Should we go for IVF??

dh and I are on the fence for IVF.  What would you do??  
Here is our history:  
-I am 40y, he is 35y.  
-I have history of irregular cycles, etc, his swimmers are fine (IF is basically my problem with ovulating).  
-My ovarian reserve is great and they think I am a good candidate (good amh and response to injectibles).  
-I have been prego 4 times with one live birth (with letrozole).  
-We started using all injectibles last month.  They are working great but I only have one tube so that is slowing things down.  With IVF it wouldn't matter which side I ovulated on.  
-My insurance covers IVF 100% but it will end in August when my job changes.

So I guess I am trying to decide whether to go for the IVF right away and bypass my tube or just be patient and continue with just injectibles.  

Return to Poll

0%

 (0) 

Continue TTC with injectibles only

100%

 (19) 

Go for IVF ASAP

0%

 (0) 

Just be happy with the one you already have

0%

 (0) 

Forget IF treatments and try naturally - what will be will be

19 Members voted

[mysty2001]

i am against IVF on principal - I try to always encourage adopting embryos - this is a great way to make a difference

[mommyin10]

I voted for IVF. We were hesitant too. My RE discovered I have a smaller uterus & suggested IVF, only transferring one embryo to avoid multiples (a smaller uterus could pose a risk for multiples). Anyway, he suggested this in Sept '08 & I didn't agree to IVF til June '09! ;) We're now 33 weeks. If your insurance will pay 100%, definitely take advantage of that while you can. It's a very expensive process. Good luck with your decision! :)

[Kricket212]

Go for the IVF you just never know if you will get that coverage again.  Go for it.

[mlb1234]

How do you feel about having multiples??  How many embies did they implant?  What were there grades?  I am actually terrified of having multiples from IVF with an older toddler running around so it is definitely one thing we are thinking about!  Of course I would be happy multiples but I just think it would be so so hard on my current daughter.  So many things to think about....Thanks for any input you can give!

[mlb1234]

Wait now, you only transferred one embie and now you have twins and they are nonidentical??  How did that happen?? (just so I know what the possibilities are!)

[dainsey]

Holy cow your insurance pays 100% for IVF!!!!!????  What are you waiting for? :-)  Go for it!  Getting IVF covered is nearly impossible these days!  You won't have to wait for the "right" side!!!!  

[mommyin10]

Hi. I know! My story is an odd one, but we're thrilled to be having our boy & our girl :) They only transferred one embryo. There's a 1% chance it can split & so that's what we thought had happened. When we found out there was a boy & a girl, we did an amnio to make sure they're ok & they're both healthy, thank God :) The two possibilities are that one baby started with an extra chromosome, but dropped it. That would result in healthy boy/girl twins, but it's really rare. Also, during my IVF procedure, I had 22 eggs retrieved. My RE said if I only had 6, they would have fought for each & every one; but because they retrieved 22, if I had another egg or two, they wouldn't really care if they hadn't gotten them all. So, if I O'd the day after retrieval & I still had dh's swimmer hanging around, since I was so fertile with the fertility meds, we could have conceived one baby via IVF & one naturally. I'll tell you, dh & I did not bd in the 6 days leading up to my retrieval (or after the retrieval), so we're honestly confused ;) My RE said if we bd'd even a week prior, my body was so fertile with the meds, so it's possible we did conceive one baby on our own. We'll do a DNA test after they're born simply out of curiosity :)  As far as tge quality of my embryo that we transferred, it was a 4AA, which is the highest grade at the clinic I used. Sorry to have written so much, but I hope this helped! :)

[mlb1234]

Well my insurance will cover it 100% up to $100,000 as long as I have1y infertility history which shouldn't be that hard considering we started all this business back in 2005 and now I only have one tube.  BUT we do not know how they are defining it so the doc is going to submit the paperwork and see.  It is great insurance but I am so sad I will be losing it at the end of August!  I only had to pay one $10 copay for the entire pregnancy and birth(c-section) with Izzy and no deductible or coinsurance or anything!!  Have to take advantage now if possible.

[usuk]

the main hurdles for IVF are $ and spiritual. i waited a year to start ivf. i had conceived on my own but now nothing in almost a year with injectibles. how many iui's have you had? i think anyone here who wishes they could get free IVF is going to say "what is stopping you???" you'll get all the increased changes and constant monitoring that IVF provides. what does the dr say? i say start going through the IVF motions.

[mlb1234]

That is very true usuk.  The doc definitely thinks we should do it.  I think he thinks it will maximize our chances - especially with only one tube, being 40y old and the risk of miscarriage that brings along with a history of 2 m/c and ectopic.  I guess it is just scary to take that step.  I never thought I would be even considering IVF but the loss of that tube really changed things.  IUIs don't make sense for us since dh's swimmers and my cm are fine(been prego 4 times by him).  His side is fully functional - it is my ovaries that are not (I have a good reserve but can't get the eggs out on my own!).  Plus even with IUI I would still have to ovulate on the left to have half a chance.  
Maybe I will be lucky and get pregnant on injectibles this month and not have to make this decision!!  I better start praying now!

[Helen72]

I voted for ivf.  However, have you thought about injectables + IUI given you O on your good side?  I would try that before ivf since that would be less invasive.  Otherwise, definitely do ivf before August.
Good luck!

[kristine625]

I would be tempted to vote for the ivf especially given your insurance coverage.  Is your hesitation for ivf due to your fear of having another m/c?  (believe me, I know what it's like, I'm 39 y/o, 4 m/c, no kids yet).

Helen72 brings up a really good questions with injecatables and iui.   Have you tried this combo. yet?   Or injectables with femara or clomid plus iui and a trigger shot such as hcg or ovidrel?

[mlb1234]

Well we did femara with trigger and femara with booster and trigger  already and it wasn't going good (we did femara with trigger with our dd and it worked great though).

Doc wanted up to move ahead to injectibles so that is where we are now.  The only real difference between what we are doing now and IVF is that it would bypass my one tube issue.  

If the past is any window to what is happening now, IUI does not make sense for us as I have been preg 4 times by dh (by bding and not IUI) so everything is functional that way.  

I am not that worried about m/c by IVF as I have that risk anyways.  I guess I am nervous because it seems you have so much more invested emotionally with IVF (but in reality I am not sure how much more than what we are already doing).  It doesn't help that I work with two people who went through tons of IVF and neither ended up with a baby, just a lot of tears (but in reality I am OK with having just the one child we have now so I don't know why that bugs me).  I am also scared of multiples and how that would be for my now 2y old daughter.  I don't know - I guess I just need to let it sink in a little and see if the insurance approves my situation first.  Maybe by then I will be able to visualize it better.

[usuk]

i never thought i'd be in IVF. i thought that was for people whose eggs do not wanna come out and play. LOL. but mine do. it is now like any other stage of life:
1. denial (i get periods and have been prego so IVF is not for me)
2. guilt (should i be messing with god's will; should i be "buying" a baby when i could adopt - just as an fyi i was adopted)
3. anger (why can't i just have sex and get preg like the rest of the world; i did all the right things with family planning up until now and this is the thanks i get, etc.)

my DH said a lovely thing when I had my final meltdown and decision. "Why are you assuming that we are not on the right path? We wanted to have a family? This is one way on the path. And if does not work, we'll keep on the path"

[Marietta2000]

For sure, go with IVF, and do it ASAP!!  No matter what your AMH, FSH or ovarian reserve reads on paper, the biggest factor determining pregnancy / live birth success is your AGE!!!  Since your cover runs out in August, go do IVF NOW!!!  And good luck!!!

[kris71]

i don't know what goes into IVF(if egg retrieval and stimulation meds are painful etc) but if your insurance will pay 100% for it - i would go for it before you lose that coverage. i WISH i had infertility coverage. we have to pay 100% out of pocket. I just had my first IUI and it wasn't super expensive but if i have to move on to injectibles (this time i took clomid) then we're really going to have to pay. I heard one shot is like $400! and FORGET IVF - i was quoted a price of almost $15K for that. anyway good luck and keep us posted!!