All You IVFers
I have a quick question for all of you that went through IVF. Did your RE do ICSI ? Violet’s RE said that he was not going to do ICSI since there are not any issues with the sperm. I kinda am anxious about not doing ICSI, just seems like it might be extra security. Looking forward to hearing your answers! Oh, I am all stuck on ICSI and forgot to mention that Violet’s next cycle might be the cycle that we do IVF!! If not, then it will be the following cycle. Yep, really doing this IVF thing. I still can’t get over that.
Mommies In The Making 
At my REs office they did ICSI for all IVF cycles. It was included in the price. I know how you feel and I would want to have it done for the “extra security” as well. I do think that if they wont do it it probably wont hurt anything. Im sure it will all work out!
My RE also does ICSI for all IVF cycles.
my RE may be in the minority (from what i read on blogs), but he doesnt automatically do icsi just because its donor sperm. we had great fertilization without it in both of our cycles.
Our RE’s office does ICSI with all frozen sperm. If it was fresh I’m not sure what they would do. We had to pay extra (about $700) for it but it made me confident the swimmers would make their way into the eggs.
Our (very reputable) bank doesn’t do ICSI unless there is a need for it. We used frozen sperm from a bank and they think that that kind of sperm is “great”. We had excellent fertilization – I think 100% on the few eggs (my fault!) we got. We got 2 eggs the first time and both fertilized but only one made it to transfer and we got bfn. Then on the second we got 5-6 eggs. I think all fertilized though possibly one didn’t (I can’t believe I can’t remember this.) One embryo was the highest quality and three were very good. We transferred two and have one beautiful son. I, personally, would avoid ICSI unless necessary because even though there is NOTHING natural about IVF with frozen sperm, I still have this psychological idea that the “best/strongest/healthiest” sperm will get to the egg in the petri dish and I wouldn’t want a doc just choosing one for me – unless it was the only option. But if you have frozen sperm from a bank those swimmers are generally at the top level of health. Good luck!
My clinic didn’t do ICSI unless they saw a need for it. They charged everyone for ICSI and then refunded the money if they didn’t have to do it. It was insanely expensive at my clinic. They opted not to do ICSI with my first IVF cycle, and the fert. report was okay, but I didn’t get pregnant. They did do ICSI the second time around, and the fert. report was much better, and the cycle actually worked.
My clinic, NYU, does not automatically do ICSI.
They didn’t do it with my cycle. Just put the guys in the dish and may the best man win.
And well, we got 2 babies out of it, so I guess it worked quite well.