1st IVF cycle - short protocol ICSI - experiences please!

[Cariad82]

Hi we recently had a consultation with our fertility clinic where we found out my husband has sperm issues which when added to my slightly below ideal egg quality means we only have a 5% chance of conceiving naturally. So frustrating to have only just found out about his sperm even though we have had so many fertility tests with the NHS over the last 18 months and they never showed a problem. Anyway, we have been advised to have ICSI and I have been prescribed the short protocol IVF which I will be starting on 15th November if my period arrives on time.

I was just wondering if anyone had done short protocol with ICSI, particularly for their first go at IVF and how they found it.

How old were you when you had it, what were side effects like, how many eggs were collected/fertilised/embryos etc.
I've also read that there is a higher risk of miscarriage with ICSI pregnancies and higher risk of birth defects.

I'm basically super anxious and scared about it all and want as much info as I can get. Thanks in advance xxx

37 and on a v short protocol. 37 eggs collected 14 mature. 14 embryos (icsi) but only 4 turned into 5 day blastocysts. I have pcos and produced loads of eggs which is why they risked letting them go to blastocyst stage; my clinic usually transfers day 3 embryos for women my age.

Wow that's a huge amount of eggs. How long were you on stims for before EC? I think my consultant said they would be looking at transferring any embryos we get back at day 5, I didn't know this was more risky than day 3 though? I will Google.
Was it your first cycle? And do you mind me asking if it was successful?x

I had short protocol for my second ICSI cycle which was successful. AMH was on the slightly low side so I got 7 eggs, 5 mature, 3 fertilised, 1 poor embryo - 2 remaining good embryos transferred on day 3, 1 which became DD.

I was always going to have a double transfer and as my numbers were low I have only had 3 day transfers. 5 days are for cases when you have lots of viable embryos, to select the best looking one.

I stimmed for about 9 days.

36 first cycle, short mild protocol, ICSI and TESE, 6 eggs, 4 mature and 2 fertilised that didnt make it to day 5 unfortunately. My bmi is high - 29 and I have pco not PCOS. 2nd cycle and again short protocol, slightly higher stimms, 19 eggs, 16 mature, 10 fertilized and 4 perfect 4AA 5 day blasts in the freezer. DH had no sperm in any sample.

I only stimmed for 6 days but that’s because of my pcos and they didn’t want to risk OHSS.

Thank you everyone this is really interesting and helpful

I was 39 with first cycle which was short protocol with ICSI. Don't recall many side effects. Didn't respond that well to the stims so think did it for about 10-11 days but eventually got 7 eggs, 5 mature , 3 fertilised but only 1 suitable to be put back on day 3. Was successful and now have 1 year old DD. Really healthy and straightforward pregnancy. Now attempting number 2 but not holding out much hope and doubt we can afford more than one attempt. Good luck!

Hi,

I'm 41 and just done my first cycle. I've never been pregnant before. I've got a duff left ovary due to having had a large dermoid cyst on it (which I didn't know about). Had it removed last year, but as a result that ovary is tiny weeny with not much going on in it.

Did a short antagonist protocol - stimmed for about 16 days which was fine. No side effects whatsoever. Had EC on Monday (which was also fine), and miraculously got 11 eggs.

On the day, they decided to do ICSI as DP's sperm has slightly crap morphology, but otherwise in pretty good nick.

Following day we discovered that of the 11, 1 egg was abnormal, but the others were fine - and 7 fertilised normally through ICSI. Clinic immediately booked us in for a 5 day transfer.

At Day 3, they were all still motoring along nicely - all at high quality, so far so good!

This morning (Day 4) they called to confirm the transfer tomorrow as the little guys are all still doing their thing, BUT I mentioned that I had a cough and so my Consultant (who I trust implicitly) wants to cancel and do a freeze-all.

Judging by the progress of the embryos today, he says that 2 are pulling ahead and forming early blasts - hopefully by tomorrow we'll have 2 for freezing, and possibly another 2 by Sunday. He's under-estimated the number of things every time (which I appreciate) so it may be that we end up with more to freeze, but if we have 4 I'd be delighted.

The waiting game for the next 2 days will be really hard - but if he thinks it's better not to risk wasting an embryo in a transfer with me being ill then I'm good with that.

Fingers crossed for you @Cariad82

Hi Parks and thanks for sharing that. It sounds like your cycle has been really positive so far, which is awesome. I had no idea something like a cough could affect ET. That must be disappointing for you to have to wait again now after everything but sounds like you have a really good chance of success with how things are right now. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for you. Best wishes x

ICSI short protocol for first IVF at 40. Low AMH and first cycle cancelled as scan showed too few follicles. Sperm was bad on all fronts. So never started the drugs. Next month was better so started then. No real side effects from drugs.
Got 4 eggs all went to blasto and 2 put back and one baby born 9 months later.

On paper I didn’t stand much chance but it worked.

Sending you lots of luck.

Hi,

So 2 good quality blasts have gone to freeze today. A 4BB and a 2BB if you're interested!

They think we might get another 1 tomorrow, maybe 2.

Consultant seemed pretty happy with the look of things, so I'm pretty relaxed about it.

@calmingvibrations - that's great to know! Congrats!

That's great news Parksandrec. You must be delighted with that :) I hope it all continues so well. When will you be having the ET do you know?

Calmingvibrations - great to hear your cycle was so successful too. You've both given me hope!xx

Thanks! @cariad82 we got another to freeze this morning, although it wasn’t as good quality as the others. Still worth a shot though.
Probably won’t do ET until January now, so we’re going to go away and have a nice sunny holiday beforehand.
Feel very calm about the whole thing - what will he will be! xx

36, ICSI due to MFI - low sperm morphology.

Very short protocol - only had injections for about 7 days. Clinic decided before EC that it would be freeze all due to risk of OHSS.

37 eggs collected, 32 mature. 22 fertilised. The numbers dropped every day but we ended up with 11 day 5 blasts and 1 day 6.

1st FET - BFP. Heard the heartbeat, then at 9 weeks had a MMC.

2nd FET - BFN.

We haven't yet decided when we're going to do a third transfer - no funding in my area so we're paying for it all and have racked up quite a few bills.

I think the risk of miscarriage is the same as with a natural pregnancy if you compare the same ages. The older you get the higher the risk of miscarriage.

Good luck!

Thank you for sharing that G&T. So sorry for your loss. And that you're at the bad end of the unfair post code lottery.x

We had male factor issues, low count and low morphology, so they recommend ICSI but we did the longer one.

We went through this last year so I was 31 at the time. We also have early menopause in our family.

I found the process really exciting but was also very nervous. The injections are really easy to do, I had no side effects. I was on the lowest dose but only 7 eggs matured (likely because of the menopause family history). They were tempted to abandon the cycle and put me on a higher dose to give me the best possible chance but we decided to continue.

Egg collection was very quick and straight forward but I found the 5 days that followed the hardest as I was so scared to end up with no embroys. All 7 eggs were mature, 4 fertilised, and 2 made it to day 5 but they were both top quality.

Egg transfer is so exciting, I couldn't believe we'd made it so far! They transferred one embryo and froze the other.

2ww is a killer and I had no symptoms. I cried one lunch at work to myself as I couldn't feel anything. Two days before I was told to take the test I decided to test early as I was sure it was another BFN but was shocked when I saw BFP!!

6 weeks in the sickness started. We now have a beautiful, healthy 5 month old daughter. We hope next year that the frozen embryo will become her sibling.

Good luck! X

That's a lovely positive story - congratulations it all worked out so well :) it's reassuring to hear these. I'm starting to get very nervous now. Due to start in 2 weeks and it's just so scary thinking the odds are it won't work. Trying to be positive xx

I thought that too, I was so nervous about the process and thought that it probably wouldn't work. We bought two rounds of IVF (we had a discount for buying 2 rounds) as I was convinced it would take a few rounds. We had been trying to conceive for 18 months and was so used to seeing a BFN. Although I was only 31, menopause in my family was age 42 so I had far fewer eggs available for my age.

The way I stayed positive was every month in a natural cycle you only have a 25% chance of conceiving. With ICSI they say 40% per round, so you are likely to conceive within two rounds.

It will happen for you, it really does only take one embryo :-) X

I've never thought of it that way - you have more chance of success in an ivf cycle than in a natural cycle. All you hear is how it's unlikely to work first time etc but you hear about people conceiving naturally first time quite a lot. That's a really good point. Thanks!x

Hi I'm starting icsi very soon but I'm just wonder if anyone had ant Insighton on when we could mite start treatment e.g. Injections or tablets? I'm just waiting for my 1 day of cycle to ring them to have a ultrasound scan on the 3rd day booked in I'm told that's when they will order the medication and sort out dates ect but I'm just wondering if anyone had a ruf idea..
Thanks

@Chellybelly1 - you start injections on Day 2. HTH.

39 years old, first ivf on short protocol. No known fertility issues but had been trying for 18; months.
So far I’ve found it far easier than I’d anticipated. I only started to feel a bit ill one week into treatment and that was mild. Was still able to go to work and actually moved house during treatment.
24 folilces, 21 eggs retrieved, 16 fertilised and 10 made it to blastocyst , all high quality and all been frozen and will do FET next month hopefully. I was scared, anxious and felt completely out my comfort zone before I started but I think much of it (for me) is mind over matter.

My first time to I'm 24year old. I feel very postive though so trying to stay postive. Last time I event for a ulterscan I had 18 follicles and that just by taking victims for 3 months so hopefully when I do start treatment I should have a couple more, what day of your cycle did you start injections if you dont mind me asking ?..

Went for a scan*