Name: Andi
Age: 35
How long have you been TTC: Went straight to IVF to TTC
Diagnosis or any known IF issues: Learned that we have MFI while doing testing to start IVF; I also have Saethre-Chotzen syndrome, a genetic craniofacial disorder that we wanted to avoid passing onto our children. So we planned from the beginning to do IVF with PGD to select nonaffected embryos.
Have you tried other treatments before IVF: No
How many IVF's did you do before success: 2 fresh cycles
Protocol (meds taken): First cycle, Lupron and BCP, then Follistim, then HCG trigger and PIO; second cycle Lupron then Bravelle and Menopur, then HCG and PIO. Also baby aspirin for both cycles.
How many eggs retrieved: First cycle: 16, Second cycle, 19
How many eggs fertilized: First cycle: 5, Second cycle, 12
How many days between ER and ET: 5 days in second cycle (none survived to transfer in first cycle)
How many and quality transferred: 2 hatching blastocysts
Symptoms or issues during 2WW: Some spotting, otherwise nothing I can remember!
Did you take a HPT before blood test: NO!!! I couldn't bear finding out I was pg and then getting the beta and discovering I'd lost the pregnancy
What DPO did you got your BFP: 15 (that extra day killed me)
Number of first beta: 300-something?
Number of babies: Both embies initially stuck, but by the 6-week u/s there was only one heartbeat. One healthy girl born 3 weeks early, 7/1/07
Any words of wisdom that you would pass on to: First, I had to learn to let others take care of me. I love to be in control, but I had to let others help me and trust them. Second, and related, I had to just take one day and one phase of the process happen at a time. While stimming, I literally wrote affirmations, "I am making healthy eggs" -- and tried to just focus on that. And I kept myself busy. :)
