Hi... Just wanted to let you know, I'm listening! And hoping you keep the faith and fight the good fight. It will be worth it. Stay strong. Pull yourself up. I know how it feels to slip into a depressive state. Cry but be sure to heal yourself over and over again. I once read, not to get discouraged on an unfortunate IVF #1. The most important part is your doctors have learned a lot about your body and its response. I would just be sure to discuss with the doctors what can be done differently to prevent another situation. Sorry, I don't know any natural remedies to swear by. God knows I try all types of herbal concoction for fertility in general, but none especially for egg production. Most importantly, releve yourself of stress. It's no good for the body. I pray round 2 is your blessing! Keep your head up!

Thank you so much for your reply HannahSarah. I have been so depressed since my miscarriage, but I know if I don't 'snap out of it' soon it will hurt our chances in the next round. My husband is also having a hard time dealing with my depression, and I can feel our relationship starting to strain. I guess I will just try to add more exercise to help me through my depression, and hope and pray that the doctors change my meds up to bring up my egg count. I guess I will try to do a few different supplements on my own as well...can't hurt to try. Thanks again for your kind words!

I'm sorry that I have no medical advice to offer for the particular situation, but I did want to send some positivity your way. After another failed IVF attempt myself, I completely understand the depression that your mind and spirit endure. I finally feel myself lifting out of the fog a little bit, and for me, it helped knowing that there are other people out in the world that know and understand what I am experiencing. One of the most frustrating things for me on this journey has been the lack of understanding that surrounds us in everyday life. I wish you the peace and serenity needed to build up the strength to keep going. Sending thoughts of positivity your way :)

My RE had me do DHEA (compounded from a speciality pharmacy, not the over the counter kind, it was a higher dose), prior to one of my IVF cycles. That cycle I got the most eggs ever, 14, and I was in my 40's then. It did give me oily skin for the duration of the time I was on it, but it definitely helped me produce more eggs. Good luck to you!

Just to add my story:

My first IVF: ; 13 eggs, 11 inseminated, 7 fertilized, but only 3 fertilized normally. Two transferred, but due to hospital rules, my third embryo was brought out to blast and didn't make it. BFN. Beyond devastated.

My doctors were concerned with the lower number of good embryos out of the eggs they got. My husband underwent DNA fragmentation tests with his sperm and our doctors changed the media in the perti dish during ICSI. They also took the information of how my body reacted to meds the first time around and made a few changes with dosages.

My second IVF: 28 eggs, 21 inseminated, 18 fertilized, and 12 matured. So, two transferred and the others frozen. My fresh transfer ended with a chemical pregnancy but because of my frozens, which did take multiple tries, I have two beautiful sons and I'm planning on doing my final FET in a few months in hopes of having another child.

With all this being said- I have been through those very dark days, I know them well. My stomach still turns with the thought of them. I am summarizing my journey here but it wasn't easy, even after the second IVF. But, I do want you to know that your doctors are learning with each cycle and you are still one step closer to your goal, even with the defeats and negatives. But keep on going, the best advice I can give you is to be selfish with yourself right now- take care of you in all ways needed. Do not feel guilty by putting yourself first. Just know that everything can change with one cycle! Best of luck to you!!!

* side note I forgot to mention, after my first IVF I went in to the RE to hash it out this hospital policy I knew nothing about and how they let my embryo go to blastocyst when I was doing day 3 transfers. I FREAKED on them. I was crying and shaking out of sadness and anger. I let them have it and the doctor then said after my rant, "you know, maybe you need a massage"... yeah, I freaking massage, that is what I needed. The director of the entire facility then called me and promised me he would be the only one taking my case and he profusely apologized. This man was the best doctor I have ever met- simply amazing- and he was the first visitor to hold my babies after they were born, after my husband and I. There are fantastic people out there to help you in this journey, don't let an poor interaction with one doc jade you in this process. Find a great RE that you can put your trust in.

Thank you blnnjf, YvonneKB, and Courage2010 for your encouraging words and for sharing your stories. I have read some really good things about DHEA, but Im not sure if they offer that over here in Germany. I will definitely ask about DHEA when we go in for our next appointment. If nothing else, we can do it during the next round. On one hand I feel so lucky to be in Germany because infertility treatments are so affordable compared to back home. But on the other hand it can be very difficult at timesmost of the doctors I have encountered are not very personable, and I often leave my appointments in tears. They dont sugarcoat anything, and do not like being bothered with patient questions. I have learned to ask the assistants my questions (maybe that is the way you are supposed to do it over here), but the negativity and complete lack of empathy from the doctors makes me dread each appointment.
My husbands sperm has tested normal, so we are not ICSI candidates. I am hoping that we can get enough eggs this cycle to have some left to freezeIve also read that some women have better success waiting a cycle or two and then using frozen embryos. Perhaps my body just needs a break after the stress of retrieval? I guess I feel like this 2nd IVF round will be just going through the motions, because doctors cant tell me if the miscarriage was just one of those things or if it will become a pattern until we see what happens in round two. I feel like we should do gene testing this time to see what is going on, but that part is not covered by insurance and my husband feels like we should wait until after this 2nd round before spending that kind of money. Courage2010, Im so happy that you and your husband were able to start your family, and I wish you both success this next time around! Your story gives me hope for this 2nd round. From 3 to 12!! Hopefully my doctors (despite their communication issues) will be able to change my meds and help me produce more eggs this cycle.
Thank you all again for replying. This has been a lonely, scary few months going through all of this in Germany without friends and family. Your stories lift me up!