Completely failed fertilisation: overcome with ICSI

It’s been a 2 ½ year journey so far, our story started a little different to many I’ve read because we weren’t seeking treatment for infertility.

My husband’s schedule see’s him away from home for approximately ½ of each month. Our opportunities for conception were limited purely from a timing perspective. We contacted a Specialist knowing AI (artificial insemination) was an option available to us.

After 3 failed attempts we started to examine other options and eventually embarked on our 1st IVF cycle.  I produced 14 follicles; not one fertilised. That day was a fairly low point!  The medical team told us they believe one or the other or both of us don’t have the receptors to point the other in the right direction.  They are unable to tell us any more detail as this is as far as science takes us at this point in time.

ICSI was our only option, naturally we hoped it would work. Another IVF cycle and 19 eggs later 14 fertilised – thank goodness. I was very close to being hyperstimulated but we decided after extensive counselling to proceed with an embryo transfer as it was our only chance at a non-frozen attempt.

This attempt produced a non-viable embryo that continued until approx 7 weeks and resulted in another trip to hospital. Since then we have undergone another 2 failed frozen transfers and are currently in the middle of the fourth transfer – finger’s crossed!!

Our specialist tells us our embryos look good and there’s a good one in there somewhere, we’ve just got to find it! I would just like to find somebody with a similar story as they appear hard to come by.