Failed IVF

Hello all...we did our first IVF cycle in June. I have PCOS and did get OHSS, but luckily mild. Took me about two weeks to feel normal. We were so excited and I felt like it was worth it (after telling my husband I didn’t know if I would be able to do it again after being so sick) when we got our day one report that they retrieved 28 eggs, 14 were mature enough to fertilize and 9 had fertilized.

We were supposed to receive a day 1, day 3, and day 5 update. We didn’t receive a day 3 update and our day 5 was on Sunday, so when I went in for my monitoring (OHSS) Monday, I asked and the nurse said probably later that day. I sent a message later that day (day 6), my husband called the next day (day 7), I called day 8 (while we’ve been freaking out and assuming the worst), where they finally said they talked to their director and someone at the lab, but that someone from the lab would be calling that night. lol and behold, I missed a call from our doctor at 8 Pm that day. Called back the next day and was able to talk to here where she broke the news that while all nine had made it to day 3, with 7/9 being graded good or fair and the other two poor, none made it to cryo. Devastating.

We went through all sorts of emotions... did the lab screw up? (This was the first round this office did with this lab, as they just switched labs, obviously communications were poor, and the doctor let it slip that the embryologist went on vacation what would have been day 4 for our embryos). We also started wondering if it’s embryonic DNA issues (although we both did genetic screening and neither had anything show up)? The more research I did, now I’m wondering about sperm DNA fragmentaction, as our doctor said it’s typically more a maternal (egg) issue when they arrest before day 3. I did feel a little better about the lab after meeting with the doctor today and seeing the embryology report that 3 actually didn’t arrest, but they were such poor quality they didn’t cryo them.

I guess I need some advice...we decided to do an IUI cycle this month, as I’m not physically or emotionally ready for another IVF round. We had jumped into IVF bc I wasn’t cycling at all, but since we started the whole process, I was put on thyroid meds and cabergoline (high prolactin) and my body has started breaking through the provera to cycle (the first time getting a period on my own since I went off birth control over a year ago). So I’m more confident that IUI might work, as my body seems to be regulating.

Any advice on what to do if IUI doesn’t work? I’m still not sure on my confidence in this lab... so do I switch to a whole other doctor/office just bc of that? Do I see if the can do a semen fragmentation test on my husband? (All other tests looked great for him- the NP said she had never seen a normal morphology percentage as high as his). The doctor recommended non ICSI also for the next round of IVF. Sorry for the long post...just looking for advice, thanks in advance ladies!