Planning a Baby  Discussion Forum

Friends I wanted to know if there are better chances in ICSI than in IVF since Doctor suggested me to go for ICSI. Also I am a working woman and is it possible to go for job that month and also how many times we will require to go to the hospital. Doctor told me it will take only 5-6 times maximum and on those days I need to take leave. Also as I have already crossed 37 now the time is running short and will need to go for this treatment as soon as possible. Anyway as you can see the no. of treatments and the failures I have undergone I am going for all this with a positive attitude and will live the rest to God who will Bless us one day. Thanks and God Bless all here. shah replied. Anamika,
First of all - Best of luck with your efforts.
I conceived my little prince through ICSI. ICSI was a procedure developed in Belgium during 1994 and is relatively new in the IVF suite of tools to ensure a high rate of embryo formation. It basically involves a reproductive endocrinologist/technician to take sperm and inject them manually in the egg. Check out Advanced Fertility Services Chicago website. They have an excellent explanation along with pictures of the procedure.
With regard to the whole procedure here are the details that I went through.
1. Report to clinic on 3rd day after period so that they can get AFC count and do blood draws for a variety of checks - This determines the type of medication that would be used to boost up the egg production. This is like a basic doctor' s office visit.
2. Starting from the 5th day past period start date, a birth control pill is given. The primary function is to kind of shut down the ovaries.
3. On the 22nd day from start of period, Lupron injections need to be taken - No biggie as these are like pin pricks. Note that you need to continue to take this medication.
4. You get the next period. Still on Lupron injection.
5. On 3rd day after second period, you additionally take the FSH stimulant injection - Gonal (preferrable), Repronix (extremably painful as the stimulant has to be mixed with light sodium chloride solvent - I took this and the injection requires to be taken only in the fatty region of the stomach and irriates/causes rashes, etc. because it burns the skin - Hopefully, you don' t have to take this - I always pray for others to not take it - But the final decision is based on your phyisican). This injection continues for about 11-12 days.
5. On the 5th through 12th day after start of second period (sometimes every day/every 2/3 days) , you need to go to the clinic for vaginal ultrasounds - They are checking for the follicles and seeing if the stimulant injections are working or not.
6. Around the 15th day after start of your period, the physician makes a determination as to when you need to take the most important injection - called HCG. Typically it is taken about 36 hours prior to retrieving the eggs. The timing of this shot is critical as the physician plans the egg retrieval based on that.
7. Once the HCG shot is taken, you get a temproray reprieve of not having to take the shots for 1 day prior to egg retrieval.
8. The eggs are retrieved and using ICSI an attempt is made to make the future prince/princess with the sperm. Typically, on the day of the egg retrieval, the sperm specimen is collected from your significant partner - He needs to take care of himself as well to ensure no stress, no hot baths, etc as these can kill the healthy sperms.
9. Once the fertilization is attempted, they are kept overnight and you start taking the progesterone shots (2 cc of seasme/peanut oil with progesterone on it - Typically, need to take this shot on the hip. You would need your partner to help you on this - Don' t worry at the needles, they look scary but they are okay once you get punctured.
10. Next comes the dreadful wait - The clinics here in the US report how many embryos formed, and how many didn' t make it - This mind you is just like how you wait the results of your 10th standard/IIT JEE exam. Please be mentally prepared for either extremes - I did not realize this but it surely was a toughie on the mind.
You are also adviced about whether the embryos look good for a 3 day / 5 day blastocyst transfer. Please note that the 5 day blastocyst transfer has a 50% higher chance of conception and making it through than a 3 day - But there is no gurantee as in life.
Typically, you will be asked to take 2-3 days bedrest - No activities period. Just enjoy yourself and ask your partner to do the household work !!!
11. Depending on the type of transfer, you will be asked to come back to the facility and they would send in the most important member of your life. Typically, they expect you to take 1-2-3 day complete rest.
12. You will continue to take progesterion shots/vaginal supplements until they have confirmation of pregnancy and beyond.

BEST OF LUCK - HOPE THIS HELPS. IT is hard and not a lot of people understand what you are going through mentally and physically. Please draw upon friends and family for support - I was lucky to have my husband support me all the way through - Tears roll down my eyes when I think of what he did for me. Ours was a traditional arranged marriage and that was the first time I knew what love meant - beyond the physical stuff. This experience changed our lives - We really operate as a team. Anamika replied. I meant God Bless All. Anamika replied. Thks a lot Irfan for your timely help. Now I am a bit clear as to what ICSI actually means. No idea when I will undergo this procedure but I only wish and Pray that all of us here conceive and give birth to our Healthy Bonny Baby someday soon.
Vashah we don' t know actually what my problem is and this is a case of unexplained infertility though my heart pains to know and write this word.
Irfan any idea how many trips we require to go to the doctor. thks. Gpd Bless all. varshah replied. What is ur problem irfan replied. yes the chances r good through icsi. What exactly is ICSI? As the name suggests, ICSI is a technique in which a single sperm is injected into the centre of the cytoplasm of the egg, in order to achieve fertilization . While this may sound very crude, ICSI allows the IVF laboratory to achieve fertilization with very few sperm. The beauty of the technique is that since the sperm is being injected directly into the egg, all that is needed to achieve fertilization are live sperm - no matter how abnormal these may appear to be. With ICSI the equation \" 1 egg plus 1 sperm = 1 embryo\" becomes possible!
best of luck