# New and waiting ICSI at BCRM



## Beep (Oct 2, 2008)

Hi

We have finally got funding and had our first appointment at Bristol yesterday, the consultant recommended ICSI not IVF as DH has a very fluctuating sperm motility, some times just below normal and sometimes only 2%.

We are just waiting now for a form to come through so we get the planning appointment, nervous and excited.  The consultant asked if we would like 1 embryo transfer or 2ET.  Does anyone have any advice on this.  I'm 36 DH is 42 and until yesterday our infertility has been unexplained.

Thanks and here's hoping


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## LisaM79 (Nov 30, 2008)

Hi there,

That's great that you have got funding through and are awaiting your planning appointment.  

I'm waiting to have my 2nd cycle of ICSI at BCRM, due to my partner having low sperm motility, we are hoping to start Feb/March time.

With regards to the decision as to whether to have 1 or 2 transferred, its going to be a very difficult one for us.  On our first go at ICSI we opted for 2 and I felt so lucky to discover I was pregnant with twins.  However, I sadly went into labour at 22 weeks of pregnancy, of course my babies were too tiny to survive.

You need to be aware of the risks of twin pregnancies, has your IVF doctor made you fully aware?  However, I am sure the majority of twins pregnancies are a success.  

Please feel free to PM any time,

Good luck, 

Lisa x


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## Hayleigh (Apr 29, 2008)

Hi Beep.....x

We sound like we are at the same stage   I am just waitng for my planning appointment to come through @ BCRM and then we will be off (again)....cant wait to get going again    its one step closer hey!!!?

We have decided to stick with a 2 ET like our last two tx, except this our third, we will be having Assisted Hatching....to give them a helping hand. Good luck with tx     

Lisa....I am so very sorry to read about your twins    truly heartbreaking     wishing you all the very best of luck with your next cycle    

xxxx H xxxx


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## Beep (Oct 2, 2008)

Hi Lisa and Hayleigh

Thank you for your replies, Lisa I'm really sorry that you lost your twins   it must be awful for you.  He did talk through the risks but wouldnt give specifics like 1 in 20 is OK, I know they have to be that way but it wouldnt half help us make a decision if we had some facts.  I really hope that this time round things go fantastically for you.  Will you go with 2ET again or 1ET?  

Hayleigh 3rd time lucky, I'm thinking of you   

We had pretty much decided last night to go with 2ET and pray that everything works out, its horrible when you just dont know, but we really want the positive outcome, just like everyone else.

Maybe we can all stay in touch and help each other through as we seem to be around the same stage. 

Thanks again
x


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## Hayleigh (Apr 29, 2008)

Hi Beep.....Would love to keep in touch throughout tx defo 

Glad you made a decision about ET 1-or 2, its horrid not knowing what o do for the best. This will be my 1st tx at BCRM as my last two tx we self funded in Birmingham, but this time NHS are funding us     Although Ive not had tx at BCRM b4, if I can help you with anything ICSI related feel free to ask away 

Hopefully catch up soon......and 

to you, I hope 2009 brings us all our hopes and dreams....xxxx


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## LisaM79 (Nov 30, 2008)

Hi Beep & Hayleigh, thanks for your kind words.

Hayleigh - Hope this time works out for you, its good that they are trying something different with the assisted hatching.  Our doctor has said that if we decide on 1 embryo then we can opt to have a Blastocyst Transfer, providing we end up with enough good quality embryos.  So thats something I need to consider.

Beep - I agree, it would help if they gave us some facts so we can make a properly informed decision.  We haven't come to a final decision yet as to whether to opt for 1 or 2, its such a difficult one and plays on my mind all of the time.

Fortunately I will be receiving funding too, so thats a relief.  I would love to keep in touch too, heres hoping that 2009 brings luck to all of us.

Love, Lisa x


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## Hayleigh (Apr 29, 2008)

Lisa.....


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## LisaM79 (Nov 30, 2008)

Just thought I'd wish you both a Happy New Year, here's hoping it brings us all lots of good luck.

Thanks for the hugs Hayleigh!

Beep - I see on the 'Somerset' thread that you're under Mr Bidgood at Musgrove - I'm under him too!

Lisa x


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## Beep (Oct 2, 2008)

Happy New Year to you both, I hope its a good one for all of us.

Yes we have Mr Bidgood, he has helped alot, especially when it came to appealing for funding as we were refused first of all.

I'm checking the post all the time now waiting for that appointment.  Do either of you have anything yet?


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## Hayleigh (Apr 29, 2008)

Beep.....Oh Hon, I am EXACTLY the same, Im like some kind of mad women checking the post   I sent our form off to BCRM it was exactly one week before xmas......so with the xmas post and the clinic not re-opening until Mon the 5th, Im not expecting anything until at least the later part of next week so......  but fingers crossed yours comes through sooner....x  

Lisa....How are you? I have spotted you on ~~Spring Babes~~ thread  

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx H xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


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## LisaM79 (Nov 30, 2008)

Hi, Hope you both get your appointments through soon.  I'm not expecting anything just yet as not planning to start treatment for another month or so.

Hayleigh, Hi, I'm doing ok thanks, yes I joined Spring Babes, will be great to have the support of others going through treatment the same time as me - I shall be so scared this time!

Catch up with you both soon,

Lisa xx


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## Beep (Oct 2, 2008)

Congratulations Starfishtigger, I hope all is well with you.   

I heard from the theatre team today and weighed myself and discovered Christmas is very bad for me, put on 1/2 stone.  Back on the treadmill........  

Still waiting for the post, have you heard anything Hayleigh?


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## Caz (Jul 21, 2002)

Beep, welcome to Fertility Friends. 

Well done on starting the path to your first cycle. There's a whole board full of information about SET as opposed to 2ET which I will leave you a link for:

*ESET ~ *  CLICK HERE

You are really the only one who can make the final decision and there are pros and cons with both, however I think the final decision should only be taken once you have all the facts (i.e. know how many embryos you have, what quality they are etc.) and you can only really know this at the time of ET so, please don't feel pressure to make any decisions about this until then!

Here are some links you might find helpful at the moment. Please do have a look around and explore and start posting around the boards and making friends. FF is a wonderfully supportive community and you can only get the best out of it if you start posting and joining in so, please do so.

*What Every New Member Needs To Know (includes a list of common abbreviations) ~ *   CLICK HERE

*Questions for your first cycle consultation ~ (use the ones that apply) *CLICK HERE

*A Rough Guide To IVF ~*   CLICK HERE

While undergoing treatment, you might find it useful to join other ladies having treatment at the same time. The Cycle Buddies threads are just for that. You will fnd a thread, usually with a funny/inspiring name for this year's buddies. Just pop along to the appropriate month and say "Hi" when you are ready to start treatment.

*Cycle buddies ~ *CLICK HERE

You can have a bit of fun or just gossip while you are on FF too so check out the general chit chat / jokes / hobbies area:

*Girl & Boy talk - Community & Fun Board ~ *CLICK HERE

You can also chat live in our excellent chat room. We have a newbie night in the chat room every week (*Wednesday at 8pm*), where you can meet other new members and get technical support with navigating the site and using all the functions available here.  CLICK HERE FOR INFO ON NEWBIE CHAT 

You can also "meet" and chat with people in your local area through the *Location boards*. This is especially useful to find people who may be using the same clinic and or in the same PCT area.

Wishing you lots of luck! 

C~x


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## cleozulu (Dec 9, 2008)

Hi there 

My husband and i have been trying for a baby for 2years now, but with out any luck, so we both did a home fertiliy test, my results were fine, but my husbands said he had to see his doctor, So off to the doctor my husband went. 
The doctor sent my husband up to the hospital to leave a semen sample with them for testing. 
The results of the semen test from the hospital was that my husband "apparently has NO sperm or VERY LITTLE sperm in his semen". We are both completely gutted. the letter also says my husband needs to go in for a blood test and to repeat the semen test in 2 months. 

My husband has now done his 2nd semen test at our local hospital and we should find out the results in the next few days to a week.
I am so so so so scared we will never have our  baby.    

I have been doing some research on the internet and have found out that our doctor will only offer us using a sperm donor first of all, this is not an option for my husband, he doesn't want to use this option at all coz it will mean using someone else's sperm and my husband wants the baby to be his. 
So i continued my research and found out if you push your doctor for more we can have a treatment called ICSI where by using a needle they can find sperm in my husbands teste's, take the sperm out then take some of my eggs out and fertilise the egg in a pot which my husbands sperm, then 2 days later put the egg back inside my womb, with a 46% chance of a sucessful pregnancy. 
This treatment cost roughly £4,000 to £8,000 so unless we can have this treatment done on the NHS then there is no chance i will ever have the chance to love and hold my own child. 
I didn't find any other ways for me and my husband to have a child on the internet. 

What i need to know is what are our options for having our baby?? 
Can we still have our own baby by using the sperm in my husbands teste's? 
Is ICSI our only option 
Can we have treatment on the NHS?? 
And how do we go about finding out about if we can get funding on the NHS?


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## NatalieW (Dec 10, 2008)

Hi Cleozulu

Sorry to hear your news  

My DH has an extremely low sperm count and my advice is you need to find out some specifics - ie did your DH have no or some sperm in his count and if so how many? It is also helpful to find out about the quality of the sperm (ie motility etc). If sperm count is extremely low some consultants check for any testicular problems and ours checked for any chromosomal problems (by blood test which took about 6 weeks). If sperm count is low they will use ICSI and we are in our first ICSI cycle at the moment.

On a different angle my DH has also been trying to improve his sperm count - it takes 90 days to make a sperm so we are hoping when we get to egg collection stage things will have picked up in that department! DH has really cut down on alcohol, been taking a really good vitamin and DHA supplement and has been crammed full of nuts,seeds, fresh fruit and pineapple juice - who knows if it will have had any effect?............ 

Stay positive and good luck,

Natalie


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