IVF

IUI is widely considered the "first step" when a couple begins fertility treatments beyond taking medications. I have had friends state that they are willing to try IUI, but draw the line there. They say that they won't "go as far" as attempting IVF. This decision is, if I am being brutally honest (and I am), baffling to me. IUI is more affordable and less invasive, but there are definitely risks that often are not considered when someone decides that IUI is the better bet. IUI is less effective meaning repeated tries are often necessary. When IUI is successful multiple births occur much more frequently than with IVF. The majority of multiples conceived… [more]

When my husband and I decided to try to have a baby we talked of our hopes and dreams for the yet to be conceived child. We both envisioned a boy first, followed by a girl, and even talked of a third whose gender was not speculated. We by no means only wanted a boy, and would not have really cared one way or the other. In our idealized picture of our family, though, there was always the first born older brother looking out for his sibling(s). As the years went by (without us having a child of either gender) we encountered many friends and family who had boys first, girls first, second children… [more]

As soon as we got the positive beta all I wanted to do was shout the news from the rooftops. We didn't, of course, but I was obsessed with my news and could think of nothing else. So, I began to furiously scour the internet for information on my probable due date, a progress report on stages of development in pregnancy for me and baby, and so much more. What I found often did not exactly make sense. I was unsure of the date of my last menstrual period and didn't really know if that would be accurate since it was forced by medications. I had the luxury of knowing exactly when my embryos were… [more]

Although each patient's IVF schedule is individualized according to their own personal circumstances and needs, it can often be a comfort to have a general idea of the "typical" schedule. Whether you are trying to coordinate your IVF cycle with your work schedule, or just trying to familiarize with the process and how much time it is going to take, it is helpful to understand the average length of the IVF process. I was on birth control pills prior to the official start of my cycle - which was actually probably the worst part of it all (birth control has a tendency to make me a little crazy - one good reason I guess for never having a… [more]

Historically when the economy is in shambles family size decreases and couples think more about the financial impact of having a child than they might when the economy is robust. I imagine that a down economy also affects people's approach to infertility and fertility treatments. One of the biggest stresses for me when pursuing IVF was the exorbitant cost of the treatment. When we found out that we were expecting twins, that stress about finances was amplified. We went through our IVF cycle almost two years ago, before the economic fall-out and I was still overwhelmed. I can't imagine what couples are facing today - financial stresses are tough on relationships even before infertility is thrown… [more]

If your insurance does not cover IVF it can be a very costly endeavor. Most likely you are not going to spend "extra" money frivolously or on procedures that you do not absolutely need. In our cycle, we actually did decide to opt for an elective procedure primarily for peace of mind. My fears prior to the cycle were all over the board, but they were dominated by concerns over my husband's role. He was to give his sample on the day of my retrieval and all I could think of was "stage fright." I was so worried that he would feel so much pressure to "perform" at that exact moment that he would have issues, even… [more]

When you are about to embark on an IVF cycle there is quite a bit of paperwork that must be completed. We filled out most of the required forms pretty promptly but one of them, the consent for cryopreservation, gave us pause. The human embryo cryopreservation consent form forces some pretty intense decisions and for us instigated some deep discussions that we probably would not have had without the need to answer the questions. The form asked a number of questions for which you were supposed to answer with one of three options. Option one said that the cryopreserved embryos would be made available to the other partner for control or decisions about the use. Option two… [more]

Although it happens very infrequently, it seems that about once a year you hear in the news of an IVF mix-up. For those of us entrusting doctors to ensure the accuracy of the procedures, this can be very scary. There have been reports of black babies born to white families and vice versa, children who are not genetically related to their birth parents as determined later due to medical procedures, and recently a couple from Wales who went to have their cryo-preserved embryo transferred only to find that it had been transferred to another woman. In this heartbreaking case the woman who had received the wrong embryo took the "morning after" pill to terminate a possible pregnancy and the couple… [more]

In a previous post I talked about our annual girls' trip and my friend who is struggling to conceive. Her particular situation hits so close to home because she has endured the same questions from the same friends, is dealing with eerily similar issues such as fibroids and polyps, and like me, seems to be truly content with the decision to pursue adoption. One thing that she did say that made a lot of sense to me, but that I had never thought about is that she really, really regrets not attempting IVF right when it was recommended as essentially her only option by her RE. Her initial consultation with her doctor took place over a year ago. She was finally… [more]

Each year, for 11 years, I have gone an annual girls' trip to the beach with up to 10 (some years there are a couple that can't make it but we typically have 7 or 8 every time) college friends. Through the years our conversations have changed as together we have made it through the first years after college and trying to establish ourselves in our chosen careers; to getting married and navigating our way through the newlywed years with the help of friends and experience; to celebrating first, second, and even third children for some. This year there were two absent - one was nursing her third child and since we make this an absolutely no children, no… [more]