Anyone doing FET/IVF in Jan 2013 till everyone's BFP (Everyone Welcome)

[everhopeful]

Ali- baby asprin or blood thinners if there is any blood clotting?

Also my fs suggested that if its an implantation issue which is what we feel I have then he has suggested a very light walk each day. Helps to pump blood to the uterus!! I've done some reading on Viagra for blood supply to uterus. I'm going to ask about it as you never know!!!

I see him on the 21st. Will let you know if he suggests anything!

Xx

 

[Em260]

Thanks for the great info Em! Unfortunately, my 7 frosties are all Day 3 embryos. So I suppose PGD won't be a good idea I definitely won't do a PGD if our chromosomal tests come back normal. But if the tests come back abnormal i.e. we know for sure that one or both of us carry defective genes, then I was hoping that there is another way to make sure if those embryos even stand a chance, ya know? Miscarriages take such a toll on the mind and body.

I'm not sure what they would do since your embryos were frozen at day 3. Maybe they would thaw them and grow them to day 5 for biopsy. You should ask your doctor. DH and I had chromosome testing done and it all came back normal. My understanding is that the chromosome errors happen during meiosis as the egg is developing. It can happen even if you have normal chromosomes and it's related to maternal age. I'm 33 and I was quoted 25-40% of embryos are abnormal in my age group.

I've had two miscarriages so I was anxious to do anything and everything to try and prevent that from happening again. Obviously there are no guarantees, you can still miscarry with a PGD normal embryo. But in my case, since we're doing single embryo transfers, I could have picked the 4 abnormal embryos and gone through 4 FETs before getting to a normal embryo. If I hadn't had previous losses and we were transferring 2 embryos at a time, I might have taken my chances and not done the testing.

 

[MoBaby]

I wish I would have done it... RE recommended it after bfn then mc in feb but I didn't want to for personal reasons and then we had a chemical and mc... Who knows if the others are okay when statistically 50% are abnormal? We've used 3/6 blasts so maybe we used the bad ones but I'm worried out of the 3 left one is abnormal and now we can't test them. And we have to do set now as well. They were already frozen before we started the set route.

 

[Em260]

Looks like I should take selenium and pineapple core too. That has been my issue thus far.. no implantation!

Any other thoughts on improving implantation?

What about the endometrial scratch/biopsy? I've seen that mentioned a lot on these forums. It seems more common in the UK right now. I've heard about the pineapple core too due to it having bromelain. Do you have endometriosis? I've read that some women with it are missing the beta-3 integrin protein which is essential for implantation. Some women are missing it even if they don't have endo. There is a test for it and it can be treated with depot lupron so it might be worth looking into.

 

[Boofle]

I've not heard of the pgd testing maybe I'll have to look into this if we end up having a second round of ivf!!
I had the endiometrial biopsy done in November and wanted my transfer to happen immediately following but my doc wouldn't allow it said there is just as much evidence to suggest it is detrimental but I'm yet to find any I really hope it is 3rd time lucky for us but if not ill definitely change clinics!!
I've now got a tummy bug so in hindsight its a good job I was turned down this month

 

[time2deal]

Hello ladies,

Do you mind if I join you! I'm a regular member of another forum, but I was hoping I could join here as I started my IVF cycle earlier in the week, and some support would be great.

As a bit of background. We have been TTC for a couple of years, and decided to try IVF after seeing a fertility specialist in around October. As part of the pre-checks I had a pap smear, which has, after a whole series of tests, now been diagnosed as cervical cancer.

The consultants have allowed me time to do one cycle of IVF to try to get a few frozen embryos, which I may be able to use in the future. Either myself (if they can avoid doing a full hysterectomy) or with a surrogate. This may be my only shot at getting any embryos, so I am trying to do as much as I can to improve egg quality.

I'm only taking now Folic Acid, Vitamin D and E, but will go and get some CoQ10, and Royal Jelly tomorrow. I'm on the down reg part of the cycle so hopefully not too late to make some kind of difference. I have also been doing Accupunture for a while, and will continue with that for this cycle. I'm also going to try and keep carbs down, and eat a high protein diet - lots of nuts, eggs etc.

Anyone have any other advice - specifically for egg quality? I don't want to go overboard and shock my body, but obviously I'm quite anxious that I do as much as I can.

Also, how is everyone coping with the hormones. I have been on Synarol for 3 days now, and really struggling with moodyness, bloating, and I think a bit of depression. The cancer diagnosis has been very stressful, so that probably isn't helping, but it's definately been worse since I started the drugs. Does anyone have advice on how to deal with the general depression, and please give me hope that it will go away next week when I start the stimulations!

Sorry for a massive first post. I just seem to have lots of questions now that I have started writing!

 

[Boofle]

Timetodeal - so sorry you are here at all never mind having to deal with the cancer diagnosis. Hopefully you will get lots of embryos from your cycle. I guess you will treat the cancer after your retrieval. I had buserelin when I down regulated - so long ago - in fact a year ago!! Wow seems like yesterday - I remember getting hot flushes but that was about it. I suffer with depression too - all I can say is it will lift - fill your days with things you love and it will pass. I'm doing accupuncture too. Thinking of you honey

 

[everhopeful]

Hello time - I'm very sorry that you have been diagnosed with cancer. You have come to a very supportive place here and we all offer advice where we can.

Down regulation is the hardest part of the cycle in my opinion. I had awful headaches the whole way through but as soon as you start the stims you will feel much better!!

With regards to egg quality, I think you are taking most things to help but I also took fish oil in tablet form for my second cycle and I had much better quality eggs. Not sure if it was down to that or not as I had also done acupuncture for second round.

Do you know when you are due to start your stims?

Xx

 

[alicatt]

Ali- baby asprin or blood thinners if there is any blood clotting?

Also my fs suggested that if its an implantation issue which is what we feel I have then he has suggested a very light walk each day. Helps to pump blood to the uterus!! I've done some reading on Viagra for blood supply to uterus. I'm going to ask about it as you never know!!!

I see him on the 21st. Will let you know if he suggests anything!

Xx

I was taking baby aspirin, that is part of my FS's normal regimen. He ordered the clotting panel, the autoimmune panel and the NK panel. I have my appt on the 18th so I'll let you know what he says!

So brazil nuts, pineapple core, blood thinners, and walking. I can do that!

 

[time2deal]

Thanks for the welcome ladies.

I'm due to starts the stims on Thursday, so not too long to deal with this. I have never suffered from depression, and am normally a really happy upbeat person, so I am finding this very hard. I just can't really face going out, and all I want to do is go back to bed!

My head knows this will pass, but it's hard to deal with now on top of everything else.

BUT, leaving that behind! I will add some fish oil to the mix, and hopefully it will help. I have also got very low AMH, and DH has a borderline sperm count, none of which helps. At least now we are getting really good fertility treatment, and the FS actually explained things a little more to us at the last visit. Said the last two years of infertility may not have happened if one of us had decent fertility, but the combination made it all very unlikely. At least we understand a bit more.

I'm trying not to hope too much for this cycle, and have put our names down on the egg donation waiting list just in case. One battle at a time I guess!

Wow - sorry for being so downbeat. Things will get better, and fingers crossed this cycle gives us some embryos to give us some choices in the future.

 

[time2deal]

Boofle - yes, I will treat the cancer after the egg retrieval. Directly after I think - the consultant wants to do the operation the next day.

Not sure yet what operation it will be - there is a chance it is early enough for a smaller operation, rather than a full hysterectomy, but the surgeons are still deciding. The next risk is then if they want to do radiation, which could destroy the ovaries. But, there is a chance of the smaller operation, and then a chance I can carry a child, so I have to stay hopeful!

 

[alicatt]

Thanks for the welcome ladies.

I'm due to starts the stims on Thursday, so not too long to deal with this. I have never suffered from depression, and am normally a really happy upbeat person, so I am finding this very hard. I just can't really face going out, and all I want to do is go back to bed!

My head knows this will pass, but it's hard to deal with now on top of everything else.

BUT, leaving that behind! I will add some fish oil to the mix, and hopefully it will help. I have also got very low AMH, and DH has a borderline sperm count, none of which helps. At least now we are getting really good fertility treatment, and the FS actually explained things a little more to us at the last visit. Said the last two years of infertility may not have happened if one of us had decent fertility, but the combination made it all very unlikely. At least we understand a bit more.

I'm trying not to hope too much for this cycle, and have put our names down on the egg donation waiting list just in case. One battle at a time I guess!

Wow - sorry for being so downbeat. Things will get better, and fingers crossed this cycle gives us some embryos to give us some choices in the future.

Infertility is something that gets the best of us down, so don't be worried about it, you are not alone! AMH doesn't mean you can't have a child, there are women I have met on past threads that have defied those odds, and have babies to prove it. So just have faith and do everything you can to make it work.

Have you discussed supplements for you and your DH to improve your egg/sperm quality? I'm not familiar with the ones for sperm quality (I'm using a sperm donor). However I do know quite a bit about the supplements that can help improve egg quality, in fact if you read back a few posts we were just discussing them! CoQ10, Royal Jelly, Maca Root, Vitamin D, Omega 3, are a few that are known to help with egg quality. As will acupuncture. I have also heard that tapioca can improve your egg quality as well, although I heard this after I had completed that portion of my IVF.

Also ensure that your FS has taken a full medical history, things like hypo/hyper thyroid, PCOS, previous abdominal surgery, history of MC, autoimmune issues, sensitivity to gluten can all cause infertility. Has your FS done a HSG to ensure that your tubes, and uterus look good? Along with a full hormone panel? All of these things will help your FS create a protocol catered to your particular needs. Also discuss ICSI and AH. ICSI is when they select a healthy sperm (since your DH has sperm issues) and inserts it into the egg. This will help with improved fertilization rates. AH is for women with PCOS, history of smoking and women that are older. They prick the embryo and make a tiny hole in which helps the embryo hatch. Apparently women with PCOS, or women over 38 (and previous smokers) have thicker shells, and need this help.

Don't give up yet, just talk with your FS and discuss all of these things with him!

 

[Sandy83]

Welcome time

So sorry to hear about your diagnosis we are doing Ivf due to dh being diagnosed with lymphoma cancer in 2010 and dealing with that was hard never mind having the whole ivf process on top of it. You are so strong. All the ladies have gave you great advice for improving egg quality so nothing more to add on that respect but all I can say is things happen for a reason and make us stronger people for it. I have definitely learnt to live life to the full and never regret anything so just take each day at a time and positive thinking is the way forward. We are here for you anytime of the day as it is better the vent than keep it all in no matter how trivial it is. Thinking of you xxxxx

 

[Em260]

Time – I’m so sorry you are going through this. I’ve been facing something similar, ovarian cancer, and I just finished two back-to-back egg retrievals. I’m having surgery to remove the cancer on Wednesday. I’ve been struggling with feeling down lately too so I’ve started seeing a therapist. I’m normally pretty social but lately I’m not at all. I bowed out of a lot of social events over the holidays because I just didn’t feel like chit chatting. This is absolutely a normal reaction when going through something like this but it really feels good to talk to someone about it. This forum has also been a huge support to me so please keep us updated on your journey.

You’ve gotten some good recommendations for improving egg quality. I agree with what Ali wrote about AMH. My level was really low 0.6 and I still got a good number of embryos. I definitely want to wish you the best of luck! If there is one thing I wish I had known before I started this whole thing it’s that there is hope. You will get embryos and whether you carry them or use a gestational carrier, you will have a baby. PM me if you feel like chatting more. I would love to talk to you.

 

[alicatt]

Thanks Sandy and EM! It is so great to hear of each of your stories. We are all here for one reason or another, and knowing that we are all going through it, and supporting each other helps.

I just can't help thinking that a positive frame of mind and visualizing the end result can do wonders. Having faith and knowing that it will all be somehow. Knowing that God has a plan for us all, and that we just need to be patient and have faith.

to you all!

Ali

 

[time2deal]

Cheers ladies. I know it gets us down from time to time - I think maybe I'll just have dinner and go to bed.

We will be doing ICSI, and it's too late for DH to do things for his sperm, as it takes three months to have any impact. Mind you, I still think he should - just in case we do have a chance in the future!

Sandy, sorry to pry, but are you using your husbands sperm? What has been the impact of the cancer treatment? 2010 is very recent too... it's so hard when you have to deal with all these things together.

Em - I had read around a bit and saw your story earlier today, and it sounded familiar. It's a hard thing when people freak out about the cancer, but in reality the thing getting me down more is the impact on fertility. I know that's probably a bit silly, but it something we have been so focused on the last few years, its scary to have the door closed so suddenly on it all.

It's early evening here, and very tempted to go to bed! Maybe I will.. nice and rested for back to work tomorrow.

 

[time2deal]

I also meant to say best of luck for Wednesday Em. Hope it goes well, and the recovery isn't too tough.

I know the feeling about skipping social events, sometimes you just can't face the small talk.

 

[alicatt]

Cheers ladies. I know it gets us down from time to time - I think maybe I'll just have dinner and go to bed.

We will be doing ICSI, and it's too late for DH to do things for his sperm, as it takes three months to have any impact. Mind you, I still think he should - just in case we do have a chance in the future!

Sandy, sorry to pry, but are you using your husbands sperm? What has been the impact of the cancer treatment? 2010 is very recent too... it's so hard when you have to deal with all these things together.

Em - I had read around a bit and saw your story earlier today, and it sounded familiar. It's a hard thing when people freak out about the cancer, but in reality the thing getting me down more is the impact on fertility. I know that's probably a bit silly, but it something we have been so focused on the last few years, its scary to have the door closed so suddenly on it all.

It's early evening here, and very tempted to go to bed! Maybe I will.. nice and rested for back to work tomorrow.

Time - It takes eggs 3 months to improve, but it only take a few weeks! You could totally improve his in a very short time. I wish I knew what supplements helped with I'm single and using donor so that was never an issue for me! AH HA! I found the supplement that another woman on the TTC over 35 thread mentioned for improving sperm: Pycnogenol. She also mentioned that things like propecia (for male hair loss) can be very detrimental to sperm morphology. Also CoQ10 and Selenium are supposed to work on too. I hope that helps!

 

[alicatt]

Boofle - yes, I will treat the cancer after the egg retrieval. Directly after I think - the consultant wants to do the operation the next day.

Not sure yet what operation it will be - there is a chance it is early enough for a smaller operation, rather than a full hysterectomy, but the surgeons are still deciding. The next risk is then if they want to do radiation, which could destroy the ovaries. But, there is a chance of the smaller operation, and then a chance I can carry a child, so I have to stay hopeful!

Time - I'm so sorry to hear about your cancer, I really hope that they can resolve it in a way that will still allow you to carry your child. If not there are other options, like surrogacy. Just know that we are here. Get some rest and hopefully tomorrow things won't look so bleak.

 

[MoBaby]

time: IDK if this helped or not BUT DH was on fertilaid and countboost for a few months before our 3rd IVF cycle (was only to be 1-2 months but I ended up with surgery)...the first two we made just 2 and 3 blasts despite a good number of fertilized eggs..In cycle 3 we had 6 blasts from 12 embryos.. I can't help wonder if its the supplements or not. If we are to do a 4th fresh cycle after talking with RE DH will go back on supplements (he doesnt like taking meds).It didnt improve his numbers (he has about 100 or less sperm per sample) but his quality must have been better And it doesnt hurt anyways.
Depending on what our RE says in feb I think DH wants to have a second urology opinion. We are going to proceed with IVF/FET for a baby but DH wants to know if there is a correctable blockage since our first urologist was a tool....he wanted to go straight to the mTESE although DH had 2 surgeries as a child that are both well known to cause accidential damage to the vas deferns....He wouldnt even offer an ultrasound or anything! I think we found someone that specializes in vasectomy reversals after many years so we may go there just for a workup. DH insurance covers infertility tx 100% (but not mine, go figure).

I am sorry about the diagnosis of cervical cancer... I hope they can save most of everything so you can carry your own child. I havent had a diagnosis of cancer but I know what you mean about the depression....I can barely get out of the house. My friends want me to come hang out with them and have invited me but since my close ones know I was pg then the MC, I know they will ask ?s and I just dont want to deal with that. AND my BFF has a new 6 week old baby (we were going through fertility issues together and she got pg on 1st iui) and I really dont want to be around new babies or pregnant women...A very pg woman sat beside me in church today and I almost lost it! I really thought about walking out of the service or going to sit somewhere else...Anyways I've rambled, sorry you have to be here and gl with your upcoming cycle!!