IVF-low ovarian reserve

mngal

New Member
Hi All

I am 38 yrs old and just failed my first attempt of IVF-ICIS this week. I did my treatment here in Minnesota USA where I lived now. I didn't respond well to the hormone stimulation, only made 2 follicles at the max dosage. Although 2 eggs managed to fertilized and were transferred back in me on 3rd day, they didn't implant. Seems like I am suffering from Diminished Ovarian Reserve and my husband has low sperm count, with low motility rate too.
I am considering coming back to Singapore to try my 2nd cycle with Dr Cheng Li Chang from Thomson fertility Center. Does any one have any experience with this clinic or the doctor? I would love to hear about your experiences too especially if you are in the same scenerio as I am.
 


Thanks MB

I don't think you are suffering from low ovarian reserve quite yet. I don't know what was my FSH, I didn't know enough to ask my doc then when I did the testing, but I have requested all my charts to be sent to me next week when my doc return from her vacation. I know it should be at least in the teens if not 20s.
You made 8 follicles, that is not bad, lower compared to women who made 20s and 30s. I think 5 follicles is the min number the embryologist would like to see. FSH 20 is poor, that I know, read it somewhere on the internet. The staff at this MN fertility center do not give many advises as to how to improve my fertility chances. They said "it is not how healthy you are, your health has nothing to do with your fertility". I am frustrated working with them, although I have no doubt that they are very capable, but not at all personal.

I also heard accupuncture helps improve the quality of fertility hormones, but I don't know and probably can't afford to go for long term accupuncture session here in the US.
What is TCM?

I read many hours of information on the web, and I recall one doc's website, he said "Don't be too sad that a failed cyle occurred, you always learned something about yourself with a failed cycle, thus improving the next."

What type of stimulation hormones drugs did your doc prescribe to you?
How did you come to choose Dr Loh from KKIVF?
 
Hi echsion,

i am not sure if i am in the same situation as you. I feel that i did not respond well to hormone stimulation as well. I did my IVF in Sept. I have only 6 follicles, but only 5 are been retrieve but the sizes is not that good, there are only 2 eggs among the 5. And as i did a transfer at 5th Day, only one egg managed to survive. I did get preg but miscarriage at 10 weeks.

Currently i am doing accupture and TCM to balance my hormone and making my body stronger for the next trial.
 
Hi Ladies

how do we know if we fall into this category?
shd we do a blood test to check on fsh? when shd this be done?

thanks.
 
Hi Maplebabies

Yes, i went to see her after my M/C. Are you seeing her too? How do you find her?
 
Rabbit

I don’t know about the categorize until mention here. But initially i was angry when the doc didn’t increase my dosage since I am not producing a lot of follicles. But I get to know to that sometime the doc especially for first timer usually estimate the dosage to see how one respond to it first based on factors such as age, our blood test. But sometime our bodies will not response accordingly to the reading maybe because of our immune system.
 
Hi Gals
Thanks for all your responses. I was angry with my doctor too but somehow I didn't voice my opinion as I was so caught in the moment when they told me about my follicle count.
I got my chart back from the clinic, I didn't quite able to interpret many of the reports, but I did see my FSH was 7 which was tested on the 2nd day of my period in Oct.
I felt my doctor was even suprised that I was only making 2 follicles although technically speaking, I made 4, but the other 2 were not even doing anything to increase sizes in a normal rate.
I felt my doctor conveniently put me in the "Diminished Ovarian Reserve" catagory, due to how I responded to the stimulation. She didn't pre-warned me that I may be challenged to make follicles, or suggested a tougher protocol.
How much are you girls taking for your stimulation? I was prescibed Follistim and Menopur, Menopur in the morning 1 vial, and Follistim at the maximun dosage at 375IU in the evening. However, I found out in Singapore, doctors can prescibe higher that 375IU. I also gathered from the forum that doctors in Singapore seem to prescribe Gonal F and not Follistim.
I remembered speaking to my doctor a week before the retreival asking her what will my next protocol be if this one fail. She mainly told me it will still be the same drugs but change the schedule alittle, also bringing down my dosage of Lupron, the suppressent.
I felt that my outcome for the 2nd cycle will not change under the same clinic, hence I thought of coming back to Singapore to try.
In the meantime, I am planning to my myself and my husband under Acupuncture and TCM regime till the next cycle.
I am angry with my doctor or any who conveniently put us under "diminished ovarian reserve" and that there is nothing they can do about it to help us improve. It is like a death sentence slapped in your face.
I have also order some suppliment of "Relaxin", it is one of the hormones in women that often lost through pre-manopause and onwards. This hormorn is often neglected and overlook. Estrogen gets the most attention. I will let you all know if I feel more "balance" after taking this.
(I have changed my name from echsion to mngal)
 
Hi Mngal, I think before u start on ur supplements, maybe u shld consult ur gynae/fertility specialist in Spore if they are ok to take esp if u are going to start on ur injections for the IVF.

I am going to see my TCM doc on Fri... i can ask her abt ur situation and whether acup will help.

Meanwhile, take care...
 
hi mngal,

i was guven lucrin 10ml and puregon 200ml. had 7 eggs and 3 were fertilised.
I will ask dr for more details when meet the next time.

I used to take chinese med n acup duing so-iui but not during ivf. the number of follicles during iui and ivf are quite similar.
 
Vanilla
I won't be doing my 2nd cycle until another 3-6 months wait. I was planning to use this time to recupurrate financially and physically. Hence the decision for alternative medication in the meantime to prepare my body again for the invasive procedure.

Rabbit, I am not familiar with the 2 drugs you meantioned. They are not in the list of what is prescribe here in my medical center.
Also I am hoping to gather more information on the different doctors and different clinics in Singapore before making a decision where I should do my 2nd cycle.
 
Hi Mngal, take care ...r u back in Spore already? If u planning to do TCM then preferably shld start 2-3 mths before the IVF process.

Different clinics give different drugs. Lurin and Puregon are usually given and KK uses them. Some clinics use Suprefact and Glonal F instead.

I have posted to u my gynae's charges on the other thread. Forgot to mention that total bill is expected to be around 16K. Bulk is the medicine and the lab cost+day surgery. If u have medisave, u can claim some portion off Medisave. I think 6K for the first time, 5K for second time and 4K for the third time.
 
Hi Mngal,

I understand your frustration. As i am in the exact same shoe as you when i know i have only 6 follicles and only one seem to be able to meet the minimum size which is about 18mm. I was angry with the doc the same reason as i feel that the doc didnt do enough. I did ask the doc why didnt he increase my dosage, according to him, if he has increased the dosage, the one which is of 18mm (which consider good size) might over mature. And this wont do any good too.

However i think the next appt , i will ask him what he planned to do and what he will do to increase my chances of having more follicles and eggs.
 
Hi mngal
I have a similar situation - low number of eggs, out of which most are immature eggs. My fsh is around your level as well at 7 - it is considered elevated but not abnormally high. My dr did not explicity say but he wrote me off as having poor egg quality. I did a couple of cycles at thomson - you can PM me for further details on the centre.
 
Hi Pricilla
I am pertty new at this forum, I don't know quite abit of the abbrievated letters used here and don't know how to PM(does this mean private messege?) you.
I have consulted a few doctors and nurses both in Singapore and Minnesota, there are mixed responses. Although most considered a 7 FSH reading as normal, and some extreme comment catagorizing it as TOO HIGH.
I have been exchanging emails with Dr Cheng from TMC and he told me that he wouldn't consider this reading as high.
Is there is a "place" where we can all chat "live", exchanging questions and sharing experiences? There is just so many questions in my head and it is so hard to keep track what I have asked or not asked.
Professor Ng SoonChye from Gleneagles said although most women with low ovarian reserve produce low number of eggs and poor quality, a woman with normal reserve would also have low number of eggs due to bad stimulation, but not common.
I don't even know exactly what am I. Some doctors said I have poor response but normal reading, some doctors said I am ovarian reserve challenged and strongly advise donar eggs! It is like a hard slap on my face.
Thanks to all of you who have shared your thoughts, I appreciate your time. It is comforting to know that I am not alone.
 
By the way Gals, I am most likely to come back to Sg to do my 2nd cycle, if any of you are in the same schedule, let me know....love to buddy up with someone this time.
 
Hi ladies,
I would like to share my story.
I went through 2 fresh IVFs. I transferred 3 embryos the first time and I got preggy. but I miscarried.
The 2nd time, I had only 1 embryo to transfer.I wasn't successful the 2nd time.

My FSH averages around 9, which means that I have low ovarian reserve and the quality of my eggs are not good.It is very difficult to lower FSH.
My gynae also suggested donor eggs as a remote possibility. I was devastated.

I wanted to try IVF again for the 3rd time, telling myself that it would be the last try.
Then,thanks to GOD, miracle happened! I got preggy naturally.

I tried everything, from TCM,detox,eating right, exercise.I would not know which one really worked but I want to encourage all of you, DON'T GIVE UP.
Miracle exist!!
Don't get too stressed up and have an open mind when you go through the cycle.
Tell yourself that, it's not that you cannot get preggy, it's just a matter of time that you will succeed.
 
Hi Mapelbabies,
I fully understand how you feel.
I've been through all that you had been through.

All pple around me are getting preggy except me, i keep asking myself 'Why Me??' Then i start to think of the worst, to adopt.
But deep down, I'm not willing to give up.So, I changed the things that is within my control,like diet, my state of mind and left the rest,which is not within my control to GOD (for my case) or fate.
Hard work will pay off.Whatever you do to try to improve your health will definitely help.But, your state of mind is the most important.

btw, I also tested a 7 for FSH once. My gynae tells me that FSH can be different for each month.
 
Thanks for all of your stories.
Hebe, some questions for you:
1.What do you mean by "got pregnant naturally"? Did you use the "natural egg" on your 3rd cycle? or did you get pregnant the "old fashion" way even before you started your 3rd cycle?
2. Also how old may I ask are you Hebe? and Maplebabies? Maybe you gals are younger than me, so more chance to concieve. I will be turning 39 soon in another 8 months time.
3. Hebe, did you stick to the same doctor throughout your cycles?

One thing I know for sure is your body learns what to do after a few times. I know of couple of women who had IVF help for their first child, then subsequently, the rest of their children are naturally conceived the old fashion way.
I don't know if I am making myself feel worse, but I thought if you were tested positive, but miscarriage, I feel you would get pregnant easier again. For my case, my embryos didn't even attached. Pregnancy test was a definate negative. I feel very lousy because my embryos didn't even proceed to step 1 when inside my body. People who knew me said it might be for the better since it will be more devasting if I were to find out I am pregnant, then lost it, or said that it is for the better if embryos were genetically defective, which is why they most likely didn't attached.
I feel I didn't come close enough to succeed and failed. I sort of feel I am doomed, although I don't want to give up just yet.
Who is your doctor Hebe?
How are are you now in your treatment, Maplebabies, Vanilla Pod, BabyDream, Pricilla?
Rabbit:
I know you have to test your FSH on Day 2 or 3 of your period. Although I learned from a nurse that if your FSH reads normal, but your Estradial level is bad, then total readiing is still bad.
 
Hi mngal, PM is private message. You can message me and I can let you know of my experience. I am waiting to undergo a third IVF cycle in March/ April. I tried tcm but it did not work. On Diminished ovarian reserve, I may be wrong but I don't think that can be diagnosed with DOR from just 1 cycle - I have been told by more than one RE, that sometimes the response is poor because the protocol is not appropriate so they would adjust the protocol in a second cycle. on your earlier question, lucrin is the same as lupron. Not sure about follitism but I chatted with other ladies on the IVFconnections (mostly from the US) and I understand follistim is the same as puregon, just that follistim is marketed in US and puregon is marketed in Asia. I used gonal-f, never tried puregon. Some ladies I chatted with on IVF connections said that those with DOR do better with natural cycle IVF or low stim IVF. I understand Dr Cheng at Thomson and Prof Ng at Gleneagles do offer natural cycle ivf. You might want to check. Prof Ng, whom I consulted for a second opinion, suggested low stim IVF for me, so I am also considering this. The only thing is that it is very costly - even on low stm ivf, that is ivf with very little FSH, like no more than 75 units, it would be around S$9K to 10K and you need to do a few times to have a reasonable prospect of success that is comparable to stimulated cycle ivf because you are only retrieving 1 or 2 eggs, at best. The cost for the consultation, lab fees, blood tests still need to be incurred.
 
Do people in this forum meet up for tea some time or just purely exchanging and sharing notes?
I would love to meet up with you all when I come back in June. It would be fun at least now you gals know what I am going through unlike other "normal" friends who tried to understand but have no idea how I actually feel.
 
like to share that some people have difficulties to conceive after miscarriage and some people after giving birth the 1st have such problem, too. i could sense they are as miserable as people who have never conceived before. regardless have it once or never have it before, the tension of getting pregnant is equally strong and great. i agree that to conceive has never been easy. a nurse told me that stress affects FSH and i was told to do the test in most stressless month.
 
HiMngal...
I am currently at the tail end of the injections -- doing ER this coming wedneday.... feeling really tired these few days... since my lap last yr i never had a good nite sleep, but this whole week i slept till i was late for work!

good that u will be back in June...will u start ur TCM in Spore or u have done so in US already?


Ya..i agree that we girls of same situation can understand each other better... my frens do comfort me but at times i dont feel they know how heart aching it is for me...

I would be glad to meet up with u when u are back... stay in contact and meanwhile..take care!
 
Baby Low:
I agree to what you have said, I guess I am sometimes so caught in my own self-pity that I don't think others know what I am going through besides just trying to comfort me superficially.

Vanilla pod:
I will be doing TCM here in US till cycle starts in Sg. How are you follicles looking? I will keep you in my prayersfor this week especially. It will be a big present for the coming Lunar year if everything goes right. Let's keep our fingers cross.
 
Thank you very much Mngal.

I think follicles should be ok.. but the only thing that puzzled me was why the ER is on Wed and not Tue...this morning the doc visit was too early for me.. i stayed back in church on Fri till like 11.30pm so mind was like a blank...

Have u decided which dr u will be using?
 
Vanilla Pod:
ER is subjected to how "ready" the follicles are. According to standard in my clinic here in Msp, follicle needs to be at least 17mm to be considered viable. During my 1st cycle, my follicles (2 to be exact) were at 20mm and 18mm when the doctor give the OK signal to schedule for ER. And by the actual day of ER, both follicles grew 1-2 more mm. Hence I am guessing your ER must be determined on a better day for the follicle to be looking at. HCG is definately ordered to be injected 36hrs before the ER procedure. If you are having HCG longer prior to 36hrs, then I can't explain that. Did you have a satisfactory number count of follicles this time?
My stimulation was lengthened from 10 days to 13 days, because of poor response.
I haven't decided which doctor yet, thinking between Dr Cheng from TMC or Prof Ng from Gleneagles. I am still waiting to hear 2nd opinion of my medical record from Angela Ho of CARE-IVF.
 
Thanks Mngal...i think the no of follicles are ok... he mentioned i have ard high 20s but there are 6 prominent ones... my sides are feeling really swollen now... cos of my lap scar (which i took out some fibrods as well)...

One comment on TMC -- the waiting time is very bad... my first ever gynae was at TMC.. and i can wait from 11am till like 2pm...and still cannot see her...

take care ...
 
Hi mngal,
I got preggy the old fashion way.I'm 33 when I was preggy.

I did 2 fresh cycles and I did it with the same gynae.
 
Hebe
I can dare say for all the girls here that this is the miricle that we are all hoping for- to get pregnant in the old fashion way. Betcha your own doctor didn't even see that coming.
I don't think I am going to be that lucky especially both my husband and I are fertility challenged. But it sure will be a good story to tell if mircle exist too in my life.
 
Mngal,

I am at the stage of recovering from my MC . I did my fresh IVF sept last year. I am hoping that i will be able to start another fresh cycle this coming may/june.

I would like to meet up too. Just as you mention, "normal" friends most of the time do not understand the pain we go thru even though they do comfort me. They dont understand why i want to have babies so much that i can do almost anything.

Old fashion way of pregnant to me is almost an impossible mission.
sad.gif
With an MC, some will say it make one more fertile but to me, i know my health, it makes it even harder to make my dream come true with so many uncertainties lying ahead.

But like all, i still hope miracle will happen to me one day.

Maple_babies,
it seem we are in almost identical situation.
it is never easy to keep positive at all time. But we know it is important that we think positive but as not all understand what we went thru. It is a tough journey to motherhood.
 
Mngal/ Vanilla Pod 2, my experience with the waiting time to see a RE at thomson is not bad but I guess it is just my experience. The REs at Thomson are much better in scheduling their appointments, and normally the wait is not long. I agree that the waiting time to see a popular gynae is very long at thomson - the first one that I saw resulted me in waiting on average 3 hours. I subsequently switched to the RE because I needed someone who specialise in assisted reproduction and I normally did not need to wait for more than 30 min unless he is in an emergency.
yes, I am happy to meet. Priscilla
 
Priscilla
Tell me more about your experience. I have already sent you a PM, but I dont know if I did it correctly.
I did write to Dr Cheng asking how come their success rate in the stats in MOH is the 2nd lowest one which concerned me. He said there were many inaccuracies in that complilation, andalso TMC treats alot of difficult cases which they never turn away, wherelse, other facilities might have more younger patiants with higher chances.
 
BabyDream
What is MC? I don't think it mean medical certification here, right?
Old fashion way of conceiving is impossible for me too, this opinion came from 2 professional doctors here in Minneapolis. I thought never say impossible unless very very sure, they used the word "impossible" instead of "unlikely". Reason of course begin low ovarian reserve plus low sperm count.
If you are thinking of doing it in May/June, might be the same time as I am planning to do too.
By the way girls, I would like you to join as a friend in my facebook. Please PM me for my info to look me up in "facebook". It is still almost 1/2 a yr away till I fly back to Sg, I thought I want to make sure I can "find" you just in case this thread doesn't last till then.
 
mngal,
MC is misscarriage. Even though it may seem impossible even to the doctor. But i hope one of these day there is really miracle.

Just a few days ago, in the paper, there was an article mentioning that a doctor at TMC handle a tricky case where there is this woman who given birth to triples natually. The doctor is handling it very carefully throughout, which is very good. And it shown the doctor been very dedicated.

I have pm you my information to be included in your facebook.
 
hi babydream,

Sorry to hear of the MC. Pls take care of yourself.

I know of people who has gone through MC and has since recovered and given birth. Do not give up hope. I had MC years back and am also trying through IVF.

Hi mngal,

like to join you in your facebook, unfortunately have no account yet.
 
Rabbit,

Thank you. Just the thought of going another round of uncertainties and the road seem longer and tougher now. I hope my health will be back in track soon.
 
Hi babydream,

Can understand...It is tough encouraging oneself. It is like a road where you can't even see what's beyond.
As for me, I set little goals to keep myself going e.g. try this after x months etc, try that after y months. Still struggling though ;)

Take care to tiao your body first. Give yourself a little rest if you need before recharging yourself for the next stage.
 
Hi babydream,
I'm currently also recovering from MC after my 1st IVF/ICSI. I was spotting and during my 7 weeks scan last week saw that there was no heartbeat and no growth. This is my 2nd MC. Did D & C last time, this time, Dr say to do natural cos I was already spotting. I go through waves of emotions, 1 day I'm fine, the next day feel depressed. I'm planning to do FET cycle in May.

Hi Mngal, have PMed you my details for FB.
 
Rabbit,

Thank you for the encouragement. I am setting small goal for myself too now. IVF is not only costly but full of so many uncertainties, sigh

But for a start, have to start wondering how come i did not respond well to the puregon and what else i can do to improve the egg quality. Will be good if there is someone who has a successful case of improving the egg quality to share their experiences.

Shazzer,

I have been following your post at the other thread which i have refrain from posting it, as it is hurting that i am no long there and back to step 1. Is everything okay now? Has the doctor scan to make sure there are no left over tissue?

I share your pain, your loss. I know how it hurt that a moment you have hope in your hand and being taken it away. My emotion is like a roller coaster too. Unpredictable. However i know it is impt to keep the mind positive esp when we are doing IVF.
 
Hi Ladies,

Just drop by to give my encouragement to all the ladies here, in life there is always up and down so don't dishearted even if you failed and just keep trying. God is there to see and he will grand your wishes 1 day.
like me, I was divorce when my girl was 3 and was with debt (Paying his gamble debt, loan shark)and was retrunched at the same time and he just walk out of the house without any words and left all his shit for me to settled alone. (Anyway is all the past)
2 year ago married to my present hubby and I am turning 42 this April but i am not giving up yet will have my 2nd IVF/ICSI this Mar/Apr bcso i wanted to give my girl a sibling (worried she will be alone in future)
So ladies Jia you Jia you k ....
happy.gif

I gave up my career last oct just to concentrate in my IVF so now i am so free at home just reading the old blog to pass my time.. too bo liao hor ha ha
 
hello Ladies,

very quiet on this thread.. how are you all doing?
anyone will start for IVF cycle?

I'm 36 yrs old, have low ovarian reserve, my FSH level was over 20 on last Dec. And last month was 13.
I took wheatgrass and evening primrose oil. Also did acupunture.
many peoples said wheatgrass will help for those with high FSH.
I will try for another IVF cycle next month.
Does anyone have experience with dr leong from thomson med?
 
Hi All, Wishababy
My FSH was 7 in Oct, and still made only 2 eggs under high stimulation. I am going to be 39yrs old soon. I met another doctor from another facility here in Minneapolis yesterday, and he said even though my hormone level didn't look too bad, however, the biggest hint that I am ovarian reserve challenged, was that my ovaries weren't responding to the drugs. He said if my ovariaes are getting to "retire" soon, there is nothing we can do. This is the 2nd same type of opinion from another physician in Msp.
I have been taking fertility pill and Chinese medicine for over a month now, hoping to prepare my body for my 2nd cycle.
If I choose to come back to Sg to do, I will probably consider Dr Cheng from TMC or Prof Ng from Gleneagles. The doctor that I met yesterday, asked me if I knew Pf Ng since I mentioned Singapore. He said Ng is a pioneer in IVF in Sin and a nice guy, so he said.
 
Hi Mngal...ya Prof Ng was the one of the team members that helped in the first IVF baby in spore in 1983.

Are u doing ur second cycle in Spore? When u will doing it? My first cycle has failed and i think i should be doing mine in June/ july....will we be same cycle?
 
Hi Mngal,
My FSH level was 9 when doing my 1st IVF cycle on early 2006, and I had 5 eggs, 4 fertilized. I had MC on 7th week. My 2nd time around my ovary did not response well to the drug , it was using Puregon 450 ..iguess that's higher dose.. only had 1 egg and fertilized, so put back my 1 frozen and 1 fresh.. but failed to implant.

Now i am going to try my 3rd time.. i am seeing dr leong at TMC now. eventhough he said the chance to get more eggs is very little.. but i still want to try.. i found about dr leong IVF clinic from website and he is a nice guy, explain very detail for my condition and what would be possibility and chances.. I'm running out of my time and also my ovaries is going to "retire" early..

Hi vanilla, which doctor are you seeing now?
good luck for next cycle..
 
Hi Mngal,
from your post, seems like you have 100% ovaries but poor response to drug. For my case, i only have ovaries about less than 25% on my right side and 50% on my left side due to endometriosis.
have you started the acupuncture? i believe this will help.
i read some articles, might need around 2-3 months acupuncture to help your body ready for IVF.
some supplements would help too.
Are you back to singapore ?
 
Hi wb...
I have 2 gynaes - one is fertility specialist and the other is my normal usual gynae (who recommend me the fertility specialist).

My fertility specialist is Dr Foong (same clinic with Prof Ng)...

Thanks... yes.. all will be in God's hands... +
 
Hi Vanilla pod, Hi Wishababy,
I am still in MSP. I teach here, so I don't have the luxury of just taking off anytime I want to.

Earlier this year, I was pretty sure I will be coming back to Sg for my 2nd cycle, but that was only because I didn't think there was another fertility facility in MSP which I found at the beginning of this month. To come back to Sg for a cycle is rather troublesome for me since I reside outside Sg and also hard to take leave from work unlimitedly in case I need to stay in Sg awhile more for whatever reason due to the cycle. If I am coming back to Sg to do the cycle, it will probably be around June however.
The clinics here offer a warranty program, sort of like pay for 2 cycles, get 3 instead, and if by the 3rd round you don't succeed, they will refund you 80% of the money. Of course, it has some requirements to qualify. Age has to be under 39, husband's sperm count must be at least in the 500,000 range, female FSH cannot be more than 10, and female cannot be ovarian reserve challenge. If female make less than 5 eggs, the cycle will be cancelled. I don't think I will qualify since both my husband and I are fertility challenged. We will go through some pre-testing to determine that in the next weeks to come. If we do qualify, it is a no brainer that I will do my 2nd cycle here.
Wishababy, according to the doctor, FSH reading is the protocol they will go by, however, this reading is not as sensitive as they would like to be. How your body react is still the best truth of your true condition of your ovaries. According to the doctors here, even I am ovulating, doesn't mean that my eggs are good. In fact, he said, even if I can make 5 eggs compare to 2 before, my eggs will still be bad. This doctor I have met last week is a senior scientist in a certain research program, and wrote several books already. I asked him if he can tell me in his own opinion why didn't my 2 embryos implant in Dec. He said, most likely is because of the quality of my eggs. Because of the poor quality, there would be some chemical deficiency, which would probably be the reason why they didn't do their thing.
Later, I called my previous clinic and talked to the embryologist if they perform "assisted hatching" to my embryos. I am not sure if you are familiar with that term, if not, to sum it in layman's words, it is to scrap off some outer layers of shells of the embryos so they can implant better. Usually the outer shell of the eggs from a more advance maternal age women is alot harder. For the embryo to break through this wall and implant would be really tough, hence assisted hatching would helped the embryo implant better by doing some of it's job.
However, in the first clinic which I did my first cycle, they only perform assisted hatching on embryos which have 6-8 cells at least to prevent from damaging the embryos. My 2 embryos were only 4 and 2 cells, hence they didn't perform assisted hatching.
I am drinking TCM daily but only do once-a-month acupunture. It is rather expensive here in the US, $64 per session, and both my husband and I needed it.
 
Hi Vanilla,
i read from the other post, i am really sorry about your loss. i have been through before, i knew how it feels.. lots of hugs for you.. >>:D<<

take care of your body before start the next cycle or FET.

i will start my cycle on next month, from day2 with Gonal-F injection. doc said for my condition is not good if using a long protocol, it would cause my ovaries lazy to "wake up" . so this time around the cycle will be 2 weeks shorter.

hope everything will be going well..
Sending lots of positive vibes for us all!!
 
Hi Mngal,

Sound very difficult to go for IVF overthere. So many conditions before can go ahead.
I heard about assisted hatching, as i understand this procedure will apply when we have more embrios and when the embryo quality is good.
yes, it is true that FSH reading does not really tell whether the ovaries will response to the drug.
In sg, doc will still give us a choice, eventhough there is only have one egg, whether we want to go ahead for ER. They will say, anyway we only need to have one good egg to get one embryo
happy.gif

wow $64 per session is quite expensive.
Good luck for your pre-testing. Hope will get the good results.
I have url for acupuncture by Dr Lee, but he is in OC CA, by reading this, can give us some hope. Here is the link: http://acupuncturebydrlee.com/Acupuncture-egg-quantity.html
 


hi wb, thanks...it is indeed very heart wrenching to see that there is nothing in the sac...but i will still wait 2 more weeks to do another scan and then decide how...

how long will u be taking ur gonal F then? So u estimate ur ER will be in early or mid March?
 

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