I'm on my second round of egg freezing and I'm writing again as I'm very dissapointed again. I'm lucky enough to have good AMH for my age (39) but I don't get many eggs as there is a huge difference between lead follicles and ones playing catch up.
1st cycle: I stimmed for 11 days. Menopur dosage at 112, 150, 187, 225. Trigger shot was 1ml of suprecur. They collected 10 follicles with 8 mature eggs out 28 follicles.
2nd cycle: I've stimmed for 8 days. Menopur dosage was more of a roller-coaster at 225,300,75. Today was my trigger shot (1ml of suprecur). This is what today's scan looked like;
1 at 21mm
1 at 18mm
1 at 17mm
1 at 16mm
3 at 15mm
2 at 14mm
3 at 13mm
2 at 12mm
4 at 11mm
4 at 10mm
2 at 9mm
1 at 8mm
2 at 7mm
Others below 6mm
We were aiming to get more that 15 eggs per cycle. Does this seem likely?? Do you think I triggered too early?
Numbers are important. I don't have a partner so I'm egg freezing. Which means I will lose 60% of frozen eggs before it even begins the fertilisation stage. I was aiming to have at least 30 eggs to give myself a decent chance and I'm so upset that despite good numbers, I won't get actually get them.
Grateful for any comments, experiences to help manage my expectations.
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Anonymous501
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Hey, I’ve just finished with stim phase and have about 6/7 good sized follicles that they can see with some smaller ones. I have been disappointed and nervous about how few I have, but my doctor keeps reminding me that it’s the quality they want more than anything and that keeps me positive.
With my first egg collection (last October), I had 11 follicles and they collected 7 mature eggs, 6 made it to blastocysts. I have a lower AMH for someone of my age (30 at the time with AMH of 9.73) so again, I was a little upset but the fact they survived to blastocysts showed that it was about the quality.
Sadly none have taken yet, but I’m hoping my new egg collection gives me a sticky little bean!
So I’d try not worry too much about the quantity as it’s the quality that matters. I know that’s easy easier said than done but I believe it to be true 🍀🤞🏻 Xxx
Good luck!! Hoping the new egg collection goes well! 🤞
I had mine this morning. Managed to get 16 follicles with 14 mature egg (out of more than 26 follicles). Much better than last round (where I had 12 follicles with 8 mature eggs, out of more than 28 follicles).
I am being treated for ohss by doubling my dosage for centrotide for the next 5 days. Its weird that 14 eggs can give me ohss and I had no idea that centrotide was used to treat it.
I hear what you're saying about numbers being less important than quality, but with egg freezing and the lower success rate due to 40% eggs not surviving the freezing process, its hard to not get hung up on numbers. If I was having IVF, I would be happy with my numbers. But 30 eggs was my aim but I now only have 22 which significantly reduces my chances.
That’s a good number of follicles. I was over stimmed and it made me quite unwell and they were thinking about cancelling egg collection. It’s not number, it’s quality. I got 14 eggs but only one blastocyst and I got my BFP last week so please do try not to get too obsessed with numbers. xx
Thank you. So was it the round with 14 eggs that gave you OHSS?
My egg rerieval was this morning. I got 16 follicles, 14 mature eggs. I'm also being treated for OHSS with more centrotide injection for the next 5 days.
I don't feel like I have ohss and I didn't realise that 14 eggs could give me ohss. And I had no idea that centrotide was used to treat OHSS, especially when I don't even feel like I have it. But I also know the symptoms can come on a few days after egg retrieval
yes, my only round so far. I had moderate symptoms but they eased and i didn’t have and treatment. Coasting me seemed to be enough. I was uncomfortable after collection (particularly when I needed the loo) but it definitely got better after a few days. They said if they saw fluid on my ovaries during collection they wouldn’t transfer but clearly it was fine. I think it’s a combination of number of follicles, eggs collected, how your ovaries look and estradiol. I rested lots and drank lots of fluid. Was fine in the end!
I stimmed with menopur 300ui for 12 days and cetrotide 0.25 day 5-12) only had 11 visible folicles i did use a double dose trigger of 10,000 Gonasi (5,000 x 2)
I heard a double dose trigger injection is better?
I'm 31 and ended up getting 9 eggs, 7 mature,6 fertalised and ended up with 4 embabies.
my first IVF was with 300ui Meriofert again with a double dose of trigger gonasi 15 eggs collected 13 mature ,10 fertalised only 3 embabies all failed.
more isn't always better i had better quality embryos this time 2 Hatching blastocysts never had that before.
maybe ask them about changing the trigger shot? look into that xx
our diagnosis is MFI we also used Zymot this round to sort the best sperm out
Thank you. Glad you got your embryos the second time round! Can I ask how long you waited between first and second round? Did you change diet/lifestyle?
I had my EC this morning. I got 16 follicles, 14 mature (out of >26 follicles measured follicles in last scan). First round I got 10 follicles, 8 mature (out of >28 follicles).
So I have a total of 22 mature eggs out of the 30 - 40 target, which significantly reduces my chances. I hear what what you're saying about quantity vs quality but it's hard to ignore the quantity when egg freezing is already an obstacle in itself. More eggs are needed to have a similar success rate to ivf.
Hi, I was worried about not getting the smaller eggs. I'm doing egg freezing which means I need more eggs than IVF to have a similar success probability.
I have good AMH and quantity, but they don't all grow at the same rate. Last time I got 10 follicles, 8 mature out of more than 28 follicles that were measured on the scan.
This morning, I did better at 16 follicles, 14 mature out of 26 follicles that were measured on the scan.
This gives me a total of 22 eggs out of the 30-40 target (as agreed with the doctor) which would be good numbers for IVF but not for egg freezing.
I actually think you’ve had above average rounds - I think maybe your initial expectations were a little unrealistic - I understand you want loads due to the freezing but some people just get 2 or 3 eggs in total and still go on to have a baby. Remember it only takes one. Good luck x
My expectations were guided by my doctor and my AMH. Based on those expectations, I only prepaid for 2 cycles instead of 3, as advised by her. Am now kicking myself because the 3rd round on the scheme would only cost £600 more but if I choose to do a 3rd round now, I have to pay 3 grand more.
At the beginning when they're estimating how you'll respond and how many eggs you'll get, they're going off experience based on not a lot for you individually. Sometimes women respond exactly or 'better' than predicted or much 'worse'. High numbers don't necessarily mean quality eggs or embryos, or that they'll stick. I also have a very high AMH (>41) but no PCOS so very high predicted numbers but turns out my body basically ignores the meds for 10 days then suddenly springs (inconsistently) into action with big lead follicles racing ahead, a load of middlies and lots of little ones. I got 9 and 5 mature eggs on two cycles with meds having to be constantly upped and stimmed for 17 days each time and that was only because I pleaded to keep going. Doctors do not understand why my body won't play ball. I have had to change my expectations as like you I was originally (early 30s) thinking of egg freezing assuming I would have loads with my AMH - I even thought I would have spares to donate. Fast forward to IVF and I have ponderings like perhaps we should have cancelled and changed meds, or if they'd just kept me stimming they would have yielded more eggs, but when do you stop and would the big ones have been lost. Maybe I should have been double-triggered. I just don't know.
I also get the financial bit - we agonized over whether to go for 1, 2 or 3 private package rounds and we had very little choice of clinics because of where we live and covid basically meant our local NHS/private clinic was so delayed as to not be an option. Now I wonder if we should have just paid one as then we may have had the choice to switch clinic after covid as the one we're with turns out to be pretty rubbish. You also wonder if you'd gone to a different specialist or had X test first, then maybe you could have had perfectly tailored treatment yielding the best results your body could manage or at least not 'wasted' money. But that means more delays and more money (including on treatment).
I don't know with egg freezing whether they can do anything different to what they do on IVF the goal is to get a good number of mature quality eggs so you'd assume it's the same. Your results sound really good and with my new expectations/project hope hat on, I would be thrilled with those numbers. Best of luck!
Agree! I was naive in placing so much trust in that confidence. Through reading this forum, I've come to learn it's all so unpredictable but I was still overly confident in my numbers. I'm definitely pleased with my second round now that I've had more time to think about it, it was the first one that was more of a shock.
I am going to ask for a discounted third round. But I have decided that I need to go ahead with the third round regardless. I have no idea how good my eggs are so I need extras to play with as I don't know when I'll meet my future partner and whether it will be too late to get more eggs. I need to bank as many as I can now.
I'm pretty sure egg freezing is the same as IVF in terms of getting a good number of mature eggs. We just have to put the fertilisation stages on hold until we meet someone.
Honestly, I don’t think you’ll get 15 eggs from this cycle- maybe 10, which, for your age is absolutely fantastic! I’d be very happy with it! You won’t lose them either once you defrost them, with vitrification these days the number of eggs lost is very very very small. Wishing you good luck!!!!🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻
This morning, I got 16 follicles, 14 eggs out of the 15-20 that was expected from my doctor and AMH.
Based on those expectations, I was advised by my doctor to only buy 2 rounds of egg freezing cycles rather than 3. If I had prepaid for 3 cycles, the 3rd round would only cost 600. Since I didn't prepay, I'm looking at 3 grand.
And vitrification rate isn't that great for eggs. The clinic told me to expect a 60-70% survival rate. So out of 22 eggs, I will likely only have 13.2 eggs to play with before fertilisation. And given that this is egg freezing, it's not as if I can just do another round of IVF when it fails. This is me banking all the eggs I'm going to use now.
I would be happy with those numbers if if was ivf but I now have a statistically lower chance of getting success and the reassurance I needed,despite good egg numbers and 'excellent' AMH.
You may have done this already but have you tried going to the doctor that wrongly predicted your results to talk about your dilemma?
I am surprised the consultant was so confident about your egg numbers. I am not surprised your figures were much lower at your first round as no one can predict how your body will respond to the IVF drugs even with “excellent AMH”. Perhaps he/she might help with navigating their absolute stance on making you pay the full £3k for the 3rd package considering you paid for 2 not 3 based on the consultants prediction? A lot of consultants tend to be conservative with predictions and I have heard many say the first round is a testing round.
Some clinics I understand will sometimes rectify mistakes by offering a free or discounted round.
Agree. And I can see in hindsight how I was naive too. I have gone back to ask about getting a discounted 3rd cycle so hopefully I hear back very soon!
But I have decided that either way, I have to do a third round to get the reassurance I need from this.
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