Worried about IVF cycle

[llenda]

This is my second IVF cycle.  I am 39; have no tubes; hypothyroid (taking synthroid); regular cycles and reg. wt.  My body seems to keep producing one large follicle with many (7) small ones. During this cycle, I am told my estrogen is low (600 to 700 two days before retrieval).  What does this mean?  Are the follicles present not puting off enough estrogen?  How much estrogen would be coming from the big one? Why do you think I continue to have one large follicle even when my meds are changed?  Could it be my age or have we just not found the right combination?  Do you think by letting this large foollicle become too ripe we are losing possibly the best egg? Thank you for your time.

[Lynn77]

A related discussion, first failed ivf was started.

[rfrost]

I don't have any success - or any failure - stories for you. But the reality of IVF or any other infertility treatment is that it is a gamble, a complete gamble. I know you want and need some success stories right now - and there are quite a few of them. But everyone is different and relying on their good fortune to alleviate your husband's concerns wouldn't be accurate. Unfortunately there can't be any strong reassurances for you or your husband - trust me, I and everyone else on this site wishes we could give them to you!! You just have to decide if trying to conceive a child is important enough to put all your resources behind the effort - emotional, financial, physical and more. That's not to say that you or your husband wouldn't find having a baby the most important thing in the world. It's just deciding to let the other concerns be discussed and addressed as much as possible and then decide it's all important enough to go full steam ahead.

It is expensive and most of us just don't have the money accessible to make that part of the concern disappear. But when it succeeds it's all worth it. And if it doesn't succeed? It's horrible, hurtful, draining and exhausting. But I can speak only for myself when I say I want to know I tried everything I could think of to have a kiddo. That way, I won't have any regrets. I wish you all the luck in the world and the best attitude to know it will all work out for you both!!

[Kama5]

My husband and I are getting ready to go through the IVF process, but he is having reservations partly because of the cost and partially because of the emotional rollercoaster, he wants reassurance that something will happen for us and we are not just giving ourselves another false hope. Is any one out there that can give us their stories of success and real hope for us?

[USF-M.D.-JM]

Personalizing an IVF protocol is the art of this type of medicine. At 39 a key thing to start with is What is your cycle day 3 FSH (want it < 10) and What is your estradiol ( want it < 60). A mature follicle ready to ovulate has a estradiol level of about 200. EX: if a pt has 7 follicles, I am looking for an estradiol around 1400, now these are all muture, which rarely is the case, some large some small. Your IVF program knows there success with going with the dominate or sacraficing it for the small cohort to grow. There is know exact science here, only tends and experience with an individual's personal response.
HOPE THIS HELPS

[llenda]

Well I had my retrieval with 7 eggs and 3 fertilized.  I had all three transfered back on day three (one grade 1-best and two grade 3-middle).  The two grade three look good but just don't have that many cells (3-5) do you think these are from the smaller follicles?  Is there any way to increase your chances of the embryo implanting?  It seems like getting them to implant is something that hasn't been figured out yet.  I hear a lot about the fact that they may be abnormal and that is why they don't implant, is that what you think?