IVF Got This

Our GP had recommended us for assisted conception after the devastating diagnosis of J’s sperm analysis. At this point in our journey, we are now up to October 2017 – 18 months after we started trying for a baby. We already had a rough idea of what would happen, as our local assisted reproductive centre – the Ocean Suite in Plymouth’s Derriford Hospital – regularly holds open evenings for couples trying to conceive, and we attended one that summer. We discovered that our CCG (Clinical Commissioning Group) provides one round of IVF free to patients who are under the age of 40, whose BMI is under 29, and who don’t already have children or step-children. We ticked off all of those categories, so our first round was, thankfully, on the NHS. This is something huge to consider if you’re thinking about going through IVF. It’s no secret that it costs thousands of pounds, and unfortunately the NHS really is a postcode lottery. Recommended guidelines state that actually THREE rounds should be offered, but ultimately, it’s down to the local CCG to decide on what they can afford. Some areas don’t get any :(

My IVF Babble pineapple pin, pineapple bracelet and my late gran’s watch are little reminders to keep me going!

Our initial consultant was a lovely lady named Bridget, and her mannerisms and soft but candid voice put me at ease at once. She advised that due to our results, it would be preferable to bypass all of the other types of assisted conception e.g. Clomid tablets/IUI etc., and just go straight to IVF. Well actually, we would be trying ICSI (Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection), a more concentrated form of IVF for couples with MFI (Male Factor Infertility). This is because In Vitro Fertilisation is the process in which an egg is fertilised “naturally” by a sperm in a petri dish (not the stereotypical test tube the movies would have us believe!) by the natural “survival of the fittest” process. ICSI involves “cleaning” an egg, and carefully picking up a pre-selected single sperm with a tiny needle, and injecting it directly into the egg. Both procedures have a list of pros and cons, so please don’t think that ICSI sounds like it should be more successful – not all eggs fertilise despite this process. The egg also becomes more delicate due to the cleaning, again putting fertilisation chances at risk. 

Women are also subjected to yet another test – a HSG (Hysterosalpingogram) scan. It’s similar to a smear test, except that you’re in a room with about 5 other people, you’re emotional any way because of why you’re there, and actually it really fucking hurts. You lay down with your legs akimbo, and they insert a catheter into your hoohoo. An iodine dye is injected into you, and x-rays are taken while you’re on your back, your side, and your front. This gives the doctors a clear indication of what your uterus looks like, and whether there are any blockages in your fallopian tubes which could be hindering your fertility. I bawled my bloody eyes out throughout the whole thing, and the nurses couldn’t have been sweeter about it. It was the first time I'd really let my guard down to my parents about it all too, and knowing that my mum was on the other side of the cubicle whilst I got changed into my gown was such a comfort. It was a proper “I need my mummy” kind of episode!

A few weeks later, I received the results of my HSG scan and got the all-clear – everything was fine with me in the doctor’s mind. It was now January 2018, and after another consultation with our clinic, we made the decision to officially go for ICSI. At this point, I was then ordered to do yet another blood test (we’re up to 4 now!) and sent home with some pretty bulky consent forms. This is a big deal. Your consent appointment is almost like a legal preparation between you, your partner (if applicable) and the doctors. You take the forms home and read through them meticulously, because it asks you all sorts of things like “in the event of your partner’s death, what would you like to do with any remaining embryos you have in storage?” Heavy stuff!

At the end of February 2018, we finally had our consent appointment, and given a provisional date for ICSI in June. EEK!! We were scheduled for a drugs demonstration, which didn’t bother me as I’m fine with needles (J has Type 1 Diabetes, so needles are a-plenty in our household!). However, my friend K is so terrified of needles, she just had to face the wall and cry throughout the entire thing whilst her partner took notes and became Needle Administrator for her!

Patients are either given a long or short protocol, and I was on the long one. This means that in order to prep your body ready for the clinic’s schedule, they put you on the contraceptive pill. Weird, huh?! To finally get pregnant, one must go back on that dreaded thing you had flushed out of your system! So in early April, I started The Pill again. This helps to shut down your reproductive system and get you in sync with your clinic’s diary, and then they tell you when to stop it and start taking your first round of injections: the Down Regulation drugs. 

KEB x