IVF and Double Egg Collection - Advice Please???!!!

[Leapoffaith123]

Hi Everyone,
Just looking for some advice from others on success/failure of a double egg collection. I'm on my second IVF cycle after the first failed. Apparently I now have 7 follicles growing which they will collect early next week, but they've mentioned the possibility of a second egg collection perhaps a week later as I seem to have 5 more smaller follicles (currently about 5mm) that they say they could continue to stimulate. I'd never heard of or considered a second egg collection in the same cycle previously and I can't find anything to read about it and about outcomes! It is positive that this is even a possibility but there are additional considerations - all eggs from both collections would need to be frozen (2 sets of embryo freezing costs, if there are any), extra costs for the second collection process and costs for the re-transfer of embryos via 1 or potentially 2 future frozen embryo cycles, plus more meds for another week of stimulation and the fact that I won't be able to transfer anything this month. The extra egg collection will likely end up being comparatively more expensive and will make the whole process longer, and I am tempted instead to just go with the one egg collection, see if there is anything good to go back and take my chances on that, and if not go for one final cycle as my clinic offers the 3rd one free (apart from meds etc) . I am 42 (v nearly 43...). I got 6 eggs last time which was 2 months ago, 2 ended up good enough embryos to go back (but didn't work) and I froze one, but it divided irregularly from 1 to 3 cells so might be a dud. Any advice on experience or success from a double egg collection welcome! I had hoped I had considered all possibilities pre this cycle, to reduce stress, but there always seems to be a new twist! Many many thanks everyone!!!!

[LillyLeaf]

I have never heard of this. I thought the trigger gets all the egg ready for collection whether they are mature or not. So they would leave the smaller follicles until later when they are bigger?

[Leapoffaith123]

Yes good question and I asked about that. Apparently the trigger will only impact the ones of a suitable size (i.e. the small ones won't be impacted and they will be triggered separately prior to the second egg collection when they have been stimulated further and reached a suitable size.)

[Teddybear45]

Are you in the UK? Have never heard of this and actually it can cause OHSS as well as increased risks of clots etc as egg collection is a very invasive process. The quality of the eggs collected in the second collection would also be suspect. If you are a poor responder it is better to give you the highest dose of stims possible with extra monitoring and collect as much as possible first time.

[Leapoffaith123]

Yes am in London. The points you raise about risks - of OHSS and the quality of eggs in the second collection are good ones and thank you for pointing them out. There is also just the fact that the journey becomes that much longer - physically and mentally - which I think I would find really quite difficult.

[Teddybear45]

What clinic is this? Suggest you shop around to be honest. I have found Care Fertility infinitely more sensible. Their London clinic is poor but they do have a satelite clinic in Milton Keynes which is only 30mins from Euston (if you take the Virgin train). Suggest calling them or a local Care if you are in the suburbs for an appointment.

[Tolleshunt]

Have you tried searching or posting on Fertility Friends? I have never heard of this, but posters there might have.

You have a good number of follicles for your age (sorry!), so probably would get a similarly good amount if you needed to cycle again?