Hi!

[1988M]

Hi everyone,

I’m completely new to joining any type of online forum, let alone an IVF one! Do you think it helps to share experiences? I have had a failed cycle and am half way through my second one, I’m 31. I’m going through PGD, has anyone else heard of it? Is anyone else going through it?

I’m guessing all of you understand how hard and exhausting IVF is!

X

[Nat246]

Welcome! I definitely think it’s easier to share as only people who have fertility issues can ever understand what you are feeling. Do you mind me asking why you need IVF? X

[1988M in reply to Nat246]

It’s true that only the women on here understand the struggle and heartache, but also posts about successful pregnancies give you hope and the motivation to keep going.

No, don’t be silly of course I don’t mind you asking! I’m don’t have fertility issues as such but I have a genetic disorder in which there is a 50% percentage it will be inherited by my children. As my gene mutation is an X linked chromosome if I had a boy I would miscarriage as males don’t survive with this disorder and if I have a girl with the condition she will be a carrier like me. I wouldn’t want to pass the gene disorder down to her as I wouldn’t want her to go through what I’m going through.

When offered PGD which is actually the same as IVF, only with the added step of testing the embryos to make sure they are the gene mutation free before implementation, it was a no brainer that I was gonna choose this route. I’m able to conceive naturally but I couldn’t live with myself knowing that there is something I could do to prevent the disease from being pasted down to them and then they get it.

How about you? Is everything ok?

Xx

[SerrineV]

Hi there. I understand your concerns. Still just wanted to add a couple of words about PGD costs. The testing ranges from approximately $2k to $5k and is not covered by most insurance companies. (Biotexcom clinic we'd been with has PGD included into the package price. This was another fresh breath for us) Then one should know that not all IVF centers do PGD! The experimental techniques require great expertise and should only be done by qualified personnel. It is preferable if the lab performing PGD has a specially trained medical geneticist responsible for the PGD laboratory. So if one is considering doing PGD, one should make certain the laboratory is experienced. Also that the lab does a large number of cases and is certified. It might be useful to ask your doctor at the IVF clinic or the lab director the following questions: What training has the PGD laboratory personnel who are performing the testing have? How long have they been doing the procedure? When will you get the results of the PGD? What will happen if all the embryos are genetically abnormal? What the clinic’s success rate is for frozen embryo transfer following embryo biopsy? and others.