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!

Hi @Caubabatko

That's an incredible number of euploids you got! 💕We only got 1 from 3 cycles.

Good luck with your transfer!

Hi @Caubabatko that is a good number of euploids! Good luck for your FET, did you consider having 2 put in at amy point?

I'm out of the running this time as my scan showed residual follicles from my last cycle (had back to back cycles likely due to that-been told I need to re start when my period starts). I'm hoping to be back in for my next cycle before the end of this month, so who knows may have another update within this thread if AF arrives on time and it's in November 😅

Hello! Happy to see a group for November, will be good to have some company this cycle.

I'm 39, no children, AMH of 7.5 and FSH 8, AFC 12
DH is 39 too, well within a normal morphology range

AUG IVF at Barts: 5 eggs collected, 4 mature, 0 fertilisations

We had been classed as "unexplained" infertility, however since we had zero fertilisations, there seems to be a serious binding issue. (Still unknown if it is sperm or egg related, or both...) So it's ICSI for us this round.

I'm taking all the usual supplements, plus additional 75mg DHEA, 600mg coQ10 and 5mg melatonin as advised by our doctor after our last round. No wine or caffeine for 5 months, focusing a lot on healthy eating.

Today's my first day of down reg, with a baseline scan slated for Nov 21st! Good luck everyone! Xx

Hi @tippycanoe sorry to hear about your failed first cycle. We had failed fertilisation the first time (OH's sample was good albeit slight lower morphology), the embryologist explained the binding was good but for whatever reason did not fertilise properly as we one that had 2 sperm enter an egg and other nothing (so hopefully they can give you more info on that perhaps?) Either way ICSI seems to have been better for us since in the following 2 egg collections after that. To be honest I think our issues first time round may have been eggs being damaged quality wise as I was on max stimulation but that is just a thought as I know people have differing views of stimulation strengths and how it affects quality.

Are you doing long protocol?

@Runner77 thanks for the well wishes. Best wishes for Friday.
I had the transfer this afternoon but before going in I got my progesterone levels results from yesterday's bloods. Unfortunately they were low. They have increased my meds so I pray it works.

@Sunflower360 thanks. No i only had a single transfer.

@Caubabatko best wishes with the FET. It's good that you managed to bank some in advance.

@Sunflower360 I'm glad to hear you've had better luck with ICSI and it seems your natural modified has also been a good decision! Really positive results from your numbers.

Our embryologist said we had very poor binding, of the 4 eggs there was only one sperm half-heartedly trying with no success. All of the others were still seemingly healthy, swimming around, ignoring the eggs! Rude.

I did feel a bit validated that we haven't been missing my ovulation when trying naturally..... Even when it's right there in the little dish, they just don't make a connection.

Long protocol here, three weeks until my baseline scan.

Fingers crossed you can squeeze in another cycle before Christmas Xx

Thanks @tippycanoe I don't know if anyone of our embryos are euploids as we haven't tested but time will tell.

Hope ICSI helps things along for you this time round in your protocol

Hello everyone - always so fascinated about everyone’s journey.

Hope things went well @BebeBelle.
@tippycanoe - it’s funny how much insight we get through the process. Rude sperm made me laugh.

I might be a month out - currently on the wait post egg collection to see if we have any embryos from this round. All being well transfer day on Saturday. Long time lurker - first time on boards.

Hi @IslandsintheOcean 👋 Good luck for your transfer! How many embryos did you get? Is this your first cycle?

@Sunflower360 -

1st round - low stims due to high AMH, poor response, two follicles, one day 3 embryo transferred BFN.
2nd round - 18 eggs, 3x day 5. BFN on 1st FET. 2nd transfer of 2x day 5 embryos. Twins.
3rd round - 14 eggs, day 3 today so waiting to hear.

13 year journey - so we don’t take our beautiful children lightly.

DH is certain in his view this is our last retrieval which I understand. I’m just in that space where I’m hopeful but also realistic. I forgot how hard the waiting is.

@IslandsintheOcean Oh wow twins! What grade were those embryos if you don't mind me asking?

This seems terrible but I don’t recall. At the time nothing else was more important but I didn’t have it written down. I do know they weren’t top grade - AA or AB. Our first transfer was our best but our second and third were the ‘perfect’ ones for us.

Hi ladies, can I join?

Will start stimulation mid November for second EC. First got 4 embryos but unfortunately all abnormal :(
I am 41, have 2 kids (older), but now due to age and poor egg quality going through ivf. Depending on the second EC results we might test if we have any or might risk and transfer. Not sure I can face a 3d EC! 😔

@TT82 Hi 👋 Sorry to hear about your embryos, if you don't mind me asking what grade were they? Also are you with Create? Sorry, noticed your name and think may have chatted on another thread but was not sure!

@Sunflower360 no, I am in Switzerland with state hospital, they don't tell grading, just said normal average, not amazing.. But what I read grading is a beauty contest, not quality.
Just confirmed that this time I have very good folic count on both sides, so dr very optimistic 🙈 I am not so, as in the downregg pill and so down and depressed .. but till 13th have to rake them

Hi all.

Hope I'm okay to join. AF finally decided to show 11 days late so I've moved from starting in Oct to now!

This is my first round. I have high AMH so at risk of OHSS. We have MFI as DH has low morphology so will be going down the ICSI route.
I'm on the short protocol so start stims tomorrow. Excited and nervous at the same time?!

Hello all :) I am on CD9 and injecting Meriofert and Cetrotide daily. Had a scan yesterday which showed 5 follicles over 10mm. I have very low AMH so that is good for me. Have another scan tomorrow and EC will be next week.

Hello everyone,

I hope its okay to post here. I feel abit lost. Sad and just frustrated.

I had my nurses appointment on the 27th of October and she asked when wed like to start and we said pretty much straight away. She took my cycle dates. Said shed have to see when i could start northisterone etc everything seemed so positive until the last bit of forms where they asked about mental health issues. I have low moods and anxiety from time to time but this is usually due to personal issues in life. And in September i saw my gp about it.Im sure anybody who is human will have low moods if something significant happens in their life. But now because of this recent gp appointment they got me counselling session and now they have wrote to my gp and are going to wait to hear back from them before they can review my treatment plan. I feel so upset as i was so excited to start soon. I wanted to go into 2024 with some sort of good news. Im absolutely gutted and cant stop crying today :-(

@Sherr33 really sorry to hear this. Is this via the NHS? It is concerning that they feel that is the best way to approach it as they can offer counselling alongside treatement rather than delay it. Just from personal experience I have been having some 1-1 counselling sessions to support me through my IVF cycles (through private healthcare at work) and have to say it has helped. Do you feel comfortable to challenge them back on the decison to delayand ask if it could be alongside treatment? Could your GP expedite matters?

@Sunflower360
I'm putting in one embryo at a time because of my age, following the recommendation from this paper.
https://www.oatext.com/patients-of-advanced-maternal-age-should-only-transfer-a-single-euploid-blastocyst.php

@contentsmayb
Gosh it's hard to see presumably big dropouts of embryos, or was it low fertilisation?
Our fertilisation rates were good/average but only a few survived the cultivation. Fingers crossed for your transfer next week, and low mosaic embryos still are a good backup!

@FiddleLeaf
Oh I never thought about embryo not surviving thawing! My clinic is in CZ and I'm flying out this week and wait for the ovulation and transfer for 2-3 weeks, there is no backup in this clinic so I really hope mine survives🙏

@FiddleLeaf
Are you on the same protocol as the first one? Hope this cycle goes as well as the first one or better!

@BebeBelle
Thanks! So you are in 2WW now? How does it feel? I'll be hopefully joining you in 1-2 weeks!

@tippycanoe
Sorry to hear about the August cycle and rude sperm! Do your husband take supplements too?

@IslandsintheOcean
Good luck to your embryos - it's wonderful you've been successful with twins! And it's great after some years you have good numbers of eggs.

@TT82
Hello again from the August thread(?). I'm sorry your embryos didn't pass PGT-A.
I read that most women get normal embryo in the second round even if they don't in the first.

@Maddie23
Welcome to the club! What's your AMH?
My husband has low morphology (0.5-2.0%) but high numbers and concentration and we have had average (70-80%) fertilisation with cIVF and ICSI, but I appreciate it would be different for everyone!

Thank you @Caubabatko !
My AMH is 54 pmol.
Hubby's morphology was 1% but like yours, everything else was at the top end of the other parameters.
That's good to know regarding fertilisation!

@TT82 I've watched this video before and it sounded promising

@Maddie23 That is very high, have you been diagnosed with PCOS and what's your drug and dosage?
My AMH from January was 16.5pmol/L and although it was on the high side for my age (43) in my 3 EC cycles, I responded well to (short) antagonist protocol: Pergoveris 225iu x 8 days -> 9 eggs, 300iu x 9-10 days -> 14 and 15 eggs respectively.
One hack that worked wonders for me is ice-packs before injection. Less pain compared to when I didn't do it, especially for those antagonist and trigger shots with thicker needles, and also less bruising.

@Caubabatko 👋 again from August thread!
Thank you for this encouraging video!! 🙏 I really hope it will be true in my case, as everyone so optimistic and positive..I just need to start simulation and stop downregg and will be in a better mood
Good luck with FET!! When is the date?