We have just found out today that our 2nd IVF cycle has failed, again, with nothing frozen. We just don't seem to get good quality embryos, from both cycles, ICSI for both (1st - 5 eggs collected, 1 poor blastocyst by day 5, 2nd - 9 eggs collected, 1 morula by day 5, everything else didn't make it) has anyone else been through this that can shed some light? Is it something that we can change, or is this just how we are?
We're so gutted and just don't know what to do anymore. Just feel broken and hopeless. We felt really positive this time with getting more eggs, but history has repeated itself and worried this is just going to happen if we try again xx
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Rollypops
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Thanks for your message and well wishes, wishing you all the best too!!
From the 1st cycle the blastocyst was a 1AB (5 is best, 1 is poor) think the clinics do grade them differently. The morula this cycle, they couldn't grade because it wasn't yet a blastocyst. Xx
Im so sorry you going through this Rollypops. Its a very big blow to take. I hope you have support in each other.
Perhaps early days to think about it but you were wondering if there is anything you can change. No positive story here yet but after second failed transfer i did change a few things. Put husband on extra strong Men vitamin (holland and Barrett) which seems to have everything like zink and vit d etc. I doubled my coq10 to 600mg a day and upped vitamin d. I added a iron supplement and myo inositol. I guess that’s pretty much what i got from my research and will see if it improves anything. But i need to do something otherwise i dont know what to do. Please do take care of yourself xx
Thanks for your advice hun. Not sure if the clinic can do more tests to see where to go next, it seems our first one was they give you meds based on BMI and AMH and hopefully it works. Just doesn't seem enough though when we're paying so much. Although it seems IVF is literally just hoping for the best until they get it right.
I was taking CO-Q10 Vit D, cod liver oil and folic acid. We could try so much couldn't we and never know if it works or not. Hope it works out for you soon! 💛
So sorry to hear rollypops! It is truly such a hard thing to go through. Take your time to grieve but speak to your clinic when you’re ready to think about next steps. Xx
I’m in the same situation as you, I found out on Friday that my ICSI FET failed and nothing left in the freezer too. It’s really hit me hard this time, I went back to work today but really wasn’t coping well so I’m off for the day and just think I need a few extra days to help recuperate, it’s awful feeling this way but you can’t help how your feeling so hoping that I’ll bounce back soon. Hope your ok, big hugs to both of us xx
Hey, sorry you've had to go through this too, it's horrendous.
I'm worried about that, going back to work and not being right, going off again and then it is classed as 2 episodes of sickness. It's hard to know what to do for the best. Look after yourself, and I hope you're feeling a bit more yourself soon xxx
Sorry you had another failed cycle. For me the only thing that worked was changing IVF protocol. I was previously doing short protocol and changed to natural modified. Big risk as focusing on much fewer follicles but our issues related to egg quality (rather than sperm - did you lose most embryos between days 1-3 or 3-5?) . I went from less than 30% fertilisation and average quality blastocysts to 100% fertilisation and top quality blastocysts and am now 20 weeks with twins x
Thanks for your advice and congratulations on your little twins! You must be over the moon! 💛
Out of the 5 eggs - 3 mature, 2 fertilised and 1 died off after day 3. Out of the 9 eggs - 9 mature, 3 fertilised, 2 poor and 1 good by day 3, only 1 by day 5. So in answer 2 your question, I would say both 🙈 will have to see what the clinic say I guess xx
Hi lovely, so sorry to hear your cycle didn't work - it's so gutting! I've also had a failed cycle, but I'm hoping with changes it can be improved (just started another cycle).
If you are doing ICSI does that mean your OH has sperm issues? We did a lot of supplements and lifestyle changes for my OH and his sperm count quadrupled, % of normal sperm went up 5 fold - I can tell you what we took of you like (needs to be for at least 3 months). We didn't do sperm DNA damage testing, but we're taking lots of antioxidants to mitigate what might be there.
Maybe ask for a lab report to see if any of the eggs were damaged by ICSI, or what the embryologist noted throughout the 5 days to get more information on what was going wrong / at what stage? Maybe you could try a dual trigger or a different stim medication next time? Hopefully your clinic can work with you to get some good ideas to move forward with xx
Sorry about your failed cycle, it's so hard, hopefully this next one is your time!
We were told he has morphology at 2%. He had been taking supplements this time round, so will have to ask if there was any improvements. Yes please? Be great if you could share, thank-you.
Will ask about this when we speak to our consultant. We wondered about doing IVF instead of ICSI this time, but they said that if they've done ICSI before they go for that again and don't like to take backwards steps 🤷🏻♀️ xx
Thanks lovely! My OH had 2% morphology also, but we managed to get it up to 11% and count from 9 to 40 mil. He takes daily 600mg CoQ10, male multi-vitamin, 600mg N-acetylcysteine, 1200mg fish oil. He also cut out most alcohol and coffee. We really feel it made a difference, probably the combination of antioxidants and lifestyle changes. Best of luck xx
No problem, hope it helps you too. I just get mine from health food store (like Holland and Barrett or my local equivalent) or supermarket, no particular brand just store brand usually xx
Not got a success story yet, but I read the book starts with the egg and totally changed my diet following 1 failed day 3 transfer and 1 failed day 5. Both times nothing to freeze.
I’ve not had a transfer yet (next week FET, did a feeeze all) but after swapping some bits around I now have 9 blasto in freezer. Praying they are good quality to become my baby. But thought I’d share my changes so far as I know that feeling. Oh and they put me in melatonin as they said it can help with egg quality...
Thanks Sarah, I've heard about this book before. Need to give it a read.
Did your clinic change some bits round or did you? Good luck with your FET next week! Hope it goes well. 9 blasts waiting for you is amazing! This must give you some peace of mind!!!
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