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

liloandstitch

Brilliant news about the much shorter wait for IVF than expected, nichart. Hopefully the time will soon pass.

Leopardlady, that sounds hopeful - how are the boobs!

Lilo

nichart20

liloandstitch - not suprised your not happy if you have built yourself up for it and they just let you down like that, really hope they get you fit in and it all goes ahead next month, will keep my fingers crossed for you.

if you dont mind me asking, is it your first time at ivf

jiblets1

Poor Lilo. It'll happen...

liloandstitch

nichart, this will be my 4th attempt - I am a serial offender! This will be my first since getting the all clear following cervical cancer - which is why I need the trial run, to see if the hole at the entrance of the womb (all that I have left of my cervix following treatment) is large enough for the catheter containing the embryos to go through. Thanx for asking - it is just a big thing in my mind as if its not right, that probably ends my dreams for more kids (i have DS aged 6) as the medical stuff stacked against me falling pregnant naturally is quite large - knackered tube, endometriosis, cystic ovaries, age 40, - having said that I have miscarried twice in the last 3 years, so seem to manage the pregnant bit, even though it feels like I dont (IYSWIM)

Lilo

pretzelnut

I havent read this thread before today but i have just read it all as i really need some advice and i hope you ladies can help me as you seem very knowledgable with regards to IVF.

I am going to be an egg donor for a very close family friend who has been trying to concieve for 10+ years and has had 3 failed attempts at IVF. My friend cant have children using her own eggs for various reasons and her partner has a non-existent sperm count. They have used both egg and sperm donors for their previous IVF attempts which were paid for on the NHS, 3 years ago. They really struggled like many of you ladies have, with pressure, hope and disapointment. So took the hard decision and decided they couldnt continue. They decided to adopt but were turned down, which broke their hearts again. A few months ago they decided to give it 1 more go and pay for the treatment privately. But they were struggling to find a suitable egg donor. I came home and thought about it for a while, i had previously thought about it, i them discussed it with DF and I decided to offer my eggs. I did a little reserach online but any information is very limited.
They accepted my offer of becoming a donor immediately and are very greatful as i have saved them a long wait as the clock is ticking for them due to their increasing age.

What i want to know is what is really involved, we are going to see the IVF consultant on friday and i would like to make full use of the appointment for asking questions. I am assuming the drugs i will need to stimulate my ovaries to produce eggs will be the same for any woman having IVF?
How are these drugs administered - ie, injection or tablet?
Anything else i should be aware off - side effects - mood swings etc etc?

I dont really know what else to ask, im completely in the dark, all i know is that my friends need my help and im the only one who can give them what they need, i would just like to be a little more informed. I have tried to ask my friend what is involved but all she keeps saying is i'll be fine and to wait till the appointment to ask any questions as they will be able to explain better.

I will be an egg donor for them whatever it takes - i would just like a bit more infor on it all.

TIA so much for your help.

liloandstitch

Hi princesswoo, what a wonderful thing you are doing for your friends. I have only done short protocol IVF. This is where they stimulate your follicles using injections, and then remove them under sedation. It works with your natural cycle and you inject once a day, between certain times (ie between 7 and 9, but once you have set the time you need to stick to it) you have regular scans, first usually about day 5 to see how many follicles you have growing and take their measurements. They scan every few days - they are looking for the follicles to get to a certain size. After appx 1 week, depending your sizes, you have to do a second jab as well which stops ovulation til they are ready. Once everything is the right size, you have a final jab, which is usually at midnight, which matures the eggs and gets them ready to ovulate - 36 hours ish later you have egg collection. For this you are given a time to attend, nil by mouth before and you are sedated (personnally I am knocked out totally I am that sedated) and whilst you are out they remove the eggs from the follicles - they go in vaginally, and stick in a big needle and remove. You know nothing about what they are doing, and when you come round, you feel fine. May be a little period like discomfort, but not pain.

Personally, I would say that the biggest things you are likely to face is the effects of the hormones - obviously you are being injected with doses so you have all the side effects of this - which depends on how you personnally react to hormones. The other thing is time, you need to attend when they say for scans, you may need the odd blood test and you cant predict when embryo transfer will be because it depends on how well your follicles grow.

The other protocol for IVF is more involved, and involves them shutting down your hormone system first which I believe involves sniffing things and such like, but I am afraid I dont know much about this - maybe someone else can add to what Ive said?

Hope that helps princesswoo - feel free to ask any questions you like to help you, and if you would prefer to ask questions off the general forum, please feel free to pm me.

Lilo

Leopardlady

Good morning ladies!

Lilo i am soooo sorry that you are being messed around, that is awful

Princesswoo, wow you are a very very good friend, sorry i can't help with the protocol or anything to do with IVF, not quite started on that route yet.

Well ladies i have chocolate cupcakes, yes i did bake last night So i have chocolate ones here, and some double chocolate ones at home! I am keeping those at home, as i am a little worried i will need some chocolate to console myself if AF arrives! But no sign yet, nauseaus, headache and slightly tender breasts? All could just be the lead up to AF, which is due tomorrow, so a cupcake for all who need them round my desk no tea sorry, just some sugar free squash

Take care

ginvzt

Oh, leopardlady, I don't want to raise hopes, but I do hope there are some good news on this forum, as it is getting too sad!!!! For all we know, FDE will have the little one before any of us "escape" (in the nicest way) this journey!!!!

Btw, anyone heard from FE? I don't think I have seen her around since she posted that she is going on 'gardening leave' over a month ago!!

I am on my third Clomid cycle, and I have no hope at all. Just passing time taking pills (clomid and folic acid, nothing more!!!!)... And waiting for next appointment, at which I will be informed, I guess, that they are increasing the dose of Clomid and will do some monitoring throughout the cycle. At which point I will have to tell at work what is going on as I won't be able to keep up with the appointments and making up excuses why I need time off, and I guess that is when my boss will tell me, that I need to go abroad for a while to help with work. So, I won't be able to continue with the 'investigations' for a while. Oh well, all good fun, isn't it?

nottslass_2

liloandstitch wrote: »

Hi princesswoo, what a wonderful thing you are doing for your friends. I have only done short protocol IVF. This is where they stimulate your follicles using injections, and then remove them under sedation. It works with your natural cycle and you inject once a day, between certain times (ie between 7 and 9, but once you have set the time you need to stick to it) you have regular scans, first usually about day 5 to see how many follicles you have growing and take their measurements. They scan every few days - they are looking for the follicles to get to a certain size. After appx 1 week, depending your sizes, you have to do a second jab as well which stops ovulation til they are ready. Once everything is the right size, you have a final jab, which is usually at midnight, which matures the eggs and gets them ready to ovulate - 36 hours ish later you have egg collection. For this you are given a time to attend, nil by mouth before and you are sedated (personnally I am knocked out totally I am that sedated) and whilst you are out they remove the eggs from the follicles - they go in vaginally, and stick in a big needle and remove. You know nothing about what they are doing, and when you come round, you feel fine. May be a little period like discomfort, but not pain.

Personally, I would say that the biggest things you are likely to face is the effects of the hormones - obviously you are being injected with doses so you have all the side effects of this - which depends on how you personnally react to hormones. The other thing is time, you need to attend when they say for scans, you may need the odd blood test and you cant predict when embryo transfer will be because it depends on how well your follicles grow.

The other protocol for IVF is more involved, and involves them shutting down your hormone system first which I believe involves sniffing things and such like, but I am afraid I dont know much about this - maybe someone else can add to what Ive said?

Hope that helps princesswoo - feel free to ask any questions you like to help you, and if you would prefer to ask questions off the general forum, please feel free to pm me.

Lilo

As lilo said,the long protocol involves "shutting down" your hormones and putting you in a menopausal state for about 2 weeks.Personally i didn't suffer from any bad side effects - just the occasional Hot flush and tiredness.You can either sniff the drugs,which I did for my first cycle, or inject,which I did for my second.

The reason why I choose to inject the second time around was simply because I found it easier to be sure I'd taken the correct dose.

Personally I didn't have any adverse side effects/problems during my 1st cycle (in fact I could say I sailed through it)The second time was a little more difficult,but its only for a short time & everybody is different.

Lilo - I'm still following your journey.I'm sorry that you're being messed around at the moment,but I've still got everything crossed and believe that it really will be your time soon.

ginvzt - We haven't heard from FE either - But I do know that she doesn't have internet access at home.She was officially made redundant from work so I think we can safely assume all is well & she's enjoying her enforced rest with her feet up and a good book !!!

I hope everyone is doing Ok & there's lots of good news on this thread soon.

liloandstitch

Thanks for your comments guys, its a bit better this morning - the clinic have rung me back and they can now see me on Tuesday, but later in the day. So a bit of messing about re DS finishing school, as the appt is a 3 oclock and will take at least an hour, and that is in Wimbledon - I am in Kent, over an hour away and he finishes at 4.30 - impossible to do both so will have to pull in a favour from someone to take him from school. Shouldnt be a problem and at least I am all sorted now - phew!

Lilo