Anyone else dealt with in-vitro fertilization?

CrystalAZ · #1 10/14/2004, 01:29 AM

We met with our fertility center today to start the scheduling to do IVF. This is going to cost us about $13K, plus I get to give myself shots for several weeks (yay!).

All this for a shot at having a baby!

I was just wondering if anyone else here has been through it and what the results were.

Crystal

emilye2 · #2 10/14/2004, 08:45 AM

Personally no, but friends of ours did. They got twins on their first try. The docs were going to implant 5 embryos since they could only afford to do it once. But my friend was like, "I am NOT having a litter!" So they implanted two and both took. Just from anecdotal evidence it seems like IVF works best for couples that have trouble GETTING pregnant not STAYING pregnant. Just remember, (and remind your poor poor husband) that with the shots you are goiing to be on the hormonal roller coaster ride from hell!! He might as well start buying chocolate and kleenex right now! Good luck to you!

dc · #3 10/14/2004, 10:19 AM

No, but good luck and I agree with Emily on the 'litter' thing!

joeychitwood · #4 10/14/2004, 10:27 AM

My sister has had IVF twice. The last attempt resulted in four fertilized eggs, of which two were implanted. Neither round of IVF resulted in pregnancy. They are looking into adoption.

JB NY · #5 10/14/2004, 11:31 AM

I have 3 friends and my brother who had to go this way. Out of the 3 couples only one had success after two attempts, the other had to give up after the third try. My brother had no success on the first but got a baby out of the second.

So it looks to be about 50/50.

HTH

Fat Man · #6 10/14/2004, 02:55 PM

My wife and I went through it for quite a period of time. Be preparedfor an emotional rollercoaster. There may be times when there may be times when there is no pregnancy, you may become pregnant and lose it, it can be rough. By the way we have a fantastic 5 yr old son because of it, but it was a tough row to hoe, it too four tries. Adoption is an alternative that would give you a child and a child a parent, we have friends who have done this. Have your husband give you the shots. It may hurt more, depending on how you've been behaving

.

CrystalAZ · #7 10/14/2004, 04:25 PM

Thanks for the feedback...

I refuse to have many embryos implanted because I would refuse to do "selective reduction" to take one or more back out.

So it looks like they will implant either 2 or 3.

We have been trying for a year, and have done Clomid, then found out that they read my HSG wrong and both of my tubes are blocked. No wonder I can't get pregnant.

My hormone levels are very very good, so hopefully they will be able to get lots of eggs and it will work.

Oh Joey, I have a question for you since you are a doc... we were talking last night about shots and air bubbles and my hubby said a doctor told him that an air bubble in a needle was no biggie, but I had always heard it was really bad. Can you clear it up?

Crystal

joeychitwood · #8 10/14/2004, 05:07 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by CrystalAZ
Oh Joey, I have a question for you since you are a doc... we were talking last night about shots and air bubbles and my hubby said a doctor told him that an air bubble in a needle was no biggie, but I had always heard it was really bad. Can you clear it up?

Crystal

An air bubble in an intramuscular injection is no big deal. The air is rapidly absorbed. However, air bubbles in venous or arterial lines could cause a problem. An air embolism can block blood flow to parts of the body much like a clot could, and cause stroke or heart attack symptoms if it occurs in the brain, spinal cord or heart.

In 20 years, I've yet to see an iatrogenic (meaning caused by the doc/nurse) air embolism, but it does happen.

otolith · #9 10/14/2004, 07:55 PM

Crystal, I wish you luck with the upcoming IVF! A good friend of mine just had a successful pregnancy from IVF, but it took them 2-3 attempts before success. They had been trying for years to have a child, and he said it was almost "work," so I could just imagine how difficult it must be for the both of you.

To add to what Joey said...there's always air in IV tubing, and the small amount that's flows into the veins goes to the lungs and is resorbed...fwiw, during open heart surgery, I can remember at the end of a case there being a few air bubbles in the left ventricle that could be seen on cardiac echo. The CV surgeon just "shook" the heart a little bit to get the air bubbles out. So it takes quite a bit of air to really have detrimental affects. I've only heard of one iatrogenic air embolism, and that was a _long_ time ago (probably when Joey was in med school

)......

catdoc · #10 10/15/2004, 11:13 AM

Good luck, Crystal! We went through some fertility issues getting pg the first time and I had to do the daily hormone injections (gonal-f). I didn't do IVF however. I'm one of those ladies who once my body figured out "how" to get pg, overshot it the next time! Did fertility meds to conceive a singleton, then had an unplanned pregnancy that resulted in identical twins. Go figure.

My IVF experience is limited to friends and family who've been through it. Definitely be prepared for the emotional rollercoaster (although you've already had a taste of that with the clomid I'm sure).

Good luck!

Fat Man · #11 10/15/2004, 12:26 PM

Christy my wife and I had the same experience. Sometimes you just have to prime the pump I guess. Also a similar experience with friends who adopted a child.

waterlily · #12 10/15/2004, 03:42 PM

I think my sister is going to end up doing IVF. Get this for an irony - her husband's vasectomy failed and she did not know she was pregnant until she was six months along. Almost suicidal at the thought of being pregnant, she and her husband gave the baby up for adoption. She fell in love with the baby, but gave him up anyway. Fortunately, they have a good relationship with the adoptive parents so they know how the little one is doing. They have been actively trying to conceive for over a year now. Sperm count is okay and my sister is ovulating, but the first IUI did not work. Now I think she's taking clomid. The baby they gave up for adoption is the only child they've had. If she ended up adopting that would be the ultimate irony.

Good luck to you! It's got to be difficult, nerve-wracking, and exciting all at the same time.

waterlily · #13 10/15/2004, 03:46 PM

Regarding the air bubbles, I'd always heard they were a bad thing, so imagine my horror when I was in labor for the first time with an IV, watching air going through the tubing into my vein. I was freaking out! I was sure I was going to be dead within minutes. The nurse said it was okay to put air in veins, but not arteries. Since I didn't die (at least I don't think I did), I guess she was right.

llpoolej · #14 10/15/2004, 03:48 PM

Here is a really good site for infertility stuff http://www.inciid.org

prodman · #15 12/04/2004, 05:29 PM

So how are things going Crystal? My wife and I are in the begining process of ivf. We have alot of hopes and concerns.
Thanks-paul

llpoolej · #16 12/04/2004, 10:47 PM

Good luck Paul, it is a rough emotional ride. Though, the kids pictured to the left are from an IVF/ICSI/AH/5day blast transfer

abfleck · #17 12/05/2004, 02:15 AM

God Luck!!!!

prodman · #18 12/05/2004, 02:55 AM

thanks Julie thats what were in for the icsi procedure too.

CrystalAZ · #19 12/05/2004, 07:21 PM

prodman... it isn't going well. They had to cancel my cycle because my ovaries decided to wander off to where they can't get to them.

So I get to go in for a procedure to have them fix it... or see if they can fix it anyway.

It just can't be easy!!!

If you want a good forum for IVF, go to www.fertilethoughts.com. In their IVF forums, they even have one for husbands.

Crystal

prodman · #20 12/05/2004, 09:41 PM

sorry its not going well for you. I wish you the best.-Paul

CrystalAZ · #21 12/05/2004, 11:45 PM

Thanks. I wish the best for you and your wife as well.

Crystal

Cakepro · #22 12/06/2004, 06:20 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by CrystalAZ
It just can't be easy!!!

Nope, it's not...

JazzMan · #23 12/06/2004, 08:14 PM

We have twin boys from IVF and after that my wife and I had one naturally. Now we have 2 year old twin boys and a 6 month old baby boy. My wife does not believe in birht control so now I am afraid to even look at her. We tried for two years and no luck at all....we then started all the shots and everything else before windinding up at IVF.

Good Luck and try to keep busy. My wife surfed fertile thoughts all the time and I had to get her out of the house. That site can dive a woman nuts.

llpoolej · #24 12/06/2004, 08:22 PM

I am sorry you had your cycle cancelled. That sucks. I do highly recommend going with very good anethesia for your next round(for the retrieval) Though I am a super wuss when it comes to pain. My RE agreed

I have hilarious stories about IVF. It is so emotionally charged, if you don't laugh at some of the stuff, you will lose your mind. I threw some major tantrums before/during/after.

Nothing in life is easy, that is worth having

I am truly sorry that the cycle was cancelled though. I am assuming you will have to wait until after the new year for the next one. Which probably feels like eternity

xxaquanutxx · #25 12/06/2004, 10:00 PM

I myself might be looking at IVF in the near future. I am glad that you started this thread, alot of my worries and reservations were calmed after reading this thread and hearing of the success above the mishaps.

Sorry about missing the cycle, I hope it goes really well for you. I think the worst thing for a woman to go through in life is having to live with the thought of not being able to have thier own precious bundle of joy.

I do believe in adoption, but its not the same in retrospect to having a life grow inside of you. Yes you love them the same, but you miss on that 9months of bliss.