4th ICISI round 10 Immature follicles devastated

[Chegotsi]

Hi All,

I don’t know what to do. We have just gone for the 4.5 round of IVF (half round cancelled due to Covid just before EC) and we had ten follicles that had eggs. Lining looked great, nothing came up via the scans. Only for them to try ICISI and none of the 10 eggs where mature enough to fertilise with the sperm. We took a year between the 3rd round and this round to work on our diet. We got a nutritionist, i did a 360 with my diet which really improved my quality of life, I was religious with acupuncture and I had all sorts of tests done (FSH, AMH, Thyroid) all really improved over the last year. We had scans throughout to check inflammation levels and compared to before nothing was picked up. So to be here is very confusing and heartbreaking. We privately funded the 4th round and everything for it. I just turned 33, I have one left ovary and very small fibroids - not within the reproductive area. Due to my diet changes I have managed to get on top of my endometriosis. Do I just give up? 4. 5 rounds IS A LOT on my body. I am beginning to feel targeted. It feels like God hates me. I just feel so lost.

[Chegotsi]

Forgot to say - this protocol for the 4th round was totally different and it was with a different clinic. First round was busereline, menopur and gonal F. Second round was the same but no gonal F I can’t remember the medication I had on stims. 3rd round was similar to first round but higher dosage. 4rd round was growth hormone, gonal f and menopur.

[Hidden]

I am so sorry its such a hard journey. Have you had your follow up appointment? I would have that and see what they say but if they suggest just carrying on with similar I would be tempted to go to another clinic and get a second opinion x

[Chegotsi in reply to Hidden]

Hi Hidden thanks so much for your response. So we haven’t had a follow up consultation yet. I think they will schedule it next year which feels like years away! This week has been such a rollercoaster week.

The clinic rang to say the one egg they kept behind to study ended up maturing and it fertilised. It’s reached a day 6 blastocyst. But it’s a grade 4B I think - they said it’s a pretty average/ fair grade. I don’t really know how this works but their thinking is that it needed more patience and timing to develop into a blastocyst and that’s what they focused on. To be honest I am just as surprised that it’s reached this stage to freeze because I thought they just needed to study it and maybe come up with answers for us on what the main issue is.

I asked what they have learnt or if they have any answers and the embryologist said it must be the medication perhaps the trigger medication or that’s causing the issue. But she wasn’t sure - it’s all guessing games from what I can see. But she thinks the trigger injection is clearly not working or needs more time to help the egg to mature. From their analysis it seems that the trigger shot is just not doing its job.

The day after EC, I asked my consultant if he had seen a case like mine and he said he had only ever seen one other case. I don’t really know what to think - I don’t know if my body has an issue or if is never going to work. At this point this is all overwhelming. One positive is that we have never had a blastocyst in all the other 3 rounds.

[Seren0119]

I would say it’s not nutrition but your protocol.

I did short protocol, got 60% immature eggs. On my third cycle, I did long protocol and got 100% mature eggs.

My doctor said never do short protocol and never take cetrocide if you have immature eggs as it is “unforgiving” and won’t let them grow to their full potential.

X

[Chegotsi in reply to Seren0119]

Thanks so much for replying. What’s the difference between the king and short protocol? How do you know which protocol you have? It felt like the previous three cycles where long and this last one is a short one. Xx

[DianeArnold Partner Nurse Fertility Network UK]

Hi Samosa. So sorry to hear this after going through so much. I wonder whether a long protocol might have seen better results. Short protocols often entao; using an antagonish such as Cetrotide. This will prevent ovulation, but in some cases I have heard that it can prevent follicles maturing into the sizew you need to receive eggs when you have the trigger. Just my thoughts, but perhaps mention it when you go for your follow up. Good luck! Diane

[Chegotsi in reply to DianeArnold]

Hiya,Thanks for your reply. So I didn’t think I took Cetrotide unless it’s another name for fremadel, menopur, gonal F & ovitrelle. I definitely will bring this up when I go in for the consultation though. I am not sure I know the difference between long and short protocols? Which is pretty terrible since this is my fourth round. It felt like I was on meds for the longest time during the first three rounds. So I thought perhaps that was a long protocol. X

[DianeArnold Partner Nurse Fertility Network UK in reply to Chegotsi]

Hi Samosa. Make sure they explain the short protocol to you, so that you fully understand. Good luck! Diane

[Seren0119 in reply to Chegotsi]

This is short protocol - Fyrrnadel is the same as cetrocide. I would ask your doctor for long protocol (suppresses ovaries at the beginning - not in the middle - of your treatment) x

[Chegotsi in reply to Seren0119]

Thanks for your reply! It’s good to know all this - I definitely will ask the clinic if they can swap me for something else instead! Xxx

[Seren0119 in reply to Chegotsi]

Definitely - as Diane says, it makes a massive difference. Long protocol I got 100% mature eggs, but short protocol was a disaster….x