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.

Yes, that is a fab start @2021ivfagain, you must be pleased!

@IslandStars @Longgame21 @Janefx40

Hope you’re all doing well. I was anxious today waiting for my day 3 update. All 7 have divided and they have all been frozen on day 3 to prepare for my next cycle in January. I’m so pleased. I know that I will lose some at blastocyst stage.

@SarahK2000

How are things going? Hope your preparation time is going well for your transfer. Is it in January?

@2021ivfagain well done on your day 3 update, that is amazing.

I had my retrieval today and managed 3 mature eggs that have been frozen. I am happy considering my low amh.

Round 1, Sep 21 - 6 mature eggs [Max stims]
Round 2, Oct 21 - 4 mature eggs [Flare protocol with HGH]
Round 3, Nov 21 - 3 mature eggs [Flare protocol without HGH]

I am hoping to get another round in before the xmas closure. @2021ivfagain - do you know which days the CRGH are actually closed? One of the nurses said it was 25.12.31 - 31.12.21 - but the Dr doing my egg retrieval would not confirm that.

Nice to hear some more good news here, well done ladies

@2021ivfagain Brilliant that all 7 have made day 3, you will hopefully get some good blasts with a normal drop off rate expected.

@Ivfhoper Glad you had another good round and added more eggs to the batch. Hope you can get another round in before xmas

@2021ivfagain yay! That is great news! All 7 divided!! So pleased for you.

@Ivfhoper congrats on a good retrieval. You've got quite a lot of embryos now in the mix which is great.

CRGH's last baseline scans before Christmas are 30th Nov which means your period needs to have started either 28th or 29th Nov. I'm not sure exactly when they are closed but they are absolutely firm on that (I argued to no avail). The first baseline scans after Christmas are 30th Dec so your period would need to start 28th or 29th Dec at the earliest. Hope that helps

Xxx

@Janefx40 thank you. I understand the closing times now, there is no way I will have a baseline scan by 29th November as my retrieval was today. I will try to argue to point with my Dr to see if she can bend the rules.

Has anyone on the forum primed pre-cycle with Human Growth hormone? I was on Zomacton but it gave me a reaction.

@Ivfhoper it's officially closed 25-30th Dec so I tried to argue (my transfer would be finished before closures so I just couldn't understand why they wouldn't do it but they insisted). Last egg collections are 13th Dec. Definitely try to argue. Good luck!

X

@Ivfhoper I had a consultation with the Evewell but decided not to go there last minute so switched to CRGH. The Evewell were going to prime me pre-cycle with HGH. It was a different brand (not Zomacton) but because I'd already bought it, my CRGH consultant let me use it during the collection cycle there. It was a tiny dose 0.4mg compared to 4mg which we used during the cycle. I didn't like taking HGH. It felt like a dodgy drug but it was only a few doses so hopefully it won't have had a bad impact x

It was Genotrophin

@Ivfhoper

Congratulations on your retrievals. I wanted to do my second retrieval in December but I was told it would be impossible and that’s why my next one is January. I remember being told that 30th November is the last day for the baseline scan.

Are you able to do a retrieval in January? What about late December/early January?

With regards to hgh, America tends to do priming with hgh, but U.K. does not. Another option is estrogen priming. I did read a review about a woman who was prescribed clomid during IVF stimming and it had a positive effect on number of follicles recruited for a cycle.

@IslandStars, @Janefx40, @Longgame21, @Ivfhoper

Thanks for your messages. I really hope I get enough blastocysts. I’m planning on doing two more retrievals. Good luck to you all.

@2021ivfagain will you get a day3 call today? And will they be frozen today if you are banking? Good luck x

@Janefx40

I’ve already had my day 3 call that was on Sunday. I am banking. All 7 have divided and frozen at day 3. I am embryo batching like you did. My next retrieval will be January due to Christmas break.

@Janefx40

I won’t know about the blastocysts until they are thawed and PGS tested after my retrievals are over. I really want to do 3. I’m also feeling worried about next retrieval. I don’t want to go on dhea. I did so well this time and I’m worried about sustaining it.

@Janefx40
I had a high fertilisation rate of over 88% so hoping next year I will get enough blastocysts.

@2021ivfagain sorry. For some reason I got muddled and thought Sunday was your Day 1 call. Yes I did the same freeze and test system!

Why are you worried about next time? Have you had issues with DHEA before? I found it fine x

@Janefx40

I’m silly. I suppose because I’m on a budget and really want it to work. I’m funding most of it myself. We’ve cut out so many treats in life just to focus on IVF.

I’m being prescribed dhea for the first time ever just because of age. However, my consultant is on leave at present. My levels were normal so I’m worried I might make things worse next time. I’m not sure what to do as they take 6-8 weeks to work. My fsh and afc are good so it’s just age. I’ve asked to go on the lowest dose and have blood tests to be monitored.

They don’t usually monitor with blood tests but I think if it’s new medication it should be. Am I worrying too much?

@2021ivfagain I don't know if you're worrying too much or not! My levels were rock bottom but when our treatment was delayed I asked to get re-tested and they were top of the range so I stopped. The clinic (ARGC) weren't bothered really but they did tell me to stop. CRGH said they just usually say to keep going unless you get side effects. So who knows? It's different for you if your levels weren't low to start with.

@Janefx40

Thanks. My dhea level in August this year was 14.2mnol/L which is normal. I just wish there was more guidance. I’ve been told I can choose whether to take it and to only go on it once a day but I’ve asked for blood tests in two weeks. Do you remember what it was when it was too high? Thanks

@SarahK2000

Hope you are doing well with your preparation for your transfer. It won’t be long.

Do you mind me asking if you were prescribed dhea tablets? I’m not sure if I’ve already asked you as it’s hard to keep track sometimes. Thanks

@IslandStars

Good luck for tomorrow.

@IslandStars hope you're ok. Good luck tomorrow.

@2021ivfagain wasn't sure if that was to me or SarahK. I was prescribed DHEA both times, yes

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@Janefx40
Thank you so much for your replies. I’m going to wait to speak to my consultant on Monday. Do you know how long you took dhea for before egg collection? Did you have your dhea and testosterone levels checked before taking it? Did you stop taking it during stimming? Sorry for the questions. Thanks

First time I was tested and then started DHEA which would have been around 6-8 weeks prior to starting a cycle but that cycle got delayed so I re-tested after about 9-10 weeks and stopped as it was very high. My EC was then a few weeks later.

Second time I think I was tested and started DHEA about 6 weeks before collection and continued for a few months through 3 back-to-back collections. I wasn't re-tested

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@Janefx40 @2021ivfagain Thanks ladies, more bad news from me, another BFN. That's my lot now. Will post again soon when i'm more composed.