today after my consultation for my failed third transfer, which ended up being a chemical pregnancy after a strong positive from day 5, i felt absolutely wrecked

that little bit of hope had me so high, then it all came crashing down. it honestly crushed me. i’m not usually someone who shows a lot of emotion, i usually keep it all in, but by the end of the appointment i couldn’t hold it together anymore. i started sobbing and kept asking, “do i still have hope?”

i couldn’t stop crying. my chest hurt, my throat hurt. when i looked up, i saw my husband getting teary too, and to my surprise even my RE was wiping his eyes with a tissue.

he told me, “you are one of my strongest and happiest patients. please don’t let this ruin your spirit. i promise you, it will work.”

i went home with a bag of antibiotics and cried so hard i actually burst a blood vessel in my eye

i’m feeling a little better now... i think. and i’m going to try again in may. please keep me in your prayers

Hi everyone, we had two PGT-tested embryos. The first one didn’t implant, so our clinic changed the protocol and added an immune protocol for our second transfer, which thankfully implanted.
Our beta numbers were rising:
12dp5dt: 266

14dp5dt: 466

16dp5dt: 950

We went in for our first ultrasound at 7 weeks, and they couldn’t find a heartbeat. We are absolutely devastated.
Has anyone experienced something similar and gone on to have success afterward? This was our last embryo, and we’re heartbroken. 💔

Hi fam,

I’m 30F, history of deep infiltrating endometriosis (excised on ovaries, rectovaginal space, and bowel resection), adenomyosis, DOR, and endometritis. Two years ago my AMH was 0.79.

In 2025, we did three rounds of IVF and created 6 embryos. They were not genetically tested as I am too young. Downregulation for two months before first transfer. First transfer ended in chemical pregnancy. Got back onto birth control for three months.

After FET, my husband and I decided to switch clinics and try to bank more embryos. We began this cycle and my hormone blood tests were concerning: FSH - 92, estrogen below 37, progesterone 0,6 and LH 26 on day 2 of my period. First antral follicle scans showed 4-5 follicles. Went ahead and started. Second scan showed 3 follicles on day four - 11 mm, 10mm, 5mm. Gynecologist concerned about POI.

Has anyone been in a similar situation? Does it seem too late for us to create more embryos?

So we did our first ivf cycle in March this year and thankfully managed to get 8 embryos frozen. They had collected 31 eggs in total (yes I was unable to breathe or move properly for the week of egg retrieval iykyk hahaha).
My OBGYN told me a fresh transfer would not be possible as i had developed OHSS. Luckily, it was a mild case. I was devastated that I couldn’t do a fresh transfer but it is what it is.
My period didn’t come for 4 months and then eventually came when we went away on holiday so couldn’t do a transfer. Then in September it came again and we finally had an FET set in place. Everything was fine till my last bloodwork showed my estradiol levels were too low. FET was cancelled.
Then i had to take the pill to induce my period and do the whole process again. They amped up my Letrazole and now my follicles have grown too fast and my estradiol levels are still showing up low. fEt cancelled again.
My doc has now diagnosed me with PMOS(PCOS) which he hadn’t previously mentioned- only saying i had unexplained fertility problems.
Im sure you can tell by the effort im using to explain myself, i am exhausted.
I try so hard not to get my hopes up, and yet still so devastated both times he has cancelled. My partner gets it but has no idea how to help me. I feel like im grieving something that doesnt exist.

Why is the FET section of this process so much harder than the stims and egg collection and is it supposed to be?

So my question is- do you guys think i need to get a second opinion to see if my doc is doing everything he can?
Hes a busy man often fully booked and very highly rated, however I can’t help but think that if you have that many patients that some things might slip through the cracks.
I should also probably explain that to the outside world i am an extremely positive smiley generally happy person- so when i walk into his office 9/10 times im laughing, smiling or cracking jokes trying to keep the mood light. Im not sure if he may take this as a sign that I don’t care as much? I dont know!

I just really feel so stuck, like my life is on hold, that I should be doing more to move things along better, to give this the best chance i can.

Is there anything you guys would recommend doing?

I hope this makes sense 😩

Hey, I need an honest outside perspective. Am I overreacting, or was this genuinely insensitive?

I have a friend (who has a history of crossing boundaries) who has previously tried to compete with my husband and me financially, pried into our personal business, and canceled plans at the last minute countless times. My husband is pretty much done with this friendship, but I’ve continued trying to maintain it.

We were pregnant around the same time. She was expecting her second child, while my husband and I were finally expecting our IVF miracle after FOUR years of infertility, three failed IUIs, and a failed embryo transfer. As many of you know, infertility is an incredibly difficult journey, and I’m beyond grateful for our daughter.

Recently, she reached out after we hadn’t spoken in a while. We caught up, exchanged pictures of our kids, and talked about motherhood, postpartum health, and our cycles, as we’ve done before.

I mentioned that I’m almost 11 months postpartum and still haven’t gotten my period back because I’m breastfeeding. This is a particularly sensitive subject for me because we’re hoping to have another child, and I need to wean before moving forward with our next embryo transfer. Our fertility journey is still complicated, with treatment protocols and insurance approvals to navigate.

Her response? She told me that one friend got her period back four months postpartum and another got hers back just six weeks postpartum and even thought she was pregnant again.

I was already a little taken aback by those comparisons, but I responded politely, explaining that my OB-GYN said breastfeeding can delay the return of my period and that our journey hasn’t been easy.

Immediately after that message, she replied, “Guess what?” and sent me a picture of a pink onesie announcing that they’re expecting a baby girl.

Am I wrong for finding the timing incredibly insensitive? I'm not saying people shouldn't share their pregnancy announcements with me. I'm genuinely happy for others, and I know how fortunate I am to have my daughter. But after I had just opened up about a sensitive part of our ongoing fertility journey, the immediate announcement felt completely tone-deaf.

And considering the history of this friendship, I feel like this was the final straw. I'm ready to end the friendship altogether.

Am I being too sensitive, or would you also find this upsetting? I genuinely want an outside perspective.

We are doing ICSI here at DHC IVF, and we know embryo genetic testing is available. Should we go ahead and do it now? Our doctor recommended it, but we are also trying to save on costs.

I am very young to be doing IVF so I’m not sure if that is part of why I feel so lonely in this process. I have had people say congratulations when I tell them I’m doing IVF and I feel so unseen. This is not exciting, this is exhausting and depressing. I have also had people compare it to having their period or starting a new medication.

I know they’re just trying to empathize but it makes me feel like they just don’t get it. People also expect me to show up how I normally would, but I feel like I have nothing to give and am always coming up short. I am exhausted, anxious, and over this and I feel so so alone.

Does anyone else feel like this?

Dear all,

To keep it short, I’ve had 5ERs with zero blasts. We’ve been advised to consider whole exome sequencing (WES) because there might be a genetic issue, and we apparently fall into the OZEMA group. We haven’t done the test yet, and we have genetic counselling scheduled for next month. In the meantime, I had a follow-up appointment at my previous clinic in my home country. My doctor explained that, even with a normal spermiogram and only 4% DNA fragmentation, sperm could still be a contributing factor.

She suggested doing a cycle with donor sperm, either using donor sperm for all the eggs or splitting them 50/50 between my partner’s sperm and donor sperm. Her reasoning was that perhaps we’re simply not genetically compatible for having children together, while fertilization with another person’s sperm might lead to better embryo development. She says if I go straight for egg donation I will never know.

Has anyone here tried this approach after repeated embryo arrest? Did it make any difference? Should I try it?

Thank you!

We have been trying for more than a year. I had chemical pregnancy in Jan and an ectopic in right fallopian tube that was treated with mtx in april 2024. So we thought after all this time, let’s atleast go and get educated on what other possibilities are there to conceive.
When we met her, she right off the bat goes like, “you had an ectopic means there’s something majorly wrong”. She wasn’t even interested in knowing that my HSG showed both tubes open after ectopic. She just deemed that the right tube is definitely useless and the left is also to be considered the same. Hence, forget everything and just do ivf because any other pregnancies are also going to result in ectopic according to her. Now she has really tried to scare us. There were other things too that really put us off of her. We aren’t going to her for sure.
But i wanted to ask everyone’s advice if this is true? Like she made me feel like it’s dead end and only option is ivf. Ivf being the option is not the problem, it’s the way she said it that something is wrong and i can never have hope. Like my body is bad.
Idk if this is what all you guys have heard from your RE’s too?

Hi all, we started our process with dr schell at the advanced fertility clinic of Chicago in downers grove. She seems great but the support staff are all really disorganized and struggle with communication/planning. After 3 long months we have finished all testing just to prepare to freeze embryos. Due to the aforementioned disorganization it was very difficult to get this completed timely.

I won’t continue to complain, but I’m still pulling teeth to get my treatment plan and I’d like to get this show on the road and have trust issues now that they won’t mess something up once things are important

Does anyone have any recommendations in the western suburbs of Chicago? Ideally in the downers grove area but I work in Fulton market so can make downtown work too. We just want to freeze embryos for use later if needed.

I had my 6th egg retrieval yesterday. I knew we were going into it with not many follicles and we hoped to retrieve 4 eggs.

When I woke up, I was told they collected 2 eggs and that they couldn’t access my right ovary at all. They said my bowel was in the way and it was behind blood vessels that made it too risky. Has anyone had this before? And had answers as to why?

In 5 previous retrievals I have never had this happen. I was on a 24 hour fast so I’m unsure why my bowel would have expanded and been in the way.

I’m annoyed because 4 eggs was already low, to then only get 2 is frustrating. Every cycle seems to come with its own challenges… low AMH, no mature eggs, no eggs fertilised, all embryos arrested, now this. It never bloody ends.

Holding onto hope for those 2 little eggies ♥️

I was originally scheduled to start stimulation for my November round with a tentative start date of 11/17. However, my period started today (10/27). When I informed the clinic, the nurse told me I can actually start my IVF treatment on Day 3 (10/29), which they are considering my "November" cycle and I already have all meds in hand.

I don't have an issue with starting early, but after hanging up, I realized my husband won't be back in town until 11/9!

Now I am freaking out that if I am a fast responder, my stimulation could be as short as 8 to 10 days, meaning my egg retrieval would fall right before he arrives.

I would love to know how likely this is. What is the typical range for stimulation? Did anyone here only stim + trigger shot for 8 to 10 days, or do most of you go the full 12 to 14 days?

For context:
36yo
AFC: 8 (4/each side)
Normal BMI
FSH: 6.07; AMH: 1.83; LH: 4.36; E2: 109; Prolactin: 20.7

Here is my protocol:

1. Priming: Estrogen patches (started in late luteal phase, 5 patches total; 9 days after the first apply)
2. Starting Day 1 of Stims: Follistim 450 IU
3. Mid-Cycle Addition: Menopur 75 IU + Antagonist (Cetrotide/Ganirelix)
4. Trigger: HCG and/or Lupron

Does anyone have any evidence-based data on how stress impacts egg development, implantation, misscarriage and pregnancy?

I am, to put it mildly, extremely stressed as a person in general, and have a very demanding job that is high risk and requires me to be there 7 days a week. Plus now the whole IVF process is making it 100x worse. And to top it all off I am stressed that I am stressing too much.

Help 😭

Hi all, my husband and I are about to go through our first-ever round of IVF through Shady Grove Fertility in Colorado. I’ll be honest - I feel completely in the dark about so much of this process because everything I’ve learned has been through videos they are sending through a portal vs a human explaining it to me. I received my treatment calendar today and am getting multiple texts from Walgreens and my specialty pharmacy about prescriptions being filled, and I’m drowning in information overload without any human instruction on what I am supposed to be doing and when, other than words on a calendar and video links (and yes, I left a message for the nurse to call me).

Is this normal? I found myself suddenly hyperventilating on the couch as I was reading everything because I feel like I’m 100% driving blind.

I have 8 unopened vials of Menopur and 2 unopened boxes of Follistim (900 IU). Located in South Jersey outside Philadelphia. DM to coordinate pickup.

Edit: CLAIMED

Hi. Brand new to IVF. Unexplained infertility for +1 year. Skipping straight to trying IVF (no IUIs etc). I’m 35 yo female and partner is 39 male. I have a high follicle count (31), great AMH, great health. Partner is good but haven’t tested sperm quality yet. The digital Birds & Bees said he was good.

I’ve got an IVF plan from Pollin fertility and I just learned that it’s 10-12 days of stimulation injections and 1 intramuscular trigger shot. I think. 🤔 and I’m TERRIFIED of doing this. I’m considering foregoing the whole thing.

Then I also think: it’s over is quick, I can do this, it will be fine….

Later, when I’m at home on the couch and thinking this through, I’m quite certain I can’t do the 30-34 needles… I have no godly understanding how I’m going to do this many injections. Let alone one.

I’ve read this subreddit through and through and it seems the discussions keep centering on how hard IVF is, but that needles weren’t so bad.

Recognizing the emotional and psychological burden, the relationship pressures - and probably not fully understanding what everyone is truly alluding to - I feel ever more uncertain about how I’m going to start/manage the needles and would truly appreciate anyone to over share on the needles topic for me!!

Much love ❤️

My wife and I went through IVF in SoCal. We were told everything looked fine after genetic screening and proceeded with a PGT-A tested embryo.

Unfortunately, at 16 weeks, we discovered severe fetal abnormalities and ultimately had to terminate the pregnancy.

Afterward, I found out our genetic screening had flagged carrier results, including one linked to skeletal and heart abnormalities. The clinic never informed us or discussed genetic counseling. THEY LITERALLY SAID EVERYTHING LOOKED FINE!

We don't know if these findings were related to the pregnancy loss, but we're devastated and frustrated that we weren't informed.

Has anyone experienced something similar? Should we consult a malpractice attorney, request our medical records, or get an independent genetic evaluation first?

We're honestly lost and would appreciate any advice on what to do next.

I had an ectopic pregnancy in July 2026 and was treated with methotrexate. My hCG levels eventually dropped to 3, so I was told the pregnancy had resolved.

I already had a mass in the area where the ectopic pregnancy was located, and I recently had another follow up ultrasound. My doctor told me I have a left hydrosalpinx, which means fluid has accumulated inside my left fallopian tube.

The ultrasound report also mentions a 6.7 cm tubo ovarian complex and an elongated fluid filled area. My doctor was concerned and referred me to the emergency department for further assessment.

I’m not experiencing any pain right now I haven’t for 3 months since August. so I’m confused about how serious this could be. Could the hydrosalpinx be related to my previous ectopic pregnancy? Could the fluid be associated with the mass that was already there?

I am planning to do IVF because I don’t want to risk another ectopic.

Has anyone developed a hydrosalpinx after an ectopic pregnancy treated with methotrexate?

Did the hydrosalpinx eventually resolve on its own?

Hi all, has anyone moved their embryos from one clinic to another due to coverage/insurance change or just clinic changes. Anyone particular move embryos out of Kaiser here in the Bay Area?

What was the process and the timeline like? Any guidance is appreciated!

Asking for your worst experiences, if it didn’t affect you at all that’s great! But if you had any side effects please let me know. Trying to prove to someone that just because one person didn’t get side effects from a specific medication doesn’t mean someone else didn’t.

Hi everyone! I have PCOS (AMH 4.5 ng/mL, age 37), and my husband is 35. His semen analysis looks normal.

I have my first IVF consultation coming up soon, and I’ve been putting together a list of questions to ask the doctor and the clinic. I’d love to hear if there’s anything important I’m missing, or anything you wish you had known or asked before starting IVF!

Questions for the doctor:

• What are the success rates for someone my age?
• review my current vitamins and supplements
• Are there any additional tests you recommend before starting, such as a hysteroscopy, EMMA, or ALICE?
• What’s a realistic timeline from egg retrieval to FET, assuming a fresh transfer isn’t possible?
• Would you recommend ICSI or Zymot in our case, given that my husband’s semen analysis looks normal
• Which stimulation protocol and medication plan would you recommend for me, considering my PCOS and high AMH?
• How many eggs would be a reasonable expectation for me to retrieve in one cycle?
• Given my PCOS and my AMH, how high is my OHSS risk, and how do you monitor and prevent it?
• Can I choose a modified natural or medicated FET cycle?
• If I experience a miscarriage or pregnancy loss, does the clinic manage D&C procedures
• If I have questions or concerns during a cycle, how can I reach the doctor? How long is the wait
• Would you recommend PGT-A
• What is your policy on mosaic or abnormal embryos? Are mosaic embryos ever considered for transfer, or are they automatically discarded?

Questions for the clinic:

• Is the clinic open on weekends for monitoring, and are egg retrievals and embryo transfers performed on weekends when needed?
• How and when are bloodwork and ultrasound results shared with patients? Are results available the same day?
• How quickly can I expect a response from the nurse or doctor if I have a question during a cycle?
• when do you graduate patient

I have more questions, but I’m worried there won’t be enough time to ask everything, or that I’ll end up asking too many questions. So I just wrote down some of them

Is there anything else you would recommend asking at the first consultation? anything that turned out to be more important than you expected once you started IVF. Thank you!

Hi everyone - just looking for some advice / tips / tricks from anyone who has been through something similar.

We transferred our first (untested) embryo in July and unfortunately it ended in a MMC at 6.5 weeks. I just had a hysteroscopy for a polyp that was found on post-MC saline sono, so we will be moving into another fully medicated transfer cycle next week. The only change we’re making is the addition of baby aspirin.

As I get closer to starting meds for the upcoming transfer, I find myself getting more anxious instead of less anxious?? All my husband and I want is to have a baby and I’m also struggling with the fear of having another one not stick around. It seems like everyone around us is getting pregnant naturally so easily right now and that’s also rough.

Today for whatever reason I just thought about my next transfer in two days and panicked. Idk what it was but I’m so scared. Like I’ve done this before idk what I’m scared of, I mean failure of course but idk. We are doing a different protocol that seems much better based on an ERA test, my third transfer worked but was ectopic and this summer I got pregnant spontaneously but had a blighted ovum. We’ve had so much bad luck I feel anxious thinking about what new thing can go wrong now….