Community post

Most people I know who did IVF got pregnant on the first or second try! There are a few that took a little more and then there's me who took 6 rounds...I know only 1 other person who took longer than I did at 9 rounds. Odds are in your favor that it will work! And if it doesn't work, you just keep trying! If I had stopped trying I wouldn't be going for a gender ultrasound in less than a week! Seems crazy to me because when I was where you are I was wondering if I would even have a baby at all.

Hello everyone:
So, i went for my blood worksand somogram today , hoping to start my stim,. Another hiccup in the process, i have cyst on my ovary so dr said that need to push back 2 week the stim, rx me with the pregnel shot.
So anyone have the same experience? Now trying my best not to worry about it..

Unfortunately delays are a part of IVF...delay stims, delay retrieval...delay, delay, delay... There's no way around it. I had an IUI cycle delayed a whole month due to a very large cyst. If it's small hopefully it will just go away on it's own with the bcp in the next 2 weeks. Delays are better than cancellations!

@mnor0406- Thanks for your comment! I am just praying this is our answer! I know we won't give up and if it doesn't work, we will keep going, but it's a lot to think about! I just feel like it cannot come soon enough. I would do it today if we could! So excited to find out what you are having!

And we are having... a little GIRL! I really wanted a girl so I figured I wouldn't get what I wanted and it would definitely be a boy but I was wrong! Can't wait to start painting the nursery now and go shopping for cute little girly dresses!

@mnor- eeeeeeek! That's amazing congrats!!!!!!! ð???ð???ð???ð???ð???ð???ð???

I have a question about embryo genetic testing. My AMH came back even lower from last years testing....I'm at a 1, which at 27 years old is low....it's like a 37 year old. Doctor thinks we might want to do two batches of ivf and then a transfer since we want possibly three kids. At this point, I could take one! What are your thoughts on genetic testing and doing more than one batch befor transferring??? Thanks ladies!

Lshrader - I definitely think that's a good option to consider. Go ahead and see how many follicles and ultimately eggs, you produce the first time though. Either way, if you are talking about a package deal up front, you can start with two transfers, then decide right before the first retrieval whether to proceed with another or go ahead and wait and implant the ones you got and save your second round in case the first doesn't work. Did that make sense?! You doctor should let you do that, so long as you purchase the two retrievals up front.

I'm 31 and my AMH was only .05. Even if I would've done two batches I might not have had enough for genetic testing (just b/c of possible damage with such a small amount) but I would've had enough to freeze at least. Now, who knows where will be on the next round of all this!

Is there a reason you need to do the genetic testing? Otherwise, you might just want to consider 2 batches just for the freezing aspect.

@thewaitinggame-Thanks so much for your response. Yes, luckily our clinic doesn't charge for the bundle up front, so if our first retrieval does not get enough eggs, we will work it in our plan and pay the difference for a second round of meds and a retrieval. I am so heartbroken that my levels are so low for being so young. It makes no sense to me. I have always had such regular cycles. I guess that is good...the eggs I have are good quality (hopefully), i just dont have a lot.

Well the only reason they suggested doing genetic testing is because IVF already already runs a higher risk of birth defects and issues (even though my doctor believes it doesn't have to do with IVF, but infertility) that it makes sense to do the genetic testing, especially since we are already going this far. My husband is really interested in doing genetic testing and wants to know that if we only have one shot at this, that its our best shot. Our doctor gave us a story about a recent patient. She had six embryos and he said that four of them looked really good. Two of them weren't that great. She really wanted to do genetic testing so they did. Well the four that looked awesome, came back with bad results from the testing and the two that weren't so "pretty" came back with the best results. So he said its just a gamble....he would have transferred the best looking ones first, and who knows what would have happened. She might have miscarried four times before they got to the other ones that didn't look great but really tested the best genetically. After he told us that, my husband was very adamant about doing the testing.

Our timing will be pushed back even with starting meds in Feb and retrieval in March, but I know this is not something we can rush just because we want a baby.

DH's count is really low also, so they are suggesting we do ICSI for sure.

So did you do one batch and transfer right away? or what exactly did you guys decide to do? Sorry for the long post!

Lshrader - it sounds like you really need to see how many follicles and eggs you produce before you make any big decisions! You really just never know what you are going to get! An AMH of 1 is not severely low, just low for your age. I felt the same way though... always had a fairly normal cycle, everything else seemed completely normal so I was very frustrated when my first AMH, at 30, came back so low.

On our first round of stims we only had 3 follicles, so the cycle was cancelled bc they didn't see the need to put me through retrieval with so few. The second round, they increased my meds to the max dose and I had 5-6 follicles, from which only 3 eggs were retrieved. At that point, we could've chosen to freeze and do another round, but with so few even at that point, the chances of them surviving a freeze weren't great either. 2 of those 3 eggs fertilized and we transferred both. 1 took :)

If you end up with enough eggs to where genetic testing makes sense, I definitely see the up side of doing it! You just never know. But you have to remember that the testing and the freeze can damage the eggs so it's all dependent on how many you get! This is just my totally opinion, but I would say you would want to retrieve at LEAST 6 eggs to consider the process... and then you have to see how many fertilize. If only a couple fertilize anyway, transfer them!

We also did ICSI, due to the very small amount of eggs to work with. I'm glad I did b/c chances are none would've fertilized without it! Even though I have learned now that his kidney issues could've stemmed from the ICSI... I was never warned about side effects of that. However, I wouldn't have changed anything b/c if I did I probably wouldn't be expecting this sweet baby boy in 4 weeks!!!

Have you done IUI's before? How many follicles did you have with that??

@thewaiting-I think i agree with you! It is just SO much information that they give you and of course you need to make a decision with how to proceed. I was shocked to learn my AMH level, but can only hope that because of my age, they eggs i do produce are good quality. I keep reading articles saying that doctors may tell you low AMH means bad quality, but some say there is no proof of that...its mainly your quantity.

Wow, I am SO SO happy you went ahead with that transfer! Yeah that is such a gamble, and after doing some research, DH and I feel like it might just be too risky to do the testing.

That is interesting about ICSI. I never knew there could be potential issues as well. Are his kidneys ok now? What a miracle! I am so happy for you!

We did two IUI's but they were non-medicated. I have my medical records, but i really do not know how to read them with my follicles. For my first IUI, my records indicated Total # of measured follicles for both ovaries were 17. For my second IUI, it says 2. Not sure how that can range so far, and every time i would go in, I swear they would do it SO differently. It was just never consistent. So i dont really know.