New to IVF

MGALBNMGALBN Posts: 325
in Single Mothers by Choice
My quick background...Just turned 36 and have been thru 7 failed IUIs over the past year. Did first few with just clomid, then moved on to the hybrid cycle and added back to back IUIs for good measure. Tubes are clear, everything checks out ok, no health issues. Beyond frustrated, moving on to IVF.

Haven't sat down with the nurses yet for my scheduled plan of attack, but we're trying to use my next cycle for my first IVF, which is coming up very soon. I'm wondering if any of you out there can help me on what to expect? Just polling the public really...

How many IVF cycles did it take for your BFP?
How many follicles did you have after stimulation?
How many of those follicles had viable eggs?
How many fertilized?
Did they use a 'grading system' on the fertilized embryos?
Did they mix better embryos with weaker ones? Or only transferred the best ones?
Can you freeze 5 day blastocysts that are more developed? Or only use those fresh?
My RE says the injection IUs are typically doubled for an IVF cycle. What are your experiences with high dose injections?
Anyone use assisted hatching?

Anything else that might be a tip for me that I haven't thought of?

THANK YOU! :)

Comments

  • BanditBandit Posts: 348
    I have not had IVF but good luck. Try some acupuncture to help your body get ready for it. I do acupuncture and just happened to have scheduled an appt the day I ovulated (I schedule appt 6 weeks out), so this was a fluke. I had a friend who went though 8 IUI's before she got pregnant and had triplets. I know my neighbors had embryos frozen for almost 5 years, she just had their third, using a frozen embryo. Good luck to you.
  • MGALBNMGALBN Posts: 325
    Thanks AnissaS! I've considered acupuncture since it seems to be all the rage. LOL I'm really hoping that it works first try AND I have enough good embryos to freeze for siblings...

    Anyone else going thru this???
  • MGALBNMGALBN Posts: 325
    I've had most of these questions answered by my RE's nurses. The unanswered questions left are the 'you have to wait and see' type. Looks like the pool of people using this bulletin board are IUI/ICI people. Just my observation from reading/posting for more than a year now. Not very many IVF'ers out there! :)
  • furies22furies22 Posts: 10
    Hey Mgalbn,
    I am new to the IVF path as well. I am currently in my stimming phase so I don't have many answers for you but then again you might have already had your Egg Retrival! LOL! It is scary and exciting at the same time. I am so excited about the odds with IVF vs IUI but it took me forever to come to the decision because it is all out of pocket for me. I had to get a loan for part of it but that should be paid off by the time the baby comes (I am trying to speak positively! LOL).
    I am expecting my Egg Retrival on Monday but we shall see. It could end up being Tuesday. I have another US tomorrow morning to check on my follies so I should know something more concrete by tomorrow afternoon.
    Here is baby dust to us both!!!
  • MGALBNMGALBN Posts: 325
    Thanks furies! I had my retrieval on Saturday morning. It was quite an experience. I've been pretty darn sore afterwards. Just gotta take it easy! I had 5 of 11 eggs fertilize and am waiting for replacement which I believe is going to be tomorrow. Have they talked to you about waiting around for blastocysts??? What do you think about that???
  • furies22furies22 Posts: 10
    Hey Mgalbn!

    I am not sure what you mean by replacement? That word has not been used by my RE.

    I had my ER on Monday as scheduled and it was a trip! I was so nervous and expecting alot of pain but i really didn't have any. I feel really bloated but that is basically it.

    They retrieved 14 eggs, 8 have fertilized and all are dividing like they should. Day 2: 4 are 2 cell 4 are 4 cell. There is a possibility that they will have me come in tomorrow afternoon for a 3 Day transfer but they want to wait until Saturday for a 5 Day transfer. Apparently 5 Day transfers have a much better rate of implantation. Based on that I am hoping for a 5 Day transfer.

    Good luck to you! You are a couple of days ahead of me so you are the one breaking new ground here!!! LOL!
    I will keep you in my prayers this week!!!!
  • MGALBNMGALBN Posts: 325
    Sometimes they say replacement instead of embryo transfer(ET).

    They told me that I was a candidate for blastocyst tranfer when I first started. It's supposed to increase your success by about 17% by waiting till day 5. For my RE you had to have at least 4 embryos dividing rapidly to be considered, the more the better (I only ended up with 3). I was scared to death to do it anyway because it could mean losing all of them if they didn't make it to blast. At day 3 they still have a chance to make it back in the intended environment, my uterus.

    On day 3 I had 5 that fertilized, 4 that were dividing nicely and 1 that was begining to lag behind. 3 of those 4 were doing great so we went with those 3. The 1 that was dividing nicely that was left behind is waiting to go to blast and then be frozen. I don't know if the 5th one will catch up but we'll see. I'm not counting either one of them out yet! One thing that the nurse told me in the begining which turned out to be very true was that it SOUNDS like there will be huge decisions to be made in a short amount of time but really the embryos decide everything in the end. We got to keep the 'dish' and got photos of the 3 they transfered. :) They looked absolutely perfect. Nice and round and even and the cell division was in great shape. Couldn't ask for 3 better embryos!

    I had no idea what to expect about the procedure itself but I was surprisingly sore afterwards. Bumpy car rides were KILLER. That only lasted about 2 days tho. I think I'm more sensitive than the average person. (that's a nicer way of saying I'm a big wuss! LOL) TMI but even after IUIs or U/S I usually end up constipated, LOL. I think it's from all that pushing around in there that freaks out my intestines!!! I've got a small frame which doesn't help either. They are constantly switching to smaller instruments for me...

    Good luck to us both! STICKY DUST FOR BOTH OF US!!!
  • furies22furies22 Posts: 10
    Hey Mgalbn,

    How are you doing? It has been a while since I have been on this site. You should be having your test soon eh?
    I am not feeling optimistic about mine. I have my beta on Monday but I feel nothing/everything. The progesterone and the estrogen I am on seem to make me feel almost every possible pregnancy symptom but even in the midst of all this I feel pretty certain that it didn't work for me.
    I don't really have the funds to do this again anythime soon so I am feeling pretty upset about it.
    I really hope you have great news!!!! This TTC journey is definetly a roller coaster! Best of luck to you and sticky dust!!!!!
  • MGALBNMGALBN Posts: 325
    I agree with everything you just said furries. I'm not too optimistic about this either. It was my life savings and my extra embryos didn't make it to be frozen so this is my only shot for right now. Just to add icing to the cake, I had some light bleeding this afternoon. It's stopped but seems like too much for implantation bleeding. I was going to test early hoping for a positive but after this afternoon's events I'm gonna wait for the blood test since that's the only way I can be sure anyways... it's scheduled for next tuesday... good luck to you too!
  • furies22furies22 Posts: 10
    Hey Mgalbn,

    Good luck today!!!!

    My news is not all bad. I am pregnant but my numbers are really low so I have a long way to go before I can be really excited. I am trying to enjoy each hour of this pregnancy because I don't know how long it will be but I am praying for a very Happy and Healthy 9 Months!!!

    Good luck today with your beta!
  • arae8arae8 Posts: 18
    Good luck MGALBN!!

    Congrats furies22!!
  • BanditBandit Posts: 348
    Good luck MGALBN.

    Furies congrats just so you know my numbers were wicked low when they did the first test. They did the test 4 days later and it went up by a factor of 10. The only reason I didn't have it done at 48 hours was due to it being a Sat the second test. It will be fine, I am now happily 10 weeks pregnant and looking forward to my second ultrasound in 2 weeks. Good luck and keep us posted.
  • austingurlaustingurl Posts: 202
    Congrats furies22!!!

    Any word from MGALBN?
  • MGALBNMGALBN Posts: 325
    I'm so beyond frustrated... It didn't work. I went in for my first beta on tuesday and it DID come back positive but the number was just 17. I went back again for another draw on friday and it came back negative. None of the embryos stuck. I'm at a loss. After all these failures no one can seem to tell me what the problem is. Every time I have a test it always comes back ok. It doesn't help that I'm no longer taking the progesterone since it was negative and my moods have been swinging like a pendulum. I just feel like I can't pull myself out of this funk. I'm so angry I could scream, and have... at my friends, at strangers, at the dogs... maybe I need acupuncture NOW to try to destress myself. Almost a year and a half of failures builds up a ton of emotions in someone just waiting to come out and I've reached my limit...
  • BanditBandit Posts: 348
    MGALBN... So sorry How are you doing today? Try acupuncture it does work. If you go for acupuncture tell the acupuncturist you are trying to get pregnant to. Mine worked with me for a couple of months before I got pregnant and I actually saw him the day of my insemination. Good luck with your destress.

    Furries any word?
  • nettibugnettibug Posts: 118
    Oh MGALBN, I am so sorry. I hope you are feeling better and finding some things to de-stress and relax. I have not had acupuncture but have many friends who have -- and swear by it. {Big hug}

    Furies??
  • arae8arae8 Posts: 18
    MGALBN, so sorry to hear your news. I hope you have a good support system to help you through this. Don't give up!!

    I go in Friday to find out if it worked for me. I just don't have a positive vibe for some reason, but I'm hoping I am wrong.
  • austingurlaustingurl Posts: 202
    So sorry MGALBN. I was hoping it would work for you. I am feeling frustrated after 5 IUIs. I can't imagine what you are feeling. Hope you feel better soon and some doctor can give you an answer.
  • furies22furies22 Posts: 10
    Hey Mgalbn,

    I am so sorry...The same thing happened with me. My numbers were 18 the first beta and by the second it was down to 2.7. I feel you. I to have been at this for almost a year and a half. I feel like I am having to fight off depression.
    The mood swings are crazy and dealing with Aunt Flo is incredibly hard. I have been spontaneously crying all week.
    I do have my one little embie that is frozen which I am going to try with this month but after loosing the three I am not that hopeful.
    Just know that I feel your pain and wish I could take it from you. I am sorry you are having to go down this difficult road too.
  • MGALBNMGALBN Posts: 325
    Thanks everyone. I think I'm over the 48 hour fit I had this weekend. Trying to get back to a positive state of mind...I wouldn't wish this struggle on my worst enemy.

    Furies, that is an excellent description of my weekend, spontaneous crying. It took nothing at all to get me started and it was hard to stop. I think your little frozie is gonna be the winner. I've read time and time again that frozen embies do as well or better than fresh! I'll be sending baby dust your way for your next cycle!
  • furies22furies22 Posts: 10
    Hey Ladies! Hope you are all doing well!

    I need to apologize to you all. I feel like this last week has been pretty much tunnel vision for me and I have neglected to thank you all for your kind words and well wishes. It truely does make a difference in a difficult time.

    I feel like I am finally getting back on my feet a little. I am going ahead with this cycle for a FET (frozen embryo transfer). I have not yet gotten my calender for the FET so I don't know exactly when the transfer will be but my guess is it will be sometime next weekend. I only have the one little embie but I am working at staying positive. This little embie was not expected to make it to blastocyst but kicked it in gear and did really well! I hope that is a good sign!!!
    I will keep you updated about when things start happening!

    Good luck to you all! Thanks again for all your support and care!
  • BanditBandit Posts: 348
    Furies22 good luck. I know it is a hard time. Venting on the list is all right, since it is a hard time and no one really understands what you are going through unless you have been there.

    Keep positive thoughts and we will be praying for you this weekend. Let us know.
  • nettibugnettibug Posts: 118
    furies22 - ditto AnissaS, no need to apologize. Fingers crossed and positive thoughts - hope that frozen embie is the one!
  • austingurlaustingurl Posts: 202
    Furies, no need for an apology at all. Sorry it didn't work out. Your embryo sounds like a fighter. I have high hopes for you this round.
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