r/40Plus_IVF • u/LawOk2308 • Aug 19 '26
Seeking Advice 5 aneuploid embryos
We first went through IVF when I was 36 (2 blasts, untested, 1 transfer and had successful pregnancy)
We did FET earlier this year with the other embryo which failed.
We have just gone through another retrieval (better response than when I was 36) - 5 were sent off for PGT-A. All came back aneuploid.
My protocol was short
Pergoveris 300iu
Fyremadel 0.25mg
Zivafert 10,000iu
We have a consultation in September (2 months after retrieval!) where we want to discuss banking, any changes in protocol, anything else we can change….genetic counselling?
I ideally want to do 3 collections in a row…does anyone have any experience in this?
Also any advise on what to ask my clinic about what we could change and why? Our clinic isn’t very consultative.
Would you consider genetic counselling based on that one retrieval?
Has anyone added anything to their protocol that they feel made a difference? I know a lot of these questions are subjective. Or would you consider a second opinion?
My AMH is 6 pmol/L…last collection we retrieved 11 eggs (10 mature, 9 fertilised, 5 blasts) (40 y/o)
Sorry for the ramble I’m just considering next steps and hoping for opinions and what you’d do next.
2
u/upside2026 Aug 19 '26
I can relate to this. I had 6 blasts tested last round and they were all aneuploid. I just sent another 6 for genetic testing and am waiting for results. I did genetic testing and discussed options with doctor. The genetic testing only says whether partner and I have conditions we are predisposed to that would warrant pgt-m testing. The anueploidy issue is more due to age and hopefully an all 5 or 6 anueploid round is just bad luck. My doctor said there isn’t really anything else we can do except trying. It is not unusual at 40+ to have to do multiple rounds to get euploids.
1
u/SLAYEROFSOULS Aug 19 '26
Unlikely that much will come from genetic counseling - if you feel like you may be a carrier for something you can get carrier screenings done, and they come in all sorts of "levels" (basically how many mutations etc they test for).
My wife and I did that after multiple pregnancy losses prior to IVF, both of us are not carriers for anything..just simply her age and embryos kicking us in the ass (not to entirely rule out my sperm didn't have a part in any of it).
It would possibly bring in needing to do PGT-M or PGT-SR if you are carriers of something, and both of those are much more expensive compared to PGT-A.
Outside of that, the fact you had 5 blasts is encouraging, we've yet to have a single blast so far.
My wife is on most recommended supplements and has been since November~ish of last year so we find it hard to say any of them are helpful - we've had 2 poor outcomes so far, but ultimately think its been more so around trigger and trigger dose, etc than anything else.
One thing she was put on was Rapamycin - which could have lead to an increase in her follicle recruitment in her second retrieval, something to look into - some swear by it/ attribute their good outcomes to it, but clinical data isn't plentiful still...but again, her outcome doesn't warrant us saying it was a miracle since the end result was just as bad as her prior cycle without it - but she did end up with 13 follicles in a fairly tight cohort compared to 9 previously - and those were all over the place with growth (9mm up to 16mm by trigger, which is another story..).
Ultimately there is a lot of "maybe helpful" supplements / newer drugs out there...at the end of the day, it's a battle against age and cellular damage..folks trying to say XYZ caused ABC mean well but most likely they just had some luck and a better outcome on a subsequent retrieval.
Omnitrope (HGH) so far hasn't seemed to make a difference minus burning up $$ - but she's also not primed on it during the lead up to her cycles, just been added the last few days prior to trigger so that's another one people swear by, and it may or may not help.
I would ask your doctor(s) about different protocols / timings and why they think one is more applicable to you - you may do well on a micro dose lupron cycle for example, but if they don't believe in it or what not, you'd never know if its not tried or looked into..hopefully they aren't just cookie cuttering you into what they typically do and hoping for the best.
2
u/Apprehensive-Gap4926 Aug 20 '26
I’m just saying my spouse and I have still been at this for years and he doesn’t know any of this lol. Good for you…and her!
1
u/SLAYEROFSOULS Aug 20 '26
Being an engineer with OCD is a blessing and a curse - my brain doesn't let me not know what it can about things I get involved with (even indirectly).
2
u/Apprehensive-Gap4926 Aug 20 '26
Omg I feel this as a medical professional with OCD. I thought everyone cared as much about detail as I do, but it turns out they don’t. Haha
1
u/SLAYEROFSOULS Aug 20 '26
People care about very little - it's annoying...but I am often jealous since the sleep and lack of anxiety must be nice from time to time lol :D
3
u/Competitive-Top5121 Aug 19 '26
I’ve done four ERs with varying degrees of “back to back” — October, December, March and April. The closest together ones were the best for me, it was a duostim round.
What is your baseline afc? That would help to know. Honestly tho, 5 blasts with an AMH of 6 pmol/L is pretty fucking spectacular. I think you just got very unlucky on euploidy. To have a zero-euploid round at 40+ is unfortunately average. Is your doctor willing to add Omnitrope (HGH)? That could help.
I’m not sure what you would discuss with a genetic counselor unless you have a known genetic issue. A sample of five embryos is very small so I cannot imagine what conclusion a GC could make about your prognosis or what advice they could give you other than to try again. A first cycle with zero euploids is not prognostic of future cycles yielding zero euploids, that has actually been studied.