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AVA Peter Russia Merged posts

122K views 469 replies 39 participants last post by  klars 
#1 ·
This is the story of how I came to be a mother of twins:

(First you can read about the many failed attempts, and finally the success!)

The process started in 2005. After having learned that the reason for me not to get pregnant was that I had come to a pre-mature menopause, my husband and I decided to go for egg donation.

Coordinated through the AVA clinic in Tampere, Finland, I was sent to the clinic in St Petersburg, since the waiting time for donors was shorter there. Preparatory visits were done in Finland, and I only went to AVA-Peter for the actual embryo transfer. One blastocyst only was transferred, since I have previously had complicated pregnancies, and the added risks with twin pregnancies were to be avoided.

Still, I got pregnant on the first attempt!

Some six weeks into the pregnancy, however, I started bleeding. I stayed in bed as much as possible, though not continuously. I had an ultrasound check which showed that the embryo had died. No heartbeat and no circulation. And although I stopped all medication, the embryo would not come out. Thus, in the tenth week I had an abortion. This ‘missed abortion’ was the toughest bit in this whole process. One of the real low tides in my life.

Determined to keep on trying, I made another attempt with a frozen blastocyst. This time the transfer was done at the AVA clinic in Tampere. No pregnancy.

Still going for it, I tried my third ET, but no pregnancy. Though starting with a good number of blastocysts, few survived the freezing/unfreezing, and there were no more available for further trials.

I wanted to keep trying, and was directed to the AVA clinic in Riga. Very convenient, with many more flights and no visa requirements, my husband and I could even travel over the day for check-ups and other preparations.

This ET was done in 2006. No pregnancy. Next try with frozen blastocyst. No pregnancy. Third/final try cancelled in last minute, as no blastocyst had survived the unfreezing.

Now we were giving up and managed to start an adoption process. But waiting times for adoption are getting increasingly long, so we decided to go back and make another try with donated eggs. Not that we believed it would result in anything, but for me, it was a way to distract myself while waiting for a child – or children – from China. I also had a creeping feeling that something would happen, and that the adoption process would stall somewhere.

Now, I checked out the homepages of the different AVA clinics, and contacted both St. Petersburg and Riga. In Riga there would be some wait for a suitable donor, but in St Petersburg, where I got into contact with Dr. Olga, there would be no waiting time.

I went to St. Petersburg for the first check-up and discussion in December 2007. I wasn’t very hopeful, but Olga seemed enthusiastic, and considering that all previous attempt had been with only one embryo, chances could be greatly enhanced if trying with two. This procedure and the alternative with prolonged hatching were discussed, but no real decision was taken.

Due to my menopause, I had to get my menstruation cycle in order, and this was to take some three months (with Femostone pills), and then at the end of February a donor was chosen and the treatment proper could start.

Already in December I was also put on a low daily dose of Aspirin – for better blood circulation – and a high daily dose of vitamin E (2x400 IU). Also Pentoxiphillin was prescribed but I was not able to access this medication and it was dropped. The treatment proper consisted of Progynon tablet, onw Procren down-regulation injection, and eventually two daily progesterone tubes (Crinone).

When the time of the transfer was near, in March, I got a really bad flu. Bad luck, I thought, and was concerned that I might not even be able to make the trip at all. I spoke to Dr. Olga, and she said that results were usually not good if patient had an infection, so she offered to have ‘my’ donor donate to the clinic and she would find me another one for ET at a later date. This whole shift was done at no extra charge, except for what I lost on the hotel, visa and air ticket that I did not use. Anyhow, I am very grateful for this, and quite certain that this choice/offer is partly behind the eventually successful result.

Another donor was identified, the discontinued treatment was restarted, and I was now to go to St Petersburg in May. There were however problems this time too. My health was fine, but the donor treatment somehow failed and the eggs were not possible to retrieve. Again, Dr. Olga sorted out the situation, and yet another donor was found in no time. The matching with my physical characteristics was not perfect, but I am told she is very pretty.

Thus, I went for the transfer, which was done only two days later than originally planned, and a few hours before I had to catch my plane. Two blastocysts transferred.

Two weeks passed and BFP! Very high values on the blood test indicated the possibility of twins.

A few weeks later I could see traces of blood in the secretion from vagina. It turned increasingly brown, and in consultation with Dr Olga we decided to start Plan B. That is, progesterone and Dicinon injections. (I gather the Dicinon is to reduce bleeding.) On the same day that this had been decided, actual bleeding started. It was heavy and my hopes went rock bottom. My husband quickly turned into a nurse and gave me I don’t know how many injections during the course of several weeks, and I also doubled the daily intake of Progynon. And, as per order from Olga, strictly in bed.

I stayed in bed for five full days, except sparse visits – crawling – to the bathroom and, when bleeding ceased for some time, a visit to my local clinic for an ultrasound check. Were we surprised? Two little embryos with hearts ticking away. After all that blood and I don’t know what leaving my body, I am still totally astonished that the two little ones in there had actually survived.

We were now in June, and I spent most of my time in bed, though slowly also getting back on my feet. We continued with injections for several weeks, until bleeding had ceased completely and the Crinone tubes were possible to use again.

I kept going to regular ultrasound checkups and always astonished things were looking so good. Still, I took it very easy and was on sick leave from work during most of the pregnancy.

I continued with Progynon until week 12, and Crinone until week 20 (which is unusually long I hear from the local doctor).

As weeks progressed my hopes were coming up. I was really anxious and hopeful about delivering in 2009, with the expected date of delivery being early February.

24 November 2008 my husband and I came down with some gastro-enteric infection or food poisoning. I spent the following day vomiting, and at night I started bleeding. We went to the hospital in the morning of 26 November, and by the time I got in, I was already in labour. I was then in pregnancy week 30.

Since twin ‘no. 1’ had had positioned himself feet down, there was no chance for vaginal delivery. Instead, I had an immediate caesarean cut. In early afternoon, three minutes apart, we had two beautiful baby boys. No 1 weighing 1550 grams, measuring 40 centimetres, and No 2 1585 g, 42 cm.

The boys spent their first days in incubators, but were later placed in a twin bed. After five weeks of growth and medical oversight rather than care, we were ready to go home.

Now the boys are five months old, weighing 6.5 and 5.5 kilos respectively. They are healthy and the whole family is doing very well. I close my eyes, and am still amazed that they are here when I open my eyes again. It’s fantastic. (And of course, very hectic with lots of work and never enough sleep!)

I am of course extremely happy with this result, and I am very grateful for the professional, and flexible, treatment from AVA-Peter and Dr. Olga in particular.

Details that may have made the difference are the Aspirin from an early stage (though not while bleeding), the great amounts of vitamin E, and, most importantly, the ‘plan B’ – what to do in case of bleeding. On previous occasions there has been no such plan, and on the only previous try that I did get pregnant, the foetus died while I was bleeding. Now I had a bunch of injections with me from St Petersburg. And when finishing these, Olga sent additional injections for us to be able to continue injecting throughout the prolonged crisis. I had lost hope myself, but the doctors around me seemed not to see the heavy bleeding as totally fatal. Apparently, they were right.

Well, this is my story. Happy ending of a fertility rollercoaster ride.
Good luck to everyone on board!

Twinmother
 
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#77 ·
psy - Hi I just read about your scare but I am so happy that you got this sorted.  Those injections do come in handy and its fabulous that they give them to you.  Can't wait for your scan.  You will have to keep us posted.  Will be thinking about you x

Lilly - Wow so exciting that you only have a few days now and you are going out again.  This is exciting stuff!  Let us know how you get on please

 
#78 ·
Well I just got my FSH levels back from Bridge Centre in London where I will be having treatment and tests in conjunction with Ava Peter.  So they say my FSH level are 44.1!!!!  I was in total shock.  They said they couldn't give me clomid as it would not work and I could never use my own eggs for IVF as the meds would not have any effect on me.  So even though it is what I suspected and what I really in a weird way wanted to hear it is still a shock when somebody tells you bluntly that you can't have a baby with your own eggs.  Did any of you ladies have this said or your FSH tested.  I have been told that IVF with my own eggs would be pointless.  I would have no response to the meds or clomid.  Totally a shock to me.  But in a weird way it is closure and clarification that I can now move forwards.  I would have just felt guilty if I had not found this out because I was reluctant to try IVF with my own eggs because I did not want to waste my finances or have the emotional grief with all the failures and I would have felt guilty for not even trying but on the same hand I would have felt guilty if I had of tried and used all my finances and got a lot of negatives.  So now I have no option really so to me this feels better.  Doesn't that sound crazy!  I now will have no guilt at all because I do not have an alternative but to do it this way.  Guilt has gone!  Does this sound understandable to you ladies?
 
#79 ·
Hi there

Lily: - sounds like you are well on your way. It is now only just over a week away. Lots of meds, not sure I would remember what to take when. Hopefully you will be successful this time around.

Missy Moo: - well I hope you have recovered a bit more from your shock. I remember having loads of eggs collected and the average rate of fertilisation was 75% and they told me that none had fertilized and that getting pregnant naturally would have never happened and that I would have always need some kind of assistance, it is the kind of thing that you never think is going to happen. The thing that I always wanted was a family and I never had an internal sense of needing it to be a genetic child so I wasn't too bothered when my own eggs were no longer successful and I moved onto donor eggs. As I have one genetic child and one donor child I can honestly say that it makes no difference. People who see their baby photos when they were the same age can't tell them apart, they have an interesting range of similarities (both intolerant to orange juice), I love them both as intensely as the the other and only very occasionally do I think about their conception. How they are together, their sibling relationship is all sister and they love each other very much. As someone who has spent a lot of time, money and heartache keeping going with own eggs (at the time to avoid being on a waiting list more than anything else) I can whole heartedly advocate just going for donor IVF. If your heart wants a family and you are prepared to give your self the best chance of success then I can think of no better route than St Petersburg.

psy
 
#80 ·
psy - Thank you so much for your kind words.  Yes my heart says I want it and points me to St Petersburg.  I have identical twin girls from a previous relationship who are genetic to me.  I had them at 21 when my eggs were obviously fresh haha.  They are 19 now and beautiful.  One of them has a baby of her own, my grand daughter, also beautiful.  So I am now in a new relationship with a very lovely man only 33 years young and very much in love with each other and we have been together for almost 4 years.  It does make it easier that I have my twin girls like you also do have with your daughter but I agree totally and wholeheartedly that our Little Russian Doll will be equally loved and I know in my heart I will feel exactly the same as you do with your lovely daughters.

How are you feeling at the moment.  I think of you a lot.

Pam x
 
#81 ·
Hi there

Just to update, both girls had D & V at the weekend for the first time ever, what a mess and I came down with it yesterday. Spent all day throwing up. At first I thought it must be morning sickness but as the day wore on and my temp became higher and higher I decided that it must be a bug. Wasn't able to keep anything down and although I am still taking 8 Progynova per day, I couldn't keep them down. Result was a bit more bleeding over night but then it stopped again. The first few weeks have been a bit a roller coaster with one thing after another. I have stopped being sick now but still feel very nauseous and have no appetite but have been trying to eat toast and breadsticks all day alongside sips of ice cold water. Am due to see my GP later so am sure she will check me out. Just waiting for the scan next week to confirm that all is well.

Lily, hope you are all packed and ready to go on Saturday. Enjoy your trip and I will keep my fingers crossed that you are successful this time.

psy x
 
#82 ·
psy - Wow you have been in the wars, both you and your daughters.  Are you sure you are not pregnant with twins!!!

Lily - Hope you have a good trip and will be thinking of you.  Let us know!!
 
#83 ·
Psy

Omg ! poor you! I hope you are feeling better now and all ok with scan.
I have had trauma too!! I was taken into hospital last night with a weird fainting episode, I woke up not being able to breathe properly and felt very odd, as I sat up I fainted and felt very strange, my heart was beating fast and I was very dizzy, I thought I was dying!!!, The ambulance came but I was ok and didnt go to hospital, then it happened again at 7.30 this morning, and I felt very odd and strange again and was admitted for tests. They tested everything, heart, blood pressure, blood etc -all ok I was wondering if it was the Clexane I am taking- I have no idea what was happening it was v scary!
I am not keen on taking it again - it could be just a coniencdence and nothing to do with Clexane...but it seems strange that I have never had it before and now I have had this ? What do you think?
I go to Russia on Saturday and have the transfer on Monday.
Lily X
 
#84 ·
Hi Lily

Sounds like a really scary experience, have you contacted Dr Olga to see what she thinks, I definitely wouldn't stop any of the medication at this stage. Send her an urgent message or just call her on her mobile number and get some advice. At least the medics have checked you over and there isn't an obvious problem

Our lives have settled down again, the gp gave me some Buccastem tablets last night to stop the vomiting and today I feel much better. The ongoing pregnancy related nausea continues and I am now wearing acupressure wrist bands which do seem to have helped a bit today and I am able to function a little bit better than the last few. Managed to eat a small meal tonight and don't feel quite as washed out. Roll on next Thursday to find out that the embryos are all fine and just causing trouble.

I hope all goes well over the next couple of days and that the trip goes smoothly. Let us know how you get on.

psy x
 
#85 ·
Lily - I am thinking about you and excited.  How did it go? x
 
#86 ·
Hi there

Lily - how are you, I hope that you didn't get stuck in the snow either there or here. Do let us know how you are getting on. We have been thinking about you.

Had the scan last night, all good news - both embro's are fine, two heartbeats and everything in the right place. Feeling quite tired and need a nap every now and again. Feeling nauseous all day and all night but so far have managed to avoid being sick and inbetween all that ravenously hungry. I am used to going out with the kids and taking snacks for them but am having to add snacks for me. Really helps with the nausea. Bread sticks, foxes glacier mints and milk all seem to make things a bit easier.

8 wks today, only another 32 to go

psy x
 
#87 ·
psy - Are you telling us you are pregnant with TWINS??????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! XX
 
#88 ·
yep - thats right, twins it  :)
 
#89 ·
should have said twins it is  :)
 
#90 ·
OMG!! Twins!!! Well done thats so lovely!!!


Well Im back!! FINALLY!!!.... I travelled to St Petersburg last Saturday, had the transfer done Monday 2 good blasts so no problems, then flew back to UK via Amsterdam on Tuesday and got stranded there until yesterday!- It was a nightmare as I ran out of drugs so had to get substitutes at the airport med centre, all seems ok, but I have been so busy getting back I havent had time to even think about IVF!- Im supposed to test on day 9 or 10 post transfer, but I think I may try on day 7 just to see..........phew! Its day 5 post transfer today, day 6 tomorrow.


I feel pretty tired, I dont know if its a sign of anything positive or just sheer relief of finally getting home!
Im hoping I get a positive this time
keep ya posted!!


Well done psy Im so delighted for you!! XX


Lily X
 
#91 ·
Yay psy is having twins!!!!  :p ;D ;D ;D  ^stocking^

Wow Lily glad to see you are finally home.  I was worried about you in all this snow.  Was it snowing in St Petersburg?  Tiredness could well be a sign and wow only a few days until you test!  Go girl! x  :p ^babyface^ ^xmassmile^

Ok can either of you girls tell me the injectables that Dr Olga sends us home with.  Are they strong progesterone injections?  My Doctor is asking this at Bridge Street.

xx
 
#92 ·
Hiya Missy Moo


Yes the injections are 'progestrone' and something called 'Dicinon'
Its a wonderful back up in case of bleeding. She does advise to increase the progestrone tablets first and if it doesnt stop then do the injections, but she gives you a complete protocol I keep it in my handbag so its always there 'just in case!'
Yes snowing and minus 15 degrees in St petersburg!
Feeling hopeful
will keep you posted!


Lily XX
 
#93 ·
Thanks Lily hope to hear from you real soon x
 
#94 ·
OMG POSITIVE!!!!!! :) :) :)
 
#95 ·
Hi Lily

Well congratulations on that positive result. Guess all the hassle with travelling and getting stuck may have ended up being worth it. Sounds like a nightmare, but glad to hear that you are safe and sound. Bet you can't wait to do a blood test and get that all important HCG result. Good luck and let us know how you got on

psy x
 
#96 ·
Hi Psy


Im not having a HCG test, no one has booked me in or said it is necessary?
I contacted the local consultant back here in the Uk, but he didnt seem to think it was needed??
I contacted my GP, but they didnt help either??? ( They are pretty useless) They wanted to know why I needed a HCG test if I already knew I was pregnant??? mmmmmmm
Lily X :eek:

 
#97 ·
Hiya


Dr Olga has now asked me to get her a HCG test, and so I have asked the local consultant here to arrange it for me ASAP
Will keep you informed


Lily X
 
#98 ·
Hiya Psy,


I have noticed Miss Missy Moo has changed her mind about going to St Petersburg, on her status it looks like she is now going to Spain, I wonder what made her change her mind?
I have been advised by Dr Olga to start injecting Gestone, until 7-8 weeks as I have previously had a tendency to bleed (and have had 2 miscarriages), so she thought it would be a good support for the first few weeks. I did the first one last night, it wasnt too bad, my hubby did it for me, as its a rather large needle in bottom!
Hope things going ok for you, how many weeks are you now? Me only just 4 weeks !


Lily X
 
#99 ·
Hi Lily

Good to hear from you and it is good that you have been able to sort out an HCG test, will look forward to hearing the results. Sounds like Dr Olga is keeping a good eye on you. Fully understand about the injections, I did them for a week and it's really hard but well worth it. If you take your transfer date and add five days for a Blastocyst you can then work out when day 35 is which is the first chance to have a scan. I rang the clinic who did the scans and they worked it out for me based on transfer date and then booked me in. Also if you use the due date calculator on the home page on this site it will also give you a date where it might be possible to see a heartbeat. Well I am now 9 weeks pregnant. Nauseous all day and all night, dont really like the look of any food and everything is an effort - Getting up, school run, work. saying all of that it doesn't feel very different from previous pregnancies, but I think I have a bit more stamina. The next couple of weeks are going to be really hard going because of all the extra events but I am looking forward to a quieter January.

Enjoy your success

psy x
 
#100 ·
Lily - Wow congratulations on your WONDERFUL NEWS!

Yes you have noticed that we are going to Alicante now.  I do have a few reasons for this.  I didn't get much communication from Ava Peter to be honest.  I have never spoken to anybody on the telephone there and found it all rather daunting.  I calculated all the costs up with the Visa, Flights, Accomodation, the time we would need off work, cost of treatment etc, etc, other expenses and I found that with going to the Alicante Clinic I would actually be saving £2585.28.  This other clinic has great statistics too and they offer a 90% success rate on a Refund Package!!!  So I have joined the VistaHermosa Thread where there are a lot of ladies getting their BFP's from here.  It just seems easier at this stage for us and my partner was getting nervous about going to Russia because I was equally nervous as I need to feel confident about being away from my home territory.  I get terribly anxious!  I feel embarrassed to say this but its true.  I have to feel relaxed during a process like this so it seemed silly to put myself through all the anxiety when I would have enough to worry about with the DEICSI. 

I have nothing against Ava Peter and can see that they are a wonderful clinic and Dr Olga is very well spoken of.  I do hope I get my bfp with VistaHermosa but if not maybe I can pluck up the courage and get over my anxiety of going to Russia!

The Alicante clinic can let us go for the Initial Consultation in the morning and pick us up from the airport and then we get taken back to the airport at night afterwards. 

On the day of transfer I know I would feel very anxious staying over and would rather be in my own home and surroundings (personal preference) so Salome the International Consultant there said that this is not a problem either.  As long as I lay down 6 hours after the treatment I am allowed to fly home that very evening!!!  So I can be in my own home. 

I know you might think I am crazy for changing my mind but I have to feel relaxed about everything and I suppose I am building up to it all in my own unusual roundabout way.  We just want a baby at the end of the day. lol

psy - So happy that everything is going well but sorry for all the nausea.  It will all be worth it in the end.  I remember at the beginning of my pregnancy with my twin daughters I was constantly nauseous and couldn't even look at food and had to force each mouthful down me.  It used to confuse me as why women feel so bad like this when they should actually want to eat for their babies to grown.  I used to get so worried that because I wasn't feeling well and eating a lot that I was starving them.  Well I need'nt have worried as they were perfectly healthy and are now driving me crazy at 19 lol xx
 
#101 ·
Hi Missy Moo


Oh I understand your nervousness at going to Russia, it is not the easiest place to visit, yes Spain is much more straight forward.
I hope you have a positive expereince


Lily X
 
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