Any leeway on natural FET timings?

[Avocadosmoothie]

Hi everyone, I'm panicking!!!

I've been monitoring my LH surge using Clearblue Dual Digital in preparation for a FET this month.

First thing yesterday morning (fmu), the monitor showed high (the flashing smiley face) and this morning it showed peak (the static smiley face). Assuming tomorrow is treated as my ovulation day, I can have the transfer done on Monday. If today was treated as my ovulation day, I would have to abandon this month as my clinic doesn't thaw on weekends.

When I spoke to my clinic this morning they said their current advice is to test for LH surge in the afternoon as this is when it rises and I am worried my surge actually started yesterday (and therefore I will be transferring a day late).

Does anyone know if there is any leeway or how precise the timings have to be?

I will be transferring a day 5 embryo on what could potentially be 7 days after the LH surge if I surged yesterday. Has anyone else done that?

Thanks!

Hi! Sorry no experience but just wondering if it is possible to get a scan either this evening or first thing tomorrow as that would determine for definite if you have ovulated? Got everything crossed for you xx

Hi Scottish!

No, if I go natural, my clinic won't scan me. It's NHS so no flexibility. My worry is more that the embryo is being transferred too late after ovulation rather than too soon.

How are you? I've been trying to avoid MN in recent weeks. My cycle after IVF withdrawal bleed lasted 48 days (never been longer than 31 days in the past) and that was really distressing as I just wanted to get started again. When will you have your first scan? Have you been having many pregnancy symptoms? xxx

Can you get a private scan? The window when the uterus is receptive to implantation is pretty narrow. I'd not want to waste a good blast and end up with a BFN because of these NHS 'rules'.

Hi JoJo, I think my ovulation day would be either today or tomorrow so I don't have time now 🙁. I really want to get on and try something, my IVF failed in June and I've been waiting since then for a FET so I'm desperate to just have a go. If I change to medicated now, I'm told I'll have to wait until November for a transfer because they want me to down regulate for a month. I do have 8 blasts to use but I don't want to blatantly waste one.

I come on here mainly to check how you're getting on! So pleased AF finally arrived and you can get going! I have everything crossed for you. I'd be tempted to book a private scan early tomorrow morning. If it shows you've ovulated then it may conclude that Monday would be too late. Or it could provide reassurance if follicle still there and about to release. They're about £70 from ultrasound direct which are all over the country. It's such a shame they don't scan you as part of the protocol. I totally understand your wish to get on with it though. Do you get ovulation pains at all, which would help you pinpoint it better?

I had some spotting last week, so got an early scan and saw the heartbeat. I have lots of symptoms but could be the medication. We're having another reassurance scan a week on Saturday when I'll be 9 weeks. The Fear never leaves, can't really enjoy it at this early stage!

Will be watching out for updates and I've got everything crossed for you xx

That's a great number of blasts. I suppose it's quite a risk to got for an FET as the timing might work or not. I know that eg day 6 blasts don't often manage to implant due to being a little late (but do as well as day 5 in FET because the day is made up again) - so even 1 day off lowers the chances a lot.

Were you going to have the best blast put back? Or are they all fab? I do empathise with wanting one back asap but it's a difficult decision...

Hi
I've just had a natural fet.
I ovulated on the Tuesday and they wanted to put it back on the Monday but I was going on holiday so they did it for me on the Sunday.
The embryologist told me they have more of a window with natural fet cycles and can put it back from day 4 to day 7 post ovulation so I think you should be fine for the Monday.
Good luck!
I'm NHS facility but a private patient

Hi all!

I am considering natural cycle for my recently postponed medicated FET (7th attempt).

I am Reprofit (Czech Rep) patient & am finding now little guidance from clinic after treatment cancelled due to presence of cyst in lining.

I have had private UK consultation & consultsnt suggested maybe trying natural cycle now to take advantage of scratch she performed last month rather than be delayed like Avocado till Nov/Dec time. She said if I was a patient at her NHS clinic that's what she would advise.

I emailed Reprofit to ask if they think natural is way to go this time but all they have said is I can go natural if I want (!) & just to arrange scan for day 10-12. Nothing mentioned about self testing for LH surge & ovulation?!? I'm trying to research as much as I can myself. I asked for my Czech doctor's opinion on whether natural would be something he would professionally advise but no feedback either way provided.
I am on CD4.
Avocado, has your clinic suggested natural cycle this time? Have you researched this yourself?

I would love any guidance as to how timing of natural cycle normally works. Also I had been taking aspirin and prednisone, would these also be avoided with natural? I also have Clexane aside (prescribed last month but not started after FET cancelled last minute).
Any thoughts is gratefully appreciated as I am at my wits end trying to self plan this as well as worrying about wasting a precious frostie or 2.
Thanks x

Scottish, thank you so much for the well wishes and checking in on me :)

That's great news you've heard the heartbeat and everything is going well. I can imagine (especially after our journey) that it's difficult to relax but I hope you can relax a bit more with each scan!

I'm have a transfer on Monday, I've gone for it! I spoke to the nurse about the timing situation and she said I could delay but she was happy for me to go ahead if I want to which gives me comfort because the NHS are SO belt and braces!

I wanted to ask you.......... I've booked in for acupuncture before and after the transfer. What did your sessions involve? Do they just put the needles in around your stomach or all over your body?

Hi Shaun, I can't believe this is your 7th attempt! Have you transferred 7 embryos or have some of those cycles been abandoned? It sounds like you've not had a natural before, hopefully you will get a better result with that? At my clinic, natural means absolutely no medical assistance - I look for LH surge using ovulation test, call the clinic when I get the surge and then they book me in for transfer. There are no injections, tablets, blood test, scans or progesterone. My doctor said that if you have regular cycles of less than 35 days this can be an option. At my clinic, natural FET has a slightly lower success rate than medicated, but having looked around beyond my own clinic I think general natural and medicated are about the same in terms of success rates.

Good luck Avocado, is your transfer tomorrow?

My cycle scheduled for 2 weeks ago (7th) was the first time I have been cancelled. It was a medicated also so this will technically be my first "natural" cycle.
I have began checking LH levels each morning but am confused as my clinic have advised me that I don't have to (???) and instead are waiting to see what appears on my CD12 scan on Wednesday.

They also sent me Rx for Otrivelle but I thought a natural cycle meant you just monitored for natural ovulation rather than trigger it?
When questioned clinic said using Otrivelle is stil natural and will want to trigger when follicles reach 19mm then start low dose progesterone pessaries again on day of ovulation.

Excluding my 2 failed fresh transfers in UK (with own eggs), I have had 2 fresh donor eggs and 2 FET donor eggs transfers in Czech. They only have used trigger on fresh cycles and never FET....I am mega confused now!!!!
I have private consultation at Nuffield booked for Wednesday as well as scan and know consultant said don't need trigger shot with natural cycle especially as I have such a regular 24 day cycle.
Will you be using progesterone pessaries once transfer completed?

Thanks Shaun, one embryo on board now! No progesterone pessaries for me, my clinic only does medicated or completely natural, no hybrid option like most other clinics offer. Good luck wth your consultation!

Eeek I have everything crossed for you avocado!! Xx

Shaun I'm having no luck replying to your latest email! On Saturday my computer died before I hit send and it didn't save it to drafts. Just got round to typing it up again, hit send, and now I read Hotmail is down?! So fingers crossed it gets to you! In a nutshell, don't panic, I think your plans are perfect and I'm very excited for you! Xxx

Hi SG85!!!

You know I have been staying away from MN but couldn't stop myself posting!
I am looking forward to Nuffield appointment on Wednesday and bombarding consultant with all my questions...well I do have to get my £200 worth!
Still checking LH and no smiley face yet. I am ready to nip over to Brno at a drop of a hat any day next week. Will keep in touch, hope you are doing well! X

Thanks Scottish! I've got a couple of FRERs at home, can't wait to test! My husband has a job interview on Monday so I don't want to test before then and it distract him from his interview preparation. Monday would be 7dp5dFET and the day before my period is due so I think I should get a pretty accurate result by then using a FRER. What do you think?

Have you had much morning sickness so far? X