Slightly longer gap than I had intended. Note to self: if you want a loyal readership, you need to write more often.
Lots going on (holiday, family christening - I'm now a madrina!† - working on our new flat in London*, family funeral, minor ear infection, major migraine, work stuff, CD1). Nothing much has happened, really, except an oddly cramp-free second half of my cycle, which seems to happen about one cycle in three. I've started taking my temperature, probably completely mad of me but it is curbing my stick-peeing addiction slightly and not stressing me out too much. And I had a friendly conversation with the miscarriage nurse from Liverpool.
They do not offer any private services because, I think, they wouldn't be able do it any quicker privately. Given what I've heard about some of the private IVF places here, it doesn't really surprise me. Yes, this is the same hospital as Dr Quenby but I have been referred to a different doctor. If I'm not offered that test, I'll ask for it, but given my history it seems more likely to be either my age or clotting. The local hospital couldn't do/re-do the tests they were going to do but the miscarriage clinic wants to redo them all anyway so there's no point in pushing it locally.
Re the IVF/IUI debate: Mr Spouse thinks, and I am inclined to agree with him, that IVF is just a more expensive, and more invasive, way of getting to the same point we've got to before. IUI is more invasive than nothing, but since it seems to be difficult for us to get pregnant (two years, two/three pregnancies, and no babies) it might be quicker - I don't want to run out of reproductive time before my luck improves.
But currently I think I would rather go down the adoption route unless something definitive is found, as although IUI does increase your chances of pregnancy if you have unexplained infertility, it would not then help with the miscarriages. Adoption feels like so much more positive step, even if it is not (as a well-meaning relative said at the funeral) "something to do while you're waiting". Oh yes. Must remember to mention it to my mum before she hears from some other relative!
*As a friend of mine said, he was too old to be a babe magnet, and he didn't want to be a fridge magnet, so he was going to have to be a property magnate. An inheritance was left us, and the suggestion was that we use it to buy a holiday cottage. London is the only place we want to spend holidays regularly, and we have bitten the bullet and become second-home-owners. It might make us a bit of cash too. We are going down again this weekend - it's quite odd doing all this hard work when we aren't going to live in it, but it is nice to make a place simple, in an oddly satisfying way.
†Godmother - to my niece, who lives in Spain with my brother and his Spanish wife.
6 comments:
Things would be so much easier if we could remove the "miscarriage factor", wouldn't it? If you want to call that "easier" anyway.
Have been through the very same thought processes re IUI and IVF, and came to the conclusion that you have reached. The one thing I think might make a difference (given the age factor) would be donor eggs, but frankly that seems like a huge risk to take with someone else's eggs, and more trauma and invasion (of which I am absolutely not a fan).
Thank you so much for your comment on my blog - am off on holiday tomorrow (Sat 29th) for 2 weeks, but would love to know more about private agencies etc etc.
Best of luck, you media slut (still think of you that way, I loved the expression so much!)
Hugs.
The only benefit to IVF is that only good-looking embryos go back, so there is probably less chance of "chromosonal problems". With "unexplained" problems, sometimes it is good to eliminate all the problems that you can.
Unfortunately, the stats on IVF (and even on PGS, I've found out recently) don't bear out what Michelle is saying. There's no reduction in miscarriage rate with either IVF alone or IVF+PGS, as far as I can make out.
Don't know about IVF plus donor eggs but we aren't thinking about that route anyway.
Glad that you are back. Re IUI/IVF, be aware that recent studies show no advantage of IUI over trying naturally, in couples with unexplained infertility. I'm really unconvinced about whether IUI is worth it, personally. But YMMV (your mileage may differ).
Interesting to hear about your property investments. London prices being what they are, I bet you've made a really good investment.
It's always good to have a nice distraction ... such as a London flat to decorate PROPERLY :)
As for your thoughts re IUI, well, we decided to go for adoption because it was quicker and had a much better success rate than IVF. If we'd been offered IUI, though, which we weren't, I might have been swayed. Maybe I would also have considered IVF more seriously if the NHS wait had been six months, not three years
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