All IVF ever wanted

So, as many of you know (if you follow me on social media) we have had a very unexpected spontaneous pregnancy test and I am currently nearing 12 weeks pregnant. This episode we talk about what has been going on for us since we found out, how we found out and how we have been feeling navigating pregnancy after loss/termination for medical reasons. 

We hope that by sharing this next very unexpected chapter of our fertility journey this may help others who also find themselves navigating pregnancy after loss. 

Please, if you are not in the space to be hearing conversation about pregnancy, skip past this episode and protect your heart.

Thank you as always for listening and let us know your thoughts on the episode. You can always leave us a message or ask a question using the message button in the shownotes (available on Spotify, Apple and Anchor podcasts)

This episode we talk about receiving our PGT-A results on our embryos in London and the prep and consultations that were in process and booked for our FET which was scheduled for my end of March Cycle for a beginning of April frozen embryo transfer. 

I am sharing the FET prep that I had booked, started and was doing  because although our journey has had an unexpected turn of events, I hope that some of this information may be helpful to you if you are also prepping for an embryo transfer or FET. 

In our next episode we will be sharing our update on our unexpected spontaneous positive test, so please skip past it if you are not in the space to hear about a positive pregnancy test, early pregnancy or scans. Please always do whatever you need to look after your heart. 

Thank you as always for listening and let us know your thoughts on the episode. You can always leave us a message or ask a question using the message button in the shownotes (available on Spotify, Apple and Anchor podcasts)

Eva Stecz has been a fertility acupuncturist for 15 years. Her first job was at the Zita West clinic where she worked with doctors , midwives and nurses, providing a great opportunity to learn about the medical side of fertility.

Eva also practices in fertility massages to optimise reproductive health and she is also a certified Mercier Therapy practitioner. Recently Eva has introduced Low Level Laser therapy in her practices as some studies have shown promising results for improving fertility. Eva is very passionate in her work to be able to help and assist women in their fertility journeys.

In this episode we talk about the benefits of acupuncture, how it can help and how often and in advance of TTC/treatment we should be building acupuncture in to our treatment plans.

Melanie Brown is  nutritionist that specialises in Fertility nutrition. Taking a balanced and realistic approach to changes and optimising Sperm and eggs for Fertility treatments. Mel has 20 years experience as a nutritionist, history of infertility, miscarriage and premature menopause so she really does know how bumy this journey can be. Mel has a Masters in Nutritional Medicine and specialises in all aspects of fertility/IVF and male infertility.

Fertility health is a 50/50 effort from sperm and Egg and Mel talks us through the do's and don'ts of what is helpful and unhelpful for prepping for fertility treatments. Nutrition for the best sperm matters too and Mel has a keen interest in ensuring both are the best they can be. 

We also talk about some of the social media led IVF 'traditions' such as eating pineapple cores and french fries around transfer. 

I hope you enjoy the episode, grab a pen and paper there are loads of takeaways!

Nurture.hf is a not for profit that has been created by Christiana, who is an embryologist, to support patients going through fertility treatments with evidence-based information and facts to support them in their journey.

Christiana is passionate about empowering others with information about reproductive and fertility education as we are taught so little about this as part of our education when we are growing up and giving them access to what goes on behind the embryology door and to understand the science behind the process.

What’s the difference between IVF and ICSI and why would you choose one over the other?

We talk about Lab conditions and Male factor infertility and how the advances that have been made are now enabling male factor infertility to be treated more effectively.

We talk about fertilisation after egg retrieval and the possible news that you can receive 24 hours after retrieval.

We talk about how little we know about our own reproductive health and how this really does need to be included in Sex education and how we are taught everything about how not to conceive and nothing about how to plan for the families we may or may not want to have in the future. The importance of checking our fertility/reproductive health during our twenties would be so beneficial in preventative fertility health care.

What tests should we be having for sperm and why? Is one sperm analysis enough? And what abstinence period should we be following and why is the current WHO advice maybe not the best advice for the best sperm sample. The lifestyle and nutrition of the sperm holder is vital in the 74 days leading up to when the sperm needs to be put in for IVF/ISCI.

We also talk about how the sperm holder does need to be seen by a Urologist/andrologist and not just by the fertility consultant at the clinic who is going to be specialising in Gynaecology/Endocrinology which are for Female fertility.

Sperm DNA fragmentation is now being looked at more closely and it’s important to know that it’s not always the egg. We should be looking at both Egg and Sperm with as much importance as each other. Ruling issues in and out for both sperm and egg is vital.

The tests that females undergo are far more intrusive than the tests and examinations that are required for male party, yet they are looked at far less and often not until we are multiple of failed rounds in. Getting these tests done before treatment can really help shorten our path in fertility treatments.

What questions should we be asking the lab at the clinic we are choosing to have treatment at?

We talk about extended culture for embryos and how culturing beyond day 5 can still produce blastocyst embryos.

How does it feel to deliver news on embryos to patients as the embryologist?

Nurture Honest Fertility Links:

Emma Whitney, Laboratory Manager, is an Embryologist with nearly 20 years of practical IVF laboratory experience specialising in pre-implantation genetic testing of embryos with a passion to prevent the transmission of inherited genetic disease and enhancing the capabilities of embryo selection.

She breaks it down for us in a way that can help us to understand what the different genetic test on embryos are and which of these tests require tests on parents to then be able to look for the conditions within the embryos and which tests are screening tests for a selection of conditions.

We talk about biopsies of embryos and how this procedure is carried out and how being good on a playstation is helpful when training to biopsy as an embryologist, I’ll let you listen to it to find out more.

Busting myths of the unknown and what really happens behind those lab doors. “Fear gets reduced with knowledge”. Humanising the process of what happens beyond egg collection really can help to bring reduce the fear and worry felt by patients.

We talk about how to better manage expectations during the embryo development stage and is it better to receiv news on day 3 and 5 or to wait until day 5?

PGT-A does not increase the number of genetically normal embryos, but it does reduce the number of abnormal embryos being transferred in the first place helping to reduce failed transfers/pregnancy loss.

Emma also helps us to understand what receiving a mosaic result back from genetic testing and what that can mean and how it’s not always the end of the road. There are extra layers of testing should you receive Mosaic results back to further help you make the best decision on whether or not to transfer these embryos.

Emma’s commitment to genetics, coupled with her multitude of experiences - allows for a pragmatic and honest approach when discussing embryology. 

Emma believes IVF patients should have the opportunity to understand what goes on in an IVF laboratory. Her goal is to help patients alleviate some of the stress and anxiety caused by so many unknowns.

“IVF is as much an emotional journey as it is a scientific one. I endeavour to protect the mental well-being of my patients through education and awareness. So no matter what science has to offer, every patient is in a better position to deal with the outcomes.”

I am so grateful to Emma for her time to help us all better understand this very important part of the IVF journey.

This week we are back with an update on the last 2 weeks. 

Last week I was so tired from stims and and then we travelled back to Dubai so you have our big update in this episode. 

We talk about the second week of stims, Egg retrieval day, receiving embryo updates and being able to eat all the things!

Thank you as always for listening and the next episodes will be with my guests who are both embryologists and are very kindly sharing their expertise with us.

Thank you as always for listening and let us know your thoughts on the episode. You can always leave us a message or ask a question using the message button in the shownotes (available on Spotify, Apple and Anchor podcasts)

We are in the UK now and stims has started.

We talk about the emotional wobbles during this round so far, running the Covid gauntlet from Dubai to the UK, fighting with pomegranates and how the scans have gone so far.

We also talk numbers and how to be aware of managing expectations on the numbers of eggs vs usable embryos and how they decrease at the different stages of the IVF process.

Thank you as always for listening and let us know your thoughts on the episode. You can always leave us a message or ask a question using the message button in the shownotes (available on Spotify, Apple and Anchor podcasts)

Do not underestimate the emotional rollercoaster of IVF treatment. Being pumped full of hormones is no joke and can really impair your ability to remain your 'normal' self.

In this episode we share with you how we prepare and the post emotional agreements that we have in place to help us navigate IVF.

It took us a few cycles to realise that we needed to have these conversations and to feel the benefit of them and how it helped us to get through treatments in a softer way.

Thank you as always for listening and let us know your thoughts on the episode. You can always leave us a message or ask a question using the message button in the shownotes (available on Spotify, Apple and Anchor podcasts)

See stories for more

In this episode we are talking about how after 7 rounds of fertility treatment we took a closer look at Sperm health and DNA fragmentation and the prep that we are both on for our next round of IVF

This episode, we are bringing you up to speed with the short version of our story so far and how we are in this space. 

Welcome to our little podcast that will be documenting our next and possibly last round of IVF as we try to bring home a living baby.

Thank you for being here and we are grateful for your support.

Emma Belle and Gareth x