Only 2 embryos from first cycle

[Agapanthus13]

Hi all, I’ve just had an embryo transfer today but am thinking ahead to next steps as I find planning & knowing my options keeps me calm. During our cycle we only produced 2 embryos (11eggs collected), both average grade but blastocysts stage. Both were frozen but one ‘died’ during thaw (their words not mine) which I know is uncommon.

If needed (or for a future sibling) can likely only afford one further round - what questions would you recommend we ask? Any tests etc you’d suggest we talk to them about? I’m conscious that we made so few embryos, their quality was only ‘ok’ and only one survived the thaw.

Thank you in advance 🙏

I had 6 eggs from my first cycle and only 4 of those fertilised.

By the time I went for my day 2 transfer only 2 embryos had survived. One of those is now my hulking teen. Hang on in there, it only takes one!
Good luck

I hope someone can make suggestions re questions, my IVF cycles were in the days pre smartphones so I was mostly clueless!

We only got one day 5 embryo, from 6 fertilised - currently being pgta tested. Likely low egg quality (age) so I am looking into that now. DHEA might be one thing but testing my levels first.

I would do a sperm DNA fragmentation test before the next round, just for piece of mind.x

Thank you @Dbop100 @Phrenologistsfinger for your suggestions, will speak to my clinic about both. @Phrenologistsfinger sorry to hear you only got the one embryo, wishing you all the best with yours 🤞🏻perhaps I was naive but I expected to have more than my 2. May I ask how old you are? I’m 36. As @IDontLikeMyself said, it only take 1, but I’d quit like some backups as well. @IDontLikeMyself thank you for your positivity, & congrats on your teenage son!!!

Good luck @Agapanthus13 I will say that most clinics underestimate the importance of sperm, we always had normal sperm results and asked if we should check the DNA frag before our first round and we're told it was unnecessary. After our round failed we then tested us both for everything (Alice & Emma, killer cells etc) the only thing that came back as abnormal was the DNA frag, I wish I hadn't listened to them and trusted my gut to test first. I will also say if your partner has had covid in the last year it's especially important, my husband had it in Oct 2020 and his sperm is still affected x

What kind of protocol were you on?

I only got 2 average blastocysts from each of my short protocol rounds which cost circa £12k a time

I switched to a 3 cycle package of natural modified IVF which was £13k - and that's ultimately what worked for me. (Psychologically too it helped knowing that we were getting 3 "rounds" for the same price we paid for one and so whilst the last of our money we were able to get a few more goes at it)

@Dbop100 that’s really helpful info, thank you. Just having a read. What did you do differently for your second round with the additional knowledge re the dna frag? How are you getting on with your ivf journey now?

@tiggerwhocamefortea congratulations on success with your natural modified round, that’s really reassuring to hear. I was on an antagonist short protocol which ended in a freeze all due to suspected polyp (turned out to just be the shape of my uterus). Did you have a specific issue causing your infertility? Just having a read of the protocol you did. I have a blocked tube on my dominant side and so not sure if it will be an option for me, but I’ll certainly look into it more.

@Agapanthus13 we haven't done a 2nd round yet. We paused and went to see a urologist who did loads of tests for causes of the DNA frag, he found none and deduced it was covid related. He did a test using a zymot chip and that greatly improved the dna frag so we're about to start our 2nd round hopefully in early Jan x

Keeping everything crossed so this transfer will be the one!

We had 12 eggs collected, 6 fertilised and 2 made it to day 5. One transferred and one frozen. It was successful the first time and I now have a 6 month old boy. We were male factor.