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Our Infertility Support forum is a space to connect with others in the same position, discuss causes, treatment and IVF, and share infertility stories of hope and success.

Original poster

IVF - 1 follicle - any success stories

55 replies

Hope12345678 · 26/07/2023 20:46

Hi,

I’ve recently started ivf with create fertility and have found this site and shared stories so helpful so hoping for some positive stories from similar circumstances :(.

I am 32 with low afc and AMH. I am on day 9 of stimms and only have 1 follicle at 11mm and another at 7mm we have increased dose and will scan on Friday but am feeling so disappointed. The doctors haven’t advised to cancel and we don’t know whether we should cancel and try again next cycle but estimated cost for canx with meds and scans would be another £2.5k which we can’t afford.

are there any success stories out there from women who have conceived from one mature follicle and egg :(.

thank you!

OP posts:
LF82 · 26/07/2023 21:49

@Hope12345678 is this your first cycle? I am with Create and when I had a cycle that I didn’t respond well, they cancelled it. Was hard at the time but the best decision in the end. I know that might be hard to hear. Sending positivity x

Original poster
Hope12345678 · 26/07/2023 22:19

Hi, thank you for your reply. Yes it is my first cycle. They haven’t said to cancel just yet so I’ve followed their advice. If you don’t mind my asking did you do another cycle? And if so did you respond better? It’s just so hard becsuee everything is so unpredictable and up in the air and it’s hard to know what the right decision is x

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LF82 · 26/07/2023 22:45

if it’s similar to what happened to me they will leave it to see if you respond over the next few days and see if the follicles have grown to the level they feel would be needed for a successful egg collection. If they not they will suggest/advise you cancel. It was so hard at the time but honestly having gone through egg collection and the whole waiting to see what happens afterwards I think for me it was the best choice as I felt to go through it and get nothing would have been harder. I had another round after my cancelled cycle- responded better & got 2 embryos in the freezer (For other reasons I can’t do a fresh transfer)

I know it’s so so hard but try your best to stay relaxed between now and your next scan & take it one day at a time x

K2012 · 27/07/2023 03:01

Hi @Hope12345678 Did they say you only got one follicle from an abdominal scan or internal scan?

I had IVF with Create/ABC in 2021 (my first round) and I didn’t respond very well to the medication (hormone levels after injections weren’t high and I had a lot less eggs that they were expecting compared to my normal AMH levels) and on my 37th birthday when I had the last abdominal scan, 2 days before egg collection, I was told by the nurse who did the scan “you only got one mature egg you’re lucky if there are 2 on Friday”
At egg collection I ended up having 5 eggs and had 4 embryos on day 3 and transferred one on day 3 who is currently woken up at 3am and I’m holding him in my arms now 🙏🏻

So don’t give up there’s always hope 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

Original poster
Hope12345678 · 27/07/2023 07:35

Thank you to both of you this gives me hope. I’ve been starting to think maybe I just can’t have anymore kids. My DS was conceived naturally and easy pregnancy but I had a miscarriage 3 years ago and we have been struggling to conceive since so feel like if this doesn’t work I just have to accept my blessings of my DS and move on as it’s so emotionally draining :(.

My baseline scan showed 6 follicles but only 5 in the end as one is a simple cyst, since stimming treatment only 1 has grown to 11 mm and another to 8mm and the other 2 have stayed at 5-6mm. My blood tests have been showing rising oestrogen so they’ve been happy with that and only done internal scans since the start of my treatment.

thank you to both of you it’s so nice to just talk to women who have gone through something similar especially with success with lower numbers, really hoping the other two catch up tomorrow at my scan x

@LF82 good luck with your frozen embryo transfer - sending positivity! X

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Original poster
Hope12345678 · 27/07/2023 07:36

@K2012 and congrats on your little one - so pleased it has worked for you ❤️

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LF82 · 27/07/2023 08:24

@Hope12345678 thank you & good luck for tomorrow

Sunflower360 · 27/07/2023 11:12

@Hope12345678 sorry to hear how you're feeling. I am goinf to start with Create to do a natural modified cycle next month. I have read positive things of others' experience with that (aim being to collect 1 or 2 eggs over a multi cycle), so hopefully you will have a positive journey still.

If you don't mind me asking what is your AMH and are you having natural modified or mild IVF?

Original poster
Hope12345678 · 27/07/2023 13:27

My AMH is 1.0 so very low. I am having the mild IVF. We are just doing a single cycle due to finances, my other half doesn’t want to keep going through this emotionally and financially so we agreed to give it one try. I have heard of lots of success with the natural modified on here :) - so fingers crossed this works for you🤞🏽. I didn’t consider natural modified they did say if mild didn’t work this would be the next protocol to try.

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Sunflower360 · 27/07/2023 15:20

@Hope12345678 That's interesting, my AMH is 4.3 pmol and was advised mild IVF is only advised at Create when over 5 pmol, hence us having natural modifed when we start it....is that under 1 pmol or ng for you?

Sunflower360 · 27/07/2023 15:23

They also had data that high stims does not work for me too though as I only got 2 eggs during a NHS cycle earlier this year. So from that perspective if I'm only going to get a max 2 eggs per cycle makes no sense over stimming unnecessarily

Original poster
Hope12345678 · 27/07/2023 15:38

@Sunflower360 ah that is interesting. yes it’s 1 pmol. They wanted me to do mild ivf multi cycle but tbh it’s just so expensive and I’ve been stimming for 9-10 days now and to do another cycle the cost of meds would just keep adding up. The doctor did advise a 40% chance but the difficult thing would be getting an embryo, he said if there was an embryo he felt there was good potential for it to work. But with the way it’s going now I see what he meant. I don’t know if we'll make it to egg collection and if whatever is collected would be good. Really hoping the two other follicles catch up so trying to keep positive and take each step as it comes.

Is natural modified just using the egg created from your natural cycle?

Also, do you know with follicles is it only one egg per follicle? Or do they expect more? (Might need to ask doctor this tomorrow)

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Sunflower360 · 27/07/2023 15:52

@Hope12345678 natural modified (as explained to me by our Dr) introduces very mild stims from when your body has naturally selected the follicles for that month, so you start stims later (perhaps day 5? But yet to find that out) and it is much milder as their just focussing on mildly stimulating the main follicle(s), with the aim of getting 1 perhaps 2 eggs which have been naturally selected by the body for the month. This then puts a key focus on quality over quantity.

In relation to follicles and number of eggs, each follicle can only have 1 egg in it from my understanding. And in some cases (as I was advised during my NHS cycle just before egg collection) some follicles may not contain an egg. But please do not be dishearted by that, although our first cycle did not work out due to failed fertilisation, I went under anesthetic getting told they were only looking to collect 1 egg (if that was even in the follicle) but ended up with 4 eggs from 4 follicles albeit only 2 were mature eggs.... think a couple of the follicles grew with the trigger shot perhaps

Sunflower360 · 27/07/2023 15:53

@Hope12345678 if you don't mind me asking what is your age? That can also work in your favour with low numbers

Sunflower360 · 27/07/2023 15:54

Sorry you said you're 32, then you definitely have age on your side- only takes 1 egg after all!

Original poster
Hope12345678 · 27/07/2023 19:48

@Sunflower360 i hope so but because my AMH is so low I do wonder what my egg quality is like especially since we haven’t been able to conceive naturally. I’ve got my scan tomorrow so trying to keep positive that maybe things are catching up.

Hope things go well with your natural modified, it does sound like a good idea especially for women like us who don’t respond well to high stimms, so maybe something for me to consider x

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Sunflower360 · 04/08/2023 11:34

@Hope12345678 how are you getting on?

Original poster
Hope12345678 · 04/08/2023 14:28

@Sunflower360 we are waiting for second cycle and I’ve spoken with my doctor who has advised another try with the mild IVF cycle and will see it through this time even if there is only one follicle 😬, when do you start your cycle?

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Sunflower360 · 04/08/2023 16:27

If you're aiming for 1 egg have you considered natural modified or has the Dr advised otherwise?

I'm hoping to start end of this month 😬

Original poster
Hope12345678 · 04/08/2023 22:26

The doctor advised to carry on with mild and didn’t suggest natural/modified, he did he say he had 3 women over 40 in this weekend all had one egg collected and all those eggs had fertilised so hoping I have one really really good egg😬, sending positive vibes and good egg energy your way also x

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Msmith100 · 03/10/2023 15:44

How did you get on, if you don’t mind me asking? And who did you use? I’m just starting now with similar stats to yourself.

Msmith100 · 03/10/2023 15:45

Msmith100 · 03/10/2023 15:44

How did you get on, if you don’t mind me asking? And who did you use? I’m just starting now with similar stats to yourself.

@Hope12345678 ^^

Original poster
Hope12345678 · 03/10/2023 17:35

Hi,
I am with create fertility (who have been very good). After the canx cycle I have been on the pill for a few weeks and have just started my treatment again. I’m on day 5 of stimms and have a scans this week - keeping fingers and toes crossed I get 1-2 good quality eggs from collection. Have you started IVF ?

OP posts:
Msmith100 · 03/10/2023 18:44

Good luck!!! I went to create today actually. I have low AMH (1.5) and only 3 follicles (1 very small) so haven’t started the full process yet but I’ve been told will only get between 1-4 follicles, so just trying to gauge from others on their process! It’s completely daunting isn’t it?!