The Trials and Tribulations of Trying to Conceive when its just not happening (12m+)

QQuaver

pinkteapot wrote: »

How did the process start for you?

I went private from the beginning, so straight to FS:)

jujugaboo

BZ - try not to get ahead of yourself, take one step at a time you might not even need IVF with any luck.

Pinkteapot - the fertility clinic might be within the gynae unit, if they said there was nothing wrong with either of you they will probably look at other options, Mr wouldn't necessarily need to go by the sound of it.

Lisa - roll on january - at least it gives you plenty of time to prepare your body.

Primmer - good luck with EC - everything crossed.

Think, next time you see a pregnant person and you scowl at them, thinking it should be me or it's not fair - you don't know her story she could have had it just as hard to conceive, you just never know.

bigzippy

pinkteapot wrote: »

I'm a bit confused because I've had a letter through with an appointment and it says the hospital department is gynaecology. Is this normal? I expected a fertility clinic, but do you see gynae first to make doubly sure there's nothing obviously wrong?

Just wondering as if it is just a gynae appointment it doesn't seem that there's any need for MrTeapot to come along(???). I assume they'll be more interested in my side of things?

If we end up going to a fertility clinic or anything then obviously he'd come, but conscious that this may be ahead of us it's awkward for him to get out of work for hospital appointments and so if there's no need for him to be at this one then I'll go by myself....

How did the process start for you?

:wave: welcome
I personally was referred back to the gynae for fertility help. They're by-and-large the same people. They're, at my hospital, just called Women's Health, actually... For assisted conception/IVF etc, there's an Assisted Conception unit, aparently. I was under the same specialist for the previous gynae issue the year before as I was when I got referred back for fertility help.

Then came the tests - which have taken far longer than they should've, but could've/should've been done within 5-6months between appointments (I think they hope you'll conceive naturally in that time). If there'd been no other issues thrown up then we would've gone straight onto Clomid for 6 cycles, and then sent to the Assisted Conception Unit (18wk waiting list for that here)

I hope that answers your questions about that...? I personally have taken my DH to every appointment. I didn't need to but wanted a) the support and b) someone else to remember what was said! They do like to have him there for family history info, and general participation & consent (for tests etc), and they also weighed and measured him on our first appointment too. At DH's work, he gets medical credits for the appointments he comes to that aren't just a specific procedure for me, iyswim?

fluffnutter wrote: »

TBH, you have a slightly better chance. All other things equal, IVF has a better chance of resulting in a successful pregnancy than one cycle of trying the usual way.

I like the sounds of that

QQuaver wrote: »

Me too:o

Me three

My Digi went out of date last year:rotfl:

I rediscovered my double pack of digis the other day when I was clearing out the clothes that are too big that I kept "just in case" (I figure I'll "deserve" new maternity stuff if we ever get that far, now! ). I didn't want to look at the date too depressing

Bigzippy, I had 'natural' IVF, but with Femara (similar to clomid) as otherwise I'd be waiting forever to ov:D I did have a full blown IVF before though, with injections and everything:cool:

Those injections are very expensive.
How do you feel about egg sharing if you are going private?
I'd have done it if I were young enough:o

Good thing about PCOS is you'll most probably end up with multiple eggs. I know you don't like the idea of having 10 kids just because you have some frozen:D

Egg transfer is very easy, similar to HSG, but not painful:)
Takes similar time as well (10 mins?). So going back for them is not that difficult.

Yeah, I remember. You're my inspiration I think I would probably benefit from clomid-esque help too tbh, especially given my wonky cycles.

I don't mind more than one embryo going in, or having more than one child from the process - I just don't want to feel obliged to go through the process on the grounds that there are embryos to "use up". If I/we choose to do it again, that's an entirely different matter. Iyswim?

I'm not concerned about the egg transfer procedure really. Vaguely concerned about egg collection, but not enough to put me off.

Egg/s'perm sharing I don't mind... though I'm not sure how I'd feel about it in advance of having conceived our own biological child, or of having given up on biological children. Though if they took more eggs, only made the number of embryos they were going to put back in, I think I'd be happy for the rest to be frozen, and released once I'd conceived... iyswim? I don't know if it works quite that complicatedly though (I want my cake and eat it )

As for needles piercing eggs (ICSI), we had no choice as DH's SA was never good enough for IVF:o

I didn't realise it was only ICSI they did that in Bl00dy media always shows this sort of pic for IVF related articles.

I should've known
I wasn't knocking it, by the way. It was just spooking me, personally - but then I'm not a fan of sharp pointy things like needles, at the best of times

pinkteapot

Thanks bigzippy.

Think I will get DH to come along then in case they want to ask him anything.

bigzippy

jujugaboo wrote: »

BZ - try not to get ahead of yourself, take one step at a time you might not even need IVF with any luck.

Thanks.:) I can't think like that though. I was told that there's no chance of unblocking my tubes - I have to accept that. If it turns out that they can miraculously do something, I'll take that as a win and be ecstatic then.;) But I have to be in the mindset that it won't happen so I'm not devastated all over again after the op. Even if they did manage to do something with them, the chances still wouldn't be 100% anyway, after all.

It's worth thinking about all this IVF stuff, properly, regardless.

Think, next time you see a pregnant person and you scowl at them, thinking it should be me or it's not fair - you don't know her story she could have had it just as hard to conceive, you just never know.

I do think this now, when I see them out on the street... when it's people I know, I find it both harder and easier at the same time!

Anyway, how are you doing?

Runnerduck

Hi, all,

good luck for your next treatment in jan lisa

pinkteapot, hi, i wouldn't think you have to take your oh, it just might mean you get thing sorted a bit quicker if it turns out that he is needed, my oh had to have bloods and a sa.

BZ, don't worry too much about ivf, i always find the 2ww is much worse, as when you are having the treatment you are physically doing something, but once your embie is back in there is no more you can do, that is when i think it is important to plan a few treats otherwise your mind works overtime

we are off to the clinic again on thurs, i have had all my results back, but can't really understand them, but they have fitted us in the clinic in less than a week so i will wait and see what they say, and if it is possible for us to go ahead and have a round of IMSI, i feel a bit nervous about it all and just hope that we can have another go.

Primmer

Lisa - thanks for all your help/info it is good to know what to expect.

BZ - injections were fine to be honest, it was more the thought of it and I was totally fine after the first injection and I used an ice pack to numb the area but found the needle was so fine and short you could really feel it.

Pink teapot - I would get your oh to come with you if poss. My dh is self employed and doesn't ordinarily like to miss time at work but I have encouraged him to come to all the appointments even when his attendance was not necessary and to be honest I think it has really helped him understand more and realise exactly what we go through.

AFM - dh taking me out tonight for dinner to try and take my mind off EC tomorrow. It will be an early start is we have to be there by 7am and its 45mins drive away.

jujugaboo

BZ - doing fine thanks. I have my 12 week scan booked for 26th Sept, crapping myself is the only thing I am doing. Hope they do manage to do something with your tubes. I agree with Runner the 2ww is the worst part out of your control and forever on your mind.

Runner - hope you get some answers from your results and you can move forward.

Primmer - enjoy your meal and good luck again

EverTheOptimist

Good luck for tomorrow Primmer, i'll be thinking of you.

pinkteapot - we were referred to Gynae, but it was basically more tests, history taking process, scans etc. As it happened the consultant we saw there also works for the private clinic we go to, although we havent seen him at the private one.

The first part of the process for us after tests, was to have scans to check for ovulation, then i would book scans for CD 14 -17 to see how close i was to ovulating, so we could try and get the timing right. (as hubby works away in the week) then i had my tubes checked. This was happening whilst being referred to the private clinic for the NHS funded IUI.

We are still considered unexplained infertility.

The IVF we have had has been the medicated 'normal' IVF. and we have had ICSI on each of the IVF's not so much because there has been an issue but i think because we are unexplained and the natural route and the IUI didnt work that they felt there was a much better chance if they did the ICSI, rather than waste a cycle.

I am quite anxious about posting that i got a BFP this morning. Well actually i have had a BFP for the last 6 days. I only tested early as Hubby went away last week so we wanted to test together. I have tested everyday since as i havent quite believed it, but also it did cross my mind that as i had tested early it could be a false positive due to the meds. So i am in shock now.

Primmer

ETO - that is great news!! So so pleased for you! :j