Posted by
Havefaith
18 yrs ago
I did an IVF at the Sanatorium with Dr. Ho in April/May. On day 3, your wife will go in for blood test to check her FSH - to see how well her ovaries will react to the meds. If it is a low FSH count (that's good) the docs will go ahead with the meds - everyday they will give your wife an injectible - similar to what she had for her IUI with injectibles cycle - except with more meds to stimulate more eggs production. Every other day or so - the doc will do a scan to see if the dosage needs to be increased or reduced. Then just before ovulation - your wife will need to go into the hospital for the egg retrieval procedure - she will be under general - so no pain. At the same time, they will ask you to give them some of your sperms. After the sperms have been washed, the lab will fertilise the eggs with your sperms - and then the waiting start. Depending on the quality of the embryo and the no. that you have - it may be a Day 3 or Day 5 transfer. On that day, your wife will go into the hospital and the doc will transfer the embryos.
The hospital charges around HK$60K for the egg retrieval and embryo transfer.
Good luck!
HF
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Foth,
It was a failed attempt for us - Doc put back 3 embryos. I am not quite ready to go back to another IVF.
Good luck and lots of baby dust to you and your wife.
HF
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A friend of mine got pregnant on her 10th IUI - her hubby also had low sperm count.
The other option that you can consider may be - to consolidate two samples of sperms. You could freeze the first patch (say, 4 days or more before your wife ovulates) and then on the day she does ovulate - you can deposit another specimen. You can combine the two samples - and increase the sperm count. It will cost another HK$3,000 for freezing the sperms - but IUI is just alot less invasive.
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The problem with going thru IVF - is the stress level. Our infertility is not because of low sperm count - hubby has a very HIGH sperm count. I am also 39. I got pregnant last month (and then a few days later lost it) from IUI (without meds). I also got pregnant last year naturally - again ended with a m/c.
On the other hand, I did not get pregnant with IVF. You are right the success rate with IVF is higher than IVF. Having said that, there is no guarantee. In my case, I think mentally I handled the IVF procedure OK - but I dont think my body did that well.
IUI with clomid - is not recommended by some doctors because it results in thinner uterus wall. My friend did the first 9 IUIs with clomid and then switched to IUI with Gonal F before getting pregnant.
I have not tried the option of combining the two specimen myself. My hubby travels alot and so we had some of his specimen frozen 2 months ago - However, he ended up being here for the IUI so we just used a fresh sample - but doc asked us if we wanted to combine the two. Hubby's sperm count in his fresh specimen was high - so doc ended up suggesting against it - because we did not need 400m sperms.
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buz
18 yrs ago
Hi Foolonahill, I think most docs will try IUI first as it's less invasive and obviously much cheaper than IVF. I bought a book by Zita West in Hong Kong called Fertility and Conception. I found it quite good in understanding IVF. I had 3 cycles of IUI before moving onto IVF. I'm also just 39 :-)
If your OB is not explaining things or spending enough time with you, I would change your OB. IVF is an emotional journey, it's important that you and your wife feel comfortable with your OB.
Good luck with it all.
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Let us know if you have any questions after your visit to the center. One thing I would like to mention, in addition to the hospital charges of about HK$60K you will also have to pay for drugs and scans - it will be close to HK$80K for all that together.
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If your wife has quite a few eggs at the time of egg retrieval, then there will likely be embryos that will be fertilised without being transferred. These embryos will be frozen in case the ones that have been transferred do not implant.
There is a cost for freezing the embryos and FET (frozen embryo transfer) which will be much cheaper. I think the cost of FET will be about HK$10K. Please check with the center.
I did not have any embryos left after the April IVF, so the next time we try it will be a fresh IVF cycle - and it will cost us HK$80K.
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Please excuse the typo in my last reply. I sometimes press reply a little too soon - did not mean to say "your wives have" - I have changed it now. Sorry - and best of luck with your appointment with the center.
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Remember to give her tons and tons of support. It is a stressful exercise - and when you fail to get pregnant (after spending so much money) - the stress level is even higher. My husband purposedly schedule to be in Hong Kong for the 2 weeks when I did it. He was very supportive.
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Good on you! Good luck and lots of babydust to you and your wife!
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Yes - to stimulate the production of more eggs. What was her FSH level?
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That seems OK. Gonal F cost about HK$5,000 for each bottle - I think I went thru about two and a half bottles for my IVF. If your wife needs scans and blood tests during the next 10 days, do you pay extra? If not, then HK$1,700 per visit is a good deal.
Did the doc say anything about monitoring during the next 10 days? I think that is quite important because if they think the level of drugs is insufficient/too much they will increase/reduce.
You may still want to ask about the FSH level. 15 is the cut off for most doctors on whether to proceed with IVF/IUI - so if your wife's count is at close to 15 - you may want to wait another month before starting the treatments. On the other hand, if your wife's count is 6, it is a good indication that her ovaries will respond well to the treatment.
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I am afraid I can only inform you based on my own experience.
I once told dh that I will like to dedicate some of my time to helping others get pregnant once we get there ourselves. We have wasted about one year on a bad doc. Of course, it will be more convincing once we have been there - however, in the meantime, I would like to share whatever knowledge/information I have.
Happy to be of help.
HF
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Hi - just to comment on what was said earlier - a general isn't compulsory for egg retrieval and these days I think it's often done without a general. I've been offered morphine (combined with something else I think.... can't quite remember) but I'm not going to the Sanatorium so perhaps they only do it with a general there.
Foolonahill - what your OB has told you so far seems to correlate with what I'm hearing from my doc so I think we should both feel reassured by that. we've a similar problem re. sperm count/motility/morphology... and the doctor said that if we want to stand a good chance of success IVF is the way forward... but this doesn't mean to say that there's no chance of IUI ever working. You can only say there's no chance if there's no motile, normal sperm whatsoever. With most people it's just a question of looking at what the chances are and making decisions accordingly. People often stick with IUI because it's less invasive and less costly and it does increase chances of achieving pregnancy... even in cases such as ours where the sperm quality is not good.
So it's not simply a case of your OB going along with IUI knowing it wouldn't work. it's a case of weighing up the chances of success on the one hand with cost and greater medical intervention on the other.
Good luck and let us know how you get on!
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Foah,
I am not sure what the other two counts are - so I will not comment on their level.
As for FSH, it seems OK (under 15 is OK). However, not great - which means the ovaries' response will be OK - but not great. To put things into perspectives for you, in Feb 07, I was going to do IVF but my FSH was 14 - and Dr. Ho advised me against doing it that month.
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FSH fluctuates from month to month. I am also 39. What it means is for a 39 year old to have FSH level at 12 would be worst than if the same person had FSH level at 7. That's all I know. Having said that, it is only one count - I know someone who had FSH of about 20 for a year - and decided to do IVF because she was 42. She ended up with only one egg and now she is a happy mother.
As we get older, our FSH level will climb up.
HF
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That's great. A lower FSH is always going to be better than a higher FSH.
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Foolonahill,
I am so sorry to hear. I think it is the estrogen count. I dont remember having a blood test - but the scan would give the doc a good indication of how well your wife is responding to the meds.
If your doc asked you to abandon the cycle, then it is probably best that you do. I am so sorry! Dont lose faith - remember the woman who had one egg that ended up being a happy mother now.
It seems your doc is not good at communicating details to you. Would you consider switching doctor next month if your wife goes for IVF at that time.
One good thing about going thru IUI is that it is less stressful for your wife and you can do a couple of them in a row - whereas once your wife has done one IVF (even if she was up to it) docs would ask her to wait at least one month before doing anything else.
Do keep on being positve and have faith!
HF
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Foolonahill - I'm so sorry to hear this. I've been following your threads and was really hoping for it to work out this time. If you are interested in getting a second opinion (or even just to get opportunity to discuss the results of all the tests you've had so far with someone who will give you a bit more of their time) I can highly recommend Dr Derek Lo in Pacific House. He has a good bedside manner but he also tells you how it is. In terms of deciding what your next steps should be, his advice could be very useful.
I agree completely with Havefaith.... although I know it's really hard to feel positive when things like this happen. However, the good news is that there are eggs so achieving pregancy IS possible.... and your OB would not be suggesting IUI if there was absolutely no chance of success.
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buz
18 yrs ago
Hi Foolonahill, sorry to hear the bad news. Wishing u well for the IUI.
Can I ask what drug and dosage your wife was given for the stimulation drugs. My FSH is around 6.5-7.5 but I don't respond well to the drugs. I was given a high dosage of Gonal F 450ml.
Fertility treatment is stressful and expensive. Please try and get the best doc for the job. I wasted over a year and a lot of money with the wrong doctor! I eventually went with Dr. Ho who I found very honest. I've also heard good things about Dr. Lo also.
Best of luck to you and your wife.
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Foolonahill,
Let us know how your appt go. Good luck!
HF
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Foolonhill,
I dont know if I have mentioned this to you before. I was going to do IVF in Feb/March but my FSH was 14 so we ended up doing IUI (with meds) instead.
Dont lose faith!
HF
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Foolonahill,
After my IUI, the doc suggested no swimining, no baths (just showers), and sex that night. The whole procedure is not bad - ask the OB if there is someone right after your wife on Sat. I always try to schedule so I have about half an hour of lying down. Funnily enough I lied still for an hour the two times I did not get pregnant but did get pregnant when I lied down for only half an hour.
Best of luck!
HF
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Foolonahill,
How is it working out for your wife?
Lots of baby dust to you both!
HF
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Foolanahill,
Good luck - just remember to try to "capture" all of your contribution. The little guys at the begining are sometimes missed - and they are the live ones. The little guys at the end are dead.
HF
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I was told that ovulation takes place 37 hours after the injection... (I'm pretty sure Dr Lo said the timing of ovulation after the injection is quite precise) in which case the timing should be ok. Otherwise the timing does seem a bit strange because I think eggs only survive 12-24 hours after ovulation.
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Foolonhill,
That's sounds good. Just remember not baths, no swimming - and just ask your wife to relax for the next 2 weeks.
Take care and lots of babydust to you!
HF
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Well that's certainly good news! I'll be keeping everything crossed for you too.
Have you been doing anything different recently to boost your numbers? Am intrigued... especially seeing as my DH's morphology is stubbornly sitting at 3-4% (on Kruger standard).
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Hi Foolonahill,
Hope all goes well with your IUI.
I went for my IUI session around same day as you did ( judge by the date of your posting) and am also eargerly waiting for the blood test next week.
I feel like I need to response to your earlier post because I personally dislike doctors that do not give enough time to patients like us. I am fortunate enough to find a very good doctor - Dr. William So ( Premier Medical Centre), who is very knowledgable,very experience and very caring for patients. Everytime I went to see him, he will answer every single question I have before I leave. Yes, there are always long waiting time but I really think every session is worth waiting for. I went for my first IUI session with him about 2 yrs ago ( when I was 38)and with his help, I have a beautiful baby daughter from my first IUI session.
I can understand the stress you feel especially with all the preparation work we women have to go through ( and not to say the money spent) before we know the result. Anyway, best of luck to you ( and to us :p) again
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From what I understand, home pregnancy test kit tries to detect the level of a kind of pregnancy hormone ( sorry I forgot its name), which sometimes at very early stage of pregnancy, is difficult to detect. Therefore blood test will give a more accurate result. Also I think you may want to test again later as day 12 is really a bit too early to tell. Like last time, I am going for my blood test on the 16th day after the IUI. Let's both keep our finger cross :p
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Foolonahill,
I agree with Manman 88. The blood test and the urine test both test for the same pregnacy hormone (HCG Beta) but the former will show a positive sooner than the latter. In addition, please note that he more expensive the pregnancy test is the earlier you can test accurately. Clear Blue is usually a safe bet.
Good luck!
HF
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Hi Foolonahill,
Don't be dishearten yet unless your wife starts her menstrual bleeding, though it make sense to be prepared that we always have 50% chance to succeed and 50% chance that goes the other way.
Last time when I got pregnant I have no signs or symtoms at all so when I got the blood test result, I was so happy that I cried!
Anyway good luck to us all!
manman
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Foolanahill,
Manman88 is right. Until your wife gets her period, it is not a negative. If pregnancy tests are all that accurate on the day the period is due, then it would not say "if negative and you have not got your period in 7 days test again."
Don't discount this cycle until your wife gets her period.
HF
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Dear Foolonahill
i am now 22 weeks pregnant (although not with IVF ). I did a few tests the day before and the day that my period was due and they were all neg - my pregnancy test only had a really faint line at 2 days after my period was due ( and I am usually very regular). Sometimes I think this is normal and I have read that a line however faint is likely to be positive ? try again in a few days to give the hormones chance to get stronger ;) good luck.
I think also some tests are better than others for different people - for some reasons the clearblue wasn't that good for me but the mannings own brand came up stronger.
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788
18 yrs ago
FOAH,
You positive(however faint, today... I am sure would be strong tomorrow) has given me enormous hope. My husband just did a varicocele this June. Having read several opinions on the net... it was discouraging to hear that the success of the surgery is still out to jury. So you will be a success story! So glad to hear it. Will go to check on the little guys next week if things became better after the surgery. Still not sure how to improve the morphology though. It sat at 1% on the Kruger scale in May. Kikidee you should have more hope!
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Foolanhill,
Great news! A faint line is still a line. I am sure you will get a BFP tomorrow. If you want to be sure - you can do a blood test at the doctors office. They will give you the HCG level - no more guess work required.
Very Happy for you and your wife!
HF
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Foolanahill,
I would suggest a blood test. I am not sure if the urine test at the doctor's would have been that much more accurate than the urnine test you do at home.
If the OB is so sure - why did she ask your wife to come back for a blood test in a week's time. It sounds like the warning label on the home pregnancy tests.
If it is driving you crazy, then I would suggest a blood test - much more accuare.
Good luck!
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Foolonahill, I'm no expert but is your wife on progesterone suppositories? I had an IUI last week and have been on progesterone starting the evening after. I was told this could delay my next period if I am not PG. Also, I'm getting HCG booster shots which will impact when to test. Does anyone know?
I'm sorry you're going through this rollercoaster and hope it all works out soon.
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Foolanhill,
Babybemine is right the progestrone is supposed to delay her period. In addition, the Gonal-F or other meds that are used to stimulate extra egg production may also impact on the test result. I remember Kelly (of Dr. Ho's clinic) was telling me that a HCG Beta level of at least 50 is treated as being pregnant - if Gonal-F or other drugs have been given during the cycle.
Given how stressed your wife and you both are about this, I think it is best to leave it alone for a couple of days.
Take care!
HF
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Foolonahill,
Great news! Congrats!
Good luck with the scan in 10 days! Lots of babydust to you and everyone out there!
HF
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788
18 yrs ago
Thats awesome! FOAH.... I forwarded your news to my husband who just got his varicocele done. Gives us hope!! CONGRATULATIONS- I have my fingers crossed for you for normal progression of pregnancy.
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Hee, hee - that's fantastic. Congratulations! ... and thank you so much for sharing your progress with us. I've just started injections for our first IVF with ICSI and your news has certainly help make me feel a lot more positive about the whole thing.
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FOAH, congratulations! I've been following this thread (albeit silently) and share in your joy. Stay positive! And if you believe in a good and loving God (as I do), keep praying! He will take care of you and your growing family.
peace.
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This is great news, many congratulations to you and your wife!!
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MayC
18 yrs ago
Foolonahill, congrats. It gives the rest of us hope.
I've been reading your thread too but have not participated because I don't have experience with IVF/IUI.
Here's wishing you a healthy and smooth-sailing pregnancy!
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cd
18 yrs ago
Foolonahill,
congratulations to you and your family. I hope everything goes well for you. I have also been following your story but have had no input, as I too don't have any experience with IVF. It sounds so stressful and hard what you've had to go through, and you've been very brave putting yout feelings down on this forum. Will keep my fingers crossed for you.
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