Ghost and anyone, advice needed!

[lou71]

OK, so I'm not responding at all like last cycle in August where I had 10 eggs and ended up with 4 really good blasts on day 5 (4AB and 4BB's). RE brought up an option to cancel and do IUI instead today "to save money". DH is leaning towards the IVF since RE said IUI would be 5-10% success rates and IVF significantly higher IF we had two good embies to transfer on day 3. If we do the IUI, we could afford another IVF cycle in a couple of months but there's no guarantee I'll have any better response then.

Currently, on the right side I have 4 follies as follows, 16,16,16,12 and on the left I've got a 14 and an 11. RE said I will be ready to trigger tomorrow. I've never had a mature egg in a follicle less than 16 mm. We are doing ICSI and have had good fertilization rates with that. Once fertilized, I also have lost very few embryos and have had blasts to freeze on 2 of my 3 previous attempts. 1st IVF, I had 4 fertilize and ended up with 3 embies with no fragmentation. Transferred two and the third one made it to blast and was frozen. My second IVF... the one I got pregnant and m/c at 12 wks I had 7 eggs, 4 mature, and 3 fertilized. I transferred all 3 (two grade 3 of 4 and one grade 2 of 4).

Anyone over 35 years old have success with only 3-4 mature eggs retrieved? I did it once... can it work again?

What would you do in my situation? Should I push to stim for two more days vs one more day? Would LOVE any insight.

[LYD10]

I think you have at least 5 good follicles to work with. in my opinion its worth going through with this cycle. how many days have you stimmed already?

[lou71]

Today will be day 9. I think RE will be able to retrieve 5, but they all won't be mature and they all won't fertilize. I guess in the end, I'm hoping for 2 or 3 to transfer.

[kerribell]

Lou, I have always been a poor respoonder, but it has worked for me. I also have signifigant endo and uterine fibroids. One ovary also usually only produces one egg. I have never had more than 4 eggs retrieved. All were fertilized with ICSI and assisted hatching was done.
cycle 1 - age 34 - regular bcp/lupron/gonal-f protocol - dr wanted to convert to IUI, but I wanted to proceed with IVF
4 retrieved, 2 fertilized and transferred - BFP
cycle 2 - age 36 - bcp/micro dose lupron/gonal f
4 retrieved, 3 fertilized and transferred - BFN
cycle 3 - age 36 - antagonist protocol (ganirelex and gonal-f)
4 retrieved, 4 fertilized, 2 transferred - BFP (and 2 frosties)

I think if stimming less days produces better quality eggs, then that would be best. I wish you all the best of luck!

[sciteacher77]

Good luck! I think you will be OK whatever you decide. If you DHs sperm count is high enough for an iui (I would do a back to back)then I would do that. However, I think you have a chance for 6 eggs - remember, they keep growing after the booster. I would see what tomorrow brings before making any decisions.
Keep me posted!
Michelle

[lou71]

Thanks Kerribell and Michelle. I will definitely wait until tomorrow to see what things look like before I decide. I'm also wondering if they missed one today. Two days ago I had 2 @ 14, 12, 11, & 10 on the right. And today they told me 3 @ 16 and a 12. Does it make sense that the 11 only became a 12 after two days and what the heck happened to the 10 when they're supposedly measuring everything bigger than a 10?!?! Did it shrink?

I also got my labs back. My E2 is now 711. It was 330 two days ago. LH = 1.2 and P4 = 1.4.

[sciteacher77]

It sounds like your E2 is rising nicely - maybe they did miss one! I hope so!!! They can get hard to see as they grow. Keep me posted!!!!

[TammyS]

Good Luck Lou! Cant wait to hear how they look tomorrow...keep us posted.

[margi26]

Cheering you on my friend! Sorry I have been MIA. Not an easy decision. Sending lots of positive energy your way!!!

[riogirl71]

Lou keep us posted on what you decide but you ABSOLUTELY have a good chance of getting pregnant. I am living proof! I know you know my stats but here it goes for PMA:

#1 IVF 4 mature eggs - one baby boy!
#2 IVF 3 mature eggs - ectopic - wrong place but got pregnant
#3 IVF 5 mature eggs - one healthy baby baking!

So absolutely it can work, I would be aggressive and transfer all you had on day 3 depending on what they look like! Here is to your BFP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[lou71]

We're going for it!

Today I had 18, 18, 18, 14, 13, 11. That darn 14 was a 14 yesterday too... grrrr.
My E2 was 849 and my lining was 9.1. RE doesn't want me to stim another day and risk overmaturing the 18's just to possibly get the 14. Anyone think I have a chance at the 14 being mature? RE had me do a half dose of Follistim and Menopur at 2PM and then I trigger tonight at 9:50pm. ER is Friday morning.

[angelaezra]

We're going for it!

Today I had 18, 18, 18, 14, 13, 11. That darn 14 was a 14 yesterday too... grrrr.
My E2 was 849 and my lining was 9.1. RE doesn't want me to stim another day and risk overmaturing the 18's just to possibly get the 14. Anyone think I have a chance at the 14 being mature? RE had me do a half dose of Follistim and Menopur at 2PM and then I trigger tonight at 9:50pm. ER is Friday morning.

I am so excited for you! I can't wait for you to get your BFP again!

Angela

[Ghost]

Just in case anyone was wondering why I've been silent on this thread, Lou and I have been trading PMs about it.

[margi26]

I think that you look in great shape! You can get 1-2mm of growth per day which could push that 14 up (and possibly the 13--although a bit less likely). You got some great others who shared their successes with 4 eggs, so I am really hoping that this will be your BFP that sticks!!!! Take care of yourself as much as you can-- Visualize and relax as best you can!!

[lou71]

SD-- Sure, I can update here too. I'm really trying to keep up my PMA and also stay realistic.

My clinic said that if I get 3-5 eggs, then my chance of live birth is in the 15-25% range. Now, last cycle they told me 50% at the time of ET because I had two great blasts (BFN). Who's to say that IF I end up with two embryos again and IF we were to grow them to 5 days (we won't... but IF), that my chances wouldn't go up due to quality? The cycle I conceived on I had 7 eggs, 4 mature, 3 fert, tx all 3 on day 3. This cycle might be similar. I'm hoping. FX'd.