IVF: to go on pill after freeze all

[icy121]

Sorry posting here for traffic

I've just had egg collection and it was a freeze all due to mild OHSS. They froze 7 embryos today (25 eggs collected).

They want me to wait for a further natural cycle after my next bleed before progressing.

I've got pcos so my cycles are 30-36 days long.

Is there any precedent for having a month on the pill to get a 28 day cycle, and then push on with the FET protocol?

You'd buy a week of time - you know the drill & how serious OHSS can be - is it worth it?

I mean, is it worth taking the pill, to buy a week?

And for you X

Could you not just bring on a bleed with provera or norethisterone at the appropriate time - keep the hormones out of your body in the resting cycle, and just take a few days to bring on a period as necessary? Norethisterone is a pretty standard part of IVF anyway, lots of clinics like to use it for scheduling..

It's the certainty I'd like as well I think. The ability to plan properly rather than be at beck and call of my fucking ShitBody.

Just wondered if there was a precedent for it at all or it would help/hinder.

Thanks for well wishes tho :-)

Hey banana - maybe, that's an idea. I'll raise it with my consultant (I think the clinic will just "computer says no" me). I remember reading something in an Internet wormhole about women being put on the pill before trying or something because it can give fertility a kick when they come off?

It's often used as part of fresh cycles - both for scheduling and to quiet the ovaries if not down regging, can help to get the follies growing more evenly (like down regging does if you're on a long protocol)

Are you doing a long or short protocol FET?

For a FET you're looking to quiet the ovaries throughout - you don't want any follicles to grow, so the opposite of a fresh

I would definitely give your body a proper resting cycle

When I was PCOS when I was younger I could go 6 months without a period!!

Long I think - 2 weeks buserelin again and then 2 weeks of buserelin + oestrogen tablet (I think). If the pill helps to calm down ovaries tho wouldn't it be good to use post OHSS?

Interesting that you're on a long protocol for both when you have PCOS - normally short protocol tends to be the default for stims cycles to minimise the risk of OHSS

And for a FET, with PCOS as you're at much less risk of ovulating anyway, wonder what the benefit of the down regging is? Interesting!

Quiet ovaries just means not ovulating. Post OHSS you're looking for the swelling to go down. Plus the pill contains oestrogen which is the last thing you want to be adding in if you're recovering from very high oestrogen levels from a fresh cycle

And yes that's a long protocol FET

I'm short protocol for both fresh and FET. For the FET we'll do a baseline scan on day 2 to check the lining is thin and the ovaries are quiet, then will start oestrogen. No down regging or buserelin. The oestrogen itself should block ovulation. Although in PCOS if you don't generally ovulate then worrying about a leading follicle forming isn't generally really a concern anyway

for cycle just gone I ended up 2 weeks downreg & then 12 days stimming on 150/225 iu Menopur. When I took climid I remember producing about 9 follicles then, surely that would just be cheaper!

Noted re high oestrogen post OHSS. Gah just wanna fucking start date.

I think I'll call my consultant & get an explanation of the protocol choice. Hopefully via his secretary, not sure I am £150 interested in why!!

Clomid is sometimes used in mild protocols for IVF - although those cycles have to be freeze all generally due to Clomid's impact on the lining

Mild IVF is often a great option for PCOS due to risk of hyperstimulation being reduced. Although tbh my stims at the moment probably count as mild IVF - as it's short protocol and lowish stims (150iu / 75iu Gonal-F). Different combos of drugs can be used in mild protocols - sometimes just low dose stims, sometimes a combo of Clomid / Femara with a tiny bit of stims added in

I'm not aware of long protocol with mild stims though. AFAIK mild stims are mostly used for the same groups at both ends of the spectrum who'd generally be on short protocol - diminished ovarian reserve (poor responders) and PCOS (high responders)

Mild emphasises quality over quantity. Although your blasts haul (congrats!) is v v impressive so deffo doesn't seem like you've had any quality issues at all!