# IVF failed... but how???



## Pixie81 (Feb 21, 2012)

This is my first time on here, although I've reading other's posts for some time. I just desperately need to find someone in the same situation although I'm doubtful that I will.

Had egg collection on Monday which resulted in 29 eggs, 20 of which were mature. All were really healthy and although I'd over hyperstimulated a bit I was feeling ok. My DH's sperm quality was really good and we were expecting a very exciting phone call the next day. Unfortunately our world came crashing down when we were told on Tuesday that none had fertilised. It's all very strange as the eggs and sperm were seemingly perfect but there wasn't even any bonding happening in the petri dishes!

We've now been told that this must have been the problem all along and it indicates that my DH and I are not compatible and are unlikely to ever be.

There is still hope (ICSI) although this worries me that we will be forcing something which clearly doesn't want to happen and I'm worried what implications this could have in the future. 

The doctors are a little baffled and don't have many answers as this is apparently really rare.

Will re-start the whole process in six months (NHS patient) so just wondered if I could find anyone in a similar situation i nthe mean time. xxx


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## LoopyMoo (Feb 3, 2010)

Hi Pixie, I'm so sorry to read your post, how awful for you and DH.  I have no personal experience of this but I do have a friend that has had 1 IVF treatment where none fertilised and 1 ICSI where also none fertilised.  Her clinic has told her that it's rare for this to happen and that her and DH's chromosomes are not compatible.  She is now going down the donor egg route and her friend has very kindly offered to donate.  

I know that doesn't help much but after reading couldn't not post back.  Hope you get some answers


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## yellowhope (Nov 18, 2010)

Hi Pixie
just wanted to let you know on our first cycle we had excellent fertilisation (10/14) and six months later at a different clinic had zero fertilisation of 11 eggs. We have just completed our third cycle but they did ICSI and this gave us (15/20) embryos. Although our 3rd cycle seems to have just failed I don't think you should give up yet.  Good Luck for the future


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## nikki76 (Feb 1, 2011)

Hi Pixie..so sorry this has happened to u..to be honest with so many eggs ur clinic shud have done half IVF and half ICSI, that's what my clinic does, so that u cover all scenarios!
Also there is a slight possibility the sperm analysis they did wasn't correct. When we did our first sperm analysis at a Harley street clinic they told us that the sperm was absolutely perfect! But at my last clinic they found over 90% abnormality, so they had to do ICSI ... Maybe u shud get a second or even third opinion on that?!

Don't give up, if u have good eggs and ur dh sperm is 'descent' clinics perform miracles, as long as u go to the right one
x


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## Jen xx (Mar 14, 2011)

Sorry pet I've no experience but didn't want to read and run either,that so unusual for that to happen,I can only imagine how ur feelin,in regards to icsi,we had it,first time and were blessed with our gorgeous girl so please don't worry about any implications!!

Jenna xx


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## Sparkly_Shoes (Jan 5, 2012)

Dear pixie

Firstly I am very sorry to hear this, it must be so painful, I can only imagine what you and your other half are going through.    

I am going to write here what my heart really says, and what I would say if this happened to my closest friends or family member, I don't have a similar experience, but having gone through what seemed like a perfect IVF we ended with a BFN, and somehow, I felt this was going to be it! It hit me so hard i am still so raw from it. 

I have to say, i respect you hun for thinking the way you are (ie forcing nature etc) but try not to think that way. when I went to the first ivf talk etc, that was exactly how i felt, especially seeing a presentation showing embryos in a petri-dish, I thought, am I forcing something that does not want to happen? But in a few weeks, I also thought that if I don't try this, I will forever feel like I didn't do everything that was available to me...

All I can say is that although modern technology and medical science is very advanced and doctors have worked miracles, Mother Nature reigns supreme, and like all mothers she seems cruel sometimes, and only she knows why. Please don't blame yourself, or feel that it isn't meant to be...sometimes science cannot explain why nature does or does not do something.

Ask yourself one question, imagine if u knew before u started ivf that you needed ICSI? Would you still go ahead with the ivf? For you, right now, this is so much harder because it is such a shock. But say there was some other complication and you knew in advance....there are no easy answers, i know... 

Take care, and please take the time to deal with the whole situation in your mind, I hope you can soon see the answers on the horizon.... PM me if you feel like it

Good luck


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## Pixie81 (Feb 21, 2012)

Thank you to you all for your words of support. It's a horrible situation to be in but then none of us are on here because we're having an easy time of it.

We have decided to go try again but this time with ICSI but I think we need a holiday first. It takes over your life otherwise and that's not healthy.

I wish you all the absolute best and hope that for those of you who are still TTC that you get BFPs soon. xxxx


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## katie76 (Dec 24, 2010)

I just wanted to say what wonderful words sparkly shoes and to Pixie, sometimes especially in this horrible world of infertility there is no reason to any of it and one thing I've realised is it just isn't fair xx


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## saz2011 (Apr 20, 2011)

Although my situation was slightly different i thought i would reply.
I had a cycle and they collected around the same number of eggs as from you, i too had mild OHSS but felt fine. I was awaiting the phone call saying everything was fantastic only to be told only 2 had fertilised. They said to us the same as you we're not compatible. I thought how could this be as we managed to get pregnant on our own and that was just 1 egg??
I was advised to have ICSI this time to increase fertilisation. I was on a much lower dose of menopur, they collected just under half the number of eggs this time and to my delight all fertilised. I wasn't expecting that at all. I think maybe with the high number the quality wasn't great last time as DH has no problems with his part. On a positive note they have all your info from last time and will monitor you more closely on next cycle. I hope this is of some comfort to you, although i know it probably isn't right now x


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## coweyes (Sep 4, 2008)

I have a friend who had this happen to her.  Her and her dh had unexplained fertility issues they had several iui then moved on to ivf.  They had nothing fertilise and was told that the shell to her egg was too thick, to thick for the sperm to penetrate.  She gave icsi a go next and it fixed the issue, she was lucky enough to get pg and now has a young daughter.


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## Pixie81 (Feb 21, 2012)

To Saz and Coweyes, 
Thank you so much for sharing those experiences, they have really helped a lot. xxx

Since we were told we weren't combatible I started looking for information on the internet but couldn't really find anything. I then contacted a specialist (luckily I work at a hospital with one of the country's leading fertility experts) and she told me that the clinic shouldn't have said we weren't compatible. Apparently it's not true. She suggested that the problem could be with a missing enzyme in the sperm. It can't be seen so the sperm quality would look good. The enzyme is purely present to dissolve the egg shell and doesn't have anything to do with fertilization so I now feel a lot better about ICSI working. She also suggested that although I was told my eggs looked good, they wouldn't have been great as there were too many. Clinics should aim to get around 10 eggs and anything over 15 should be considered a bad thing as the quality is more likely to be affected. I had 29!!!!

I was still feeling pretty upset yesterday but your replies have just given me a real lift so thank you.

Saz, I can't see your signature now I've started responding but I think I saw that you are having ET tomorrow. I will keep my fingers crossed for you.

Best of luck to you both.
xxx


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## coweyes (Sep 4, 2008)

Glad your feeling a bit better, keep the faith until its proved otherwise. xx


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## Icsihope (May 31, 2012)

Hi, I just wanted to share our experience as we were in exactly the same situation as yourselves. We were continually classed as "unexplained" and eventually we decided to try IVF after about 3 years trying. The first cycle was going perfectly, they collected 7 eggs and then our world collapsed when we had the call the next morning to say none had fertilised. I can still remember the feeling it was like someone had punched me in the gut. We were told that although the sperm sample looked absolutely fine for standard IVF, the sperm just weren't able to latch on to the egg. They didn't really know why but my suspicion (having googled it to death!) is that due to an un descended teste my OH had corrected as a child it has caused the problem. 

Anyway it was recommended that we av ICSI on our next cycle so we went ahead with it. I was freaking out the whole way through thinking what if none of them fertilise with ICSI but they did. I had 9 eggs collected, all were good enough to inject and 7 fertilised. So it def can overcome this problem. Unfortunately we discovered today that we have been unsuccessful and I am totally gutted but in time I'm sure I'll pick myself up again and try again.

Just wanted to say don't give up hope

X


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## Kayy (May 4, 2011)

I am so sorry this happened to you hon. Reading your post reminded me soo much of how I was feeling last year.
On my 1st cycle of ivf I had mature 9 eggs and was devastated when none fertilized! You worry about alot of things but non fertilization wasn't one of them for me.. It had me in complete shock. I felt like I did everything I had to do just to fall at the very first hurdle.
After crying for days, dh and I had our consultation with Dr just to be told that we were incompatible. He said it could be any number of reasons why it didn't work, ie I have hard eggs, hubby sperm wasn't connecting. But it prob was that we just didn't gel right together in the fertility department. (my words)

Icis was recommended and believe me, I had no hopes because we were incompatible (apparently). 
After going thru the whole process again, I had 12 mature eggs and this time 9 fertilized!! 
Icis does and can work! There is hope for us incompatible couples. 

Though I would like to add that me and my DH were never incompatible - we are perfect for each other. 

I am now 23 weeks along in my pg. And I have 3 frosties on ice ready for next time. Yes I needed alittle extra help but it is so worth it.

I wish you so much luck with your next cycle. A holiday sounds like a fab idea. Somewhere warm and wonderful I hope.

Take care and best wishes Kayy xxxxxxxxxxx


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## one123 (Jul 29, 2013)

Hi everyone, 

I don't know how many times I've read your posts so I can feel better and reassured  that there is hope!

My world was crashed when we got zero fertilization with our first Ivf and we are about to start our first ICSI and PICSI cycle.


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## coweyes (Sep 4, 2008)

Good luck. xx


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## one123 (Jul 29, 2013)

HI everyone,
We did icsi this month and would like to share that this time we got 100% fertilization!! we are thrilled...so ICSI its a miracle to us and we are so grateful that there is HOPE ...
First cycle 12 normal mature eggs and zero fertilization and now 13 normal mature eggs 100% fertilization....so to everyone going through similar problems remember my post...THERE IS A HOPE DON'T  GIVE UP


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