IVF possible set back

[Greta]

Hi there, I am doing my first IVF cycle and it has been going well. I have found doing the injections generally OK and the side effects have mainly just been tiredness.

However, today I found out why it is such a roller coaster! Well I am stimming with 225 iu of Menopur and on Friday (day 7 of Menopur) I was pleased that there were nine follicles developing which were over 8mm.

Well today on day 9 the scan showed one domimant one at 19 x 17 and six with measurements such as 9 x10, 12 x 11, 11 x 11, 12 x 14 and 13 x 11. There were also a few of 8 ish. Anyway, the nurse said it was slow progress and if they do not see more growth by Wednesday, it will probably be cancelled.

I am a bit shocked because after Friday, I really thought we were set for an EC this Friday. It wouldn't be all lost as they said I could try again on a higher dose.

But I kind of thought these figures sounded OK, because if they have to be 18, surely that means by growing 2 mm a day at least four would be good by Friday?

She said one worry is the dominant one would damage the others. Weirdly the big one is in an ovary with two others where as all the others are in a different ovary.

So I did really want to get to EC, but I suppose even then there's other hurdles... fertilisation, grades of embryos and then of course tests. Then it still carries on. Anyway, any thoughts welcome. Thanks, Greta. xx

 

[tansey]

I'm no expert (yet!) so can't really help but I hope it all works out for you!

 

[Greta]

Hi thanks for that. Yes it's amazing how much information you gather doing this. x

 

[obe]

OMG I have all this to come! I dont really know hun, do you have to wait til wed to find out whats going to happen?
x

 

[caline]

I have had one frash cycle and I remember them saying that all the larger follicles had to be about the same size. It seems for some reason that you have one really big one, compared to the others. Do you think if the stimm dose was too low and thats why the other follicles haven't kept up with what would maybe the natural dominant follicle (that you'd produce without the stimms).

I'm not sure why this would affect the other smaller follicles, but obviously in some way it would.

Sorry that you are having this stress at this stage. Good luck for your next scan and I hope all the other follies catch up so that you can get to EC x

 

[Greta]

Hi yes I guess maybe the bigger one is the natural one.. Maybe my stims were not enough. They said they would have to sacrfice the bigger one to get the others going. It's just disappointing. x

 

[hopesforababy]

Sorry to hear that you're having to deal with this. Are they going to increase your stims to see if the others will grow larger and catch up? Good luck with your scan on Wednesday and fingers crossed you have EC on Friday!

 

[Greta]

Thanks. No they say it's too late to increase now. Just have to wait and see what happens on Wednesday. x

 

[grneyednurse]

Wow that sucks. I'm sorry to hear that. I have heard that usually there are 15-30 follicles that are stimulated and mature an egg and from that they usually get 10-20 harvestable eggs good eggs that may be fertilized. So if you you have only 9 now that isn't good and beeter off cancelling hon anyhow. This is what my doctor told me anyway when we had our consultation....haven't been through IVF yet. Hope that helps?

 

[Dilek]

Basically hun, follicles are ready for egg collection when they get to 18mm and they do not like losing the leading follicles as they will contain the best eggs. I think u can take a leading follicle up to 25mm and that should be able to give enough time for the others to catch up. Also, increasing the dosage will help to speed up the process.

Your situation is just like my last cycle. I also had 3 leading follicles and the rest where up to the same size as yours. We continued stimming for another 3 days and they were some at 14, 13, and 11. They still didnt have much hope for them on ec. However on my left follicle they managed to get 7 eggs out of the 9 follicles. Somehow those follies at 14,13 and 11 did catch up and was able to hold an egg. Dont give up hun. Btw, i was on gonal f 450 from day 1.

 

[Beckic]

Hun - please dont give up hope just yet - and first off dont worry about having 9 folies - thats perfect - quality over quantity is in the name of the game in the UK.

I have just had my third IVF cycle - and this time around I was changed to the antagonist protocol.
At my day 7 scan (sort of equivalent of day 9) I had one follie at 18 and then 6 at around 12 to 14 - so very similar to you (I was on 225 gonal F) - and no one was that worried - they certianly didnt talk about cancelling it - but they did say that they needed to keep an eye on it.

I went in for a scan on day 10 and was told that I had four follies over 17mm so I was ready for EC - so had hcg trigger that night and EC on day 13.

Unfortunately - of the 7 follies I only got three eggs - the rest werent ready to be harvested.

When I was on the long protocol my previous two times I always had eggs in my folliciles - so was devastaed to find that they were 'empty' at EC - which have later researched and found that there were probably egs in there - they just werent ready.

SO I do think that because the drs were worried about my lead follie getting so big I was given the hcg trigger and EC too early.

Having said all that - that lead follie fertilsied under ICSI into a perfect grade 1 4 cell which I had transferred back last Friday. I have never had a grade one embie before - rest of the time I was average - so I think that lead follie really did turn up trumps!!

I know we all want to come out of this with a good crop of embies, and frosties.
But I have a lovely embie inside me that am just praying is implanting as we speak and if thats my baby I dont care about how crap the rest of the cycle went.

So i suppose what I am trying to say hun - is that yes - having one lead embie sucks big time - and its shite if you dont get as many eggs as you hoped because EC is brought forward BUT - the old 'it only takes one' adage is perfectly true.

I really have everything crossed for you for your scan sweets and I would say one thing - if you can - try to demnad that they dont cancel your cycle - if you can make it to EC. You might not get a load of eggs - but even just a couple is enough to make that one embie you need. I know its not ideal - but cancelling a cycle is so soul destroying - and that one lead embie could have a perfect egg in it just ripe and ready for fertilsisation.

Another thing I would say is that from the research I did - in some studies - if they did EC too early it is possible to give another hcg trigger and do EC again 24 hours later to harvest anymore eggs. I spoke to my Dr about this and he said that if I had produced no eggs at all they would have done this - so if you do make it to EC and its too early (cos of the lead follie) and there arent enough eggs - ask them about this - not sure if you are paying privately or not - but if you are it might be worth getting them to do a repeat EC.

AND having said all that - Dilek is right - the others could still catch up and you could harvest a massive crop of eggs and everything will be perfect.

So either way - hang on in there.

Keeping everything crossed for you.
Million hugs,

bx x x

 

[Greta]

Thanks that's great advice and thanks everyone else for advice and kind words. I took today off to just sleep and eat and drink well. I can't feel any twinges today, which may not be good, but I'm trying my best. I've been trying not to take time off from work but I thought today I will put my energy into growing follicles!

To us all!