.
good luck

Jules whether you start the pill prior to your pick up cycle depends on the protocol you're doing. Here is a thread that contains an explanation of protocols: First IVF cycle.... - BellyBelly Forums ~ Pregnancy, Birth & Baby

Magic, I haven't seen you in ages! How have you been, my sweet?