Just had the call from clinic to update us of rate of fertilisation following egg retrieval yesterday.
15 follicles, 9 eggs collected, none fertilised via ICSI. The embryologist stated none of the eggs were mature. She said I should have continued stimulating longer and that the trigger was administered too soon. She also said there were no issues with quality if egg or sperm. This was our last free NHS round. Has this happened to anyone else before? Awaiting a further call from the clinic to discuss.
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Vivkim
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we had similar, 24 follicles, 16 collected, 9 mature however were lucky to get 3 fertilised. They said they would lave longer to mature if we did another round x
It is common to hear that though NHS the fertilization rate is very low or none existent as your unfortunate case. I had 2 cycles with them and only 1 embryo we had each time at day 2 with an AMH of 35 😁. We moved to Spain and we had 96% fertization rate and thereafter successful with twin pregnancy. Move clinic don't even look back and take it as a free experience. I know there are lots of couples that are getting pregnant through NHS but I consider them either very lucky or their case was quite simple and straightforward. Good luck 🤞 and I am really sorry for your experience.
Thank you both for your replies. We haven’t spoken to the consultant yet. We’re clueless about how to select a private clinic. I’ve requested my file ready to transfer to another clinic but we’re so lost when it comes to choosing another clinic. I’ve looked on the HFEA website but they all appear to be similar in outcomes. I’ll wait to hear what they say later today.
No need to be daunted. Where do you live? I'm happy to recommend my clinic (through PM) if you're in London and I'm sure other ladies can offer recommendations in other cities. It does feel like a bit of a jungle out there but this community will offer nothing but honest reviews. Or even abroad if that's an option for you. Sorry that this round did not work out. Please do hold them to account over triggering early or not stimulating enough. The NHS is a free service - though we pay for it through significant tax contributions which are only going up - but that does not mean we should not care about their fck ups. IVF is gruelling on a woman's body so to just simply shrug their shoulders is unacceptable.
We’re in SW Wales but prepared and able to travel. The clinician stated yesterday that if we’re due an apology, we will get one but I also feel they were very ‘defensive’ and very unsympathetic on the phone so I’m not holding out much hope. Even if they admitted wrongdoing, I’m not sure we’re confident to remain with them for a further 2-3 months if trying again is an option.
We are filing a formal complaint/seeking an impartial opinion today just to distract ourselves from the upset. My point when talking to her yesterday was exactly what you wrote at the end of your post.
Recommendations would be gratefully received. One other member has also kindly offered to do the same so things are starting to straighten out.
The clinic couldn’t offer any answers at this time. We have to wait until the next panel meeting which is on the 12th June. We have arranged a face-to-face meeting on the 16th June. Heart aching, but that is their process 😢
We’ll occupy ourselves with pursuing other avenues in the meantime.
Better luck to everyone else going through this process at this time 💜
Oh no! So sorry to hear this. If it is their fault for triggering you too soon can you argue that they should give you another round as they messed up? I would definitely be trying to argue that although I suspect it might not be a successful argument. Did you have any similar issues on previous rounds that they should have taken into account and adjusted for. Make sure you get copies of all your notes to take to any private consultant you see after this.
Our first round was IVF. We got 8 eggs, 7 were mature and 2 got to day 3. Both were transferred but were unsuccessful. That was short protocol.
This time we had long protocol and planned to use ICSI. Suppressed ovaries using Suprecur for 13 days, upped strength of meriofert to 300 this round and stimulated for 9 days whilst continuing Suprecur. Antral follicle count was 15. There was a big range in sizes seen in my day 8 scan. I continued as per to day 10 scan and was then told to trigger. The clinician told me yesterday that as per their standard of operating procedures, enough follicles were in the range to trigger but she would not comment on whether she supported the theory that the trigger was done too soon.
There’s lots here from us to learn from that we’ll take with us moving forward. However, at almost 38, I feel the last few months have been wasted.
I had the same exactly protocol as yours only that mine was even shorter.I stimmed for 9 days and suprecar 12 days.I got only 4 eggs due to low quality egg and sperm and only had one egg fertilised day 3 which they didnt put much hope on that one day 3 embryo.Surprisingly my embryo got splitted to identical twin girls but lost them at 25 weeks due to Preclampsia.I would ask for another round since you had good eggs and sperms.So sorry for your experience dear
Thank you for sharing. I’m sorry for your heartache.
We’ll wait to hear from the clinic over the next few weeks and go from there.
I’ve made initial contact with two private clinics based on recommendations of the lovely members on here and have one further to explore.
I was advised by the current clinic today that they will carry out an independent review of our last treatment plan. They’ve been very prompt with communications today which makes us feel much happier about the whole thing. When I know more, I’ll pop an update on this thread as it may help others who find themselves in a similar situation. Here’s hoping there’s not many more that do 😕
Similar experience here but with a paid round. We didn’t feel we wanted to wait for nhs waiting lists. Was triggered too LATE!Eggs had already come out but they went ahead and did it anyway and all eggs were no good because of this. The pain of the retrieval was excruciating. I was howling and mooing like a cow.
We went away feeling very angry as I told them I think I’m ovulating and was ignored. Well they all died but one and then that one died.
2 weeks later we were offered a round for free on them fully funded and they admitted they made a mistake and I said I want something to stop me ovulating this time. I had an extra med to take because of this. All we had to pay for was donor sperm AGAIN as same sex couple. We didn’t do it straight away but accepted the offer. We had a little break and a holiday so we’re fresher. I also got stuck into the gym a lot to build myself back up. This stuff really takes it toll on your body.
Anyway I’m pleased to tell u we are 30 weeks preg with a little girl. 26 eggs retrieved. 15 fertilised. 3 left in the freezer still. Because they were the one that made the mistake and we knew that they knew that they almost were extra careful. If we would have changed clinics we wouldn’t have had that extra care and attention we had to enable us to be successful. They were almost treading on egg shells with us and so grateful we didn’t complain to a higher body. Now we are happy they are happy and to us they have repaired their mistake.
Just thought it was worth mentioning to you. Talk to them tell them your not stupid. Your also not a guinea pig they can just keep TRYING on. Give them an opportunity to make it right if they are willing to.
Thank you so much for sharing. My husband is nervous about ‘rocking the boat’ and from what you have shared, he may be right. I’ve just called the clinic again and spoke to a lovely and very helpful member of the admin team. I just hope my requests don’t fall on deaf ears.
Right up until egg retrieval we were very happy with the service the second time round. We were unhappy with dealings during the first round but we put that down to it being a learning curve. We’re kicking ourselves now that on the day 10 scan we didn’t ask more questions about timing of the trigger in relation to follicle size but that was not something we learnt from the first round as despite it being unsuccessful, we got 7 mature eggs out of 8, sperm was good and we got to day 3 transfer so we trusted that part of the process this time and did not think to ask questions prior to triggering. We know to now.
Waiting is the hardest thing but I know in a few days we’ll have distanced ourselves from it and it will be less consuming.
I’ll continue to explore the complaints procedure but maybe hold back until we’ve met with the clinician and embryologist on the 14th June before submitting.
Like you, I’ll work on my health in the meantime.
Congratulations on your success! I hope you’re well 💜
This is a very balanced view. It’s easy to think of it as they are bad and horrible and done this to us but we have to remember they want us to be successful. They want it to work.
I was told when our clinic had a meeting there were nurses crying about what had happened with us, there was also another nurse who stood up for us and voiced her. Concerns. The doctor we dealt with also had concerns so all put together in a professional meeting had the outcome for us.
We actually asked if we could deal with her for the next cycle and she came in early just so she could forfill this.
I think the moral of it is to keep reminding them you are human and want to make this right. We didn’t even start a complaint or contact anyone. We just sat and digested what had happened really and un he insight it was the best thing.
Doesn’t mean that is the right thing for you, go with your gutt. Be polite but also be strong.
They have scores to keep up, each time a round fails for what ever reason they get a cross and when one works they get a tick. For them to stay open and meet requirements they have to have success.
They told us this, so they do want to get you pregnant and aren’t just money making machines although that can be how it feels. There are more than enough people to help they don’t need to try to rip people off in order to make money. (That was info I got from the hfea)
Take a deep breath recover. Rest and meet friends.
Then look at it fresh.
And honestly all the best of luck for you. I hope it works out xx
You don’t know how much I appreciate you sharing your experience and advice. Extremely grateful. Fingers crossed we have someone on our side too. Time will tell and we will move on from this in one way or another 💜
This is similar to our situation (maybe not) we are on round 6 (5 round cancelled due to COVID). We always get immature eggs unfortunately. The first 4 where under NHS, we funded a private one and got a weak day 6 which is currently frozen. We aren’t putting our hopes on it as we aren’t sure how it will unfreeze - it was a bit dramatic after egg collection. We are due to start another private round in two weeks and they are hoping to double trigger us. So our follicles always look ready and great size during the scans (Stims for 14 days and then trigger) but when they take out the eggs they are immature. We got 10 eggs this time around and only one made it to day 6 but as mentioned is an average grade.
Definitely switch clinics - under NHS I had the worst experience. They were quite neglectful (but I am aware that it’s not NHS as per say probably the clinic I was at) but we are grateful for the funded cycles and all the information we now know. I had all long protocols under NHS (my last protocol and upcoming one is a mixture of long and short lol). It was gruesome on my body. It just floored me the whole process under NHS they cancelled a cycle and didn’t tell us and I carried on with stims until I called about something unrelated and was told the cycle was cancelled. I could barely function when I was on their protocols - I felt like a zombie half the time (very bloated and emotional zombie lol).
What I now reflect on is the fact that I didn’t advocate for myself enough. I just trusted the process but as someone mentioned they are busy and there are a lot of patients going through the same thing. Most of their protocols are standard protocols. It didn’t work for me but I know at least two others who it worked for (different NHS clinics). What I now do is ask what each medication is supposed to and what I should expect from it. I also ask at each cycle what’s happening? What’s the size? What would be ideal? I also log every thing that I am feeling because I found that the best indicator is my body. It just knows when something is ‘off’.
I don’t know what the future holds but taking some control over my own journey has helped a little. I would also say do keep in mind that evening though they seem sure that your triggered early there are soo many variables to this journey. Round 1 I was told I triggered early only to find out it was something else at round two. They are just doing their best - perhaps if it’s their fault you would consider them funding another cycle with a later trigger. With some NHS clinics if it’s their fault they will take on the costs to rectify the issue. That’s if you trust them for another round….!
Sorry mixed bag response here but hopefully something helps you or encourages you.
We had our review with a clinician and embryologist today. It was a gruelling hour or so pawing over the minute details of the last round but it feels like we’ve got answers to most of our unanswered questions.
To the big question…why? We were told they could not tell us. The embryologist explained in the 25 years he has been doing his job, he has never seen this happen.
When asked what they would do differently in future cycles, several suggestions were made. Doubling the dose of Ovitrelle (trigger) and giving greater time before retrieval next time were two that made sense.
We felt the embryologist was empathetic and understood the upset caused by the shortcomings we brought to the meeting. We were hoping someone would show empathy at some point, so when hearing this from him, I broke down. It was the first apology we’d heard from anyone at the clinic.
As we didn’t technically reach a ‘second attempt’ (much like a cancelled cycle), they agreed to apply for funding to attempt a third cycle. We’ll hear in 6 weeks whether this application is successful or not.
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Did they collect my eggs too soon? I feel let down by our clinic 
Sat waiting to be called in for egg collection
Egg collection done!
Egg collection
Help , all my embryos have not yet reached the blastocyst stage on day 5
