On the fence about IVF/PGD

[needmorepink]

We can not afford this process out of pocket, but have been approved for $25,000 in financing. If we could add MS to this there would be no question on what we would do. I feel like the biggest gamble would be getting the right gender embryos. If MS was approved than we would have that guaranteed that most of our embryos would be the right gender, but its not.

With most clinics we would only have one chance at this. I found one clinic that has a multi cycle package on their site for 3 fresh 3 frozen for $15,800. Includes everything, but PGD & meds. It is about 3-4 hrs from us. Not sure of their statistics. I am 28. Have 2 boys 1 girl. 1 miscarried boy & 2 unknown miscarriages. What are my chances of getting pregnant and having the right gender embryos if I went once or with the 3 fresh 3 frozen, even if they didn't have good statistics?? He would need to get a part time second job for the next 7 years to pay it off. That is why I am on the fence about it. It would be worth it if we could of used MS and had very good chances even if we only got 1 embryo, but not sure what my chances would be like without.

[nuthinbutpink]

Well, thats a lot of miscarriages so going into it not knowing why those happened may lower your chances.

At 28, with no fertility issues, you have a great chance. I wpuld bever pay for three cycles in advance with the same clinic especially if their stats are bad. Why havent you looked at their stats? If they are poor, your chances are reduced again.

MS isn't available. Once you know your ovarian reserve, if that looks good, you should have a great chance. Going with a bad clinic will greatly reduce your chances though so choose wisely!

[needmorepink]

I thought getting multi cycle packages would be a good thing?? Than I knew I still had a few more shots if the first one didn't work. Or is that only with a clinic that has good stats?? Most clinics are the whole $25,000 just for one cycle. What would be my best route one shot or the multi cycle?

[nuthinbutpink]

It is a great price for three cycles but if their success rates are poor, you just have to know your chances are lowered by going with them. There is just no way around that.

The miscarriages would be concerning unless you know why after three of them that you had them. With 3-4 hours away, that is too far and you will still need to find a local monitoring IVF center for doing scans leading up to ER. You will have to do several b/w and u/s checks during the cycle. Driving 8 hours for each of those would be too much.

[needmorepink]

Here are the success rates on their site which was for 2010.


Patient Age <35 35-37 38-40 >=41 Donor Eggs TOTAL
Retrieval 207 65 61 30 66 429
Embryo Transfer 195 59 55 29 60 398
Clinical Pregnancy Rate 117 22 18 6 41 204
Pregnancy Rate Per Retrieval 56.5% 33.8% 29.5% 20.0% 62.1% 47.6%
Pregnancy Rate Per Transfer 60.0% 37.3% 32.7% 20.7% 68.3% 51.3%

[needmorepink]

One of my biggest concerns would be not getting my desired gender embryos. Do any clinics do any type of sperm sorting that is actually leading good results? NBP I see you did IVF/PGD, Was MS available when you went or did you do any type of sperm sorting? Where did you cycle? What were the gender ratios of your embies? How many cycles did it take?

[nuthinbutpink]

Who is the clinic and I'll look it up. I can't read that.

I did not use MS. It hasn't been around in 4 years. If you have a normal reserve- which you will only find out after pretesting, at 28, you should make normals.

With three miscarriages, I'd worry more about the reason why you may have something wrong with implantation than gender split.

[needmorepink]

FIRM Success Rates Jacksonville, Ponte Vedra, Daytona Beach, Gainesville (http://www.fertilityjacksonville.com/evaluating-a-program/success-rates/)

The first one I was about 13 weeks. They did test and there was nothing wrong with it. Said it was a fluke occurrence. The last two I have no idea I was very early. Just literally got a positive test and I started bleeding. So chemical?

I am very worried about gender split, because I have no shot at this if there is nothing to transfer. I wish they would bring MS back.

[nuthinbutpink]

Here are their real stats-

Fertility Clinic Success Rates | Assisted Reproductive Technology(ART) Report | CDC Reproductive Health (http://nccd.cdc.gov/DRH_ART/Apps/FertilityClinicReport.aspx)

Just look them up on the CDC site.

They are below the national average in the live birth rate stat. If it is close and you can cycle three times to try and make it work, go for it. You will have to pay additional to be monitored close to home though so that will be above and beyond the cycle cost. I would also ask what kind of testing they use AND what day they do the biopsy. Day 5 CGH is what you would want.

[needmorepink]

Thank You. Do you or anyone you know have any clinics you would recommend in FL that would be worth one shot? Any clinics worth traveling to that would be worth one shot? Do most people end up with one or 2 of their desired gender for transfer or is it possible to have no transfer due to none of the desired gender?

[needmorepink]

Thank you for the site that has clinics true stats. What kind of stats are average or consider good?

[nuthinbutpink]

Society for Assisted Reproductive Technologies (http://www.sart.org/) - not all clinic report their stats to SART but most do. In the US, clinics are required to report them to the CDC so all do there.

The National Average for the under 35 group using their own eggs is 47.6%- that number represents if you make it to transfer, 47.6% take home a baby. That is with an average of 2 embryos transferred that are untested embryos. We transfer ONE embryo that is fully tested.

The average live birth rate for people using donor eggs(most would be eggs in their 20's) is 56.1%.

[atomic sagebrush]

Just my opinion and tell me to screw off if you would like :) but I personally would not feel great about asking DH to work an extra job for 7 years when you already have your desired gender. I know GD is a funny thing and individual for everyone but at the same time we cannot allow it to control our lives and harm our families more than it absolutely has to.

Is there any way you can take a bit of time and try to get your head around your family as it is before asking your husband to make such an enormous sacrifice (and also asking your children to basically have their father miss out on their entire childhoods)?

PS - it is an amazing and wonderful thing to have a husband who would be able/willing to do something like that for a dream. It's a precious and rare guy that would be willing to do that - and it would also be a precious and rare thing to not ask it of him.

[needmorepink]

I DO NOT want him to, but he keeps insisting he is doing it regardless if we went HT or not.

It isn't just a dream of mine. He dosen't want another boy, just as much as I would love another girl. There is more to it. I don't want to put it on here though, because I don't want to start a debate, bashing, etc. I love him even though he can be unrealistic at times. I will say that one reason is of a genetic issue that runs in the family and is more common in boys.

[Mamablues1]

It sounds to me as he is brave. Not unrealistic, but he is your DH. It is also brave of you to let him, i wish you the best of lucks, and i dont think money is a real issue if you can get your dream, or at least try, if it wont ruin your family. Hugs

[nuthinbutpink]

Thank You. Do you or anyone you know have any clinics you would recommend in FL that would be worth one shot? Any clinics worth traveling to that would be worth one shot? Do most people end up with one or 2 of their desired gender for transfer or is it possible to have no transfer due to none of the desired gender?

We have a link in the right sidebar to the florida clinics->

A NT is always a possibility.