First round IVF

[Millbanks]

Hi ladies,

I’ve just joined this group today as have been looking for one for a while. I’ve seen some really amazing support between you all 💖

We’ve just completed our first round of ivf and am feeling pretty blue.

I was petrified of doing this as am a needle-phobic and the thought of injecting so much was not exciting. But it was a whole lot easier than expected and I think it actually brought me and fiancé closer as he was the one injecting..

Anyway, we had the egg collection last Wednesday and they snaffled 17! stoked!

Then we found out 13 had fertilised - amazing!

Today we find out we have 1 blast which were freezing until after our wedding in September.

Gutted.

Is this normal? I was expecting at least 5 So massively got my hopes up.

I know I should be grateful for the 1 but I can’t help feeling crap.

Has anyone else experienced this?

Xx

[Drives]

Hi lovely and welcome!

Hope you find joining the forum helpful. There are some really wonderful, supportive people here. They've really helped me through this crazy journey.

Congratulations on getting through your cycle of IVF. We had really similar numbers - 17 collected, 13 mature, 10 fertilised. From that we had one really good grade blastocyst that we had transferred and there's one in the freezer. We got a BFP with our first transfer so try not to be disappointed - it only takes one at the end of the day 😘 🥰

Wishing you all the very best for your upcoming wedding and transfer x x x

[Lots8788]

Hiya and welcome

I'm not sure what is normal I'm afraid so can't comment but so pleased you have 1 still. That's all it takes and hopefully that'll all you'll need too. Have everything crossed for you and all the best for the wedding too! xx

[Millbanks in reply to Lots8788]

Thank you! It is good to have something else to focus on xx

[Solly-44]

Welcome!

Eeek, a wedding and a transfer to look forward to!! I know that there are statistics for what’s ‘normal’ but I’d try not to worry about it or compare yourself to other people’s figures.

I got a tonne of eggs but so far no luck, my best friend had similar figures to yours all through - her 1 and only embryo at day 5 is now the cutest toddler. Like Drives said, it really does only take 1. Wishing you all the luck, keep us updated xx

[Millbanks in reply to Solly-44]

Thank you 😊 it’s so crazy who it sometimes works and sometimes doesn’t. Wishing you lots of luck too xx

[Millbanks]

Thank you! It’s so good to hear that. I know everyone’s journey is different but it’s so hard to not get your hopes up at every stage, especially if you don’t know what to expect.

Congratulations on your first transfer working 😬💖

Do you have a little one now?

Xx

[hannahkc]

Hi Millbanks, good work on your cycle and congrats on the upcoming wedding!

It's a really tough numbers game of how few embryos make the grade, I can understand how deflating it is when you start with many and just the one lil ball of cells makes it to 5 days.

Have your clinic explained any more in terms of why they couldn't keep the others?

Wish you all the best for the transfer and a good idea to freeze and wait as sounds like you have a big month or 2 ahead!

Hx

[Millbanks in reply to hannahkc]

Hi Hannah

Thank you!

I know it’s so hard. They didn’t really go in to detail, just that some grew and some didn’t...

I guess it makes it slightly easier to understand why we weren’t conceiving as out of 17 we just got the 1.

Xx

[Kiedy84]

Hi hun ,welcome to the forum. I hope to bring you some hope. I had 11 eggs collected, all fertilised, 7 developed and survived till day 3 but on our transfer day on day 5 we were told only one survived, I was happy of course because we had one to transfer but so gutted we have lost others and didn't have anything to freeze but now I am ..11 weeks pregnant with that one little fighter 💪

Good luck with everything, you did it and well done🥰🥰🥰

[Millbanks in reply to Kiedy84]

Awww that’s amazing! Congratulations! It’s really just luck isn’t it! That does make me very hopeful. Thanks for sharing. 🥰

[KOT7]

Hey

My wife had 22 retrieved.. 14 mature.. 4 fertilised.. 2 blastocysts.. So. Sounds like similar numbers! As they say, it only takes one xxxx

[Millbanks in reply to KOT7]

Wow ok, that’s really good to hear. Thanks for sharing xx

[LKT1]

Hi Millbanks and welcome 😊

I had a bit less and had 12 follicles. 9 were collected 5 of those had mature eggs and all of the 5 fertilised. Only 3 survived over the first night. Only 1 survived the second night but didn’t get to blast stage. It was transferred on day 3 anyway but sadly didn’t work. I’m having second round now and they have switched my meds to see if it will improve egg quality to increase their survival rate once collected. I’m trying to feel hopeful because there are lots of success stories with only one. Best of luck with your frozen emby and your wedding.xx

[Shinyhalo1]

Hi and Welcome it is a fab place to be is this. Lots of support and advice.

I had 22 eggs retrieved 18 fertilised but only 2 made it through to the ‘final’ as I like to call it both grade A’s.

I had one put back in May but had a negative on the test date and have the 2nd one going back in in August.

Good luck xxx

[Millbanks in reply to Shinyhalo1]

Thank you. I really had no idea that the final rate was literally 1 or 2 embryos. Definitely makes me feel better.

Sorry to hear that transfer 1 didn’t result in pregnancy. Do you know why?

Wishing you all the luck for August xx 🥰

[Shinyhalo1 in reply to Millbanks]

Yeah it was devastating at the time because I was a bit naive thinking we’ll there can’t be anything wrong and 2 of my friends both got pregnant 1st time on IVF- so had my head in the clouds I think.

The clinic has no reasons behind why it didn’t work which I hate because I’d rather they say ‘oh this is wrong, so we’ll do this and it will be all good’ but I know in reality that isn’t the case. So they are just changing the meds and we’ll go again. We’ve gone private first time but will have to apply for NHS IVF after this should embryo 2 not pull in a win for us. Just a wait and see scenario! Xxx

[Millbanks in reply to Shinyhalo1]

I think it’s as important to hear the stories of it not working, as much as those amazing first timers. So you can balance out your hopes...

Fingers and toes crossed for you xx

[Shinyhalo1 in reply to Millbanks]

Thank you 🙏 xx

[Oxfordgirl]

I think you have to break it down by phase - 17 eggs collected is v good, means you have a good reserve and responding well. 76% fertilisation rate (assuming all 17 were mature) is also v good. How many were normal at day 3 check? 1/13 making it to good enough quality to freeze on day 5 is indeed low, it means if you may need another full stimulated round for #1 or for a sibling. Talk to the clinic to understand what’s happening post fertilisation and what they would do differently to improve these numbers next time so that you’re well informed. All the best with the wedding, try not to stress.

[Millbanks]

Thank you - that is a very good point. I'm not sure how many were normal at day 3 because they only contacted us to say that 13 had fertilised on day one, then 1 one day 5.

I will ask them...

x

[Millbanks]

Little update: just had a call from the embryologist who said another 3 blasts have grown overnight 😮😮😮

Absolutely stunned!! So we have 4 now! 💖💖💖

[HopeTTC18 in reply to Millbanks]

Great news. I’m a big champion of day 6 embryos since I’m currently 5 weeks pregnant with one x

[Millbanks in reply to HopeTTC18]

Woohoo!! 🥰

[Frussy]

Good luck with your transfer

Is take just one..a little hero ❤️

I had 21 eggs collected, 9 fertilised but just 3 made till day 5

The most important is to focus on the one that is waiting for you xxx

[Millbanks in reply to Frussy]

Thank you!! Xxx

[Hope25]

Hi Millbanks,

I am currently on meds but IVF is my next step. I was just wondering if you could talk me through it - I have read up on here - it all sounds very technical

[Millbanks in reply to Hope25]

Of course! PM me and let’s chat xx

[Char1302]

Don't feel blue, I only had two eggs that fertilised out of 6 (which wasn't a great collection anyway) and out of these two only one survived to Day 3 so they decide to put the one remaining back in to give it the best chance possible. With us only having the one embryo to put back in and it being graded average, I had sort of written the first round off however I didn't give up hope and I'm now 20 weeks pregnant with a little girl best of luck to you on your journey xxx

[Millbanks in reply to Char1302]

Awww that’s amazing 🥰 congratulations! Great to hear xx

[Char1302 in reply to Millbanks]

Thanks ❤️❤️ it really does only take the one xx