Ask Our Doctors – Archive
Our Medical Directors are outstanding physicians that you will find to be very personable and compassionate, who take care to ensure that you have the most cutting-edge fertility treatments at your disposal. This is your outlet to ask your questions to the doctors.
My hgc levels was 390 two days later 970 could it be twins 2 weeks pregnant
I don’t think so!
Geoff Sher
The end of my last period was Oct.5.2020 on November 2 my HCG level was 190 on that following Thursday it is now at 590. Does this mean anything to you? I just feel like numbers have increased quick and as weird as it sounds i have a little belly and my breast have got much bigger but the doctor is telling me im only 2 weeks pregnant?
You will need a confirmatory US at 6-7 weekd. However, so far so good!
Geoff Sher
Hello Dr. Sher,
I’m Zoe from Wisconsin. I am 36 years old. I have received IVF treatments twice this year and they were not successful. My husband had cancer a couple of years ago and we are using cryopreserved sperms for IVF. I removed 6 polyps a year ago. Aside from that, everything on my end looks good.
Both IVF cycles were antagonist protocol. For the first cycle, I was on birth control pills for 9 days and used Gonal F (started from 300 and reduced to 225 on stimulation day 6) and Menopur 150 for stimulations. I began Cetrotide on stimulation day 6 and got a trigger shot (Novarel – 10,000 units) on stimulation day 10. I retrieved 12 eggs; 6 were mature and 2 were fertilized. I transferred 2 day 3 embryos (both 8 cells: one higher quality, one lower quality) and failed to get pregnant with HGC level 2.6.
The second cycle was very similar except for not being on birth control pills, reducing Gonal F to 225 from day 1, and adding human growth hormone (Saizen 0.4) from stimulation day 7. This time, they retrieved 16 eggs; 6 were mature and 4 were fertilized. Then, I transferred 1 blastocyst embryo (stage 1) and failed again with HGC level lower than 2.
I think my problem is not getting enough mature eggs and blastocysts. While the number of retrieved eggs were higher than average in my age group, less than half of them were mature. What do you suggest to do differently in my case? Some of your blog posts recommend not to use Menopur and use Cetrotide and HGH from day 1 of stimulation. Do you think this will help produce more mature and higher quality eggs? If so, do you have any articles you published on this? I would like to provide evidence to my doctors and convince them to make the change.
Insurance companies in Wisconsin do not cover any infertility treatments, so I have been paying all the treatments out of pocket. I will do the 3rd cycle in January and it might be my last chance to become a mom. I feel like I am up the creek without a paddle. I am grateful for any advice from you. Thank you for reading such a wordy post. I will be looking forward to hearing from you.
Best,
Zoe
Have you seen any evidence that taking progesterone and estrogen to week 10 make “morning” sickness worse? Once I stop the supplements will I feel better?
I have not!
Geoff Sher
Hello Dr Sher,
I have two embryos tested abnormal.
#1) 5BB, (+5, +19) XX
#2) 5BC, (+10, -12q24.32q24.33, -21) XX
Would you transfer #1?
I am 41.
Thank you!
I would…but you need to know that given your age, the chance of success would be very small.
Geoff Sher