Jan/Feb 08 Cycle Buddies

[waitingforMia]

Welcome Kerpupples- (what a cute name ) Did you use FreedomDrug for your first IVF? I am thinking of using them, but my RE wants to use FOllistim. I will find out if it is ok to go the gonal-f route.

Loopie: I am blessed to be at a new clinic that moves around my schedule - though there are many benefits to having an experienced staff and clinic! Did the BCP make your boobs huge?? I haven't noticed a change. guess I will have to ask Dh tonight if he noticed BTW I think Rio was talking about the Progesterone which is used for 9 weeks.

Rio: I am jealous I want my meds too! I still need to get a list from the RE - they were going to order them from their pharmacy but I put a kink in their plans and asked for the prescription so I could use an online pharmacy.

And I will be writing off these medical expenses this year. The financing company is supposed to apply the payment on 12/28 - I hope it does so I can use that expenxse for this year. I also hope to buy my meds this year (If the RE's office will ever send me the script!)

Yeah!!! So excited!! Can't wait to start shooting myself up. The only one that worries me is the IM - b/c I just don't trust Dh ...Owell, it will all be worth it.

Sending out major baby dust!!!!

MP

[riogirl71]

We start meds on:

Tracy S ----------------- 1/6

Riogirl71 ---------------- 1/7

WaitingforMia ----------- 1/7

21Bat ------------------- 1/9

Loopie ------------------- 1/12

Cornybaby ------------- 1/14

Kerpupples ------------- 1/24 WELCOME!!!!

EMS79 -------------------

ammu -------------------

browneyedgrl4282 ------


Did I get everyone's dates right?

[hopin4ababy]

Hi all,

New here, just checking it out! I am on my second round also. I love my RE, but medicine is not an exact science! Good luck to all of you in 2008, I hope it is a year full of successes!

My RE has me on prenatal vitamins, and is using 20 units of lupron for the first couple of days and then reducing to 10 units each morning this time because I "over responded" last time. According to my baseline u/s they were expecting fewer follicles and not such a huge response to the meds. On day 3 of my first stimulation my estrogen was up to 650 and my u/s showed almost 30 follicles! So they dropped my meds way down and I plateaued and then declined (this is what they attributed my poor egg quality to), so they then spiked my meds way up and my estrogen was 2333 on the day of my trigger shot.

I am hoping for a more gradual progression this time around, she is changing my med protocol to account for my responsiveness! Lots of finger crossing going on here!

[riogirl71]

Hi hoping4baby! Wishing you lots of baby dust in 2008

[beth]

Hello Ladies!

Mind if I join? I really love this message board. Everyone and all the info is and was so helpful.

I am doing a FET in February, and I am very apprehensive.
Started bcp already and begin Lupron Jan. 1st (happy new year to me!)
Does anyone know if FET cycles are usually medicated? I know it will be easier than a full IVF cycle, but not looking forward to those shots again!

Beth

[hopin4ababy]

Thanks for the welcome message Rio! Lots of baby dust to you also!!

Welcome to the board Beth, I haven't gone through a FET so I am not sure about the procedure specifics. Good Luck!!

[loopie]

Hi Hopin4 and beth -welcome!

I cannot believe how slowly the last week has gone! the holidays usually rush by, but I guess that since I want January to hurry up and get here, it will seem to take forever!
hopin- I see you're in Maryland, I'm in Baltimore and will be at the UMD Medical Center Downtown Baltimore, but I've heard great things about GBMC program just north of town, too -my friends have twins thanks to their facility.
anyhow - welcome and I hope everything goes great for you both!

(and everyone else, too! )
best to all,

loopie

[hopin4ababy]

Hi Loopie,
Thanks for the greetings, we are using SGFRSC (Shady Grove Fertility and Reproductive Science Center) in Rockville MD. It is a bigger practice than we originally planned to go with but it seems to have worked out now. The hardest part was getting all of the insurance stuff worked out, and coordination with all their departments!

I graduated from UMD in College Park! GO TERPS!

You are going to great place for your treatment! Best of luck to you!

[waitingforMia]

Rio - thanks for updating the list! I was curious how much medication you ordered. I am still waiting to hear from the RE so I can order my meds and calculate the expense .

Hopin: Welcome Sounds like you went through a lot during the first round - I hope this one is a lot smoother. When did you start injections? I think you are ahead of all of us!

Beth: I don't think there are injections - but there are some meds that you will take - definately not as extensive as a fresh IVF. When was your fresh IVF - and how many do you have frozen?

Loopie - have your parents visit for the week and time flies by! I have been cleaning and cooking all week! BTW I think Maryland is the prettiest place in the US - I drove through it one time and loved the greeness of it!

I read through the Patient Information Booklet my clininc makes this morning and feel very informed (and slightly confused ). Was curious if any of you have heard any negative side effects of assisted hatching. I signed a waiver to allow it - which my RE will use only if he thinks it is necessary. But I read online that there are developmental concerns in kids who have had this done... Anyone know anything?

Well, I better get going and start cleaning while the parents are out of the house.

MP

[hopin4ababy]

Hi Waiting,

I haven't started my injections yet this round. I am on BCPs right now and will start Lupron injections and baby asprin on 1/3/08. I will be on BCPs for the first three days after starting the lupron and then just the Lupron and baby asprin until I go for my lupron eval b/w, which should be 1/9/08. That is when I will begin my Follistim pen and Menopur injections in the evenings. My expected ER is 1/21/08, and hoping for a 5 day transfer with two strong embies on 1/26/08! I think my RE wants to stimulate for 9-10 days if all goes well. The biggest concern they have for me it to not over stimulate me.

My 1st attempt they started me at 225 Follistim and 75 menopur, and I over stimulated. So I am guessing they will start me off much lighter this time!

My office also switched from Ovidrel back to Novarel for the trigger shot because of a decreased number of mature eggs at fertilization, but did let me know there was no change is the pregnancy rates.

[kerpupples]

waitingForMia - I did use Freedom my first time and they were great. My RE wanted Follistim originally too but once she found out about my price difference was she was fine with Gonal-F. According to her they are the same drug made by different manufacturers.

RioGirl - I was a little off with my dates. I'll be starting Lupron on 1/22 and will start stimming on Feb. 1st. Thanks for adding me to the list!

In my first go-round, they ended up with 20 eggs at ER but 8 of those were immature. This time they are going to stim me for a day longer to get more mature eggs to work with.

[loopie]

sometimes i submit twice- don't know why that is!!

[riogirl71]

Hi girls, don't mean to get so repetitive but this way I can keep track of all of us lovely ladies in this cycle!!!

MEDS / ER / ET(#) / TEST!

Tracy S ----------------- 1/6

Riogirl71 -----ICSI----- 1/7 1/19 1/22 2/1

WaitingforMia ---ICSI-- 1/7

21Bat ------------------- 1/9

Loopie ------------------- 1/12

Cornybaby ------------- 1/14

Kerpupples ------------- 1/22

Hoping4ababy ---------- 1/3 WELCOME!!!!

beth ---------FET------- 1/1 WELCOME!!!

EMS79 -------------------
ammu -------------------
browneyedgrl4282 ------

These are approximate dates so as things progress I can update us all. Please feel free to copy and paste the list with your info updated if you wish, or I can try and keep it current!

So far my calendar reads:
Stop bcp on 1/3
Start cycle 1/7 meds
start ultrasounds 1/14
possible ER 1/19
possible ET 1/22
1st pregnancy test Feb 1st!!!!! Praying for a BFP!

Mia - I ordered:

Menopour - 12 (75IU) 1 refill
Follistim AQ 900IU - 4 1 refill
Medrol 8 mg # 43
Ovidrel 250 mcg
Ganirelix 250 mcg - 4 1 refill
Prenate ultra tabs #41 1 refill
Doxycycline 100 mg # 10
ASA enteric coated (aspirin) 81 mg #28 1 refill
Climara 0.1 mg patches 8 patches
Benzo/Lido/Tetro 20/6/4%
Progesterone oil 50 mg ethyl oleate 2
Crinone 8% progesterone gel - 18

TONS OF NEEDLES

Hope everyone is doing great

[loopie]

rio - you are amazing!!
I am so grateful for all of you - it's really keeping me upbeat about this whole thing, and I am learning so much - I should be a pro at making babies the ART way by the time I'm through
hopin4 - I've heard good things about shady -and btw- I'm a grad student at UMD right now, as well! -though I still say a turtle is a very silly mascot!
mia - what is "hatching"?

have a great weekend -
loopie

[riogirl71]

I am addicted to this site, I have learned so much and just knowing that there are others going through the same things is just great. I am glad we can all share this. My DH is very supportive but not able to understand all the emotions or physical changes only we can relate to...

Assisted Hatching is: (taken from my RE's website)
The embryo is held with gentle suction while a tiny needle delivers an acid solution that wears away an area of the outer shell (the zona pellucida). This helps the embryo “hatch” out of the shell and implant in the uterine wall. Shortly after the procedure, the embryo is transferred to the uterus. Assisted hatching is often recommended for couples who have had unsuccessful IVF cycles or where the female partner is over 37 or has high FSH levels, poor quality embryos or embryos with thick shells.

Keep posting - I don't feel like working today