Gonal Girls

[scerena]

alicat

Yep increased chance of multiples...
I had 3 follicles
And there's some success stories on here too

Gl with your first round you will be a pro in no time

Dbluett- have a lovely vacation

 

[Curliegirlie]

Sorry to hear your news dbluett - we all know what that feels like! Treat yourself to some fruity drinks on vacation! It'll be great!

Hi Alicat - yes, there is an increased risk of multiples. I don't know about your clinic, but mine was very cautious. After a few failed rounds of gonal f with timed intercourse, I was converted to an IVF cycle. Only 1 embryo was tranferred, but it stuck! I was shocked! I am now cautiously pregnant (almost 9 weeks). We have some other ladies on here that have had IVF and non IVF success with gonal f. It works wonders!

FX for you and your first cycle! This is a great group - everyone is so supportive!

 

[alicatt]

Thanks everyone!

I will be doing an IUI with donor sperm, I'm single and almost 40 and gave up on finding Mr. Right. Figured I'd give it a try on my own! I'm excited to see what Gonal F will do this month, but a little worried about the multiples. Being a single mom to triplets might be a little overwhelming to say the least! I would be fine with twins though. Since this is the one and only time I will be pregnant (I think).

Has anyone had any side effects? Fatigue? Headache?

Would love to hear more success stories!!

 

[dbluett]

Thanks ladies. I am so looking foward to my vacation. So the showed up today. She wasted not time LOL. Waiting on the dr office to call me back to see what the plan of attack is, since I will be out of the country for a week. But it looks like we will wait until September. Which is fine with me. I see some furity drinks in my near future LOL

 

[Chiles]

Hi Ladies!

I thought I would say hello. I have been trying for a few months, with clomid and then a cycle withouth meds. I am trying gonal f this month and don't really know anything about it.

Can anyone fill me in? Have we got some success stories here? I think I read somewhere that there is an increased risk of multiples? How many follicles did you all have when you ovulated?

Hello< Welcome aboard!!!!

All fertility have their risks right...well I must say that I have not read up on alot of women conceiving multiples with gonal except in most cases where IVF was involved and sometimes not even then. I had 7 mature follicles, and was unable to convert to IVF and I opted out of follicle reduction. My cycle was cancelled and for the first time ever I ovulated on my own. And I ended up with one baby. Looking back I had to get pregnant before the cycle was cancelled. and we were not even trying. If your fear is having to many follicles you can do follicle reduction, or IVF. But I honestly think you will do fine.

 

[Chiles]

Sorry Dbluett about the Beta, But enjoy your vacation and we will be ready to cheer you on for the next cycle!

 

[Cridge]

So sorry Dbluett!! I'm glad you have a vaca to look forward to - sounds like great fun!

Welcome Alicatt. I'm 2 for 2 with gonal-f. I conceived my 10 year old on my first round of gonal-f and I have a little ninja (as we call him) cooking, which I conceived on the first round of gonal-f. I don't remember how many follies I had with my oldest (at least 2), but this one I definitely had 2 mature, but possibly a couple/few more mature by the time I ovulated. Both times they've been singletons from the start.

As far as side effects, gonal-f has been my drug of choice. I had no side effects with #1, and I did have a side effect with this one, but as horrible as it is, I can't remember what it was! I'll have to go check my notes. I just remember having a side effect that I wasn't planning on.

 

[alicatt]

Thanks ladies. I am so looking foward to my vacation. So the showed up today. She wasted not time LOL. Waiting on the dr office to call me back to see what the plan of attack is, since I will be out of the country for a week. But it looks like we will wait until September. Which is fine with me. I see some furity drinks in my near future LOL

So sorry about your beta, it is never fun to get the sad news like that. OHH.. fruity drinks sound yummy! Enjoy your vacation, maybe the break will do you some good, and you'll be so relaxed you'll conceive naturally? Worth a shot

 

[alicatt]

So sorry Dbluett!! I'm glad you have a vaca to look forward to - sounds like great fun!

Welcome Alicatt. I'm 2 for 2 with gonal-f. I conceived my 10 year old on my first round of gonal-f and I have a little ninja (as we call him) cooking, which I conceived on the first round of gonal-f. I don't remember how many follies I had with my oldest (at least 2), but this one I definitely had 2 mature, but possibly a couple/few more mature by the time I ovulated. Both times they've been singletons from the start.

As far as side effects, gonal-f has been my drug of choice. I had no side effects with #1, and I did have a side effect with this one, but as horrible as it is, I can't remember what it was! I'll have to go check my notes. I just remember having a side effect that I wasn't planning on.

Well that is good news! Sounds like it is only a slight risk of multiples then.

Congrats on your baby!!!

 

[mizuno]

Hi ladies,

I'm starting gonal-f this month, so I'm joining your thread and see what kind of success you've been having with it. Though I think I have a different problem than most here (I ovulate on my own but have a thin lining), I hope that gonal-f, combined with cetrotide/orgalutran will work for me, as menopur did not.

Well, just thought I'd say hi....

to all

 

[Chiles]

Welcome aboard Mizuno!!!

Wish you all the luck with Gonal!!!! Keep us updated on your cycle. Are u doing iui, or ivf, or just time intercourse?

 

[mizuno]

thanks chiles and congrats on your bfp (very belated )

We haven't decided what to do yet regarding IUI/timed BD. My RE wants us to do IUI, but I'm trying to delay it as long as possible.

What did you do when you got your BFP?

I know there is a higher chance with IUI than timed BD, but it seems so invasive...
Actually, I was wondering if anyone around here has had it done and if they could share their experience with it?

 

[Chiles]

Thank you!!!
I have done iui, with only one mature follicle. and its not as bad as I thought. I was crampy for like a day and a half. That cycle was a bfn.

The cycle I got pregnant was just with intercourse...not timed. We just had sex like 2 days before my cycle was cancelled and walah, it happened at the least expecting time. I went back and read my posts and how I was gonna look into ivf for august etc. And think wow... it really hit us out the blue.

 

[mizuno]

you are so lucky! I hoped it would happen for us "when we least expect it" (which truthfully is never - I'm always expecting it ).

It's good to hear that IUI is not as bad as one might think. I just had a sonohysterogram and I assumed that IUI would be kind of like that. Mind you, that wasn't terribly painful, just on a few occasions.

Well, I guess we have a couple of weeks to decide what to the when ovulation comes...

 

[alicatt]

you are so lucky! I hoped it would happen for us "when we least expect it" (which truthfully is never - I'm always expecting it ).

It's good to hear that IUI is not as bad as one might think. I just had a sonohysterogram and I assumed that IUI would be kind of like that. Mind you, that wasn't terribly painful, just on a few occasions.

Well, I guess we have a couple of weeks to decide what to the when ovulation comes...

The IUI is not as bad as the HSG, when they do the HSG you aren't usually fertile so the cervix is usually closed, which is what causes some of the cramping. My cervix does not like being disturbed! When the IUI is done you are very fertile so the catheter can slip up there more easily. You may still have a little cramping afterwards, but it isn't as bad as the HSG, at least it wasn't for me! GL and FX'd!!

 

[mizuno]

thanks for reassuring me, ali!
I was really hoping we can do this ourselves, but I think it's time to realise it's not likely to happen without some help (we've been trying for 13 months now).
Not looking forward to more injections though... HCG shot gave me some mad pain and swelling. Whatever, it'll all be worth it in the end

 

[alicatt]

thanks for reassuring me, ali!
I was really hoping we can do this ourselves, but I think it's time to realise it's not likely to happen without some help (we've been trying for 13 months now).
Not looking forward to more injections though... HCG shot gave me some mad pain and swelling. Whatever, it'll all be worth it in the end

Yep! I hear you, it is a tough decision to make. I'm single and going this alone and using donor sperm, so I really didn't have much choice in how I could get pregnant. For me, the decision to have a child at all was the big one. I have tons of family support, in fact my Mom almost wants a grand baby more than I want a baby! Well almost!

Where are you in Canada? I'm Canadian as well, but have been living in the States for many years now. I started my treatment in Florida, but I've been in Ontario for the past month and have been able to continue my treatments up here. In fact, the clinic I am going to here has been awesome, and they were the ones that suggested the injections. The nurse there felt sorry for me since I have to pay so much of this out of pocket and has given me the Gonal F for free! They are left over from other patients that didn't use all of it. So that is a nice bonus!

My FS suggested raspberry leaf tea to help thicken the lining to me just the other day, maybe that is something you could try? Also, when I was in FL and doing clomid, my lining was a little thinner then they would have liked, and he put me on progesterone suppositories to help thicken it up. Oh, and I am taking baby aspirin and it is supposed to increase blood flow to the ovaries and uterus too. So there are many options to help make that lining nice and thick and inviting for implantation!

Let us know what you decide to do regarding IUI or natural (or a combination of the 2)! If I were in your shoes, I would opt for a combination. As the IUI ensures that the get up into your uterus, which I am told is a great feat and sometimes the reason women aren't able to get pregnant. There are some women who have an inhospitable vagina/cervix which prevent the from getting into the uterus. I think it has to do with the pH of the cervical mucus, and it kills the little guys before they can make it.

Either way, good luck, and keep us posted!!!

 

[Cridge]

Mizuno - With my 2 gonal-f rounds (I conceived both rounds), I didn't use the HCG trigger shot (long story with the first, but that worked so well, I chose to skip it the 2nd time), so I ovulated on my own and conceived without an IUI. I'm not saying IUI isn't worth it, but it's definitely possible to #1: ovulate on your own without the trigger shot, and #2: get pregnant without IUI. GL!

 

[Turkey16]

Hey everybody!! Just popping in to say hello! Reading this thread obsessively trying to pass the rest of this 2WW!!! Roughest one yet, as I feel like I'm having a lot of symptoms, but I know they may very well be in my head, or progesterone driven...UGH!!!

Chiles, Cridge, Dr. Squid & Curliegirlie...hope you're all feeling fantastic!

Dbluett...a "natural cycle" sounds like a breath of fresh air, especially if you're going on vacation. Take it from me-traveling with needles and giving yourself shots kinda takes away from the "R&R" if you know what I mean. I'd consider it a "baby moon" because before too long you'll have a little one and carefree traveling will be a thing of the past!!

Good luck to you Alicat...it's wonderful that you have such great family support!

Mizuno...welcome!! I say IUI all the way, I've had a bunch of them and I've never experienced anything other than a twinge of mild discomfort.

One last thing...can't quite remember who was asking about how the gonal shots were, but I wanted to weigh in and say I felt they were a piece of cake. I was expecting them to be tough and I was pleasantly surprised to see they were really no different than the ovidrel shots I take with each cycle. Hope this helps!

Good Luck to everybody!!!

 

[mizuno]

My FS suggested raspberry leaf tea to help thicken the lining to me just the other day, maybe that is something you could try? Also, when I was in FL and doing clomid, my lining was a little thinner then they would have liked, and he put me on progesterone suppositories to help thicken it up. Oh, and I am taking baby aspirin and it is supposed to increase blood flow to the ovaries and uterus too. So there are many options to help make that lining nice and thick and inviting for implantation!

Ali, I have been drinking RRLT religiously for the past few months with no improvement in my lining, but will continue drinking it this cycle, as I actually like the taste of it.
I'm also going to start acupuncture this cycle - I heard that might help.
I was considering trying baby aspirin, but I'm thinking that maybe it's too many things all at once? How long do you take baby aspirin for? Do you stop after ovulation? I read something about aspirin (no necessarily baby aspirin and not sure at which point during pregnancy) being associated with birth defects, which freaked me out a bit.

I am in Toronto. My clinic is downtown and they are really nice, though I doubt they would give me free drugs Luckily my drug coverage is really good and all my meds are covered.

BTW, I think it's great that you have decided to try this on your own - I have a couple of friends who are tired of waiting for mr. right and are considering getting donor sperm. good luck to you!