infertility

[lexx24]

hi

just wondered if anyone else has had trouble trying to conceive.

i have pcos and my hubby has a very low sperm count and the panic attacks and axiety seem to have come from when i was told about this 6 years ago about 12 months after my dad died.
since finding out i cant have children naturally my life has felt depressing i see school friends with familys and feel depressed and avoid going out where familys are because it hurts to see

iv never felt myself since i found out i prob wont be a mum :(


lexx

[smudger]

Hi matey. Ive been there hun. So sympathise withyou.

I have unexplained infertility.I tried for a baby for 8 years and had 8 attempts at artificial insemination and 3 at ICSI in the end (a form of IVF). It worked on the second attempt of the ICSI. I lost a twin during pregnancy n ended up with pre eclampsia so my little girl was a month early by caesarian section. It was VERY tough on my husband n I but so worth all the trauma.

If adoption does not appeal to you and you have tried all the lifestyle changes etc to try n help fertility, the next thing you can do is see your gp to get them to refer you for IVF on the NHS if you cant afford private. It depends where you live but most at least allow one attempt. DO IT NOW, DONT DELAY though, cox there is a waiting list! I would have had to wait 3 years in my area so we decided to go private.If you go private it could cost £3500 plus the first time but there are no guarantees.There are different options available such as donor egg or sperm schemes but you need to speak to the clinic about these.They will counsel you first.

Have you thought about adoption though. We have 3 adopted children in our family and its wonderful!Emotional process but wonderful in the end. I still think about it now, our lovely nieces n nephews are a godsend.

Please ask anything you want about this. Im here for you.xx

[suzy-sue]

My sons partner has polycystic ovaries .She has been on a course of drug therapy for a while and still hasnt conceived .She wants to be a mum so bad ...She has been offered IVF treatment in the new year so there is hope yet ,fingers crossed .Have you been offered any treatment at all ,surely somthing can be done ? Alternatively you could adopt .I know its not quite the same but it would be a way of a compromise and you would be giving an unwanted child a loving home at the same time .It must be so upsetting for you both ,sorry I cant make it all right for you ..Good luck and I hope you find a solution with a happy ending ..Love Sue xx

[lexx24]

thanks for the replies

i was offered icsi about 3 years back but they ended up sending us to the wrong hospitals and by the time i had moved house in to a diffrent county i was to overweight to have the icsi on the nhs and since then i just feel im useless and am scared to use my only chance ( all pct give in my county is 1 attempt) and for it fail then they would be no hope

[ElizabethJane]

Dear Suzy sue you do mean IVF and not HIV? I have PCOS and my husband and I spent thousands of pounds on private treatment countless IUIs ovarian stimulation with injectable drugs. We had almost given up eight and half years on.. My GP wrote to the health authority and amazingly I was allowed one cycle of IVF either at Barts or Kings. We went to Barts and my son is now nearly twelve. I had almost died from infertility treatment that went wrong (I had hyperstimualtion syndrone) and it almost cost me my marriage. A few things that you could try to do: get a proper referral to a reputable infertility unit preferably at a large teaching hospital. They will have the proper back up medical and otherwise if anything goes wrong. Try to lose some weight and eat healthily as this will improve your chances of conceiving. start taking folic acid, have some alternative treatment. I had hypnosis and I believe that without this I would not have got and stayed pregnant. This was done by a GP in his surgery. If you are under thirty nine get your GP to submit your names for NHS IVF. If you have had children from a previous relationship then you will not be eligible for NHS IVF. Some hospitals have egg share schemes. Don't give up. I became very severely depressed and was hospitalised for a time after one set of treatment. If you are really determined then I'm sure you will find the answer to your infertility. Try to get some extra support especially if you are going through a treatment cycle. Some of the larger treatment centres have websites where you chart hopes and disappointments. If you need any more information please PM me.

[suzy-sue]

Thanks Jane ,ive just edited it i must be more tired than i thought ..The info youve given I will keep for my sons partner ,Thankyou ..Sue xx

[smudger]

Can I just say that ovarian hyperstimulation is a risk of IVF or ICSI (its not because IVF has gone wrong so to speak, or as if someone has made a mistake), I had it too as I produced 40 eggs (the average being 12 in a cycle of ICSI or IVF) compared to 1 we normally produce naturally every month. My body overreacted to the drugs, nobody could have predicted that! I was in hospital because of it but I wouldnt want this to scare any prospective newcomers. It is unlikely to happen so PLEASE PLEASE dont let this scare you off the idea as a good clinic will monitor you closely throughout. I would always go through a gps recommendation.In the UK clinics are monitored by the HFEA.You could google them, it may to allay concerns you have.

[ElizabethJane]

A word about ovarian hyperstimulation. I also suffered from this not so rare complication of fertility treatment having produced 32 eggs!! It is more likely to happen to women who suffer PCOS and who are young and whose ovaries are more sensitive to hyperstimulation. It can still happen even in the most carefully monitored cycles. Usually when hyperstimulation is threatened the treatment cycle is abandoned the eggs are harvested and frozen for future use and the final injection is withheld. In my case the clinic that we went to was probably negligent as they kept giving me more HMG. I was extremely unwell and was admitted to hospital. Later when we went to Barts the same scenario was likely to happen again ie no stimulation at first then potentially many follicles likely to ovulate. I was given albumin sp? and told to eat plently of protein and drink plenty to avoid hyperstimulation. Hyperstimulation syndrone is also regarded in some clinics as an indicator of pregnancy. This is not necessarily the case. In my case fluid had entered my abdomen and around my lungs. Our treatment at Barts resulted in two embryos being put back into my womb. One successfully implanted. My precious son was the result. I have no other children.