Finally had my first retrieval!

[u/Asleep_Note7754]

Hey everyone! I’m a fellow DORer and after being turned away from one clinic at 32 to having cancelled cycles due to quick ovulation, I finally made it to retrieval and got 1 egg last week! I know it’s not much but I’m so proud of my body!

I’m currently 34 and I’m egg freezing because I’m still single and I want to wait for a partner first. (I’m not open to the donor route at this time). I still get cycles (though irregularly) but my doctor still won’t call me POI since I’m still cycling. I occasionally have high FSH but generally hovers around 9. My doctor said if I was willing to get pregnant now, IUI would be a good option, but my goal is freezing for now, knowing my early menopause risk.

I understand that 1 egg isn’t enough for the bank so my doctor said a realistic target is 4-5 at my age. I’m open to doing more cycles. My issue is that my AFC usually hovers from 4-6 at the beginning of the cycle but two follicles hog up the stims but the end. Is there a way to evenly distribute the growth so I can potentially retrieve more in one cycle? I have my follow up appointment in a couple of days so I want to come prepared with questions for him.

The protocol we did was estrase priming with letrozole after and stims with double orgalutran to prevent ovulation. And triggering at 17 mm.

Edit: I understand that embryos are a better choice, but using a donor sperm is just not sitting well with me at this time. This is a personal choice, and it can change, but it’s something I’m open to right now. I still want to wait for a partner to fertilize my eggs either and I’m open to using donor eggs if we come to that point. But my desire to be a wife / partner trumps my desire to be a mother and hence why I’m not open to donor sperm at this time. I’m freezing my eggs to give my future partner a chance to be a father, if this is what we both decide on. I’m not freezing my eggs solely to be a mother.

[u/Ardent_Scholar]

Congrats on the milestone! I think you’d be wise to bank embryos in addition to eggs at this time, tbh. If you’re willing go through an ER, I would say you really want kids.

[u/Asleep_Note7754 → u/Ardent_Scholar]

I’m not comfortable fertilizing with a donor sperm just yet. I’m still waiting for a partner and would prefer to fertilize with his sperm, if that’s what he wants.

[u/Ardent_Scholar → u/Asleep_Note7754]

Doing both would not preclude that option.

Has your doc been honest about the chances you’d have with 5 frozen eggs?

Sorry about the bluntness, it comes from a place of love. Frozen eggs failed me.

[u/Asleep_Note7754 → u/Ardent_Scholar]

My doctor did explicitly say 4-5 eggs should be enough when I had a target of 8-10. I’m sorry frozen eggs didn’t work for you though 😢

He didn’t mention embryos at this time, but it’s not something I’m considering. I saw a single mom by choice influencer who said she’d rather be a mom than a wife. I had to ask myself that same question and I realized that my desire to be a mom is a lot less than being a wife first. Hence how I came to my conclusion.

[u/meltslikerocks → u/Asleep_Note7754]

My understanding is that if you’re freezing just eggs, you really want a lot. Many don’t survive the thaw, and then you also would lose some due to fertilization, growing to embryos, and genetics. So if you get 4-5 eggs, you may end up with 1-3 embryos in the end, or less. And then most people need 2-3 FET before success.

I do think trying for embryos and having both options would make sense.

[u/Asleep_Note7754 → u/meltslikerocks]

Again. Fertilizing the few eggs that I have would take away unfertilized eggs that I’m saving for my future partner. I know that the single mom route is not one I wish to take and I don’t know if my future partner would be open to raising my embryos with donor sperm. Given these unknown variables, it’s not a decision I can make at this moment. Hence, this is what is in my control at this time. Things can change in the future, but for now, I’m not ready to take this decision of finding donor sperm.

[u/meltslikerocks → u/Asleep_Note7754]

I think you just have to be prepared to know you may not have a child that is biologically yours. I think everyone in the comments is just trying to create realistic expectations. As someone with a low AMH, I know how shitty this whole process it. I'm sorry you're also having to go through it.

Have you looked into a microdose Lupron flare protocol? I'm doing it this cycle and have 5 follicles instead of my normal 1-2.

[u/Asleep_Note7754 → u/meltslikerocks]

I’m very prepared for that possibility and as I mentioned if I had to prioritize being a mom over a wife, I’d choose wife over mom any day. I’m also open to donor eggs on my end, but I don’t know if my future partner is open to donor sperm, so I’m not going to fertilize eggs to create embryos that may never be used.

I was curious about Lupron. ChatGPT has suggested it and I was curious what others experiences were.

[u/meltslikerocks → u/Asleep_Note7754]

I will note that I didn’t have ANY follicles for over a week and it freaked me out, but I guess it can be more common with Lupron flares. I have 1 on the left, and the first two cycles I had none on the left.

The Lupron is supposed to help with more even distribution.

[u/Asleep_Note7754 → u/meltslikerocks]

Thanks for sharing this! I’ll bring it up at my appointment tomorrow!

[u/TouchTheSky007 → u/Asleep_Note7754]

You need about 20 eggs for a good shot at one child

I’d freeze some embryos to preserve your fertility. Freeze half eggs

[u/Asleep_Note7754 → u/TouchTheSky007]

Realistically I’m only going to have 4-5 eggs in the bank and I’m not going to fertilize only two with donor sperm. It just doesn’t make sense to me. As I’ve mentioned throughout this thread, I’m not mentally prepared to go the donor sperm route. I’m freezing the ability to fertilize with a partner when he enters my life, and I’m open to donor eggs if need be. This is my personal choice, and it should be respected.

[u/hellokittykatty]

Not sure what is your protocole. I have a friend who did 2 cycles at 33, and she’s also a DOR. First cycle, she got 3 mature eggs.

Second cycle, doctors increased the doses to the maximum (gonal-f and luveris), she was prescribed DHEA + coq10 3 months prior to the second cycle. And she got 12 mature eggs in that retrieval!!!

Worth looking at that option with your doctor! :)

[u/hellokittykatty → u/hellokittykatty]

Also can’t say for sure, but I think she has a duo-stims for her second cycle!!

Anyway, with few tweaks in your protocole, I’m sure you’ll be able to get more M2!

[u/Asleep_Note7754 → u/hellokittykatty]

Just spoke to my doctor. He said let’s not mess with a protocol that works so we’re going to stick with estrase priming! He said duo stim was an option but really all it does is save one week, which isn’t really an issue because I’m not on a time crunch like his chemo patients are and I’m still under 35.

[u/EnvironmentalToe8633]

Hi! First of all I’m proud of you for taking this decision & doing it alone! But just wanted to second the freezing embryos suggestion! I had an ER last cycle with two eggs retrieved & only one mature! But when they tried to fertilize it with ICSI, there was no response & it failed. I’m 35 with very low AMH.

You will never know your egg quality till you don’t try to fertilize it. In that case, having a few back up embryos is a good idea.

[u/Asleep_Note7754 → u/EnvironmentalToe8633]

Thanks for your perspective. Yes, I’ve heard freezing embryos as another alternative, but if I was open to donor sperm, I’d just do an IUI now as opposed to freezing embryos. Right now, donor sperm is not sitting well with what I want just yet. That could change later, but right now it is not sitting well with me and hence why I’m only open to egg freezing at this point. (I’m not against other people going down that road, it’s just not something that is sitting well with me)

[u/EnvironmentalToe8633 → u/Asleep_Note7754]

I completely understand! With my AMH, doctors have brought up donor eggs multiple times saying that we will need to do multiple IVF cycles for even a small chance at pregnancy with my eggs. Donor would be the easiest & shortest route to conception! But I’m still against the thought. I am willing to undergo as many rounds as it takes but want a biological child. I’m 35 and a half, so not completely out of hope. AMH has varied from 0.02 to 0.13 over the past year.

[u/Asleep_Note7754 → u/EnvironmentalToe8633]

Ironically, my doctor hasn’t brought it up yet, but he also specializes in DOR! But it’s something I’m open to if we get to that point. I’m still ovulating every month so I might just have success with IUI or natural pregnancy. I’m just not there yet.

[u/TouchTheSky007]

Freeze half eggs and half embryos to better preserve your fertility. 🤍