My partner and I have had x2 fresh rounds of IVF, both resulting in only one embryo due to low fertilisation (poor sperm quality and poor egg quality being our unfortunate challenges).
Our first round resulted in a pregnancy but we sadly ended up having a miscarriage as there was no heartbeat at our 8 week scan.
The second round also didn’t work and I got my period before the end of the 2WW which was also crushing!
We are giving it one last shot next month and I feel overwhelmed to say the least. Are there any absolute must have tips or advice you all have that you feel have made a difference to a successful IVF journeys or even just getting more viable embryos if you have had similar issues with low fertilisation?
Thanks SO much in advance! Xxx
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SVW86
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yes we used ICSI both times, and will again for our final round. Just wondering if anyone has a magic tricks that they have used that helps with low fertilisation? Xxx
I don't have any I'm afraid. It does vary round to round though. There's a thing called zygmot which others might have experience of. It's meant to select the best sperm ... X
I am sorry to hear this. The embryologist spoke to us about a substance that can be applied and boost the energy and then fertilisation rates . I don't know how to write that down as they told us by phone but maybe try to discuss it with them?
Sorry to hear this. Does your clinic offer assisted oocyte activation with calcium? There’s a few threads on it here and I’ve just used it to great success. 💜🙏
I second Assisted Oocyte Activation! I went through 6 rounds with low fertilisation until my clinic mentioned it!! It was only £200 and lo and behold it worked and I got pregnant! Not saying it was just that but I believe it helped! Good luck!
I am sorry about the difficulties you are going through. Have you read 'It all starts with the egg'? We found it really helpful in terms of dietary and lifestyle advice. Perhaps worth talking to your clinic about supplements that help with egg and sperm quality? Our clinic recommended Proxeed for both me and my partner. We also added Coenzyme Q10 in the form of ubiquinol, Vitamin D spray and probiotics (both oral and vaginal). Very best of luck with your next round!
Not sure what your clinic's recommendation is in terms of days of abstinence, but we were recommended 36 hours in our lucky cycle. Previous advice was 3 days, from a different clinic.
Are either of you taking any vitamins? Our first two rounds were a disaster but we both started taking 300mg of coenzyme q10 3 times a day once with each meal on top of the pre conceive vitamins we were already taking. There is some very limited research that shows coq10 can improve follicle number egg and sperm quality. We took a few months gap to give the coq10 time to take effect, this was the advice our consultant gave us. I was also given testosterone gel to take during stims as there is again some very limited reserch changing the environment in which eggs are grown can have an impact. When we started our 3rd round I had already decided it was going to work so was far more relaxed and not as strict with my diet just ate what I wanted etc even started planning a holiday to Egypt for when it failed. But it was successful. Can't say for certain if it was the cq10, testosterone gel, mindset or a combination of them that helped but the difference in we had was massive, full story in my profile. Good luck.
Agree with StarsAllAround supplements like CoQ10 and vitamins can help with fertilization a lot. May be worth taking a 3 month break to get healthier sperm?
Does OH have a "diagnosis" for "why" his sperm is low quality? There are a lot of fruitful avenues if you know "why."
If not investigations like a full endocrine panel may support getting better sperm. Also, ensure he's not doing anything "silly" in the background like protein shakes or other "supplements," cycling etc. Lots of men have discovered cleansing of all supplements and protein add-ons result in a lot better count/quality. It does take 75-90 days to start seeing improvement - so a break could be beneficial.
Thank you for the tips, yes we’re on CoQ10 and vitamins. I really wish there was more investigation into “Why”, but it doesn’t seem to be the case on NHS. If anyone has done further testing privately on the side, please do let me know! Thank you!
After a poor fertilisation rate on our first try with ICSI (7 fertilised out of 21), our clinic added calcium ionophore free of charge, and the second round was significantly better with 12 out of 21 fertilising. Still not great as we had very severe MFI, but much better.
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