Chinese Accupuncture

[Juniperjules]

Hi girls!! Nice to hear from you all again!

I've just done my 2nd IVF stim cycle. We have one PGS tested normal embie frozen from our 1st cycle in july & we're hoping to get another from this 2nd cycle before the end of the calendar year (in Australia you get more money back from the government once you hit a threshold so we decided to just go again before the end of 2015).

So I got 15 eggs at EPU. DP gave his sample and we left. Almost home, and get a call from embryology saying there were NO live sperm!!!!! OMG... So we drove back and DP gave another sample. Only 3hrs after the first.. The next two hours were the worst in my life.. All we could think of was those 15 eggs & the $12k we'd just spent going down the drain.. (Well not exactly they would have probly frozen my eggs I think but still.. NIGHTMARE!).. Then 2hrs later we got a call saying the 2nd sample had 'plenty' of sperm!! Seriously we were jumping around squealing & hugging each other like we'd won the lottery!!

So they icsi'd 12 eggs, We ended up with 8 fertilising. By day 3 we had 7 still going. Day 5 we had 2 blastocysts that could be biopsied and frozen, and a3rd they were growing to day 6. This one was perfect, but the inner cell mass was hatching and it was too risky to try and get cells from the trophectoderm for testing as the ICM may have been damaged. They asked us if we were still happy to freeze this one and of course we were! It will be our little untested blast..

So currently we have 4 snow babies.. 1 tested normal, 1 untested, and 2 waiting on test results. That'll be another 2-3 wk wait... Soooooo much waiting and hoping in this game!

Regarding DE, Vonn, if that is an option ur leaning towards I'm in another forum with a thread that has loads of Aussie girls who go to Cape Town for DE. It has LOADS of info, and most of the girls end up preggers- the clinic has a great reputation and the girls can't speak highly enough of it. Many of them have looked into other countries for DE and have found that CT is much cheaper & excellent in every important area of consideration. They also share helpful info about accommodation & things to do there as apparently it's great holiday as well! IVF is much much cheaper there compared to Australia anyway. Most say for a full stim, with airfares for 2 people, and accommodation, it works out around $15k AUD. Which they seem to say is fab bcos you get a holiday at the same time and all seem to love it there. Are you in the US? You'd need to convert that of course into USD.

It's the option we'll take if we can't make this happen with our own embies. We've already discussed it...
It's really worth reading through if you think you want to go down that track. Let me know if you want to have a look at it and ill try pm'ing you a link to it.

Briss, where are things at with you? Are you still doing IVF? Looking at options?

Hope your all well. I turn 41 on 7th December.. Another year older but hopefully closer to parenthood one way or the other! X

 

[Vonn]

Juniper--thanks for the update. I'm so glad you were able to send 2 embies off for testing. I am hoping so hard for you that they come back perfect! I'm sure you will have at least one take home baby!! Is the plan now to do the immune protocol and then transfer a couple, depending on the testing results? What's the time frame? There is always so much waiting. I look forward to following your experience!

Thanks also for all the information about IVF in Cape Town. I had not considered or looked into South Africa, so I appreciate the suggestion! I did a little preliminary digging and I think the clinic in NY that we are leaning towards is more affordable for us and convenient. Airfare from Minnesota to Cape Town is spendy. Plus we'd have to stay awhile, which would really add up, esp since my DH gets crappy vacation/leave time & would have to take unpaid days off.

And, Briss, thanks for the suggestions of Canada and Mexico. I have found no better deals in either place than I have with the clinic in the NY I am working with. I'm really grateful my research uncovered CNY Fertility, they are very affordable and have a philosophy that aligns with mine. They have acu, massage, and yoga in-house & take a very holistic approach.

I just got AF so now I am to start my final IUI. Hopefully all this research and preparation for IVF will be for naught...because I won't need it!

 

[nobump]

Juniper that is fab numbers. How you coping with the wait for results.

Vonn good luck with your IUI.

AFM I'm CD 30 normally 25 day cycles. Been cramping sinnce around CD23. just bought clear blue from tesco. They didn't have any own make. Will test in morning. Do you think I can get a refun if AF appears overnight? Not expecting a positive. Dates all wrong.

 

[nobump]

No AF yet but BFN on clear blue.

 

[terripeachy]

nobump...maybe it's too early for you to test, and you ovulated a little late. I hope that's the case.

 

[Vonn]

Nobump--I hope Terri's right and your bfp is just around the corner!!!! Exciting! Keep us updated. I've got my fx for you.

Juniper--are you stimming again for another cycle?

 

[nobump]

Think the witch has arrived.

Ate prawns earlier but think she would be here regardless. Cramps were stronger before dinner.

 

[Vonn]

Nobump--that was a long wait, it must have driven you crazy! I'm so sorry it was a negative.

Juniper--do you have results back yet from your pgs/pgd testing? I'm excited for your next step!

AFM--I'm halfway through my tww for my final IUI. I'll probably test on Xmas eve, don't want to hold on to false hope on the holiday if it's neg & would love a private celebration with DH if it's positive. Official beta isn't until the 28th as the clinic doesn't do betas on the weekend.

 

[nobump]

FX for you Vonn.

Got docs Monday am. Will see if she can advise. Atkeast I can have a glass of wine with my Xmas dinner. X

 

[terripeachy]

Sorry nobump. Definitely keep think positively and hopefully the doctor will be able to help.

 

[nobump]

Just felt like crying all day. Doc was no use. She said it could be many different things. Id I have more wonky cycles they will do bloods. Said definitely not a miscarriage as tests are 97% acurate. Just a wonky cycle. So grumpy. Early night for me. Hopefully tomorrow will be better.

 

[terripeachy]

nobump-You're making me cry. Tomorrow (today) will be better. Stay strong, chica. You can do this.

 

[nobump]

Thanks. Think a good moan and an early night has helped. Just when you think you have come to terns with things it hits you again.

Xx

 

[Vonn]

Just when you think you have come to terns with things it hits you again.

Amen, sister! This is an ongoing process, even the letting go part. Maybe especially the letting go part. I'm glad you are feeling a little better. Take care, nobump.

 

[Juniperjules]

Hi girls!

sorry Vonn for not replying sooner! I cleared the cookies on my phone in December & lost this forum, couldnt remember what is was called.. Then when I found it couldn't remember my login details! Geez...

But have sorted all of that now.

So.. My November cycle didn't exactly turn out great. Our 2 embies came back abnormal : ( so gutted about that. So we now have a PGD normal embie frozen from July, & one untested embie frozen. We're doing an FET in Feb, AF is due in 10 days. I am absolutely petrified about it. Mostly bcos I feel like this PGD embie may be our only chance. It's so much pressure. I'll be doing all my immune meds as given by my reproductive immunologist, aspirin, clexane, prednisolone, and intrallipid infusion a week before transfer. Am praying to god that it works. If not, we will transfer the untested embie at some stage, just not sure when as were planning a European trip in May/June. So probably after that.

Very anxious about it all I have to admit.

Where is everyone else at??

 

[nobump]

Hi JJ,

Sorry to hear your embryos came back abnormal.

Good luck with FET in Feb. Guess you just need to follow docs advice.

Trip to Europe sounds good. Where will you go? For how long?

I am good. AF was a little early in Jan. Holiday booked in Feb. Friend at work thinks I am looking happier. Think I have gained peace again with things and less stressed with work.

Xx

 

[Vonn]

Juniper--I know you are scared, but I am thrilled for you!!!!! You have a normal embie and with your immune meds, I am just sure this will be it for you. I am sending you lots and lots of positive vibes across the pond! Where are you at in the process now? Still waiting for AF? Can't wait!

Nobump--I am so happy to hear you are feeling better about life. You had a really rough go of it, esp with all that non-stop bleeding. I can't imagine how physically and emotionally draining that was for you. I hope you have a wonderful vacation!

Hi to everyone else! And, Briss, if you ever peak in here, I am assuming you left us because you had success & wanted to move on from this thread that reflected so much pain and sadness over the years. If my math skills are any good, you will probably be having a baby in the next month or couple months. I really, really hope I am correct & just have wonderful, amazing thoughts for you!! You deserve it. Much love to you.

AFM--I am having the longest luteal phase EVER. Currently at 13 DPO, but got a negative result on a frer with FMU. Wasn't really expecting a positive, but it's impossible to not have a little bit of hope. It must be the vitex I decided to try this cycle. Whenever AF arrives, I will start a mock cycle. Then we will be able to reserve a donor as we are going with DE IVF. I actually feel confident I will get pregnant. We got some financial help from DH's parents, so I don't feel like this will totally put us in the poor house. We are so grateful for that. I still can't stop with the sugar and get rid of this candida infection, and I now think there's a psychological component (continue to leave one more thing that can be fixed, self-punishment for not being able to get pg on my own, etc.) I just had this "revelation" and I'm going to find someone to help me get over myself. Ha!

 

[Vonn]

Juniper--It's February! When are you doing your FET???? Thinking of you.

 

[Briss]

how are you ladies? i am sorry I abandoned this thread, it's just since I moved firmly towards IVF i ended up spending more time on FF, there is just far more IVF related threads there but also i did get pregnant very quickly after my miscarriage and it scared me. i was so worried that i spent half of the pregnancy in denial. i would not even announce at work even though i had a bump and people were gossiping. just really traumatised by years and years of TTC and going through failure after failure. I wrote about my journey on success threads in case it might be helpful to anyone. i hope to be able to start ttc again

 

[Vonn]

Briss!! So good to see that cute jumping girl back here again. A humongous congratulations to you on the birth of your first baby! Your success story ended there, which makes me so curious about your birth experience and the challenges you faced in the first couple months. I hope this baby has also brought and continues to bring you lots of joy. Oh, how wonderful that you didn't give up and learned your body like no dr could/would to create success. You made that happen. It's no surprise that you want to do it again, no reason why you can't! Are you and DH talking about it, or are you just thinking about it? Do you want to use the clinic in Munich again? Excited for your next steps!

As you can see, this thread got very quiet. I'm still trying, still going to acu just about every week. Sometimes the needles don't bother me, sometimes they hurt quite bad. But I love my acu dr and figure it can't be hurting, so I keep going. Been on a special diet to get rid of my candida overgrowth for about 4 months, it's very restrictive, so I'm quite proud of myself. And as you can see in my sig, I've had nothing but sh@tty news in the DE IVF department. Should have had a transfer in mid-May, now it's July and we are back to square one. I'm so torn about whether to stay with this clinic or try somewhere different. It exhausts me just thinking about researching and deciding all over again.

Pregnancy and motherhood just never seems to get any closer, even though I keep getting older. I can't believe I'm 41 and the youngest I'd have my first baby is 42. I really can't believe it sometimes.