BFP after IVF/ICSI - what helped you get yours?!

[NotLateInTheMorning]

Hiya,
I'm trying to prepare for another round of ICSI and wonder, for those of you who managed to get the magic 2 lines, what do you think worked for you?

Instead of focusing on what I should have done last time (and feeling guilty for every bar of chocolate I ate!) I want to focus on what I can do for next time.

Also, for those with male partners who have swimmer issues - what worked for them?

Thanks!! xox

I'm in my 2WW with my OTD being Wed in all honesty weather I get a BFP or a BFN I don't think it'll be down to anything I did or didn't do. I sometimes think it's just the luck of the draw. I've not drank alcohol and I've tried to keep myself well hydrated given the weather. I've also tried not to worry to much about things I have no power to change but other than that it's been life as normal apart from I've been to nervous to DTD just in case but again I don't think this would have any real impact and is likely me just being a bit daft.

For the second cycle we had my husband checked for dna fragmnetttion which came back borderline so he had TESE (surgical sperm retrieval)

But it was very clear we had quality issues as 14 embryos fertilised on cycle 1 but we had no good quality blasts by day 5 as they all died off. Successful cycle we had two put in on day 3 (pregnant with one) and have two frozen so quality improved from cycle 1 - but still not great as we had 22 mature eggs!

Good
Luck

We had three rounds of icsi, none of which worked. The last round had produced a couple of eggs that we had frozen and so we used them as our last attempt. Thankfully one of them took. To be honest, I think the fact that I had given up made it work. I wasn't stressed about it and so didn't have all the anxiety with it not going to work.

TheArtfulScreamer - I really hope it works out for you xx I know that so much of it is out of our control and down to luck...it's just sometimes difficult to keep the 'what if's' at bay...

hoping 2018 - so great to hear about your BFP xx aside from the TESE did you try anything else to improve quality. On my unsuccessful cycle we had 8 eggs 7 mature enough to inject and only 2 fertilised...I had a 2 day transfer because they didn't think they would last the 3 day threshold, so I know we have quality issues too

Iamagenius - (fab name!) Congratulations on your pregnancy xx so wonderful for you - I agree that stress is really important factor!! Not sure I am ready to give up just yet but I definitely need to find more ways to unwind!!

I keep reading that IVF is trial and error - so just trying to learn from other people's experiences ;)

@NotLateInTheMorning I took vitamin e supplements, seven seas trying for a baby. Drank pomegranate juice and raspberry leaf tea- to thicken my lining. During stims I ate lots of protein, and put hot water bottle on my tummy every night.
Barely exercised, a little walking. Relaxed myself by getting massages.
We also used Gonal f for stimulation, which hadn’t tried before.
I still ate sweets, and felt guilty. Lol I was really bad during my 2ww 🤷‍♀️
All the best! Be selfish and look after yourself!! Xx

The consultant also gave us a list of supplements to take - I was in about 12 tablets a day. But I wouldn't take them h less recommended. Also fairly certain it was the TESE that made the difference - you were meant to take the supplements for 3 months but we went straight into another cycle so only took for one month

thanks Beherenow32 - some sound advice there, as ever...hope you're doing well and your wonderful news has sunk in xox

hoping2018 - I'm going to ask about TESE - thanks, and gosh, 12 tablets a day!! I'm going to order some general supplements now xx

My doctor said there was nothing I could do to improve or reduce my chances and I tend to believe him. The first two failed cycles I tried eating a high protein diet and cutting out alcohol and caffeine completely for months. By the third one, I was fed up and did nothing except cutting out caffeine and alcohol from the first cycle day and didn’t even manage to take the prenatal vitamins every day — bfp and high quality embryos frozen. I‘m 25 weeks today.
The thing that makes the difference in my opinion is the data they gather from what doesn’t work and the next protocol they put together that will be better suited to you. It’s incredibly tough that failed cycles are the way that this data is gathered, but there’s a reason why the NHS recommend three free cycles, even if they can’t follow their own recommendations in most areas.