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.

@InvisibleDreamer
Hi. I understand the fear and stress of your next retrieval. I’m planning on starting my norethisterone next month as I was so stressed last time, but keep wondering if I should just prepare this month. I know my stress levels affected my fsh last time, so I’m taking wheatgrass and trying to get more sleep to bring them down before my next retrieval. I worry that should I do it in March when I’m a month younger or in April. I’ll be 41 in June, but still 40 at present.

Do you mind me asking why you had a delay? I hope you have a good retrieval and can reduce stress.

@2021ivfagain I had to wait for my next period after my withdrawal bleed. Due to start any day now. Seems to be quite a common policy for many clinics? I think for me it’s the realisation that it’s a bit of a loss lose situation either the ivf doesn’t work or it does but then it could end in miscarriage and I have to face hyperemesis again plus the constant anxiety that it won’t work out. Sometimes I wonder why I’m putting myself through it.

@InvisibleDreamer

Are you not doing back to back cycles? I was supposed to but it hasn’t worked out like that.

I know what you mean. I needed the month off after my disastrous cycle. I’m doing acupuncture at present and that is helping with mood and stress. Sometimes it’s easier to take a step back, take one day at a time and keep an open mind.

Hey everyone. Good luck with your cycles @Ivfhoper, @2021ivfagain and @InvisibleDreamer. it must all feel so long and drawn out but fingers crossed for more eggs/embryos for you guys. For my part, the nightmare of the current transfer cycle continues with me not having completely miscarried despite the very painful bleeding and massive clots etc. it turned out this week at the 6-7 week viability scan at the IVF clinic that there is no fetal pole or heartbeat but the sac still remains. They have taken me off all the ivf meds after a HCG test and confirming pregnancy isn’t viable. I am speaking to my GP tomorrow and think will ask for a referral to an EPU. I am wondering if the EPU will just advise me to sit it out for 2 more weeks to see if I complete the miscarriage naturally or will I be offered or should ask for a medically helped one with tablets. I assume surgical may be off the table for such an early miscarriage and would only apply if I don’t miscarry naturally fully or through the tablets but will see. I am petrified of the next stage as the big bleed was so painful already and as this was my first pregnancy I have no experience of all this. Coincidentally I also have a ivf consultant appointment in the diary tomorrow (originally had it in to discuss pregnancy medication) so will pick up next steps with her on my final ivf transfer. We have one remaining Euploid day 6 blastocyst. I am not sure on whether I should take a longer break and maybe aim for a prep month in July/August and transfer in September and give myself time to lose weight (my BMI is still 30 plus despite listing a lot) and do acupuncture etc. people have also suggested i consider using a surrogate for the last transfer. Will see whet the consultant thinks. I am not sure about whether it was simply bad luck, the embryo or something in my body that caused the miscarriage. I also wondered whether i should go for ivig rather than intralipids this time. So much floating around in my mind. Emotionally I feel fine at times as thought I rolled the dice and it didn’t come in my favour and I am perfectly fine with that and at other times I feel very low and almost embarrassed that things seem to be ending badly after a year and half of putting everything into IVF. On the upside am looking forward to going out more and living normally. Went to sushi despite feeling quite ill as had been avoiding it when pregnant and that was great 😊 wishing you all the best with your cycles as always.

Hi @Sarahk20000 I'm sorry things are still so tough for you. I know what you mean about feeling embarrassed. I feel the same way when things fail...but logically I know that we should all feel nothing but pride for our amazing tenacity, drive and courage. We are all incredible even if it doesn't always feel that way.

Sending you lots of love xxx

@SarahK20000
Hi. I’m really sorry. The whole IVF process is so difficult. I find acupuncture really helps. It’s also nice to have little things to look forward to when going through this.

It might be good to have a blood test to check things like vitamin D and thyroid. I take extra vitamin D in the winter months, but you need to speak to your consultant.

It might also be good to have a break before the transfer. I find when doing IVF there is so much to think about with appointments, medication, supplements, healthy diet etc that living a normal life is difficult. Sometimes a break from this process is beneficial.

Xx

@Janefx40
I agree. It takes so much courage and strength to keep going when it gets difficult.

@2021ivfagain my clinic don’t seem to do back to back they always want us to have a break in between. It might be because my oestrogen goes quite high each time I’m not sure. I thought we would start again on the withdrawal bleed but they said no you need to wait for period. I’d rather just get it all done with.

@Sarahk20000 Sorry to hear you are having a difficult time, I had no idea miscarriages could be such a long and complicated process until it happened. Hopefully EPU can help, I would think they could give you medical management if you want it. A break may be a good idea in order to give your body time to recover and to get yourself mentally prepared to go again but of course everyone is different. After my miscarriage I wanted to be pregnant straight away but now I am more apprehensive.

@Sarahk20000 As others have said, I'm so sorry you're going through this, it must be unbelievably disappointing and painful. It's so unfair. Just on the surgical option - I did this for both my miscarriages and they were early, so it might be. But mine were also 'missed'. Hopefully you are through the worst of it now. It's so devestating, but you have a very strong chance of it working out next time, whenever and however you decide to do it. I can see it makes sense to give yourself a break.

@Sarahk20000
I am so sorry you are experiencing this. Sending love your way x

@Janefx40 @2021ivfagain @InvisibleDreamer @Lola245 @Ivfhoper thank you so much for your kind and encouraging words. I find a lot of solace from the people on this forum and am really grateful for that support. I had a productive day in speaking to my consultant, the GP and the EPAU. The consultant felt I should head for the last FET as soon as (I will still think about whether I should push it to July to accommodate a family wedding and to give myself a break). She was positive about the chances of success as we got to a pregnancy this time: I can’t say that I am sharing her optimism and really want to prepare myself incase this fails and we are facing childlessness as a future 😞 She will add 3DSIS in if I have a natural or medical miscarriage but will need to do a hysteroscopy if i have surgical management. She won’t change the FET protocol much and will stick to the progesterone, blood thinning, steroids and intralipids. But will add HCG into the lining and also add IVIG alongside the intralipids this time (she said IVIG was quite expensive). She has asked for a thrombophillia blood screening. And has also put me on antibiotics again. I asked her about using a gestational carrier and she said she felt there was no medical reason to do so and I would just add new risks into the process. I will speak to her again at the beginning of April once past this miscarriage. They don’t seem to put in nurse set up appointments upfront anymore until the liaison team makes us sign a contact, that seems new and not sure how it works in practice. My GP referred me to the EPAU who told me to call back next week. My consultant thought i should give a week or so more to see if the miscarriage happens naturally and if not i should go into the EPAU. The IVF clinic seem to be calling me in for constant HCG bloods which are proving a bit of a pain: I think they want to track it to zero but I don’t see why I need to come in every 2 days for that and i can’t have longer intervals. For those of you doing FETs in the next few months it will be good to share experiences when we get to them. I am off work for 2 more weeks signed off by the GP and am really hoping can get past the physical side of the miscarriage by then. Work is going to be back in the office building for the first time in 2 years so am quite nervous about that but looking forward to some normality.

Hi @Sarahk20000 I'm so sorry your transfer hasn't succeeded after the early hope. I totally understand the feelings of embarrassment, I feel same after having three failed euploid transfers and 18 months of treatment. I try to remind myself that it's random bad luck and that nobody outside of me and DH is giving it that much thought.

With the patient liaison team, they had me sign a contract before I was allowed to book my nurse appointment for my first batching round. It's because they're trying to be demonstrably more transparent about costs. But they were quite efficient and it didn't delay things much.

@Ivfhoper
Good luck with your next collection. For the flare, did you take buserelin 4 times a day starting from day 1 of your period until the day of your trigger? Thanks

Hello ladies, I am inspired by your strength and determination. I have been following your thread and have admiration for you all.

@sarahk20000 i'm really sorry about your miscarriage. I was really rooting and praying for you.

I hope you all don't mind me joining you. I am hoping to start short protocol at CRGH in two weeks. Will be doing embryo banking. Have a very high BMI (40) which I know is not great at all. Have managed to lose some weight but just can't seem to do it. Have been helping to care for a very ill mother for the last few years whilst working in a very stressful job and unfortunately my mum past away last week which I am in total shock and denial with. I don't feel emotionally ready to do this but at 40 think I need to get on with it. I know the odds are against me given my weight, age and stress levels but would like to give it a shot. I just can't help but keep berating myself as to why I didn't lose weight and why I didn't do this sooner. I'm driving myself mad via mental torture and struggling to function as a normal human being. Anyway let's see if they manage to retrieve any eggs let alone getting any PGS normal embryos.

Keep fighting ladies and stay positive x

@Prayingforamiracle21 I'm so sorry for your loss. It sounds like you have been through a lot recently.

I know it's hard but try to be nice to yourself. We can each only be where we are. There is always more each of us could have done or something about us that we wish we could change. You've done the best you could and it sounds like you've been pretty amazing caring for your Mum.

Do you really have to start now? Being 40 isn't young but you're not 44 like me! I very much doubt that it would hurt to wait a month or two for when your loss is slightly less fresh.

Best of luck with whatever you decide xxx

@Rosemarypots thank you so much. The transparency thing makes sense. I think when euploid blastocysts fail it’s even more confusing about the reasons. I am sorry about the fact the same happened with you. As you say it’s luck. I think I need to bring myself to acceptance of childlessness if the next round with the final embryo fails as I can’t face any more cycles and am hitting 42 in September. My husband has said he doesn’t want us to do anything further after this so don’t have a choice but to stop which makes it feel quite final. My HCG luckily keeps dropping but at 853 is still nowhere near miscarriage completion. Am giving natural another week to happen and then have a scan with the EPAU next week on Tuesday and will seek some medical management to help it along, am avoiding surgical options as the consultant felt it was better for the next transfer not to. @Prayingforamiracle21 thank you for your kind words: I am so very sorry to hear about your mum and the fact you have had a stressful time with work too. You really need some time to heal. IVF cycles are horribly stressful in normal times even and maybe a month or so for yourself might help. I wish you the best of luck. Please don’t get into the feeling guilty and self blame (I am doing this right now with my miscarriage saying if I had brought my BMI below obesity it would have helped). So much of ivf is luck. Hopefully your BMI won’t stand in the way. My BMI was 36 when I started. Is now down to 31 but my consultant was never too bothered by it as long as she could get to the eggs and the AMH etc was ok. And we still got good numbers. I also was off with stress from work during my cycle so stress didn’t impact the egg numbers. So fingers crossed for you that you will be successful. And shorter protocols are better than the longer ones that take up 6 weeks at a time, I found them very hard. Please do seek counselling and help as ivf is a big undertaking considering what you are going through. Sending positive vibes your way so you can cope with your incredible loss right now.

Hi. I’m starting to panic about the flare protocol. Each time I have a consultation it goes so fast and I don’t take all the information in. I’m just worried there is a misprint. Anyone who is on the flare could they confirm if the buserelin spray is used 4 times a day from day 1 of period in the stimming phase. It seems quite a lot and worried that I will be oversuppressed. Thanks

@Prayingforamiracle21 Just wanted to also say how sorry I am for your loss. Definitely don't beat yourself up, sounds like you've had a really rough few years, and you are doing something about your fertility now. Yes might be a good idea to delay by a month or two, but I've also read studies that stress actually doesn't really affect IVF outcomes. So if it would be a good distraction or feel like a step forward in a difficult time then maybe that makes sense too.

@Sarahk20000 Maybe try not to think too much about the future and what you would do if the next transfer doesn't work out. I imagine that might just add to the stress. Take it one step at a time. You have a very good chance the next one will work out. Will the clinic do anything different next time? (Though obviously you know what you need - just saying this in case it's helpful.)

@2021ivfagain you are at CRGH right? Why are you doing the flare protocol this time, or is that what you did before? I get confused by all the different protocols.

I started stimms for my second cycle on Saturday. At my baseline scan they saw some cysts that suggested I might not have been fully healed from the egg collection and said they had to check my bloods to make sure I could start again this month, so I was so grateful when they called to say it was fine and I could go ahead. I find all the waiting that's involved with embryo banking really hard.

@Lola245
Hi. I’m pleased you cycle was not delayed. I’m at at CRGH. I was not on estrogen priming last cycle.

My protocol has changed to flare because I didn’t do well last time. My consultant thinks the cetrotide might have affected my egg quality so it’s been changed to flare with buserelin from day 1 of period in the stimming phase. I was on short before.

I’m just asking whoever is on flare if they can confirm what I’m taking makes sense.

@Lola245

CRGH offer two types of short protocol: antagonist with cetrotide and agonist (flare) with buserelin.

@2021ivfagain

Hi there, I am not on Buserlin. I primed this time with Progynova. I am at CRGH.

@2021ivfagain
I also took the wheatgrass as recommended by yourself, I stopped it as soon as my period started. I hope this cycle is better.

Good luck to everyone with your next cycle and/or next steps

@Ivfhoper

Hi. I’m doing estrogen priming next time with progynova and wheatgrass, but also using norethisterone. Are you still doing the flare? I then have to start buserelin on day 1 of period until trigger.

Good luck with the cycle.

My second cycle doesn't seem to be going as well as last time - roughly the same number of follicles at this stage (day 8), but three are very small (below 6mm) and only three are 9mm and above. Waiting to get the call from CRGH to see if they'll change anything. I'm trying to console myself that last time most of the growth happened in the 2nd week, but I worry that those small follicles won't mature. I got 6 mature eggs last time and was really hoping for the same or better, but it seems unlikely. I have some fluid in my uterus and had the cysts as well, and it makes me wonder if having a month off between cycles, as some of your clinics do, does make sense. Giving your body a rest. Though also just impatient to move forward as said...

@Ivfhoper and @2021ivfagain good luck with your CRGH cycles!