Why we needed an RE

Some of you may remember that we sought help to conceive.  I wanted to back track and provide details as to why we needed an RE. 

The Female Issues

The main issue with me is AGE. Of course, it is always age. Ugh – I really hate that and it really is something that is out of my control. So I met the man of my dreams later in life - whatever!

The other minor issue is that I have what is known as an Arcuate Configuration of the Uterus. In the easiest way that I can explain it, I have a small cleft or impression at the top of my uterus. This is considered a normal variant and it is NOT associated with an increased risk of obstetric/gynecologic complications found in other subtypes like a Bicornuate or Septate uterus. Here is a picture of an Arcuate Uterus with a picture of a typical uterus:

Photo Credit

Can you see the minor difference? Look at the VERY top of the first image - see the little drop down in the middle - yep, that's it! That is what is deemed as a Arcuate uterus!

The Male Issues

As I had suspected all along, Mister B did have a minor issue which most likely is the reason we couldn't get pregnant! He has what is known as Mild Teratospermia (what a mouthful). For a better explanation of Teratospermia click here

 The Plan
So that led us to a medicted IUI cycle. We had to do 2 medicated IUI's to get pregnant with Twinkle Toes.

Each cycle entailed me taking Clomid (50 mg) on cycle days 5-9 (with monitoring). I used my CBEFM to test my urine for LH testing.  But I had a surprise on IUI #1!  My CBEFM never detected the surge.  So after CD 16 came and went WITHOUT an LH surge, I had to do ah hCG trigger with both IUI's.  Then the following mornings, we would do the insemination.
 
After the LH surge, on days 8 and 11, I will had blood work done to determine my luteal progesterone levels.

It has been a year since our first unsuccessful IUI.  I know we were incredibly lucky to get pregnant with Twinkle Toes on our 2nd IUI!  It doesn't always happen that quickly.

Wordless Wednesday for 12/8/2010

An oldie but goodie!

RSV Shot #1 is on board

Twinkle Toes had her first RSV shot yesterday.  This shot IS NOT a vaccine.  Instead it is a set of antibodies which will last a mere 30 days and will need to be repeated every month until April or May.  It all depends on the cold and flu season in our state and region.

The CDC has an awesome tracking tool which allows parents and doctors to see how RSV and the Flu are progressing thru-out the country.  Check it out here.  You can do the same type of "surveillance" for the flu!

But the best news of the nurse visit was that Twinkle Toes is now weighing in at 12 lbs. 2 oz.!  She has gained 7 oz in 7 days!  Right on track.

What questions to ask your insurance company

Most RE offices will ask that YOU, the Patient, contact your insurance company. Before calling your insurance company, have this information on hand:

Note: I know these should be "common sense" but I like to be thorough!

• Name of the insured individual
• Employee/Patient ID Number or Social Security Number
• Name of employer
• Name of plan
• Group code/ number
• Patient’s name and date of birth

Be sure to get the name (or agent #) of the person to whom you are speaking with and his or her telephone and extension number.

Answers to the following question will help you understand which procedures will be covered and reimbursed during the course of your therapy for infertility. Remember if you are unsatisfied with the answers you receive; ask to speak to a supervisor or another representative who is more familiar with the infertility benefits.

Important Questions For YOU to ask Your Insurance Company

• What are my infertility benefits?
• What is excluded?
• What do the benefits cover?
• Do they cover diagnostic procedures done in an office setting?
• Do they cover treatment procedures done in an office setting?
• Do they cover drug therapy?
• What types of treatment are covered? Intrauterine insemination? In vitro Fertilization? ICSI intracytoplasmic sperm injection)?
• Do I need a referral for diagnostic procedures or treatment?
• Do I need pre certification?
• What are the maximum allowed attempts for non-IVF procedures, such as artificial insemination?
• What are the maximum allowed attempts for In vitro fertilization?
• Are donor sperm and egg options covered?
• Is the egg donor covered by my plan if she has complications?
• Do I need to use specific pharmacies or mail – order pharmacies?
• Do I have a pre existing clause?
• If I have a Dollar benefit, how much of this has been used? How much of this benefit is left?

Since this post may not be that easy to print, I have created a handy PDF file that I’d be more than willing to email to readers.  

Is your RE clinic worth their weight?

Many of you live in areas where there is more than one IVF center. Choosing a center is one of the most important decisions you will make. How do you choose? Well, most of us get a referral from a friend or doctor, and then go and check it out. If we like the doctor we saw, we assume he or she is the very best, and go with the recommended treatment plan.Well, there are a lot of clinics that are very popular, get many local referrals and have very nice doctors and staff. The problem is that many of these clinics have low pregnancy rates, and they are not advertising this fact. Why does it matter? Compare a good clinic with a pregnancy rate of 50% to a not so good clinic with a 30% pregnancy rate. The math is easy: out of 100 patients, 50 had a baby on their first try at clinic 1, while only 30 had a baby at clinic 2.

Well the majority of reputable RE clinics are members of an organization called SART. This stands for the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technologies.
Most members of SART submit their pregnancy rates, via computer, to the SART office. SART then works with the Center for Disease Control (otherwise known as the CDC) and produces a report. This report has the pregnancy rates for each clinic in the country. It can be viewed by going here: http://www.sart.org/

Just click on the state and look for your clinic.You want to look at the live births per retrieval. This means the chance of having a baby if you made it to the point where your eggs were removed. Once you see this clearly, it’s easy to click onto any clinic’s page and look at their rates for comparison.If your clinic is not listed, that’s a very bad sign. Some are not listed because they are too new to get on, but most who don’t report don’t report for a reason: their numbers are low. There is no excuse for a clinic not to report. Some will say they don’t report to SART because SART does not calculate the numbers correctly; not so.

You can also see that there is a delay in reporting. This is because deliveries occur well after the IVF cycle, plus it takes some time to get the reports out.

If your doctor doesn’t report, beware. If your doctor blurts out numbers (this is really common), the numbers are usually exaggerated. Go to the web and check the facts yourself. And don’t listen to anyone who says their numbers are lower because they take the harder cases. The clinics with the best numbers have the best reputations and attract many, many women who have failed other clinics first.

Please note: These reports are providing data on IVF cycles but it is still very wise for future patients to research their potential clinic and their numbers.

I first wrote this when I was a contributor on Bloomin Babies.

Product Review - Pumpin' Pal Super Shields

Yes they look odd but they truly are amazing - especially compared to the Medela shields.  These have allowed me to continue to pump.  With the Medela shields, I had caused some serious damage to myself - No Joke! 

Any pumping momma should own a pair of these.  These also help you NOT have to lean forward to allow the pumped milk to drain into the bottles.  Which also means, no back strain!

These can be used with your current pump too!

Truly a life / pumping saver!  You can order these either as a kit or individually (see the very bottom of that page).  Also helpful is the sizing chart. 

Wordless Wednesday for 12/01/2010