Fresh vs Frozen Transfer outcomes with DOR (low AMH)

[ViVRe]

Hello Everyone,

Wondering if some of you can share your experiences and results with Fresh vs Frozen embryo transfer if you are diagnosed with DOR and norma/low AMH with poor response to IVF treatment.

For context, I had my review consultation with fertility doctor yesterday and after 2 egg collections I managed to bank 7eggs. He officially confirmed I have DOR but said that until I mix my bits with husband we won’t know of egg quality. The plan is to follow with another egg retrieval and this time make embryos (now that I am aware my response is 5 to 3eggs max per stims cycle I’m willing to use the 7eggs in the freezer to give us the best chance of making good quality embryos to transfer). The reason we (husband and I) didn’t make embryos from get go is because he was taking care of his health concerns and needed to be given a clear before starting treatment with me. Given my circumstances and changes in menstrual cycle I wanted to bank eggs ASAP.

I always thought I would prefer a frozen transfer simply to give my body a good chance to recover from all stims meds, but now I’m not sure. Doctor said my uterus/lining looked great in both stims cycle and that if we have an embryo make it then he didn’t see why not go ahead with a fresh transfer. The fact that I’m a poor responder means that I’m not at risk of OHSS. So it does come down to personal preference and what package I would like to purchase (Fresh or Frozen transfer included). I have never done any transfers but I think I would want the option with least medication/intervention as possible…can any of you shed a light on that?

If any of you has similar diagnosis, with low AMH, Diminished Ovarian Reserve and poor response to stims, few eggs retrieved but made it to transfer then please share your # of Eggs retrieved, embryo #s, choice of transfer and results (viable pregnancy or not). If possible, also let me know how you’ve felt during prep for transfer (what meds they put you on).

thanks in advance and best of luck to all of us in this crazy journey to motherhood!

Hi 👋
I have DOR and just did my first cycle. I had 3 eggs collected, 2 were mature, both fertilised, 1 made it to day 5 blast and I had a fresh transfer. From memory my lining was about 9.5mm at my last scan before my trigger. I was on short protocol on meriofert 300 for 7 days then went to 150 meriofert + 150 gonal f. Because of my poor response I stimmed for 13 days to give a chance for the smaller ones to catch up.
I didn’t really feel the effects of stims or anything because I had so few eggs (I felt totally normal besides a bit hormonal), so I would have picked to do fresh either way to be honest. It was my NHS cycle so we had to have a fresh anyway before moving on to a new cycle. If it’d been private I probably would have considered doing back to back egg collections to get more eggs, but we are happy with one baby, and will likely try naturally for a second.
Anyway, I’m over the moon to say it worked, I got my positive test at 5 days past the transfer (very very early days, waiting for my 7 week scan) but feeling hopeful and wishing with all my heart it works.
It’s definitely a personal choice transferring on fresh or frozen, but I say if you feel good and have an embryo then why not transfer it, your body thinks it’s ovulated anyway and saves the embryo being frozen and thawed. But they are my own personal views! ☺️☺️
Good luck!

@HopefulllHolly Thanks for your feedback and congratulations on a successful fresh transfer, keeping everything crossed that you have a happy/healthy pregnancy 🤞🏼🙏🏻❤️

I reacted very similarly to you in regards to stims (though I was on a slightly higher dose 450iu per day), nevertheless I am wondering if you don’t mind sharing, what sort of meds/protocol they put you in if they are expecting/preparing you to have a fresh transfer? Were you on stims alone in the first part of treatment and then after retrieval started other medication geared towards a potential transfer? What meds and side effects should I expect? When you say Day 5 blast does that mean you transferred 5 days past egg retrieval or is it a longer interval between retrieval and transfer? Are you on any meds now…if yes, till when?

sorry for all the questions…I’ve never made it to transfer and am trying to educate myself as much as possible before making this decision as it is a LOT of pocket money and unfortunately I don’t qualify for NHS and neither refundable IVF.

many thanks! 😊

@ViVRe No worries.

So before egg collection I was on stimulation injections plus one injection every morning to stop me ovulating. Some women are prescribed other things like oestrogen but it will be a case by case basis.

After collection you will start taking progesterone, which is a hormone your body would produce after you ovulate. It helps your uterus lining thicken and become sticky to welcome an embryo. Progesterone is a bit rubbish to take as it does mimic pregnancy symptoms but nothing nasty - headache, bloating, cramping, tiredness etc.

Then 5 days after you have egg collection (egg collection is day 0), you have egg transfer (on day 5). You need the fertilised eggs to grow to what they call a blastocyst which is a certain stage of growth. Basically this is the stage it would be if it was naturally travelling down your fallopian tubes and going in to your uterus (which takes 5 days).

Your clinic tells you when you do a pregnancy test after your transfer. You carry on progesterone until you are 12 weeks pregnant if you are successful. ☺️

Hope that helps! I found this website really helpful: https://theduff.co.uk/ It explains everything possible about IVF - short protocol and long protocol etc. Good luck!