IVF Postponed?

Last week, we learned exactly how much the IVF will cost.  Now we need to consider whether we should finance majority of the cost or wait a few months in order to pay more out of pocket.  We considered this several times before moving forward with IVF, but some unexpected curve balls were thrown our way last week.  For instance, we aren't eligible for the Our Promise program which means we may need to have more funds available for future IVF cycles.  Also, medications, which are about $4000, cost even more if you finance IVF (stupid bank taking advantage of a couple's desperation for a child).  I don't want to put all our money into a single loan for a single IVF cycle.  I would rather pay as much out of pocket as we can and finance only what we need in order to have more money available for future cycles.  On the other hand, I don't want to wait another six months to start this process.  I realize we've been at this for five years, so what's another six months....well, it's an eternity.  A freaking waste of time spent not having a baby. 

Despite how much I hate waiting, we're going to try and complete as much pre-treatment testing as possible and then wait a few months to move forward with the actual IVF cycle.  We'll have to find out how long we can wait before we would have to re-do the pre-treatment testing, but hopefully we can wait about five months.  As much as I hate this, I think it's the smart thing to do.

The Next Step

We met with Dr. B yesterday to discuss IVF and the next steps in the process.  We spent quite a bit of time discussing what kind of IVF we would pursue and what testing we would need to complete.  Since I've experienced multiple miscarriages, Dr. B recommends a full recurring pregnancy loss panel which tests several things including uterine blood flow and genetics for Paul and I. Although Dr. B doesn't anticipate any issues, the testing allows us to identify any potential issues ahead of an IVF cycle in order to avoid preventable problems. For instance, if I end up with clotting issues, I can take heparin and baby aspirin to increase blood blow to the uterus and enhance my ability to support a pregnancy.

Dr. B also recommended IVF with PGD which means a cell from each retrieved embryo is genetically tested to determine viability.  Only genetically viable embryos are transferred.  This testing helps us avoid genetic disorders like Trisomy 16 which accounts for most early term miscarriages and is fatal 100% of the time. I lost at least one pregnancy to Trisomy 16.  I want to point out that PGD can be used to test for other genetic diseases, such as down syndrome and deafness, and can be used for determining sex.  We are NOT testing embryos for other genetic diseases or sex.  That is not important to us.  We are only interested in preventing miscarriages that would otherwise be unavoidable (such as an embryo with Trisomy 16).

The downside to IVF with PGD is that we are not eligible for the Our Promise program offered by our clinic. The program allowed you to pay a flat fee for up to six IVF cycles - three fresh and three frozen cycles - and you receive a 70% refund if you don't have a baby at the end of those six cycles.  It cost about $25,000 and is financially beneficial if you require more than two IVF cycles to conceive.  You would lose money if you conceived in the first two cycles. There are very few things that prevent you from qualifying for the Our Promise program and one of those is PGD.  On the positive side, our chance of conceiving within 1 - 2 cycles is very high with PGD.

At this point we're discussing exactly how we're going to finance this process.  It's a little trickier than I anticipated, but hopefully we can work it out.  We should know soon whether we can proceed or postpone for a few months. Fingers crossed.

Cancelled Consult Means Trip to the Bookstore

Since our Monday IVF consult was cancelled (because the doctors's wife was giving birth of course) I decided to take a trip to Barnes & Noble to pick up some books on IVF.  First of all, finding the infertility books at B&N is not the easiest thing to do.  It's a tiny little section called "Diseases."  Makes sense, but I was looking for Women's Health or something along those lines.  Now I know!

I picked up a book called "in vitro fertilization: The A.R.T of Making Babies" which is a very clinical look at IVF, but it covers everything.  The book discusses IVF alternatives like egg donation, embryo adoption and surrogacy.  It even discusses moral and ethical implications of IVF which I'm looking forward to reviewing.  It's been an interesting read so far and is not only answering a lot of questions, but also generating a list of questions for our IVF consult on Thursday.

I also picked up a book for Paul.  The title is the best part!  It's called "How to Make Love to a Plastic Cup."  The book is written by a man that experienced infertility and four IVF cycles with his wife before finally conceiving a baby boy (his wife, not him).  Paul has even read a couple chapters already!  I snuck a peak and ended up reading several chapters. It's hysterical and extremely insightful, but certainly written from a man's point of view. 

Now that I'm armed with information, I'm 100% ready for our consult on Thursday.  Can't wait to get started!!

Taking the First Step

After our recent miscarriage, my husband and I had to make some decisions about our future.  We considered ourselves to have four choices:

1. Stop trying for the indefinite future.
2. Move forward with additional IUIs.
3. Pursue adoption.
4. Pursue IVF.

All these options presented different pros and cons, but it was clear to us which option to pursue - especially after speaking to Dr. B. 

Option 1 was out of the question.  Although it feels great to stop thinking about trying-to-conceive and think of nothing but work, family, friends and regular, every day life, it just doesn't feel right. We have to keep trying.

Option 2 is certainly something to consider, but after eight IUIs we felt it was time to move on.  IUIs give us a 25% chance of conception each cycle which is only a 5% better chance than a "normal" couple.  On the other hand, IVF offers a 75% chance of conception each cycle!  Incredible.  Needless to say, we're ready to move on from IUIs. 

Option 3 has been discussed multiple times in our house, but we're not there yet.  The process of conceiving is long, painful, expensive and not a guarantee.  Adoption is the same way.  The choice isn't easy, but you know what feels right.  We're not ready to pursue adoption - not yet.

Option 4 was ultimately the right decision for us. We've been considering this option for several years, but haven't been able to pursue it due to the prohibitive costs.  We're finally at a place where we can move forward with IVF.  It will be a scary, painful process, but I can't wait. 

Making this decision is the first time I've experienced hope in a long time. We cannot wait to move forward and experience this new journey.