How many IVF cycles for a positive outcome with MFI?

[yustynne]

Hi, I wonder if anyone could share their experience of how many IVF cycles were needed to achieve a healthy pregnancy with a male factor infertility? I'm booked in for my first consultation in May and as far as I know up until now we have only a male factor infertility. Does it mean I would be able to go on a less medicated cycle or natural cycle or it's not the case?

Type of cycle very much depends on your body rather than him - the only impact MFI really has is the need for ICSI really. Your AFC, AMH, age etc will determine what level of drugs they think will give you the best chance of success - i however specifically chose to do low dose IVF - first mild short protocol IVF and then natural modified IVF

I can't wait to do all the tests as to see where we stand and what sort of treatment they are going to suggest. As with NHS hospitals I kind of got the impression that they don't really entertain any sort of natural cycles.

@yustynne yes I natural IVF has a very low success rate overall (but for some people it will be the right choice) so I think for that reason it's not recommended on the NHS. Agree with PP with any form of IVF the man provides the sperm but it will be your own body that determines what drugs you are given to hopefully get the best number of good quality eggs.

And it's difficult to predict re cycles you might be lucky and get pregnant on your first try but that doesn't happen to everybody and I think there can be many variables xx

I would just try and focus on one step at a time as it's so easy to get overwhelmed, see what they say when you have your consult and take it from there, they may want a second sperm analysis first before deciding.
(Sorry, above comment re how many cycles wasn't intended to be negative at all! I hope it doesn't come across like that!) Xx

@yustynne we had ICSI for MFI. This did result in a successful pregnancy (this was after 3 fresh cycles and a FET). All my cycles were fully medicated, and long protocol. For me, I think the first 2 cycles were trial and error to see how my body reacted with the medication used.

I agree to take one step at a time. But it can work! Good luck.

@BeHereNowx32 this gives me a little hope, our second fresh cycle failed last month. Consultant wants us both to have further tests before trying another cycle.

@Roo45 I nearly didn’t go for a third cycle, because I felt defeated. But it worked and I have a 2 year old DD. All the best with your tests and cycle xx

Jumping in because I’m also interested in this topic @yustynne

Nice to see some success stories here too

I should also say I did 5 rounds of IVF and had twins in January (the last 3 cycles were embryo banking) and I also have 2 more embryos frozen .

Were all of your rounds mild or natural modified @ivfbeenbusy? I’m not sure if that’s something I’d be able to have yet (AMH 36 so I’m interested in it, but rather low progesterone so not sure if they’d advise me to have it).

@thislittlebird

First 2 rounds were mild IVF with ICSI - total 28 eggs less than 30% fertilised and 4 average blastocysts- PGS tested 2 and neither normal. Did 3 transfers and had 2 BFN rounds and a second ruptured ectopic

Rounds 3-4 were natural modified IVF with ICSI. Total 9 eggs 100% fertilised and 4 top quality blastocysts (2 are my twins and 2 more frozen)

Round 5 was a bust - reverted back to mild because tamoxifen can make my lining too thick and I wanted to do a transfer and back to crap eggs and no blastocysts

Thank you guys for jumping in and sharing your success stories! Unfortunately, we can only afford 1 round of IVF and I had my hopes high thinking it should definitely work from the first time as nothing wrong is with me as far as I know. Is it so hard for them to pick the right sperm? But now seeing you guys going through so many rounds of IVF, I started questioning myself if it's worth going through it at all as we may end up heartbroken and we know we can't go for more cycles. How did you go about it? Has anybody had success from the first time?

@Roo45 sorry to hear your second fresh cycle failed but my fingers crossed the next cycle will be the one for you if you decide to go for it. Do you mind asking you if it's only MFI that you are dealing with or anything else? Is it morphology, numbers or movement what's wrong?
@BeHereNowx32 I wanted to ask you the same what I asked @Roo45
@thislittlebird are you also about to start IVF?
@ivfbeenbusy thank you for sharing your story

@yustynne

I always planned like we'd need multiple rounds - a close friend with MFI didn't get any blastocysts to transfer...twice and it petrified me as I didn't even know that could Happen so we remortgaged, took out loans and saved like mad and set ourselves a budget or £25k or 3 rounds whichever came first. But I warn you it is addictive as you keep telling yourself the next round will be the one and we ended up £35k and 5 rounds in the hole......

@yustynne my DH has azoospermia. So, he needed a sperm retreival op. As far as tests go, everything seems fine with me. They tried different stimulation drugs each cycle for me.

I do know someone who fell pregnant on their first cycle (3rd transfer with a frozen embryo). They done that FET naturally, without using any drugs. They were unexplained infertility.

Thanks @yustynne as far as we know just MFI but after 2 cycles we've only ended up with 1 good quality embryo it was felt likely sperm issue but our good embryo didn't implant so the consultant wants to check further tests for me to check for any implantation issues.
I didn't want to tell you about our cycles as I didn't want to put you off! There are definite cases of first time success! But I just wanted you to be aware it won't happen to everyone xx

IVF is a combination of science and luck I think, even if good quality sperm are chosen there's no guarantee they will fertilise and grow into embryos, it can just be really hard to predict xx

@yustynne in my third cycle, I ate lots of protein during my stimulation injections. It is supposed to help with egg quality, and I think that worked for me.
I know it’s a worrying time. It can work first cycle 🤞 xx