Trying to conceive/Planned parenthood/Assisted Reproduction Chat thread.

TomeeTipee

bobskii wrote: »

Hi Stargirl.gra
I'm after coming through the public system for ivf (just about to start next month with first cycle) whilst you get everything along the way on your medical card once you are referred for ivf you have to pay,All in we were quoted the other dat 6075 for our first cycle,Some people can get funding,you have to meet certain criteria,we didn't as it's secondary infertility,hope this helps,any question's feel free to ask!

Oh my gosh bobskii, I knew ivf was expensive, but 6075 plus 2000 for meds is way more than I realised! On Hari's website it says IVF is 4400 - but I find the pricing confusing. Is this just the basic price and then you have to add lots of extras on to this?

As for the medication - is most of this cost covered under the drugs payment scheme for everyone? There is no way I could afford that if not.

TomeeTipee

contrary_mary wrote: »

Ring SIMS to enquire - you would probably need to go to them for a consultation to determine if you're eligible based on your medical circumstances. A cycle will be tailored for the individual couple so it's difficult to be exact on the website, you really need to go in and talk to a consultant.

On the public versus private route, HARI and Merrion Fertility (attached to the Rotunda and Holles St respectively) do a certain number of public IVFs every year. The cost is free but certain aspects are extra (blast, frozen cycles). Both partners must have medical cards, and I'd imagine there is a long wait. A charity called Pomegranate also does a lottery for free ivf - again both partners must have full medical cards.

Other than that the cost of IVF will not differ, and will be in the region of €4500 - 6000 depending on what you need. The meds will be the same for public or private patients -€144 on the DPS or dispensing fees if you have a medical card. If you go public you will not pay consultants fees (€120-160 per appointment, you will probably have 1-2 before starting treatment). However you will be waiting at least a year (I know somebody who waited 2) for a public appointment versus approx 6 weeks privately. As a public patient you would also be eligible for some of the testing for free (bloods, SA) whereas you would pay for them privately. Some of the high-tech tests are not covered.

Hope that helps, best of luck with it.

Hi everyone by the way, long-term lurker here, I finally registered!

Welcome contrary_mary!

bobskii

Tommee tippee don't let that freak you out . 40 is the basic but there's stuff not covered in that,that I'm getting done . were both getting bloods done that cost 150,it could be that the medical card will cover them,we d onto know yet.
I'm getting two things done that aren't included they cost 40 . it all adds up.
your drugs payment card does cover your medicine so whatever it's capped at is what you pay.

broody_kitten

I'm about a week past estimated ovulation and last night was kept awake by weird cramps slightly to the right, but a bit different from my normal ovulation pain if that makes sense? Hadn't given it any thought as we've been so sick this month, we've barely managed to rock the kazbah Just musing away here or I'll drive myself mad lol

stargirl.gra

So I rang the sims and really she just told me all that was on their website like that it is 4600€ for basic ivf there. when I asked her about the simply ivf she and told her I was under 34 so how else could I be eligible she said oh you would have to come for consultation and the doctor see. So the upshot of the whole conversation was come for consultation that's the only way to get a price to go forward. So how did everyone here choose what hospital to go to never mind the fact that my gyne is referring me somewhere but he didnt say. Like I'd imagine answer is the same for every phone inquiry " oh you need to come in and discuss your history with the consultant so they can give you a price" and I totally get that but I mean I can hardly got to every clinic for a consult just for the best price.

petalchild

I have a similar question stargirl.gra, I am sure some clinics are better for some things than others but I haven't a clue as to which one would suit our particular issues best. I suppose I will have to just take our GP's word for it where is is referring us to but I have a sneaky feeling that it is just for the location that he referred us to HARI. (its the closest to us)

I noted that SIMS are having an open morning on Sunday 26th January and their web says that some medics will be there to talk to couples about there specific circumstances. Might be able to give you more information before you have to go for a consultation. Info at http://www.sims.ie/about-us/sims-open-days.1268.html

llambert

stargirl.gra wrote: »

So I rang the sims and really she just told me all that was on their website like that it is 4600€ for basic ivf there. when I asked her about the simply ivf she and told her I was under 34 so how else could I be eligible she said oh you would have to come for consultation and the doctor see. So the upshot of the whole conversation was come for consultation that's the only way to get a price to go forward. So how did everyone here choose what hospital to go to never mind the fact that my gyne is referring me somewhere but he didnt say. Like I'd imagine answer is the same for every phone inquiry " oh you need to come in and discuss your history with the consultant so they can give you a price" and I totally get that but I mean I can hardly got to every clinic for a consult just for the best price.

Ring your GP and find out where he sent the referral. We live in Galway so had two options but there was nothing stopping us asking for a referral anywhere. We didn't want to use Napro so that left us with one option but have to say that even though there is no other ivf unit within a few hours drive their services are brilliant and pricing very competitive.
Do you have to pay for the initial consultation? I think we paid €300 for ours but that included bloods(to check for diseases and to check my egg reserve) and a internal scan. Hubby had already given a sample. You couldn't go through that just to get a price.
I couldn't imagine that you would have to pay much more outside the basic package. The only things I can think of might be initial bloods and SA but most couples already have them done before the ivf stage beginning.
Bloods have to be repeated every 2 yrs for both partners to check for certain diseases but in the clinic we attended that was part of the package for subsequent ivf cycles.
I'm also thinking that maybe the extras could include using the embroscope. I think some clinics charge €300 for this which is disgraceful. Also not included is the annual charge if you decide to freeze any eggs, sperm or embryos. The cost of egg or sperm is €300 a year and embryos, no matter how many is €800 a year in Galway just to give you an idea. We paid the €800 about a month after freezing but weren't hounded for the money just got the bill in the post after a few days and a letter explaining what had been done. Not sure if ever clinic would have that policy.
Your clinic should give you one prescription to get all medication needed for treatment so you only pay much €144 once per cycle. For that I got my sniffer, injections and progestrogen tablets for after the transfer. I always had loads left over, they definitely don't want you running out.
For my second cycle my consultant did the embryo transfer as after the first one I experienced bad cramps 2 days after transfer. This came up in my review so she decided to do the next one. I didn't pay extra to get a consultant to do it.
Just remember to mind all receipts and claim back everything you can from revenue next year if you or your other half are working. You are entitled to 20% on everything from bloods, SA, treatment and medication.

stargirl.gra

Thanks a million llambert that was a very helpful and succinct post. I myself cant imagine I'd need more than the basic package and we've had all investigations and tests done with my gyne so I guess I should just ring him and ask where he is referring us that'll begin to make things a little clearer

llambert

stargirl.gra wrote: »

Thanks a million llambert that was a very helpful and succinct post. I myself cant imagine I'd need more than the basic package and we've had all investigations and tests done with my gyne so I guess I should just ring him and ask where he is referring us that'll begin to make things a little clearer

I'd say the basic package is for you so, just consider the freezing maybe.
On my first cycle I only had one embryo to transfer, to be honest I think it was never going to be successful but was better than transferring nothing.
On last cycle I had 3 suitable embryos so froze one because I could never know if that would happen again. Obviously fresh is best but good reassurance to have a back up. Plus you won't need to go through an ivf cycle would would be less demanding on you and significantly less expensive. Hopefully you'd be successful and in a couple of years if you would like another one and you could go to your backup. Maybe its not for you but just something to think about.

Penny Dreadful

As you ladies (well those that have been here a while like myself) know I've been using the Clearblue OPKs from November to track my cycle.
To date everything went well - I knew I was ovulating in November but couldn't make the most of it as my husband and I were on a sex ban because he was going to have a semen analysis test.
December came around and we made a stellar effort but my period came and went then at the start of January.
As always the cycle started again and I was due to start testing with the OPKs yesterday.

I tested yesterday morning and got a O. Naturally I thought I had maybe started a day too early and so tried again this morning.
To my shock and surprise this morning I got a solid smiley face - not a flashing smiley that would indicate I was in an increasingly fertile phase but a full on "This is It" face.
Its a little strange I think. Has this happened to any of you before hand?

On a good note we had a very good weekend with lots of fun of that kind just for the sake of it which was cool. Its always nice to have sex just for the sake of it rather than because its the right time! Hopefully this will turn out to be a happy conicidence and result in a BFP at the end of the month.
Also, my acupuncturist had said he was trying to get my body to ovulate on CD 14 or as close to it as possible and today is CD 15 so maybe thats working too.

petalchild

Hi Penny,

The same thing happened me in December! I got an O in the morning and because I had some ov pain I took another one that afternoon and skipped straight to solid smiley! I thought it was an omen too as managed to do the BD after it but AF has just left me again this month.

Apparently It depends how quickly your body surges the hormones leading up to Ov and it can change each month. Hope the SA comes back okay for the OH! We have to repeat the test in Feb so were hoping for a better result this time! Fingers crossed!

Penny Dreadful

petalchild wrote: »

Hi Penny,

The same thing happened me in December! I got an O in the morning and because I had some ov pain I took another one that afternoon and skipped straight to solid smiley! I thought it was an omen too as managed to do the BD after it but AF has just left me again this month.

Apparently It depends how quickly your body surges the hormones leading up to Ov and it can change each month. Hope the SA comes back okay for the OH! We have to repeat the test in Feb so were hoping for a better result this time! Fingers crossed!

Thankfully the SA result was fine and I had my Day 3 and Day 21 bloods done and everything was fine there too. My GP told me to keep on trying for the next few months and if by March / April nothing had happened to go back to him.
I've been having acupuncture for this since August/September and I have noticed that things are more regular and more as they should be in the last month or so.
I've really only gotten a grip on when I ovulate since November so thats only 2-3 months of targeted TTC I think. Looking back over the last 12 months I was too early in when I thought I ovulated and totally missed the boat.
So everything seems to be in working order. I'm a healthy weight, don't smoke (never did) hardly drink at all, eat well, exercise could do with being increased but its not the worst ever - same for my husband - although he exercises more than me.
Work is becoming increasingly unpleasant and somewhat stressful so I am concerned that it could possibly have a negative impact on my TTC. I am looking for a new job which would alleviate the stress of that big time.
Best of all though would be to get pregnant and have my maternity leave (which is fully paid) and then take some unpaid leave. I'd be off for almost a year and it would give pleanty of time and space to make decisions around that end of things.

Penny Dreadful

So once again I am now in the 2 week wait!

According to the Clearblue OPK and the cheapies I still had I ovulated on Wednesday and Thursday (15th & 16th).
I know its always better to have the sperm waiting around for the egg ratehr than the other way around so I'm hoping that doing the deed last Friday, Sunday, Wednesday and this morning will book end things nicely.

The notion of "organised fun" just didn't work at all last night. My husband was home very late from work and although I'd been the perfect 1950s housewife (home before him, dinner made, dessert home made and fresh from the oven, glass of wine poured, shirt ironed for the morning!:eek:) it just didn't work.
He was very giddy with tiredness which was odd and laughed at very inappropriate times. I'm having a hard time at work and while trying to put a brave face on things last night it turned out that I was a little (perhaps over) sensitve and I got annoyed and we just didn't have sex. I was so cross with him for not just shutting up for a little while and realising that there are very few days any given month when it really just has to happen.
Thankfully felt much better this morning and we did the baby dance then.

Finding out I'm pregnant will be fantastic and fabulous news whenever it happens but it would be so so so great to have that happen soon. It would make being here at work easier knowing that I would be leaving on mat leave in X amount of months and be off for almost a year. It would also take the pressure off finding a new job super fast.

Anyhow thats my story for this fertile period. Baby dust and best of luck to all of you.

TomeeTipee

Penny Dreadful wrote: »

So once again I am now in the 2 week wait!

According to the Clearblue OPK and the cheapies I still had I ovulated on Wednesday and Thursday (15th & 16th).
I know its always better to have the sperm waiting around for the egg ratehr than the other way around so I'm hoping that doing the deed last Friday, Sunday, Wednesday and this morning will book end things nicely.

The notion of "organised fun" just didn't work at all last night. My husband was home very late from work and although I'd been the perfect 1950s housewife (home before him, dinner made, dessert home made and fresh from the oven, glass of wine poured, shirt ironed for the morning!:eek:) it just didn't work.
He was very giddy with tiredness which was odd and laughed at very inappropriate times. I'm having a hard time at work and while trying to put a braveface on things last night it turned out that I was a little (perhaps over) sensitve and I got annoyed and we just didn't have sex. I was so cross with him for not just shutting up for a little while and realising that there are very few days any given month when it really just has to happen.
Thankfully felt much better this morning and we did the baby dance then.

Finding out I'm pregnant will be fantastic and fabulous news whenever it happens but it would be so so so great to have that happen soon. It would make being here at work easier knowing that I would be leaving on mat leave in X amount of months and be off for almost a year. It would also take the pressure off finding a new job super fast.

Anyhow thats my story for this fertile period. Baby dust and best of luck to all of you.

Sounds like good days Penny. Fingers crossed it's your month!

broody_kitten

Right, I've just bitten the bullet and ordered some cheapy ovulation tests from access diagnostics. May as well find out if and when I'm ovulating (although regular periods are surely a good sign). Please god its our year ladies!

Penny Dreadful

TomeeTipee wrote: »

Sounds like good days Penny. Fingers crossed it's your month!

Yes indeed.
My mum is so sweet, she knows things are hard at work for me and called today to cheer me up. Then apologised profusely for asking if I'd been to the doctor and if everything was ok with me for baby making!
It was funny, she was so flustered asking me.
So I told her that I'd been for my bloods and they were good and I was told to just go with the flow for the next few months. She mentioned some doctor in Galway that her friend's daugther attended when she was having difficulty in getting pregnant and she now has 2 children.
It was nice to tell her actually as I hadn't mentioned anything. Then she told me she thought I'd be a lovely mammy which was really nice.

Ciarrai76

I haven't really posted here, not in a long time anyway.

I'm 37, my husband is 40. We got married in 2009 and started trying straight away. Almost 5 years on, with all the tests done & nothing wrong, we are still without a BFP. I've done all sorts of alternative therapies to try and help things naturally, but still nothing.
I'm really starting to panic now, and we now have to make some serious decisions on what to do next. I know IVF is our next option, but I am really not sure how I feel about it. I literally start panicking when I think about it. Not only that, but we do not have that sort of money, and I don't know what to do to be honest.

I am starting to think I should just resign myself to the fact I may never get pregnant, and just accept it?

Anyone else in similar situation? I know IVF might be our best option, but does anyone else feel as afraid as I do about it and can't decide?
I hate being 37 and still in this situation

Neyite

Ciarrai76 wrote: »

I haven't really posted here, not in a long time anyway.

I'm 37, my husband is 40. We got married in 2009 and started trying straight away. Almost 5 years on, with all the tests done & nothing wrong, we are still without a BFP. I've done all sorts of alternative therapies to try and help things naturally, but still nothing.
I'm really starting to panic now, and we now have to make some serious decisions on what to do next. I know IVF is our next option, but I am really not sure how I feel about it. I literally start panicking when I think about it. Not only that, but we do not have that sort of money, and I don't know what to do to be honest.

I am starting to think I should just resign myself to the fact I may never get pregnant, and just accept it?

Anyone else in similar situation? I know IVF might be our best option, but does anyone else feel as afraid as I do about it and can't decide?
I hate being 37 and still in this situation

IVF isn't necessarily the next step though. You may find a solution in the early stages.
If you have the tests done, then probably your next step is a fertility referral. Some clinics do Clomid+TSI for 3 months, then onto IUI for a few months if that doesn't work before trying IVF.

I got lucky on my third month of Clomid, and was roughly the same age as you. Start with a referral to a fertility specialist and see how you go.

Ciarrai76

Neyite wrote: »

IVF isn't necessarily the next step though. You may find a solution in the early stages.
If you have the tests done, then probably your next step is a fertility referral. Some clinics do Clomid+TSI for 3 months, then onto IUI for a few months if that doesn't work before trying IVF.

I got lucky on my third month of Clomid, and was roughly the same age as you. Start with a referral to a fertility specialist and see how you go.

I already did a round of clomid, and nothing, then did another one (can't think of the name of it), which didn't help at all. Was told I wouldn't be doing IUI, that it would be IVF. I'm not very confident it will work though, as I had an awful time with Clomid, had so many bad side affects, and even my consultant wasn't overly sure about IVF because of it. I'm at my wits end now. I wish I knew what to do, I feel like giving up

Neyite

Ciarrai76 wrote: »

I already did a round of clomid, and nothing, then did another one (can't think of the name of it), which didn't help at all. Was told I wouldn't be doing IUI, that it would be IVF. I'm not very confident it will work though, as I had an awful time with Clomid, had so many bad side affects, and even my consultant wasn't overly sure about IVF because of it. I'm at my wits end now. I wish I knew what to do, I feel like giving up

Ah sorry, I didnt realise that you'd already been through the clomid part. Its really hard to know what to do. Have you looked into Napro to see if it might be for you?

Ciarrai76

Neyite wrote: »

Ah sorry, I didnt realise that you'd already been through the clomid part. Its really hard to know what to do. Have you looked into Napro to see if it might be for you?

yeah, have checked out a few other options, but I don't think NAPRO would be for us.
We also have the issue that we both run a business, we can't go off around the country to get treatment etc & there is very little we can do in Kerry, we will be referred no matter what we decide! It all seems like things are against us & I can't decide what to do anymore. It would help if we lived in Cork or Dublin & had better access to clinics. Tralee has one, but IVF would be referred to Dublin, & all that travelling just wouldn't be an option.

I just read that Maura Derrane from RTE's Today show is pregnant at 43! I wonder was she trying or having treatment.

I never thought for a second 5 years ago this would be an issue, I just thought it would happen & voila! little did I know!

bobskii

I'm same as you Ciarrai76 and my husbands same age as yours.
It's not a decision i took lightly god knows ive had long enough to think about it but it's something my husband really wants so i'm prepared to go through it for him.

You will come to your own decision nobody can make it for you,My advice would be to go ahead and start the ball rolling,make an appointment and see then what you decide.I had initally if it got to the ivf stage i wasnt prepared to go through with it.
And here i am about to start.

Ciarrai76

bobskii wrote: »

I'm same as you Ciarrai76 and my husbands same age as yours.
It's not a decision i took lightly god knows ive had long enough to think about it but it's something my husband really wants so i'm prepared to go through it for him.

You will come to your own decision nobody can make it for you,My advice would be to go ahead and start the ball rolling,make an appointment and see then what you decide.I had initally if it got to the ivf stage i wasnt prepared to go through with it.
And here i am about to start.

I almost made an appointment before Christmas, but I put it off and now I don't know if I want to! Thankfully my husband is happy to go with whatever I decide, he understands its me who has to go through it all and if I decide against it then he is fine with that. I don't know if I can go through it all. I felt so awful on clomid and then the trigger and nothing worked, that I can't see how its going to be any different if I go through it & IVF. We can't afford to risk it really! I don't know if I'd feel much different if I had plenty of money to do it!

bobskii

were 5 yrs ttc so we've saved enough to do it twice and im stopping then if it hasnt worked.although we'll see how i feel after the first round.

It's not for everybody though and you will know yoursef what the right decision is for you.

I didnt hear about Maura Derrane,she always said in her interviews that she was happy out with her husband and animals so maybe she was doing what i do and just shuttin people up when she couldnt be bothered getting into the details with someone who's business it's none of

Ciarrai76

bobskii wrote: »

were 5 yrs ttc so we've saved enough to do it twice and im stopping then if it hasnt worked.although we'll see how i feel after the first round.

It's not for everybody though and you will know yoursef what the right decision is for you.

I didnt hear about Maura Derrane,she always said in her interviews that she was happy out with her husband and animals so maybe she was doing what i do and just shuttin people up when she couldnt be bothered getting into the details with someone who's business it's none of

yeah, same thing I tell people too (minus the animals! lol). In a way I am happy it just being my husband and I, but when I see ALL my friends with kids, I feel a bit left out.

bobskii

As do i but then i was home rearing a child when they were all out partying in their twentys so i see it from both sides,i'd live without ever having another one but it's something my husband longs for.

Lucuma

Ciarrai76 wrote: »

I just read that Maura Derrane from RTE's Today show is pregnant at 43! I wonder was she trying or having treatment.

What !!! I've read I don't know how many interviews with her where she has been at pains to point out that she's not particularly maternal, doesn't feel the need for a child, while she's happy for other people it isn't on the horizon for her etc etc.

That is bizarre, was she bluffing all the time so or what! Kind of funny that herself and Daithi are going to be parents for the first time together. My GP is the resident GP on their show (mini claim to fame ;o)

seosamh1980

Lucuma wrote: »

What !!! I've read I don't know how many interviews with her where she has been at pains to point out that she's not particularly maternal, doesn't feel the need for a child, while she's happy for other people it isn't on the horizon for her etc etc.

That is bizarre, was she bluffing all the time so or what! Kind of funny that herself and Daithi are going to be parents for the first time together. My GP is the resident GP on their show (mini claim to fame ;o)

Maybe she wasn't overly maternal, maybe it wasn't planned? Maybe because of her age she wasn't completely careful with contraception thinking it wouldn't happen easily at her age, maybe there was one accident with contraception and it just happened. Maybe she didn't feel the need for a child, and it is a surprise pregnancy. All possible, doesn't mean that she was bluffing all the time, entirely possible she didn't want kids but now that it's happened she's looking forward to it.

Neyite

You can get a pre-menopausal hormonal fertility surge around that age, even if you have previously experienced issues.

I dont know her at all or read any interviews but I wonder that if she was saying those things while getting fertility treatment it was so that there would be no speculation/ baby-bump spotting/ media questions during what is a very daunting, physically demanding, and emotionally fraught experience.

Both myself and a friend were like this to outsiders and only when we got pregnant could admit that we had had fertility treatment. In her case for well over a decade. I'd known her for 6 years and she would say similar things. But all along she was secretly trying.

I would say that from a celeb pov, I'd have done the same. There is enough stress going on with infertility and treatments without adding the worry that the press hound you for baby news every other week.

Hollywood130

Has anyone tried Glucophaze in addition to Chlomid? My pharmacist said they have seen a higher success rate in women who use both but I've never heard of anyone using it?

Has anyone had bad ovulation pains after a HSG? Had the HSG last week on day 8, now on day 13 and the pain is pretty bad, even yesterday was bad, really uncomfortable pain....