The Over 40 Crowd

[NY4thtry]

children,

what protocal did you use to get that many embryos.. thats an amazing result for our age group.

As for hpt i am going to try and wait for beta so i dont get upset.

NY

[children]

Hi Ladies here,

How are you all doing? We have very good whether lately, at night, it is not hot anymore and we can finally enjoy Fall-like whether. Hope it stays. My morning sickness stays and I still cannot eat like a regular person. But at this point, I am even tired of thinking about MS, I just try to enjoy my second trimester and try to enjoy my returned energy level and work as much as I can so that I don't have to feel the rush to come back after delivery.

NY4thtry,

They used "mini dose flare" protocol which involves 14~21 days of birth control pills (I did only 14 days) and then mini-dose lupron (50 microgram/0.1ml), twice/day together with 300U Gonar F in the morning and 150 U Repronex in the evening. However, I needed to tune down both Gonad F and REpronex the third day on to 225U and 75 U respectively. Later, when they found that I was still over-stimulated, I needed to decrease Gonad F to 150 at the 5th day and then 75U the 6th day and them completely stop using it at all in the last day. I did not have the best stimulation process since I produced too many eggs and too fast. All the REs and nurses were surprised because of my age.

Whichever protocol to use, as long as your RE monitors your progress closely, you should be fine. I was overstimulated and they could not proceed to the ET at the first cycle. I was very upset about it and hated my RE. Now when I know better, I think he did the right thing without having me suffer from OHSS too much.

I found what helps me the most during the ivf process from clinic point of view also was to consult them (both RE and embryologist) after each failed cycle to try to make them looking into your case specially - you could hit them with TONS of questions. By reading a lot online and talking to others, you will learn a lot of terms and lot of suspected reasons, then you will come up with a lot of well-thought questions to make them believe that you also know what you are doing. Even though no one has definite reasons why one cycle works or does not work, they still need to TRY or even PRETEND to figure out what the next plans are to ensure a success. As long as you establish your status as someone special instead of just a number at your clinic, your chance of getting their attention is better.

Anyway, this cycle you may get what you are waiting for. Let's see. How long you will have to wait? Looking forward to your good news.

Yasmina

[Catharine]

Good morning All

Welcome NY4thtry, sending you lots of baby dust and PMA

Yasmina-here's to more energy and a great PMA as you embark on the second trimester adventure.

Hello to everyone else who is reading on the side lines.

Update on myself. Trying to get a handle on the bloody nose issue. I saw an ENT specialist yesterday and tentatively have scheduled the removal of the growth, which blockes my air passage in my left nostril, either the end of this week or beginning of next week. The date depends on what my Ob's input on the topic is on how to proceed regarding anesthetics. I'm fast closing out the second trimester, this is the last week. Sadly I'm not sleeping well for various reasons: bloody nose, bad dreams, back aches, active mind, etc. etc. At least I have the Olympics to keep me entertained when I'm awoken after a few hours of rest. One could argue this is my bodies method of preparing me for the impending arrival of our little peanut. I've gotten received lots of unsolicitated information from women of what to expect in this home stretch. Let's just say it wasn't pretty. I'll try not to dwell/worry too much on their words for sofar I have been doing pretty well, missing some of the not so niceities of being with child, Phew! [Sorry Yasmina wish the ms would tone it down for you]. At the moment I'm gearing up for the trip to Boston, trying to get a football team in top level proformance for the national championship match. This has provided my mind ample food for foder minimizing my time thinking of what's to come in these next few months. Although I have to admit, I'm looking forward to meeting this new little being.

Wishing everyone good health.
Catharine

[Literatriz]

Hi all,
I have joined a group last year, during our first and second attempts through egg donation/IVF. This time...it worked!!!! I am older and had no endometriosis to make things more complicated but chances were much better with eggs from a younger donor. I went to Brazil to have the procedure done and liked the team. The emotional support was essencial (I learned to breathe and meditate which was crucial) and my husband and I literally stayed away from problems in a very protective way. I will have another quantitative blood test tomorrow as they suspect a multiple pregnancy.
Sorry for "invading" the old crowd group but I really need to share the news. I know that there are still risks but it is good to share anyways as I got a lot of support in the past two attempts. This time, I am the one sharing the good news and appreciating this list as a source of strenght and hope.
Be well, Literatriz

[children]

Hi Literatriz,

Big congrats to you and your husband. It's exciting and wish you will have a smooth and pleasant pregnancy journey. I wanted to say that Yoga helped me quite a bit also. I found once my nerves calmed down, everything just fall into places easier. Please update us your next blood test and whether it is multiple?!

Catharine,

Wish you will be able to remove whatever that causes your nose problem soon. Can they do only local anesthesia so that you don't have to worry about too much of the rest of the body? Could you use any other more conservative method to control the bleeding business and then get it removed after delivery?

About sleeping, forget it, I basically did not sleep at all during my first pg. I think at early times, I was too scared and too excited and too curious, or for whatever reason, I could not sleep in the night, but I easily dosed off during the day at work. I don't remember my second tri, it may be the same as the first tri, since I never had enough energy to work. Then after entering third tri, my stomach started to bug me and I had constant acid attack and could not lay down easily, plus I needed to use toilet like every hour! On the top of everything, I had food aversion the whole time, although not as severe as this time. The whole pg that I gained only 15 lbs and lost 10 original weight right after delivery.

This time around, it is a bit different (apart from the constant food aversion and not gaining too much weight part). I slept like 10~12 hours per night the first tri, only get some energy back since last week, I don't know whether that was because I started to watch Olympics which excites me or I indeed have more energy now, I even have few nights not sleeping until way past 3am, and then I still can work, which involves a lot of reading and thinking, sometimes writing. I hope this stays for a while so that I can get something done at work.

Speaking of work, need to get back to it now, have a nice trip to Boston!

NY4thtry,

How are you? Any good sign?

Too all the ladies here, good luck on whatever you are doing.

Yasmina

[NY4thtry]

Hi girls,

I am waiting with baited breath to get my beta result.. sometime later today i guess the good news is i am mentally prepared for bad news.. I have already been investogating other Drs and have a consultation scheduled with a new Dr on friday..

but yyou never know

[children]

NY4thtry,

Fingers are crossed for you!!!!!

[NY4thtry]

Girls
sorry but not pleased to report despite 4 PERFECT grade one embryos according to the dr.. it didnt take and its a big BFN.. comitted to keep trying have a consult with a new doc friday and an appt with my existing tues.. wish me luck i am so sad

[children]

NY4thtry,

I am so sorry for this result. I must say that I was very hopeful and trusted the Cornell FC would have already found out a good strategy by now. As you said, the 4th try should get there already! I hope that you will have any answers and new strategies after consulting your REs. Would you want to ask them to maximize the number of embryos that they are willing to put back? My clinic does not have multiple pg among our age group so they are pretty aggressive in the number of embryos. Another thing to do is to perform assisted hatching, for our age group, this seems to help for implantation. If I think of something more, I will post later. Good luck on the meeting and looking forward to your updates.

Catharine,

I went to see my ob yesterday and he became back to a calm and cold person again, listened to the heartbeat and that was it! The nurse took the weight and blood pressure. I gained already 4 lbs which is surprising since I really did not eat much! My bump starts to show. I have not told anyone at work yet, I guess I cannot hold for long.

Hi everyone else,

The Olympic games are becoming more and more exciting and after that I could not sleep again last night and went back to read all our old posts and started to miss all the strong support from this group. Our group used to be so active and so many wise gals were posting and I really wish you all come back from time to time to post about your daily lives. Whatever you are doing, all the best to all,

Yasmina

[NY4thtry]

Yasmina,

Its amazing you mention assisted hatching.. I have asked them about that BOTH times.. tthey said two things.. that it was not neccesary due to the quality of my embryos and secondly that while they pioneered alternative hatching they dont do it as much any more.. belive me i will ask again

As for number of embryos.. they only wanted to put 4 this time because again they lookedso good.

very fristarting

[children]

NY4thtry,

I believe after 4 failed cycle, you RE would be more open minded. Ask your RE how many multiples they have had in your age group. Anyway, you can always sign a consent of willing to to selective reduction if more then 3 implanted. My RE once told me that one can never tell by the look (grade) of the embryos. Very often, the ugliest embryos give rise beautiful babies. I am glad that my REs did what they know the best. In my second successful frozen cycle, I also did not think assisted hatching was necessary and I was worried about multiples very much since I did not want even a twin pregnancy.

Anyway, I suggested more aggressive method was based on your personal history, not just age alone. In the end of the day, the most powerful sentence to your RE is: do whatever you have to in order to give me a live baby!

Best luck on your next try, persistence is the only way to success, that is my believe.

[NY4thtry]

Thanks children..

I am meeting with two new teams of Drs before i go back to see mine on tuesday so i planned to be armed with a lot more info..

I have no problem with reduction either.. we dont want twins.. we just want one...

I believe you are right perserverence is the key

[children]

NY4thtry,

Forgot to remind you that the fact of your remaining 3 embryos did not make to the freezing step is a good indication of their quality.

Once I asked to my RE why he did not want to wait for 2 more days for the 5day transfer, since some studies suggested 5dT gives better implantation rate. He said, we prefer to put the embryos back to Mom ASAP since that is still the best environment for them to grow. I think he was wise. No one in the world really knows what supports the embryos survival.

[Literatriz]

Hi chkldren and all,
Thanks for the reply...I really want to joing a group during this waiting time. Don't know how to add the counting days on the botton, with the weeks and all - any suggestions?
My husband and I could not afford treatment in the US, even more because we decided not to risk working with my eggs (since when I was 45). We did it in Brazil - costs were maybe a fifth of what it would be here. More even when you consider that overthere the eggs are donated in exchange for treatment payment (the donor also has fertility problems and/or wants to have her tubes tied and can't afford it) and have no cost added to the procedure. I know there are other countries that offer services at competitive prices.
Anyways, there are other possibilities and I would like to share that we have been praying every night to the donor and her ancestors. Other than gratitude, I feel no difference - I am the mother of this tiny seed throbbing in my womb. So, don't feel discouraged if your eggs didn't work...
Wishing you all well,
Literatriz

[children]

Literatriz,

Congrats again! To get a ticker, you can get it anywhere online, but the most popular place is: http://www.tickerfactory.com/ You would need to configure your own by choosing a ruler/pattern, and then follow the steps to add a little baby, and then enter your due day to have it completed. The last step is to copy and paste the bbcode to your profile so that it will show up as part of your signature. In order to get this right, I made one for myself, so now I can know my progress easily. Have fun!

Yes, I have friends and relatives go abroad (China) to have ivf done also, they all have babies now and it is 10x cheaper than here in the US, however, I could not be away from my job for long so we could not do the same.