Only 2 possibly 3 follicles at IVF scan;(

[Chattycat78]

Hi girls,

I hope you re all enjoying the sun! I'm looking for some hope that all is not lost! Attended day 9 IVF scan today. This is my first IVF and no idea how/if I would respond due to having low amh of 2.8.

Unfortunately looks like there are only 2 possibly 3 follicles doing much on one ovary and the other ovary is doing absolutely buggier all. Anyone got any hope to share as I realise that this is a pretty pants response. Am on 450 dose too so it's not like upping it is an option! Has anyone had similar and got much further or better yet got a bfp? X

Chatty that's why the immunes are a good thing to have checked. My biggest regret is that I didn't do it earlier - could have saved myself two cycles.

The stamina it takes to get through this is good prep for motherhood! Good luck

Lots has happened here since I last posted Chatty so here's the answer to your questions you asked me after my comments several posts ago!

Natural isn't really an option for us. I try in hope between IVF but my husband has 100% abnormal sperm which logically tells me 0% natural chance. The sperm are missing the acrosome cap which contains enzymes that enable it to break down the egg wall and penetrate it.

I haven't read any scientific info on how long to take Aspirin before IVF but yeah, for me I saw first hand via ultrasound that it took two cycles to do it's wonders. Can I ask, did your clinic recommend Aspirin to boost your response when they thought you might respond poorly, or did you start it of your own initiative?? Just wondering if Aspirin is medically recognised to help since my doc here in Australia hasn't heard of it and I am taking it based on my own research. Also, are you continuing to take it now? I have read mixed things about taking it during the actual cycle and after my last IVF was a failure with Aspirin (despite a good embryo), next time I shall try without.

No harm to know your ovary measurements - but not sure how your system works and if that is an easy task for you. Would just help to answer for you why you haven't made many eggs and if continuing Aspirin would help for a future cycle. Hopefully, your future baby is made from the egg within you and you won't even have to worry, but I really find it helpful after my failed IVF to have practical information so I could make decisions and move forward, so that's why I mention it.

What's the next step for you now? Is egg collection booked in?

Hi shell- am waiting to be told when to go in for ec ( hopefully) and yeah Still taking the aspirin. My clinic have not told me to take it- they've not advised taking anything specific- but I m doing it off my own back. As I've said before though, it's made no difference to me.

Are you doing the IVF then because of Your husbands issue?

Hey Chatty. Have spoken to you on the other thread where you have posted more recent comments and are awaiting egg transfer - hopefully. I was just reading our last comments here about Aspirin and was thinking that I would love for you to tell me if you are continuing to take it after the transfer and if you get a BFP or not. I took Aspirin right throughout my last IVF cycle and had a BFN after a day 2 transfer of a good quality embryo. I swear I was close as I really felt new sensations in my uterus that I have not had before. I don't know if the Aspirin helped in getting me nearly pregnant, if it hindered implantation or if it would have been a BFN anyway. So please keep me updated with how you get on!

When is transfer day?

Hey guys- transfer was today! So now doing everything possible and keeping everything crossed!

Shell I have stopped taking everything apart from Folic acid- too scared in case anything else interferes with things! I just came back from post transfer acupuncture and have been to buy a load of unscented toiletries! If you have any other tips happy to hear ! X

Wow. So your sole embryo was a survivor! Did they give you any indication as to quality or grading?

So I assume you are taking progesterone now. The only other thing that I plan to do after transfer is to eat brazil nuts and pineapple.

Did you have ultrasound guided transfer? Just curious as I have especially changed clinics to a more expensive one that offers this and just wondering if this is the norm over there? Also, did your clinic say whether you should engage in or abstain from sex?

Sorry, I am asking more questions than I am answering! My next IVF will be my 6th attempt and it's getting a bit tiring so I am trying to learn as much as possible so I can get my next IVF right!

Hi shell,

Yeah the consultant said it was excellent which is great but I realise this does not guarantee anything at all! Yeah now taking progesterone and eating pineapple like mad! I.m really trying to be positive but realistic so I'm not totally devastated if it doesn't work out this time.

Clinic didn't mention sex. Just said take it easy for a few days. And yes I had an ultrasound guided transfer and this was my free go so I assume it's standard here.

Sorry you are having to do this a number of times- have u got to embryo transfer most of those times? I guess it's just bad luck it's not worked yet. If it helps I know a couple who did it six times and got twins on the last go!

HELP! Does anyone have some Menopur I can buy off them today/ tomorrow? I am in Canterbury I can drive anywhere in England with cash if we can agree a price. I am undergoing fertility treatment from a clinic in Spain. They sent me a prescription which Asda got for me but today the clinic has emailed asking me to increase the dose even though I have explained you can't just pop to the chemist & buy it off the shelf especially when it's a bank holiday week-end!! Pretty desperate as have spent a fortune & will miss my window if I do not increase dosage. Please contact me if you can help a woman take her last shot at getting pregnant xx

I have Menopur in my fridge but am in Australia Barcelona so can't help you.

So now it's just a waiting game Chattycat. The word 'excellent' sounds promising. After 5 failed IVF's, I totally get your desire to try and be realistic so you don't come crashing down. But of course, deep down we are desparate for it to work and I find the devastating the same no matter what I tell myself.

No I have not made it to transfer for all 5 of my IVF's.
IVF 1 - One egg. Embryo disintegrates before day 2.
IVF 2 - Scattered follicle growth. Cancel cycle.
IVF 3 - 2 'not bad' embryo's transferred at day 2. BFN.
IVF 4 - 1 'excellent' ebmryo transferred at day 2. BFN.
IVF 5 - Only 3 follicles growing. Decide to cancel before spending thousands on egg collection with minimal chance of success.
IVF 6 - My cycles are going haywire. Waiting for when (and if ever) my cycles return to normal so I can start IVF again.

Not that you asked for all that information but it helps to vent. Yes, it definitely helps to hear of your couple getting twins on their 6th attempt. Thank you.

Can I ask how long have you been trying before you started this IVF cycle? Have you been given any infertility diagnosis other than your low AMH? Wouldn't think that low AMH on it's own would prevent natural conception as you still ovulate one egg every month, even if your egg reserve is low.

Hi shell- we've been trying for a year. We got pg after 4 months but it was a blighted ovum. I went for fertility tests after 3 months trying and unfortunately they showed I had high fsh of 12 so I insisted on being referred to the clinic. The clinic did the amh test and it showed it was low. My partner is normal and that is the only cause of the infertility. I know whst u mean about low amh not stopping natural conception, but the view here seems to be that it makes it much less likely to happen. I am a bit confused in a way by it all given that i did get pg, but there we go.

Can I ask about the transfers you've had as I can see they were both at day 2? Is that what your clinic recommended? Here they try to go for day 3 or 5 if you have embryos that make it.

Thanks for sharing your story. It's interesting to hear that your husband doesn't have any issues and that your high FSH/low AMH is your only infertility cause.

My husband has 100% abnormal sperm, so I tended to think the reason we weren't getting pregnant naturally was him, despite my low AMH. But now I hear your story, I wonder if I am adding to our problems. Really seems like pregnancy is impossible for us.

IVF 1 to 4 were at a cheaper clinic. They only did day 2 transfer. They also had trainees doing the transfer. They also didn't have the technology to do ultrasound guided transfer. So I have switched clinics after realising it's better to pay more for once successful go, rather than paying a cheaper rate for another 4 failed rounds! My new clinic does a day 3 transfer if you only have a couple of embryos, but will grow them to day 5 if there are more than 4 alive at day 3. So here's hoping paying more makes the difference.

Yours was a day 3 transfer right? Have you had any symptoms? Hope you don't mind me being so nosy. Just love learning from others experiences on here so I can know whether to get my hopes up or not if I have the same symptoms when I go through my next IVF.

Hi shell- no it's fine- ask away. It's hard to know with symptoms, as I gather that the progesterone gives you symptoms regardless of Whether you are pg Or not. I've had some af cramps, and hot sweats at night, although that could easily be the progesterone. The only other thing is that I feel really run down at the moment, I have toothache and a sore throat but that could be unconnected. I'm trying not to symptom spot but it's very very hard! Mine was a 3 day transfer as I guess they didn't want to risk leaving it to day 5.

As for what u say about getting pg naturally- I'm not sure. I have read a lot of stuff that suggests ilow amh makes no diff to natural pg. my best friend proved that by getting pg last year with an amh of 2.7- she was just about to do IVF when she got pg. I was hoping that would happen to me- but it didn't!

I'd say to you don't give up! Also I see that you have been cancelling cycles with lower follicle numbers. What if one of those had been the perfect egg? The other thing u could consider is natural IVF maybe? I intend to look into that if we need to. Clearly being pumped full of drugs is not having huge effects on my ovaries so I might get the same response eith less or no drugs.

Also don't u have a child already? Clearly it's possible if you ve gone it before. X

Hi, just read the thread and wanted to wish you the best of luck. I don't know if this helps any, but my amh was lower than yours (1.something) and I had an antral follicle count of 4 the month we got pregnant, just using clomid! We were obviously very lucky, but it does show that anything can happen...

Hi top tack- I appreciate that- thanks! It also helps to hear positive stories- the doctors seem to imply you have little chance with low amh but there are obviously a lot of success stories around like yours! Did u try IVF then or did u not need to? Maybe I need to have a look at trying clomid...

You are right that I did cancel due to low follicle count - just one cycle - my 5th cycle. The 2nd I did have low numbers but it was actually cancelled because I forgot to take one injection and ovulated naturally!

I do wonder if one of those three eggs on my 5th cycle could have been the one and this could be all over with. But the doctor also had me on a different protocol which I researched to not be too successful for my condition, and then combined with only 3 eggs, I made the decision to cancel. I would definitely have kept going if money was no factor, but I can't afford to keep going so I have to give the next IVF my best shot and I know from past experience that I can make lots more eggs if I take Aspirin.

Yes, we are very fortunate to have one child. Back then, my husbands sperm was 98% abnormal and I am lucky that my son must be from one of those 2% sperm. But now it is 100% abnormal and won't budge! Funny, now I really can't believe that I ever was pregnant because it just seems like such an impossibility after 3 years of failure.

I told myself I wouldn't symptom spot last IVF too but found myself noticing everything. Are you going back to the clinic for a blood test or are you waiting for a date to test at home? Glad you are looking at plan B and thinking of natural IVF as an option. It really helps me not to fall to pieces if I know there is another step I can move on to. But obviously hoping you don't need it!

How are you doing Chattycat? Trying to work out from your dates if you're still in the TWW or not... Hope you're ok.

We were actually waiting to start IVF when I fell pregnant on Clomid. I had managed to conceive DC1 a couple of years previously using Clomid, so was keen to give it a shot - my specialist thought it wouldn't make much difference but was happy for us to try while we were waiting for other treatment. I had been diagnosed with diminished ovarian reserve (no other factors were identified) and the Drs were quite pessimistic about my chances, even with IVF. Tbh, I'm not really sure they fully understand the implications of low AMH at the moment, other than as a predictor to how you will respond to IVF drugs. Certainly natural IVF might be a way forward for you if necessary.

Just wondering how you are going Chattycat. I know your transfer was exactly two weeks ago now so I assume you have an answer. I can understand that if things didn't go well, you might not feel keen to jump on here and announce a BFN. On the other hand, I know other womens BFPs on here can make you feel like it's another BFP in your face, so you may want to be sparing us still infertile women from that!

Either way, I hope you are okay.

Hi guys,

Thanks for thinking of me. To my absolute huge shock I got a bfp yesterday! Can't really believe it, although saying that, I've been having spotting (brownish) for several days now- not heavy, but I'm terrified to get my hopes up in case it goes wrong or is already going wrong. I had a blighted ovum 8 months ago (diagnosed at 8wk scan) so am very aware of what can go wrong, and the stakes seem so much higher after having gone through IVF.

Top tack- I think you may be right about the doctors and low amh- I think they assume you will have problems naturally when I'm not sure if that's always true. As for natural IVF- yes that would be my next step if this were not to work out- problem is main clinic is in London and I live in the north so I'm not sure how that would work logistically.

Shell-how are u getting on? I've been saying to my husband it just shows you that you just swap one problem for another- I've gone from worrying about IVF to panicking about miscarriage!

That's amazing!!! I love a success story- hopefully this is the first of many. Keep us posted :) x

Thanks happily- I'm just praying that it sticks now! I hope you have the same success. Where are u at with your cycle?

Wow Chatty. I was worried that things hadn't gone right when you disappeared. Love a success story after low egg count. Many women here get 15 eggs and it makes me feel like I have no chance. Really does show it's all about quality over quantity - and I have been doing all the right things proven to improve quality this time!

You are very right that we swap one problem for the next. Think it's natural after all we have been through. All we know is fertility issues and failure so even after I pass one hurdle in IVF, I panic about the next one - just waiting to see when the wheels are going to fall off!

I am currently at day 26 and taking estrogen until my period arrives. Then it's all systems go for IVF (AGAIN!)

I'm stimming at the moment, got day 8 scan next Tuesday so just drinking water like mad and looking after myself hoping I produce lots of juicy follies!!!

I'm sure everything will work out great, you deserve it!!! X

Hi guys- happily- good luck for your scan- I hope you get lots of follicles. Could be worth trying Brazil nuts- I think they are meant to help!

Shell- yes I'm almost sure it's quality over quantity- if you think you only get 1 egg in a normal month anyway? I think u do right trying to do all the right things to improve egg quality. Fingers crossed for your next round.

As for me- just sitting tight and praying that this time it's viable. I hate how having a miscarriage has made me not believe its for real this time. It really takes the shine off.

I know what you mean chattycat, having miscarried before I know that we I (hopefully, eventually!) so get pregnant I will be so scared to believe it's true and the first 12 weeks will be a constant worry! Try to take good care if yourself, plan lots of fun things to keep your mind off it and not too worry to much (impossible I know!) x