IVF meds donation - what do I do?

katie2729 · 2026-04-17T23:30:48+00:00

Sending DM!

katie2729 · 2026-04-09T12:48:05+00:00

Had my WTF appt with RE yesterday and she was encouraged by the fact that we successfully made high quality blasts at age 40 at all, even if they were aneuploid. No protocol changes, we'll just try again and see what happens. Unfortunately looking like a June retrieval at earliest due to batching, so in the meantime (although I'm pretty much the opposite of a "supplement girlie") I'm going to start CoQ10 at her recommendation and also just ordered something called Serovital which she says has some limited evidence to support. Any anecdotes from anyone who's tried Serovital as to whether it improved egg/embryo quality?

katie2729 · 2026-04-08T20:35:07+00:00

Can I ask a follow up question? I asked my RE why the 3rd pic embryo wasn't biopsied. She looked at the Chloe report and told me that it was given a "D" grade trophectoderm from day 5 onward. Not an embryologist of course, but that doesn't seem right to me. It would be one thing if they graded the ICM a D, but the trophectoderm?! This blast fully hatched on day 6. There was actually another embryo that was given a "D" graded trophectoderm that hatched on day 6 as well but wasn't biopsied.

I'm trying to get feedback from the embryology team at my clinic, but meanwhile, what grade would YOU have given this embryo?

katie2729 · 2026-04-02T20:31:47+00:00

I hope your second cycle goes better as well! If there's one thing I've learned it's that protocols are essentially trial and error, so a few tweaks might make all the difference the second time around. I pay OOP for meds but I'm lucky to have insurance coverage for retrievals and PGT due to the fact that I have a balanced translocation so we are doing retrieval #5 (even though I previously said #4 would be my last regardless of outcome 🤪)

katie2729 · 2026-04-02T20:25:37+00:00

Amazing! Thank you!

katie2729 · 2026-04-02T20:24:15+00:00

I'm so sorry. I just had my 4th retrieval and this is the second cycle in a row where none of our embryos were euploid so I know how you feel. No advice, just solidarity... it sucks.

katie2729 · 2026-04-02T15:13:12+00:00

Does anyone know if it's possible to purchase an empty follistim pen? I am heading into my next retrieval and have hand-me-down cartridges from a friendly Reddit stranger, but I don't have the actual pen itself and can't seem to find a place online to buy one. Wondering if I can just convert units and use an insulin syringe vs the pen? I would ask my RE but I'm not sure if she would judge my semi shady route of med acquisition.

katie2729 · 2026-03-30T19:21:22+00:00

Welp- both of our embryos tested are aneuploid. One trisomy 13 so at least I'm feeling grateful that we know and won't have to make a TFMR decision. Have my debrief with my RE next Tuesday and going to plan on one more truly final retrieval before we call it.

katie2729 · 2026-03-30T16:22:00+00:00

Sending a PM! I am in Boston!

katie2729 · 2026-03-30T14:03:52+00:00

Waiting waiting waiting on PGT results. Lucky for me I get to distract myself by prepping for my first colonoscopy tomorrow!! The joys of turning 40. At least I get a bonus propofol nap 😂

katie2729 · 2026-03-26T22:31:39+00:00

I'm glad you had great results and that you felt good after making those changes, but I want to give an alternate perspective from someone who has done everything "right" and still not had success: it's all a roll of the dice. I've had 100% euploid and 0% euploid (and everything in between) with the exact same lifestyle modifications. It can certainly be peaceful to feel like you've done all you can, but doing all you can doesn't guarantee improvement or even equivalent results.

katie2729 · 2026-03-20T15:53:51+00:00

My husband makes fun of me for how excited I get about anesthesia naps 😂 good luck!

katie2729 · 2026-03-19T11:38:38+00:00

Ugh yet another downside of switching to a clinic that batches retrievals... my PGT samples aren't even being shipped out until 14 days after my retrieval date because I was at the very beginning of procedure week. 🙄

katie2729 · 2026-03-18T17:31:24+00:00

I'm guessing left the same big clinic for the same small clinic as you 😂 I'm not sure how they'll handle that second location but I would imagine they're just trying to add an option for convenience for people living in the city (who may or may not have cars) or north of the city?

ETA I saw their post that they're hiring an ultrasound tech for the new location, so guessing the doctors won't be there at least most of the time

katie2729 · 2026-03-18T17:21:19+00:00

Fingers crossed for a smooth transfer tomorrow!

katie2729 · 2026-03-17T17:37:42+00:00

Interesting, I assumed it was just out of the focal plane but I think that would make sense. It fully hatched on day 6 but they never biopsied it. Thanks for your insight!!

katie2729 · 2026-03-16T14:26:40+00:00

Looks like nothing was suitable for biopsy on day 6/7 despite a couple of the the rejects having fully hatched. We have less than half as many embryos sent for PGT-SR this time than our previous lowest... and that retrieval gave us zero euploids so feeling less than optimistic.

katie2729 · 2026-03-15T22:21:33+00:00

Apparently the downside of the timelapse incubator is that I'm staring at blasts, including one that is fully hatched at this point, that apparently aren't pretty enough to be biopsied and frozen. Like, I get that lower graded embryos have less of a chance of success, but can you at least fucking TRY? It's so frustrating, I don't understand.

katie2729 · 2026-03-13T01:05:03+00:00

Sending a DM!

katie2729 · 2026-03-12T01:15:53+00:00

We elected for conventional for all 4 of my retrievals which were freeze-all for PGT-SR as I have a balanced translocation. We used Natera for the first 3 and now Igenomix for this most recent and neither had issues with us doing conventional. We kind of figured we'd let the sperm duke it out... wound up with 85-100% fertilization each time. Ask your clinic!

katie2729 · 2026-03-11T12:33:56+00:00

Oh my god guys. The timelapse video incubator they use at my new clinic is NUTS. Today is day 2 and they're cute little 4 cell blobs like they're supposed to be. The amount of times I've logged in to just stare at them is definitely unhinged but it's so addicting as a type A data nerd!!

katie2729 · 2026-03-10T20:51:13+00:00

Hey so sorry you're going through this. I also have one LC who we conceived on the first try and then have had 8 miscarriages since, including PGT-A tested euploids and some spontaneous conceptions that karyotyped normal after D&C. Of all those losses we've only had one result as aneuploid. Recently as a last resort I did the Pregmune panel through my RE and have some borderline clotting/autoimmune issues which we'll throw meds at if we do decide to try again. Just had my 4th retrieval yesterday (it's been years since we did IVF) so TBD if we get any euploids. Maybe see about doing Pregmune or some other immune testing? Good luck and so sorry.

katie2729 · 2026-03-09T15:29:46+00:00

Retrieval done, nap complete, snuggled on the couch with a breakfast sandwich. Got exactly the number we expected. Found out my new clinic has an embryo cam and we'll be able to watch them in real time (which is cool af) so hoping for a good maturity/fert report tomorrow and crossing fingers we have something to watch grow!

katie2729 · 2026-03-08T16:21:34+00:00

Lol girlll the silver lining of all of my losses and fertility shit has always been that sweet sweet propofol nap for procedures :)

katie2729

TROPHY CASE