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What I learnt during IVF (also in LTTTC)
Hi girls
I'm aware of how many of you lovely LTTTC ladies are going to be starting IVF / ICSI in 2010 and I thought it might be good to put together a thread to share the experiences of us girls who've already had treatment. I started out knowing absolutely nothing and feel I've learnt so much in the last year that it might be worth sharing. I've jotted down a few things that I've learnt but I'm sure the other lovely ladies who've been through treatment will have lots to add and may completely disagree with some of it too!
So much luck to you all. I'm obviously a big fan and think IVF / ICSI is just wonderful. I so hope it brings you all your well deserved BFPs too.
If you can choose, choose you clinic carefully. I thought when I started out that IVF was IVF, but different clinics do things differently and it can have an impact on the outcome. My first (NHS) clinic only do egg collection on a Monday and a Wednesday and so force your cycle with drugs to fit those days. Considering the aim of the treatment is to get as many eggs as possible at just the right maturity that really doesn't make sense to me. Obviously all clinics have success and there's no way they would do something that would harm your treatment but if you have a choice of clinics it's well worth checking out how flexible they are, whether they work weekends / bank hols, etc and check out their success rates here: http://guide.hfea.gov.uk/guide/AdvancedSearch.aspx
Don't write off the London clinics because of distance. Many have satellite clinics where you can have your scans and blood tests near to you and then go to the clinic for just your egg collection and embryo transfer. Our satellite was absolutely wonderful - personal, friendly, nice and close and did evening appointments, so it made the lead up the to treatment a breeze and we then had the advantage of having the treatment at the second best clinic in the country!
Be as well informed as you can and don't be afraid to ask lots of questions. On our NHS cycle I just felt grateful we were having free treatment (which I really was) and did everything I was told, but you go through a lot during IVF so don't be worried about asking why things are happening.
Chase and push. On several occasions I wondered if I should chase a late prescription, a sick note, a blood test result and every time I did it turned out the nurse had forgotten and had I not chased nothing would have happened. I don't think I turned into a pain in the bum but I took control of my cycle and realised it was (naturally) always going to be much more important to me than to anyone else.
Think of IVF as a three cycle treatment if you can. The success rates indicate that you'd hope to be successful within three cycles but it's very easy to think the first cycle will work and it can be very difficult to accept if it doesn't. If you think of it as a three cycle process a BFP in cycle one is a huge bonus but a BFN is a little easier to deal with.
High FSH (Follicle Stimulating Hormone - which is used as a measure of ovarian reserve) doesn't mean it's over. I knew nothing about FSH until mine came back at 11 and I was told that many clinics wouldn't treat me because I was above 10. Luckily I did still get my NHS cycle and then moved to a clinic who specialise in more -difficult' cases and they didn't bat an eyelid. It's never been mentioned since and I've got my BFP and I know many ladies who have had much higher FSH results and been successful.
Injections aren't as bad as you think! I was dreading them but honestly you become like a nurse - mixing your drugs and injecting without even thinking about it. I ended up injecting in the car, in a field, in loos when out in the evening, it really does become something you don't really think about and actually can be something you look forward to because there's a feeling that you're doing something to get your BFP!
The drug side effects aren't too bad but the down regging can be a bit rubbish. I felt tired, headachy and a bit moody towards the end of down regging but as soon as I started stimming felt great again.
Pessaries - choose your entry point carefully! No one tells you about the pessaries, it's all about the injections! From egg collection onwards you have to use one or two pessaries a day until your test and with a BFP until 12 weeks. You have a choice of entry points (if you get my drift) and in my opinion (and that of most of the other girls I know) back door is the way to go - *much* less messy and uncomfortable!
Acupuncture is wonderful. I've been having it since April and it truly does feel as if it makes a difference. If nothing else my acupuncturist is like a counsellor and I have an hour a week to talk to someone about how I'm feeling about everything, but I also feel very relaxed after the treatment and, having had a session within two hours of embryo transfer, feel it probably helped my little embie bed in too.
Blasts are ideal but you can get a BFP without. These days the ideal is to have 5 day blasts put back at embryo transfer and I was gutted that we only got to day two, but as we've showed they can go to blast inside as well as in the lab so stay optimistic whatever happens.
General anaesthetic is really quite nice. I was soooo nervous about it for egg collection but it really was very pleasant and waking up was like having had a lovely nap.
Have things planned for the 2ww or you might go nuts! There are so many different schools of thought regarding what you should and shouldn't do in the 2ww but everyone is different. I had 4 really easy days after embryo transfer and then kept really busy in the second week, with a trip to London with my lovely DH. If nothing else it kept my sanity in tact in the longest 2 weeks of my life!
There are other meds you might be offered - aspirin, steroids, etc. I thought there was just the down reg and stimming drugs but this time I've had additional drugs, which may well have made all the difference. Well worth asking about extra possibilities, particularly on a second or third cycle.
If you can tell a few select friends or family members it really helps to be able to lean on them and it gives your DH a day off if you want to talk about things and he's all talked out!! This forum and others, specifically focused on those undergoing IVF, are a God send too. If you can chat to others going through treatment at the same time as you it makes you feel so much less isolated and makes what you're doing seem less odd and intrusive. If you can tell your boss at work too it makes all the appointments you have to go to and the 2ww loads less stressful.
Well, that's quite enough from me. This is obviously just my thoughts and your treatment and experiences could well be totally different but I hope it's helpful and I hope other girls will add their thoughts too. I'm definitely not an authority on treatment but as I say learnt so much it would be a shame not to pass it on.
xxx
[Modified by: Daisy Girl on 29 November 2009 13:11:47 ]
I'm aware of how many of you lovely LTTTC ladies are going to be starting IVF / ICSI in 2010 and I thought it might be good to put together a thread to share the experiences of us girls who've already had treatment. I started out knowing absolutely nothing and feel I've learnt so much in the last year that it might be worth sharing. I've jotted down a few things that I've learnt but I'm sure the other lovely ladies who've been through treatment will have lots to add and may completely disagree with some of it too!
So much luck to you all. I'm obviously a big fan and think IVF / ICSI is just wonderful. I so hope it brings you all your well deserved BFPs too.
If you can choose, choose you clinic carefully. I thought when I started out that IVF was IVF, but different clinics do things differently and it can have an impact on the outcome. My first (NHS) clinic only do egg collection on a Monday and a Wednesday and so force your cycle with drugs to fit those days. Considering the aim of the treatment is to get as many eggs as possible at just the right maturity that really doesn't make sense to me. Obviously all clinics have success and there's no way they would do something that would harm your treatment but if you have a choice of clinics it's well worth checking out how flexible they are, whether they work weekends / bank hols, etc and check out their success rates here: http://guide.hfea.gov.uk/guide/AdvancedSearch.aspx
Don't write off the London clinics because of distance. Many have satellite clinics where you can have your scans and blood tests near to you and then go to the clinic for just your egg collection and embryo transfer. Our satellite was absolutely wonderful - personal, friendly, nice and close and did evening appointments, so it made the lead up the to treatment a breeze and we then had the advantage of having the treatment at the second best clinic in the country!
Be as well informed as you can and don't be afraid to ask lots of questions. On our NHS cycle I just felt grateful we were having free treatment (which I really was) and did everything I was told, but you go through a lot during IVF so don't be worried about asking why things are happening.
Chase and push. On several occasions I wondered if I should chase a late prescription, a sick note, a blood test result and every time I did it turned out the nurse had forgotten and had I not chased nothing would have happened. I don't think I turned into a pain in the bum but I took control of my cycle and realised it was (naturally) always going to be much more important to me than to anyone else.
Think of IVF as a three cycle treatment if you can. The success rates indicate that you'd hope to be successful within three cycles but it's very easy to think the first cycle will work and it can be very difficult to accept if it doesn't. If you think of it as a three cycle process a BFP in cycle one is a huge bonus but a BFN is a little easier to deal with.
High FSH (Follicle Stimulating Hormone - which is used as a measure of ovarian reserve) doesn't mean it's over. I knew nothing about FSH until mine came back at 11 and I was told that many clinics wouldn't treat me because I was above 10. Luckily I did still get my NHS cycle and then moved to a clinic who specialise in more -difficult' cases and they didn't bat an eyelid. It's never been mentioned since and I've got my BFP and I know many ladies who have had much higher FSH results and been successful.
Injections aren't as bad as you think! I was dreading them but honestly you become like a nurse - mixing your drugs and injecting without even thinking about it. I ended up injecting in the car, in a field, in loos when out in the evening, it really does become something you don't really think about and actually can be something you look forward to because there's a feeling that you're doing something to get your BFP!
The drug side effects aren't too bad but the down regging can be a bit rubbish. I felt tired, headachy and a bit moody towards the end of down regging but as soon as I started stimming felt great again.
Pessaries - choose your entry point carefully! No one tells you about the pessaries, it's all about the injections! From egg collection onwards you have to use one or two pessaries a day until your test and with a BFP until 12 weeks. You have a choice of entry points (if you get my drift) and in my opinion (and that of most of the other girls I know) back door is the way to go - *much* less messy and uncomfortable!
Acupuncture is wonderful. I've been having it since April and it truly does feel as if it makes a difference. If nothing else my acupuncturist is like a counsellor and I have an hour a week to talk to someone about how I'm feeling about everything, but I also feel very relaxed after the treatment and, having had a session within two hours of embryo transfer, feel it probably helped my little embie bed in too.
Blasts are ideal but you can get a BFP without. These days the ideal is to have 5 day blasts put back at embryo transfer and I was gutted that we only got to day two, but as we've showed they can go to blast inside as well as in the lab so stay optimistic whatever happens.
General anaesthetic is really quite nice. I was soooo nervous about it for egg collection but it really was very pleasant and waking up was like having had a lovely nap.
Have things planned for the 2ww or you might go nuts! There are so many different schools of thought regarding what you should and shouldn't do in the 2ww but everyone is different. I had 4 really easy days after embryo transfer and then kept really busy in the second week, with a trip to London with my lovely DH. If nothing else it kept my sanity in tact in the longest 2 weeks of my life!
There are other meds you might be offered - aspirin, steroids, etc. I thought there was just the down reg and stimming drugs but this time I've had additional drugs, which may well have made all the difference. Well worth asking about extra possibilities, particularly on a second or third cycle.
If you can tell a few select friends or family members it really helps to be able to lean on them and it gives your DH a day off if you want to talk about things and he's all talked out!! This forum and others, specifically focused on those undergoing IVF, are a God send too. If you can chat to others going through treatment at the same time as you it makes you feel so much less isolated and makes what you're doing seem less odd and intrusive. If you can tell your boss at work too it makes all the appointments you have to go to and the 2ww loads less stressful.
Well, that's quite enough from me. This is obviously just my thoughts and your treatment and experiences could well be totally different but I hope it's helpful and I hope other girls will add their thoughts too. I'm definitely not an authority on treatment but as I say learnt so much it would be a shame not to pass it on.
xxx
[Modified by: Daisy Girl on 29 November 2009 13:11:47 ]
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Replies
My cycle isnt going to be until April/ May time so i will keep a check on this thread for some top tips.
Thanks again hon.
Gem x
Thankyou for your post, very interesting reading!
Just wanted to ask, you mentioned that you took steroids and aspirin etc during your second IVF cycle. Did you ask for these or did your consultant suggest them? I'm in the process of my first IVF cycle for unexplained infertility, I asked the consultant about the use of steriods and he said that they had trialed them already and they didn't make any difference to the success rates in IVF. I am still really keen to try them if out first cycle doesn't work but don't know whether they would agree to it. Also wanted to ask if the steroids effected your immune system? Have read that they can supress it which would be a concern in early pregnancy.
I also have been told that I have a high FSH for my age (7.6, I'm 27), but your experience gives me optimism! Maybe that's not so high, seem to have been told so many different things from different G.P's!
[Modified by: Syd78 on December 02, 2009 11:36 AM]
Apologies - I'm going a bit nuts and answered your post over in LTTTC by mistake! Anyway, what I said was...
It was my consultant who suggested the steroids and aspirin - I had no idea they were even an option. He seems to be a real fan and they certainly don't seem to do any harm so I can't see the down side to be honest. Well worth pushing it on a second cycle if the first doesn't work I reckon.
As for the FSH, I'm no doctor but my understanding is that anything 10 and under is perfectly normal and 7.6 is brilliant and perfectly normal for a 27 year old. Whoever said 7.6 was high is, in my understanding, wrong!
xxx