First time IVF - Started Lupron last Thurs - Would Love some Buddies

[LadySosa]

Gorgeous crib Kfs!

Beagle - good luck with your appointment today.

Amy - you are still in my thoughts - good luck today.

Booger - Yuck! Nausea is the worst. Yeah, I hate feeling hungover. You're right, I'll be feeling like this even with no booze. But I'm ready! It sounds like finding the right doc is quite a process and I can see how location is important but also a clinic/doctor that you like.

Terri - I forgot to say CONGRATS on the second beta! I was so happy to see that. Most excellent news.

 

[MrsL4]

Would love to join! Third IUI scheduled for tomorrow morning....
Had an appt yesterday to discuss the next steps....if this IUI doesn't work, we will start IVF in May with estimated retrieval date around June 8th.

Def nervous, but hopeful and happy we are taking the next step.


All tests have come back normal....SA, labs, HSG. Respond well to clomid, on our third IUI with monitoring and hcg shot. I just turned 29 and DH is turning 29 in June. Been trying 18 cycles with no BFP yet. We are TTC # 1.

Our REI yesterday said she would probably recommended single embyro transfer since we are young, and thus far have no known problem.....but part of me wanting to transfer two, in hopes that one would take. The goal is clearly bringing home a healthy baby......but it also seems crazy to go this far and just hope one will work!

She also recommended ICSI on all the eggs, as that will eliminate another variable. Has anyone done assisted hatching? We didn't really discuss that....is that something you decided midway through fertilization? if the embryo isn't hatching?

We discussed PGD but it is an additional 5K....and we haven't had recurrent miscarriages, and we are "young" in infertility land.....so she didn't think we should do that the first round. I agree with this....although when I read some of hall's experience, it seems like a larger percentage came back abnormal, when you weren't expecting it! So that makes me a little nervous.

I also forgot to ask her ab supplements for IVF.....but I have been taking vit b complex, vit d, vit e, fish oil, baby asa and coq10 for over a month....and prenatals over 18 months......figure i will take those until ivf meds start (unless she is okay with those supplements).

We are paying out of pocket, but do have 5k in pharmacy coverage (so so so thankful for that).....but we were pleasantly surprised yesterday when we found out that it will be a few thousands dollars less than what we thought. We are thinking 1-2 fresh cycles, and 1-2 frozens (depending how many eggs of course) will be our limit. I know that can change as things go along, but that is our soft limit right now, before we know how the first cycle goes.


Thanks for letting me join in ladies, this board has really been a life saver for me as we all go through this journey. Nobody understands infertility until you have traveled the road yourself!

 

[Babywhisperer]

Good morning, ladies!

Amy - You're still in my thoughts. I just can't believe this is happening. I hope everything goes smoothly today and you're on the path to healing soon. You'll know what to do when the time is right.

Lady - Good luck with your baseline today! Hooray to moving forward. I feel your BFP is just around the corner. Sorry to hear about your hangover but glad you had a fun time last night. Yes, enjoy it while you can and then you can look forward to feeling like you're hungover when you're not.

Terri - So happy to see your second beta was great! I can't wait for you to have your first ultrasound. It's just around the corner now. Finding the right doctor can be challenging. My original plan was to switch to a doctor in the town I live in and stop seeing the one who had been doing my monitoring during my IVF/Transfer cycles (even though I really loved that Dr). This was because I really wanted to deliver locally and not have to worry about a 45 minute drive to the hospital when the time comes in November. Well, I had one appointment the local doctor (who I had been to before) and I have now switched back to the doctor in Missoula! I should have just gone with my gut to begin with but I thought I would try locally. Anyway, that was a long-winded way of saying, you could try of couple of different doctors to see which one you click with the most.

Oh, and you had me tearing up again yesterday with your story about the nurse and you having your emotional moment. So sweet!

Beagle - Good luck at your appointment today. I hope all goes well!

jkb - I'm so happy to see that things are still going well with you. That has to be such a relief. I hope it stays that way for the rest of your pregnancy.

sars - That's awesome that your announcement went over so well. I have to admit, I'm more than a little jealous of you ladies who haven't had to deal with morning sickness. I was hoping I'd be in that category but it is what it is! I just hope mine goes away soon and I can start to feel somewhat normal again.

MrsW - Sorry your little one has chicken pox! I hope she isn't too miserable. And I'm glad to see you're having another go in July. Live it up until then!

moni - Wahoo for going home!!! I bet you're beyond ready to have little guy at home where he belongs!

Hello to Jen, Erin, kfs, and babywhisperer! I hope you're all doing well.

Not much new to report with me. I felt pretty good all week until yesterday afternoon. Then the nausea hit me hard again. I guess it's just going to come and go for now. It's tolerable today. Just glad it's Friday! I'd love to get some spring cleaning done around the house this weekend. We need to start clearing out the spare bedroom that will become the baby's room. Which means I'm going to need to do some major clothes purging since that is where I have my closet. The joy of an old home with tiny closets.

I have a feeling you will start to have more good days than bad days, so there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I need to do the same Spring cleaning chore...I have a 100yr old house and despite it being renovated and expanded, the closets run small too. I think I am going to get Tupperware tubs and put clothes I may not fit into in a while away in the attic or basement. I need more hanging space. Then I am thinking of taking the shelves in my closet and turn them into hanging bars. If I can clear 1 closet a weekend, get to the utility room in the basement, and put up a wide gate to separate dh's man cave part of the basement and the play area I will be excited. I want to transition Jack's toys and the pack and play to the basement and free up the den. Then I can focus on the nursery. I found a nursery set on Craig's List that I love just have to measure to see if it fits...it's a crib, dresser/changing table and armoire. I would have to get a truck and pick it all up but it might be worth it as it was barely used as a second set for their Summer house. Do you find it satisfying to de-clutter? I love this part of pregnancy, I finally let go of stuff I have been holding onto!

 

[beaglemom]

MrsL- looks like you are headed in the right direction. Sorry you are going through this at such a young age & no known issues. My issue was all in the sperm so we had ICSI & I think assisted hatching. But I don't recall the assisted hatching conversation. PGS is a little different from PGD I think. But def consider this. It is a personal choice, but I had a 40% return from PGS...2 out of 5. Ask what the cost of an FET is & weigh that against the cost of PGS. Also consider meds are needed for FET & they can be costly. $5K runs out fast. Also weigh the risk of twins vs singles. I opted for PGS mainly because we did not want twins. If my 1 split, then so be it. Booger did the same. These are just the things that went in to our ultimate decision. Also even if a good semen analysis, I would put DH on fertility blend from GNC...can't hurt.

Good luck!!!

 

[beaglemom]

BabyW- I also just packed up all the clothes I can't wear during pregnancy...I needed space for new clothes.

 

[Babywhisperer]

Terri - That's funny that you're reading that book. Everyone warned me NOT to read that one. But that's probably just because of my personality since I'm such a worrier. My friend gave me a baby book which I have yet to pick up. I'm thinking it's about time. Awww - and Fun sounds so cute. Make me miss my Eli.

LadySosa - Good luck at your appt today.

Booger - Ugh. I'm sorry about the nausea. I'm glad that you're settled on a doctor. It sounds like the drive is worth it for you to feel comfortable. My Dr. is about 20-30 minutes away, too. But I'm liking the practice so far (aside from the long waits, which I think are normal). Oh - and I feel your pain about small closets. Ours are RIDICULOUS and we're now losing a dresser to the baby's room. So we each get one tiny closet and under the bed storage. We do have storage upstairs in our loft though at least so we can switch out seasons of clothes.

Sooooooooo happy it's Friday. Dinner with my girls tonight. Looking forward to eating some good food. My crib came today. And now to put it together, right? Here's a pic from the website in case anyone's interested.

Love the crib! Very similar to what I bought for Jack...his back piece is solid with a curved top. It's one of those 4-in-1 cribs...make sure to get rail covers before the baby can stand b/c when they can stand they will start chewing on it like a beaver!

 

[terripeachy]

booger-Sorry you got hit hard again yesterday. UGH!! When will it end? I really feel bad that you're having such a difficult time of things, but it's good to appreciate the good times. So, you didn't like your local doctor? I called a couple places, and when I tell them I'm old and have high blood pressure, they are like 'oh, we don't see high risk patients' and they keep mentioning this one guy. There has to be more than ONE guy in town. I wrote to my nurse and asked her if they have a list of doctors that they recommend. They have to know someone. I don't want to be stuck with only one option.

kfs1-you SO don't seem like a worrier to me, but you know yourself. There is a lot of information in that book, but it hasn't caused me to worry. It's just information overload really. I love your crib. I like dark wood. Oh, and we have small closets too. I do winter/summer closets, because my husband is a clothes horse. He recently cleaned out a lot of stuff so he's down to like 1.5 closets. I have a big one that is only half full and a small one that's a half full.

LadySosa-Get it in while you can!! sorry you're feeling hungover today, but at least you and your hubs can hang together. How fun! I'd never get any work done.

beagle-Glad your appointment went well. U/S next week and we can check on little Derek. Oh, I meant to tell you..the other day when we were at the game, the SS missed the ball, and some fan started chanting 'DE-REK JE-TER' HA!!HA!! It was pretty funny.

 

[Babywhisperer]

Would love to join! Third IUI scheduled for tomorrow morning....
Had an appt yesterday to discuss the next steps....if this IUI doesn't work, we will start IVF in May with estimated retrieval date around June 8th.

Def nervous, but hopeful and happy we are taking the next step.


All tests have come back normal....SA, labs, HSG. Respond well to clomid, on our third IUI with monitoring and hcg shot. I just turned 29 and DH is turning 29 in June. Been trying 18 cycles with no BFP yet. We are TTC # 1.

Our REI yesterday said she would probably recommended single embyro transfer since we are young, and thus far have no known problem.....but part of me wanting to transfer two, in hopes that one would take. The goal is clearly bringing home a healthy baby......but it also seems crazy to go this far and just hope one will work!

She also recommended ICSI on all the eggs, as that will eliminate another variable. Has anyone done assisted hatching? We didn't really discuss that....is that something you decided midway through fertilization? if the embryo isn't hatching?

We discussed PGD but it is an additional 5K....and we haven't had recurrent miscarriages, and we are "young" in infertility land.....so she didn't think we should do that the first round. I agree with this....although when I read some of hall's experience, it seems like a larger percentage came back abnormal, when you weren't expecting it! So that makes me a little nervous.

I also forgot to ask her ab supplements for IVF.....but I have been taking vit b complex, vit d, vit e, fish oil, baby asa and coq10 for over a month....and prenatals over 18 months......figure i will take those until ivf meds start (unless she is okay with those supplements).

We are paying out of pocket, but do have 5k in pharmacy coverage (so so so thankful for that).....but we were pleasantly surprised yesterday when we found out that it will be a few thousands dollars less than what we thought. We are thinking 1-2 fresh cycles, and 1-2 frozens (depending how many eggs of course) will be our limit. I know that can change as things go along, but that is our soft limit right now, before we know how the first cycle goes.


Thanks for letting me join in ladies, this board has really been a life saver for me as we all go through this journey. Nobody understands infertility until you have traveled the road yourself!

Welcome!! Good luck on your journey. It sounds like you have a great plan already. As far as PGD, my Dr doesn't recommend that or AH until there have been losses or unsuccessful cycles. You have a lot going for you, see what the Dr says, but we never did PGD and I am 39 and had 3 unsuccessful IUIs for TTC #2. We were successful the 1st time for TTC #1 with IUI. I will say acupuncture helped me tons and I believe it made me respond well and evenly to stims.

Looking forward to seeing you get your bfp!!!

 

[beaglemom]

Ugh Terri...our team is not so great right now...& A-Rod actually doing something for once...double ugh. I listened to an interview Jeter did & he is all over the place traveling & doing charity work. He is a busy man & loving retirement. I think next year may be a little different...after he has a full year off maybe he can become a frequent visitor at the games. I would love him back, but he retired on a high note...no better way to go out than the way he did. I'm trying to give the SS a break...not everyone can pull of what he did.

I could talk about him FOREVER. Anyone actually wondering why I want to name my son Derek? So I was thinking of putting some pics above the crib...one of Cooperstown & one of a great shot of DJ. My room is not baseball themed...but I thought that would be cool.

 

[terripeachy]

Our team isn't that great either, but it's not how you start, it's how you finish, so I will still cheer and hope for the best. It's probably difficult to get to know how the new players play and who belongs where, etc...Everyone will come around.

I like the idea of having a few baseball pics near the crib. Regardless of whether you have a baseball theme or not. You love it, so why not? Not like your baby will be able to tell you that he hates it. HA!!HA!!

MrsL-Good luck with your IUI! fxfx

 

[beaglemom]

Terri - why is your ticker so COLD! You need spring themes to make the cold weather disappear! But I do like it...very cute.

MrsL - I should have also said good luck on your IUI. We never expect to need IVF, but once we got to that point, we were excited about it. But we never lost hope when we were doing IUIs. I still kind of hope to get surprise pregnant naturally after this one. Even though I have a frostie waiting...never hurts for the universe to throw you a freebie after all this we go through.

 

[terripeachy]

It's cold because I'm having a wintertime baby!! hee hee. She has to walk towards the large snowflake. Of course, I could change it every season, but I like it. It would've been really nice if I could use the beach body, but that didn't make any sense. hee hee. When is your appointment in May?

I'm so bored at work, and have been bored all day. I looked up stuff like 'When can I stop progesterone, what can't I eat, etc..just stuff out of boredom.' I'm only going to stay 20 more minutes. I want to get outside!!!!

 

[beaglemom]

It's cold because I'm having a wintertime baby!! hee hee. She has to walk towards the large snowflake. Of course, I could change it every season, but I like it. It would've been really nice if I could use the beach body, but that didn't make any sense. hee hee. When is your appointment in May?

I'm so bored at work, and have been bored all day. I looked up stuff like 'When can I stop progesterone, what can't I eat, etc..just stuff out of boredom.' I'm only going to stay 20 more minutes. I want to get outside!!!!

Makes sense...it's cute either way. My appt was on the 19th but we have vacation...now it is the 26th. I get to finally see for real if it is a boy...still slightly paranoid the embryologist got them confused.

I stopped at week 10. I am using crinone. I have a few left, so let me know if you need them...but I don't think you were using crinone.

Wish I was on my way out...bored here too but have to stick around until 5.

So someone posted this on FB...I am going to type it up & frame it for th baby room...I just really like it. I hope my husband is not all win win when it comes to sports for the kids.

He’s Just A Little Boy

He stands at the plate with his heart pounding fast.
The bases are loaded, the die has been cast.
Mom & Dad cannot help him, he stands all alone.
A hit at this moment would send his team home.
The ball meets the plate, he swings & he misses.
There’s a groan from the crowd, with some boos & some hisses.

A thoughtless voice cries, “Strike out the bum!”
Tears fill his eyes, the game’s no longer fun.
So open up your heart & give him a break,
For it’s moments like this, a man you can make.
Keep this in mind when you hear someone forget,
He is just a little boy, and not a man, yet.

 

[booger76]

Terri - I left work early today because I just couldn't take it anymore. It's so beautiful out, too. I think I'm going to try to run or walk later - after I take a nap of course! I wouldn't say that I didn't like the local doctor; I guess I just didn't like her as much as the other one....he is just so much more personable (and funnier). Plus, he's the only doctor in his practice, so you only see him. Hopefully, your clinic can make some good recommendations for you. I agree - I would think there has to be more than ONE in your area.

Beagle - Sorry you didn't get to see little Derek today but at least you got to hear him and know that all is okay. I think it's a cute idea to hang up the baseball pictures. And who wouldn't love Derek Jeter on their wall??

Babywhisperer - Thanks for the words of encouragement! I do hope I start feeling better soon. Again, it's all been tolerable for the most part. But when it hits hard, it's just hard to think about anything other than how miserable I feel. I've been searching Craigslist for cribs, strollers, and the sorts too. I've still got lots of time but it's fun to see what is out there. And I do love the feeling that cleaning/de-cluttering gives me! I can't wait to get of a bunch of crap.

kfs - I love the crib!! I've been eyeing something similar but in either gray or white. How exciting. Yes, small closets can be a pain but I don't think I'd ever want a super huge walk-in or anything. I think the smaller closets keep me from accumulating more than I really need.

MrsL - Welcome! I really hope this IUI works for you and you won't have to worry about IVF. But if you do have to go down that road, just know it's really not as bad as you think. At least it wasn't for me.....it's no picnic in the park but it also wasn't nearly as terrifying as I'd envisioned in my head. But, I also feel like I had a rather easy IVF journey. Feel free to ask questions. DH and I chose to do PGS. For us, it was worth every penny. However, I am 36 and therefore have a higher chance of having abnormal embryos. Out of 6 that made it to biopsy stage, 3 were abnormal. So we potentially saved quite a bit of money by not transferring any abnormal ones - my nurse said they all looked beautiful so they could have very easily chosen the bad ones for transfer. In any case, it's a very personal decision and only you and your husband can determine what's right for you. And like Beagle already mentioned, we only transferred one as well. I really didn't want twins so that was the main reason for us. Good luck!!!!

 

[MrsL4]

Thank you all for the support!

My fingers are crossed for the third IUI....

I think she said the PGS ( I think I may have said PGD earlier....didn't realize there was a difference at first) was around 5K.....and a frozen cycle is $2400 + meds + $1000 during fresh IVF for cryoperservation. I am not sure what medications you are on during a frozen cycle...but it looks to me like the cost is about even.

The company they use is the Natera PGS - if anyone is interesting in learning more, you can google them!

------------
My REI doctor is actually due this summer which her IVF baby which is pretty cool! I don't feel quite so bad when I cry during appointments because she went through it too

That does mean another REI doctor would do my retrieval and transfer. I am okay with that - because you meet all the doctors during the ultrasounds each time (they do ultrasounds in the am early, before clinic starts)....and I have really liked all of them.
-------------
Starting to finally feel hopeful again - today was the first day in a loooooong time I let myself look at nursery pictures and baby gear - I love daydreaming about that day when I can really pick things out!!

 

[beaglemom]

For me bcause I had used up my meds coverage...one FET cycle was pretty close to the extra cost of PGS. The progesterone was ridiculous! Then the extra cost involved if I did have twins. So I never really wanted to transfer 2...so I was actually relieved to hear her talk about PGS. It was a no brainer for us. Again, personal decision you have to make. But it was the right decision for us. I am only 32 & no issues with me, so I was actually surprised to have only gotten 2 out of 5. But happy for them & no wasted FETs on the other 3.

 

[terripeachy]

Beagle-I love that poem. I would definitely hang it on the wall too. Thanks for the offer for crinone. I'm taking endometrin and for once, I can say I have plenty. The nurse said I can drop to 2x a day, but I'm staying on 3x until next Thursday and then I'll drop to 2x. And if I run out I do still have the PIO vial, but I think I'll be just fine. Oh, so your next scan is after the holiday. My bday is the 19th, so I better figure out what I'm going to do. Usually by now I'm already in the planning stages. This year will probably be pretty lame unless I start acting fast.

Booger-I'm chillin and then I'm going out to exercise. I think it's going to rain even though it was nice all afternoon so I want to try to get out before it starts, but after traffic dies down. I hate running on the sidewalk and prefer the road. Wide shoulders on the road make me very happy.

Have a great weekend everyone!

 

[jkb11]

Amy- thinking of you. Hope you are feeling well. *hugs*

Welcome mrs L. Wish you the best luck with the third iui!

Booger- hope the nausea subsides for you! Hang in there

Kfs- love the crib!

Baby w - congrats on the Craigslist find! Sounds amazing that is was hardly used! I love finding a deal. There are tons of community yard sales around my home tomorrow. Hope to find some good finds

I broke down and got my own doppler a few weeks ago and I love being able to check her little heart rate best sound ever!

 

[terripeachy]

I went to my bestie's daughter's softball game today just so I could get outside for a bit. She was asking me about any symptoms and I was like 'nope. Nothing.' I keep thinking at 6w the rails are going to fall off. Anyway, I watched the Os and then I decided to take another cheapie test. Hee hee. The line is so dark! I think I'm really in the clear so that will probably be my last test. Thursday can't get here fast enough.

LadySosa-if you want my 20-30 cheapies, just say the word and they are all yours!

Hope everyone is doing great this weekend. I'm cooking general tso's chicken for dinner. Yum yum.

 

[beaglemom]

I sent my husband off to AR again today. Then went to the store to stock up on easy food to cook at home. I am so lazy these days. I also needed some stuff for work so I stop eating out. I bought some frozen single serve veggies so I will cook some chicken to add to it. And a ton of snack items...not all bad stuff. I also got caffeine free mt dew & pepsi. I know the sugar is no good, but I just love carbonated drinks! I need to quit them all together...but at least it's caffeine free.