new to the idea of ivf

[coome]

so after 2 failed clomid/iui cycles, and 2 failed injectables/iui cycles, we are starting to explore the possibility of going down the road of ivf...anyone else just starting to look into it? i'm a little intimidated and scared of being on a "last chance" option. totally happy that it could work, but so afraid of it not...anyone else in a similar boat??

[tuck]

I'm actually not in the same boat, but wanted to reply.
I had a few iui's then moved on to ivf...For me, it wasn't much of a big deal. The medications didn't cause the crazy side effects I feared, and after a few injections you'll be a pro. If you focus on doing whatever you need to do to have your child you'll be okay.
Infertility is a crazy ride, but there are lots of us here who have btdt for support. Good luck!

[DM630]

We are also starting to explore the option of IVF. We have been ttc for a year and a half. We started with clomid, then clomid and gonal-f, then just gonal-f. After our last failed IUI with injectables, the doctor suggested that we explore other options. I am also scared of the "last chance option" and afraid of the possibility of it not working. We are meeting with the doctor in the beginning of March to discuss the options.

[coome]

thanks for the reply, lberk. i didn't have any reactions or side effects from gonal-f, so i'm hoping the additional injections for ivf won't make it any worse. like i said before...i'm most scared of it just not working, or even being able to create any embryos!

DM630...definitely sounds like we could be on the same trek...we are meeting to consult w/ the RE on 2/28...since you're meeting in early march i'll tell you what i learn and you can tell me the same i so hope this is not a long journey like the rest of ttc has been. if it works, i'll definitely be telling people not to bother with iuis...if ivf is the lucky charm! when are you thinking of trying an ivf cycle? i'm thinking most likely april for us due to some traveling we have going on in march...

[clementine99]

pg/mc/children ment

Hi,
I am in the midst of my first IVF cycle- a place I never thought I would be! I was able to get pg 4 years ago with clomid/IUI- it took about 6 tries. About 2 1/2 years ago I started to try again- another 6 failed clomid/IUIs, and then 3 rounds of injectibles (Follistim)/IUI. I got pg 2x with the injectibles but lost both. I was really scared to do IVF bc it seemed so final and I was terrified that after so much money, effort, meds, etc. it wouldn't work.

Well I obviously can't report on the success yet- but I will say that it has not been that big of a change from doing the injectibles. Honestly, the worst part so far was the two weeks of birth control pills, which made me completely nutty. The Lupron has been no problem at all. And the stimulation phase isn't much different from the injectible/IUI cycles. I seem to be making about the same # of follicles now as when I was doing just the inject/IUI.

There is no point in looking back, but I think if I had had a crystal ball about what IVF would be like, I would not have been so freaked out and I would have done it sooner. Time sure marches on and I am almost 39!

Sorry for the long post. I am a few days away from egg retrieval I think, so it's a little hard to stop thinking about it. Keep your fingers crossed for me!!!

[DM630]

Not sure when we will try IVF. If the doctor suggest that route we will have to be referred to another doctor, so at the earliest it will be April. It will be great to compare notes from our doctor visits since my appointment is 3/5.

[coome]

DM360...let's definitely keep in touch...we just may be on the same timeline if we both go that route.

clementine..good luck! i'd love to hear how everything goes for you this try. i'm mostly curious about the egg retrieval/recovery and the transfer process/recovery. do you know when your retrieval will be yet??

[tuck]

Sorry if I came across as insensitive to your worries. I have been there and remember very well how the uncertainty feels. Fwiw, I conceived my son on the first ivf, after several iui's.
I am now persuing a frozen ( donated) cycle, after 4 failed ivf's to try for another child. I thought those ivf's were my last chance. ( I'm 44, so that is a definite factor). Personally I have found it very helpful to connect with others here and trying to focus on what I wanted, which was a healthy baby. Even when the ivf's failed I felt like I was doing all I could, and although I didn't at all like the results staying positive really did help. I know its tough. I hope you all have great results with your upcoming cycles.

[coome]

lberk~ no way, you didn't come across as insensitive at all! sorry if i made you feel that way! i totally appreciate you sharing your story. i hope that all goes well for you with this frozen cycle and that you get the baby of your dreams!

[clementine99]

Ok can I take back what I said about IVF not being that different from an injectible/IUI cycle? My IVF just got cancelled due to my progesterone being too high. I am sitting here with at least 45 follicles in my poor ovaries, out a lot of money and a lot of time, and it is a huge bummer. I'm going to try again and hope it goes better next time. I never imagined I wouldn't make it to retrieval! Anyway I just wanted to amend my position on IVF- I'm still glad I'm doing it, but it's definitely expensive, stressful and timeconsuming.

Sorry this is not a very positive post, but I'm very disappointed. Grumpy me!

[coome]

oh clementine, i'm so sorry! how did this happen? i didn't even know they would check progesterone at the pre-retrieval stage. was your estrogen low so the 45 follicles wouldn't have matured? what a huge disappointment. don't worry about being grumpy...i know we all would in this position. let us know how you're doing and if you find out more about what went wrong! i hope you get to try again really soon!

[RunnerDuck]

Originally Posted by coome

oh clementine, i'm so sorry! how did this happen? i didn't even know they would check progesterone at the pre-retrieval stage. was your estrogen low so the 45 follicles wouldn't have matured? what a huge disappointment. don't worry about being grumpy...i know we all would in this position. let us know how you're doing and if you find out more about what went wrong! i hope you get to try again really soon!

Yeah... I'd like to know more about that, too! I didn't know they ever checked progesterone pre-O, just estrogen.

We may go the IVF route some time in the future. I know a fair bit about it since we nearly went that route - but I better make sure I know everything.

[jacappell]

IVF for the first time

I am in the same boats as the rest of you (if you're still out there)
just last week decided IUI's were not getting us anywhere and I too, am scared. Scared that it is the last resort and soooo expensive.
Adds to the stress, no?:

[christophersmom]

Originally Posted by clementine99

Ok can I take back what I said about IVF not being that different from an injectible/IUI cycle? My IVF just got cancelled due to my progesterone being too high. I am sitting here with at least 45 follicles in my poor ovaries, out a lot of money and a lot of time, and it is a huge bummer.

So sorry you went through that. My co-worker, this is what happened on her first cycle. She is now 8 weeks on her second so it was a long road, but so far so good.

IVF is hard. We actually skipped IUI, but are considering 1-2 IUI's prior to another IVF attempt. I lost my IVF babies ~10 weeks into pregnancy last month. I have a while to decide what/when to do next. 3 cycles and have yet to have one 7 weeks after D&C.

[clementine99]

Christopher's mom, I'm so, so sorry to hear about your loss. I wish you healing of mind and body. My first m/c was at almost 12 weeks and I was absolutely devastated. It took forever to get AF again. I still mourn the loss of that baby.

Thanks to all for your words of support about my disappointment. I am getting more used to the idea and not feeling quite as grumpy! As I understand it, my cycle was cancelled because when progesterone is very high (mine was 7 or 8), egg quality can be compromised. The odd thing is that they don't seem to know WHY it was so high. Next cycle they plan to keep my at 20 of Lupron the whole time, rather than cut me back to 10 when I started Follistim, like they did this time. So maybe it had something to do with not being sufficiently suppressed? My estrogen was not particularly low- in fact if anything, there had been some concern that it was rising too quickly. Also- I'm not sure of this, but isn't over 45 follicles a bit much? I'm thinking they will lower my dose of Follistim too.

I know that's kind of vague but that's all I understood. When I had the conversations with my doctor I was so worked up, I'm not sure I was processing everything she said! All I could really hear was CYCLE IS CANCELLED.

Anyway I've started my birth control (for three weeks this time- ugh), so I'm trying to look to the future. Looks like retrieval will be planned for April. I wish there was someone on here who was doing this around the same time!

[coome]

the important part i guess is that your dr. understands a little more about what's going on.

well i don't know for sure if i have to go on bcp first...i find out on thursday. does everyone have to do that? i'm not sure if that's totally standard protocol or if it serves a specific purpose. if so, i'd probably be starting bcp in the first week of march, planning for ER and ET in late april. so we could be pretty close if we decide to go for it!

jacappell~when do you think you'll start the ivf game, any idea? you're right that stress does not help when trying to make these decisions and start the ball rolling! i'm just trying to think about how fortunate i am that ivf IS an option for us.

hope everyone has a good weekend with happy baby thoughts!

[YummyYarnAddict]

Originally Posted by clementine99

Christopher's mom, I'm so, so sorry to hear about your loss. I wish you healing of mind and body. My first m/c was at almost 12 weeks and I was absolutely devastated. It took forever to get AF again. I still mourn the loss of that baby.

Thanks to all for your words of support about my disappointment. I am getting more used to the idea and not feeling quite as grumpy! As I understand it, my cycle was cancelled because when progesterone is very high (mine was 7 or 8), egg quality can be compromised. The odd thing is that they don't seem to know WHY it was so high. Next cycle they plan to keep my at 20 of Lupron the whole time, rather than cut me back to 10 when I started Follistim, like they did this time. So maybe it had something to do with not being sufficiently suppressed? My estrogen was not particularly low- in fact if anything, there had been some concern that it was rising too quickly. Also- I'm not sure of this, but isn't over 45 follicles a bit much? I'm thinking they will lower my dose of Follistim too.

I know that's kind of vague but that's all I understood. When I had the conversations with my doctor I was so worked up, I'm not sure I was processing everything she said! All I could really hear was CYCLE IS CANCELLED.

Anyway I've started my birth control (for three weeks this time- ugh), so I'm trying to look to the future. Looks like retrieval will be planned for April. I wish there was someone on here who was doing this around the same time!

Clementine, I'm so sorry your cycle was canceled, that had to be absolutely devastating. Clinics and REs have differing opinions on how to handle situations such as yours. Some opt not to go to retrieval at all and that is the most convervative approach. When I was in a similar position, my RE allowed me to go to retrieval, fertilized my eggs, but did not allow me to go to transfer -- so I had a "freeze all" cycle. Another approach is to give women intravenous albumin after retrieval in the hopes that it lowers the elevated hormone levels and then take them to transfer. And then some just go for it and go to transfer.

What the research is showing -- and, again, the experts don't agree on this, but this is largely because MOST REs are not research scientists but "just" clinicians -- is that women who have estrogen levels above a certain point may have a uterine environment that is less receptive to a healthy pregnancy. There is also the (very much) increased risk of OHSS which in some (rare) cases can result in death. OHSS is a very serious complication and can make you very ill and a significant number of women end up having to be hospitalized because of it (I've had it with 3 out of 4 fresh IVF cycles). Elevated hormone levels are not an absolute preditor for OHSS, however, so there are no hard and fast rules and the key is monitoring before and after retrieval and transfer.

I tend to stim very fast on a relatively low dose of stims and my hormone levels go through the roof. And this is all in spite of my "advanced maternal age" too. What has worked for me is to do a low dose of stims for more days, and even with that, I get a lot of eggs. I had over 40 follicles and 34 eggs retrieved with my last fresh cycle and I still have 18 frozen (I have a 19mo ds from that cycle which was my "freeze all", btw, so he was frozen for a couple of months). I actually got a fewer number of eggs, and much worse quality, with a higher dose of stims.

[YummyYarnAddict]

Originally Posted by coome

the important part i guess is that your dr. understands a little more about what's going on.

well i don't know for sure if i have to go on bcp first...i find out on thursday. does everyone have to do that? i'm not sure if that's totally standard protocol or if it serves a specific purpose. if so, i'd probably be starting bcp in the first week of march, planning for ER and ET in late april. so we could be pretty close if we decide to go for it!

jacappell~when do you think you'll start the ivf game, any idea? you're right that stress does not help when trying to make these decisions and start the ball rolling! i'm just trying to think about how fortunate i am that ivf IS an option for us.

hope everyone has a good weekend with happy baby thoughts!

Not everyone goes on bcps first. That's mostly for the doctor's convenience so that s/he can control or schedule your cycle. In practices where there are several docs or where they will do retrievals and transfers 7 days a week and work with YOUR cycle instead of trying to force your cycle on their time, they tend not to use bcps. Two of the practices I did IVF cycles with had docs where they did procedures on certain days so I was on bcps. The third practice I cycled with did procedures 7 days a week, so there was no need for bcps. Now, if I wanted to try to schedule things for my purposes, I'm sure they would have allowed me to use bcps, but I was happy to have to deal with fewer hormones.

[coome]

ok then, i have another question...could they still start me on lupron even though we wouldn't "technically" know if i'm pg or not by then from this natural cycle? (i know...fat chance after 2.5 yrs...) i'm assuming lupron always starts in the last week of a cycle??

[YummyYarnAddict]

Originally Posted by coome

ok then, i have another question...could they still start me on lupron even though we wouldn't "technically" know if i'm pg or not by then from this natural cycle? (i know...fat chance after 2.5 yrs...) i'm assuming lupron always starts in the last week of a cycle??

1) They would do a beta hcg to determine whether or not you're pregnant. To NOT rule out pregnancy would be malpractice.

2) They usually like you to have a bleed before cycling to clear out the uterine lining. This is often done with Provera. In this case, they'd give you Provera, wait for a bleed, and then give you lupron accordingly. (FWIW, I usually started lupron on cd21 of the cycle preceeding my ART cycle but I'm sure there's some variance in that with REs.)