Is it worth doing ivf if I am able to have a chemical pregnancy?

[Anonymous]

Hi all, I'm early on walking the road of infertility struggles and would appreciate some advice. My husband and I are both 33 and have been trying unsuccessfully for 9 months now. I just experienced what I believe was a chemical pregnancy (faint positive approx 16dpo, fainter positive 17dpo and negative digital test 18dpo. I then started my period 5 days late). We are booked in for sperm analysis and hycosy tests and if they find nothing our RE says we should proceed to IVF. I'm willing to do the testing but my question is, is it worth doing IVF if we basically just had proof that we can get pregnant without it? Like how will it increase our chances of a successful pregnancy to implant embryos via IVF as opposed to having the embryo be there as a result of sex? Bearing in mind we want multiple children so we don't really have time to waste given our ages.
Sorry hope this all makes sense, it's a new and confusing world for me to navigate.

[Anonymous]

There’s a big difference between “being able to get pregnant” (and I’m not sure if I’d count what you just experienced as that, quite frankly) and going home with a baby. Doing IVF now while you’re young will buy you time and a better shot at having more than one kid. But you could also keep trying on your own for a while longer. It just depends on how risk adverse you are. I will say that few people who go on this journey say, I wish we’d waited to do [IVF, IUI, donor egg, whatever the “next step” was for them] but many, many people regret not moving to the next step of treatment sooner. Best of luck.

[Anonymous]

Before starting IVF I would explore with your RE more testing and protocols to sustain pregnancy since you’ve been able to get pregnant. The vast majority of patients who undertake IVF do so bc they can’t get pregnant (vs staying pregnant), and if you have some time to try less invasive and costly procedures, I think it’s worthwhile to do it.

Ask about testing for blood clotting disorders and checking your thyroid levels specifically, and about taking a course of baby aspirin and progesterone if pregnancy occurs. Both of those things can help sustain pregnancies (of course given there are not other underlining conditions with you and the embryo).

[Anonymous]

I don’t think I consider what you experienced proof of “I can get pregnant” either. I really don’t mean that unkindly, but from my experiences, few REs are going to consider it as so either.

Do the testing. If there’s diminished ovarian reserve or sperm issues, I would probably skip right to IVF. If everything looks good or relatively “solveable” with clomid/femara, I would do a couple IUIs. But also remember that IVF is rarely a one month process. You’ll probably be scheduling it at least 2, possibly 3 months out. Everything takes longer than you would expect and if you want two or more kids, doing it now will most definitely be better than trying to do it later (we did our first IVF at 31 and had great success without even doing PGS testing)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think I consider what you experienced proof of “I can get pregnant” either. I really don’t mean that unkindly, but from my experiences, few REs are going to consider it as so either.

Do the testing. If there’s diminished ovarian reserve or sperm issues, I would probably skip right to IVF. If everything looks good or relatively “solveable” with clomid/femara, I would do a couple IUIs. But also remember that IVF is rarely a one month process. You’ll probably be scheduling it at least 2, possibly 3 months out. Everything takes longer than you would expect and if you want two or more kids, doing it now will most definitely be better than trying to do it later (we did our first IVF at 31 and had great success without even doing PGS testing)

I’m not sure why PP said that’s not proof that you can get pregnant, because a positive pregnancy test two days in a row is, in fact, proof that you can get pregnant. Stay pregnant? I’m not sure, but it’s worth informing the doctor. I wouldn’t go forward with the tests but I wouldn’t do IVF yet if they came back good.

[Anonymous]

*I would go forward with the tests

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thank you everyone for the advice, we will definitely move forward with the testing. You are correct that there's a big difference between getting pregnant (if we can classify my experience as that) and staying pregnant, so it seems there may be a number of areas to explore here, but also not to waste time before proceeding to IVF. Really appreciate the input from those who are further along this road than I am

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thank you everyone for the advice, we will definitely move forward with the testing. You are correct that there's a big difference between getting pregnant (if we can classify my experience as that) and staying pregnant, so it seems there may be a number of areas to explore here, but also not to waste time before proceeding to IVF. Really appreciate the input from those who are further along this road than I am

One other thing— it’s very odd that after trying for only 9 months at 33 your RE would suggest IVF before doing any tests. I’d actually shop around for REs. At your age no one should suggest IVF before doing tests. That’s super suspicious. IVF may or may not be the right move, but you definitely don’t have enough information to know. And, in fact, it seems like your tubes are open and sperm can meet egg, so that suggests oral meds or IUI may give you the pis you need.

Unless you want like more than 3 kids or are a known carrier for a genetic disease I’m not sure I’d jump to IVF after 9 months and one chemical.

[Anonymous]

What doctor recommended IVF before even doing any testing? Do not go to this doctor! I had a great experience with dominion fertility.

[Anonymous]

I jumped right to IVF at the same age and after the same number of months, BUT I was diagnosed with severely diminished ovarian reserve. If all of your testing comes back normal, I think it's premature to start IVF that quickly, even assuming the testing takes a few cycles and you'd actually be starting right at the 12 month mark (which is when you'd technically qualify as infertile).

This may be basic and obvious, but are you sure you're timing things correctly? Have you been tracking ovulation and having sex within the fertile window? You'd be surprised by how many friends I had try for 6 months or a year before realizing they ovulated slightly earlier or later and were missing the window. If not, get some cheap OPKs on Amazon and take a few cycles (3-6 more) really giving it your all. If you still haven't had success after 3-4 well timed cycles, then consider IUI or IVF depending on your test results and how you're feeling.

[Anonymous]

You might need baby aspirin or progesterone to sustain a pregnancy. I wouldn't jump to IVF just yet.

[Anonymous]

As someone who had multiple chemical pregnancies (in my late 20s) I can tell you that not all chemical pregnancies are caused by genetic problems. Implantation problems are real and the number one symptom are chemical pregnancies. There could be one of many reasons the embryo is not able to effectively implant into the uterine lining. Going to a reputable RE they will access your lining and evaluate your risk for clotting disorders. Make sure there are no other uterine anomalies causing shallow implantation. If those do not turn up anything there are other avenues to pursue. While your doctors do other tests go ahead and try on your own as you have been until/unless you learn some new information that would make another chemical seem like a likely occurrence.

A chemical pregnancy is definitely a pregnancy and any doctor (or poster) who does not think that "counts" probably doesn't believe in implantation problems. If I had stuck with one of those doctors I certainly would not have the 3 living children I have today. Good luck to you OP. Another recommendation would be if you get a + hpt please get a beta right away so the hcg is documented.

[Anonymous]

Just to be clear, I’ve had doctors write off faint pregnancy test lines when a blood HCG a few days later was zero. Didn’t mean to imply that it isn’t painful or very real to the woman experiencing it, but those HCG numbers are the baseline to most doctors, not a squinter (or stronger) urine pregnancy test taken at home. I really hope it’s a simple answer for you, like adding progesterone in your luteal phase!