IVF - the number slide

[Toffeepudding99]

I was fortunate enough at a grand old age of 39 to have 26 eggs taken at first retrieval- 25 of which were mature and 17 of which fertilised. It all sounded wonderful. We opted for PGT-A testing as we are sticking to a single cycle to protect our mental and financial position - and from 17 we got 5 blastocysts- again a great result. PGT-A confirmed 3 as abnormal 1 high mosaic and 1 euploid - our one shot. But it only takes one! So I’ll remain positive for transfer.

What I’ve noticed most in this journey is just how little i knew about my body. To get to IVF I had a laparoscopy to remove a cyst and clip a hydrosalphinx - but had my body been “healthy” without those issues it still at my age would have taken 26 cycles (over two years) to get that one egg classed as normal and with a higher (but not guaranteed) expectation to implant. I just wish women were more informed about this - so that all the women trying to get pregnant with all the stress and doubt that comes with it - know that when your mother tells you at a young age that if you have unprotected sex you’ll get pregnant- it’s a much longer slog than that.

[Caranne]

Thanks for this post. I think there’s so much that isn’t explained clearly and would have saved me so much some disappointment and heartbreak. I had no idea when they transferred several ‘top graded’ embryos that they could still be chromosomically abnormal and that even if they implanted it would be a miscarriage. Maybe they think you know this i don’t know. If i’d been better informed it would have helped me cope better. I feel like there’s such a emotional, physical and financial cost and you keep going based on this tiny chance you’ll be one of the lucky ones it works for but there’s so much stacked up against you especially as you get older x

[Toffeepudding99 in reply to Caranne]

For sure! We were advised because of my age to send any blatocysts PGT-A testing to try and give us the best shot- as we are only doing one cycle we went ahead - although we appreciate an “add on” to the already expensive cost of IVF isn’t doable for everyone - costs hit hard. When I found out that 1/5 was euploid I was overwhelmed with happiness - having learnt so much about the odds, whilst 1/5 may sound bad to some it means we have a chance. But at the end of the day the science part has now been done - it’s now over to me and what will be will be. But yes I agree it’s really important to be well informed at all stages. I’ve really been fortunate to have wonderful consultants and nurses on my journey.

[Caranne in reply to Toffeepudding99]

Yes it only takes one, wishing you the best with your transfer🤞Xx

[Babytocome]

I totally agree with you! If only we were better informed! I follow an American doctor, called “the egg whisper” from Harvard in Youtube and it has guide me so much to ask the right questions to my consultant. I am doing the ERA, EMMA, ALICE tests prior transfer also she recommends few supplements

[Caranne in reply to Babytocome]

Hey what is ERA, ALICE and Emma tests? Never been offered any of these tests and i’m 38 x

[Piggypiggy82]

I’ve never actually managed to get proper answers on this, but it seems the clutch you can get in one month through IVF (espesh when we get older) isn’t necessarily the same quality as you’d get the from same number of naturally ovulated eggs over the equivalent number of months. Even when we’re ovulating naturally there is a number of eggs available for ovulation each month, and then apparently some level of selection going on for the one that ends up being ovulated. So it might just be that your body will only have a low number of euploid embryos each month, but it can give you at least one euploid embryo in more months than 1 in 26.

My mother got preggo in every month that she ever tried when she was in her twenties, so I think the advice for teens and twenties is probably good for quite a lot of women… but yeah it definitely takes longer even without fertility issues when we get older and we just need to keep plugging away to find the good uns. 💪🏼💪🏼

Good luck for that lil euploid 😃xx

[Masief]

This is such a great example of the IVF funnel! I follow an embryologist called 'Emma the embryologist' she's a head embryologist at the Evewell. She breaks this down by age and attrition rates at each stage from retrieval to PGT-A for women over 35. You are super wise to take that step in your first round. My clinic never even suggested it and we wasted time and money. Good luck and thanks for raising awareness xx