To change IVF clinics

[naomimn]

Question for those who have done IVF

I had my first round at this clinic, 13 eggs retrieved with only 8 mature... of them 2 made it to day 5 blastocyst. I tested PGTA non euploid and one ended in a miscarriage.

Round 2. Different protocol. Of 20 follicles only 7 eggs retrieved. Waiting to hear back on fertilisation and development.

I'm 29 so for my age should be better results.
It's a well known clinic in London, one of the big ones.

It's the high dose it damages the eggs, have a consultation with create fertility, they use lower doses that doesn't damage the egg quality. Also agree with ICSI to get max fertilisation.

Your update sounds like you have a good number fertilised so fingers crossed for this round.

@amothersinstinct noted - from now on will be writing down the follicle sizes.

My doc, when I initially saw him after trying for about 10mo did say try another 6. I went away and came back one month later saying I couldn't do it. So whilst he did suggest it, he didn't exactly insist.

I've only had 1 early miscarriage. In the year of trying I never once got pregnant, then got pregnant with a fresh transfer on my first cycle of IVF, miscarried at just under 6w. With my first child I vaguely agreed with DH that we will stop contraception that month, aimed to buy ovulation tests but never got round to it... then found out I'm pregnant. How can so much change in 2 years?? As we started trying when she was just over 1. I convinced myself during my first pregnancy that I'm super fertile so maybe I'm just paying now for being smug 😄

Would you say it's better to go for a long protocol or short? I feel like I'd rather do short but a few cycles rather than 1 long? Can I refuse a long and ask for a few short in the same timeframe? What would you suggest?

It depends on your clinic how receptive they are really - some won't let you have any input at all

I was with Create Birmingham and found them very amenable and I was able to - not dictate - but certainly have a lot of say in my treatment and even which embryos to put back

I chose Create because I only wanted to do short protocol and wanted to cycle as quick as possible with the minimum possible impact on my older child who was around 2 when I started IVF (I'd had multiple miscarriages and also lost a tube to repented ectopic)

I also didn't want to take a lot of drugs - in the end I paired it back even further and after 2 initial failed short protocol cycles with Create changed to natural modified - able to cycle back to back embryo banking and that gave me my twins

So it's a personal thing really - I would say read read read be prepared research and question everything - the more informed you are the more you can push your clinic

Did you have a c section with your first child? I did and that was ultimately the reason why I ended up needing IVF so a lot can change post birth in those 2 years and if you breastfed as well it can take a few months for your cycles to return properly - so if you breastfed say see the recommended 6 months you are only just likely to be having your cycles back to normal?

@amothersinstinct thank you, that's so helpful! I really do need to start reading more but I guess I don't really know where to start. I've read It Starts with the Egg so do take lots of supplements (pregnacare pre conception, ubiquinol, omega 3, vit d, melatonin). I've tried to read up on the drugs but everyone seems to have such different experiences in the forums!

No I didn't have a c section, I had a vaginal delivery but with an episiotomy and ventouse

@amothersinstinct oh and yes I breastfed but weirdly my cycle came back 3mo postpartum even though I breastfed for 13mo

Having done a fair amount of IVF and also TTC naturally supplements made zero difference to my egg quality - the only thing which did was changing protocol and focussing on far fewer follicles

In cycle 1 and 2 on short protocol I had fertilisation rates of less than 30% PGTA 2 embryos on the second cycle neither came back euplojd - changed to natural modified - got 50% fewer eggs but fertilisation went up to 100% and transferred the 2 lowest quality without PGTA testing and had twins and still have the top quality ones still frozen

Out of curiosity why did you transfer lowest quality? Because you wouldn't be able to freeze them?

Aside from protocol did anything make a difference to egg quality? What meds were you on for better quality vs worse?

Thanks so much for all the answers btw ❤️

@naomimn

I guess it was a psychological choice to work backwards in terms of quality

Cycle 1 short protocol - I did 2 transfers of average blastocysts, first transfer was a BFN and the second was a ruptured ectopic (my second ectopic and I lost my last tube)

Cycle 2 short protocol - this was the one I PGTA on - 2 average blastocysts neither came back normal but they agreed to transfer a low level mosaic but that was a BFN

So cycles 3-5 I did back to back natural modified egg collections and embryo banking and got 4 blastocysts and didn't PGTA

I'd decided by this point this was the end and I didn't want to do any more egg collections / the toll on family life became too much - it becomes addictive doing IVF and I felt my eldest was suffering from my lack of focus, couldn't take holidays or book anything in case I was mid cycle etc. Also I'd spent £40k - remortgaged house and took a loan out. And I was ready to stop emotionally as I knew I'd given it my absolute all and I'd have no regrets that I could/should have tried something else

Anyway psychologically I felt if I put the best back in first and it didn't work then I'd lose hope. If I put the "worst" back in first then I knew I still had the best frozen!

My worst 2 stuck and i had twins 😅

Medication wise

Cycles 1 & 2 - 225ml Bemfola daily plus double trigger

Cycles 3-5 - 75ml Bemfola every OTHER day plus tamoxifen tablets plus double trigger

Cycle 1 and 2 I got a total of 28 eggs but less than 30% fertilised with ICSI and day 3 quality average to poor - blastocysts were all BB grade or lower

Cycle 2-5 - 2 eggs each time 100% fertilised with ICSI all good quality day 3 and 2 grade AA blastocysts and then my twins which were a day 5 BB and day 6 BB/BC