Community post

My friend had IVF four times, she was then at the top of the nhs list for free treatment.... Along came max who is now aged 3 and adorable...
It depends on woman to woman, but good luck and all the best xx

I got pregnant from my first IVF, I participated in a study, so it was actually free. I was on follistim for 7 days and then had retrieval and then transfer 3 days after that. She's 20 months old now.

My second IVF we paid for. I was on birth control pills for 12 days, then follistim for 11 days and then had retrieval and transfer 3 days after that. BFN.

The needles really aren't that big of a deal - the first shot is the worst and it's just the thought of the shot that's bad - the needles are pretty small, you really don't feel much. It's the monitoring appointments that I had a hard time with, all of those blood draws. Yuck!

I got pg on my first IVF at 42 with 3 eggs (1 baby). I m/c'ed at 11w but this was after 2 1/2 years of trying with nothing happening on our own. Then I got pg on my own a few months after that.

The cost factor is going to be what makes it so stressful. If you are young and can produce a lot of eggs, you can freeze some and use them for the next rounds if the first doesn't work. I think if you are under 35, you have a very good chance of being pg within your first 3 rounds.

The needles are nothing- they are super tiny and barely hurt a bit. We paid out of pocket. Our insurance covered the meds but I'm in Greece and IVF is only 3000 euros ($4k) so we can do a few rounds for what it would cost us in the US.

And yes, the needles are nothing like when they draw blood. Oh, I hate that! I used gonal-f and seemed like I was on it forever. Again, due to my advanced age. You should be able to find some really helpful IVF boards online.

Thanks guys. I am only 22, but I know that age is a huge factor in fertility... We are hoping to start as soon as we can get a base appt. I'm not really nervous about the needles, but my hubby doing them, he gets so squemish sometimes :) I had forgotten about all the blood draws they'll have to do.

Is the egg retrieval (or embryo transfer for that matter) painful at all? I had an HSG and I completely bawled through the whole thing... Normally I have a pretty high pain tolerance--until it comes to my "lady parts," then I am in trouble :)

You'll probably either be out completely or under twilight sedation for the retrieval (my clinic used twilight sedation) - the worst part was getting the IV. The transfer is basically like getting a pap smear, except you generally have to have a fairly full bladder to help them be able to see things with the abdominal ultrasound, so that's a bit uncomfortable.

Hey Hun I'm 20 and have just started my first round of ivf. The needles are nothing, can't comment on success or er yet. Message me if you want to chat, haven't found anyone my age doing ivf yet. Good luck!

I'm 29 and it worked the first time for me. In Canada IVF is paid for if both tubes are completely blocked and can't be opened. This was not the case for me so we paid $6000. The retrieval is awful, I'm not gonna lie, it hurt pretty bad at times but hurt more at home. Totally worth it though. I suggest you join IVF.ca, it's full of IVF ladies!

Ah, I guess retrieval is different for different women. Mine was completely painless. Only time I wanted them to stick a needle in me was when they were putting me out and I don't remember any discomfort after. And where I am (Greece), they only do transvaginal ultrasounds so bladder fullness wasn't an issue. Needed it for IUI and that was the most uncomfortable part. :)

If you are 22, you will use a very low dose of medication and likely produce a ton of eggs. And most of your eggs will likely be good.

Hooray! That's such a relief- medications are so incredibly expensive in the US and maybe if I use a low dose it won't cost as much :) maybe I need to get to Canada or Greece so my IVF won't cost upwards of 12,000 dollars (not including medicine!!!). I am just nervous and excited at the same time. We go tomorrow to see what type of procedures/meds I will need. Thanks so much for all the answers!