brokenbits
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Well, i've resigned myself to the fact that i'll only get a family through IVF. So I made a small document for my OH to basically get to grips with what it is and what happens. He knows the basics, but he was asking me lots about it so I thought i'd write it all down (well copy and paste with my own added comments in red!)
Please let me know what you think and if you think it's man friendly enough for him to understand
IVF What it is, how it works and why I need it
In-vitro fertilisation (IVF) is one of several assisted conception techniques available to help people with fertility problems to have a baby. It involves an egg being surgically removed from the ovary and fertilised outside the body.
> In a nutshell!
Success rates of IVF
The success rate of IVF is determined to a large degree by the age of the woman undergoing the treatment. Younger women tend to have healthier eggs which increase the chances of success.
The average success rate after one cycle of IVF treatment in the UK is:
28% for women who are under 35 years of age,
24% for women who are between 35-37 years of age,
18% for women who are between 38-39 years of age
IVF on the NHS
The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines that were published in 2004 recommend that suitable couples receive up to three cycles of IVF treatment on the NHS. The government added a priority condition that couples with a child, or children, from the current or previous relationship, should not have access to NHS treatment.
The typical cost of one IVF cycle at a private clinic is £2,500. However, the rate at which this recommendation is being implemented has varied, and NHS trusts across England and Wales are working to provide the same levels of service.
> I think Somerset PCT offers 2 cycles on the NHS and apparently Southmead in Bristol is the best/successful clinic locally. I think they let you choose which clinic to have the treatment.
Traditional IVF[/B]The main IVF technique was developed in the 1970s. This involves giving the woman fertility drugs to stimulate egg production, and then surgically retrieving the eggs from the ovaries. She is then given hormones to prepare her uterus for pregnancy, while the eggs are fertilised with the sperm in a laboratory. The embryos are then implanted into the woman's uterus, and if all goes well, a normal pregnancy is achieved.
> Fertility drugs cause MASSIVE mood swings apparently...oh, and youd have to catch your swimmers in a pot : )
Intra-cytoplasmic Sperm Injection
IVF procedures developed more recently include Intra-cytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI). This helps those men for whom the standard IVF technique would fail, for example if their sperm are unable to penetrate the egg, to achieve pregnancy with their partner.
> This one is for men with crappy swimmers, but I think yours should be fine since you have a healthy lifestyle and dont smoke or anything.
Intrauterine insemination
Intrauterine insemination (IUI) is an alternative procedure which involves the introduction of washed sperm directly into the uterus to maximise the number of healthy sperm reaching the fallopian tubes and fertilising an egg. Procedures such as sperm washing can also be carried out in order to only retrieve sperm strong and healthy enough for inclusion in IVF techniques. This is particularly successful with men who have a low sperm count.
> This one wouldnt be an option as it still involves using the fallopian tubes.
Risks
There are several risks involved with assisted conception. The diagnostic and treatment procedures can involve discomfort, particularly for the woman undergoing IVF, who may experience side effects from the fertility drugs, and may find the egg retrieval uncomfortable.
Ovarian hyper-stimulation syndrome
Ovarian hyper-stimulation syndrome (OHSS) is a rare but known side effect of IVF. It occurs when the fertility drugs given to stimulate egg production in the woman are so successful that the ovaries cannot cope with the increased number of eggs.
A mild incidence can cause pain and bloating. If the over stimulation is severe, blood clots, kidney damage and twisting of the ovaries may occur, and monitoring in hospital will be required. OHSS can jeopardise the progress of the treatment cycle.
Multiple births
There is an increased chance of multiple gestation, that is, of producing twins or triplets, as the chances of IVF success are maximised by more than one embryo being put back into the womb. This has associated dangers, such as an increased risk of problems occurring during the pregnancy or labour, and of the babies being delivered prematurely.
> Its a massive process and takes its toll on emotions. I know that a lot of people that go through it come out the other side stronger though. I think its just another one of my lifes big tests : )
Not sure how much you know about the whole reproduction malarky, but Ill keep it brief and man friendly for you (!) Basically, in a normal woman the swimmers would travel up the fallopian tubes and meet the egg which had been released by the ovary now, because of my half dead mong cilia both my eggs AND the swimmers have issues. The cilia in the fallopian tubes are supposed to help waft the egg and swimmers along, but mine remain static and along with excess mucous, its a very difficult and sticky journey for both parties to attempt. So I should imagine every time they all end up deaded. The IVF will assist by having the eggs and swimmers meeting in a petri-dish (lol), where they will meet (as they would in a fallopian tube) and then they are put back in the uterus. So no sticky journey to be made.
Please let me know what you think and if you think it's man friendly enough for him to understand
IVF What it is, how it works and why I need it
In-vitro fertilisation (IVF) is one of several assisted conception techniques available to help people with fertility problems to have a baby. It involves an egg being surgically removed from the ovary and fertilised outside the body.
> In a nutshell!
Success rates of IVF
The success rate of IVF is determined to a large degree by the age of the woman undergoing the treatment. Younger women tend to have healthier eggs which increase the chances of success.
The average success rate after one cycle of IVF treatment in the UK is:
28% for women who are under 35 years of age,
24% for women who are between 35-37 years of age,
18% for women who are between 38-39 years of age
IVF on the NHS
The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines that were published in 2004 recommend that suitable couples receive up to three cycles of IVF treatment on the NHS. The government added a priority condition that couples with a child, or children, from the current or previous relationship, should not have access to NHS treatment.
The typical cost of one IVF cycle at a private clinic is £2,500. However, the rate at which this recommendation is being implemented has varied, and NHS trusts across England and Wales are working to provide the same levels of service.
> I think Somerset PCT offers 2 cycles on the NHS and apparently Southmead in Bristol is the best/successful clinic locally. I think they let you choose which clinic to have the treatment.
Traditional IVF[/B]The main IVF technique was developed in the 1970s. This involves giving the woman fertility drugs to stimulate egg production, and then surgically retrieving the eggs from the ovaries. She is then given hormones to prepare her uterus for pregnancy, while the eggs are fertilised with the sperm in a laboratory. The embryos are then implanted into the woman's uterus, and if all goes well, a normal pregnancy is achieved.
> Fertility drugs cause MASSIVE mood swings apparently...oh, and youd have to catch your swimmers in a pot : )
Intra-cytoplasmic Sperm Injection
IVF procedures developed more recently include Intra-cytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI). This helps those men for whom the standard IVF technique would fail, for example if their sperm are unable to penetrate the egg, to achieve pregnancy with their partner.
> This one is for men with crappy swimmers, but I think yours should be fine since you have a healthy lifestyle and dont smoke or anything.
Intrauterine insemination
Intrauterine insemination (IUI) is an alternative procedure which involves the introduction of washed sperm directly into the uterus to maximise the number of healthy sperm reaching the fallopian tubes and fertilising an egg. Procedures such as sperm washing can also be carried out in order to only retrieve sperm strong and healthy enough for inclusion in IVF techniques. This is particularly successful with men who have a low sperm count.
> This one wouldnt be an option as it still involves using the fallopian tubes.
Risks
There are several risks involved with assisted conception. The diagnostic and treatment procedures can involve discomfort, particularly for the woman undergoing IVF, who may experience side effects from the fertility drugs, and may find the egg retrieval uncomfortable.
Ovarian hyper-stimulation syndrome
Ovarian hyper-stimulation syndrome (OHSS) is a rare but known side effect of IVF. It occurs when the fertility drugs given to stimulate egg production in the woman are so successful that the ovaries cannot cope with the increased number of eggs.
A mild incidence can cause pain and bloating. If the over stimulation is severe, blood clots, kidney damage and twisting of the ovaries may occur, and monitoring in hospital will be required. OHSS can jeopardise the progress of the treatment cycle.
Multiple births
There is an increased chance of multiple gestation, that is, of producing twins or triplets, as the chances of IVF success are maximised by more than one embryo being put back into the womb. This has associated dangers, such as an increased risk of problems occurring during the pregnancy or labour, and of the babies being delivered prematurely.
> Its a massive process and takes its toll on emotions. I know that a lot of people that go through it come out the other side stronger though. I think its just another one of my lifes big tests : )
Not sure how much you know about the whole reproduction malarky, but Ill keep it brief and man friendly for you (!) Basically, in a normal woman the swimmers would travel up the fallopian tubes and meet the egg which had been released by the ovary now, because of my half dead mong cilia both my eggs AND the swimmers have issues. The cilia in the fallopian tubes are supposed to help waft the egg and swimmers along, but mine remain static and along with excess mucous, its a very difficult and sticky journey for both parties to attempt. So I should imagine every time they all end up deaded. The IVF will assist by having the eggs and swimmers meeting in a petri-dish (lol), where they will meet (as they would in a fallopian tube) and then they are put back in the uterus. So no sticky journey to be made.
