IVF/ICSI Support Group

Hi Ganie, thanks so much babe. i had a good cry when husb came back from work. looking on the bright side i can go devour some sashimi and toffenut latte. hehe.

Anyways i also aborted my ET after my ER and did FET. i think i waited bout 3 months to continue. and menses came a few days after my cancelled ER. you are with Dr Yu right?
 


Hopeful,

Thx for clearing my doubts!
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Gum,

Yeah, im with Dr Yu. Wow, 3 mths is long, is that the earliest? My next appt to see Dr Yu is on the 2nd Dec, hmm... Did you abort ER bcos of OHSS too? Your menses came after cancelled ET you mean?

Glad you are feeling better..
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Yeah, can go for spa, massage too!
 
Hi hopeful, thanks for clarifying, I think the longan thing I read must be a myth then, was going to ask dr zou about it tmr, now I don't need to, thanks
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Hi Chrisl, super blur me!! Yes, I'm referring to Tromso in Norway, don't know why getting very blur and forgetful these days, having a bad headache after the KK visit this morning, getting bit nervous about coming days and potential OHSS
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hv to try relax...

Why were you in Norway? You must be missing it a lot now. I lived in Australia for about 10 years, just a while ago and really missing it terribly, the lifestyle mostly and mama nature. To be honest, I've not done any long haul trip since this TTC process early last year (was supposed to visit the Scandinavia last year then realized this TTC problem, so been Singapore bound since). Hee...now I know who I can seek Norway tips fr should we decide to go ahead, $1,100 is a real bargain!!

I read from previous forum thread that some sisters take immunocal protein powder besides egg whites but immunocal is quite pricey, so I'm just wondering if it's necessary.
 
Hi Baby, Fatefully, my lining is 8mm too. Test showed ovulated but just the onset (I feel not very dark le). Gg back for scan again tomorrow morning. I requested for D5 transfer, but it'll fall either on Sun or Mon (public holiday).. so they'll confirm ET only tomorrow. Hmm, all of us are under Dr Loh or Dr Marianne. Hopefully we can strike before they leave KK ya
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Thanks dec, definitely feels better now comparing it to daily fruit juice costs. It's on the back of my mind that I may need 2 immunocal a day cos I think I'm a candidate for more severe OHSS cos I had PCOS until recently removed. Fingers and toes crossed the polys and cysts have not come back, as I read in last week's post that cysts presence can result in cycle aborption
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I've really learnt incredibly a lot fr this forum.
 
Did my first injection today. Gosh, i'm not particularly squeamish, but still kinda scary that first moment i poke the needle in. Have to do this for the next month or so?! Plus another jab in Stage 2?! *faint*
 
Thanks Chrisl, the link is very informative...lol...I thought the forgetfulness was an excuse I give to myself. Come to think of it, I've already resigned to the fate of 'poisoning' my system taking the jabs, hormone pills and chinese herbs. Months back, I was quite upset when my gynae dr SF Loh reviewed that the hormone pills I took probably worsen my cysts condition and made me PCOS, resulting in laproscopy to 'clean up' my womb
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hope all the sacrifices we have made counts for something --> BFP

I'm trying to learn more about IVF cos quite a few around me has tried and failed, very discouraging to hear about it, so I'm managing my expectations since it's only my first try. Makes me wonder why KKH claim success rate is about 40% for age 35 and below....hmm...

I'm doing IVF not not ICSI unless hubby's sperms cannot made it. Actually I've been wondering why the KKH and govt hosp sisters here are not giving private clinics a go after the failed cycles. I read that many private clinics perform assisted hatching, this is for poorer quality embryos, which can greatly increase the change of pregnancy.

I've enquired about assisted hatching at KKH and was told that this is not done much, but can be performed at special request. But in hearing this, means KKH may not have much experience with it, so higher chance of embryo damage whilst administering assisted hatching process.

Chrisl, I'm guessing technology is more advanced there, do you know if assisted hatching is widely practiced?

Perhaps you can also check out EmbryoGen, a new solution to improving IVF success rate, just recently launched in Oslo and apparently coming to Singapore next year, yeah!!

Link:
http://www.origio.com/~/media/EB652B81BBEA4659B1D599669E2B6184.ashx
 
for my last cycle (short) - i did not even finish my 1 box of immunocal. i drink 1 pack a day. i bot 3 boxes then, so now i still have 2 new boxes... im trying to drink it for my fet but i don't think i can finish the,. or sell it away once i bfp...

the drink overall is good for general health, i believe it builds up my immumue system, i dont fall sick easily now.
 
Hi fatefully n babyme,
Read that both of u went for 1st scan n already set date for ET. Ur scan is on day 10 rite? This is really fast! U went for natural FET? May I ask usually how many days is ur cycle? Mine is abt 30-35 days cycle, dr Loh was saying I might need to go for more scans to determine ovulation time.
 
hi chrisl, how long the pain last?

hi tromso, thanks for reminder of medicated ingredient in the oil. as for the longan, my Yi Si from eu yang sang also told me to drink longan n red dates

hi noy, better call hospital b4 using it again as I was told max outside less than 3hrs

hi lovnhope, I normally on tv while doing injection n inject them slowly so that I don't feel the pain, hope it helps u

hi sisters, I went or et yesterday, have the pain until today, today is worse and got a feel that af is coming, due nov 3, possible?
 
Tromoso, the sperms may look good but may not be able to fertilize the eggs! If so, u will hv nothing to transfer if u dun do ICSI! No transfers no chance at all. All the pains n money u spent are gone! Pls leave it to the kkh experienced embyrolist to decide. End of the day, they will max the chance of having an embyro for transfer.

As for 40% success rate in KKH for women below <35, this is not like wat u said, "KKH claimed". These r actually figures which are audited! They r many graduate sisters here who r mothers of a few bbs from Ivf/FET from KKH.

Abt assisted hatching in KKH, it is costly, embyoloist has the final say on that. They will do if the egg shells r too thick. They do think abt patients' pockets. I had AH this round. I didn't know until I saw the bill after bfp on the cost! I asked dr loh why nv ask me. He said he instructed the experienced embyrolist to exercise discretion so that patients have max chance of having an embyro to transfer. What makes u conclude deformalities from AH r higher n even more so in KKH? Do u hv actually real statistics to show? If not, u r just making sweeping statements. is that fair? I hv gone thru failures too but I nv accord that to KKH being less superior than pte.

In terms of Ivf technology, KKH has the best in SG. Pte may better when it comes to support m service. But it comes with a hefty price! If pte is so gd to u, why u still sticking with KKH? Dun forget abt the embyro mess up in TMC earlier this yr. At KKH, dr loh has the final say to Ivf systems, drugs to use, etc. If KKH Ivf is lousy, y is he invited to go to TMC to restructure the Ivf system there?

There is a success story in the website I read. A lady has 3 failed cycles in pte n she went to India to look for a surrogate mother but also failed. She nv give up. Did a cycle at KKH n she finally succeeded! Her daughter was born In 2007. They r many successful stories at KKH for patients who failed repeatedly in ptes. Same as wat u said, those who failed in KKH why dun go pte. I can give u many success stories if the other way round. How r u going to explain all these then?
 
Sisters, There is a EYS road show next week starting 7th at Compasspoint atrium. If u need chicken essence n other stuff, can stock up. 1 box of chick essence is abt $11. Very gd deal.
 
LuvNhope,

No worries, you'll get so used to jabbing, you'll think nothing of it very soon... it's more mental than anything..  call me sadistic, but I find it quite fun.. Haha
 
hazel-just curious. hw do u know that KKH has the best ivf technology in SG? hw abt NUH? any idea? cos i'm now consulting prof wong from nuh but hv not started on any treatments yet.
just curious to know whether anyone knows abt the success rate of ivf in nuh.
perhaps kkh has higher success rate cos they hv many patients gg there for ivf
 
Ganie,
Yes, I know Guardian is selling, but is big one. I think I ever saw a small one, the size is about a small clutch, but can't recall where I saw it oredi
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Rainy, not sure if u r aware. KKH has the best facilities for women n children in SG. All trainee drs from medical school in O&amp;G field &amp; women &amp; children specialization have to Go thru training at KKH for a period of time before they can choose which restructured hospital they wan to attach too permanently.

Moreover, the number if cases KKH handles far exceed other restructured hospitals. A number of reputable Ivf doctors in pte practices are from there previously. Eg dr Sheila loh, head of raffles hospital Ivf, her name was frequently brought up like dr sf loh when she was in KKIVF. The no of patients she handled back then wun lose out to dr sf loh. Now, sf is also moving to TMC.

Of course KKH is not perfect if u compare to pte hospitals in terms of service and promptness In addressing our requests. But compared to a few yrs back, they hv improved n still improving. We all know to be successful on Ivf, it needs more than just dr skills n Ivf technology. Luck n fate play an impt part too. Our existing conditions if any, are hindrance too. I failed twice last yr. The first failure was the most painful. Till now, when I think of my lifeless elder daughter in front of me, tears will well up. I did alot of tests n I didn't hv any underlying conditions. Pregnancy was smooth going too. Dr loh cannot tell me why too. I went to pte. I went to see Paul tseng from Care where a few sisters succeeded under him. He can't tell me why too. In the end i just hv to accept it. Is all God's will. We just hv to keep trying n trying. Dr loh told me he is glad I nv give up. As a dr, he can only help us but he can't control the outcome. Our drs r not mighty God.

A no of sisters asked me if I will follow dr loh to TMC n deliver there. I hv not decided coz I dunnl if there wi be complications later though all is smooth currently. FYI, gor serious complications only KKH can support. Other hospitals will just send mothers n bbs to KKH by ambulance. They will not be responsible if anything happens along the way. My ex colleague experienced on the birth of her first child. If KKH is full, they will not accept also. But if I m a KKH patient, even if full, they wun reject me.

There is nv a best of all worlds. Just a matter if choice and money considersations. They r pros n cons no matter which hospital we go to. We just hv to be fair in making comments. Repeated failures may not be the fault of hospitals or gynaes. I can also say is our own underlying conditions n reaction to drugs right? Too bad medical science these DY
Days r still not advanced enough to pinpoint wat is the cause of failure.
 
hazel, i agree with you. it'a all god's will, luck n fate in hving a baby. some couples hv no prob but just can't conceive. unexplained factor. god will decide the right time to give the couple a baby.
every hospital has their success stories. it's a matter of how comfortable u r with the doc &amp; nurses there. good to know that u never give up
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though i hv not started on any treatment yet, i fear that i don't hv the perserverance to go thru the long process. i'm still considering whether to continue trying naturally. well to me, not having a kid doesn't matter to me. i still carry on my life as usual, perhaps even better. just that questioning from MIL, relatives n friends could be irritating.
 
Hi Hazel, I'm so sorry for upsetting you with my post. It's actually my first go with ivf and am unaware of many of the details and past sisters histories, hence I was hoping to obtain support from this group, thanks for your clarifications.

For IVF vs ICSI, when I was at KKH, I was specifically told that I can't choose ICSI, so it's default IVF for me unless ICSI is deemed required after ER, then it will be administered. This was what has been communicated to me and thanks for your advice, I will not resist ICSI if there is a need to. I saw that there are distinctions betw the use of IVF ICSI FETs in this forum therefore I thought I'll clarify my treatment, by no means I wish to offend anyone, apologies if there is any misunderstandings. 

For assisted hatching, I read from this website advancedfertility.com that less experienced embryologists may damage embryos but I have not mentioned in my post about deformalities, I'm actually not even aware of the implications of damaged embryos, just felt that it's not desirable. Again I'm sorry if my words have been interpretted differently. I noticed not much has been mentioned about assisted hatching hence thought I could get some feedback from the sisters re this, I have no other intentions. 

To be honest, KKH was recommended to me because of SF Loh's reputation, I totally respect him and holds nothing against him. I was only taken aback when I asked the nurse about assisted hatching few weeks back and was told it's not common, sorry I can't help but think that perhaps it's not widely practiced there, thanks for correcting me. I have previously read about successful AH in private clinics but not much mentioned abt KKH AH treatment hence together with the nurse's claim, I had formed my impression. I shall query again next time I visit KKH, thank you.   

And yes Hazel, private clinic may be a consideration for me if it's BFN due to poor eggs quality
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I am slowly forming my impression of the procedures and KKH's service, and I understand costs is a major factor for everyone, including me. In my previous posts I was just wondering about other sisters' experience with private clinics and other channels/ options, that's why I asked abt it, I really meant no harm, certainly not playing down the costs factor. I suppose I have a million questions in my mind and was hoping to find some answers and comforts in this forum, so I apologised if my words have offensive in any ways. 

Thanks for the success stories Hazel, it's a good assurance definitely
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All the best to you, hope you'll deliver a healthy baby this round
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Again, sorry to all the sisters out there about my previous post. I will exercise extra cautions going forward. Apologies for the lengthy post. Wishing all of you great success this round  
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Rainy, I asked myself if I will regret later when I hit 40 if I hv not tried hard enough. Our needs n thinking change with our age. I just dun wan to think bk later in life n regret. FYI, I dun hv much time left. I will be 39 when I deliver early next yr.
 
Tromoso, I dun been to be rude also, sorry if I was. Leave the technical part to the dr n embyroist. They will Try their best to make sure u hv embyros to transfer at calculated risks. One thing for sure, KKH will not do expensive procedures unless really required. After I knew they did AH for me I was concerned too like u. I googled the web. I later asked myself, if the embyrolist nv Do AH n my egg shell oa thick n I bfn how?. With AH at least I hv a chance of bfp. I can't possible think abt the risks always. Everyone of us hv risk of ohss when we do Ivf. We can die fr ohss u know as there r no cure. But still we take the risk. Coz we wan to be mummies.
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hazel-it's true lor. everyone has diff needs at diff stage of life. one day when we r old n our spouse leaves earlier than us, we will be lonely if we have no kids or grandchildren around us. however, hving children is also no guarantee that they will be by our side when we r old. impt is u hv to enjoy parenthood
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wish u a smooth pregnancy n delivery
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whatever Hazel mentioned for KKH are true..all major complications cannot be resolved in other hosp will be routed back to KKH because they have the best technology..But Hazel, u sounded like u fed up leh hahaha..

anyhow, im one of the success story with AH..during my FET , my embbies have thick shells..they perform AH to thin the shell and i managed to conceive through AH..

i also heard about sisters failed a few times in pte, ended up succeed with one cycle at KKH.. pte is only becos they are pte, doesnt meant they are really good..of cos KKH has lots of ivf patients, that also explain partly why their success rates is much much higher, but we shldnt forget the backend team - Ivf doctors and embrologists..lets give them the credit for that.
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Hi mc, I'm also thinking of taking birdnests (hv few bottles left at home). According to dr Zou, birdnests is not of much use (improves immune system in general) and she suggests taking ginseng and cordeceps. But I'll take the birdnests anyhow, just be more bu
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Hi Chrisl, thanks for your encouragements, I appreciate it. In the past I have always thought that IVF will help to score, only to realise now that it's really not easy at all, was very discouraged reading about the disappointments and seeing friends around me fail. I think have to entrust things to the big guy up there, we'll do our best and he does the rest
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Looking forward and ganie, thanks for your words of encouragement! I will definitely persevere. Just hope i get used to jabbing myself soon. It's a long road ahead of me still!
 
Thanks for the AH success story Sugary
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Do you recall how much in addition it costs?

That nurse really scared me cos when I asked her abt AH, she gave me a blank look!! I took out my notes and explained what it is to her...lol... Yes, my FIL insisted on KKH cos also says it has all the equipment and expertise. If any complications, there is a large team of doctors and knowledge to draw upon, unlike private, could be a 1-man show.
 
Tromso, was it a junior nurse? I also find some of the nurses are not as knowledgeable as the nurse who briefed me on the ivf process. I attribute it to their inexperience lor.
 
Tromso,

haha cant rem how much leh..thats 2 yrs ago
ya i tend to ignore some nurses, take their advice as a pinch of salt because they are not so knowledgeable.. i only trust nurse sarah and nurse manager (am not sure if she is still there)
 
talking abt pte vs govt hosp.... i felt 'safer' in govt hospitals than in pte hospitals... facilities wise i see the difference... and in terms of professionalism i find the nurses at kkh are more professional than those at pte hospitals... my encounter with pte nurses are they are not so quick to respond... my friend told me in some pte hospital they will try to get the same nurse to attend to your needs all the time to create that familiarity and closeness but i sometimes find that's not effective... i dun need a friend but i need someone who is fast and professional...

tromso,
mine was ICSI and i didn't request for it or asked abt it... i guess it's up to the dr and embryologist discretion to decide...

rainy,
i believe all of us here are doing it because we just didn't want to regret later in life... i have frens who procrastinate until now (2 or 3 yrs) and still dun wan to do anything abt it even tho she was advised to go for ivf... for me, i will be going for fet.... to tell u the truth, my hubby and i feel very comfortable now with 1 child... but i dun wan to live with regrets in life later for not trying for a 2nd one...
 
eskimo, how old's your first child?
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i also hope to give my little girl a sibling. Never tot i'd go down the ivf path, but here i am.
 
hmm...I'm not too sure what the names of the IVF nurses are, many don't look like locals. Thanks, maybe I should find out
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Does get a bit frustrating not being able to get advice directly from SFLoh, cos no more appointments with him after agreeing to start IVF. For those sisters visiting KKH, may I know how/ who you obtain advice from? Head nurse? Thank you.

Sorry I wrote the wrong name above post, instead of Chrisl, I meant thanks to Hazel for the encouragements (sorry for the mixup).
 
Tromos, u can write to dr loh. His email is [email protected]
AH cost me an extra of abt $700. My bill this round is more ex though I used much less stimulation drug which is the expensive part. So I scrintinsed the bill closely n saw AH which I didnt hv in my fresh cycle in nov 2009.

But My total bill is abt 8k, excluding insurance. So is relatively much cheaper than pte.
 
Girls, i have some questions on behalf of my friends.

1. she did ET on 14 Oct, did BT on Day 10, 14 and her HSG is dropping from 3 to 1.44 but her doctor ask her to go back for another BT on thurs which is DPT 21. until today she still do injection but not sure what kind of injection she is taking. U girls also have injection after ET? she spent almost $25k with this doc.

2. Her doctor advise for frozen embryo transfer cost S$5k per cycle. i find is very expensive, she is with pte doc. what you girls think?
 
Hi miracle_happens

I totally knock out for ER, for ET i was awake, i didnt have OHSS becos only 9 eggs retrieved. No pain for ER but ET is bit funny, pain on 1st day and 2nd day terrible pulling

Hi LuvNhope

I am very scared of needle, everytime b4 my family doctor inject me, i will always scream b4 the injection hit me. What i did was press my tummy hard to feel the pressing pain then when i inject i will not feel any needle pain, this is how i overcome to my final stage.

Hi Tromso

Dont worry too much, have trust in SF Loh, i start seeing him in Jun this year, through these few months experience, i can tell you that he is really very wonderful in terms; experience, knowledge and skills. Trust in him, he will knows what is the best for his patient. Write to him if u have doubts [email protected]

Hi dragonhopes

I am in my 2ww now, i was given 4 injections to be done, on my Day 1, 4, 7 and 10, back for blood test on D6 and D18. They say D6 is to check lining if not good they will give more medicine

Hi sister

Care to share 2ww experience after ET, thanks
 

Aiyoh, I was just told dr loh saw patients till 1130pm yesterday m he is not supposed to hv clinic yesterday! My gf is supposed to start fresh cycle in nov, now KKIVF said feb as they can't cope with dr loh leaving! She is now waiting to see him n discuss! Poor dr loh! But he is really a v dedicated dr! N i wonder how late my gf has to wait today!
 
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