Couple of IVF Newbie Questions

jakraft837 · January 2013

Got my protocol last night-updated my siggy. Had a few quick questions for the more experiecnced IVF ladies.

I was told to take a baby asprin every day with my birth control...why?
Started reading yesterday about this process and read that using frozen eggs lessens your chances over using "fresh" eggs that were just retreaved. What do you guys know about this? Have your doctors ever mentioned this?

Thank you!

Temp878586125009588 · January 2013

I was told to take a baby asprin every day with my birth control...why?

I was on baby aspirin on my last FET cycle. This is a blood thinner and can help with implantation. I don't know any off hand any other reason for it, and it is controversial about whether it really helps or not, but, it couldn't hurt.
Started reading yesterday about this process and read that using frozen eggs lessens your chances over using "fresh" eggs that were just retreaved. What do you guys know about this? Have your doctors ever mentioned this?

My RE told me the same thing. We had asked if we could freeze half of the eggs retrieved just in case we had too many eggs retrieved, We didn't want to have to make any hard decision if we had too many embryos. My RE said that they could freeze the eggs, but highly suggested fertilizing all the fresh eggs because, even though egg freezing is getting better, it's still better to freeze an embryo than an egg. The embryo has a better chance then fertilizing a once frozen egg. That's what was explained to me. We were given the option, but after his explanation, Google research, and how many eggs were retrieved, we decided to have them all my eggs fertilized and froze embryos rather then the eggs.

GL!

ETA: I apologize for the terrible typos in my answers.... I just re-read that and it's awful.

BootsOrHearts · January 2013

Daysie is wise, on both points.

I'm taking the dumb baby aspirin even though I doubt it does anything. It can't hurt and if it doesn't help, I'm only out the $3 or so I spent on it.

kflynn81 · January 2013

Pretty much what PP said....the aspirin can be therapeutic if there is an underlying clotting disorder. Its something that can help if so and if not it won't harm you by taking it. I've never taken the baby aspirin as part of a protocol because I have a known clotting disorder and need the daily Lovenox injections. Yuck!

Also, there's studies back and forth that I've read about fresh vs. frozen. I've read both sides of the coin that it helps AND harms so I guess its just a matter of opinion on your RE. I also believe that what is helpful for one woman may be harmful to another. There was a study that my mother, god love her but she needs to stop sending me IVF studies, sent me about doing a fresh cycle and freezing the eggs for an FET the following month. Something about giving the uterus a month to "recooperate" from the medications made the environment more welcoming for the embryo to implant later. Beats me...if I had something to freeze maybe I'd be interested in trying, LOL

Good luck....let me know if you have any questions you can PM me anytime

htn1763 · January 2013

I don't have any advice, but we are moving to our first ivf too and we have a similar schedule. I just started bcp and I start Lupron on 2/13 too. However, our ER is 3/4. I just wanted to say good luck!

new+tothis · January 2013

1. Baby aspirin basically makes your blood slippery so it flows easier. This helps increase uterine blood flow.

2. It totally depends on the situation. Your clinic should have stats between fresh and frozen transfers. Mine has basically the same rates. However, they won't do a fresh transfer if there's a reason to wait. If you get OHSS or something else happens that would lower your chances of success with a fresh versus frozen then they'll do a frozen.

LuClo · January 2013

PP on the baby aspirin protocol.

As far as fresh vs. frozen- this has no medical basis, but how makes sense in my head- think of it like fish. You go to a fancy seafood place on the coast that serves local fish caught within the last day - it tastes like fish. If you pick up a thing of frozen fish that sat on boat, went through a factory, and has been on the grocery store shelf for a week - it still tastes like fish, but it's not quite the same. The processing, the freezer burn, whatever.

Now there are a million perfectly good reasons to go with the frozen fish- like because you live in a land-locked state, it's cheaper, more reliable, and easier to get. And there are just as many good reasons to do a FET- it's cheaper, fewer drugs, flexible timing... So while fresh might taste better, sometimes frozen just makes sense.

At least that's how I think about it.

Gr8te · January 2013

My clinic has the same success rates for fresh or frozen. I think the freezing method is indicative of the results. I didn't have a choice, but I'm ok with a freeze all. It gave my body and chance to heal, the ute is more hospitable and they say only the strong embies/blasts survive thawing. Also, a FET is $2k more at my clinic than a fresh.

RosyGlow · January 2013

Welcome! It is a very big process with so many questions. I'm still learning as I go. Ask away - everyone on this board is really knowledgeable and very friendly from what I have seen. So...I am a little bit confused...in #2, are you asking about frozen eggs or frozen embryos? Can you re-word the question?

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Couple of IVF Newbie Questions

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