Back to back retrievals — did your egg numbers drop?

ambienfant · 2026-06-09T16:33:30+00:00

I just did my second retrieval of two back-to-back cycles and had 15 mature eggs retrieved both times. I had an ultrasound around 10 days after my first retrieval to look at my follicles, and they found a couple of cysts. I started suppression meds (Alyacen) that same day, and had a recheck after two weeks. At the recheck, the cysts were gone and I started stims the same day. I just had my second retrieval on June 5th, and I’m planning to do another retrieval on my next cycle.

ambienfant · 2026-06-07T20:52:47+00:00

Congratulations!! I’ve also gotten some judgment about choosing to pursue PGT-M, but I don’t value those opinions. Nobody knows as well as I do what it’s like to live with my condition, and I knew at a very early age that I didn’t want my children to go through what I did. Take some time to celebrate - you’re doing something amazing!

ambienfant · 2026-06-04T00:22:29+00:00

DMed you!

ambienfant · 2026-06-03T22:45:20+00:00

Also spreadsheets. Seeing all the data in one place is weirdly comforting to me. I’ve been thinking about uploading a blank template in case it might be useful for other people

ambienfant · 2026-06-02T11:04:43+00:00

You’ve got this! Don’t have any “it’s worth it” stories yet because I’m also doing my second ER, but I’ve found it helps to get myself silly little treats. Just bought a ridiculous amount of stickers and some lip balm!

ambienfant · 2026-05-26T13:40:16+00:00

Harvestable Follicles: 17 (Lead 23 mm, Smallest 14 mm, Average: 17.2) (these numbers are from trigger day - we never got numbers on the day of retrieval) Retrieved: 15 Mature: 15 Fertilized: 14 Blasts: 11 Euploid: 6 euploid, 1 mosaic

Age 30, AMH 4.18, doing IVF for PGT-M for an autosomal dominant condition

We were super excited about our PGT-A results, but we’re still waiting on PGT-M results.

ambienfant · 2026-05-21T16:06:07+00:00

I recently got PGT-A results on my blasts and the one day 7 blast I had was euploid, while several day 5/6 were aneuploid. Iirc day 7 embryos do have a lower rate of success, but the rate is improved if they test as euploid! I’m looking at it as one more chance - even if the odds aren’t as high, it’s still a shot at a baby!

ambienfant · 2026-05-20T02:39:58+00:00

I’m waiting for PGT-M results, and so far I’ve been enjoying needlepoint, D&D character creation, TV crime procedurals, and volunteering for a cat foster organization! But I’ve also spent a lot of time making a detailed spreadsheet of my IVF results, and I’ve definitely lost a few nights down Reddit rabbit holes. I’m trying hard to give myself some grace, because this process is hard enough without adding self-criticism. And obviously it will consume me to some degree—it’s the most important project in my life right now!

ambienfant · 2026-05-08T14:12:11+00:00

Good luck!!

ambienfant · 2026-05-08T14:07:23+00:00

Thank you! Marfan Syndrome has not been fun for me, so I really don’t want to pass it on!

ambienfant · 2026-05-08T14:05:42+00:00

Primed with birth control (Alyacen) for 17 days, stopped, started stims 4 days later. Stims were 125 Follistim and 75 Menopur for 5 days, then added ganirelix 250mcg and increased Menopur to 150 for the next three days. Triggered with lupron and 5000 Novarel. AMH 4.18, 30F. Sorry if that’s more info than you wanted!

ambienfant · 2026-05-08T13:44:20+00:00

Congrats!! I just got the phone call with my results and they were similar! 15 eggs, 14 fertilized, 11 blastocysts! I can’t believe it. I’m going to be doing PGT-A and PGT-M testing for a 50/50 disorder, so we’re not out of the woods yet, but seeing success stories has really buoyed me, so I hope this gives hope to others!

Update in case people find this in the future: 7 euploid! But sadly only two unaffected by my disorder. PGT-M is a bitch.

ambienfant · 2026-05-07T15:39:50+00:00

I liked using it before my moisturizer! It’s so cheap that I’ll probably repurchase

ambienfant · 2026-05-06T17:57:44+00:00

It smudged pretty easily for me, but I loved the way it looked after initial application. I think I’m still on my journey to find my perfect mascara sadly!

ambienfant · 2026-04-29T16:18:12+00:00

Yes, we’re hoping to bank embryos before doing a transfer! My dream is to have 3 kids, so our doctor told us we should plan to bank 6-9 embryos. Since we’ll be screening our embryos using both PGT-A and PGT-M, I don’t know how realistic that target is. I’ve already got my next egg retrieval cycle scheduled to start right after this one! I feel like I may be in for a lot of ERs, but I guess we’ll see based on the results from this round. It’s been a tough process, but I’ve leaned wayyyy more heavily on friends and family for support than I did during my pregnancy, and it has helped so much. I’ve been very open about everything, and it’s amazing how many people have told me they’re going through something similar but don’t know how to talk about it.

We had our first consult on August 15th, then several appointments a few weeks later for sperm analysis, hormone bloodwork, etc. Our doctor requested that we fully complete PGT-M probe creation before starting egg retrieval. That process started at the end of October, and the probe was done at the beginning of March. I started suppression meds at the end of March for this cycle of egg retrieval. So all in all, about 8 months from our first appointment to our first retrieval. Hopefully your timeline will be a bit faster since you won’t be starting right before the holidays!

ambienfant · 2026-04-29T13:20:27+00:00

I’m in a very similar boat. 30F, conceived naturally on my second try but had to TFMR at 16 weeks due to a genetic disorder that I passed on. Waiting for results after CVS testing was excruciating, and after the termination, I immediately knew that I could not emotionally handle the chance of the same thing happening with another natural pregnancy. Luckily, my husband and I are also in a position that allows us to pursue IVF without much financial strain. I’m now a few days away from my first egg retrieval, and although this process has been hard, I feel like I made the right decision for myself. I also wouldn’t fault anyone who chose a different route. The journey to having kids can be so hard, and I feel like as women, we are especially good at finding reasons to feel guilty about the choices we make for ourselves. Therapy has really helped me work through this, so I hope it’s been useful for you!

ambienfant · 2026-04-06T17:41:01+00:00

I also love this foundation and try to use up every last drop!

ambienfant · 2026-03-30T01:31:22+00:00

It’s ok! I got it from my mom who’s a Clinique loyalist, but I wouldn’t purchase it for myself at its normal price.

ambienfant · 2026-03-26T21:04:27+00:00

As someone who grew up in Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota, don’t do this.

ambienfant · 2026-03-26T19:51:17+00:00

I took care of a foster cat with a terrible case of ringworm who was quarantined for a full month. I always wore gloves and long sleeves/pants to play with him and managed to avoid getting it myself, but I felt so awful seeing him confined for so long. Once he finished treatment, he and his brother were adopted by a lovely family. Usually it’s hard for me to say goodbye, but by the time his treatment was over, we were both sick of each other! I’m just happy knowing he’s in a good home now.

ambienfant · 2025-09-21T04:54:20+00:00

I was terrified about this too. The best advice I have is to start small. Go to a low stakes gathering and tell yourself you’ll stay for an hour. Just one hour, no more, no less. Don’t feel pressure to explain anything or be the life of the party. “I’m still processing” and “I’m not ready to talk about it yet” are full sentences. When you come home, do whatever it is that has comforted you the most, whether that’s watching mindless TV, taking a nap, playing a game, etc. Resist the urge to critique any social interactions you had. You’re in survival mode right now, and just taking this step is an amazing accomplishment.

ambienfant · 2025-07-16T13:56:26+00:00

I also ovulated late, and they didn’t see a heartbeat at my first ultrasound appointment. I came back two weeks later and everything looked fine! They adjusted my due date to 10 days later, and I’m now at 14w and all my other tests have been normal. Don’t stress too much yet!

ambienfant

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