Third cycle - switching from short to long protocol - low AMH

[Rhubarb5]

Hi everyone,

I am going to start my 3rd cycle with my next period. I have done the short protocol twice. We are getting embryos but they are not making it to day 5 blastocysts. Dr thinks there is an egg quality issue linked to low AMH. He has suggested trying the long protocol this time. Has anyone with low AMH had success switching to long protocol? I find it weird switching to long as I thought short was better for low AMH. I guess it's all a bit trial and error. Thank you for your help. xx

[Betty08x]

I also have low AMH and have been through 3 cycles of short protocol with the NHS. Managed to get one good quality blastocyst each round - 2 BFN’s and one chemical. Im currently on my first private round and the doctor put me on long protocol, I have had my best fertilisation rate so far and got the news today 2 embryos made it to blastocyst which is a first for us.

Not at the finish line yet but so far it’s got us better results 🙏🏼

Best of luck with your next round! 🤞🏼😘 xxx

[Rhubarb5 in reply to Betty08x]

Hi Betty08x, Thank you so much for your reply. That's great to hear you have had your best fertilisation rate this time and you've got 2 blastocysts! And reassuring to know the long protocol can be better for some of us - I'll try and stay positive. Best of luck with your cycle! xx

[zytajones]

Hi Rhubarb,I have extremely low AMH for my age and my clinic never wanted to try short protocol with me as I respond well to the long one. The first cycle few years back gave me my son (we had 5 top quality 5 days blasts), second cycle gave us 2 top quality 5 days blasts and the third one had to be cancelled just before the egg retrieval as I got Covid but it did look like they will manage to collect around 5-6 eggs.

I hope this will work for you!

Good luck.

[Rhubarb5 in reply to zytajones]

Hi zytajones,Thanks so much for your reply and for sharing your experience. Sorry to hear your cycle was cancelled due to Covid, that must have been really frustrating. xx

[Bella_Bee]

Yes! I had a short protocol with donor sperm where none of the embryos made it to day 5.

6 months later on a long protocol I got pregnant with the first transferred embryo and have 6 more in the freezer. I changed country, clinic and sperm donor though so it may well have been a mixture of all those things but ultimately, long protocol was heaps better for me.

Best of luck! X

[Rhubarb5 in reply to Bella_Bee]

Thank you so much for replying and for sharing your experience. Interesting how some people respond better to one or the other. Hoping it will be the same for me! xx

[Bella_Bee in reply to Rhubarb5]

I really hope so too. My AMH was 9 by the way and I took DHEA, CoQ10, high dose folic acid (1mg) and melatonin in the three months before the second round. I made 15 eggs and 7 embryos made it to day 5.

[Rhubarb5 in reply to Bella_Bee]

Thanks for sharing. That's a great result. I am just on Ubiquinol but hoping it makes some difference! xx

[Soulbaby]

I have low AMH, cyst on the left ovary. I had my first cycle of short protocol. Collected 5 eggs but none of them fertilized. NHS suggested me to do a second cycle with long protocol. I had the same concern as you. Especially my egg quality were so bad on the 1st cycle. I am in the middle of my cycle. Let's hope it will be better for us.

[Rhubarb5 in reply to Soulbaby]

Best of luck. I am in the middle of mine too. xx