Is there anyone waiting for these weekends more than I
do?
This is going to be a great time. You may call me a
lazybone but I’m looking forward to a very relaxed and free of any duties weekend.
Why? My parents are taking my son to their place for the whole weekend so that
me and my husband could have all the time in the world together. We’re always
busy working that’s why such moments “just for ourselves” are so rare and so
long-awaited by us. Of course, we’ll be missing Den. Anyways, I know he’ll have
a gorgeous time with grandparents and his cousins. Yes, they are gathering a
small kindergarten there! My parents love gathering all their grandchildren
from time to time at their place. My dad has so many games to play with them
and my mom, she cooks gorgeous pies that they love so much. Oh, I love them too
but I’m no longer three years old to eat them as much as I want (age is taking
its toll and now I have to be very picky in what and how much I eat).
There is one secret reason for why I’m keeping strict
and very healthy diet now. Are you interested to know? I know that very soon
I’ll be stimulated for eggs growing in my ovaries that will be used for our
first IVF ever. If you read my previous posting, you may already know that I
had my uterus removed after the first natural delivery. We took courage and
applied for surrogacy program! Own eggs surrogacy! Yeah, they approved me for
own eggs stimulation! Luckily, my ovaries still function ok. They checked my
hormones, ovarian reserve and did blood tests (both to me and husband). All
exams were fine and they gave green light for two IVF surrogacy attempts on our
own genetic material. This is a long story to tell and this is actually why I
started this blog.
We met a lot of new and unknown things in the sphere
of reproductive medicine we were absolutely unaware before. Yeah, they really
do miracles! They help even in the worst cases of infertility. They know how to
omit genetic diseases. They can choose baby’s sex. They can fertilize woman
even in menopause! And even more importantly – they can transfer my own embryo
to a healthy woman who will give birth to my baby!
We have already signed our contract and currently
we’re waiting for a proper surrogate for us. We couldn’t choose the surrogate.
Our clinic’s doctors choose surrogates based on medical criteria. They told
that her health is all that matters. Ok, perhaps this makes sense. As for us,
we got instructions on dieting and vitamins during this period. They gave me
this huge pack of medications for ovulation stimulation so we’re waiting for
their green light to start.
Are we overwhelmed? Like we were never before!
One should do a great research work to choose the right place to be in. Every repro center seems so attractive from what we see in adds. Actually not all of them turn out to be so. We had loads of countries on our surrogacy list. But then having started investigation, we got to know that half of them banned surrogacy. Another half was considered like''surrogacy friendly''. But this doesn't exclude your surro has all rights for the baby born. In the UK for example, the surro is considered to be the legal mother of the baby. You then have to go to the court to take your baby home and be his legal parents. The same situation is in the US, in some states. Situation with this country seems the most complicated for me. There each state has it's own surrogacy law. Firstly, surrogacy there is overwhelmingly expensive ($60 – 150k). Unless you have a kind friend willing to carry the baby for you. If things go wrong (Such as a surrogate backing out, or unfortunate situations like a miscarriage) you automatically have to pay at least $5k to match with another surrogate. And then do their health workup through the agency. It just seemed that there were so many costs that could be added at any time!!! And it seemed so unreasonable that most of that cost was going to the agency or lawyer. Rather than the surrogate who receives on average of $20 – 30k for the pregnancy (Out of 150k!! for example). As I've mentioned before in some states surrogate mothers retain a parental right to the child. She can even pursue custody. Even though the embryos placed in the surrogate have both of our DNA, the surrogate mother’s name is on the birth certificate, and then you have to go through the process of adopting the baby in court!! But waiting time frames seemed the most annoying. All the legal paperwork, signing a contract, matching a surrogate, having the surrogate go through the work-up, and so on - It’s been more than a year since you actually started the process. Having already put in 9 years, we weren’t willing to wait for an indefinite amount of time again. Discouraged, we started looking onto other options. We were focused on the Eastern Europe and this way came to Ukrainian repro centers..
ReplyDeleteIn accordance with its clauses, only childless, heterosexual couples who are married to each other are eligible to have a baby through surrogacy in Ukraine.
DeleteAdditionally, a major advantage of choosing Ukraine as your destination for surrogacy abroad, besides its attractive costs, is the fact that, for example, American intended parents do not need a special visa to enter the country. In Ukraine the surrogate cannot legally keep the child after the birth. On the contrary: the child is considered to legally belong to the prospective parents from the very moment conception.Ukrainian law allows to issue birth certificate to intended parents' names regardless of their genetic links to the child. Donor or a surrogate mother has no parental rights over the child, who is legally the child of the prospective parents from the moment of conception.
Some clinics divide the cost into several installments which is very comfy to my mind. If I'm not mistaken, Biotex leads this practice too. Besides many women participate in the surrogacy process in Ukraine. All seem have different reasons. But I personally don't care why. The thing which interests me is that they DO HELP the infertile couples from all over the world. Hope your surrogacy journey to Ukraine turned out to be successful.
Omg, I'm sailing in this very boat now..I'm glad to have found this very blog and use it like my diary sharing emotions ''in public'' but ''privately'' at the same time, if you understand what i mean..I surely love your ''age is taking its toll and now I have to be very picky in what and how much I eat'' 'cause it's what i'm currently struggling. I guess the meds taken played a bad trick on me. My hormones just mixed. It's too hard to keep myself away from food now..I'm crazy about sweets but those med treatments made me eat just everything and enormously..I keep fighting with my extra lbs, 'cause i know it makes changes when the weight is right. Getting rid off extra lbs means fewer days of stimming and lower meds dosage..I'm afraid i'm falling apart..I know how it all feels..
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry for your removed uterus. But the hugest luck of what happened to you is your little one born. You're lucky to have your kid even though they had to operate. Still the desire of having kids is all consuming. So no wonder you've found yourself once on the thought you want more.
Struggling with extra lbs has become the priority for me in this battle. Here's what I was recommended on the point. Below are a couple of ideas to increase fertility.
Heat cooked foodstuff are strongly advised. Especially root greens. Rooster soup with ginger is typically suggested in China for ladies attempting to conceive.
Incorporate veggies these kinds of as cabbage, broccoli, brussel sprouts and cauliflower. These meals increase the metabolic rate of estradiol (a kind of oestrogen) which will help the physique use it far more efficiently. In surplus estradiol is related with breast discomfort, fat gain, uterine cancer and moodiness with low acupuncture eyes miami libido. Adding these foods will counteract these consequences.
Balancing blood sugar amounts will support with hormonal regulation and power amounts. This requires minimizing high carbohydrates, the foodstuff which release glucose swiftly into the entire body. These consist of white sugar, biscuits, cakes, sugary beverages, way too a lot fruit, cereals, bread, pasta, caffeine and alcoholic beverages.
I'm doing my best with all those. I hope so much they'll extract some good quality eggs at RE in a month.
Let's see what happens next.
This is the question list we were advised to operate with while searching the place where to undergo surrogacy program#
ReplyDeleteHow long has the program been in operation? Does the program maintain a referral listing of previous client couples?
Does the program recruit its own surrogates? Through what means?
Will they work with a surrogate recruited by the couple themselves?
How are surrogates expenses handled? Is there a cap on these expenses?
Does the program offer medical screening of the surrogate? To what extent? Who does the screening?
Does medical screening include an AIDS test of surrogate and her partner?
Is gestational surrogacy (also called surrogate IVF, host uterus) as well as traditional surrogacy available?
What are the costs of surrogacy (traditional, gestational or donor)? What is the fee payment structure?
What are the financial obligations incurred by the couple? What is the payment schedule?
How long are the surrogate’s medical records kept?
Does the program offer psychological screening and counseling to all parties? To what extent?
Does the program offer on-site medical services (insemination or IVF) or do they work with local physicians and hospitals?
How many babies have been born through the agency/clinic’s surrogacy programs?
To what extent is contact between the surrogate and the couple encouraged? (By letter, meeting face-to-face, on-going?)
Can the couple be present at the birth?
What type of legal counsel is offered to the surrogate and the couple? Does this include the drawing up of contracts?
Does the program offer adoption finalization services?
What are the fees for informational meetings or interviews?
What are the financial obligations incurred by the couple? What is the payment schedule?
If the surrogate does not get pregnant over a certain number of cycles, what is the clinic's policy regarding refund of fees paid?
In the event that the contract is not honored, what are the financial obligations for the couple?
In the event that the surrogate has a pregnancy loss, what are the financial obligations for the couple?
Does the program have a Medical Registry for updating the medical history of the surrogates or the children?
Does the program have a registry for the surrogate and children to exchange information when the child reaches maturity?
Well, surrogacy has never been the simpliest option of all. Many of us used to say ''if you cannot have kids on your own, adopt!'' I don't support this point of view 'cause this is our personal choice. whether to go for surrogacy and have all chances to have our genes preserved or move on with plan B and have someone into the family completely different. we cannot really judge this decision. no matter there are so many kids nowadays seeking their parents. this is my personal point of view, though i think lots of us think similary. So comng closer to your post -this is absolutely amazing you made your mind around surrogacy. I'm gonna read your blog up to the end, so don't know the outcome. But let this be the most inspiring journey ever. I need this now. 'cause i'm in the same boat and need all those tips/suggestions/whatever to get more insight into all this. Hope this is the beginning of some happy end. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteJust thought I need to add some of my background here. Me:43. TTC #1 since Sept' 08
ReplyDelete9/09-12/09: Clomid cycles, BF.
7/10: Updated HSG, bilateral hydrosalpinx. Bilateral salpingectomy.
Day 3 blood draws 1/11: BCP started 1/11: Sonogram/ultrasound- 17 follies!
Lupron start. Follistim added. Repronex added.
Retrieval - 16 total, 14 mature. Final report 12 fertilized! Day 5 ET, 1 gorgeous 4AA transferred and 6-4AA snowbabies.
8dp5dt: BFP!
Beta#1--120
Beta#2--440
Our adorable Dan was born 36w3d 6lbs 4 oz. Long break –further health complications. Here I am preparing for a sibling via surrogacy 2018.
Costs too ading to the journey!!!#
DeleteI'm always personally curious what people are spending for these procedures. My friend in from Canada so any ultrasounds, blood tests, HSG's, endo surgery's etc are covered by healthcare. Here is the break down of what they have spent so far:
IUI's : $1,500 each time x 3 =$4,500
first round of IVF:
registration fee $320
lab work $7,900
drugs: $2,900
hatching: $780
total; $11,900
Second round of IVF:
registration fee $320
lab work $8,400
Drugs: $6,200
ICSI $1,910
total $16,830
So far they have spent $33,230 and have nothing to show for it(
We all have different cases. But yet another thing to add,
DeleteHave you been told that the quality of your eggs is not good enough for IVF? Then look at donor eggs. You use eggs from a donor’s ovaries and freeze them for future use or fertilise them with your partner or donor sperm. They are implanted in your womb to start a pregnancy. Donor eggs are becoming more common in IVF. Using donor eggs is not cheap, but one way to reduce the price is to go for egg sharing.
What about sperm quality? Sperm can be affected by stress, poor nutrition, exposure to toxins, smoking, excessive alcohol, medications and recreational drugs. They all play their part in affecting sperm quality and quantity. One option is to try ICSI – a single sperm is injected directly into an egg.
If you’ve experienced IVF failure, be bold. Pester your doctors and specialists to answer your questions and don’t rest until you’re satisfied that you’ve tried every test. If you’re not 100 percent satisfied with your doctors or clinic then change. Good luck!
I’m 37, and I don’t know how much more I wanted to do. I’ve wanted kids for my entire life (career aspirations starting at 15 - stay at home mom). We were on the waiting list for the funded IVF. but could have to wait up to two years for our turn. I don’t know if I would want to just be starting out at 40 with a baby. but that’s a call hubby and I would have to make. Honestly though, at this point I know we would never have been happy without kids. We would have travelled instead. And maybe moved to a different house. neighbourhood instead of the house we picked out for raising kids in..This all does take a lot of time. Unless your inner part understands this is all you want..I'm glad I've foun this blog. andycollins, wishing you the best with your surrogacy journey!
ReplyDeleteI totally understand how infertility feels. It took a toll on our relationship with dh and all our family. My husband only gets it so much, which makes it even harder. For him, okay you're not pregnant this month, we'll try again. Me? Every time I get my period I just want to curl into a ball and cry. I'm 36. I've never been pregnant. I've been through a lot of my own medical stuff with lots of medications. So I don't know if I even can get pregnant- and that is controlling me. Doctors have largely rejected my concerns over the years. When I've brought up that I want to eventually get pregnant, they look at me from across the table, don't lift a single finger, and tell me that they see no reason why it would be difficult for me. Um... well, now that my husband I have been trying for 7 yrs, NOW will surrogacy help? More months of seeing other people get pregnant I just can't bare. Seeing others who have children and putting on that smile and being really happy for them when I just want to break down in tears?!! Seriously, I'm at the point of not knowing how much more of this I can take...
ReplyDeleteHi, dear, I'm sorry to hear you're going through tough times..
DeleteI thought this article may give you some sort of ideas @@
BioTexCom Center for Human Reproduction offers patients who are above 40 and for those, who suffer from low levels of AMH, an innovative program that makes it possible to get pregnant with their own eggs. The donation of mitochondria, or,as it is also called, mitochondrial replacement therapy, is an innovation and a breakthrough in the field of ART and the fertility treatment. This program gives women, who underwent numerous unsuccessful IVF cycles, aged 40+, (patients with low mitochondrial functional activity), an excellent chance to give birth to a child who shares a genetic relationship with her and her partner. How is this possible?
Mitochondrion is one of the most important components of any living cell, including the egg. In simple words, mitochondrion is the cell’s energy station. Essentially, its work consists in supplying the cell with vital energy for its normal functioning.
Women that went through multiple unsuccessful IVF attempts, as well as of older reproductive age, need to restore oocyte mitochondria in order to successfully become pregnant. A woman can become pregnant only if there are functionally active mitochondria in her oocytes. Donation of mitochondria will allow thousands of hopeless women to give birth to a healthy child through IVF using mitochondrial donation.
To carry out such a procedure, an egg donor with a high functional activity of mitochondria (a blastocyst production rate of 70% or more), a patient (willing to get pregnant), and sperm for in vitro fertilization are required. Healthy functionally active mitochondria are taken from a donor’s oocyte and integrated with the patient’s cells. Next, fertilization with sperm and transfer of a healthy embryo into the patient’s uterus is performed.
Mitochondria donation is a unique assistive reproductive technology, which is basically the implantation of a healthy and functionally active donor mitochondria into the cells of an infertile patient, that provides the patient’s cell with the necessary energy and contributes to successful pregnancy.@@ I'll be keeping you in my thoughts.
The first thing I read first when googling the procedure, was IVF is the most effective form of assisted reproductive technology. The procedure can be done using your own eggs and your partner's sperm. Or IVF may involve eggs, sperm or embryos from a known or anonymous donor. In some cases, a gestational carrier might be used..All those things seemed so distant for me then!! I could hardly think our path would take us that far!! Infertility chooses us in random. No one expects it, but has to face for some reason. I like the way it felt for you. --''the best is yet to come'' I guess this must be the clue for the majority of infertile couples. To get discouraged is too easy. But to remain optimistic is much more harder. I'm reading your blog now only. And decided to live your story from the beginning and up to the end. So this is my first comment here, but I know it's not the last. 'cause from the first lines you sound a brave one, a worrior, who's going to struggle as much as needed to get the baby of your own. Thank you for this source of inspiration. I would really love to know your experience with Biotexcom. All the very best.
ReplyDeleteART covers a wide spectrum of technologies. Simple techniques are often attempted initially, as they are less invasive than more advanced options. These techniques include: Ovulation induction. Artificial insemination, also known as intrauterine insemination. Donor insemination. Advanced techniques are: in-vitro fertilisation (IVF). intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD). I should say counselling is provided to ensure that people are fully aware of their treatment’s process and any associated risks. Are you going to opt for ivf yourself?
DeleteGood news to hear!! Are you planning to use PGD for choosing baby's sex? As far as I know, PGD is is done on day-3 embryos which have 4-8 cells. A small cell is removed from each embryo and is tested for the genetic abnormality. The risk of damaging the embryo at this point is very low. Only embryos that show normal results are transferred back to the uterus. That is nice they offer this procedure in the clinic. and if i got it right, for no additional fee?..
ReplyDeleteOh dear, you're so right! The best is yet to come!
ReplyDeleteWe've been looking for the right clinic abroad for months. - There are so many!! The facts that caught our attention about ours were: They have been working in the area for 10 years. They carry out about 950-1000 egg donation programs per year. Their success rate is about 75%. They are ISO certified.
They have no age limits, only health ones. They carefully screen all their donors according to the highest European standards. 80% of their donors hold college degree.
Along with surrogacy package costs, IVF program costs are amazing too:
1 shot - 4900 euro in 1 installment after you sign the contract. In case selective reduction is needed we will be charged 1000 euro additionally.
2 shots - 6900 euro in 2 equal installments. Selective reduction is covered by the package price.
5 shots - 9900 euro in 2 equal installments. In case of 5 negatives they refund the money paid. Selective reduction is covered by the package price as well.
All the contracts are avaliable in PDF on their site. This is really helpful as you will know what to expect. We are hoping to start the process in April and we are sure that we can get that money saved. although I am just being pessimistic about the chances of actually falling pregnant on first go. So basically, I am telling myself that we will need money for more cycles and I did not want to have to be waiting for months and months afterwards to be trying to fund it all over again..- That's why we tend to sign up for some multiple treatment plan. I am also worried about pinning all my hopes on just one cycle. as I've read a few articles about how women have been more likely to fall pregnant when they are part of a at least two-cycle package.
In general, the process of IVF involves the following steps. First, a woman takes hormones to cause "superovulation'' .which triggers her body to produce many eggs at one time. Once mature, the eggs are collected from the woman, using a probe inserted into the vagina and guided by ultrasound. The collected eggs are placed in a dish for fertilization with a man's sperm. The fertilized cells are then placed in an incubator, a machine that keeps them warm and allows them to develop into embryos. After 3 to 5 days, the embryos are transferred to the woman's uterus. It takes about 2 weeks to know if the process is successful. Even though the use of hormones in IVF is successful in treating infertility related to endometriosis, other forms of hormone therapy are not as successful. In addition, the hormones used during IVF do not cure the endometriosis lesions. It means that pain may recur after pregnancy and that not all women with endometriosis are able to become pregnant with IVF. Researchers are still looking for hormone treatments for infertility due to endometriosis. There are so many things we still don't know. and the world of infertility treatments is so complicated. But, fortunately, we've got some of these beautiful options nowadays like IUI, IVF (OE&DE), ICSI, surrogacy, mitochondria donation etc. We're lucky, surely.
ReplyDeleteHave you ever heard about mitochondria donation? I honestly haven't before. I believe it's something new in reproductive medicine. Well now I'm sooo into this treatment! So basically mitochondrion gives energy to our cells. If there are no active mitochondria in our oocytes, we cannot get pregnant. I think this might be the reason of my failed ivfs! Bc everything went great. Transferred 3 healthy eggs. Dr. said my eggs were great. Chances were so high! I thought maybe because of my age the cycle was unsuccessful (I was 45). Now I feel like I have a great chance to get preg! Basically they will take healthy well-functioning mitochondria from a donor’s oocyte and then combine them with woman cells. The only thing is I couldn't find much info or reviews about the treatment itself. I hope you'll share your thoughts with me! I've already found a clinic abroad which has the donation of mitochondria program. My dh will have a day off on Friday so we're planning to contact them. The reason we're in a hurry is a price for the treatment. Costs are €6 900 and €9 900 up to 1/08/19, then it will be €9 900 and €14 900. I'll definitely talk to the clinic's representative about the treatment and ask more, but it would be nice to listen to your opinion as a disinterested party. What do you know about mitochondria donation?
ReplyDeleteThank you for your efforts on telling us about your journey. I have sth to share with you too. Well, we also changed the clinics because got no more hope with the previous one. Our journey started in 2013 with one round clomid which ended with bfn. Then biopsy results diagnosed severe endo. Later adding pcos. And other two fresh rounds ivf with oe. Everything seemed ok. I mean service and docs. But we just felt we had to go further and stop with them. After a long break we found ourselves in Ukrainian clinic where were suggested to consider using de with the procedure. At first it was a heartbreak for us, for me particulary. I couldn't let this thought settle down for weeks, but dh supported me. He told we went through lots of things and that it wasn't the time to panic. Finally we signed the contract with them for five att. For the sum of money we got two pros using them. All the meds needed for the procedure were covered by the package, so we didn't have to worry about them that time. Another thing was a hundred percent refund in case of failure. It made us feel more confident. All in all, not a single euro to be regreted for. Docs and nurses were super caring. We could talk to our manager day'n'night and get answers. Our donor turned to be a very young attractive lady of course with proven fertility. And I don't know why but I just felt confident with the place. Just believed that it would bring us success, long-awaited little one. And it happened. We became a happy family of three. At the end I'd like to say that sometimes when you start feeling uncomfortable with the place you are in it's really better to think about other variants. Even though new clinic doesn't know you, and they see your medical history for the first time. It doesn't seem they can't cope. It is vital to choose the right place to be with where you're understood and supported!! This is the key point plus good luck)
ReplyDeleteThere are too many reasons for the failed cycles. I did some research on this poit earlier. Thorough nvestigation is half a deal in the process. If your cycle failes here are the questions you need to ask.
ReplyDeleteHave you had all the necessary blood tests and scans to ensure that nothing’s been overlooked? Are you 100% satisfied that there are no underlying medical factors that are stopping your pregnancy, such as blocked fallopian tubes, thyroid, polyps, fibroids, low egg reserve or any other possible issues that could be at the root of the problem? Why not take our pre treatment checklist to your doctor or consultant to discuss further investigation.
Do you have any immune issues? Has this been tested? When? Even a perfect embryo doesn’t guarantee success – conditions have to be right for the embryo to plant itself in the womb lining before the embryo starts to develop. Some women have over-active immune systems that make the body reject the implanted embryo after IVF.
If your immune system is too zealous, it can kill off implanted embryos to defend you. This reaction needs to be suppressed during pregnancy to allow the embryo(s) to be accepted. Has this been looked into and tested for? Blood products with antibodies can suppress a faulty immune system, although the treatment is still experimental.
Is your consultant satisfied that the drugs that were given to you before and during IVF worked as they should? Has he checked your body’s reaction to them? Are there any other drugs that might work better?
For an embryo to implant itself in the womb lining, this lining (called the endometrium) has to be thick enough. (more than 8 mm) If your lining is too thin, the embryo will fail. This is a challenging problem. Treatments that can help thicken the lining, but they are not suitable for everyone.
If you have end-organ damage which will not respond to oestrogens, sadly nothing can be done to remedy this. Surrogacy may be the best answer (success rates are high). For some women, another option is not to transfer the embryos but to freeze them, then see if the lining can be thickened before the embryo is placed back into the uterus. Sorry for this being too long, hope this helps.