Failed IVF - chemical pregnancy

[Appleblossom31]

Hi all,

Guess I’m looking for some positivity/advice/reassurance please.

I had my first round of ICSI this month. I had 15 eggs collected, 13 mature, 7 fertilised normally, 2 made it to blastocyst stage. Honesty I expected more, but accepted that’s just the way it was. I had a fresh transfer.

OTD is the 23rd but I took an early test on 19th and 20th and couldn’t believe my luck when it was positive. However, yesterday started to bleed heavily, this morning tested positive again but bleeding worse and pain like a period. Based on my symptoms I’m assuming I’m having a chemical pregnancy. I don’t know what’s worse - getting a negative or having a positive that isn’t real.

Prior to starting treatment I had short cycles, probably on average 24/25 days. I would always spot early (brownish) usually 10 days post ovulation. I put this down to progesterone. I raised this with the clinic as a concern but they said they don’t test for progesterone in fresh cycles and would only give me pessary.

Is my chemical pregnancy likely due to progesterone or an abnormality with the embryo?. I’m lucky I have the option of frozen transfer but I’m terrified it won’t survive the thawing process or this will happen again. As I understand it they do test for progesterone in frozen cycles. Is there anything I should be asking the clinic?

Feeling very hopeless at the moment.

xxx

I am in the same boat as you. 4th cycle and 2nd chemical :( how did you get on?
During my first chemical, the bleeding got heavier and the test lines just faded out.
Sorry you are going through this. It is unbelievably cruel xx

Sorry @Dodeedoo you’ve had to go through this too. The same happening to me too - still bleeding, but my positive test just faded out. Did you have a chemical even with additional progesterone? What are your next steps? In finding it so hard to remain positive and hopeful Xx

Sorry you had a loss. In most instances there would have been something not right with the embryo that it was unable to finish implanting. I hope your fet is successful. We had a chemical pregnancy back in November 2024 after a fet. I honestly would have rather of had a negative blood test as I took was testing like crazy from day 4 to 6 which were negative so I stopped and I had a blood test on day 11 which came back positive but it was really low, the thought that I could have possibly already been in my second trimester now is what hurts the most but instead we have to start all over because we have no embryos left.

I’m sorry about yours too. Having to look at a positive test is awful. It’s very hard to get over what could have been - I keep thinking about that too. We only have one in the freezer and then if that doesn’t work we will have to start again. The financial burden is massive and I’m just so worried it’s never going to work. When are you starting again x

@Appleblossom31 hopefully Start at the end of the month. We have done this a few times and we have a few children but would love to have just one more so we decided to give 2 cycles a go and if that doesn't work then we will call it quits as our ages are on our side either plus I'm in premenopausal.. will you try next cycle to transfer the remaining embryo?

@Miraclemuma03 hope everything goes well. Are you other children via IVF? To be honest just having 1 feels so far away for me right now. Yes we wil have a frozen transfer, although needing to have a bit of break as I need to have a normal cycle and we also have a holiday booked. If FET fails we will need to start the whole process again! I’m just worried about our egg and sperm quality, I feel like we should of had more blastocysts given number of eggs, but this is something I am waiting to discuss with the consultant xx

@Appleblossom31 are you taking any supplements currently to help with egg quality?
Just ivf alone i have had 3 children, though we nearly had a 4th but unfortunately we had our little boy at 4months gestation. We have also had 2 miscarriages, 1 embryo didn't expand and didn't survive defrost and 1 embryo didn't implant at all.

@Miraclemuma03 oh I am sorry to hear that. Sorry to be so direct, but what was the reason you needed IVF? (Don’t have to answer if too intrusive). I’ve been taking c0q10, vitamin B complex, vitamin D and folate. I try and have a varied diet and exercise regularly. I rarely drink and I don’t smoke. Frustratingly my partner has made less effort with his lifestyle choices - has a vape here and there throughout the day, appears to have stopped taking vitamins. Im hoping when we meet the consultant it might give him a kick up the arse xx

@Appleblossom31 no not at all. i don't have fallopian tubes. You sound like your taking all the right stuff for egg quality. Ivf is a long process. Besides no tubes I have no other fertility issues but it still can take me a good 12 months for a successful pregnancy. I don't collect a lot of eggs and not all of them fertilise and even less of them make a baby. My problem is though I can fall pregnant reasonably quickly but I miscarry alot which is devastating and hard to go through every time so it means a lot of my embryos probably have problems.. but ivf is a hard way to have a baby and it takes a lot of physical and mental strain to stick with it and go through it.