# First time IVF and feeling nervous...help!!



## gretarose

Is there anyone else out there who is about to start IVF for the first time?
We have low motility sperm and I am 38, so the hospital have recommended ICSI for us.
Been trying for nearly 4years and waiting over a year for all the tests and results to come back.
Would love to share stories with you ladies
X


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## 1babydreamer

Hi there gretarose! I too am starting IVF for the first time this June. I'm currently on day 8 of .10 lupron injections to down regulate before I start stimulating injections. My details are in my Sig. I'm super excited but super nervous too! We've been TTC for nearly 2 years with no explanation for why we haven't had one bfp. All our test results have been normal until today. We got lab results today that show much of my DH's sperm is fractured :(. IVF with ICSI is the only chance we have but I feel positive. There are so many great success stories here! Now it feels like we may actually get a chance to be parents!
What tests have you had done? Are you on any meds so far?


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## vermeil

hello and welcome gretarose! ivf sounds scary and mysterious, but if you take a step back and think about it, it`s not that complicated. Sure it means a lot of medication and appointments, but consider it just giving mother nature a little boost.

most ivf cycles take two months:

month 1 week 3 - start medication to prevent early ovulation
af arrives
month 2 week 1 - continue medication to prevent ovulation, begin medication to stimulate ovaries
ultrasounds every few days to monitor follicle development
month 2 week 2 - ovulation shot to trigger, well, ovulation
about 12 hours later (24? Sorry don`t remember) - egg retrieval
eggs are fertilized with sperm - this is day 0!
embryos develop to day 3 or day 5 depending on your protocol
on day 3 or 5 - x embryos are put back in, the rest are frozen
anxious waiting for two weeks
bloodwork
that`s it

good luck!


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## gretarose

Thank you kind lady, that's very helpful. X



vermeil said:


> hello and welcome gretarose! ivf sounds scary and mysterious, but if you take a step back and think about it, it`s not that complicated. Sure it means a lot of medication and appointments, but consider it just giving mother nature a little boost.
> 
> most ivf cycles take two months:
> 
> month 1 week 3 - start medication to prevent early ovulation
> af arrives
> month 2 week 1 - continue medication to prevent ovulation, begin medication to stimulate ovaries
> ultrasounds every few days to monitor follicle development
> month 2 week 2 - ovulation shot to trigger, well, ovulation
> about 12 hours later (24? Sorry don`t remember) - egg retrieval
> eggs are fertilized with sperm - this is day 0!
> embryos develop to day 3 or day 5 depending on your protocol
> on day 3 or 5 - x embryos are put back in, the rest are frozen
> anxious waiting for two weeks
> bloodwork
> that`s it
> 
> good luck!


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## Mrs. T

gretarose, we are in the same boat. I am also 38 and will be trying IVF for the first time this September. I am terrified. It is so much money and time invested and what if it doesn't work? Then what? Are you doing anything to "prep", like acupuncture, etc?


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## lexus15

Can I join in? :flower:

I'm 38, (39 next month) & starting first & only cycle of IVF in July for secondary infertility + I have high FSH & low AMH. I haven't purchased the drugs yet as we are self funding, I'm finding the whole process overwhelming but hopeful that we will have a baby at the end of it. 

Lets make this a lucky thread..good luck ladies :hugs:


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## popchick75

I've only done IVF once, but my advice is to make sure you have covered absolutely every base before investing (financially and emotionally) in IVF. Even if the doctors think they have the found the source of why you aren't conceiving, keep testing to rule out any additional problems. We went through 10 years of treatments (IUI, IVF, etc) and it turns out I have nk cells. The doctor didn't test for it before we went through all of those procedures so it turned out they were all for nothing.


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## shiseru

I am attending a talk in preparation for IVF tomorrow, everything is fine except i have low AMH, 3 x clomid BFN, last cycle femara with IUI BFN, and this cycle looks like I got an anovulatory cycle. 

The gynae said she will put me on growth hormones to increase the egg quality, high stim and do a short protocol for IVF, I am nervous too.


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## Dancer76

Hi ladies. May I join in with this group? I am 36 and DH is 37. We are looking to IVF for baby #1. I don't know of any infertility issues other than I (FOOLISHLY) had my tubes tied 4 years ago. :dohh: 

I have debated the tubal reversal vs. IVF route for a while and have decided IVF is the way to go. 

Needless to say, I am pretty anxious about the whole thing. It is a huge emotional and financial investment. I have been on this site for a little while and have read a lot of the success stories, which are very encouraging. I feel that having a support system could definitely help the process. 

I am waiting for the clinic to get back to me, but I may be going for my consult as soon as next week. 

Thank you for reading. I hope we all are successful in the coming months. 

Sending lots of positive :baby: vibes to all.


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## Dancer76

Oops... hit reply too soon...

Also, as I had mentioned in my post on the introduction thread, I was severly anorexic for 12 years. A previous dr had told me that it was likely that I wouldn't be able to carry a baby to term if I had gotten pregnant. My GYN tells me now that there is no reason I can't have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby.


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## 1babydreamer

Welcome *Dancer!* :flower: Good luck at your consult and :dust:


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## Dancer76

Thank you, 1baby! :flower:

I have my IVF consult tomorrow morning and I am pretty nervous. The anticipation is eating away at me now.


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## Mrs. T

1babydreamer, I am so sorry to hear about your chemical pregnancy. Miscarriage is devastating no matter how early. Allow yourself time to grieve. :hugs:

Dancer76, good luck tomorrow. :)


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## Dancer76

Thank you for the well wishes and baby dust, Mrs. t. 

Unfortunately, it didn't go too well and I am quite discouraged. 

She told me that it sounds like I am in the beginning of early peri menopause and possibly have a diminished ovarian reserve. She basically gave me a 25-30% chance with transferring 2 embryos and a 15-30% chance with 1 (which was gonna be my plan). She actually came out and asked us if we considered adoption because our chances would be much better. 

A fresh cycle would be about $10-12,000 and frozen is $3,000.


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## Dancer76

Oops... That should read 15-20% for the 1 embryo transfer.


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## Mrs. T

Sorry she made you feel discouraged. I am 38 so I am guessing my chances are gonna be on the low side as well. I am doing IVF with ICSI plus I have to travel for it so I am guessing around the $15,000 mark. I feel like it's a numbers game. If the odds are 25% I may need to do this up to 4 times to achieve my goal. I don't know how I will afford additional tries but I am gonna just take it one step at a time. I am hoping and praying it works the first try (my first IUI worked) but if not I at least hope I get lots of frozen embies this first time.


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## Dancer76

I wish you the best of luck with your IVF. 

Being only 36, I figured the odds would be much more in our favor. I have read so many of the ladies on this site have a 50-60% chance. If I had those odds, I would be jumping at the chance, but with the numbers she gave us - I just don't know. 

I have started researching adoption, but I don't want to give up on IVF yet. Of course, it would be very helpful to put the funds we would use for IVF toward the adoption fees, but at the same time, I could beat the odds and conceive on the first cycle... 

That is where my dilemma comes in...


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## Mrs. T

There is always a second opinion.


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## popchick75

I think I would get a second opinion also. I would think that with IVF diminished ovarian reserve wouldn't be much of an issue as long as they can get the combination of meds right so they can get enough follicles to develop. That is one of the conditions that IVF is supposed to help bypass. I know the IVF success rate with our clinic is around 70-75%, and that includes *all* cases...even the more complicated ones.


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