IVF anexity ...

[Mona8777]

Just ranting here!
I am going through IVF with NHS at UCLH (and CRGH). We have borderline male motility and everything with me is supposed to be fine.

Our first IVF stimulation cycle was in 2022 when we had stimulation and we got 2 5-day embryos one was okay quality and another was average. And I had OHSS so the first embryo was transferred in a frozen cycle which led to pregnancy but later I miscarried at 12 weeks after taking 276 injections in total for both stimulation and 12 weeks of pregnancy. The miscarriage itself was a horrible experience as I miscarriage at home and then sent the baby's body for genetic testing. It turned out she (the test revealed it was a girl) had Patau's syndrome and this is why we miscarried. The second embryo wasn't good quality and didn't stick when we transferred it.

We did the second IVF stimulation cycle early this year and was a bit better. No thanks to the useless doctors at UCLH. First of all, I kept fighting with them for advice for my husband to improve his sperm to improve our chances of having better embryos. They kept saying "No he doesn't need to do anything, we will just work hard on choosing the right sperm at the end. We just need to focus on getting you a fresh transfer this time." even when I asked what change would happen this time to get fresh cycle they answered, "oh no we will do the same protocol". Like, how are you expecting a fresh transfer if you even aren't bothered by changing the doses of the hormones to achieve this magical solution of "fresh transfer" that will solve everything? And how "fresh transfer" will solve the male factor?

I ended up doing my research and changed my husband's diet/lifestyle, put him on conceiving vitamins and delayed the fresh cycle for a couple of months so these changes would have an impact. As a result, we got more embryos than last time with way better quality.
I got bad OSHH (and UCLH doctors were surprised that the same protocol gave me again OSHH).
After I recovered we did one frozen transfer late in the summer but unfortunately, I got COVID on the day of the transfer which led to a fever a week later and we lost this one with a chemical pregnancy.

Now I have few options but with the anxiety and doctors who don't listen am already tired and scared.

• I can do another transfer with 2 embryos this time. Am already anxious about this but maybe this will lead to life birth?!
• I still have one fresh cycle with them and 1 freeze cycle(under NHS) but am not sure if it is worth going with them again for fresh or switching to private if the next cycle fails. I have private insurance with Bupa but they only work with TFP or care fertility which don't have a great reputation or better success rate than CRGH.

I hate UCLH at the same time the clinics Bupa is offering are way worse.
Am already tired and drained.

I would not do fresh again if you had OHSS twice. In your shoes I would do another freeze all with the NHS, same protocol that got you a good amount of embryos, and then go private for the transfers.

I’ve experienced a lot of what you describe and my advice would be to 1) do genetic testing on your embryos - how old are you? 2) pursue some testing of the uterine cavity to ensure there is no damage from your miscarriage that could be affecting implantation (as you’ve had a chemical). I doubt the NHS would offer either, but at this stage (I think) you want more information about what’s going on rather than going blindly into another transfer.

I'm sorry. It’s brutal.

Forgot to say, transferring two embryos only very slightly increases your chances of a live birth. Better stick with 1 each time

Care Fertility are an absolutely fabulous organisation which me and my husband put our absolute faith into and will be grateful for the rest of our lives that we did.

I speak as someone who had 6 cycles of private IVF with them.

My husband had a maximum of 7 sperm in his many samples. Not 7 million (which is low) but 7 and even those could barely be arsed to move. No amount of healthy eating or supplements would have improved it for us unfortunately.

I have MTHFR Gene Mutation, Factor V Leiden, high ANAs and high NK cells. None of which I would have been aware of if not for Care.

I had 4 miscarriages after IVF. They are utterly soul destroying. 💕

1. do genetic testing on your embryos - how old are you?
   NHS told me they wouldn't offer genetic testing and if I paid separately for them privately as the lab that does everything is private lab this would make me ineligible for NHS funding. Am 35

2. pursue some testing of the uterine cavity to ensure there is no damage from your miscarriage that could be affecting implantation (as you’ve had a chemical)
   Am thinking of doing this but still not entirely sure how to get it with Bupa yet.

The NHS doctor is pushing for 2 embryos, I talked with the lab separately and they also said 2 might do the trick this time. But everyone is unsure as my last miscarriage was due to a fever from COVID. So now they are "we think you should do 2 but we not sure as you had fever it might be just a bad luck"

Am sorry you went through all these miscarriages.

I read bad reviews about Care Fertility online and their success rate is not as high as the NHS clinic. I think everyone is going through different experiences with each clinic depending on your doctor or/and how advocate you are for yourself.

@Mona8777 yes I’m aware the NHS doesn’t routinely offer genetic testing of the embryos.

You have two options here:

• Do what the NHS doctors recommend which is essentially another flip of the coin, and another, and hope at some point you’ll have success. You might well get a live birth with your next attempt… or you might not. And you won’t have any more data points about what’s causing the losses. You might lose precious time (and experience a lot of heartache) but at least you won’t be out of pocket
• Pursue genetic testing of the embryos and further testing of the uterus to rule out and/or correct potential issues before another transfer. You’ll have to go private for all this unless you can get an RPL panel done via Bupa due to your miscarriages (I did this via Bupa, but had 3 losses in total). This does not guarantee success but it gives you more insight which can be used to tailor the transfer protocol

I personally think transferring two embryos without having done more tests is bad advice. What if something is preventing you from implanting/carrying to term that you don’t know about? Like polyps, endo, scarring etc. You will have lost 2 embryos rather than one. HFEA best practice is to do single embryo transfer so I’m surprised they’re pushing for that.

I will check with Bupa regard doing RPL panel. Do you know if I can self-refer or not?

NHS UCLH is pushing for it as it is the third transfer, or at least this what they say. But my personal feeling is that they want to wrap up the case.

Hello all,

I am expecting my first IVF with UCLH (i think).
I feel like this hospital does not keep you well informed. I had an face to face apptment end of Nov where the doctor after giving me a transvaginal ultrasound said I qualify for 1 cycle. I then received an telephone follow up for march and then moved to feb 2024. I am turning 43 in April and having started feeling anxious I am now feeling further more anxious.
April is round the corner and I know time is not on my side. So, the question is what is the likeliness of me having a cycle before April? I know all may be revealed in Feb but what if it does all go ahead and I am not prepared?

Although I am being positive, I feel like I am walking into this blinded. My husband suffers low sperm count and motility and I would like for him to have supplements etc but am totally clueless. Apart from my age, there is no concerning issues.

Feeling optimistic but anxious.

Wish you all the best x

Hi
I can share my experience

1. You need to do your research for the process.
2. Double-check dosages with nurses all the time as sometimes they misread the doctor's instructions
3. If you feel ready to start after Feb once your period start call them to book scan and appointment with the nurse or ask them to confirm the next step. Be direct with the doctor and say clearly that you want start early if you are ready.
4. Uclh works with GRCH LAP which is private this where egg collections, and transfer will happened and they actually Good.
5. Or you husband I would recoing him now on a fertility diet and supplementsvitamins supplements if you will start the cycle in April. Stop smoking, alcohol and caffeine if possible. Same goes to you as well. Start on folic acid from now

these are what on top of my mind at the moment