Introduction- Hello from Houston!

mtele · January 2017

Hi everyone,

My name is Morgan, my husband and I have been TTC for just over a year (started December 2015). We are both 31. After about 6 months we started to get nervous after several of my friends got pregnant who started trying around the same time. Went to my doctor for basic testing and my husband has severe MFI (less than 1 million motile). Thankfully, everything checked out ok on my end. We were told that IUI had a very low chance of working and my RE recommended doing IVF.

We are now preparing to start IVF #1 in February for hopeful egg retrieval in mid March. I am really nervous about doing it- scared about what it will do to me physically and emotionally. I have been reading some of these boards for the past few months and finally decided to join. Looking forward to have some people to chat with who have/are going through similar experiences.

rainbowwishes5 · January 2017

Welcome!

daisy222-2 · January 2017

Hi and welcome! I am pretty new to posting anything too, after lurking for a while and having a bunch of unsuccessful IUIs. We are gearing up to actually start IVF #1 in ~1.5 months, with retrieval sometime in late March I think. During Jan and Feb I am on a drug for endometriosis that puts my body into a sort of early menopause, which seems like the opposite of having a baby, so I have to trust my doctor and be patient, both of which I am bad at, haha

I am also nervous because I already feel overly emotional about everything and am worried I'm not going to handle additional physical and emotional hurdles very well. Like having to act normal at work and around acquaintances when I feel so much anxiety/turmoil in my head. I am also nervous about having to miss a lot of work, hopefully I can have most appointments very early in the morning. But yes, I am hoping having people to talk to here, who are going through the exact same thing, will help!

SBump · January 2017

I'm brand new here too. Welcome! I have endometriosis and low amh, and I'm supposed to be starting my stimulation soon with egg retrieval sometime in early to mid-February. I'm also nervous about continuing work full-time and the emotional/physical effects of the medications. Also looking for supportive friends here to chat with.

Winnie81_Old · January 2017

Howdy fellow Houstonian

Welcome! I'm sorry you find yourself going through infertility, but this is an amazing board of women who will be here to help you along the way. I think there is a February IVF thread started, not sure, but if so hop in and introduce yourself.

hibiscus118 · January 2017

Hi and welcome! Sounds like we have a similar diagnosis. We just finished our first round of IVF (bfn but have 8 embabies so it was successful to us!). Good luck!

Maydar · January 2017

Hello! I'm a lurker, and also from Houston. If you're ok with sharing, I'd love to know what RE you're going to, especially if you really like them and if they have an office near the medical center.

We were also dealing with MFI, starting with 4 million total with <5% motile. Thankfully, surgically treating a varicocele brought it way up - as of last week, we had 16 million and 50% motile, so we might be able to get away with IUI. I still need to go through all the tests to make sure things are good on my end, so who knows.

bluejeanbabi05 · January 2017

@mtele and @daisy222 welcome and I'm sorry you have to be here. I'm also starting BCPs in feb and egg retrieval and transfer in march if my current IUI is a BFN. Are you ladies doing transfers right away or waiting for an FET cycle?

It helps so so much to have these boards. If you haven't already, check out and lurk on the TTGP board, lots of wonderful IF ladies there. They've kept me sane through this process- I'm the same as you, very easily stressed. They do daily waiting to ovulate and two week wait posts so you get to know everyone really well. Also, hopefully a March IVF board will pop up soon.

Fx for all of us!

daisy222-2 · January 2017

@bluejeanbabi05 Thanks! I will check out TTGP.

I don't know the exact schedule and protocol for IVF/transfers yet. Last time I met with the RE, I was still months away from even starting the pre-IVF BCPs so he didn't let me take the schedule/protocol paper with me to get attached to

(Also I still had testing to do).

I am still so new at all of this that I don't remember much (not "fluent" yet). But during my consult, it sounded like a fresh transfer is on the table unless something comes up that makes that a bad idea (OHSS? other?). But then the doctor said that something usually does comes up to make fresh transfer a bad idea! So I will have to ask more questions about that. Do you know if its true that you can't do PGS testing on a fresh transfer?

(Edited because I know that due and do are different words)

bluejeanbabi05 · January 2017

@daisy222 yes, I've heard that too. I've also heard from others and my RE that FET transfers have better success rates than fresh. I'm also at a higher risk for OHSS. I would be doing a strictly retrieval cycle followed by an FET cycle if it weren't for some insurance concerns.

daisy222-2 · January 2017

@bluejeanbabi05 Yes, I've heard that too. I wonder how much of the increased success rate for FET vs. fresh transfer is due to a lot of those frozen embryos being PGS tested and how much is due to the women having settled-down hormones and recuperated body parts?

Just wondering, how do you know that you are at an elevated risk for OHSS?

(You know a lot more about than IVF than me for someone still doing IUIs, thank you for your help

)

bluejeanbabi05 · January 2017

@daisy222 It's nice to find people at a similar timeline as me.

I'm no expert but from what I've read, the PGS testing is mostly helpful for lowering m/c rates, although I would imagine healthier embies also have a better chance at implanting. My understanding is that the better rates of FET come mostly from the less-stressed lady parts and uterine lining = better implantation chances.

Risk factors for OHSS include being under 30, having PCOS, being especially responsive to fertility meds. I am 29 and have PCOS, although it is controlled with metformin.

IVF is covered under my insurance plan after I pay my $6k out of pocket, so I want to deliver the same year as I do IVF if at all possible (instead of paying that out of pocket two years in a row). If I didn't have that concern I would 110% do a FET cycle instead of a fresh.

That said. Waiting is the hardest part of all this so I completely understand not wanting to wait any longer than completely necessary.

Also keeping in mind PGS testing isn't covered by any insurance plans unless you have a genetic condition and is very pricey. $2k++ from what I've heard.

liljoy-2 · January 2017

Hi there. Yes, PGS testing means taking a biopsy of the 5 day embryo before freezing and it takes about 2 weeks to get the results back, so it means a FET.
PGS is not the same as PGD. PGS is covered by some plans that cover IVF. PGD (which means looking for a specific disease) is not unless the blood test indicates an issue.

mtele · January 2017

Thank you all for the warm welcome! I also already feel overly stressed out and emotional. I’m sorry other people feel that way, but it is good to know I’m not alone.

Sorry for the delayed reply, I’m working nights this month at work which is kind of crazy. Thankfully the next few months will be a lighter schedule for me so hopefully missing work won’t be too much of a problem. I’m curious from other people who have gone through IVF- were you able to go to work most of the time or did you have to miss some days? I am definitely planning to take off for the egg retrieval, but I’m wondering if I’ll need more days off during the last few stim days.

I’ll also be doing FET. My REI thinks I’m at high risk of OHSS too for being relatively young with high-ish AMH.

@Maydar I’m going to TCH Women’s Pavillion and seeing Dr. Schutt. I work in the med center and that is where my insurance coverage is best. I really like TCH and the staff there seems great from what I have seen so far.

Fingers crossed for everyone here!

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