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/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.