My feed
Premium

Please
or
to access all these features

Our Infertility Support forum is a space to connect with others in the same position, discuss causes, treatment and IVF, and share infertility stories of hope and success.

Infertility

Has anyone switched clinics for a FET?

6 replies

Summerloving17 · 16/02/2018 12:43

Hi,

I am sure my current fresh ivf round has failed as BFN 6dp5dt. I don't understand why I'm not getting pregnant (save ectopic) with apparently good quality embryos.

I am considering switching to somewhere like ARGH or CRG (have 3 Frosties) as my current nhs centred clinic just don't believe in testing or treating any other factors.

Anyone else have any advice? Thankyou xx

OP posts:
Report
Blondiecub0109 · 17/02/2018 12:09

Hi, I don’t have any advice but commenting for support/ following. Had a failed fresh (also 6dp5dt) and now in the last days of 2ww with FET which doesn’t look good due to bleeding and pain, both with top grade blasts and I’m 34. 2 Frosties left. Not sure if it’s just reeling or what but seriously considering changing clinics to go privately so I can get more individual care and nk and era tests. Feel my current clinic is just a pig luck numbers game. Logistically would be a nightmare as I’d be looking At Glasgow, 3.5 hours away, plus kissing 2 full NHS rounds away (3 funded rounds in Scotland) Currently investigating whether I can get the Nk tests done as a stand-alone. Many good wishes to you in this journey

Report
Pognut · 17/02/2018 17:18

We moved to ARGC after a failed fresh DE cycle. Took 5 5AB/5BA/6AB blasts with us. We did it mainly because - like you - we felt that the (NHS) clinic we were with weren't able to test for everything. The embryos are from eggs my sister donated, and she probably won't be able to do it again, so we wanted to chuck everything we could at the FET cycles.

We did a FET last year and it was a CP, but that is further than we'd ever got before (even if heartbreaking). ARGC mainly check for immune issues and found I had fairly major issues. The jury is definitely out on whether immunes are A Thing or not, but I'd rather take the risk that we're wasting money and give it the best shot we can. We are, of course, totally skint now, but I don't regret moving. We have 3 more embryos to try and are going back in the summer.

Moving the embryos was easy and surprisingly cheap (about 300).

If you want to check your NK levels, there's Professor Quenby's clinic at Coventry University Hospital, which you can self-refer to for a uterine biopsy and advice on steroids/blood thinners. She's meant to be brilliant (and it's only £500!).

Also, at the risk of teaching my grandmother to suck eggs, 6dp5dt is still early days, so fingers v tightly crossed for both of you that you have better news soon...

Report
Summerloving17 · 18/02/2018 06:47

@blondiecub0109 thanks for your message and support, we are very similar as I'm 34 and have 3 Frosties left now too! Do let me know how you get on as I'm hoping that your FET is successful. I think I'm going to have my follow up appointment and also book one at CRGH to see if they recommend anything different. My husband thinks it will probably be a case of doing a whole fresh cycle again but we wouldn't be able to do that financially yet and I mentally/physically need a break after two years on and off injectibles (3x long protocol iui, one ectopic) and over a stone heavier, having lost so much confidence and happiness . Let me know how you get on and I will keep you posted too 😘

@pognut thanks so much for your message, have you been more impressed so far? Have they suggested much that is different? I really hope it works out for you and sounds like you have some great quality Frosties too 😘 Keep us posted xx

OP posts:
Report
Pognut · 18/02/2018 09:23

Yes, it's been very different from the NHS. I didn't expect to have immune issues (I don't have any symptoms, asthma/etc), and we went to ARGC mainly because of their v intense monitoring (and success rates!). They don't leave anything to chance - I should say that I think a lot of people think they go overboard. But I found it reassuring. They were monitoring my hormone levels and adjusting my drugs almost every day up till transfer, so they got the optimum moment, and in the 2WW they monitored my progesterone levels every other day and adjusted my dosage as my levels started dropping at one point.

The transfer itself was VERY different from the NHS one, which wasn't a bad one - but this one took 45 minutes / an hour because the doctor wouldn't start it until everything was lined up perfectly (I have a wonky womb so had to drink a lot to get it lined up; the NHS guy just shoved the catheter harder. OUCH. I also bled that time, which isn't good for the embryos.). We definitely left after the transfer feeling that that alone - all the care they'd taken with it - had made the decision to walk away from our funded NHS FETs the right one.

The other major difference with ARGC is the immunes stuff - they'll test everything under the sun and medicate accordingly. I didn't start my cycle till January 2017, having first gone to them in May 2016, because they had me on humira for ages trying to get my immune system to calm down. It didn't work, and I had a chemical, but I was reassured by our review meeting, where they went through that they thought might need changing for the next cycle (different immune drugs, different steroids, different oestrogen dosage, possibly).

Like you two, I have three embryos left - some days it feels like three will surely be enough (we started with 6!), other days it feels perilously as though 3 surely won't. It's no fun, is it. Best of luck @summerloving17 and @blondiecub0109, I'll keep everything crossed for you.

Report
Summerloving17 · 21/02/2018 13:10

@Pognut thanks so much for your reply, I have now booked an appointment at CRGH and already I am impressed by the immediate phone response and email confirmation!!!

Part of me feels like I’m overreacting but then if I’ve got 3 more chances I don’t want to risk anything! Did they grade the frozen embryos themselves again too or did they just take what they were given at your previous clinic? I’m not sure how it works! Did they also make you do all the tests agin as well? I’m really hoping I don’t have to pay for everything again!!! Xx

OP posts:
Report
Blondiecub0109 · 24/02/2018 08:08

Hi unfortunately my cycle ended in a chemical 2 days after the +ve. Kinda thrown me about changing clinic and my first point is a LOAD of questions at the review appt. thanks for the tip about self referral for immunes- I’m going to explore that further as it’s easy for me to get to Coventry (family in Bucks, I’m just in Scotland for work). I just wonder about how getting tests privately etc would interface with nhs treatment - because we still have 2 more full cycles funded. Please do let me know what you decide as I’d be interest to know experiences

Report
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.