1st failed round

hey there,

wondering if anyone has had success with ICSI? We had 13 good quality eggs but none fertilised so think we need ICSI. Hoping there are some success stories with people like us?

[JA-fnuk Partner Nurse Fertility Network UK]

So sorry to read your post . Hope you have people around you for support . Wishing you luck with future treatment For info about ICSI take a look at hfea.gov.uk

Take care

Janet-Partner

[Fruitandflowers]

I'm sorry, that must have been very disappointing. But we had success from ICSI. First time we had quite poor fertilisation due to a sperm quality issue on the day which ICSI didn't seem to be able to completely cure, but we got 3 top quality blasts. We then had to go private as NHS only did one transfer but that 2nd time we also went with ICSI even though there was no sperm issue then because it had worked to get good blasts once, and we got 100% fertilisation and all to blast - have a LG from that.

[Littlepip1]

we did - I wrote quite a long thing about our IVF if you fancy a read of a positive story and all the things we did. Our ICSI is 10 months old now 🥰

[MiniCeeCee]

Littlepip1 I would love to hear your story if poss?! X

[Hidden in reply to MiniCeeCee]

Tried for two years naturally as all tests normal therefore unexplained. 13 eggs but non fertilised - wondering why they didn’t do reuse ICSI. Public appointment in four weeks so awaiting a private appointment tomorrow. We’re told by the embryologist all spend and eggs good quality

[Littlepip1 in reply to MiniCeeCee]

So here is our story in full:

We had our first round of IVF when things opened up again after Covid. We’d had our first round cancelled because of the fertility clinic closures. Our first round was a failure on most fronts. Despite having great ovarian reserve I only developed 4 mature eggs. All of these fertilised but none made it to blasto. We had one Morala which we had put back. I started bleeding day 8 post transfer and as expected test was negative and full flow period started day 16PT

Some decisions: going into the first round I had a BMI of 29+ so I decided to postpone the second round until I had lost some weight. Went hardcode on the fast 800 and lost 3st in 3 months and we went into our second round.

This time the protocol has changed and meds were upped in an attempt to get more eggs. My consultant also told me to take 600mg of COQ10 which I did from failure of first round up to egg collection of second. My husband also took 300 a day. His protocol was changed as well - in the run up to egg collection he was told to ejaculate every day for 7 days with the final ejaculation being on the day of egg collection (this was so only the strong remained) He managed this.

Despite med change I produced less viable eggs, only getting three. Again all fertilised, but unlike the first round (and against all statistical odds) all 3 got to blasto with 2 being top quality. However only one was good enough to freeze.

Fresh cycle (transfer 2): the best embryo went back in. I had Accupuncture both before and after. Progesterone pessaries only. 2 weeks working from home during wait to relieve stress. Day 8 I started to bleed, by the end of the 2ww I was at full flow so knew the test would be negative and it was. Devastated - we had been soo positive because of the quality.

Frozen cycle (transfer 3): worked out for the transfer to go in on my birthday, but I couldn’t cope with that so pushed back to 2 days after. This time I pushed for lubion progesterone injections alongside pessaries despite having the right levels. I figured having more does no harm so let’s throw the kitchen sink at this. There was an extra cost but we were already in blood stepped so deep so though what the hell? By this point we were pretty hopeless. If the top grade one didn’t work then why would this? Even my partner who had been the voice of positivity through the other rounds had lost hope which I found very difficult - I don’t think I realised how much his faith in it working had carried me during the other rounds. This transfer I didn’t do acupuncture. I worked full time during 2ww. We went away for the weekend and I drank and ate all the wrong things. On Monday we had the frozen transfer. Morning of transfer we received the call that the embryo has thawed well and is already hatching (we’re told this is a good sign, but we still don’t dare to hope).

On day 8 I didn’t bleed, but thought ‘this is a frozen transfer so it’s different - it doesn’t mean anything’. On day 13 I still hasn’t bled, but we ‘knew’ it hadn’t worked - why would it? Day 14 3am I did the test and our dream of 2 lines came true, but the anxiety continues. A few early bleeds but strong heartbeat at 7 weeks

We now have our little boy after 6 years of the most unimaginable longing and pain. So it can happen.

If I was doing it again the two things I’d make sure of was the COQ10 (for egg and sperm quality) and the Lubion, but I think what I’ve learned is that it only takes one but it can happen even when all of you thinks it won’t.

[MiniCeeCee in reply to Littlepip1]

So glad you got there with it all, and thanks for sharing your story x

[Minnie92]

Hello 👋🏼 I had icsi in 2019 due to male and female infertility so they suggested that would increase our chances. I had 12 eggs and ended up with 5 good quality embryos - 1 baby born in 2019 and another born in 2021, very lucky and would definitely go with icsi if that’s recommended x

[Et88]

hi Hidden

I had the same here in Netherlands gov clinic. had 9 mature eggs and good quality sperm, were told they were perfect but on the 2nd day they told it’s a total fertilization failure. We were devastated tbh. They never try rescue ICSI here is what I was told

Next round, ICSI great response to STIMs with 15+ good size eggs but only 8 eggs were retrieved ( I think they timed it wrong) also sperm count was quite low compared to previous cycle

6 fertilized one 3 day transferred ( no luck this time with sticking) and they could freeze 3 day 4 embryos

So I will say definitely ICSI results will be much better

[Hidden in reply to Et88]

Thanks for sharing

[Hidden]

yes I was you few years ago and then tried icsi in the next round with 100% percent fertilisation 😊there is always a way be positive xx just make sure you are using a good clinic though, all the best and am sorry for your first round x

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Thanks so much for replying gives me a little light

[Gemma-P]

Hi,

Stay positive!

My first round I collected 20 eggs and none fertilised even though we had no issues with sperm / egg quality. I was absolutely devastated and heartbroken as I thought that meant it was the end of the road.

Second round I collected 11 eggs and all fertilised with ICSI. I had 9 make it to day 5, had a fresh embryo transfer and froze 5 of the top quality embryos. I’m currently 24 weeks pregnant.

Sometimes it’s just about getting the protocol right and I can see that now in hindsight.

[Hidden in reply to Gemma-P]

This gives me so much hope thanks for sharing

[Nakijo in reply to Gemma-P]

Congrats. How old were you?

[Gemma-P in reply to Nakijo]

I’m 31 x

[Flare90]

Hi

Sorry to hear that, ICSI will make a difference. On my Second IVF, I got 18 follicles, 12 fertilized and 1 only made it to blastocyst but it was a very good quality.

However, the transfer failed but I am not giving up 💗

[Estherlovescats]

I did 2 failed rounds with icsi and got a positive pregnancy test the first month after trying naturally. I spent 6 months reading social media fertility groups. From what i can gather icsi works for some and not others. There is also a body of evidence to say the egg likes to choose the sperm. Has your partner had any dna frag tests. Has zymot been considered. I think too much emphasis is placed upon women when men are 50% of the equation. Take care. All the best. X

[HopeOfYou]

Hi lovely,

we had no female issue (well, I discovered later I had a raised TSH, but the NHS didn't flag it), and male issue with low normal form (but a good number of sperms).

First round with the NHS we got 11 eggs, but only 5 fertilised normally. Of these, 3 became blastos, but not good quality. I suspect this was also due to their incubator breaking, and they moving the embryos onto another incubator. They didn't tell us anything though.

Anyway, second round with NHS, they only accessed 1 ovary, got 5 eggs, only one fertilised and was transferred on day 2. Positive, but ectopic.

In both cases, the fertilisation rate was quite low.

So we moved to private (NHS funding run out anyway), and did ICSI. They got 8 eggs, 7 fertilised, 2 were transferred on day 2 (negative), of the remaining embryos one became a good quality blasto who was frozen and transferred a few months later, and is now a very healthy 4yo DD.

I think ICSI did help in our case. I think that low normal forms may mean that there's something that might affect the part of the sperm that tries to enter an egg, even though the "content" of the sperm is perfectly fine. But I'm no embryologist 😅

Good luck with your search!