7th Natural cycle IVF(w/o meds) and finally BFP!

[Briss]

dovkav, well done on being so proactive and trying different things. I so hope this IUI works for you! my first AF after HSG was also very heavy and unusually painful. I have used the organic pads but they are just not enough for heavy days, I need something more … well plastic to hold everything in sorry for TMI, but I will give the organic ones another go.

I am Ok but ever so slightly depressed… my new clinic took its time to allocate a doctor for my next IVF and then they put me on a waiting list for the initial appointment so no idea when we can start the next IVF, most likely May if not later. I will be 38 soon…

 

[dovkav123]

I had 23mm follicle during IUI, 12mm uterine lining, My dr. used a tubal catheter, cos it's very flexible and thin. I felt a cramp during the procedure. Dr.told me that bleeding it is normal. I did have a drop of blood an hour later and I had in the evening brown spotting too.
I didn't bleed last month.
I am testing around 24th at home.
Praying and hoping for a good outcome.

Briss, your hubby will have more time to heal. You are on the right path right now. You are going forward slowly like we do....baby steps, one at a time.
Do you beleave in COQ-10 and DHEA for a better egg quality?

 

[DBZ34]

The follie sounded like it was nice, big and ready for fertilization! I hope this IUI is it!

I had a cramp during the catheter insertion for my IUI, but no bleeding afterward. My nurse said it was normal to have some spotting/bleeding after though. What kind of catheter did they use before?

I am very much looking forward to the 24th! Hoping and praying for you!! I hope you get your BFP!!

 

[dovkav123]

5dpIUI today and I have nothing excited to report. However, we all have hope...

Yesterday I met a woman with 2 young children. She didn't get pregnant for 10 years. She had a LAP done and one of her tubes were blocked and another was very narrow. She got preggo only with a help of hormones. She was 37 y/o. Another baby she conceived a year later. It was a big suprise.
She keep telling me, you'll get preggo soon, it will happen...

Sending you a sticky and preggo vibes

 

[dovkav123]

14dpiui was BFN.
My hubby wants to do another IUI. NO more for me... I have rested enough. It was expensive one.
I am ready for another IVF shot!
I called clinic for sperm dna testing. Nobody called back. I'll try again tomorrow.
Feeling cramping, I really hope this AF will be milder than last one.

 

[dovkav123]

So ladies, after 2 test cancelations, lots of thinking and debating we did a sperm dna test.

I think we are doing a natural cycle IVF.

The sperm results should be in 2-3 weeks. I have an appointment on Friday for u/s on CD8. Possible ER on Monday or Tuesday.
My dr. wants us to wait till the results. She doesn't have a treatment for a high fragm sperm anyways. We are doing for our own peace and mind. However, If we do IVF and we get lucky than we did dna test for nothing...
His morfology improved from 5% to 19% last month. Motility improved from20% to 30%. He is on the normal range. I think we need to do IVF and hope that the sperm is still in good shape for this April cycle.
This time during IVF I'll ask my dr. to test my hormones during egg retrieval and after an embryo transfer. Maybe I need some extra help for my TWW.

 

[DBZ34]

I hope this natural IVF works for you! The fact that your hubby's sperm quality improved is great. Maybe all you needed was improved sperm to make your IVF successful. I think having your hormones tested could be a good idea too.

Oh, dovkav, I really hope that this month is it for you. Christmas babies all around!

 

[Briss]

dovkav, well done on persevering with natural IVF. I am rooting for you. hoping that DNA fragmentation test is going to be fine. what an impressive improvement in morphology from 5% to 19%!! what was your DH taking?

afm, My clinic finally found it in them to get me an initial appointment somewhere mid May which seems like ages away and moves me ever so closely to being 38. I really cant wait to start our next IVF (I honestly do not know how many IVFs it is going to take but I want to carry on for as long as we are able to so the sooner we can start the better really)

DH is due to repeat his SA but he is postponing it for as long as he can. I have to say that his treatment is definitely working, much more sex than ever before and very little nagging on my part is required. definitely more facial hair and aggression – I guess he did need extra testosterone.

My ovulation is back to CD 11 which is annoying so I will be doing EPO next cycle. I am also back on fish oil, coq10, pregnacare, vitamin C after O, grapefruit juice. I decided I will not go back to Chinese herbs and acu but I will try to have more reflexology and massages

 

[dovkav123]

My hubby's sperm improved cos
1. he quit alchohol for 3 weeks dry and now he has a glass of wine a day.
2. we have sex every 2 days
3. I give him seeds with honey, vitC 500-1000mg, zinc, selen, CoQ-10, vitD, vitE1000mg.
3. He quit caffeine. I give him ginger, red clover, cinammon tea with honey instead.
4. He has less stress and sleep more.

Briss, May is such a beautiful month and i know it's a right time for you guys for IVF. I hope and pray this is it!
I am positive 100% that your hubby's swimmer are improving every day. He'll get a good reslult.
Fertile aid may help to improve your cycle. What is EPO?

DBZ, Thank you for an encouragement.
It is our 9th intensive fertility treatment. We didn't ttc naturally at all. If our first IVF was successful, we would be delivering our baby this month. So much pressure, so many emotions and so many BFN.
I do hope this one is the last IVF ever.
I do hope for a Christmas joy for all of us!

 

[dovkav123]

WE went to U/s on Friday 04/04/14. The follicle is on the R side 16.8mm on CD8. ER is on Monday.
I asked my dr about his morfology during dna sperm analysis and I was so sad to know his morfology dropped to 5% again. I feel crushed and cheated. I did my HCG shot yesterday and ER is tomorrow. I have thoughts to cancel IVF and do another IUI.
I have hope.... I have read that 5% morfol is OK for IUI. Less than that IVF. I just need to relax and take some deep breaths....

My hubby drank a lot yesterday. He wants to have sex today. This is crazy cos tomorrow he needs to provide his sample. It is not a good idea. His volume will be too low.

Briss, don't worry about early O. I do O on CD 11 too.
Dr. Hannam writes this:

"Ideally ovulation will occur days 11 or 12. Delayed ovulation -day 13 or later- is not a sign of egg quality concerns; in fact, it is more commonly a sign of an excess ovarian reserve, generally a good thing. But early ovulation -days 8,9, or 10 of the cycle- implies lower quality eggs"


Please look at this info more. I have never read anywhere else about this
https://www.fertility.ca/2008/06/how-your-menstrual-cycle-reflects-your-egg-quality/

 

[Briss]

dovkav, good luck with ET! 5% morphology is actually quite good. they want it over 4%. are you going with ICSi or IVF? if ICSI then i think you can BD tonight. I know the clinics asks to not BD at least for 2-3 days before EC but our urologist said 2-3 days is not great for sperm quality i.e. morphology and that some clinics specifically ask men to produce two samples on the day of EC and use the second sample which has better quality.

thanks for the link! I agree that CD11 ovulation is still within norm but it would just be slightly better to ovulate 1-2 days later to give the egg a bit more time to grow and develop.

 

[dovkav123]

Thank you, Briss
IVF#2 was done with ICSI cos his motility was only 16%, and than we did have a 2dt.

We'll do IVF not ICSI.
I have researched about 3 pronuclei. WE had 2 cases in our new clinic.
an egg is fertilised with more than one sperm.
At IVF, polyspermic fertilization has been associated with maternal aging, a decrease in serum estradiol concentrations before administration of hCG during controlled ovarian hyperstimulation, egg immaturity, a high concentration of motile (morphologically normal or capacitated) sperm in the insemination medium, subzonal sperm injection (a microscopic technique designed to assist fertilization), and incubation of the eggs in suboptimal conditions (air, at high temperatures, or under alkali conditions).

https://www.thenewjerseyfemaleinfertilitycenter.com/p_fertilized_egg_pronuclei_03.php

 

[Briss]

polyspermic fertilisation is not the only reason for 3 pronuclei in an egg. we were told of this risk even when we had ICSI. it's egg's fault as far as I understood the embryologist. there is nothing you can do about it. but if your embryologist confirmed that it was due to polyspermic fertilisation then I guess ICSI is your best bet.

 

[dovkav123]

My RE told me that ICSI will not help in our case...
drop of estrogen is more common in stim cycles, during u/s my RE comments on high amounts of fertile mucous and open cervix, those
signs show my high estrogen production.
Imature egg, I always have my HCG shot when my follicle is more than 20mm.
If my egg fertilises, I'll take baby aspirin and we'll BD next day after ET.

 

[dovkav123]

ON Monday we found an egg and today it got fertilised. We'll wait till Thursday to transfer cos on the day3 DR will check the egg's shell, if it's hard, they will do assisted hatching. We have never done it before. I'll take aspirin, 300mg progesterone, we'll BD and I'll eat lots of pineapple core.
FRom 6 eggs we got 4 fertilised(perfect grade) and two with 3 pronuclei, not viable. Not a bad statistics.....

Egg retrieval was smooth, IVF lab asked if about anethesia and my dr. told them I didn't needed. Someone said OUCH!!!
I didn't make a sound during procedure. I had 23,1mm follicle and next to it was 11mm(she took a chance, she knew it won't be mature). She aspirated both. WE got one egg.

My hubby was holding my hand.

During sperm "retrieval" my hubby was looking in the book, I gave a helping hand, and he felt an urge, so the first drops got on the floor and his hands

his volume was 38mil,morfology 5%, fast sperm 0%, 20% slower.

Yesterday was a good day cos my hubby told me if it won't work will do a stim IVF in US. Finally he agrees we need to do a serious baby making decisions.

 

[Briss]

dovkav, wonderful news!!! your DH's SA sounds fine actually even though he lost a bit. keeping my fingers crossed for your embie to grow nicely and be perfect and ready for Thursday's ET.

 

[dovkav123]

yesterday we transfered 3dt 8B (embriologist told me A between B), but in report was writtten 8B. Got the photo.
I felt some activity yesterday in my uterus, Today nothing.
NO cervical contractions so far, I ussually felt before 5dt in 3 cases. It was a bad news for me. I was thinkiing Here they come, no good!

an embryo shell was 15-20, assited hatching with a laser was performed. They made a whole. In the literature I read if zona pellucida more than 15, AH is recommended.

I rested 30min after ET
I take 100mg aspirin a day
3g fish oil (helps with immunity response)
alfa alfa, sweet pea sprouts,
300mg progesterone
VitD 3000
flaxseed oil
q-10
eating pinapple, avocado
stopped my green tea
BD before ET and will BD on 4dt and so on...

I have read that AH embryo could implant earlier and it is a chance for monozygote twins

O whole in the embryo's shell could cause infection. Some ladies take antibiotics...

ODT is on the Easter. Clinic is closed.
If we get lucky, we stil could have a baby in 2014, around my birthday or in early January.

 

[Briss]

dovkav, fantastic!! good luck I am so hoping that's your lucky cycle. 7 is a lucky number

I read a new book on egg quality and apparently new studies show that most chromosomal damage occurs within 2 months prior to O so while egg is preparing for O and consequently we can change its quality! that's just ground breaking. I am so pleased with this. I started changing my diet as they recommend and the first thing to get rid of is sugar. apparently ovaries respond to insulin and it affects egg quality. I am eating much more protein rich food and increased my coq10 to 600 and eggs need a lot of energy to move chromosomes and with age they get less of it. I also went back to having acupuncture and am considering going back to Chinese herbs as well. I found a practitioner who specialises on high FSH ladies.

the strangest thing is I have been spotting last 2 cycles before AF which so not typical for me. I wonder if my progesterone levels are falling down for some reason.

 

[dovkav123]

Sugar is a good point. It is a bitter truth. Addiction, mood swings, emotions, weight gain-all is caused by sugar.
ICe cream The only thing I miss. I see people licking those cones, it makes me jelous. None of the shop here in Germany has only fructose based ICE cream. In US I found ice cream made with maltol sugar.
I don't eat refined sugar, only natural sugar like fruits for years.
I have learned before, that it also takes 3 months to improve egg quality, like with sperm.

Shorter luteal faze and premenstrual spotting also could tell about bad quality eggs. My luteal faze was always long, but spotting was there.
Now it's gone with or w/o progesterone. Better quality vitamins and food here in Germany maybe made my eggs healthier!
When is your hubby's SA?

 

[Briss]

actually chocolate always helped me stay relatively slim cos if I eat chocolate I feel full and do not eat food. Now I eat 3 protein rich meals a day and snack on fruit and nuts in between and that's causing me to put on so much weight! I am trying not get it bother me cos the main thing is getting good nutrients in. I hope that's what I do

also, the book says that fruit sugars should also be limited cos even though they have lots of goodies in them ultimately they cause our bodies produce insulin so it's the same thing as bad sugars.

My LH did not change it's the same 13/14 days but spotting is something new so I am worried.

been begging DH to make an appointment with the urologist for days now but he just says stop pressurising me. so annoying I really do not understand what's the problem with seeing the doctor to find out if the treatment is working or needs some changes