Low amh / 3 lead follicles - need some hope!

[VenusStarr]

I'm doing my first round of IVF, this is my one and only nhs round. I have low amh (5) so was warned they weren't expecting much from me. I have had 4 naturally concieved miscarriages and am following an immune protocol but worried about my low numbers.

I've been on stims since Thursday and had my first scan today. I have 3 decent sized follicles: 2x12mm, 1x10mm plus 5 smaller ones all about 5mm. The nurse seemed happy but thinks that the smaller ones won't come to anything. Follow up is Wednesday and looking at egg collection sometime between Friday and Monday.

I'm on another thread and everyone has loads of follicles / eggs, so struggling not to compare. Due to my low numbers, we've already discussed a day 3 transfer, but I'm worried we won't even get that far.

Please share any positive stories. X

@Jolly86 it was Jinepol.
I'm looking to book an appointment with Jonathan Ramsey for my husband hoping it'll help us.

@Delectable I didn't know this one. The two I know best are Bahceci and Memorial. What is your sperm issue? I heard Jonathan Ramsay is good.

Yes I recommend Bahceci.

Our parameters can do with improvements. I've over 40 so we need all the help we can get.

I've got an overactive immune system @jolly86 so was on an immune protocol with steroids, intralipids and hydroxychloroquine. My bleeding over the weekend felt period like and I was still on the progesterone but I have bled through that with a miscarriage before. But the bleeding has come back today and it definitely feels like it's my body letting go rather than my period.
I'm sorry about your loss x

I'm sorry you're not feeling hopeful but I've got everything crossed for you ❤️

If we lived in a more affluent area, under a different ccg we could have had 2 fresh cycles and one frozen round 🤔 but everything from now on is self funded. I've already looked into it at our clinic and I think 2 FETs are manageable. But we'll have to save alongside to do a full round of ivf again. I am going yo request lubion alongside pessaries for a FET. I hate how infertilty and loss just take over everything. X

@VenusStarr what a nightmare. I can’t even imagine how hard that is, the limbo is really draining. Hoping you get a call back ASAP. Even if it’s bad news you just want to know so you can process it.

@jolly86 @VenusStarr I completely agree re the frustrations of inconsistent funding rules. It’s so unfair. Same here, if I lived 30miles down the road I’d get at least one full cycle on the NHS maybe but I get nothing over 35 here.
The freezing criteria does seem stricter there too, heartbreaking.

@jolly86 I’d probably advise wait until the official testing day as you say, a very faint positive still makes you anxious if you test early like I did and if it’s negative you still might be ok. Will you get a blood test at the clinic?

I did another test Monday and it seems darker so I’m feeling more positive. Scan in two weeks time.

How’s everyone else getting on?

@Delectable yes Bahceci is where I am going to if this cycle fails. They brand themselves as the centre for difficult cases as people who failed multiple times elsewhere go there. Also plan to do more extensive tests whilst there that are a big hustle here.

@VenusStarr I agree our whole life is on hold we feel like we can’t really make plans or enjoy anything until it resolves. It is just awful.

@39andabit great that your lines are progressing, at least some good results on the forum!! No i don’t get a beta blood test, they told me to test at home. How cruel the rule for over 35 that’s the average age of women doing ivf anyways.

@MGee123 because of what I do, it's difficult to be off and on - patients need continuity of care and it's hard to find appropriately trained locums other than for significant periods of time... I asked the clinic if we could do scans and bloods early in the mornings but they couldn't, so I was stuck with either taking a day off under a policy that could completely scupper my work (the second you say anything conception related, some employers start panicking and risk assess you as unfit to work in your area) or using my annual leave. If I go privately in the future then hopefully they can be a bit more flexible...

Morning everyone, so things got more complicated, my tests this morning are darker positives 😢 I did a 25miu test and it is a clear positive, but considering this is effectively 16dpo, they aren't blazing positives, just very clear. So no idea what the hell is going on. I've contacted the clinic and waiting for a call back 😢 x

Good morning @VenusStarr. That is really confusing but it sounds like there might be something there indeed! Are you continuing your progesterone? What was your beta blood level result on monday?

It was only 5.2 on Monday @jolly86 I've not long done a progesterone pessary, just on case, but didn't do any yesterday as I didn't test at all. I'm still spotting red blood though x

@VenusStarr it may be a chemical but i don't get why the line would get darker in that case?!

I know, it's all very strange and worrying @jolly86 I'm pretty certain it isn't going to have a good outcome. Just impatiently waiting.... I'll give the clinic until lunchtime and then call again x

@39andabit that's unbelievable about the 35 yr rule, I'd be out then!! According to the Vale of York nice guidelines I need to have been trying for over two years before I qualify for IVF, however my amh needs to be over 5 and we all know amh decreases with age- it's madness.
@VenusStarr it's just so cruel that you can't even grieve a loss just horrendous- have you looked at the possibility of a haematoma? Surely they must be able to scan you to confirm if there is a sac even if it's empty ? You aren't in any pain are you ? Xx

Thank you @Luan82 being in this limbo is really hard, like you say I can't really process it whilst I'm in it. I think it's too early for a scan and especially as my hcg was so low. My gut is saying chemical pregnancy. I'm just going to the clinic for a blood test but the results won't be back until tomorrow. Hoping there's a nurse or doctor to talk to when I get there x

@VenusStarr such a rollercoaster, you must be exhausted. Hope you manage to speak to someone at the clinic and get some answers. Waiting another day is agony when you’re in limbo. You just need to know if it’s bad news so you can grieve and move on or someone to tell you it’s going to be ok. My line on 14dpt was not very strong but 2 days later was much better. I can’t say it’s worked out yet but I haven’t had any obvious issues yet 🤞🤞🙏🙏🙏
Take care of yourself ❤️

Just to clarify I meant my test 14day past transfer so 19 past EC.

@VenusStarr 😘 hope today went as good as can be expected and you've finally got some answers x

Thank you @39andabit @Luan82 I've been and had the blood test. A nurse had a chat with me and said it's really unusual for this to happen but she couldn't really reassure me until they had the results back. But she did say to be on the look out for signs of ectopic, which is a concern 😢 just as I got to the clinic I had a big gush of red blood as well, so she said stay off the aspirin and clexane but just do progesterone. Luckily I have some cyclogest, so am using the back door so as not to irritate my cervix.

I asked the phlebotomist to do my progesterone as well as hcg. X

@VenusStarr ok, well that is one area where I am a bloody expert - usually the blood from an ectopic is watery and brown similar to prune juice consistency, when I had my ectopic I had a bleed at the same time and duration of my period, didn't even get a positive test till about a week after my period had been and gone! The way that the hcg numbers go up is usually a dead giveaway for an ectopic so the numbers will tell you more - plus the pain and eventually shoulder tip pain is like nothing you've ever felt so at least they are monitoring it - sending you lots of virtual hugs x

Interesting about your tests @39andabit. Annoyingly the one I did this morning was after an hour hold, not fmu - I just needed to see a bfn to help me process it. So I'm 16 days past EC today. I do think implantation was Saturday, which is definitely late for a hatching blast. X

I'm so sorry you had an ectopic @Luan82 ❤️ why is trying to have a baby so bloody hard for some of us 😢 I'll keep you posted when my results come back. X

@VenusStarr it is so unfair 💔 the one positive you can take from it is that the embryo was a good quality one and it did implant - even if it wasn't in the correct place or not for long - that's the important thing x

@VenusStarr fingers crossed for you hope you get good news tomorrow X