All aboard the IVF roller coaster

Strap yourself in!

I've been a very bad blogger. Slapped wrists for me. With that self-flagellation out of the way I will endeavour to fill in the gaps.

So my IUI treatment ended in a Big Fat Negative (BFN). No surprises there. It would have been nice to be hit with the beginner's luck stick, but it wasn't to be. It was worth a try though. I wanted to give my body a chance to get pregnant within minimal interference from the medical world, but with that 'introduction' to assisted reproductive technology under my belt I swiftly realised I was ready to bring out the big guns. IVF - and all her reinforcements.

My FS agreed with my reasoning. That I didn't have time to waste and IVF has a higher success rate. That financially it made sense - I knew that if I followed the recommendation of another two IUIs before moving to IVF that it would be next year before my credit cards recovered sufficiently to cope with the battering IVF would give them. IVF means they can select the best eggs rather than just hoping that a good one to comes alone. IVF means they can fertilise several eggs thereby making better use of the expensive vial of super-sperm.

So I am now four days into a regime of injecting myself with IVF drugs. The drug I am currently jabbing myself with on a nightly basis, Lucrin, will send my body into a kind of temporary menopause so that when my next cycle starts the follicle stimulating hormone drug I'll also start injecting will take over my system. Hopefully this will result in the growth of plenty of big fat follicles containing healthy, mature eggs - one of which will become my baby. Continuing to take the Lucrin as well ensures I don't spontaneously ovulate and lose all those ripe eggs.

My ideal scenario is that enough of my eggs fertilise to give me a few embryos to freeze for the future. Storing frozen embryos, not egg-freezing which is far from perfected, is the best way to preserve your fertility once you get to my age. If I'm lucky enough to get pregnant this time around and then decide I want to have another child in the future I'll be able to attempt it with embryos created with 38 year old eggs rather than 40-41 year old eggs. Bonus. Plus frozen embryo transfers are a fraction of the price of IVF.

I'm going to weekly acupuncture sessions, taking vitamins and Omega 3 capsules, meditating every day, exercising regularly, forgoing alcohol and caffeine, going to bed early and trying to eat healthily. I'm focussed and positive. Let's hope the drugs don't send my hormones too damn crazy.

I promise to you keep this blog updated with my progress. Slow and steady as it is...