40+ and Trying for 1st? Join in!!

[Pussycat1]

Hi Weezy, I think I know the clinic in London you're talking about and they report very high success rates, however they are also extremely selective about the ladies they will treat, ie those most likely to conceive and that generally rules you out if you're 40 +. When I did IVF I was scanned probably 3-4 times in the lead up to EC and during stimulation. I think the advantage of more frequent scanning is they can adjust drugs dosage quicker if needed, however it's an expensive route to go down as they also charge you for all those appointments. I think what you describe is the norm. Where in the UK are you based? x

 

[Pussycat1]

Terri, how did transfer go? Have you got any frosties. Hopefully you're PUPO! x

 

[terripeachy]

Oh oops! I thought I updated. The transfer yesterday went well. The sole woman doctor at the clinic did it, and she is so nice and so patient. She also did my retrieval, so it was nice having her for both. I feel great today and felt good yesterday too. I think she's way more gentle than the men. Anyway, I transferred 3 blastocysts. My own research tells me that they are 4BB. The doctor said they were beauties. One was rated good and two were rated fair (on a scale of good, fair, poor), but looking at the picture of them, they look WAY better than the last three. I think the previous three were only at the morula stage on Day 5, when really they should have been blastocysts. Oh well..I'm still not officially prego so I'm not taking too much stock into anything. I am PUPO though, and it's pretty fun. I do miss my in the morning. OTD is on the 21st, but I'll probably test early because of the peer pressure. hee hee. On the testing thread I had the 17th, so we'll see if I do it then. Who knows how I'll be feeling.

 

[kaysbc]

Wow terri! things are sounding great. crossing my fingers and toes for you!

My acupuncturist has pretty much freaked out with my 8 day luteal phase and she's immediately put me on a different regimen of herbs, which I start tomorrow CD4.

Ah, this is so tough sometimes. All I can do is sigh.

 

[Pussycat1]

Hi Terri, that's great! I think 4BB are pretty good blasts! Fingers crossed! Would you be prepared for multiples?!
Kay, hopefully this will help. I can never decide if my body is only being weird recently (as in past 3 years of TTC) or if I've just never paid such close attention before. x

 

[Weezy9]

Pussycat, thanks for the info.
Are we allowed to mention Clinic names on this forum?
The one I have in mind is probably the same one and was recommended to me by a friend who has just given birth to twins first go....so I thought I'll look into it.
I'm base in hertfordshire and the one I went to the open evening is a fairly local clinic which obviously will be cheaper than London clinics.
Can I also ask is it normal for clinics to advise women our age to go for ICSI rather than just IVF? In the open evening the embryologist said that's what they would recommend for women over 40 because our eggs have a harder shell for the sperm to penetrate.
Terri, wow...all sounds great...fingers cross for you.
Kay, wish everything turns out ok, could just be one of those odd cycles

 

[terripeachy]

My doctor said that it would be unlikely to have multiples, but either way, I'm not prepared. I'm not even really prepared to have one! Hee hee. We'll take it step by step. The good news is that two fairly close acquaintances (both married twins and one is a twin) just had twins, so they will be good resources.

Kay-maybe the change in herbs will help. There's no way it can make it worse, so try it? And it will either work or it won't. We all have odd cycles here and there. It's probably just a fluke.

 

[Pussycat1]

Weezy, we did ICSI and I thought it was because DH sample wasn't great or consistent. However when we used DE they asked did we want to do regular IVF when I queried it referring to the reasons for doing ICSI before they said it had been recommended due to my age and poor quality eggs. So I guess the quick answer to your question is yes! Do you think London is more expensive? I'm in Sussex and prices seem pretty much the same, possibly a little higher for some things. Perhaps down to less choice of clinics? x

 

[terripeachy]

Well, I was all excited about my great blastocysts to find out that out of the remaining 10, only two made it to the freezing stage. Those aren't very good odds for the embryos and also not very good odds for the three that were transferred. I wish I knew what happened to them. How can they only grow for 8 days?? It's BS. Now I will treat myself to cookies instead of the apples that I got for a snack.

 

[babybabyb]

The TWW is soooooooo long. I had my 3 day on October 3. Exactly one week ago. I think I may POAS on Wednesday. I'm so impatient. Does anyone else bruise from the injections? This is so much to go through. If this is unsuccessful we are going to try again. We purchased the guarantee program. Hopefully it will happen sooner than later. Missing caffeine

 

[babybabyb]

Also has anyone ever has luck with only one embie transferred??

 

[terripeachy]

I hope this works out for you baby. I am impatient too but I rarely POAS. I hate seeing stark white tests.

 

[Pussycat1]

Baby, 1 good one is all it takes. Some clinics will only put one back. Got everything crossed for you and Terri. x

 

[futurebbmoma]

baby I missed the post about your transfer... hopefully it's all nice and snuggled in by now!

kays - as if we don't freak out enough by ourselves now you have your acupuncturist freaking out for you! ahhh well, it's good to have her watching out for you. hope the new mix helps.

weezy - I had read all about our harder shells and expected my clinic to tell me to do ICSI but they didn't. I guess till you know whether you have a thick shell or not it's hard to know whether you need it or not. Double edged sword. If you forgo it and find you didn't have great fertilization maybe ICSI would have been better and that is a lost cycle. Or if you do do it right off the bat then you won't know if you really needed the procedure or not. Of my 10 retrieved, 8 fertilized but 3 had to be discarded due to double fertilization so I ended up with 5.

terri happy anniversary first of all! I wouldn't say that how blasts did outside of your body for 8 (!!) days is reflective of how well your blasts are doing inside of you post transfer. You had GREAT blasts. And those two frozen must be excellent! I thought they froze as soon as they were blasts and not continued to watch them. When the embryologist called me she said they watched for maximum of 6 days. Meanwhile, put the cookies down! (after 2... okay, 3)

AFM, today is 9dpt. I thought it was 10. I POAS... well, rather I PIAC (peed in a cup) as I have terrible aim. Nada. Blood test tomorrow so I have a smidgen of hope remaining that it was just too early this morning.

 

[Vonn]

Hi ladies! I'm pretty new here, mainly been reading.

It's nice to have someplace to share, vent, get advice from others in the same position! The DH gets overwhelmed with the level of obsession/focus it takes to navigate all the issues and possible solutions to LTTTC. And once I started reading some of these threads, I want to know what happens with all of you!

We have been TTC since Jan of 2013, off and on because of health issues uncovered in me (thyroid problem and other things connected to that--low progesterone, Candida albicans overgrowth in gut, lots of vitamin/mineral deficiencies). Finally found a progressive doctor willing to try lots of stuff to help me get better. It's been quite a roller coaster! Still is, actually...

Anyway, I just turned 40 this past weekend, and for the most part am okay with it. I treated myself in lots of ways to make it celebratory. But there is a little part of me that feels different about TTC in my 40s rather than my 30s. I know it's psychological...I am only one day older...change isn't that drastic or immediate! But I wonder if any of you have dealt with this emotional hurdle??

Thanks & baby dust to all!

 

[terripeachy]

Hi Vonn and welcome. Yeah, you're only a day older..I wouldn't sweat it. Being 40 was a bigger deal for me than being 40 and TTC. Happy belated birthday, btw.

future-Did you do a 3 day or 5 day transfer? I hate that you had a BFN. Thanks for writing and thanks for the anniversary note. I did eat about 3 cookies and then forced myself to eat the apple. At my place, I think they only watch them for 6 days, so not really sure why she didn't call me until 8 days later, but whatever. At this point, I'm fortunate to have them, and will have one more go round this year if need be. I'm out of prescription meds coverage until January, so depending on what I need for the FET will determine how soon I'll get to use them. A two month break may not be so bad, anyway.

 

[babybabyb]

Hey everyone. It is now 9dp3dt. For the past two days I've been having heart palpitations??? Has anyone experienced this? It's not stress. I'm wondering if it is a side effect of the PIO injections. I'm not sure whether to worry or not. I'm also coughing too and I never cough.

 

[terripeachy]

I would call a doctor if you're having heart palpitations. That is serious business...or wait until morning and call the fertility clinic. They will know if that's common or not, but it doesn't sound like it. Scary.

 

[Pussycat1]

Hi baby, hope everything's ok, did you call the Dr? x

 

[kaysbc]

Welcome Vonn! and happy belated birthday.

baby how you doing?

futurebb its hard isn't it, not to stress out every day when it gets close to POAS time, we never know what's too early to test! it drives me crazy too. take it easy you will know soon!

I'm feeling a little down today. As many people have posted about before, its always so hard when hearing pregnancy announcements. I heard of two yesterday, one from my next door neighbor who just sort of blurted it out when I ran into her and asked how she was. It was all I could do to muster up a smile and a congratulations. The other was a friend of mine at work who is same age as me (41) and is now 6 weeks pregnant with her 4th child.
I swear, this is just too much somedays how easily some people get pregnant. I keep trying to tell myself that my day will come too. But today its been in the back of my mind all day bumming me out.