IVF/ICSI/FET November 2023

[Sunflower360]

Hi 👋 I could not see a thread had been set up so thought I would do so. Bit about me...

➡️38
➡️Low AMH being main issue, last test was around 4pmol in the summer
➡️Have had an abandoned and failed IVF cycle in Spring of this year due to failed fertilisation, OH had low morphology, other parameters ok so ICSI advised next time
➡️Since then, I had 2 x consecutive ICSI natural modified egg collections and have 2 x day 5 ❄️❄️ and 1 x day 3 ❄️ embryos, whether they are any good, only time will tell
➡️I'm about to start another egg collection on the mild protocol this time and will (hopefully if it goes ok) transfer this time

Please join the rollercoaster for November as you wish!

Thanks for the replies. Yea, well meaning, but it felt like I should just give up on the spot, I've not even got to egg retrieval and she is talking DE and adoption as other routes to motherhood. Thanks @Caubabatko I was taking DHEA but I was told it could be doing more harm than good as I have not had my levels tested, so I stopped. I asked my GP to test them and they said no. Do you think I should look to test privately. I do still have a full box of them (which I got through iherb). I have never heard of ovarian RPR, and haven't seen it as a procedure offered by any of the clinics - is this recommended? @Hopingforno2in2023 I'm 42, so egg quality and quantity is an issue. I have been pregnant twice naturally in the past 13 months. Last September ended in a miscarriage at 8 weeks, and at 5 weeks in January this year. Thanks @Sunflower360 for being positive. My protocol has been short. I have been on 150 menopur and 225 Gonal-F. I will have had 12 nights of this by the time I trigger - how does this compare to you? Do you think I should have been on a higher dose? I was concerned that I have felt zero side effects. I posted this on here, and was told not to worry, sometimes there are no side effects (bloating etc). Also - my 2 scans were 10 days apart so no monitoring in between. Is this normal, or poor on the clinics behalf? If I had been checked sooner, could they have increased the dose to try to get more of a response? Or is the danger of too much stimulation that you damage the eggs - which is why some women opt for natural modified? My partner and I had a chat tonight about whether another brand of drug would have worked better - does anyone have any experience of responding better through a different drug? I'm talking like this cycle is finished - and it isn't. But that is how she made me feel. She is hoping for 2 eggs - but am I right in thinking the average for my age is only 1 in 5 eggs are good enough to make a baby (euploid)?

Sorry to hear you have both had a difficult time @GOL and @kirstysmbc . My friend that I mentioned in a previous post (2 miscarriage with her better quality eggs and then got a baby, now 18months, from her grade 3BB, third attempt) tested early, and was negative. Didn't get a positive until the day, so there is hope. But I understand you preparing yourselves. And maybe it is a good idea to have other ideas for how to move forward.

@onewishplease I was on 150 Gonal-F for 6 days and got 4 mature eggs and from that cycle a day 3 and day 5 embryo were frozen. I personally did not have a great response to max stims (450 Gonal-F which was earlier this year, NHS cycle, as we had failed fertilisation of 2 eggs), so I prefer the softer approach.

Symptom wise, I had nothing bar from very slight twinges on some occasions and EW discharge as it got further in the stimulation.

Scan wise I had them every other day (and the clinic I'm at do everyday as it gets closer to egg collection if it was needed for closer monitoring), so I'm sorry to say this but scanning 10 days apart is not good at all. The scans/blood tests are meant to guide them on whether to increase your stimulation/make any amendments. What clinic are you with? May be worth querying this with them

@onewishplease I also have a box of DHEA from iHerb😂
Yeah, definitely get your DHEA-S tested if you want to try it. I've only seen ovarian PRP or ovarian rejuvenation as an add-on outside the UK. I spoke to a couple of clinics in Greece and North Cyprus, and I know some clinics in Spain if you don't want to go that far - my thought at the time was, you only need to go there to get the PRP done without committing to doing a full cycle with them.

Thanks for this @Sunflower360 that is interesting. I have already thought ahead and we have said we would do 3 cycles. At that point we would have spent up and I can't (literally) devote my life to this any longer. But I will review when I get that far. I am with Guys St Thomas in London, but could switch for next round (if this one is not successful). I have had no blood tests at all from them?? I had all of the blood work they requested (amh, hiv etc) done by my GP ahead of starting (for free), so they have not taken any blood since. I did think when they sent me away last week saying see you in 10 days it wasn't what I expected. And potentially this dose is too high? I had an assessment scan done on Day 7 with Create in October and had 1 follicle on each ovary 9mm and 11mm. I think these could have got to over 19mm on their own by the time I ovulated on Day 15 (I have been temping/OPKs so pretty certain of this). So to go today and hear 1 ovary was empty and the other only had 3 (10,14 and 15mm) but this is day 13 of my cycle so not much bigger than the previous month, where I had no stimulation...makes me think the stimulation has failed.......
The only real difference this cycle to my natural cycle last month will be the ICSI?

@GOL and @kirstysmbc - the particular type of test matters. My clear blue was so faint on actual test day it was hard to read and I had been testing positive five days prior on FRER. I got it in a pack of three off Amazon - cost £17 🫣. So the sensitivity really matters and a few days makes a difference. Don’t mean to give false hope but keep up your meds, keep hydrated and wait and see. Thinking of you both - the wait is so hard.

thanks for this @Caubabatko I will get this done through an online provider and see what comes back. Just looked and its "only" £100?! This hits you from every angle..physically, exhausting mentally and financially..

Thanks @GOL @onewishplease @IslandsintheOcean This is my 4th transfer and all the previous 3 I had BFP by 5dpt on both FRER and easy at home tests, so I know I'm out now. I've had them pick up a faint line when a blood test has shown my hcg to only be 7.

This was my last possible attempt with own eggs, I'm 43 and had a failed fresh cycle earlier this year. I'll take some time to think about whether to consider donor embryos, I can't afford to move to donor eggs.

Good luck to everyone else

FET today, in 2 hours... wish me luck🙏🍀

Good luck @Caubabatko x
@kirstysmbc Sending you love and best wishes. Take the time you need to process everything and work out what is best for you x

@Caubabatko good luck! @onewishplease are you with Create?

Sorry to hear about failed attempts, were they all fresh cycles?

When we started our journey I was already 43, had 3 x EC&embryo banking cycles and this is my first transfer.

@Caubabatko I had one fresh transfer and three frozen, all from my first cycle at 41. Luckily, one of those FET led to my daughter, so this has been attempts for a sibling. Earlier this year I tried another fresh cycle but failed to get any embryos, so this was my last one from the earlier cycle. I can't afford to do any more fresh cycles either, my meds for the last one were about £3k 😔

I had thought my last stim meds Pergoveris 900iu x 3 that came up to £900 were the most expensive part of the treatment... but 3K?! What were they and what protocol were you on if you don't mind (re-)sharing? I bought mine on fertility2u.

Hi @Caubabatko how did you get on? Please remind me again, the FET this morn had been PGTA tested? And you still have others from egg banking cycles? What clinic did you do this with?
@Sunflower360 I am not with Create. I went with Guys St Thomas. I did have a scan with Create and a consultation, but their admin was so bad I felt really put off. The emails they were sending me looked like spam, and I couldn’t open a lot of the attachments.
@kirstysmbc are you still having regular periods? How many eggs did you get from the fresh transfer cycle this year?

@Caubabatko I was on long protocol, down reg with buserelin then 450iui ovaleap every day during stims, which they extended by six days I think, so I had to buy the extra from my clinic which cost nearly £1k extra. I got the other meds from fertility2u as well.

@onewishplease Yes, still having regular periods. Had 6 eggs collected, 4 embryos that all arrested on day 6. But egg quality isn't great. Plus I'd have to buy more donor sperm which is also really expensive... All in all it's a lot of money for a tiny of success. I suspect my consultant would advise donor eggs, also crazy expensive...

That’s me cancelled 😪

in agony on the notheristorone so consultant stopped everything

did anyone use anything else ?

just got to wait for an appointment now so hopefully get going again before feb

@kirstysmbc - if you’re well experienced then I totally understand. Sorry it’s been such a difficult year. Ovaleap is like buying gold - so expensive for so little. I understand the desire for the sibling very well.

@Rebekah77 - sorry to hear that - normally the start of the process is the easiest. It gives your team time to get the right meds for the next cycle.

@Caubabatko - all the best for the TWW!

I’m sorry to hear that @Rebekah77. I’m sure they will come up with a new plan for you.

@Rebekah77 sorry to hear that but you were in so much pain it sounds like the best thing. Take it easy on your day off this week and look to go about this in a different way in the new year.
@kirstysmbc all the best, and take the time to work out what is right for you financially and emotionally.
How are you feeling @Caubabatko what are you plans for the TWW? Will you wait until the OTD?

@Sunflower360 @IslandsintheOcean Thank you!
My first FET on Saturday went smoothly, the experience was more positive and stress-free than expected. Husband was in the room and even took photos of me on the exam table/chair!

@kirstysmbc The long protocol is so much more expensive... Are you interested in getting a second opinion from a new clinic? I recommend Dr. Machač even if it'd be difficult to go abroad with a toddler, online consultation is free, and the English-speaking coordinator is super efficient. He's open, no-nonsense and was one of the head doctors in another leading clinic in Czech Republic. I know two UK ladies from online forums including a past thread here now pregnant with them.

@onewishplease Yes it was our first euploid from 3 x EC at 43. I have 2 more euploids from the second and third cycles and 1 low mosaic (euploid) from the first one, all in Czech Republic. It's cheaper there (approx. £2600 + extended cultivation and PGT-A), rooms from £23/night in Brno. I've only taken tomorrow off sick, the rest of the TWW will be over before I know😂 I'm going to do exercises and yoga to help implantation every day for sure.

@Caubabatko well done you for getting this far and I'll be crossing my fingers for you:) Enjoy your rest day tomorrow, you deserve it. Definitely yoga for implantation is a great idea, just don't do the twists. Lots of water and really try your best to eat like a goddess!! What is the name of the clinic you have used in Czech? I might enquire. I have my egg collection pencilled in for this Wednesday, then we will take it from there. There is potentially 3 follicles, which is less than you had, and although we are similar age, my AMH is only 1.6 (I think you said yours was 16?), so I am trying to stay positive about this cycle but also have a plan B. I think before I started this (only 2 weeks ago, feels like forever?!) I was really apprehensive about the treatment/drug side effects etc. But now I am thinking that bodily it hasn't been that bad at all, and consecutive banking cycles seems achievable. We both said earlier in the thread about regretting not managing our time differently over the past few years (with regards to IVF), and coming to this quite late, so I am desperate not to make any more poor decisions with the time I have. And like your strategy, I should be trying to bank as many eggs as possible whilst I am youngest. I turn 43 in early April. So consecutive cycles of stims to bank eggs, with PGTA, might be the best choice over the next few months. Hmmmm??! You have said you were a good responder, I guess I will know more this week, but with only 3 follicles on Friday (10,14 and 15mm) I don't think I have been. I had 2 follicles the month before with no drugs/IVF. So I was a bit gutted on Friday. How often did you have to travel from the UK to CZ? Did you do them back to back or month on month off. I live 30/40 mins from Stanstead so it wouldn't actually be that hard. Was it £2500 per cycle + drugs + PGTA + FET? And did they accept all of your blood work from here. We had everything you need done free through the GP prior to starting this cycle.

On a positive note!!!! I still have a chance this month and I am giving this my best shot. But I started to worry if it is a BFN in early December - I don't want to lose say December and January to making Plan B.

@Caubabatko glad to read FET went well and hoping for a 9-'month sticky bean 🙏

@onewishplease yeah stim drugs on top of full cycle (incl. FET) + cultivation + PGT-A + any bloodworks. STD tests are mandatory, I think 100€ each. With 3 eggs, although I've found doctors oftwn undercount them during the stim, if you have only 1-3 fertilised you might as well go for a fresh transfer even though the odds are small, as you are unlikely to have many embryos to screen. Even though I had over 16 AMH and responded well to the drugs, out of up to 11 fertilised, we'd end up with 3-4 blasts then 1 euploid per cycle. If you'd like a second opinion for a potential cycle in case this cycle doesn't lead to pregnancy, I recommend IVF Clinic a.s. and asking for Dr Machač. I found him through this forum from someone who got pregnant there.

@TT82 Thanks😊 I've never been pregnant to this age so still lots of uncertainty ahead, only 12 more days before pregnancy test!