r/IVF

Hello all!! I just turned 39yo (f) my hubby is 43 (m) we have been ttc a year and a half. Some background
My test results r all good. Amh of 3.5. Clear hsg. Hubby has “ super sperm” according to RE. We are “unexplained” Tried timed and clomid and trigger x2. Failed. Tried one IUI failed. We have our first consult coming up for Ivf. I’m so nervous. I don’t know anyone who I’m close with / friends with who went though the process. Did you tell your family and friends ur going through it. Also wut shud I ask in the consult. Thanks everyone :)

TW: living child.

In March, I asked on the sub how to finish the process and accept failure. I was spiralling because of poor results of my ER. This ER finished with one morula that failed to implant.

We visited doctor, who told that the dose of meds were too low and we can try again. Doctor was right, we started again and retrieved 9 eggs. 5 were mature and they all didn't make it - stopped at day 3.

And at this moment, I can finally feel that I am done. I feel peace - no more ERs, no more transfers. I can have my life back, without all these procedures and waiting. I will enjoy it without guilt and pressure that the clock is ticking, I am getting older and I have to try harder to get pregnant with second baby.

My body was through a lot - 3 ERs, miscarriage of twins, 3 transfers, C-section. My living daughter is our rainbow child, our successful second transfer. I can hold a child and feel that love at least once in my life. I am incredibly grateful for that.

Opinions needed!! I am torn and really want to hear others thoughts.

If you were me, would you thaw and PGTA test your embryos?

Background:
-We want one more kid (had one naturally 5 years ago)
-7 grade A and B embryos left
-2 IVF MMCs in the last year (both at 9-10 weeks)
-one loss confirmed genetically abnormal, other was inconclusive
-all other recurrent loss testing is normal, including clear hysteroscopy before last transfer

My doctor and genetic counselor still don’t recommend testing them given we were 30 at time of ER and likely “most are normal”. But my husband is very heavily leaning towards wanting to test. I am still on the fence mainly to concerns about ruining embryo quality.

Would love to hear stories you did TBR your embryos!

Injected my last FET today🙏

I’ve heard to expect roughly 50% attrition between day 3 and blast - but curious if people have found it less than this for those with male factor and high dna frag? Our issue is 0% morphology plus 40% dna frag. We used zymot + ICSI but did not opt for a TESE. Currently we have >!14!< embryos at day 3 which I’m feeling hugely greatful for, but our doctor has said to expect attrition before day 6. Curious to know peoples experiences who were dealing with similar issues?

Anyone who’s a patient of CNY ESPECIALLY those who transferred from another clinic OR had all required tests and bloodwork done prior to starting with CNY I have a question!

So I had my CNY consultation last week and I have my follow up nursing call today. I transferred from another clinic basically for financial reasons as I’m fully oop and I’m doing IVF. So I have ALL required testing and bloodwork completed (which was confirmed by the lady I spoke to last week at my consult) so that being said I’m Just wondering what exactly happens during this call? Will they go over next steps and go over payment and have my meds ordered (like prescriptions put in)? Will they go over what my cycle will tentatively look like for when I do start? Just curious, thanks so much for any insight!! I’ve been waiting to start the process and I just want to get rolling so badly!!! 🤞🏼

I’m gearing up for my third ivf cycle.

I’m 41 with poor egg quality and DOR. I get pregnant naturally within a few cycles but miscarry due to chromosomal abnormalities. Sperm is normal.

First cycle: traditional IVF. 5 eggs retrieved, 3 mature, 3 fertilized. No blasts.

Second cycle: icsi with zymot and calcium ionophore. 8 eggs retrieved, 8 mature but only 1 fertilized. We transferred that as a 3 day embryo but it failed.

Should I do my third cycle with icsi or natural ivf? My clinic recommends icsi since that is what ”most patients do” but perhaps my old eggs don’t like icsi?

Hi all, this is my first cycle and I'm 40. I just had ER on Saturday and they've got 19 eggs. The next day it was 14, day 3 it was 11. But now it's day 5 and there's no update. Is it possible that they are all gone or just not updated yet? This is killing me

TL;DR: do I push for changes after a 1st FET fail using a modified natural protocol? Or keep the same as my doctor wants?

Hi everyone. I’m 36F with unexplained infertility and have never received a positive pregnancy test. My husband and I did three IUIs before moving to IVF. I did one egg retrieval and we did a FET in March with a day 6 4BB euploid embryo and it failed, big fat negative. I did letrozole, an Ovidrel trigger, and progesterone suppositories. I have extremely regular cycles and my doctor said my hormone levels and lining looked great.

After the failed transfer, I did an endometrial biopsy which was normal and some further bloodwork/testing. I had an SIS a year ago that was normal.

I did another egg retrieval and we are now planning to transfer a day 5 4BA euploid embryo. My doctor wants to keep the same protocol as last time, but will add baby aspirin. I asked if I should do a fully medicate cycle and she said she didn’t think it makes sense.

Is there anything else I can do or should push for so that the second one will stick? I did acupuncture last time. I backed down on working out which was hard for me. I went down to about 100mg caffeine a day - should I cut it entirely?

Any advice would be appreciated. The stakes feel so high.

I never imagined I would end up here after finally making it this far.
I’m 41 and my husband and I went through years of infertility, IVF, prior losses, and surgery to correct a partial uterine septum before conceiving our daughter Frances through transfer of a euploid embryo.
Before this pregnancy, I had:
- prior euploid missed miscarriage around 9 weeks
- 2 chemical pregnancies with pgta euploid embryos
- recurrent loss workup that was largely unrevealing aside from the septum
This pregnancy progressed much further than anything before. Anatomy scan was generally reassuring, though not all views were obtained. Then at 23 weeks we learned Frances no longer had a heartbeat.
Placental pathology so far has not provided a clear explanation. There was some inflammation/chorioamnionitis noted, but my OB does not think it clearly explains the loss and may have been secondary to labor. We are still waiting on additional testing/autopsy/genetics before regrouping with our RE.
I think I’m struggling with both devastating grief and also trying to understand where this fits medically after such a long infertility journey. Part of me is terrified this means there is some larger issue we still haven’t found.
For others in the IVF/RPL community:
- Has anyone experienced a second trimester/stillbirth loss after prior IVF losses and eventually had success?
- Did you pursue additional consults afterward (RI, MFM, genetics, immune/clotting workup, etc.)?
- Did your clinic change protocols afterward?
- How did you emotionally approach trying again after making it so far and still losing the pregnancy?
I know no one can give definitive answers, but hearing from others who have lived through something similar would mean a lot right now.

Just had a devastating chemical pregnancy after a Euploid Day 6 4BB embryo transfer on a modified natural cycle.

6dpt - clear positive on FRER
8dpt - beta 65
9dpt - beta 120!!! (DT 28 hours)
10dpt - beta 194 (DT 41 hours)
12dpt - beta 246 🥹

Home tests getting lighter daily since
I stopped all medications on 13dpt
Today is 17dpt. I’m waiting for a repeat beta tmr and hopefully start bleeding soon (I estimate beta to be <10 based on the home test line darkness).

Everything was perfect. Lining was 8mm trilaminar, transferred at LH + 6 (ERA proven receptive, hysteroscopy 1 month ago showed no scarring, polyp removed), had intralipids, prednisone, baby aspirin, clexane (stopped after 4 jabs due to pink spotting from 6dpt to 8dpt). My estradiol/progesterone levels were perfect.

The embryo implanted. And on time. But somehow could not progress normally.

Based on 9dpt beta of 120, I should have a clinical pregnancy rate of 85-90% and live birth rate of 70-80% with a euploid. But once again I’m on the wrong side of stats. This is infinitely cruel.

I feel like the only way I can move forward is to throw myself into another FET. To rebuild hope and find purpose, somehow. The prospect of waiting is agonising.

If you had a chemical pregnancy, when did you do the next transfer? And what was the outcome? Did you do anything differently?

I’ve been at a clinic in Wisconsin for 4 IUI cycles now. And have done all the screenings to start IVF. During my initial consult they knew we planned on a few IUIs and then moving to IVF, which is why I did all the screenings. But they never told me about a waitlist, and acted as if right after my final IUI cycle, I could seamlessly move into IVF if it didn’t work. Clearly, I should’ve asked more, I was hoping to start stims this month, but now have to wait 4-5 months to get off the waitlist.
Considering switching to a different clinic, as I’ve been unhappy with the level of care at my current clinic. And don’t feel listened to or taken seriously. I have PCOS, and I don’t feel they even consider that when prescribing my medicated IUIs.
This is the only fertility clinic I’ve been to, so I don’t know if this is normal to have such a long wait time.
Has anyone been to a clinic where they could get in right away?
I’m open to traveling anywhere in the US, so if you have a clinic rec with a shorter wait time, I’d be grateful! Especially if they have experience with PCOS and plus size patients.

I’m new here, so please forgive me if I am not in the right place but I need to hear from others. Here is my experience:

I conceived my living DS very easily 4 years ago. No problems. I easily conceived a second time 2 years later, ending in a 20 week D&C due to spina bifida. I took prenatals but clearly didn’t have enough folate in my body. This haunts me every day. I am very responsible and worry that my thoughts of desperately wanting a BG led me to this vicious cycle. I went through a dark period of grief afterwards, as well as the loss of my body’s ability to conceive on its own. I have done so many tests and been told that everything looks fine.

We eventually gave in and tried IUI, then proceeded with IVF. We had 3 PGT tested F embryos. First transfer worked but ended in MMC and another D&C at 8.5 weeks. I then lost my mother, adding immense grief to the already existing stress. Second transfer was either a failure or very early chemical.

We are down to our last embryo and I have lost brain cells researching about silent endometriosis and anything else under the sun.

Any experiences or advice would be immensely appreciated.

Yesterday we had our second egg retrieval. The first resulted in 6 eggs/6 mature/ 5 fertilized but all arrested on day 3.

This cycle has been rough for me with a lot of negative side effects to the fertility meds, but I was feeling hopeful because I had a lot more follicles (16 in total this time compared to 7 last time). However we only ended up with 5 eggs this time and just found out that 4 were mature and only 2 fertilized. I'm just feeling really defeated and realizing that we are likely to have to do many cycles and might not ever even get embryos let alone a pregnancy. For context I'm 36 with amh of 7 pmol or 1 ng/ml, and my partner has low count, motility and morphology.

I told my fertility doctor that I was happy to keep trying for as long as she will let us, but she said that she won't keep trying over and over if it's clear that it's not working. I know that a lot of people have been in the same situation but I'm just really sad today. I could really use some positive stories or advice from people who have been in a similar situation 🧡

What was your success with a story like this? We chose not to pgt test our 10 embryos. Did we make a mistake? Fet isn’t scheduled yet as we’re on a waiting list. But I’m super nervous from not testing.
I’m 30 yo and my husband is 37 yo. Unexplained infertility

How are people seriously affording IVF? I just received an estimate for the medication with my UnitedHealth insurance and was quoted almost $5k. I still have to pay out of pocket for PGT-A testing (roughly $2k) and whatever other random fees that will pop up.

Please send any advice on how to find affordable IVF.

I'm an IVF long hauler and don't know where I fit in. It's kind of compounding the trauma I already have from IVF and infertility. I don't fit in with a lot of peers and colleagues my age because I don't have children. Often colleagues etc., will ask me if I have kids as a way to build rapport and make small talk, and because I don't, the conversation just comes to a lull or they make some unintentionally insensitive comment.

But now I've come to realize I don't fit into online infertility groups either, and it's making me feel even more isolated than I already do. I felt like I kept stepping on tripwire with all the triggers and unwritten rules in a couple of the groups. I kept saying the wrong things, using the “wrong” terms, and getting corrected or called out. I felt ashamed and embarrassed and left. Like it's not a club anyone wants to be part of, yet I don't even fit into that.

I was recently banned from a sub where I’d been quite active (first time in 6 years on Reddit). That whole experience kind of sealed it for me. I'll always admit when I'm wrong, but I will also stand up for myself when I (and others) am being treated unfairly.

My therapist has recommended a few times joining an infertility support group IRL, but because of these experiences, I'm too afraid. I'm afraid of saying the wrong things. I'm afraid of not fitting in. I'm afraid of making my trauma worse, and maybe even other's trauma worse.

I guess I’m just looking to hear from anyone who’s felt similarly out of place. And if anyone has had good experiences with in-person or virtual fertility support groups, I’d really appreciate hearing about that too.

I need a transfer buddy. I was fully prepared for this FET to be cancelled but I found out today it’s not and I need to share my excitement with someone who understands.

Where’s all my May transfer girlies at 💁🏼‍♀️

Hi- Has anyone else kept their IVF mostly private? My husband and my parents know, but that’s it. I’m usually a big sharer, but for some reason I don’t feel like telling acquaintances or posting about it. Sometimes I feel weird for being so private about such a huge part of my life. Anyone else feel this way? 💛