Embryo Banking Support Thread / PGS wait

[ForeverAintEnough]

Hi all, I’ve just name changed but I’ve been on here loads and chatting to many of you under different user names ( irrational fear of being outed!). I wondered if there was interest in a ‘no transfer happening’ group? So those doing embryo banking or PGS or whatever.

I’ve just done one round of embryo banking and found the normal threads difficult with discussion of hoping for a Christmas pregnancies etc.

We are unfortunately taking the long way round with 3 rounds and no transfer. It looks like my first transfer might not be until June 2021.

If anyone wants to jump on feel free!

About us: Me 34, DH 36, TTC 3 years. Both male and female issues. x3 rounds of IVF all failed. Moved clinic to Lister for 3 rounds of embryo banking and PGS. One round of embryo banking just finished with x3 blasts sent off for PGS testing.

Hi all, sorry to hear everyone is having a rough time. This thread really encapsulates the rollercoaster that is ivf!!! You can add me to the list of people getting derailed. Supposed to be doing an ERA this month and mock of my FET protocol. Baseline scan showed a massive cyst - never had one before. So I’ve to rescan now at the end of this week but if it doesn’t go away I think they cancel and I have to wait for it to go which can apparently take months. So disappointing and still having to take this awful downreg spray until I know for sure.

@Moonstarsun sorry to hear about your egg collection. Don’t give up on your embryo yet. I had a round where I only got two eggs fertilised. Totally gave up on them but both made it to blast. Is this your 3rd round of banking? I also got very bad side effects on what was my 6th round of ivf so I think my body just had enough (and now a cyst showing that it is a mess!). Will you take a break now after this? How many do you have frozen? Hope you are feeling a bit better today.

@ForeverAintEnough12 You’re so right, we’ve had so many highs and lows on this thread! Hopefully at some point we will make our breakthrough and get our BFPs...

Sorry the cyst has been found, I had one during my first round, but it was small and disappeared during the following two bleeds (withdrawal bleed and then the normal one). Hope you’re goes soon.

@Moonstarsun I agree, don’t give up hope, I know you’re understandably wiped out from all this, but there have been cases on this board of women getting blasts from 1 or 2 eggs. Keep an eye on your symptoms incase you need to ring the nurse. Sounds like a build up of gas, shouldn't be OHSS with 2 eggs but your dose was upped, so let clinic know if it gets worse.

As for me, I won’t have much to report for a while. My hysteroscopy won’t take place until August due to a back log. I called private hospitals but they’re only booking around a month or so sooner (huge demand in private care due to crazy NHS wait times thanks to Covid). Since it’s not much difference, i prefer to stay with my clinic for continuity of care. I’m still gutted by it all, but maybe the break will do my good. I’ve done 3 ECs and 1 FET in 6 months so everything has been full on. I’ll keep checking in on everyone’s journeys and will update when I can.

Hi girls,

Sorry for the silence, i was very unwell the last week...

@Moonstarsun @ForeverAintEnough12 @IslandStars, i am so sorry that you are all going through SO MUCH trouble, I am really shocked. Why does it have to be so complicated?

I had my mock transfer and 3d-SIS yesterday. Mock transfer went ok. Unfortunately, he found some scar tissues in the top right corner of my uterus, likely complications of the pregnancy termination i had to have 2 years ago or an aspiration for missed mc 1 year ago. He was honestly so depressed to discover that... the best thing would be to have a surgery, but he doesnt want to put me at risk again with the anesthesia and the blood clotting. Also, it would significantly delay things.

Anyway, he has decided to track my lining in the next 10 days (i am day 8) and if it goes thick and nice all around, he is confident that i can have the transfer in 2 weeks. He was also concerned not to see at day 7 a dominant follicle appearing (the transfer will be done according to my natural cycle). Is that you menopause?

It's a never ending story; honestly how do we manage to continue working, smiling, living, seing (only a few) friends? I like to say that I am the person I am the most proud of, and i sincerely hope this is what you also think about yourself. Cause really, this becomes borderline inhumane

Thinking of you all :)

All - i read this chain with interest and really feel for how much you all have to go through. IVF literally takes over life and is such a hard thing. I am 40 plus years old and have been embryo batching with CRGH after my first round led to 3 fertilised eggs and no blastocysts. I have 12 Day 3 frozen embryos (a lot with up to 50 percent fragmentation so my hopes aren’t high) and am on my last batching round right now. all embryos will be taken to blastocyst and any that make it will be sent for PGS testing. I am so nervous about whether there will be any normal there. My question for you was on the 3DSIS and dummy transfer. Whilst I would be waiting for PGS results I had a consultant appointment booked so I could not lose a cycle but this has now been moved. My understanding is that the clinic insists FET and the investigative tests are done in separate cycles. Is your experience of CRGH ? Am I best off calling the nurses to ask for the SIS etc but they won’t do it without consultant ok. I really would like to not delay things IF I have a normal blastocyst. Really grateful for your views.

@Sophfr17 Sorry to hear you've had a bad week too, honestly, this thread needs some luck! It's about time we had some good news again. Hope the scar tissue doesn't cause too many issues, i know you have health concerns to think about so not as straight forward as just having surgery. The time delay would be another stress too. Sounds like you should be able to transfer within 2 weeks, so let's be positive and focus on that.

Hi @SarahK2000 Good luck with your last batching round. Seems you have a good number of day 3s frozen, but i understand you wanting blastocysts and some normal for more peace of mind.

I don't know much about the 3DSIS & mock unfortunately, but i'm sure all investigations have to be separate to FET. I think all clinics say this, as they need to look at your investigation results in order to plan for the actual FET.

It would be good to use the PGS waiting time to do anything like this if that's what you want. My results took 3 weeks.

Hi @Sarahk2000, glad these conversations are helpful! I actually followed the almost same plan as yours, 2 cycles batching +PGS. I got 2 normal out of 11 day 3 embryos. I am under the care of the RMU at UCLH but all procedures are done at the CRGH. My consultant, who is mainly at UCLH, is really great. I had the same thinking about 3d sis and dummy transfer during the same cycle of the FET. He actually wasn't worried at all, he did both exams 2 days ago and my transfer should be in 2 weeks (if these scar tissues are not a problem).
Yes @IslandStars, we need some luck here! I am sorry your surgery won't be before August :( I may have the same issue if i need that surgery too.
Hugs to everyone!

@IslandStars @Sophfr17 thank you so much for your helpful and supportive messages 😊 I will see if I can manage to get them to agree to the 3D SIS/dummy transfer whilst waiting and if not, hopefully my consultant will agree to what you have done @Sophr17. Fingers crossed for both of your success too! If anything IVF teaches us, it’s patience!

Evening everyone. So I’ve had the most busy and stressful day ever but at least come out the other side now and am in bed and going to get an early night. The embryo is still going but hasn’t made it to blastocyst yet. I spoke to the embryologist this afternoon because my partner took the call this morning as I was unavailable and she said it was still going. I just really hope it makes it. Honestly. What I’ve gone through this cycle has been too much. I’m still in pain but it’s quite mild but it’s definitely still there. Tbh I was in a really really bad way on the Sunday after the egg collection I was in so much pain that I took a codeine and two paracetamol when I came home. I haven’t had codeine for over a year and only took one. It knocked me sick and I became really unwell. All the colour left my face and I felt dizzy and sick and had to lie down on the floor. Every time I tried to move it came back. Could have been my blood pressure too as it’s always low and maybe the combo of the anaesthetic drugs… I don’t know all I know is eventually it went away but even the next day I couldn’t stand up straight and was getting severe upper abdominal pain and couldn’t lie on one side. Going for a wee was extremely painful. It’s definitely subsided loads and I’ve managed to work from tues but I’ve been tired and mostly sitting down so not too bad. Anyway that’s my moaning over with. I’m glad it wasn’t terrible news today just praying for good news tomorrow.

@Sophfr17 sorry to hear about the scar tissue. Tbh I’m surprised we all don’t have imaging before IVF to rule out a structural abnormality. I don’t think it’s recommended but surely it would be helpful. I think I’m going to push for some imaging as my next step before my FET. I hope you can go ahead with your transfer. In some ways I feel that if you find an abnormality but it’s fixable than that’s a better than just never knowing why… so I hope that your dr can manage this for you and optimize your treatment despite the scar tissue xx

@SarahK2000 unfortunately I don’t know hardly anything about 3D SIS and dummy transfer: it’s not something that has been suggested to me at my clinic but I have a review booked and I will ask whether they think I need one. Is the 3D sis to look inside the uterus? And dummy transfer is that just to see how you respond to the drugs? I’m glad you find this thread useful. Honestly my journey (our) journeys have been so difficult and the thread does document all the highs and lows. We do all deserve a bloody medal. I hope we all get success in the end 💖

Last update is that I also organised a private endocrinologist review for next week. I have a feeling I’m going to break down in her clinic from all the stress I’ve been under snd just ask her to fix me. But yes, I’ve tried my best to be proactive this week. I’ll move on to trying to sort some imaging next week I think.

I have my fingers fully crossed for your embryo @Moonstarsun. A 3D SIS is an investigation which is performed to look for any problems with the structure and function of the womb. A dummy embryo transfer is a trial run for the embryo transfer procedure. This is to establish whether the actual transfer is likely to encounter difficulties. CRGH clinic in London insist on both of these before any FET as it gives them helpful insight before the actual transfer.

Thanks for the info @SarahK2000 so I have some good news. It made it! The embryologist said it is a 5CB but stressed ‘a good C’ and said that he actually checked the embryoscope last night just before he left work and it had actually turned into a blastocyst so could have been frozen as a day 5! Anyway. I’m still feeling a bit rough but I’ll take that good news as a win after a very difficult cycle. 🥳

@Moonstarsun That’s fantastic news! So pleased all the stress and worry of this cycle has been worthwhile and that it was the right decision to continue. Grade 5 / hatching is perfect too. Just goes to show there is definitely hope from fewer eggs. Hope your symptoms continue to ease and you can enjoy the rest of the weekend and good luck for you endocrinologist appt this week

Thank you @IslandStars I am absolutely exhausted! Thanks for everyone’s support on this thread x

Congratulations on your blast @Moonstarsun I hope you can catch up on your sleep this weekend. The physical and emotional together is just exhausting! That’s good about your endocrinologist appointment too. Hopefully she will be able to help. Are you planning to go for another round of banking?

@Sara279 welcome to the thread. When are you due for egg collection? I don’t know much about SIS sorry. I think I had it done years ago when we first started down the IVF road.

@Sophfr17 I’m so sorry to hear you’ve been unwell. You are right we are all far more resilient and stronger than we realise especially when we’re mired in the middle of this. We are all really due some good luck on this thread. Hope your lining goes well and your transfer goes ahead.

@IslandStars I do think it’s no harm to take a break as annoying as having one imposed on you is. It’s no harm to take the positives from it and indulge in some self care. I am really looking forward to a month free from all meds.

My cysts went down and after checking my bloods they’re happy to proceed with my ERA/EMMA/ALICE. So I’m hopefully getting that done the start of June, hoping to go for a FET then in July or August. I am not enjoying the meds so far - Synarel and Femtab. I switched on the tv and the FA cup match came on at the final whistle - I nearly started crying to see Leister win! I don’t even watch football or care in the slightest!!! Clearly going crazy.

@Moonstarsunn brilliant news on your blastocyst! @ForeverAintEnough12 you are being so patient in the run up to the FET - can’t be easy. I am on day 4 of injections (Meriofert, Fostimon and a growth hormone Zomacton). Had a blood test today and they don’t want to see my until Friday now for a scan/blood test. So no scans from baseline until day 9 of injections! That’s a first for me and not really sure it it’s good or bad. I have decided to take time off from work for 2 weeks. Am just so distracted thinking about whether anything will make it to blastocyst and test normal that really am adding no value! I don’t intend to try with my own eggs again so really feels I have run out of road, I turn 41 in September and think 4 rounds is a fair enough shot with my own eggs and I can’t keep draining money onto something without success. My husband isn’t convinced about using DE (I think I am relatively comfortable) so not sure if he will agree if we needed to go down that route. For now though, I have everything crossed that somewhere in the middle of these 3 rounds is a normal embryo that will stick. We can but hope! I am really grateful to have come across such resilient people all facing your own challenges so patiently and admirably. I am catching up on the stages you are at but have my fingers crossed for all of you.

@ForeverAintEnough12 Glad the cysts have gone down, they are such a worry when found but mostly do seem to go quickly. I did laugh when I read about you crying over Leicester winning the cup! For a moment I thought you were a fan, until I read the next bit 😂. Have totally done the same and cried over ridiculous things, especially during my first cycle when I wasn’t so used to the hormones. I also welled up glancing at baby clothes in Tesco this week, it suddenly flashed across my mind that I may never get to buy them ☹️ That was a bit sad, for some reason I’d never felt that before when seeing baby things.

@SarahK2000 Thanks for your kind comments on everyone, think we are all much stronger than we realise to go through this. Probably a good idea to take 2 weeks off, I may do the same for my FET as I’ll be back in the office by the then.

I’ve had thoughts about DE too, but it’s difficult because that would mean double donor for me being single, so I’d worry about my child potentially not feeling any identity. It’s a tough one, but I think if I had a partner I’d be ok with it. Good luck for your next scan on Friday.

Hi everyone, so just a quick update. I had a US scan today due to still have a little bit of continued swelling and pain and I have a pelvic collection , 2.5cm under the left ovary. He said that it could easily have been double in size 8 days ago which is when I had egg collection and was annoyed the clinic hadn’t let him know I was unwell. He’s given me 6 days antibiotics and it will hopefully just continue to be reabsorbed. The pain has got better each day. Also ladies just for future reference if after egg collection you have severe pain under the diaphragm don’t do what I did which is just monitor it yourself and then go back to work when you should still be off and just call your clinic! I was just so fed up with my clinic that I thought well what will they do and monitored it myself… it would have been more sensible to have had antibiotic cover in the meantime as blood collections can become infective. Lesson learnt x (I didn’t tell him that I’d been up since 5am and had mowed my lawn before the clinic apppintment either x

Hi everyone, I hope you girls are doing ok!
Finally, after a chaotic week with early daily scan and bloods and discussions, we have decided to try a transfer next week. Taking a risk with this scar tissue, that's for sure, but something needs to happen. A surgery would delay things and could do more harm. So I will have my first FET next week. Gonasi trigger tonight cause my ovary takes its time to ovulate, lining is perfect. I am not optimistic or pessimistic, just let's do it and see what happens.
Xxx
S.

Hey everyone. Had my Day 9 scan today. Seems like slow growth this time as most follicles still at 10mm…with 3 at 13m so let’s see how this one goes! Definitely behind where I normally am on Day 9. Next scan on Sunday. Have headaches and am so tired. Did have my Pfizer vaccine last week too so maybe a combination of things. Think the egg collection rounds since November have taken their toll. I totally relate to everyone’s emotional responses to things.
@IslandStars totally understand your hesitation on DE. I am not sure about it either but feel if these rounds don’t work out I can’t keep going with my own eggs. I am a few months away from 41 and my husband is 50 so time just isn’t on our side. I regret leaving it so very late to try IVF. My husband thinks we should focus on living our lives as we used to and draw a line. He is worried about how fixated I have become in the pursuit of being a mother.
@Moonstarsun good advice! I suffer a fair bit with pain, diarrhoea etc after egg collections and can never decide when it’s worthy of a mention to the clinic or not. My husband is a GP but totally clueless about ivf related effects.
@Sophfr17 best of luck with your FET - hope it all works out brilliantly and the scars etc are of no relevance 🤞.

Hi everyone, hope there’s a nice weekend ahead for you all.

@Moonstarsun Thanks for the tip, quite alarming how we become so used to pain during all this. We definitely all need to be vigilant with symptoms, in case they turn nasty.

@Sophfr17 Glad things are moving along well, exciting first FET ahead! Sounds like you’re in a good state of mind over it, so let’s hope for the best.

@SarahK2000 Egg collections definitely take their toll after a couple of cycles, when done in a short space of time. Maybe you will need a couple of days extra stims, but hopefully next scan shows an improvement.

I’m sad I left IVF so late too, but I suppose it’s better we’re doing it now, than not trying at all and having those regrets when it really is too late. I left is so long to come to terms with using donor sperm, so I can see how DE are a huge decision too, especially if your husband is staring to think about drawing a line at some point. Just keep positive on this round for now, there’s always something else to stress about later!

Anyone else finding this thread isn’t appearing on the main forum page, even after just posting?

Good luck @Sophfr17 I really hope the FET goes well. Fingers crossed for you x

Good luck with the stims @SarahK2000 doing the back to back stims is rough. I hope your follicles all catch up it seems there is still time x

I have had the toughest time. First the low follicle count, then the raised TSH, then only two eggs, with one fertilizing which miraculously made a blastocyst, then the collection… they gave me antibiotics which have made me feel :( and was then told I need to stop my immunosuppressant medication. But then my joints symptoms started to flair. Saw an endocrinologist but in her letter she detailed a couple of points wrong which have upset me. I saw a private gynaecologist who has referred me for an MRI for ?endometriosis. I’ve had a lot of assessments at work this and last week and didn’t take time off for the collection. I’m reaching a point now where I’m feeling done with it all. Done with my body. With seeing different doctors for different bits of me. Done with trying to juggle work alongside all of this. I feel like I’m an emotional wreck and I just hate being a patient. I feel like I’ve already run out of motivation and energy before I’ve even done a transfer :( something needs to change because things are just unbearable for me right now x

@Moonstarsun I have no words of advice but I just wanted to say how sorry I am that things are so tough for you at the moment, and to send you lots of warm thoughts. IVF is so, so hard - and I don’t think anybody who hasn’t been through it can understand the difficulty of having the physical, hormonal and emotional impact to deal with all at the same time. In the end all we can do is keep going until we feel we need to stop, but thats so easy to say! Hope things get easier for you x

Good morning everyone

Thank you very much for all the encouragements! I went to the clinic yesterday and my (first?) FET will be next Thursday. A bit risky but we need to move on and try at least once. I am not anxious, but a bit curious. Started the prog injection and pessaries today.

@Moonstartsun I am so sorry you had to deal with so much pain after your EC. How are you feeling now? You are very brave, I don’t know how you managed to deal with all that. I am often in that state of mind, cause there is always something adding up, like putting glue over concrete and then more cement. And juggling with all the doctors! I am doing that too, gyne and hematologist and urologist (I have recurrent uti, so I take antibiotics everyday now, prophylactic measures). I am sure your energy will come back, and your motivation. You need some time to rest your mind. It will get better, it has to

@Sarahk2000 my second cycle was slower than the first one, and it turned out that the two and only euploids we got were from the 2nd cycle. But I understand how frustrating it must be, to feel like your body not responding how it used to. It is good that you had your vaccine too. Hopefully you can get the 2nd dose? Maybe I will have the 2nd dose too, even if pregnant.

@IslandStars don’t have any regrets, things are how they are. If we had known all that, we would have started trying earlier, but we were not ready so… I get it about DE too. It is personal and complicated choice. Just before we started IVF in Dec 2020, we were ready to use DE, after 6 losses it felt like it would never happen with mine. But our consultant though that it was premature. To me it doesn’t change much, as this is a baby I would carry and love, but I understand that this is a difficult decision. But you are not there yet, you have another FET coming!

@ForeverAintEnough12 I am happy your cysts went down and that you can carry on with your procedure next month. I hope everything will go well for you.

Thinking of you all xxx

Hey everyone - I had my scan today and you were right a few extra days can make a difference. Many of the follicles are now around 17mm. So let’s see when the trigger will be and what happens with this last cycle! Egg collection was scheduled for Wednesday so maybe will stay on plan.
@Moonstarsun I am so sorry you are having such a difficult time. You sound exhausted. Managing work alongside all this is very difficult. I really hope things get better for you. Sometimes it’s best to just give in to the overwhelming feeling and hopefully you will come back from it. I am wishing the best for you.
@Sophfr17 hope your first FET experience (please do share what it was like) is a good one with a positive outcome 😊 yes, I have my second dose booked for the end of July. Seeing as CRGH have said they won’t do any potential FET until atleast end of August (I have to wait for PGS results before they will let me book any of the investigation appointments - seems fair enough as they most probably don’t want to waste an appointment on someone who may not have a normal embryo to transfer) I should hopefully be vaccinated by the time that would happen.

@Sarahk2000 I am so happy today's scan went well! It looks like you will have more eggs collected than you expected :)
PGS results at crgh take about 2 weeks to come back, 15 days exactly for us. It seems surprising that you would have a FET end of August. But I am under UCLH care, not CRGH directly, so I am not too sure how It works. You had your 3d sis and dummy transfer? At least you will be able to have your 2nd Pfizer without having to worry about any potential effect.
Xxx