Hi everyone,

I'm new here and new to IVF.  I started my first IVF cycle in March and there have been many ups and downs already.  I've been reading everyone's posts and they are very helpful and encouraging.  Thank you!

I was very positive going into the whole process since my RE said I have good ovarian reserve and all of my previous ultrasounds showed a good number of follicles/ovary.  It took about 6 months to finally get started on my first IVF cycle because I'm doing PGD and we had to get the genetic test in place before starting.  So, after months of waiting, I was anxious and excited to get started.  At my baseline visit, I was surprised that the ultrasound showed only about 6 follicles on each ovary.  My RE also seemed slightly surprised, but I think she didn't want me to be worried about it.  I started the stim meds, but the follicles were growing so slowly.  Eventually, my doctor increased the doses of my meds.  My hormone levels were going up as expected, but the follicles just weren't growing.  I started wondering if it was even worth it to do the egg retrieval procedure this time around.  But, my RE encouraged me that there were some smaller follicles that could possibly still work.  She mentioned that sometimes there are follicles that contain mature eggs, but they just don't grow in size for whatever reason.  She said we wouldn't know until we did the retrieval.  So, I tried to stay positive.  We decided to go forward with the egg retrieval at the point that we had four larger follicles and lots of smaller ones. 

We did my first egg retrieval two days ago.  Everything went well and I'm recovering well.  I was so happy after the procedure when I heard that we ended up getting 13 eggs!  But, then the next day, my doctor called to tell me that they were concerned with the quality of the eggs and that only 4 of the 13 had fertilized.  This was such disappointing news.  Now, I just need to wait for a few more days to see how many survive to day 5.  I'm trying to stay positive, but I feel like it's a rollercoaster-- good news, then bad news, then waiting, then it starts all over again.   

I expected this process to be stressful, but it's been more emotionally draining than I imagined.  On top of that, my husband just started a new job and has been exhausted when he gets home.  I know he is trying to be supportive, but I can tell that he needs a mental break too and doesn't want to talk about IVF over dinner. I'm trying not to overwhelm him, but to share the most important points and how I feel each day without spending too long on the topic.  Reading everyone's posts on here have helped give me moral support as well.