What's Next?

We had our delightful WTF appointment with Dr. P yesterday and we discussed all the things that may have gone wrong and all the things that we could try for the next cycle, assuming that I stay with Dr. P.

First off, he told us that he's only had the immature egg situation happen to him one other time and the woman did not cycle with him for IVF #2, so he didn't know what was changed in the second cycle or even if she was successful.

As for my cycle, he said based on my E2 levels and the size of my follies, at least 7-8 of the eggs should have been fully mature instead of just three. There didn't seem to be an issue with fertilization since 2 of the 3 fertilized which is a pretty good rate. And he also doesn't think that there is an issue with my uterus because my lining was ok, not super thick, but fine nonetheless.

So, what are the changes he'd suggest? Well, first off no birth control pills because that seemed to oversuppress me, probably add estrogen priming to the beginning of my cycle, and then move me to a microdose flare protocol. Other changes he would make include: adding an hour between the HCG shot and retrieval and possibly allowing my follicles to grow for one more day.

I asked him about DHEA as a supplement for improving the quality of my eggs and he said that although there is some research out there that shows improvement with the inclusion of DHEA, there's nothing definitive. He doesn't think it will hurt, but he's still a bit wary of incorporating it into the cycle.

Now, I'm just waiting to schedule a consult with Dr. Zed and see what he says. We're going to a seminar tonight to see one other doc in our area whom I'll call Dr. Gruff (because he doesn't have the best bedside manner), but a lot of reviews say he's great.