Follicle count - high?

[Quaver9]

Hi All,

38, progressing through my first NHS IVF cycle. I’m on day 7 of stims and feeling fine - just a little bloated.
At my baseline scan, they counted a total of 22 folicles, but when I went for scan yesterday to check my ovaries were responding ok to the stim I had 36 follicles responding, 12 on one side and 20 on the other.
Nurse just said I’m responding nicely and they’ll see me Friday at end of stim to see if I’m ready for egg collection Monday.

I asked if 20 one side was concerning and a little too high and she just ummmed and said something like ‘well keep monitoring your borderline for a freeze all, but you should be ok’
had no idea what she meant but have course have looked into it a little more when I’ve gotten home and what a freeze all cycle entails.

I feel rushed in all my appointments and like questions are abit of an inconvenience- no one has really spoken about anything that could knock me off course for collection/transfer and possible outcomes.

obviously next time I’m going to make a point of making time for qs regardless but I wanted to ask if anyone else had a high follicle count and collection and FET went ahead as planned.

Thank you x

Hi OP,

I had this exact same situation. They told me on day of trigger that it would be a freeze all cycle. I used a different trigger shot so that my body wouldn’t get ready for pregnancy.

Your response sounds really promising,I ended up with 18 eggs on EC but during scans there was about 30 follicles that they could see.

I was gutted but it was actually a blessing in disguise,I didn’t realise how much IVF had completely drained me and the break really did me a favour.

OHSS can be awful and I read some research papers suggesting that FET is much better in the case of high responders to stims as your estrogen levels are lower.

im now pregnant,very early but very grateful to IVF ❤️ good luck for your journey!

Hey @Quaver9 so i’m just a few days ahead of you but similar circumstances. 36 years old, first NHS IVF cycle. Had three failed IUI cycles last year too. I had 3 scans last week and my egg collection yesterday.

was also seeing high numbers of follicles on my scans last week. On my last scan last Friday, I think I had 19 follicles on one side and 15 follicles on another.

I wasn’t made to think the numbers were worrying, but I was geared up I was now at risk of OHSS and as a result prepared to expect a freeze-all as opposed to attempting transfer this cycle, due to my body needing to rest and reset.

At my collection yesterday I had 25 eggs collected and today I was told I had 17 fertilised. I’m holding my breath but honestly I had no expectation I would see those numbers. Still a way to go of course.

and turns out I do have mild OHSS now - swollen and tender abdomen, a bit dizzy and nauseous, a bit painful to pee, but all okay!

definitely ask all the questions, I try to write mine out and take a notepad with me so I can make the most as I totally relate, it’s overwhelming in the moment of those appointments! Good luck in your appointments, scans and egg collection! 🤞

Thank you both that’s really helpful - sounds like I’m heading for a freeze all cycle!

Wish they were abit more honest with me about chance of not having a transfer this month as I don’t want to get too set up for something only to feel panicked or disappointed when we have to deviate - although suppose I have to get used to that in IVF!

@Cosyseason1234 whispered congratulations, keep us posted with how you get along with your pregnancy!

@SeeTheHope best of luck for your transfer, hopefully they will be at a similar time 🩷

@Quaver9 hopefully your clinic can confirm about the freeze all in your next scan.

I’ve found managing my own expectations to be one of the bigger rollercoasters of my fertility journey.

I don’t know about you, but I can’t take in more than one stage at a time 😂 there’s loads I still don’t know, especially all the abbreviations!

My clinic also isn’t always the most forthcoming, I sometimes wonder if they do that to try not to stress me out.

out of interest which clinic are you with?

I'm with a private clinic and had 20 eggs collected last Wednesday. Even then they said let's do a freeze all cycle.
Now we have 3 embryos frozen, and no idea, when is the first transfer planned. Is it usually the next month?
They are not good with communication either, so maybe I'll message them on Friday.

Hi @RitaDsZ

in my experience,it is the cycle after your bleed after egg collection.

good luck!

Hello, I'm 37 and had 33 follicles overall, with 19 eggs collected. They told me they still planned to go ahead with fresh embryo transfer but to keep an eye out for symptoms of OHSS. They didn't seem to worried to be honest. I then went in for another scan as felt quite bloated but I didn't pass the threshold of OHSS - my ovaries were 6cm and the threshold is apparently 8cm. All calmed down a bit and we went ahead with the fresh 5 day transfer anyway. Hope it all goes well for you. Sure the clinic has your best interests at heart.

@OneWaryCat so did you start progesterone on egg collection day anyway, or what was the medication protocol to prepare for fresh transfer?

Yes I started progesterone pessaries on EC day as they fully intended to go ahead with fresh transfer, they would only have cancelled if I developed symptoms of OHSS.

The pessaries made me very constipated and uncomfortable and it was hard to know what was going on which is why I went in for an extra check up scan before transfer, otherwise they probably would have just seen me on day 5.

Ok, thanks, that makes sense.
I don't mind then too much to wait a few weeks :)
I felt not too well for 5 days after my both EC.

Thanks everyone.
I’m with the Hewitt in Liverpool, NHS not private. I think the clinic is just giving me enough information to get me to the next appointment and not looking too far ahead so I’ll have to manage my own expectations I think!

Scan tomorrow so I’ll find out then if egg collection is Monday and how many follicles we’re looking at.
I actually feel fine, a little tender and bloated but I’m on day 9 of stims so sure that’s to be expected - although my understanding it’s the trigger shot which can exasperate OHSS so I’ll see what they say tomorrow. X

In my area we are entitled to a fresh and then a frozen transfer with NHS funded IVF, and if I declined a fresh transfer, i only got one chance at a FET.

Like you, I had a high follicle count (30+) and they responded very well to the treatment. I had 23 eggs collected, 10 made it to blastocyst stage. They did warn me I was at risk of developing OHSS, but still went ahead with a fresh transfer.

I developed severe OHSS about a week after the embryo was transferred (ovaries measured 15cm, the size of mangoes!!), and was looked after very well by both the clinic and hospital. OHSS gets worse initially if the fresh transfer is successful due to the rising HCG levels.

Going ahead with a fresh transfer resulted in pregnancy for me (I'm due in a few weeks!) but I would have rathered not have suffered with OHSS!

Thanks for sharing, lovely to hear you are nearly due! Congratulations.

The clinic haven’t spoken to me about anything beyond my scan tomorrow, I’ll find out more then, I think it will be their call not mine about what happens with any fresh transfers, but after two ectopic pregnancies and miscarriages I don’t think they’ll take any risks on a fresh if risk of OHSS is high - I get 3 cycles so there’s no urgency for a fresh transfer either x

Sounds very sensible, a few more weeks waiting for a FET isn't a long time, especially if you have a positive end result.

Wishing you all the best!

Wow @Goldpanther that sounds intense! Shocking and apalling that your nhs wouldn't allow 2 FET for you instead given the health risks but glad it all worked out for you anyway, despite the complications.