# No embryos after egg collection



## yellowhope

Hi I've just had my second cycle of IVF. Have had egg collection yesterday (11 collected) and have rang this morning to find that none have fertilised.  Last November in first cycle had 14 collected and 10 fertilised.  Can't believe that this has happened. Does any body have any advice to offer or pearl of wisdom to share....


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## Nordickat

No pearls of wisdom or advice I'm afriad but I couldn't not leave you some   I'm so so sorry and it must be so distressing to get such a shock - its what we all dread but I don't think any of us ever expect it to actually happen to us   

I can say one thing though, this in no way means that your next cycle will be the same. No 2 cycles are the same. I have had one cycle where I've had 17 out of 24 fertilized and another where 2 out of 15 did. And there is no pattern, I don't get less each time or anything so it really is random. Hopefully you have a followup appt soon and they might be able to provide some answers? Did they say if all 11 were suitable to use? Maybe some weren't mature enough? I hope whatever they say though gives you some answers and that they have learned from ithis cycle so that next cycle will be your lucky one

But please don't think this will happen again - the chances are next time you'll be back with top fertilization again.

Look after yourself and take the time you need to grieve the loss of your dreams, 
 Katxxx


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## yellowhope

Hi Kat.
When the Dr started the egg collection she said she was getting blood (dark old) from the follicles and that there was fluid on the scan so she sent for a more senior consultant. She also said to him that some of the follicles were only 14 or 15 mm but he told her it didn't matter to retrieve them anyhow. I did bleed quite heavily after the egg collection so they kept me in hospital for an extra hour.  On the way home the Dr who did the egg collection rang us and said that they had reviewed the fluid on the scan and they wanted me to return to hospital for 8am this morning for another scan as if the fluid was still there they would be freezing the embryos.  When I attended for the scan the consultant said that the fluid was now all gone and she showed me a scan photo and said it would be totally fine to transfer. It was when I rang 2 hours later that I was told there was no fertilisation and the embryologist gave me an appointment to come in for review in 2 weeks time.  The embryologist had very poor English so he couldnt seem to explain to me what he thought may have gone wrong, and just said to ask the dr at the review.  This cycle was an NHS one at a different clinic to the first time.  The dosage of FSH was much lower this cycle and the stimulation was over 10 days as I had been stimulated for 14 the last time.  I have a high AMH level so they were cautious as to not overstimulate. That said on a higher dosage I did not hyperstimulate the last time. Thank you so much for your kind words. They mean a lot.  Yellow X


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## ally66

Sorry no wise words either. Just to say I've been through the same experience and I kow how heartbreaking it is. The lovely ladies on the site here have given me hope. There are so many different outcomes. Its just a horrid setback and I'm sure you'll have better luck next time.

Ally xx


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## susan71

Hi all, Thought I would come on here to look for some advise and support also. I have had the exact same situation this week. This was my first  cycle and they said I reacted very well to drugs....probably too well. I had over 40 follicles and on Monday I had 17 eggs retrieved 8 went for ICSi 9 IVF. I had the call for the embryologist on Tuesday morningthat none of the ICSI worked and only 1 of the IVF had fertilised by it was abnormal . I am devastated . I know that this is a process where there is a lot of failure that can happen, but I never expected to have no embryos .


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## yellowhope

Hi 

Ally and Susan I am so sorry that this happened to you both.  I think that possibly my eggs were not just mature enough to fertilise. We have a meeting with the Dr next week so it will be interesting to hear what they have to say.  Chatting to other people has made me realise that just because this happened this time doesnt mean we ought to give up. My husband thinks that this time it was just nature that they didnt fertilise. We are both happy to do another cycle.  After the first cycle the Dr said she could not see any reason why it wouldnt work for us in the future.  I will be keen to learn if they still think this is the case after this one.  A friend told me yesterday that she knows of people who had 6 and 7 cycles before they eventually got pregnant.  Every time I hear something like that it gives me hope that our time will come! Once again I am so sorry for your news but please don't give up on the hope you have.  One of my best friends who had nothing wrong with herself or her husband took 4 years to conceive and only did so after IUI and now she has 3 beautiful children. So even when there's no identifiable factors it can still require help. I want to wish you the very best of luck on this tough journey xxx


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## susan71

Thank you Yellowhope for your reply,
                                                          Do you mind me asking where you have been treated. Mine was IVF Wales. Just wondering had anybody else have fertilisation problems there. We have decided to go again, but I have to tell you I am very scared. I think I am just so worried that I will not be able to get pass fertilisation stage. We are going to go to CRMW next time. I have arranged an appointment for Saturday Week with the hope of going again in August. Not sure if this is too soon. What do you think??


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## yellowhope

Hi Susan
I had my first IVF in Origin( private IVF clinic) and my second in RFC in Belfast (NHS cycle.) This is the only one (cycle) thats available when you live in NI, on the health service. Our next cycle will be anothr private one either at the RFC or else Origin.  After my first cycle we were told to wait for two periods before returning for another. After the AF which followed the 1ST IVF cycle my next period took 58 days to return, I think the meds will knock whatever your pre-ivf menstrual cycle was out, just until the ovaries calm down again.  In the RFC their policy is that there must be a minimum of 4 months between the end of the IVF and the start of the next IVF.  The only reason we did not go back to the same clinic as the first time is that our NHS cycle had come just the month before we were to return to Origin. I do  really feel for you. I think only when you have been through it that you get a taste of the reality of the tough process that this is. After our First cycle we wanted to do it straight away again immediately.  Another girl on this forum sent me a message which basically explained how it had happened to her and that like me she wanted to do it ASAP but with her cyccles it turned out to be a longer no of months but that she got stronger as the months passed both physically and emotionally and this helped her to cope.  The level of saddness after a failed cycle is very tough to deal with, but we definately have both found that the passage of time and the hope that you have for the future will carry you through this difficult time. Best wishes xx


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## Han72

Hi and I'm so sorry to hear of what you've all been through 



susan71 said:


> This was my first cycle and they said I reacted very well to drugs....probably too well. I had over 40 follicles and on Monday I had 17 eggs retrieved 8 went for ICSi 9 IVF. I had the call for the embryologist on Tuesday morningthat none of the ICSI worked and only 1 of the IVF had fertilised by it was abnormal . I am devastated . I know that this is a process where there is a lot of failure that can happen, but I never expected to have no embryos .


Hi Susan, I'd definitely ask your clinic whether they could monitor you more closely in any future cycles to avoid this type of over stimulation, 40 follies and not one embie just isn't right! Have you been checked for PCOS by any chance? A good clinic should try to restrict the number of follies to ensure that you get quality over quantity... Also, did they give you any explanation as to why none of the ICSI'd eggs fertilised? Was it egg quality or sperm quality that caused the problem because both can have an effect...

Yellowhope - if your eggs weren't mature then (in my completely un-expert opinion) they messed up with the trigger. Either the timing or the dosage wasn't right. Also I think the delay in AF returning is probably more down to the PCOS rather than the meds (although they will have played a part)

Love and luck to all!

xxx


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## SoneaSze

Susan71 and Yellowhope
Sorry to hear about your egg collection results. I know you must be so devastated, scared and confused right now. Our first ICSI egg collection resulted in zero fertilsation as well. I was was so scared because I thought that it meant that we couldn't make embyros of our own. The staff at IVF Wales were compassionate and explained that it wasn't always down to egg and sperm quality, it just happened sometimes. On my return for my second ICSI I was half expecting it to happen again, but it didn't. They changed the dosage of my drugs and we ended up with 10 fertilised embryos. Unfortunatey, it ended in a chemical pregnancy that time, but it was still great to have overcome the fertilisation hurdle, and of course getting my first BFP even if it was for a few weeks. I am now on course for our 3rd ICSI attempt next month and look to it with hope and positivity. I wish you well and the best of luck in your journey to motherhood.


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## yellowhope

Hi 

Hans72 , we had our review and they said that the sperm sample was fine.  They said that they did some procedure to the eggs to strip them back and examine them and that mine were fine-nothing abnormal detected.  The Dr said she couldn't really give us any explanation for what went wrong but that my eggs were mature.  She said it just happens sometimes and that they would not do anything different in the next cycle drugwise, but that we should have ICSI instead.  She said she would have queried that maybe we had immune issues but for the fact six months ago we had fertilisation of 10 out of 14 eggs. So she doesnt believe immunity is a problem. I asked her if we should be tested and she said not, that we have nothing to gain by having immune issues looked at.

Hi SoneaSze, I think our first IVF lulled us into a false sense of security in that we didn't think we would have any fertilisation problems as it happened so readily the first time. It was my fear during the first IVF that maybe they wouldnt fertilise as we were ttc fomore than 3 years with no luck. So it definately was relief to overcome that hurdle the first time.  This time it is such an abrupt shock when the process halts so prematurely. Its great to hear that you did so well the second time.  We are now on course for our first ICSI ....I just wanted to thank you and pass on my best wishes for yournext cycle. Heres to it being 3rd time lucky for the both of us .......


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