The story so far

Mic has secondary hypogonadism - the cause is unknown, but as a teenager he was not physically developing normally.  His endocrinologist asked him to choose, either to wait and see or to kill the function of the pituitary gland.  He chose the second option.  Since then he has been taking a monthly testosterone injection. Mic is now 48 and I am 39.

When we decided to try to have children in early 2009, we saw Mic's endocrinologist, who advised us the following:

1. Stop the testosterone for 2 months

2. After that, take injections of Pregnyl (HCG) 1500 3 times per week for 3 months.

3. Check-up after that before going on to the next stage.

He did those things, although he could not find Pregnyl 1500, so took half of a 5000 ampule twice per week starting from 6th March 2009.

The doctor then advised him to stop the Pregnyl and start injections of Menogon (75 LH & 75 FSH) twice weekly.  He did that for 3 months starting on 20th July 2009 but felt as if there was something wrong.  He became very tired and his libido was zero. Sperm count was also zero.

We then consulted another endocrinologist, who advised taking both Pregnyl (1500 iu, 3 x per week) and Menogon (150 iu, 3 x per week).  He did that since 1st October 2009, but when he had a sperm count test at the end of December, the result was still zero.  

We then went to an RE who advised increasing the dosage to Menogon 75 x 3, 3 times per week, plus pregnyl 5000 once per week.  He did this from 18th April 2010 and continued on this dosage until February 2012.  We decided to try IVF as soon as possible, and on the advice of the RE booked our first IVF session for late July 2010.  He did another sperm count test on 4th August 2010 and the result was again zero.  The RE decided to do sperm aspiration, and some sperm were found in the operation.  In all subsequent IVF attempts, sufficient sperm was found in the ejaculate and so PESA was not performed.

And here are the gory details of all our IVF attempts!

IVF # 1, July 2010,  antagonist protocol.
30^th July 2010  started stims

4^th August       US & BW- normal

5^th August       US - 2 follicles ready, 5 more almost there

6^th August       trigger shot

8^th August       ER, 7 eggs retrieved & PESA - sperm found.

9^th August       2 embryos fertilized by ICSI.

10^th August     Transferred 2 (grade 1) 4-cell embryos on day 2

22^nd August     Beta: negative

IVF # 2, September 2010, short protocol. 

17^th Sept 2010 1st u/s & bloodwork, shot of decapeptyl 0.1mg

18^th Sept          started stims, gonal-f 75x3 daily and decapeptyl 0.1.

23^rd Sept          u/s, 7 follicles all 14-16

26^th Sept          trigger at 1am

27^th Sept          ER.  Mic’s SA positive.  9 eggs collected, 6 mature ICSI’d

28^th Sept          1 fertilized with ICSI.

29^th Sept          Transferred 1 (grade 1) 6-cell embryo on day 2

11^th Oct           Beta: negative

RPL Testing: antiphospholipid profile, Factor V Leiden, Factor II Prothrombin G20210A mutation, MTHFR C677T mutation, NK cells. All normal.

IVF#3 - February 2011, long protocol.

20^th January 2011        decapeptyl 3.75 shot

1^st Feb                        baseline appointment

2^nd Feb                       started stims 4 x Merional

12^th Feb                      ER. Mic's SA positive.  7 eggs retrieved, 5 mature ICSI'd.

13^th Feb                      1 fertilized with ICSI, but late (around 11.30am)

14^th Feb                      Transferred 1 (grade 1) 4-cell embryo on day 2

24^th Feb                       period started

26^th Feb                       Beta: negative

New clinic, new RE. Recommends hysteroscopy.

March 2011 - hysteroscopy: normal

IVF#4 – May 2011, short protocol. New clinic, RE no.2

12^th May 2011   started stims 4 x Merional

23rd May          Trigger

25^th May           ER. 11 eggs retrieved, all mature

26^th May           8 fertilized with ICSI

28^th May           transferred 5 top quality embryos with Assisted Hatching on day 3. Others unfreezable.

8^th June            Beta: negative

IVF#5 – July 2011, short protocol. RE no.2

12^th July 2011   started stims 4 x Merional

25th July           Trigger

27^th July            ER, 10 eggs retrieved

28^th July            8 fertilized with ICSI 

30^th July            transferred 6 top quality embryos with Assisted Hatching on day 3. Others unfreezable.

8^th Aug              started spotting

10^th Aug            Beta: negative

Clinic no.3. Mic advised to take Vitamale for 3 months and then freeze as much sperm as we like. We froze 12 vials in total (10 at clinic no.3 and 2 frozen before at clinic no.2)

 IVF#6 – January 2012, long protocol. New clinic, RE no.3

29th Dec 2011             2/3 of decapeptyl 3.75 shot.

12th Jan 2012              started stims: 5 x Menogon 75.

22nd Jan                     last stims, 2 x Menogon 75.  Trigger at 9pm

24th Jan                      ER, 14 eggs retrieved. Fresh sperm used.

25th Jan                      7 fertilized with ICSI

29th Jan                      transferred 1 blast and 2 late morulas on day 5.  Nothing left to freeze.

 6th Feb                       started spotting

9th Feb                        beta negative

11th Feb                      period started properly.

February 2012 - Mic stops menogon and pregnyl shots and goes back to Testosterone. Sperm will die soon so relying on frozen from now on.

20th February 2012 - Endometrial Biopsy no.1

1st March 2012 - Endometrial Biopsy no.2

IVF#7 - March 2012, short protocol. RE no.3

12th March 2012        Started stims: 4 x Merional and 4 x Gonal-F (600iu total)

16th March                Dose reduced to 450iu.

20th March                Trigger

22nd March               ER, 10 eggs retrieved. Both fresh and frozen sperm used for ICSI.

23rd March                2 fertilized with ICSI

26th March                Transferred 1 4-cell and 1 5-cell on day 3.

7th April                    Spotting and HPT negative

8th April                    beta negative

IVF#8- April 2012, short protocol. RE no.3

9th April 2012            Decapeptyl 0.1

10th April                   Started stims: Menogon x 8 (600iu)

20th April                   Trigger

22nd April                  ER, 16 eggs retrieved. Frozen sperm used.

23rd April                  8 fertilized with ICSI.

24th April                   1 more fertilized, that makes 9!

27th April                   5 still going. Transferred 2 blasts and a pre-morula on day 5. Froze 2 morulas.

5th May                      8dp5dt. I think it's all over. Bleeding and a negative HPT.

8th May                      Faint BFP on HPT

9th May                      Beta 418

15th May                    bleeding scare. Another beta. 7732.

16th May                    U/s at 5w3d. Gestational sac and yolk sac seen. Perfect.

17th May                    More bleeding, this time bright red. Did another u/s at a nearby clinic. Everything still on track. Bed rest for 3 days.

I had bleeding on and off until about 15 weeks, and an amniocentesis, but otherwise had a completely normal pregnancy. My son's birth was complicated and eventually it was a forceps delivery with a 3rd degree tear and an episiotomy. I have literally suffered from pain ever since, and even an operation to re-do the repair didn't fix whatever happened. But it was completely worth it, of course, and I'd do it all again in a wink.

Talking of which....
FET#1 - Feb/March 2014, RE no.3
12th February 2014          Started estrofem orally 3 x daily
24th February                   Lining not looking great. Added estrofem vaginally 1 x daily
10th March                       Lining still not right, neither thickness nor structure. FET cancelled.

FET#1 (take 2) - April 2014, RE no.3
25th March 2014       Started estrofem orally 3 x daily
27th March                Added estrofem vaginally 1 x daily
13th April                   FET. We had 2 morulas but one didn't survive the thaw, so we transferred the one we had.
24th April                   Beta BFN

IVF#9 (Or 2.1) - May 2014, RE no.3
1st May 2014            Started decapeptyl 0.1
2nd May                    Started Stims: Menopur 75 x 8 daily and half decapeptyl 0.1.
11th May                   Trigger 8pm, pregnyl
13th May                   ER, 16 eggs retrieved
14th May                   10 fertilized with frozen sperm
15th May                   7 still going: 3 good and 4 medium. I decided to risk it and wait till day 5. 
18th May                   2 left, one early blast and one morula. Transferred both on day 5.
27th May                   HPT negative
29th May                   Beta negative


IVF#10 (Or 2.2) - November 2014, RE no.3, center no.4
12th November 2014   Started decapeptyl 0.1
13th Nov                      Started Stims: Menogon 75 x 8 daily and decapeptyl 0.1
16th Nov                      Decapeptyl down to half an ampule
20th Nov                      Last stims x 8 and 1/2 deca. Trigger 10.30pm
22nd Nov                     ER, 8 eggs retrieved
23rd Nov                      4 fertilized with frozen sperm (2 vials used)
25th Nov                      4 still going. 2 x 8-cell excellent, 2 x 6-cell, one fragmented and one good.                                            Transferred all 4.
6th December               Beta #1: 8 (8dp3dt)
8th December               Beta #2: 32
9th December               Beta#3: 50
11th December             Beta #4: 112
14th December             Beta #5: 75. Chemical.

IVF#11 (Or 2.3) - January 2015, RE and center no.4
16th January 2015       Started decapeptyl 0.1
17th Jan                       Decapeptyl down to 1/2 ampule
18th Jan                       Started Stims: Menogon 75 x 6 daily and 1/2 decapeptyl.
27th Jan                       last decapeptyl and Trigger (2 x pregnyl) 10:30pm
29th Jan                       ER, 7 eggs retrieved, 5 mature
30th Jan                       3 fertilized with frozen sperm (1 vial used)
1st Feb                         ET of remaining 2, 1 x 4-cell and 1 x 2-cell. Zero hope.
14th Feb                       Beta negative
17th Feb                       AF started.


IVF#12 (or 2.4) - February 2015. RE and center no.4
18th February 2015     Started Decapeptyl 0.1 half ampule.
19th Feb                       Started stims: Menogon 75 x 8 daily and 1/2 Decapeptyl.
1st March                     Trigger (2 x pregnyl)
3rd March                     ER, 5 eggs retrieved, 3 mature
4th March                     2 fertilized with frozen sperm (1 vial used)
7th March                     ET of 1 perfect morula and one "more than 10 cells"
19th March                   Beta negative
22nd March                  AF started.

IVF#13 (or 2.5) - March 2015. RE no.2 again
23rd March 2015         Hysteroscopy done. Started stims: Merional 75 x 6 daily.
27th March                  Added cetrotide
2nd April                     Trigger (1 x pregnyl)
4th April                      ER, 10 eggs retrieved, 6 mature
6th April                      1 fertilized with frozen sperm (1 vial used)
7th April                      Another one fertilized. ET of 1 x 4-cell and 1 x 6-cell
18th April                    Beta 111
20th April                    Beta 286
22nd April                   Beta 656
26th April                    Ultrasound showed tiny, tiny gestation al sac. Beta 1363 (doubling time 90 hours)
28th April                    Beta 1905 (doubling time 99 hours)
3rd May                       Ultrasound showed nothing. Natural miscarriage a few days later.

IVF#14 (or 2.6) - September 2015. RE no. 4 again
16 September 2015     Started stims: Gonal F x 225 plus Merional 225 daily.

22nd Sept                    Added cetrotide

24th Sept                    Trigger
26th Sept                    ER,  7 eggs retrieved, 3 mature
27th                            1 fertilized with frozen sperm (1 vial used), another 1 fertilized later
                                   Nothing left by day 5.

IVF 15 (or 2.7) - November 2015. RE no. 4 again
3 November 2015     Started stims. Menogon 450. Antagonist protocol
13 November            Trigger
15 November            ER, 8 eggs retrieved, 6 mature
16 November            5 fertilized
19 November            ET of 3 grade 1 morulas and 1 8-cell.
30 November            Beta #1: 148
2 December              Beta #2: 395 (33 hour doubling time)
5 December              Beta #3: 906 (60.5 hour doubling time)
16 December            U/sn: one healthy bean with a good heartbeat!

Delivered our second boy in a planned CS in August 2016.


IVF 16 (or 3.1) - August 2018. RE no. 4 again

9 August 2018          Started stims. 4 x menogon and 2 x Ovaclomin, aspirin after AF.
14 August                 Increased Menogon to 6, plus estrofem x 2
15 August                 Added orgalutran shot daily
18 August                 4 x menogon and increased estrofem to 3 x daily. Trigger: 3 x Ovitrelle 250.
20 August                 ER, 5 eggs retrieved, 3 mature
22 August                 Fert report, 1 fertilized.
25 August                 No transfer, embryo arrested.