PGS – Preimplantation Genetic Screening

PGS, PGD, CGH – they do all actually mean something different and are used in different cases but essentially they also all refer to the same outcome and that is the genetic testing result of an embryo.

At our previous clinic the method they used was CGH which is an array test. We are not using that method this time.

This time, at our new clinic, we are going for the Next Generation Sequencing which is thought to be slightly more accurate and my clinic refers to it as PGS.

Apparently the CGH method is the preference for when they are working with gene translocations (which we are not) but for everything else it is this Next Generation Sequencing.

Advertisements

IVF #2 – The final numbers as we head into the next phase: embryo chromosome testing

So, we didn’t get any additional embabies than what we had on Day 6 (my last post). We have 3.

I have been feeling so conflicted about this. I felt a bit gutted after the phone call to be honest and then I just felt so freaking guilty for being gutted. I mean, we have 3 good quality embryos. That’s 3 more than we had last time. While we got 1 transferred last time it wasn’t even that great quality so we have almost TRIPLE the result of last time and I feel sure we will get 1 baby out of these three little souls.

Planning and decision making

We finally went for our cycle review appointment with Dr D this week. The delay was all me. I just hadn’t bothered making the appointment as I knew we couldn’t start again until January and I was pretty sure they couldn’t really tell us why it didn’t work well for us last time.

The long and short of it was that the most of the spermies didn’t want to dance with the eggies but it was weird because some did dance but only a few. The whole thing is a bit baffling apparently. Dr D said it is more likely for them to see zero fertilisation

IVF #1 – the morning after transfer

Meet Rocky. Rocky is a Day 3 embryo with 5 cells. If you ask Dr Google about this he will tell you that 5 cells is considered to be slow developing for day 3 but my clinic seemed fine with it. 

IVF #1 – And then there was one

You can probably guess from the title of the post where we are at. None of the other eggs fertilised in the extended timeframe and of the two that we had, one went a bit crazy with the dividing overnight and had to be discarded.

So we have one. And you only need one. Right? I’ve been calling it the 5000 dollar embryo. Ha. (IVF costs about double that here but between private and public health you get down to the $5k mark for a full cycle).

And as we only have one they are going to do a day 3 transfer which is tomorrow. I am booked in for acupuncture before AND after transfer and we have a friend watching our little monkey so we are good to go.

I’m trying to be really positive about it all but truly, I’m in a bit of a funk. I feel a bit like this.

I’m all irritable and short tempered and grumpy with the existing child so I know I’m a bit depressed about it all. Plus I’m exhausted. It’s hard to muster up the energy for anything and I have the world’s most energetic child. This morning we went to playgroup for 2 hours (great mega running around outdoor session), went to the shops, came home and it was “I don’t want to stay home all day, Mummy”. I figure I’m not going to be able to be so active with him next week so after 1 hour at home I asked him “What do you want to do? We can do anything you want”

“I want to ride my bike to the park”

The park is 15 mins fast walk away. If you’ve ever tried to traverse that sort of distance with a toddler on a bike you will know that it is much longer than 15 mins. Anyway, we did that and stopped for icecream on the way home. We get home having been out a good 2 hours and I get “Do you want to kick the ball with me, Mum? Do you want to come outside?”.

I am so pleased he is an energetic athletic little thing but man oh man, some days it is just too hard. Like today.

SO. Transfer day tomorrow. Hopefully our little buddy (Rocky I’m calling it) is a fighter and ready to get in there and snuggle up close and tight. My current little monkey is off for a weekend at Daddy’s so I’m looking forward to some relaxed chilled time. I’m going to do some meditations and see if I can’t get this baby to stick.

Keep it real peeps.

~Ems~