# Another BFN and poor quality embryos



## Jo1970 (Oct 18, 2005)

Hi everyone
Am new here and this is my first post. 35yrs, TTC#1, 5yrs, IUIX1 neg, IVFX3 neg. Had another BFN last week and really feel at my wits end with all this - not sure if to try again , but not sure I can cope with giving up either.
I have PCOS and am on metformin but all my cycles have produced loads of embies but mostly of poor quality. Has anyone alse had this?
I am not sure if to go to another clinic for a 2nd opinion as to whether than can do anything to improve embie quality. My consultant says all I can do is keep havining another go.
What about different drugs or I have read on this board re aneuploidy testing or chromosome tests??
Anyone else had similar, really feel desperate!
Thanks, Jo XX


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## saphy75 (Mar 15, 2004)

hi Jo

just wanted to welcome you to the site and to send you a big   
sorry i can't help re different drugs or other tests but i'm sure someone on here will be able to  

pam xx


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## Chadwick (May 12, 2005)

Hi Jo,
so sorry to hear your result - we've had 3 unsuccessful ICSI tx and had our follow-up review to the last one today.  On my last cycle I produced 14 eggs but only 4 fertilised, 2 were good quality but the other two were grainy so couldn't be frozen.  We thought our issue was male factor as DH has low sperm and little motility (I had mild endo but nothing too serious) but today consultant told me he thinks I have an egg quality problem....great!  He was really honest and assured us that if there was no point continuing he would tell us - he suggested a slight reduction in my drug dosage - to improve egg maturity it's better to have a slightly longer stimming period - and said he would give me LH injections during stimming as this can also improve the quality.  I may also look into checking my NK cells just to make sure my body isn't giving my already weak embies a hard time.

Hope this helps
love
Jayne


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## Jo1970 (Oct 18, 2005)

Hi,
Thanks Jayne, I think I need to go back and see the consultant again, I may give it one last go but want to do everything poss to improve the egg quality  - it sounds like there are things so hopefully he will help us,
Good luck, when are you having another go?
luv Jo XX


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## Chadwick (May 12, 2005)

Hi Jo,
we are going to give the treatment roller-coaster a rest for a while as we've done 3 ICSI pretty much back to back this year.  Hopefully will have another go next April.  I need to get a new job now (got redundancy early this year) so that's something different for me to worry about!!  Ticking clock always at the back of my mind and am not looking forward to hitting 37 in January as it does feel like even more bloody pressure!!

Good luck with your consultant - they are there to answer questions even though they sometimes forget that!

Love 
Jaynex


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## cesca (Sep 18, 2004)

Hi ..have just seen your post from last week and thought that my experience might help you.I was 41 when my DH and I had ivf and we had poor quality embryos, then I heard acupuncture can help,so went to see a fertility acupuncturist and hey presto went from grade 3/4 first time round to 1/2 second ivf. Sadly for us it hasn't worked out as I think genetically my time has passed. We had aneuploidy screening and it showed most of them were genetically compromised, but give the acupuncture a go you have nothing to lose and good luck.


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## Ellie.st (Mar 11, 2005)

Dear Jo
I tried a few things to improve egg/embryo quality for my second cycle.  First cycle I got five fertilised eggs out of nine collected but ended up with only two (including one grade 4 cell) to put back (ET on day two) and none worth freezing.  The second cycle  (ET on day three) I got five fertilised eggs out of eight, and out of that two grade one eight cells and a further two 6/7 cells which have been frozen. Both cycles were BFNs but I do think myself that the quality improved in the second cycle.

The things I did differently for the second cycle were:
1


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## Ellie.st (Mar 11, 2005)

Dear Jo
Sorry - managed to post half a reply above - not sure what happened!  Anyway, as I was trying to say ...

I tried a few things to improve egg/embryo quality for my second cycle.  First cycle I got five fertilised eggs out of nine collected but ended up with only two (including one grade 4 cell) to put back (ET on day two) and none worth freezing.  The second cycle  (ET on day three) I got five fertilised eggs out of eight, and out of that two grade one eight cells and a further two 6/7 cells which have been frozen. 

The things I did differently for the second cycle were:
1 had reflexology in the lead up to the cycle
2 took a bee pollen/royal jelly supplement for about two months before the cycle
3 ate lots more protein and sources of Essential Fatty Acids during the second cycle, plus drank alot more water 
4 asked (and got) to have Menopur for stimming rather than Puregon.  Menopur has LH as well as FSH (unlike Puregon which bonly has FSH) and there is a theory that it can help egg quality in older women (although I have since seen some research which suggests this isn't the case).

Obviously, both cycles ended up with BFNs (though I still have a FET to come) but I do think that the quality improved in the second cycle regardless. I haven't a clue if any of these things actually made the difference but maybe they are worth a try as I don't think any of them would actually cause any problems.

Best wishes

Ellie


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## A1979 (Nov 22, 2005)

Hi there

I just wanted to tell you about my experience with poor egg quality.

I had ICSi and unfortunately none of my eggs fertilised sufficiently due to the poor quality of my eggs and embryo's.  I didnt even get to ET stage and was absolutely heartbroken.

It took me nearly 3 years to try again and this time I was sooooo worried.  Infact, even on the table when it was EC every time they announced an egg I was checking the quality.

They were all absolutely fantastic - the lab manager even came through at ET stage and told me that they were the best embies they had seen and to expect a pregnancy (we got a BFP  ).

We did get 7 to freeze which we are pleased with.

Anyway - things I did differently this time.

1. I took a supplement called Staminogro which is supposed to help with quality.  If you google Staminogro it should bring up the site in South Africa.  You register with the site and you can email them to check prices etc.  It has never cost me more than about £30 for a good 3 months supply.

2.  I ate lots and lots of protein as heard that this can improve quality.  I had scrambled eggs for breakfast, salmon for lunch and chicken or fish for tea.  I also drank plenty of milk.

3.  I had acupuncture although I dont think this particularly helped.

I just wanted to give you a little bit of hope.  I started doing these things from DRing stage.

Hope this helps.

Lots of love and good luck

Anna


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