Bleeding and periods after unsuccessful IVF attempt

[GlummyMummy]

I have just been through a failed 2nd attempt at IVF, following a successful attempt in 2013 (we have a nearly two year old daughter.)

This time round I had my embryo transfer last Sunday but on Friday night my period started and I've been bleeding very heavily since. We have sadly accepted the fact that it hasn't worked :-( Clinic are still making me test next Sunday and told me to keep up the progesterone gel.

I have to say I was really surprised that my period came while still on the crinone gel, and particularly that it came so soon (6 days after ET) Will need to ask doctors why this might have been, anyone else had a heavy bleed so early in two week wait?

I just wondered if people who've been through this before could tell me how long they bled for and then when their period came the following month? Hard to know how soon things will get back to "normal".

[Everhopeful76]

Hi glummymummy.... We spoke on another thread on 2 ww. I had a transfer last Sunday also
I don't really have words of wisdom to impart but just to say am so sorry it seems not to have worked. There is a chance it still might as I know some women can get a lot of breakthrough bleeding with implantation. Don't give up just yet.

When I ve tried before naturally I have experienced a period about 5 days later which had never happenedbefore but could only deduce from that that the opk was wrong and I never ovulated

Thinking of you xx

[GlummyMummy]

Thank you everhopeful, kind of you. How are things with you?

[Everhopeful76]

Atm am not feeling wildly optimistic about success at moment but still living in hope.

Have had some stronger cramps today and getting a lot of discharge from these pessaries but they are messy aren't they

Did a test this morning really just to see if the trigger shot was out of system. The test proved it was but I wanted to see a positive. But it is just too early anyway I guess

Keep going. Hope some others have had experience of periods so soon after transfer and getting cycles back on track

Take care

[Blondeshavemorefun]

i bled both times on day 11 of 2ww

following month normalperiod

[GlummyMummy]

best of luck Everhopeful76, fingers crossed for you! Yes, the pessaries are a bit of a faff and I know it's tmi, but I've been told to continue with mine so trying to use them whilst bleeding heavily is certainly a messy business!

thanks for the info Blondeshavemorefun, as I say, I wasn't expecting to bleed at all whilst on pessaries, and certainly not so early after ET as I did. That's good that things were back to normal the following month for you, I presume that means your period came roughly 4 weeks after your bleed during tww?

[Honeybee79]

Hi Glummy. I also had a transfer last Sunday and I think we spoke on a previous thread. I don't have much to add but just wanted to say that I'm sorry that it seems like bad news.

Am also not feeling that optimistic and have been driving myself a bit nuts obsessively looking a statistics on FETs etc over the weekend. Also, for some reason I had it stuck in my head that I was back for a blood test on Weds but actually am not back until Thurs so god knows what I was thinking.

I feel a bit crampy, but often do as I have pcos and to be honest think the medication makes me feel a bit odd too.

[GlummyMummy]

aw thanks Honeybee79. Best of luck for you for this week then! have you not been tempted to do a sneaky home test? I think cramps is a good sign so fingers crossed!

[Everhopeful76]

Glummymummy - yes the pessaries are a real source of excitement, was told by my clinic to use up the back passage to make less of a mess,indeed a friend seemed to think it made the success rate better, with no evidence to back up whatsoever. I guess if your bleeding and using gel you can only really use high absorbency towels too?
If the test on Sunday is negative, do you have a plan b to tackle for further treatment, or have you have any embryos that were frozen? Hope you don't mind me asking..
I am very tempted to test early. I did test sat to check trigger shot of system and was definitely a resounding negative, but maybe mid week I will, bt I ve decided I am feeling superstitious around easter dates, not that am religious at all but don't want to test Maundy Thursday and then Good Fri is close to my actual testing date so am thinking might do it on wed or might leave to Fri. This is going to be a long week
Honeybee- I was also looking at overall IVF stats for my age group over weekend, really really really bad idea of mine. I had very strong cramps yesterdayin lower abdomen, bit different from period cramps as it felt more womb originated than ovary, but I have endo so sometimes i think its relating to that. Good luck, we are testing on same day

[GlummyMummy]

Hi, no we didn't have any to freeze unfortunately so would need to start again on a new cycle, would need to speak to the doctor to see what they would suggest for the next time before we decide if we want to do it again. Lots of hurdles this time round so not feeling hugely positive about another attempt. We only got 7 eggs again, and only one left by day 5.

I remember testing 8 days after ET last time and getting a positive test result that early on, the line was so faint we had to study it under the light but it was definitely there! I couldn't wait that long, far too impatient - one of these people who opens some Christmas presents on Christmas Eve! ;-)

[Everhopeful76]

I only got 2 eggs and they both went to embryo but the clinic felt due to my age and lack of numbers to put them back at day 2. So obviously not ideal but I was amazed to have 2 out of 2 eggs fertilise tbh. They were suggesting I should cancel the whole cycle so I still think my chances are low, but you gotta be in it.... Trying to stay positive

Where are you having your treatment? Was that 8 days post 5dt? If its that I would still need to hold off till earliest thurs. What other hurdles have you experienced? And how old are you if you don't mind me asking?

[Honeybee79]

Glummy yes, I am v much tempted to test early, esp since I found a pg test at the back of my bedside cupboard this morning! But am not going to. At least not today . . .

I am also forcing myself not to do anymore bloody internet research as it is driving me a bit nuts I think.

[Everhopeful76]

Honeybee, yeah try not to do research, I don't know how that will work for me,
Have you had any unusual symptoms?

[BettyBi0]

Did your clinic do any tests to monitor your progesterone levels? Bleeding before OTD isn't supposed to happen and maybe you need progesterone intramuscular injections on top of the crinone next time. Having said that, I had a massive bleed with clots starting at 5 weeks pregnant and the baby is now 34 weeks and still going strong so you just never know when to call it over.

Fingers crossed for you

[Honeybee79]

Everhopeful, no I have not had any symptoms at all other than a slightly crampy stomach, but that could be down to anything. Am not reading much into symptoms/lack of symptoms as when I got pg with DS I had no symptoms at all. Nothing. I think my boobs started to feel a bit sore from about 7 weeks but nothing before that!

[GlummyMummy]

Everhopeful-2 out of two fertilising is great, I had 100% fertilisation rate when I had my successful round of IVF three years ago. First time I was on long protocol, this time I was on the short protocol (due to age, 35, and low amh.) Last time it was all very straightforward, this time I've had a haemmorghagic cyst, womb lining too thin (only reached 8.9mm at ET), only 7 eggs again, of which only 3 fertilised.

Honeybee-I had no symptoms last time round either, during IVF or during my entire pregnancy. Fingers crossed you will get some good news at your test!

Betty-nope, progesterone levels never checked at any stage, I think this may have been the problem too, and why I've bled so early. I heard of people taking extra doses etc but this was never suggested (prob cause I obviously didn't have this issue first time round.) To be honest, I suspect I've been on the wrong protocol this time-my lining hasn't thickened as it should and therefore they kept me waiting longer before egg collection and by this point lots of my eggs were over-mature. Congrats on your pregnancy, not long to go now! Is this your first pregnancy and IVF round?

[Everhopeful76]

Glummymummy - do you have endo? I seem to have spent the last 2 years with endometrial cysts on my left ovary and as fast as I have a lap, then cysts (dermoid type, not endo) appear on my right. Was on progesterone only pill which dispersed them on right, then during stimming I had 2 very small cysts (less than 0.75cm) of haemorrhagic (man, just how do you spell that word) on left again. The Dr who did my EC, injected these cysts with antibiotic which he said would not disperse them thus causing a problem, but I was concerned about that, and my left ovary has been more tender. My womb lining was 11.5 mm 2 days before EC but was never checked again as this was the expected response from being on long protocol, so who knows.
I have a theory that the stimms might have caused these cysts, and hope they will just stay this small size and not become full blown endo evils!!
Latest problem I have is I suspect a UTI, as I think the pessaries are causing localised irritation.This only kicked off in the last day or so. Just guzzling water and cranberry juice

[GlummyMummy]

Hi, no I don't have endometriosis, and not had any cysts before. This time this one just appeared and I was worried they would halt my treatment as it was so large. However, next time I was scanned it just totally disappeared!

11.5 is a good lining I think. My lining was perfectly thick last time on long protocol but this time I struggled with it being too thin. Drank a bottle of pomegranate juice per day and ate loads of pineapple and Brazil nuts but it still only got to 8.9mm!

I felt a bit "burny" with the pessaries at first too but a UTI is nasty, as if you weren't feeling uncomfortable enough!!

[Everhopeful76]

Oh yeah I remember you saying that in a previous posting now. Amazing it disappeared given the size, well hopefully my 2 mini ones will also push off
Pomegranate juice,pineapple and brazil nuts? Wow is that proven to help.
I ate loads of pineapple last week.

I wasn't burny with pessaries until just yesterday, v odd

[GlummyMummy]

Yes, was odd it vanished so quickly! Nurse who scanned me thought she had dreamt it I think!

Read that these things can help thicken lining, who knows! Pom juice was nice, pineapple I forced back, but Brazil nuts just made me need the loo constantly!

Will be interested to hear what my clinic thinks has gone wrong with my treatment this time. It could have been the thin lining, or the fact I was on the stimms for ages so eggs were over-mature, or perhaps I didn't have enough progesterone as one poster suggested. Suppose it's a lot of guess work for the doctors too

[Everhopeful76]

OK well am not a fan of poms but maybe I ll start eating pineapple and brazil nuts. Brazil nuts are good for thyroid aswell

The thing that has bothered me most about my cycle that is just haven't coped with being totally left by my clinic in the 2ww. I know that is the case for quite a lot of us, but when I ve only got cyclogest for company and hoping the lining stays thick, its really hard to read about others on so much more luteal support and going back and forth for progesterone level testing.

I do feel my cycle is a bit 1 size fits all, but with me paying privately and with low amh, endo and thyroid problems I suppose I just wanted more support to stem all these worries. I guess as its my first cycle they just want to gauge response, and I am on 2ww so even with so few embryos, I did get 2.

They were absolutely brilliant in my scans, ec and leading to transfer and then it felt all tailed off. Still hopeful, but looking at plan b and c now to ease any devastation

[GlummyMummy]

I know exactly what you mean!! I have found it the same with my clinic, it's very much one size fits all, every patient is the same to them it would appear and they have their protocols and don't deviate from that at all!!

When I started to bleed I called them in the hope that they might suggest more progesterone (as I had read a lot of people online saying they were given more and injections etc) but the nurse was very blase about the whole thing. It was probably too late for me at that point but I do agree that some people seem to be getting a much better service, and going back and forward for checks. We self-funded too (it's a 2 year wait and with my AMH being so low we didn't want to wait that long)

I can't help but think that there have been a few errors made in my treatment this time...though I'm sure if we have got a positive result I probably wouldn't be thinking like that!

[Honeybee79]

I agree about the one size fits all issue too . . . . I was particularly annoyed about it as, having pcos, I was at risk of OHSS. In fact, I was such an obvious candidate for it that even I knew it and I have never had IVF before. This being the case, I went for "mild" IVF and they still managed to overstimulate me. We paid for a fresh cycle but in the end they had to freeze our 3 embryos and we had our frozen transfer. I do kind of feel that I wasn't really listened to!

[GlummyMummy]

oh dear, it's never good when you know more than they do!!!!!! As I maybe mentioned earlier, we only had embryo left by day 5 this time, but when the embryologist called me the day after EC, she actually managed to miss the signs of fertilisation in this embryo!!! I mean, how hard can it be!?!?!?! haha. Maybe I could do their job! To be honest, there are lots of people on here who are much more knowledgeable than the doctors!

I do wonder if that's another reason we weren't successful this time....the embryo they ended up putting back had obviously been a bit "iffy" in the first place.

[Everhopeful76]

Not great for any of us by the sounds of things, but have to say couldn't fault them up to point of ET. I think my Consultant and nurse felt that I would not get a single egg given my response, and I had the nurse who was desperate to tell me they got 2, sat by me when I was coming round from anaesthetic.They are caring if not completely thorough. I think the embryology team had been great too.
I don't know why I feel so negative about it, but maybe its just seeing others have all these additional tests. Obviously as an on-cost but I guess I would just have liked to be offered that. It seems from another recent post you can have tablet, gel and injection form,as well as pessary bullets. I know some clinics charge an insane amount for blood tests etc
My Consultant has just confirmed that if I get a BFP, then she will let me continue with progesterone in some form for a month!! Its a start for fwd planning. The practicalities of getting to my clinic on good fri (when I live miles away from there) a tad tricky
Where r u 2 ladies "cycling"?

[Honeybee79]

Agreed, how hard can it be when that's your area of expertise! I was cross about the OHSS and that they didn't see it coming despite the fact that I asked about it at pretty much every scan!

I am at CREATE St Paul's.