glasgow centre for reproductive medicine, cardonald glasgow.

[dreaminghopin]

Good luck everyone.. We have another consultation at end of September as hubby's last sperm test was lower..
April
3 mls
40% motility
33 million per mil
2% morph

May
3 mls
36% motility
43 million
10% morph

Aug
3 mls
50% motility
23 million per ml
1% morph

It's the morphology that's really worrying me. Don't understand how it can change from 10 to 1

Xxxx

 

[Minno]

Hi ladies. I hope you don't mind me dropping in. I am about to start egg donation ivf at gcrm and have been reading all your posts and feeling very encouraged. Anythings better than Dundee where I was before! They are so slow!!
Consents appt first then some bloods, sa , then on to treatment. After nearly 4 years ttc I can't wait!
Good luck to us all xxxx

 

[macca197831]

Hey minno, welcome!! Great news that you are getting started at GCRM. I have just had my consents appointment and getting ready to start on 18th Sept.

Have you had a cycle at Dundee already? Xxx

 

[Minno]

Hi macca thank you for the lovely welcome. We have even on dundee's waiting list for over a year and every time we talk to them the waiting time is still a year, it never seems to move! We even brought in our own donor and they dragged their heels -just a bit unhelpful all round really. Then we heard we were top of the list at gcrm and decided to go with them. So far I'm very impressed, they are so friendly and make you feel like nothing's too much trouble. I know we're paying for good service lol but it's still nice!
So how long has that been for you between consents and getting started? I am so excited, and nervous too. What do they cover at consents appt?
Xx

 

[macca197831]

Hey Minno, I know what you mean about the nhs we are on the waiting list for IUI despite my husband having low counts and it pretty much being a waste of time! We have asked the Gcrm to write to them and get us moved to the ivf list.

At the consents appointment they tell you a bit more about the treatment and go through all the paperwork you need to sign. They also give you a rough idea of dates and timescales. We are doing the agonist protocol which starts on day 21 of your period. So from our consents appointment to the day we start it's about a 2 week wait.

I am really nervous. At times I allow myself to get a bit excited but then try and reign it in because I know it might not work first time!

Do you know what kind of treatment you are having? X

 

[Minno]

Hi Macca oh goodness, two weeks from consents to treatment - definately not the nhs then!! I am so excited!!!! Thanks for the info about the consents appt. We need egg donation ivf but they have an egg bank so you can choose how many eggs you want to go for and no need to synch cycles with a donor etc. basically it's all about my cycle and them preparing my lining for transfer. I get monitored and they give me oestrogen until lining thick enough, they thaw the eggs, hope they fertilise and then transfer. No egg stims or anything involved so quite a bit less intensive than standard ivf. The beauty part for us is we already have most of the drugs as we got them from our dummy run with the Dundee clinic, we've also had most ofthe screening tests done too, so should save a bit of money. Approximate costs will be around 5.5k I reckon. Do you mind me asking if they gave you an indication of price at your appt? It is so much money and a bit of a gamble but it's our only option as we've been trying nearly 4 years to have our second child. We're officially unexplained but age is a factor I think. We're both early forties.
I'm hoping we can move ahead quite quickly now. Have you had much contact with the administrator lady Margaret? She seems super efficient and lovely xxx

 

[Bluebell bun]

Hi Minno! Welcome. Glad things are moving forward for your also. We were sent a price list with our information pack and there is one on the website also. However, we did confirm the approximate costs and they gave us a indication of the price of my medications at our initial appointment. You are basically ready to start once you have had your consent appointment although we deferred for a couple of months as we had pre booked a holiday.

 

[macca197831]

Hi Macca oh goodness, two weeks from consents to treatment - definately not the nhs then!! I am so excited!!!! Thanks for the info about the consents appt. We need egg donation ivf but they have an egg bank so you can choose how many eggs you want to go for and no need to synch cycles with a donor etc. basically it's all about my cycle and them preparing my lining for transfer. I get monitored and they give me oestrogen until lining thick enough, they thaw the eggs, hope they fertilise and then transfer. No egg stims or anything involved so quite a bit less intensive than standard ivf. The beauty part for us is we already have most of the drugs as we got them from our dummy run with the Dundee clinic, we've also had most ofthe screening tests done too, so should save a bit of money. Approximate costs will be around 5.5k I reckon. Do you mind me asking if they gave you an indication of price at your appt? It is so much money and a bit of a gamble but it's our only option as we've been trying nearly 4 years to have our second child. We're officially unexplained but age is a factor I think. We're both early forties.
I'm hoping we can move ahead quite quickly now. Have you had much contact with the administrator lady Margaret? She seems super efficient and lovely xxx

Hey Minno, I will keep everything crossed for you!!! They went through all the costs at the consents appointment and what was included etc. you need to pay in full for the treatment at the consents appointment. I havent had much dealings with Margret but will probably have more contact with the hospital over the next few weeks! I'm trying to get my doctor to pay for the drugs we need which are £864 hopefully we will find out this week! Every little helps doesn't it!!! Xx

 

[Minno]

Hi bluebell, hi macca. Thanks so much for the info on costs. Righto, we have now booked to have dh's sa done and the cmv blood test for me - does anyone know much about that? Then consents one week later and then I guess we are good to go. I am feeling excited but im really scared they won't get many eggs (we are choosing the 7+ package) that survive the thaw and then what if none fertilise? We still have to pay the full amount - its such a big gamble. I just want a chance for this to work and get to transfer stage. How do you ladies keep sane?!!! I am freaking out a bit. We hope for one to transfer and one frostie - what do u think are the chances from 7+ eggs?
Xxx

 

[Minno]

Ps macca good luck with your doctor - that would save u quite a bit x

 

[Bluebell bun]

Hey ladies! How is everyone getting on? Anyone got anything to report, everyone seems to have gone quiet!!!

 

[Minno]

Hey bluebell . Dh had his sa at gcrm today, think he gets the results tomoro. Typical man he moaned about the room and how difficult it was to get the deed done. Honestly!
Got the consents next week at the Edinburgh clinic. Hoping we get to select donor soon after but no idea of timeframe. I have a question though re smear tests. Mine is up to date but will be due to be redone from the middle of October. Do u think they will accept it as it is currently in date or will they ask me to get one before treatment starts?
X

 

[macca197831]

Hey bluebell! I started the pros tap today so just waiting on my period coming then it's onto injections! I wondered if anyone has had side effects from the prostap? Im not sure what to expect!!

Also anything I can do in the run up to ER to improve egg quality? I've increased my protein and I'm taking fish oils.

Minno, fingers crossed you husband gets a good result! As far as I know as long as your smear is in date when you start treatment it will be fine. If its out of date for you starting then you would need to get it re-done. Xx

 

[Bluebell bun]

Minno, you could double check at your consent appointment about your smear. I am not sure how specific they are about the time scales.
Macca, how are you feeling about things? I must be about a week behind you. My period is due in about 8-10 days and will be starting my injections then. I have been taking Metformin for the last week and am due to increase to 2 tabs daily tomorrow. I am trying not to think too much about it which is just about near impossible!! Not to mention about 3 different people have asked in the space of the last week if we are thinking about having a family??!! Aarrrggh! I just don't know what to say to people!

 

[Minno]

Hi girls. Had the sa results back today and everything fine except volume was low but we reckon that's because dh missed the cup at the start lol!! Embryologist was pleased with results and actually as its frozen egg bank it's icsi anyway so volume not really so important. Only issue would be if we opted for fresh donation - dh would have to repeat his sample to get a true idea of volume. We'll be chatting thru it at the consents appt so we'll see. Pleased motility, morphology etc all good though

Thanks for info re smears, I'll have to check that one next week too.

So are you both starting stims now? Because I don't have to do that bit I'm not sure where you're both at in the process.
Xx

 

[macca197831]

Bluebell, are you doing ivf or ICSI? Today I feel a bit down and bad tempered, I'm sure it's not the prostap cos I only had it yesterday! Might just be hormonal as I'm on day 22 of my cycle! Are you doing anything in particular to try and encourage healthy eggs? I reckon my period is due the same time as you so it looks like we will be swimming together!

Minno, great news on you husbands sample! Mine has a low count but everything else is good so I'm not too worried especially because we are doing ICSI.

We are both due to start stims in around 8-12 days depending on when we get our period. We just need to wait on that and then we can get started!! I'm nervous about the side effects of the drugs, I hope they don't turn me into a psycho! Lol xx

 

[dreaminghopin]

Good luck ladies... Is this the first time for you both? Please don't give yourself a hard time macca. Its an emotional time and please be kind to yourself. Xxx

 

[macca197831]

Good luck ladies... Is this the first time for you both? Please don't give yourself a hard time macca. Its an emotional time and please be kind to yourself. Xxx

First time or me, how about you?

 

[Bluebell bun]

Macca, first time for us too! I am CD 21 today so we are definately going to be cycle buddies. My cycle is normally 29-30 days. Looking back, I think we have been trying for roughly the same amount of time too. We started TTC in Jan 11. I feel nervous about the medication too and the egg retrieval as I've never had any form of sedation/anaesthetic in my life!! It is IVF we are doing.
Minno, great news about your OH sperm sample.
Dream-keep your fingers crossed for us.

 

[Minno]

Good luck with the stimming ladies. I have had a dummy run lining prep at Dundee which involved down regging and then oestrogen. Never had any ill effects until I stopped all te drugs and weirdly came out in a pin prick rash all over the backs of my arms! Not itchy and didn't bother me at all though. Never had to stim though but I'm sure they'll monitor you closely. I think I read drinking lots of water helps to flush all the toxins out.
Ooooo getting very close for us all now and about bloody time too!
Xx