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

@Scirocco a lovely line ! X

Yay! Thanks! Fingers crossed for things progressing. I've gone and bought a few more tests to monitor, maybe test again on Saturday or Sunday.

@Scirocco that’s definitely a good line for early testing better than mine 5 days later! It’s looking good! Xx

Negative this morning. This would have been my third pregnancy and I was so desperate for this to work out - 7 years of trying and heartbreak. I don't think I have the strength to keep trying this any more. Going to take some time to think about what next. We already know fostering and adoption would be unlikely to work out, and that we wouldn't do egg or sperm donation unless it was of both (so that any child would have equal biological connection to both of us). Don't know how to tell DH, this is going to break his heart.

@Scirocco I'm so sorry, I was really rooting for you - I'm guessing you will have a follow up to discuss with your consultant? Maybe a different approach, protocol or clinic is worth considering? I can't believe how different clinics approach treatment so differently - do you mind me asking if your diagnosis is female and male factor? It's so very heartbreaking 💔 take care of yourself xxx

@Scirocco sorry to hear this. X

@Luan82 we're "unexplained", so no idea as the quality of investigations we've had has been pretty poor. Right now feeling like I just can't keep trying - the emotional rollercoaster is just too much.

@Scirocco we are unexplained also and it's so frustrating. For us after we get our result, we have no frozen so will have to start the cycle from scratch which is just such a disheartening thought. As we've already paid for it I think it's the only thing making me go through with it as if we hadn't the thought of the whole process is so much to deal with!

@Scirocco would this be your 1st child? X

@strawberrysummer19 yes, we've never delivered a living child so by that definition this would have been our first. We had a relatively early miscarriage early on in TTC - complicated by lots of bleeding and requiring surgery for retained "products of conception". Our second pregnancy ended in the second trimester last year - given how far along we were, emotionally that pregnancy has felt like the loss of a child - it felt very different from the first one, we were able to have a burial and a grave, etc.

So, I said to DH. He said to test again... This time it was positive again! I think it's lighter than the other day but he insists it's the same. Maybe the first test this morning was a false negative, or he thinks maybe too dilute as I'd been at work all night so drinking water...

Such a rollercoaster. Don't know how to feel anymore.

@Scirocco oh my you have really gone through it. I can't imagine how painful that was for you.

Your positive did seem so dark on here he frer so maybe he's right and it may have been too dilute. Time will tell, which is so hard to wait I know. Xx

@Scirocco I am so sorry but please hang in there and keep taking your medication and test again, even though it will be painful! You had a clear line on day5. You probably do but I'd advice to use the same type of test. It sounds awful what you went through but I do think we don't get enough diagnosis tests etc here in the uk and wait a long time before trying IVF, and then even in IVF we aren't monitored enough. You haven't exploited all avenues, you just had one cycle and you are far far from thinking your only option is donation or adoption. I know someone who decided to adopt after many failed IVF trials she wouldnt be able to have a baby, she adopted but then fell pregnant and gave birth.

Oh @Scirocco nothing is bloody straight forwards on this journey is it. Hang in there, as others have said it's so early and your HCG levels will be really low regardless so small things might affect test results. Maybe try to hold off testing tomorrow if you can, as a bit more time between tests might help you get a clearer answer on Monday (said knowing just how hard that is)! Thinking of you x

@Scirocco ❤️ oh such a rollercoaster this bloody infertility ride is. The late loss sounds horrific, sounds like you’ve had such a tough time, Hang on in there.
I agree with @jolly86 - did you do another FRER? My clinic test 2 days after a positive on a FRER was pretty much invisible and as you say you may have drunk too much water. Keeping everything crossed for a positive tomorrow. It’s devastating every time it doesn’t work and you get a negative, I did 6 months of clomid/letrozole and the disappointment took it’s toll. I know it depends on your finances etc... but if you’ve made it through to transfer then there’s no reason it won’t work next time but I completely understand that doesn’t make you feel any better right now and after all you’ve been through you may not feel up to it. Try and do something nice today if you can and test again tomorrow. If you’re not old, like me, maybe a few months off might help. Thinking of you.

@VenusStarr how are you getting on? Hoping you’re doing ok?

@jolly86 did you test again? 🤞

@Luan82 have you started your injections? Hope it’s all going ok.

I’ve held off doing another test until tomorrow. If that’s ok I’ll try and just do one next weekend and that will be it before the scan. Feeling nauseous so hoping that’s a good sign, never wanted to be sick so much in my life!! I accidentally ordered a full caffeine latte today and fully panicked after I’d drunk it, it seems ridiculous when loads of my friends got hammered in their first few weeks before testing.

@Scirocco oh blimey what a rollercoaster!!! Sending positive vibes your way agree with other comments best to try and test using the same type of test and also at the same time of day either a four hour hold of urine or FMU x
@39andabit I certainly am!! Little bit swollen and bit nauseated and boobs a bit tender and swollen but apart from that all good - scan is Friday 😬 not had one since November last year and then my afc was 7 so no idea what to expect !! Xx

@Luan82 sounds like the drugs are doing their thing then?! Hope Friday goes ok. 🤞
I’ve had loads of scans over the last year from the clomid letrozole inductions and a cancelled IVF round in Jan (after getting Covid) apart from one good month my AFC has pretty much stayed the same over 12 months, considering I’m getting on a bit it’s low but not too bad. The consultant said it does vary from cycle to cycle so hopefully yours shouldn’t be much lower than Nov and this thread seems to prove that even with a low number of follicles you can make it to transfer 🤞

@39andabit I feel very old. I'm 37. Started trying at 30, thinking we'd have plenty of time. Naively thinking about whether to have one or two children... If only I could go back in time. I think the most frustrating part has been that the clinic has kept saying "you're young, it's fine" and delaying things because I'm "not a priority" because of my age (which isn't exactly young anymore!), then when I finally get a chance, they end up saying "oh, yeah, that hasn't gone well... need to do it differently next time"... Gaaaaaah.

DH now thinks the line is too faint to be viable.

@Scirocco I get ‘at your age’, ‘not too bad considering you’re nearly 40’ so it goes from one extreme to another! Why do people say anything, any woman with infertility knows unless we’re under 33 it’s a race with quickly diminishing odds?!

A borderline test can drive you crazy! Test again in the morning with a FRER if you can and remember it’s early so it doesn’t need to be dark. 🤞🤞🤞

Thanks, fingers crossed. I'm going to try and distract myself tonight - homemade curry and sci-fi films, I think.

@Scirocco that sounds like a perfect evening to me!!

@39andabit thanks - I'm praying for a good response, having a few side effects like headaches nausea but no pain or bruising from the injections at all - would like to feel my ovaries reacting a bit more though so I know something is happening with them!! xx

@Luan82 I felt fine on the stims didn’t have much tenderness or bloating until the last couple of days. Fingers crossed for lots of follicles 🤞Friday seems like a long wait for a scan too but just try and stay sane!

@Scirocco thinking of you and hoping the test was a good positive 🤞

@39andabit haha true 🤪 but the way I see it it's plenty of time to grow lots of lovely follicles !! 🤞🏼

Good morning everyone! @Luan82 I also didnt feel my ovaries much until closer to the trigger. Yes as @39andabit said It seems long till friday. How many days will you have stimmed by then? And was this a short antagonist cycle?

@Scirocco it sounds like you had a lvly evening plan. Hope you re feeling better.

@jolly86 yup it's the short antagonist protocol - I started with the first FSH injection Thursday and Tuesday I add another pre mixed injection in the morning and the vaginal cream x

@Luan82 I didn't feel hardly anything stimming and I was on such a high dose (450 menopur and stimmed for 13 days)
I was worried and wanted to feel something!

Then after EC I developed OHSS and it was only then I felt symptoms
And my god did I, I was quite poorly for a couple of days - this was however after stims I knew it worked. We got 9 eggs when it was suspected around 3-4. So I was happy with that.
In my ET they commented on how large my follicles were

Now 6 days passed ET I feel completely back to normal x