Did you change anything after a failed IVF cycle?

[Shoegal30]

I had a failed IVF cycle at Christmas.

I have now started stimming for cycle no 2 and have realised that there are a number of things I'm not doing this time round which I did for cycle 1 - namely acupuncture.

Do you think I should start acupuncture again? I had previously been doing it for a year and had more frequent sessions through ET but it didn't help. Will I be missing out if I don't do it this cycle?

Also for cycle 1 I had the 2ww off from work as this coincided with Christmas holidays. However this time I'm planning on only taking the first week off and going in on the 2nd.

Would love to hear what/if you did anything differently after a failed cycle.

Bump

I like you I had a failed cycle, I then had a failed FET then a successful cycle. The only thing I did different was to really rest in the 48 hours after ET. Barely moved off bed / sofa. In the 2 ww I did nothing different to the first time. Didn't have acupuncture at all. The clinic altered my meds slightly, I had a lower dose of stimulant as on my first cycle I produced a lot of eggs but they didn't all fertilise, second time I produced less eggs but with 100% fertilisation rate.
Good luck to you, it's such a difficult time and I hope it works for you on this cycle

Thanks ilikesweetpeas and congrats on your BFP.

That's really useful info on resting up 48 hours after ET. I am planning on doing that this time. Last time I was up and about.

Did you go back to work in your 2ww?

I didn't go back, a lot of the 2ww for me was in the Easter holidays, I'm a teacher. Although after the initial 48 hours I was busy and active. Didn't lift anything heavy but carried on as normal because I had to keep busy!

I had a successful first cycle, followed 2 years later by a failed FET, followed by another successful cycle. The only thing I can think of that I consciously did differently between 2nd and 3rd attempt was to try to rest more after ET and not lift heavy weights (e.g. DS from 1st cycle!).

First cycle was during school holidays (also a teacher) so I didn't work during 2ww. Second and third ETs, I went straight back to work during 2ww, although only working part-time (3 days per week at work, rest of the time chasing DS - probably more tiring than work!)

Ive had
Ivf1 bfp
2 bfn
3 (cancelled only 3 follicles and poss hydrosalpinx)
4 bfp
1 metformin, menopur, 75/150, at work so 1 day off of EC rest of time at work, nipped out for ET.
2 menopur 75/150 metformin, thyroxine (but high tsh), not working, but lifting dc1
3 menopur 75/150, metformin, thyroxine, tsh under 2.5, not working, didnt have EC, had lost about 9lb since cycle 2.
4 gonal f dose increased to 150
(it had been delivered in error on cycle 3, so though why not and some drs recommend for pcos.
Thyroxine - tsh around 2, not working but lifting dc1,

I think though the difference cycle 2 vs 4 was more due to pcos they kept trying to trigger me too soon (on 2 only 4/9 eggs were mature vs 12/13 on cycle 3) i did have pretty high e2 though. They made a mistake cycle 2 only 2 fertilised ( though we had low fert throughout cycles) but they were only 6 cell b/c and 8 cell b grade.
On successful cycles we had a/b grade embryo (s) so i think quality did make the most difference.
Also cycle 2 period started at 12 days so i wanted gestone injections, but they said 12 wasnt too bad

Hi ladies thanks for your help.

I am definitely going to get bed rest for at least 2-3 days after ET and try and work from home for a couple of days. After that I will try to work from home so in total I have 1 week off work. For the second I will be back at work but thankfully it's a desk job so should be ok.

Did any of you guys do acupuncture or day certain things in 2ww? I've ward good things about avocados, pineapples and Brazil nuts.

Hi
I had two fresh and a frozen cycle last year - all unsuccessful - and I had acupuncture each time.

I'm 42, so we've switched to donor eggs and treatment in the Czech Republic (no wait, lower fees). There didn't seem much point (forgive the pun) in acupuncture in the run-up as I was outsourcing the egg production bit, and then I couldn't coordinate the appointments around transfer as I was travelling.

Instead, I just decided to get as fit and healthy as I can be, so I'm swimming regularly and I've taken up yoga again after a few years' break.

I ate pineapple after ET for all my cycles last year - completely forgot this time, so I'll reinstate that - it's easy and I love pineapple, so it's no great hardship. I guess the avocado and brazil nuts are for the selenium, right? Hadn't seen any recommendations about those, but it makes sense.

Good luck.

Hi Shoegal,

I had 5 cycles of IVF, including 4 fresh transfers, and a fair few FET's which I seem to have lost count of (around 8/9 maybe...) The only time it was properly successful, was the one time I totally believed it wouldn't work - it was the final FET, and I had been so despondent that I actually asked them to skip the FET so we could go straight onto the next cycle. I went home after the FET and carried on as normal. Went out for lunch the next day etc and almost forgot about it tbh. Got a bfp the week after.
I too thought that doing nothing after every transfer was the way forward, but I now believe that if it's going to work then it's going to work, and there's not much within anyone's control unfortunately. All you can do is to make sure you're as healthy as you can be, relax as much as you can (practically impossible I know!) and just hope that it works.
You might find that they're more able to tailor the treatment/medication this time around, having seen how your body reacted last time. However, if you're not happy with your clinic then do consider changing it. My first four rounds were with a clinic that I felt quite frustrated by - I had done my research, and felt like I knew what I needed, but they refused to do it. I then changed clinics and their approach was so much more positive, and they were wonderful. The fresh cycle still failed, but thank god the FET worked.

I wish you lots of luck, and hope that this next cycle works for you

Hello, I had 3 failed ivfs with own eggs and donor then this last time tried Gestone/clexane/prednisilone (and had scratch, glue and embryscope) and got my first bfp in 7 years this week

Wow wow wow Lauren!!!! Congratulations!!!!

Shell I was thinking about you this week! Any updates with you? Can you believe my bfp? I'm in shock! Had a wobble last week when it wasn't showing on a digi for a full week after a frer but finally showed yesterday on one

I can totally imagine you being in shock. Can't believe you survived 7 years of this infertility world. And can totally imagine it making you panic not showing up on a digi for a full week.

As for me, my last EC produced a very short lived pregnancy followed by an early miscarriage. Did another IVF attempt last cycle but it got cancelled. Some cycles I start with 15 follicles and others I start with 5. My old clinic used to do a day 2 scan so I could pick the best month. I tried to tell the very arrogant nurse this info at the new clinic and she just cut me off. So went along with the clinic and paid deposit and started injections on day 2, until the first scan on day 6 shows I only have 5 follicles of which 3 are growing. Come closer to EC and the nurse says the Dr advises I cancel as I've produced a lot more eggs previous cycles. Well if she had of bloody listened and organised a day 2 scan, I wouldn't have gone ahead in the first place and it would have saved me pumping my body full of drugs for nothing, losing my deposit for a cancelled cycle and me now having to wait while my body recovers so I can try again. So angry at her. Spoke to my Dr directly who put it in my notes that I am to have a day 2 scan so now she has to bloomin well organise it. Sorry, good to rant and get it off my chest!

My next cycle will be my last as I will be going further into debt to fund it and I just can't afford it anymore. So I really feel the pressure.