Round #2 of Gonadotrophin Tx a bust :-(

[GeemiesMommie]

At 38, we tried our first round of gonadotrophin therapy and I only stimulated ONE follicle...and had my baby girl! Now, I'm 40, my girl is 15 months, and two rounds of treatment have been unsuccessful.

We did the first round in July, when my daughter was just a year. The Dr. had me use #3 vials (225 IU) of Gonal-F. I stimulated slowly, but ended up with #4 good-sized follicles in about 10 days. My AF came right on time. So we did another round of therapy, this time using 300 UI for about 10 days again. Looked like there were #4 to #6 follicles, but again my AF came right on time 4 days ago.

I'm just venting here, but I'm really bummed. I'm *only* 2 years older than when I got pregnant the first time, but I guess when you're 40, that's a lot of time. I AM about 30 pounds heavier, too. My baby girl is also still nursing, but just barely--a couple of times a day in the evening and at night, and not during the day at all.

I am just wondering how many cycles of stimulation are "enough," ie, when do I realize that it's not going to work and give up? Would trying IVF be a better deal--more definitive and likely to be successful? Doing the gonadotrophin therapy repeatedly will add up to the cost of IVF in a few short months if I keep going. I just don't know what to do. We'd really like a sibling for our very spoiled baby girl, but I'm afraid I've run out of time. Sigh...

[vermonttaylors]

I don't have words of wisdom only

I was 29 when we did our 1 and only round of ICSI. We only got 1 viable embryo, but it didn't implant. We quickly realized that it wasn't pregnancy we were after, it was parenting, so we decided to adopt. The stopping point is different for everybody. Our hearts were never in the ICSI process.

Interestingly enough, now that we have 2 beautiful children through the miracle of adoption, we are thinking of going down the ICSI road again in a year or 2. We would like to start before I am 35, if we do it at all.

I don't know what to tell you, only that you should listen to yourself in a moment of calm, when there aren't a million things distracting you, and you will know what to do.

Again, I am so sorry the second (and third) time didn't work for you. I hope you find peace in your decision.

[twindaze]

I'd tend to give it one or two more shots and then move to IVF. I tried 4 cycles of IUI/injectible meds and didn't conceive. I then did one IVF and got pregnant at age 30. I had 10 frozen embryos and have had 3 more children as a result of those. So as you can see, IVF worked well for me.

[GeemiesMommie]

That's kind of how I'm thinking, another round or two, then IVF. The husband isn't wanting to go to IVF--he says it's too far. But how I see is is that maybe most of my eggs are bad and we need to collect a bunch of them and see if we can get *some* that are viable. I can obviously maintain a pregnancy, but if the #4 to #6 eggs that stimulate each round are aged, it's just not going to happen. And in two more rounds of treatment, we will have spent a total of around $8,000--approaching IVF costs. I need to talk with my RE next month...

[twindaze]

Definitely talk to your RE. I left out that my IVF was covered by insurance, if it hadn't been we'd have probably done 6 IUI's. HOwever, I was 30 and you're 40 so it makes sense to move to IVF more quickly.

As far as your dh goes I'd have him go talk to the doctor with you. We never conceived at all from IUI, unlike you, so IVF was our only shot to ever conceive, at least that's how we saw it.

Good luck!

[Pookietooth]

Just sending you a big and :
I often wish I'd done IVF at 35 so I could have some good frozen embryos now. Sigh. I'll be 40 in December.