Is there anything I can do to encourage implantation?

[GlummyMummy]

On medicated FET cycle just now. I know it's mainly about the quality of the embryo but is there anything I can do to help encourage implantation?

This is our 5th IVF attempt, first one in 2013 successful, then three unsuccessful attempts in the last year. Our last remaining frozen embryo is fairly average quality so I'm not hugely positive about this cycle but if it does survive the thaw, I want to make sure I can do everything possible to help it implant!

Anyone like to share anything that worked for them? I have a feeling I could have an issue with poor blood flow. Drs haven't really come up with any ideas, so feeling a bit misguided!!

Glummy you sound just like me!! A successful fresh cycle (ours beginning of 2014) (very successful as as well as DD we had lots of frozen embryos) and since August we've had three FETs (positive then v early miscarriage a week later, a chemical, a negative).

Was so positive last year about the FETs as fresh worked so well for us but feeling really down about it now and there's no explanation - though to be fair I agree with the consultant that we've just been unlucky so far. We're also on at the bottom of the barrel of our embryos - day 6's for us too - I can't remember the letter grading but they are definitely 2s and 3s left. Our consultant says there's some emerging evidence that day 6s may perform slightly better than day 5 but he says it's still very equivocal. Still, any straw eh...

I'm mid cycle at the mo, just started progynova. We're throwing the kitchen sink at it this time- had a scratch , going to have 2 put back, and having flipping acupuncture like we did on the fresh cycle back when I had the luxury of time and money (even though my lining has been fine each time, and despite the fact I'm not exactly convinced it has any effect anyway). If this one doesn't work we'll have to have another fresh.

I guess I'm sorry that I don't have any advice about implantation but I have been looking for it too! Did your consultant recommend the baby aspirin? The dizzy thing could have been related - as aspirin is used as a treatment for high blood pressure, and low blood pressure can be a cause of dizziness when you stand up. Hope you are feeling better. When do you have another lining scan? Really hoping it's thickened up. Only thing I can suggest is drinking plenty of water and maybe take an iron supplement?

Bee sorry I missed your post just above - bad form to just ignore . Sorry about your early BFN, oh I have been there testing while DH is away and then feeling so alone :-( , have you told him, is he back by Monday? You know it's early and there's a chance it could turn positive but I hate it when people bang on about that.
I just can't trust my body any more with symptoms. I had the same symptoms on each of my FET and they were all different outcomes. But will I be able to convince my brain of that during my next 2ww, of course not. I need a tattoo on my arm saying IT'S JUST THE PROGESTERONE

Aw thanks for dropping me a note too moggle. Sounds like you are keeping positive and determined with this cycle and giving yourself the best chance for a sibling (or two!) for your DD.
My DH is back tomorrow, I don't think I'll tell him I tested early to be honest, it's just for my sanity and mental preparation for what I'm sure the result will be when I officially test when he's around on Monday. And then I can't be too distraught/sad/teary from 'shock' result, and just be practical/strong/positive forwards.
Fingers crossed for you! Hope the progesterone doesn't play too many tricks and keep us all posted please.

Oh Bee, sorry to hear that. Stay positive though as there's still a chance, I didn't have a single symptom on my successful IVF attempt whereas I had symptoms on my negative rounds so you just don't know. Hang on in there! Thanks for taking time to get back to me.

I've to keep on with high dose hrt and scan again Tuesday. I really don't see the lining miraculously getting up to 8 mm by then if it hasnt done so by now to be honest. Still not feeling great, been back in my bed today, though not easy to rest with a toddler in tow!

Moggle, wow, are you sure you aren't me!!!?! 😉
Whats your reason for having IVF if you don't mind me asking? Sounds like you've had a hard time of it, though lovely that your first was successful. I have low AMH so we've been incredibly lucky to have our daughter, never a sniff of a positive test result ever apart from her! Sounds like you're doing all the right things, so fingers crossed your embryo is the one!!!! Maybe your dr is right about Day 6 embryos, certainly my daughter wasnt the best quality embryo! You're right about the luxury of time and money, I've been getting more and more half hearted about eating well, acupuncture etc as it's hard to find the time, and my motivation is less and less after every failure. Fed up of Brazil nuts and pomegranate juice!!! How often are you doing acupuncture?

Sorry, meant to say clinic suggested baby aspirin at my follow up to failed cycle in Feb. I was dubious about taking it before ET but that was his recommendation. Not too sure why as I've never had a miscarriage and my lining thickened extremely well (for me!!!) last time round. He seemed to suggest it could help with implantation but I'm concerned it's thinned my lining this time. Might be something you could try Moggle, could ask your clinic?

Oh yes I neglected to say anything about pre-DD! We were unexplained infertility. TTC for 2 years (I was 31 when we started, am almost 36 now) without a sniff of a bfp, then decided to go private rather than wait another year. I'm sure it is a problem at my end as DH results always great, but nothing showed up for me on tests. Slightly low AMH but normal follicle count and I responded well to the drugs. Honestly i think there's just a spectrum of fertility and I'm just naturally not that fertile... My mum and dad started TTC when she was 21 and it took them 7 years of trying to get pregnant with me, they managed to have my brother 2 years later but mum says they never ever used protection until my brother was 7 and some pills she started taking for an unrelated condition meant she shouldn't get pg.

My consultant mentioned aspirin in our most recent chat but said he doesn't see a reason for me to take it yet; although he said if I had another early mc then he might recommend it. He thinks we just beat the statistics with our first go and as the embryos have managed some degree of implantation on 2/3 goes, he's pretty optimistic still. He's pretty anti- treatments that aren't clinically proven, our clinic (Woking victoria wing) only offers a few 'extras' as a result, but having said that they have some of the best results outside of the big london hospitals.
Fingers crossed for another couple of mm then maybe 7 or 8mm will be in sight. xx

Aw thanks Moggle :-) Your last post made me smile, it's amazingly similar to my situation! And I've always thought there might be a genetic factor to infertility, I'm an only child certainly.

Sounds like you have a good Dr there, and as you say it's encouraging that you've had implantation on a couple of your attempts. Wishing you all the best for this one. How are you finding doing IVF with a toddler?!?

I was never hugely hopeful about this cycle, given the quality of our embryo and that better quality ones have failed. I wasn't at all prepared for the curveball my lining has thrown having responded so well to the same drugs last time. That'll teach me to get complacent! This is our last frozen embryo and having funded all our 5 attempts, I think this might be our last. Very grateful to have our daughter, realise how lucky we've been the more failures we have.

Hi the day of transfer I went and got a healthy shake and relaxed on the sofa for the afternoon . That night I took my dog a walk as normal. I've read that it can help stimulate blood flow in the area. I got pregnant that cycle but I guess everyone is different. All the best

I've heard good things about keeping your feet warm, friend of mine swore by cosy socks and putting them on top of a hot water bottle if you're prone to cold feet!

I just don't know. We had 3 unsuccessful cycles with my own eggs (knackered) and then a successful donor egg cycle. I had scratches every time and had progesterone pessaries and injections plus clexane and aspirin. I think the aim was just to throw everything at it (obviously at a cost). In the end I think it was egg quality that made the difference. With my own eggs we did day 3 transfers and no transfer on 3rd circle. I just lost heart at that point. On our donor egg cycle we had a choice of very good quality day 5 blastocysts and the whole experience just felt different, I felt positive and it worked.

Good luck to you. To some extent it helped me to know we'd tried 'everything' (scratch etc) but it does come at a significant cost. So it depends what you can afford. And when I say afford, I mean emotionally as well as financially. I couldn't go on with my own eggs after the third cycle when we didn't get to transfer. And that was an emotional decision more than financial.

Good luck.

Thanks! I think it's true, that if the egg quality and embryo are good, then it doesn't matter what you do otherwise. Our first attempt where we were successful I did nothing differently, ate and drank as normal and hadn't heard of the scratch etc. I think after all the failures since, I'm just over thinking it all now and analysing what I've done and not done!

Bee how did it go this morning?
GlummyMummy fingers crossed for the scan today.

That's kind of you to ask Moggle 😃

Lining had managed to creep it's way up to 7.4mm. still thinner than I would have liked, but clinic happy with that and seem to say I shouldn't be on the hrt for another week incase it gets too thick. Transfer booked for next Thursday, just hoping it thickens up a bit more as I'd have liked it to be over 9 ideally.

How are you getting on yourself? And yes Bee, I was thinking about you today, hope you're ok x

Hey that's good news :-D What's half a mm between friends. Probably within measurement error (I'm a statistician...) Do you not stay on the HRT? I stay on it until test day.

I'm fine, thanks, although I've had a headache all day and feeling v tired. Maybe it's the HRT building up. Also I've just realised that I'm working on test day and also PILs are staying to do childcare, which is annoying. It's a friday and usually I don't work fridays but I switched it that week. Argh, I was all set to be strong and not test early but looks like I'll need to if I don't want to be crying into my shreddies in front of MIL and FIL :-(

Hi Moggle, sorry yes I am staying on the hrt, I should have said they don't want me to be on.the higher dose too much longer, dropping down to lower dose on Friday.

I've been feeling tired too so I can sympathise. When's your test date then? It's so hard to organise anything and actually have a life when you're going through IVF isn't it?!?

Yes! it is so annoying. Especially with holidays, and the money issue as well. We want to book a warm holiday for september, just the med probably, but if this cycle fails we will need the money for a fresh cycle, plus won't want to be away and delay the cycle unnecessarily if we decide to go for it pretty quickly. We also have a potential holiday in the caribbean with DH's cricket team next May, which would be amazing, but we can only do it if we get pg this cycle, as baby would be 4mo then, any younger and it's not doable (tbh I think it'll be barely doable at 4mo but hey!), and if I was any more pg than 5m I wouldn't want to go. DH is supposed to be the one organising the holiday and we don't even know if we can go, plus we have to pay deposits in June :-( First world problems, and I am so grateful every day that we can afford a FET every few months on our salaries (we just have no savings).
Test date is the 26th. a few days days before my birthday as well!

Keeping everything crossed for us and everyone else! I'm fairly sure this round won't work for us, lining not as good as I would have liked, plus embryo isn't great quality so I'm not holding out much hope. Best of luck Moggle!