Happy Veterans Day Ladies. I wanted to circle back and inform you all that I just learned that Aetna starting 2017 will no longer be offering any fertility assistance. I'm still in shock and disbelief because I just spoke to a rep some months ago. When I finally do some research and commit to changing my health insurance they end the program.
I contacted CareFirst Blue Choice, and they give some assistance, but if you want details it would be best to contact them to get the specifics. They apparently are different from Blue Cross Blue Shield because I have them now as an insurance provider and they don't cover anything but a percentage of testing.
I just wanted to give you all the update on Aetna. Also, I see our donor is low on vials, I'm nervous and I hope more will come in soon.
Best of luck L Texas this time around! I hope all is well Dana01! Take care ladies.
I visited this message board a few months ago to see if anyone had achieved a successful pregnancy with donor 14492. We selected him as our sperm donor so I thought it would be helpful to give a bit of an update on how we have gone thus far.
We did IVF using his sperm and we used fresh donor eggs too. Of the 15 donor eggs retrieved, 12 were mature and 10 fertilized which is quite a good ratio. However, of the 10 that fertilized, only 5 made it through to day 5 blastocyst stage.
We transferred two embryos a few weeks ago. I got a positive pregnancy test which is terrific news (having previously done 3 IVF rounds with my eggs and my husbands sperm - both of which have issues).
However I was told that although I was pregnant (i had HCG hormone) - the level was quite low and I was required to go back for further testing 3 days later. Unfortunately my HCG had dropped so I although I achieved a pregnancy, the embryos werent strong enough to be considered a 'viable' pregnancy and I am expected to miscarry in the next week or so. Heartbreaking.
Having said that, I thought it might give some hope to tell you all that a pregnancy was actually achieved using this donor. There is no way of telling as to why the embryos did'nt continue growing but my fertility specialist said in 85% of cases its the embryo just not being of good quality - of which more often than not, can come down to the egg quality. I asked the clinic we used about the quality of the sperm and they said there were no issues with it at all. I hope that offers some hope and confidence to you all that we almost got there with this donor.
We have another 3 embryos on ice so we will give it another go probably in February next year.
Hello ladies! Unfortunately this cycle was a bust too but this time it was due to poor follicle growth. We've had large follicles the first three cycles but this cycle the leading follicle seemed to only ever get 13mm big which isn't big enough to try. So we'll wait for Aunt Flo to arrive again and will likely increase clomid to 150mg. Hopefully that jump starts the follicles again. We will move on to IVF if the cycle ends in a negative.
Sherres2, that's a bummer about the insurance! I hope you have gotten something lined up that can lighten the cost a bit!
Onemoreshot, so sorry to hear about your attempt at IVF and I hope that the next one is successful! Sending hugs and positivity your way!
Thanks LTexas, it has been really tough, but we have 3 frozen embryos so here is hoping that the next one works! Good luck to you too, sorry about your last attempt, it doesn't get any easier does it?! Maintain radio contact, I hope 2017 brings us better luck!!
I hope you've had a joyful Thanksgiving and are doing well.
I just wanted to update you on my IVF attempt. Basically, it failed... I am devastated and feeling so hopeless. I don't think there is a reason for me to live any more... I have a debt of 30K, no baby, no hope...
I started off the cycle well. My antral follicle count was higher than in previous cycles (given that I had a DOR). However, I did not respond to meds at all. I believe the protocol matters. I was on the primed antagonist and the highest dose of meds. After tens of injections, I ended up with only 3 ok size follicles (that was my response to clomid with my IUI cycles). There were some more which we'd hoped would grow but they ended up retrieving only 3 eggs. I was not feeling well about the outcome by then already. However, 2 eggs were mature, both fertilized and survived up to day 3. That gave me the hope. We did a day 3 transfer since there was no reason to wait until day 5.
I tried everything in terms of food, acupuncture, exercise, etc. to make sure I have a successful implantation. However, yesterday I heard the news that almost killed me. I wish I were dead...
I don't know why I decided to write my story here given that al of us are going through difficult time. I guess I just needed to get my grief out of my system.
Having said all of that, I am still hoping that the day will come when I and all you are among the ones who are lucky to experience a parenthood. I do hope it happens in 2017!
Hey dana01 I am so sorry to hear your story. No words that I can say will help at this point, I know that because I've been there too. I too am $50k in debt with F All to show for it. I travelled from Australia to USA to use donor eggs as well as donor sperm....the clínic i used has am 80% successful rate......but of course, of course i have to be in the 20% that they say are just 'unlucky'. Words cant express the anger, frustration and hopelessness that comes with all this. I too felt like You- if i cant achieve this then what else is there...in life...really, i felt like i didnt want to go on any more. But dig deep....its hard, and it tales time....but keep up the fight ....keep On living. Time will heal- never totally, but much more than where you are at now. Sending You a huge solidarity hug from Australia.
Hi there everyone. We haven't been very active on here but wanted to share where my wife and I are at. We tried an IUI 2 weeks ago with this donor. It was our first time trying with him. We have used two other donors 5 times before over the year and then switched doctors and to this donor. All but 2 tries have included some form of clomid, ovadril, progesterone, and other shots. I am 28 tests have all been normal I have a little less egg count for someone my age but not too much lower. Our new doctor put us in the unexplained infertility category making out chances even lower for IUI. Well blood test this morning came back and yep it was negative. Our numbers on this donor were better than our other two ever were just so you all know.
We are looking to IVF now. Has anyone tried raising money for treatment. We are unsure if we should because it looks like we cannot afford a child so we shouldn't have one. But most people do not have to go through pricey treatments. Any information would be wonderful.
Thank you so much for your kind and encouraging words! They mean a world to me right now. After being distressed for about a month I started feeling much better. I am also sorry to hear about your last experience. Hang in there and don't give up. Hope 2017 bring us all a gift we have been dreaming about and waiting for. Sending the positive energy and thoughts your way! Happy New Year! Big hug,
No worries dana01, how are you feeling now? I am glad you are feeling a bit better and a bit stronger. I know it takes time. Thanks for your kind words too and positive vibes, really appreciate it!! So I have decided to return to the US to do one more final attempt. I leave in about 3 weeks!! We have 3 embryos on ice - I am going to transfer 2 and lets see what happens. If it is not successful then I am afraid we will have to draw a line in the sand, we cant afford to do any more attempts - we have done 3 rounds of ivf in Australia which all failed, then did the donor sperm/donor egg round in the US which also failed but at least we got some embryos this time. All of this has absolutely drained us financially, emotionally and of course, physically. If the transfer fails in Feb, then sadly, that is it for us. But here is hoping that this will be the one!! Wishing you all the best for 2017 and I really hope we see some success stories on this thread this year!
Hi all!!! My partner and i just purchased a few vials of 14492! Any further news on this donor, how are the counts? How is everyone doing? Baby love dust times 1000000!!!
I'm so sorry to hear everyone's updates and hope that you all are dealing as best as possible! This is a crazy journey for sure!
It's been a while for us; we had to take a break over the holidays due to a stubborn cycle and our clinic being closed over Christmas. We are now on day 6 of this cycle with 150 mg of Clomid - hoping for better follicle growth this time around. This is our last vial via IUI and still plan to move to reciprocal IVF if it fails.
Update: I am going through IVF now with this donor. We went for the egg retrieval this morning and will find out tomorrow how many eggs survived and how many embryos will will get with this donor. Embryo transfer to happen Monday!. If anyone is going to go through IVF or will I would recommend applying for a discount on your meds. My wife and I qualified for 50% three of the meds based on our incomes. It is called compassionate care program. California Cryobank says this donor has pregnancies does anyone know anything about that? Thanks!
Happy New Year ladies, I hope all is well! Dana01 keep your head up and don't give up on life or having a baby. I know exactly how you feel in reference to expenses. Pace yourself and try to find assistance, I practically cleaned out my savings last year trying to have a baby. I'm very sorry to hear about the failed attempts. Things will work out I think when we least expect it.
My fiancé' and I decided to take a break over the holidays and try again this month. I did another IUI on the 16th so I will check on Sunday. I'm currently taking progesterone and I did the clomid for 3 days, so hopefully all the medicine to include my body will work and achieve a pregnancy. Well wishes to you all, and thank you for sharing your stories.
DreaNikkiplus1 this donors numbers have been great. We tried with two other donors and their numbers we low we got a refund Nearly everytime we tried. Baby dust to you all!
Good morning everyone, I wanted to say happy Valentine's Day and update you all on our good news. We found out on Saturday that we are 5 weeks pregnant. Both home pregnancy test I took on the 29th of January read negative, as I mentioned in my last post (I think), and as instructed by the Doctor I stopped taking the progesterone that I was prescribed. Last Friday was 15 days and no period so I called the Fertility doctor so they could advise me of why I had no period, they sent me for bloodwork and they confirmed the good news the next day. It was my third IUI attempt. The vial had only 5 million active sperm according to the lab tech, so this has pretty much been our norm (the low sperm in the vials). I'm in total shock and disbelief, and I'm trying to take it one day at a time to get pass the 1st trimester, so I'm told it's the most critical months. Keep the faith, and well wishes to everyone going through the process. I tried to share everything about my experience, but feel free to ask me anything. Take care everyone!
Many thanks for your kind words and support! More importantly, congratulations to you!!! So excited to hear your fabulous news! Wishing all the joy of anticipation to parents-to-be. Keep us posted on your progress with pregnancy.
By the way, did you have any symptoms before missing your period?
Congrats Sherres2! Wishing you a healthy and happy pregnancy!
Our 4th IUI with this donor ended in a negative so we are moving onto IVF and looking into a new donor that matches my partner's qualities this time. Best of luck to the rest of you still trying!!!
Thanks dana01 and LTexas! I really appreciate the support from you all as well. @ dana01, no symptoms, I didn't feel nauseous or anything out of the ordinary. Cramping for the most part and I thought that was because my cycle was about to come on, but it never did after I stop taking the Progesterone medication.
We had a ultrasound done on Wednesday and the Fertility doctor said the baby heartbeat was slower. They said the beats should be over 100 and it was at 78. I wasn't even expecting to hear a heartbeat at 6 weeks, but I guess they have the equipment to do so. The OB/GYN Doctor said they don't check for heartbeats until after 12 weeks. I hope it was just too soon to check and everything will progress normally. The baby is growing as it should so my fingers and toes are crossed!
Can't seem to get no response no where else all you ladies seem like ya'll help each other out as much as ya'll can so hopefully ya'll will be willing to help me out as well. I'll 26 years old been waiting on Mr. Right but can't wait any longer. I have real bad endometriosis. Just had surgery for it again on the 21st of this month(February). That made my 3rd surgery for it. Doctor said can only hold off a hysterectomy for another year or 2 max. So I'm fixing to be starting this journey of my life on my own as I've always wanted to be come a mother and don't want to wait any longer and chance crushing my dreams. There's always a chance of Mr. Right coming along right? But not always time to wait for him to get here before bringing a precious angel into your life. I go on March the 22nd for my first ultrasound to start I guess pinpointing ovaluation? If I understood my doctor correctly. Thankfully I got the support of both of my parents and very few friends that know at this time. I will be having my first IUI done something hopefully soon. Want to make sure that everything is in order first. I've got my donor picked out finally have spent many hours, days, nights, and weeks on deciding which one to use. Someone please help me and support me along this journey. What all subscriptions have some of you ladies bought? When did you start thinking about names and all the other good stuff that comes along with becoming a parent?? I think I'm going to use donor 13452
Hi Faith1990, I think you made a very safe assessment the woman on this chat are very caring and supportive. I don't blame you for getting the process started to get your little angel. We've all made that decision whether single or with someone, but I agree giving some of our health situations time is not always on our side. I too have endometriosis, fibroids, and a blocked fallopian tube but I refuse to let that stop me from trying to achieve a pregnancy. I'm actually pregnant now, but the doctor just told me that it looks like I will more than likely have a miscarriage.
I don't want to believe it, but I'm trying to take it one day at a time and let GOD have the last say. I tried IUI 3 times and I got pregnant on the 3rd try so don't give up if it doesn't work the first time. The doctor will do a ultrasound and check to see if you are nearing ovulation and I think they check your follicles to make sure they are like over 20 in size and if so then they will do the insemination. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong or if I missed a step, but that's what you will have to look forward to. If they miss your ovulation then they will try again the next month or whenever you're ready. I know what you mean about spending the long days and nights picking out a donor. We all been down that road, and I feel pretty bummed about Donor 14492 not having anymore sperm available. We have one more vial, but I would feel comfortable with at least 2 more.
I been wanting a baby since I was a teenager, so to say that I have a strong desire is a understatement, lol. I had names picked out for some years now so there is no set time to start thinking about names. I pray that this baby will pull through so we can use one of the 3 names we have picked for the baby. I wish you nothing but the best during your journey! Be strong and hopeful and just know that you MAY experience some unexpected reports, but just keep pushing forward with your plans to achieve a baby no matter what!
Thank you so much for your reply. I am sorry to hear what the doctor told you. I do hope all is going well for you and your baby keeps growing.
I know how you feel about the cryobank running out of your donor. I liked the donor I used for my IUIs and IVF very much and now it is very difficult to chose another one, especially not knowing if it is going to work this time. Anyway, I hope you do not have to think about it in the coming year. Sending positive thoughts and energy!
I am 37 only fertility issue is pcos and age of course. I tried my first iui with this donor. We used birth control to regulate for two months then stopped and used letrazole and a trigger shot and progesterone after the iui. Fifteen days post iui and the blood test is negative. :( good luck to everyone and did anyone try using his sample as ici?
When I asked about the numbers after washing being 6.3. The fertility clinic said “The pre wash number is ALWAYS higher than the post wash. I believe your pre wash number was a little low.”
Comments
I contacted CareFirst Blue Choice, and they give some assistance, but if you want details it would be best to contact them to get the specifics. They apparently are different from Blue Cross Blue Shield because I have them now as an insurance provider and they don't cover anything but a percentage of testing.
I just wanted to give you all the update on Aetna. Also, I see our donor is low on vials, I'm nervous and I hope more will come in soon.
Best of luck L Texas this time around! I hope all is well Dana01! Take care ladies.
I visited this message board a few months ago to see if anyone had achieved a successful pregnancy with donor 14492. We selected him as our sperm donor so I thought it would be helpful to give a bit of an update on how we have gone thus far.
We did IVF using his sperm and we used fresh donor eggs too. Of the 15 donor eggs retrieved, 12 were mature and 10 fertilized which is quite a good ratio. However, of the 10 that fertilized, only 5 made it through to day 5 blastocyst stage.
We transferred two embryos a few weeks ago. I got a positive pregnancy test which is terrific news (having previously done 3 IVF rounds with my eggs and my husbands sperm - both of which have issues).
However I was told that although I was pregnant (i had HCG hormone) - the level was quite low and I was required to go back for further testing 3 days later. Unfortunately my HCG had dropped so I although I achieved a pregnancy, the embryos werent strong enough to be considered a 'viable' pregnancy and I am expected to miscarry in the next week or so. Heartbreaking.
Having said that, I thought it might give some hope to tell you all that a pregnancy was actually achieved using this donor. There is no way of telling as to why the embryos did'nt continue growing but my fertility specialist said in 85% of cases its the embryo just not being of good quality - of which more often than not, can come down to the egg quality. I asked the clinic we used about the quality of the sperm and they said there were no issues with it at all. I hope that offers some hope and confidence to you all that we almost got there with this donor.
We have another 3 embryos on ice so we will give it another go probably in February next year.
Good luck to you all.
Unfortunately this cycle was a bust too but this time it was due to poor follicle growth. We've had large follicles the first three cycles but this cycle the leading follicle seemed to only ever get 13mm big which isn't big enough to try. So we'll wait for Aunt Flo to arrive again and will likely increase clomid to 150mg. Hopefully that jump starts the follicles again. We will move on to IVF if the cycle ends in a negative.
Sherres2, that's a bummer about the insurance! I hope you have gotten something lined up that can lighten the cost a bit!
Onemoreshot, so sorry to hear about your attempt at IVF and I hope that the next one is successful! Sending hugs and positivity your way!
I hope you've had a joyful Thanksgiving and are doing well.
I just wanted to update you on my IVF attempt. Basically, it failed... I am devastated and feeling so hopeless. I don't think there is a reason for me to live any more...
I have a debt of 30K, no baby, no hope...
I started off the cycle well. My antral follicle count was higher than in previous cycles (given that I had a DOR). However, I did not respond to meds at all. I believe the protocol matters. I was on the primed antagonist and the highest dose of meds. After tens of injections, I ended up with only 3 ok size follicles (that was my response to clomid with my IUI cycles). There were some more which we'd hoped would grow but they ended up retrieving only 3 eggs. I was not feeling well about the outcome by then already. However, 2 eggs were mature, both fertilized and survived up to day 3. That gave me the hope. We did a day 3 transfer since there was no reason to wait until day 5.
I tried everything in terms of food, acupuncture, exercise, etc. to make sure I have a successful implantation. However, yesterday I heard the news that almost killed me. I wish I were dead...
I don't know why I decided to write my story here given that al of us are going through difficult time. I guess I just needed to get my grief out of my system.
Having said all of that, I am still hoping that the day will come when I and all you are among the ones who are lucky to experience a parenthood. I do hope it happens in 2017!
I am so sorry to hear your story. No words that I can say will help at this point, I know that because I've been there too. I too am $50k in debt with F All to show for it. I travelled from Australia to USA to use donor eggs as well as donor sperm....the clínic i used has am 80% successful rate......but of course, of course i have to be in the 20% that they say are just 'unlucky'. Words cant express the anger, frustration and hopelessness that comes with all this. I too felt like You- if i cant achieve this then what else is there...in life...really, i felt like i didnt want to go on any more. But dig deep....its hard, and it tales time....but keep up the fight ....keep On living. Time will heal- never totally, but much more than where you are at now. Sending You a huge solidarity hug from Australia.
We are looking to IVF now. Has anyone tried raising money for treatment. We are unsure if we should because it looks like we cannot afford a child so we shouldn't have one. But most people do not have to go through pricey treatments. Any information would be wonderful.
Best of luck to everyone trying!
Thank you so much for your kind and encouraging words! They mean a world to me right now. After being distressed for about a month I started feeling much better. I am also sorry to hear about your last experience. Hang in there and don't give up. Hope 2017 bring us all a gift we have been dreaming about and waiting for. Sending the positive energy and thoughts your way! Happy New Year! Big hug,
So I have decided to return to the US to do one more final attempt. I leave in about 3 weeks!! We have 3 embryos on ice - I am going to transfer 2 and lets see what happens. If it is not successful then I am afraid we will have to draw a line in the sand, we cant afford to do any more attempts - we have done 3 rounds of ivf in Australia which all failed, then did the donor sperm/donor egg round in the US which also failed but at least we got some embryos this time. All of this has absolutely drained us financially, emotionally and of course, physically. If the transfer fails in Feb, then sadly, that is it for us. But here is hoping that this will be the one!! Wishing you all the best for 2017 and I really hope we see some success stories on this thread this year!
I'm so sorry to hear everyone's updates and hope that you all are dealing as best as possible! This is a crazy journey for sure!
It's been a while for us; we had to take a break over the holidays due to a stubborn cycle and our clinic being closed over Christmas. We are now on day 6 of this cycle with 150 mg of Clomid - hoping for better follicle growth this time around. This is our last vial via IUI and still plan to move to reciprocal IVF if it fails.
Good luck everyone!
My fiancé' and I decided to take a break over the holidays and try again this month. I did another IUI on the 16th so I will check on Sunday. I'm currently taking progesterone and I did the clomid for 3 days, so hopefully all the medicine to include my body will work and achieve a pregnancy. Well wishes to you all, and thank you for sharing your stories.
Many thanks for your kind words and support!
More importantly, congratulations to you!!! So excited to hear your fabulous news! Wishing all the joy of anticipation to parents-to-be. Keep us posted on your progress with pregnancy.
By the way, did you have any symptoms before missing your period?
Best of luck!
Our 4th IUI with this donor ended in a negative so we are moving onto IVF and looking into a new donor that matches my partner's qualities this time. Best of luck to the rest of you still trying!!!
We had a ultrasound done on Wednesday and the Fertility doctor said the baby heartbeat was slower. They said the beats should be over 100 and it was at 78. I wasn't even expecting to hear a heartbeat at 6 weeks, but I guess they have the equipment to do so. The OB/GYN Doctor said they don't check for heartbeats until after 12 weeks. I hope it was just too soon to check and everything will progress normally. The baby is growing as it should so my fingers and toes are crossed!
Well wishes to everyone, it's going to happen!
I don't want to believe it, but I'm trying to take it one day at a time and let GOD have the last say. I tried IUI 3 times and I got pregnant on the 3rd try so don't give up if it doesn't work the first time. The doctor will do a ultrasound and check to see if you are nearing ovulation and I think they check your follicles to make sure they are like over 20 in size and if so then they will do the insemination. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong or if I missed a step, but that's what you will have to look forward to. If they miss your ovulation then they will try again the next month or whenever you're ready. I know what you mean about spending the long days and nights picking out a donor. We all been down that road, and I feel pretty bummed about Donor 14492 not having anymore sperm available. We have one more vial, but I would feel comfortable with at least 2 more.
I been wanting a baby since I was a teenager, so to say that I have a strong desire is a understatement, lol. I had names picked out for some years now so there is no set time to start thinking about names. I pray that this baby will pull through so we can use one of the 3 names we have picked for the baby. I wish you nothing but the best during your journey! Be strong and hopeful and just know that you MAY experience some unexpected reports, but just keep pushing forward with your plans to achieve a baby no matter what!
Thank you so much for your reply. I am sorry to hear what the doctor told you. I do hope all is going well for you and your baby keeps growing.
I know how you feel about the cryobank running out of your donor. I liked the donor I used for my IUIs and IVF very much and now it is very difficult to chose another one, especially not knowing if it is going to work this time. Anyway, I hope you do not have to think about it in the coming year. Sending positive thoughts and energy!