Hellobee Boards

@Happygal: @MrsKoala: I won't be there for a while yet (still finishing courses and prepping for exams, ugh), but you better believe we're doing something fun when I'm done! And I'm totally buying the robes, even if they are $700. I will have earned them, dang it!

@Happygal: good call. I foresee it involving lots of wine

@SunshineMcC: hi I have heard that Clomid can take a while (3 months?) for the improvements to show up in a SA, so hopefully your next test in a month will be much better! To answer your questions:

1. Depending on your protocol (lupron or antagonist) it will change the number of shots you do and for how long. For example, with my first IVF cycle, I did an antagonist protocol, which meant I did one cycle on birth control, then 6 days of Gonal-F (one shot/day) followed by 4 days of Gonal-F and Ganirelix (2 shots/day). Then one day with the HCG trigger shot, followed by a day off (woohoo!) before my egg retrieval. This upcoming cycle I'm doing a long lupron protocol, which means I start lupron (1 shot/day) on CD 21 of the previous cycle until I get my period. Then I continue that daily shot and start stimming with Gonal-F (1 shot/day) and Menopur (1 shot/day) until the trigger shot and ER so maybe that's the 3 shots/day your doctor mentioned.

2. As I mentioned above, I am going to start my second cycle of IVF, so I'm unfortunately part of the other 50% who was not successful. However, we elected to only put back one embryo, which lowered our odds compared to the usual 2 embryos. To be honest, the whole process, while very time consuming, was not nearly as bad as I expected. I'm not worried about the physical or emotional task of going through it again. Does your insurance cover IF treatments/IVF? I think the biggest stressor related to a failed cycle is the financial burden, and saving the money to do multiple cycles. My insurance covers 6 IVF cycles, so I think that helps me in my specific situation to keep going after the first cycle failed.

Good luck, and feel free to ask any questions that you think of!

@SunshineMcC: Best resource by far has been HB! Hang in there!

@SunshineMcC: Hi! Welcome to the IVF thread. Although none of us want to be here, it's a great community for questions and moral support I'm happy we all have each other.

You WILL get over the shots! Especially the stimming shots, they are all subcutaneous and really not bad. After the first day or two you'll wonder what you were ever afraid of!

I am now 7 weeks pregnant as a result of IVF w/icsi, PGD and assisted hatching. I'm not gonna lie - if they prescribe progesterone in oil intramuscular injections, it sucks. I got through stim shots no problem. I am now a month into PIO injections with another month left and ready to cry. It's painful and frustrating. But again - a small price to pay in the long run. If all goes well, we will have a baby in 8 months so I can't (i.e. Shouldn't) complain.

I guess that on weighing whether 50% chance was worth it, I'd consider the odds without IVF. For us, the odds of a healthy, full term pregnancy on our own were like 1%. So even if it was 50% chance of success for IVF, that was well worth it!
It's definitely a big financial, emotional and physical commitment, but in my opinion, if all else had failed, worth it!

Good luck and keep us posted on your journey!
xoxo

@FaithFertility: I know, I had no idea my insurance was so good until I started IF treatments. I'm in Massachusetts.

@thisisme: do you start stimming tonight? Are you excited??

@SunshineMcC: Welcome. I know it sucks to be here, but this is really a supportive group. I am 20 weeks pregnant with my little IVF miracle. My DH has low motility and we did IVF with ICSI and PGD.

I am TERRIFIED of needles and shots. Trust me when I say, you get over it. I could never give myself the shots, so my husband did it, but you really do get used to it. The shots for the stims really aren't bad at all.

I was 35 when we did IVF and was told that my success rate would also be 50%. This rate increased if we did the genetic testing which we did opt for. All of the cost was out of pocket for us since insurance did not cover anything. I think its a really personal decision for you to determine if it is worth the odds. I took into account the fact that we were given about a 10% chance of conceiving naturally and that wasn't increased much through IUI. 50% seemed like odds that we were willing to take and I am really glad we did. We only transferred one embryo and got pregnant our first round.

Good luck. IVF is not an easy ride to be on, but hopefully you'll end up with what you have been dreaming of.

@Shutterbug: Yes!!! I'm terrified! We spent all day scrambling to get the right syringes for the menopur. My doctor's office didn't include them in the original pharmacy order! But we're squared away now. Ask me again in an hour or so!

@ShayNanigans: i did like 3 weeks of birth control and 1 week of nonactive pills?

we knew from the get go that we'd transfer 2. just increases odds of success. i think above all, i feared i wouldn't get pregnant. i would rather get twins than none. i think it really depends on your situation, and whether the chances of singleton is good. my doctor recommended i put in one, since i have unknown infertility and i was pregnant once before. but i stuck with my 2 and got both.

good luck!

@ShayNanigans: I was on BC for about a month. The reason for this is because my RE wanted to "quiet down" my ovaries. The BC gave him more control when stimming me.

We decided to transfer 1 and were successful with our 1. This was a very difficult decisions. We ended up doing the PGD tests but all 3 of our embryos tested came out genetically normal and they were all graded about the same. We talked to our RE a lot about how many to transfer and really took a good look at the odds. We really decided that the chance of twins was too high for us. We had to pay out of pocket for IVF and we both work full time - we really can't afford day care for 2 babies. For us, one at a time is the best option and our one embryo worked. We still have two more frozen.

@ShayNanigans: hi, welcome! I didn't do IVF, but cheering this thread on is one of my favorite pastimes. I hope that it goes well for you!

@ShayNanigans: Good luck with the stims today! I did over a month of bcp, then did Lupron. I was a very good responder on Clomid (ovulated 4 eggs on the lowest dose) so I think my dr. wanted to suppress me a lot.

As far as transferring one or two, my husband and I decided ahead of time that we were fine with twins and would gladly transfer two if that's what our RE recommended. We were paying completely out of pocket and wanted to increase our odds of getting pregnant (with 1 or 2) as much as possible. Our RE generally transfers two if you don't have a lot of eggs thriving on day 3. For us on day 3 we were down to three eggs doing really well and one that was a "maybe." If we had had more eggs, I think we would have waited until day 5 and would have followed the RE's recommendation whether it was to transfer one or two. My RE recommended two for our day 3 transfer and both stuck. Only one of the remaining eggs made it to freeze.

Have you talked to your RE about what he/she finds most successful? I think every dr feels differently about the number to transfer and what day would be best. For instance, my sister's RE transfers two for every couple under 35 regardless of diagnosis, what day or how many eggs would be remaining. That's just what he's found to be most successful for him. So perhaps your RE has a protocol that he/she likes to follow. I will say, don't feel pressured into transferring two if you don't feel comfortable having twins! It's your body and your life and you should advocate for what's best for you!

@thisisme: Hi! I did the Gonal F and Menopur in the evening and Ganirelix in the morning before work. That's what my RE instructed. I'm not sure why though (since yours said all at once is ok). Good luck!!!!

@ShayNanigans: Hope stims are going well!
I didn't do bcp.
As for how many to transfer, we were set on two if we had two. We weren't afraid of twins and I have some medical reasons why 2 was recommended (outside of fertility reasons).
We had to do PGD because of my jacked up chromosomes, and out of 8 embryos tested we had only 1 "normal" embryo. So that's what we went with. Had we had 2, I would've done it! Fortunately our one worked
It's a big decision, but do what is in your heart! xoxo

@thisisme: haha yay for reading the whole thread! I was only doing Gonal-F (no menopur) but when I added the ganirelix I did that at the same time as the Gonal-F (pm).

@SweetiePie: @momazon: @Shutterbug: Thanks! We decided to do the Ganirelix this morning. I was really prepared for it to be awful, but it was totally fine! So relieved that that's another easy shot!

@twodoghouse: That must be really tough for your sister, especially with your pregnancy. I know it's difficult for me just having close friends who are pregnant. I'll keep her in my prayers for sure!

@bluestriped bee: I am so sorry

Thank you guys for all your input on how you decided to transfer one or two. I think we've decided to transfer two - it's been such a long, tough journey, twins would be welcome! Scary but still a good thing.

@bluestriped bee: Oh dear I am so sorry. Many many hugs for you.

@bluestriped bee: Is that how long you'd have to wait just to get the process going, or would you be able to be on BCP, meds ordered, etc. before that? I'd check and see if you can get in with another RE if you won't even be able to proceed with anything before April 1!

Also, this is super petty and not important in the grand scheme of things… but if she is going out on maternity leave, I cannot even fathom going to see an RE who is currently pregnant! Every appointment would be like salt in the wounds. (Not that I think RE's should just never have children or anything, but it would be hard for me personally!)

@bluestriped bee: I don't know why they didn't just offer to get you in with whoever was available first if they have multiple REs who handle IVF! At both clinics I've gone to, they've either automatically assigned me to the first available doctor (unless I asked for someone) or told me who else was available if someone was really booked. I hope you can work out an earlier appointment.

@bluestriped bee: Do you need to have the followup appt, are there a bunch of questions you still need to ask about the process? Or could you just tell them that you want to move to IVF, and have them work up your protocol while you are on the starting weeks of the BCPs? I know my followup appt after my third failed IUI was really just an appt to confirm I was ready to move on-- they'd already started me on the BCPs while I waited for my appt. I didn't learn anything new at the appt that I hadn't already learned at my initial consultation or through Dr. Hellobee.

@spaniellove: Yeah, I'm going to call back in the AM to be seen by someone. I think each dr has a IVF coordinator so I would like any or all of the 4 REs can do IVF.

@Mrs.Someone: Yeah, I want to stay with the office, if I can. I looked again at the reviews for SRM and the low reviews just doesn't make me all that comfortable. There are other clinics in Bellevue but it would be kinda out of my way to go there for appointments.

@momazon: I would be perfectly fine if my dr sent me a prescription for BCP and told me to pick it up and come in to discuss the next steps. All I want to do is start the meds. I'm not really sure what is going on. I'm paying for my IVF out of pocket, so I don't have to do any tests for insurance. I don't know what the hold up is. They gave me pricing already, too.

@SweetiePie: Thanks. Yeah, I was very shocked when they said April 1st would be the first available appointment. I almost said WTF outloud. Haha! The front office people are always so nice so I would have felt bad taking it out on them.