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 @ForeverAintEnough12
The SIS is to make sure thare is nothing wrong in my cavity, such as polypes. But to be honest, I was checked so many in the last 2 years with my 6 pregnancies that i am sure there is no issue. To answer you 2nd question nan, there was no issue at all during my egg collections.
So i suppose that if the SIS reveals no issue and the dummy transfer goes smoothly, these procedures would not harm by cavity and my embryo could be put inside during the same cycle? I only have two normal embryos, i dont want to take any risk....
Thank you very much for your reply :)

I am just furious they havent thought about doing these procedures while i was waiting for the PGS results. I have been mentioning this in all my emails since the end of march ("can we do this now? dont you think we should do it now"?)

@Sophfr17 I think both will be fine to do alongside transfer as long as no issue is found. It doesn’t make it any less frustrating though. I do find no matter how good the clinic is we have to be completely on the ball ourselves to keep things moving and question procedures and next steps. It’s hard to do when we’re also dealing with the emotional impact of the whole thing.

Thanks, you are right, we need to organize and verify everything otherwise mistakes are made.
I have reached a point when each time something goes wrong, like the planning of this 1st FET, I collapse and cry, and my day is ruined.
I wish you all the best @ForeverAintEnough12 for your FET to come. I suppose you will chose according to your embryologist advise?
Take care xxx

@ForeverAintEnough12 Thank you, will keep updating. Most clinics do say the safest option for mother and baby is single transfer, as much as it’s tempting to double up after all the delays we suffer with IVF. Losing twins must be so horrendous especially so far along, hearing stories like that is bound to put you off.

@Sophfr17 Hope everything can sort itself out for this FET. I really like my clinic on the whole, but I do feel like I need to be fully researched about everything and keep on their case about things, especially the admin side. I also had to wait several weeks for a review of my failed FET which just plays with your mind when you’re desperate for answers and next steps. Clinics should think about our mental health when they put these long delays in.

Had my day 6 scan today and there are only two lead follicles and possible two tiny ones. Devastated :( the consultant told me to continue but it feels like a lost cause when you think about the drop off from fertilization etc. I’ve asked to speak to my usual consultant tomorrow. I think my partner and I have reached the stage where we’re really fatigued with it all and want to push on..: but for two follicles it’s approx 2.5 grand on each follicle. It’s a lot of money to risk on a cycle that to me seems hopeless... hope everyone is ok x

@Moonstarsun Sorry to hear that, did they give any reason since you've responded well in the past? I know sometimes it can be an isolated cycle and doesn't mean you won't respond well next time.

Have they considered increasing your bemfola dosage and stimming for a bit longer? Just some ideas to ask, i don't know if it's possible. Hope you get some good answers today.

So sorry @Moonstarsun how are you feeling today? I understand that you wonder whether it is worth it... but I would finish the stimulations and see how it goes at the end? Do you get the maximum doses as @Islandstars suggested? Thinking of you and your partner....

I managed to finally understand their FET plan for me.... start heparin morning and evening day 3, 3d-sis and dummy transfer day 6, scan and blood from day 10 to ovulation, and once I have ovulated, progesterone pessaries and injection. Transfer day 19 likely and add aspirin. He will put the euploid 6AB that has hatched. And we wait...

Xx

@Sophfr17 Glad the protocol has been made clearer to you, not long to go now. My euploid is a 6BB so quite similar, hopefully these hatched embryos will be our lucky ones

I hope so too @IslandStars, i hope so too 🙂 let's be optimistic for once?

@Moonstarsun I’m sorry to hear that your cycle isn’t going well. This happened me on the cycle before my current one and of got cancelled before egg collection. It’s upsetting but I did have a better response on my current prime and I had a great response on the round before it so it doesn’t mean this will define what happens in other rounds. Hopefully your next scan will show improvement.

Thanks all and sorry to be a Debbie downer. I went for day 8 scan today and the consultant didn’t like the look of one of the lead follicles so has written that one off... he says there are another 2/3 smaller ones that are growing but need to catch up. He’s increased my meds from 150 IU Bemfola to 225 for two nights and we will check again on Sat. My only worry is that higher doses might damage the egg quality. I want to be optimistic about this cycle but it’s hard to really when faced with the stats. He also said to try a fresh transfer if I get an embryo this time which I hadn’t been expecting. He said I will start prednisolone 5 days before egg collection and then clexane on the day of Egg collection. It’s such a small chance I think this month. He said there’s still a chance he’ll cancel it but I don’t think that’s likely. I’ve just been pricing up costs for more cycles. This is so hard :( xxx

Hi @Moonstarsun sorry to hear it wasn’t better news. Are you doing natural modified ivf work that low dose? I’ve always been on 450 and while I don’t know if my blasts are PGS normal all bar 1 were AA blasts (1BB) and my consultant said that dose of Stims doesn’t impact on quality. So I wouldn’t worry overly about that.

@ForeverAintEnough12 I’m doing mild IVF. I think natural modified is where you don’t take any drugs or just take it from day 5 on alternate days. Thanks fir the reassurance. I just feel so nervous with this cycle. I wasn’t expecting a cycle with such poor numbers right from the start. Honestly. This IVF business is really hard x

@Moonstarsun It is really tough, so many unexpected hurdles with IVF. I think 225 Bemfola is still classed as mild though, so I wouldn’t worry too much. Hopefully you’ll get 3 eggs collected, then a fresh transfer could be a good way of wrapping this cycle up.

Hi Ladies, well nothing ever goes smoothly does it...had my lining scan yesterday and 2 polyps were found in the uterus, exactly where the embryo would have been put back! My transfer has been cancelled as blood flow was going to the polyps, so there’s very little chance of an embryo implanting with all that going on. Absolutely devastated as now more time is lost and I’ve got to pay for a hysteroscopy to have them removed. Doubt I’ll be transferring now until July or August, but as it’s my last embryo I can’t take any risks.

@Moonstarsun how are you getting on, will you be doing a fresh?

@IslandStars sorry to hear this. I asked my clinic about a hysteroscopy a week ago as it's been something on my mind too. Did they pick the polyps up just from ultrasound and did they say how big they were? I didn't think they could pick them up on TV US accurately. You must be so disappointed but on the positive at least you now have a reason behind the normal embryo not implanting, you must be relieved that a reason has been found although of course very difficult news :(

I've not had much to work with on this cycle. My consultant is now stimming me longer in order to leave the lead follicle behind and go for the 4 smaller follicles. I'm really pissed off because I have a known thyriod disorder and take thyroxine and my levels were not stable before my first banking cycle and the clinc have not checked them once. I have had them checked myself a couple of times, last time normal in Jan, but suddenly told we're going for fresh embryo transfer and luckily I'd booked thyroid bloods with my GP thinking I'd be doing a FET in June and low and behold I have raised TSH so now can't do a fresh transfer. My background medical history is complicated and I don't want to go into it here but I am hugely disappointed that this has not been kept on top of properly and spoke to the consultant about this yesterday. Raised TSH can also affect folliculogenesis and AFC. Of course they will say we cannot be sure if it has affected but in my mental state right now the cycle is doomed and it's 4.5K up in smoke! We talked about cancelling the cycle but then no doubt I'll have to pay for a grand worth of US and bloods etc and then who knows when and if my AFC will recover. Mega pissed off! And all the same time have no idea if my blasts are normal or if the inside of my uterus is normal! This is now 2 weeks of stims so yes my temper is short and feel like I've lost confidence in my treatment.

@Moonstarsun Thank you, yes it was a real shock. She said years ago an hysteroscopy would be the only way to find out, but that now TV scans are very good, especially the 3D imaging. We looked at the ultrasound for a long time, plus she printed lots of photos for me. She was keen for me to understand and see where the polyps were, although it was quite noticeable that they were two grey/white blobs on the screen. One is 5mm, the other just under 1cm, which is the point in which they become a problem, but as i have 2 of them and they have blood flow, they will not risk a transfer.

They were never spotted during my last FET scan or the transfer itself, so Dr is saying they weren't there then, but it was only 8 weeks ago?! I read that estrogen can cause them, so i wonder if my last FET cycle has in effect caused them...but I think one of them could have been growing in a very small capacity and maybe not picked up by the scan. Dr said they are notorious for just popping up and can grow back - great! Think i cried most of the way home through central London then on the train back, thank god for masks eh!

wow you've been stimming for a long time now, i'd be so angry too. It's emotional enough under normal circumstances. Given your history, i can't see why they're not monitoring your TSH either, especially as it's not your first cycle so they know your background. Maybe once this cycle is finally resolved, put in a complaint with the clinic, you need to feel like they're looking after your health too and not just aiming for a general approach to stims. Maybe they will make a discount offer to credit some of what you have paid. I know it doesn't make up for what you're going through, but the financial burden is a big factor too.

@IslandStars I’m really sorry to hear that, you must be totally gutted. Long term it’s of course much better that they caught them, but once you are geared up and ready to go, it must be so disappointing to have to stop. Hope removing them goes well.

@Moonstarsun, not sure if this will help at all but my wife (now 31 weeks pregnant from FET) has found managing her thyroid issues on the nhs very difficult, and our private ivf clinic were not great either - although they did test her bloods at the start of treatment and once when in early pregnancy. They are clearly not specialists and could give her very little advice other than tell her her levels after blood tests. In the end we have gone to a private endo who has been great supporting her through, seen him every 6-8 weeks. It’s around £200 a session but it has really really helped her manage her levels (they are now better than they have been in 10 years under his care). I don’t know if that’s an option for you? The nhs endo she previously had was totally useless through Covid and gave her advice based on year old bloods, and the hospital support since becoming pregnant has been very sketchy too: I don’t think thyroid care in this country is very good overall :(

Thanks @Shamoo yes it's really deflating and now have the added complication that by the time i get to transfer, i'll be back in the office. I'm not particularly worried about Covid as such, it's just the drag of a long commute and workplace stresses that are so hard to combine with IVF.

Glad to hear everything is going well with wife & baby, 31 weeks already! Probably doesn't feel quick to you lol.

Hello everyone, i can see times are hard for everyone
How are you feeling @Moonstarsun? It must be so difficult for you, deciding to continue or not, and the money... I know thyroid is not something that is checked a lot in the UK unfortunately.... I have to ask my consultant to add TSH and TPO Antibodies to my blood work, otherwise he doesn't think about it. And I adjust the doses of levo. But to be honest, with the stimulations, I don't think that ths level would massively impact on the results. However, it is important for your daily well being that your tsh stays below 2.5, also during preg. of course. I am thinking of you for this cycle, I hope it will end up with something positive.
Sorry @IslandStars your fet is going to be delayed. I imagine how distressing it must be. Hopefully this will be sorted out easily and with little pain.... I suppose a polyp can only be removed surgically? So sorry :(
Well my periods were delayed by a week (We will try a natural cycle FET). My consultant thinks it's going to be challenging but he wants to try the most natural and less chemical way, considering how badly I react to the downregulation drugs. Lets hope that this long cycle was just a one off. I am starting heparin again tomorrow twice day, having 3d sis and mock transfer next Wednesday and hope for the best.
Take care everyone, thinking of you xxx

Hi @Sophfr17 Thanks, it’s been a tough week and as I’ve got 2 polyps I’ll need them removed surgically as they’re taking up space where the embryo needs to be.

I may ask for a natural FET next time, as I’m worried the estrogen caused these polyps. I’ve also got thrush back again, even though I only took estrogen for 9 days before my cycle was cancelled, but it happened to me last time too.

Hope everything goes well for your 3D sis and mock transfer, bring us some luck

Hi everyone @Sophfr17 what’s a 3d sis and mock transfer? Sorry to hear about your thyroid to but I wouldn’t say the stimulation doesn’t affect it. The increase in oestrogen increases the protein that the free T4 thyroid hormone binds to so there is less available free T4 in the body which stimulates the pituitary to produce more TSH. Son your TSH can rise. I definitely think that the cycles have affected my thyroid and I’m really annoyed that my clinic hadn’t checked it despite knowing my levels weren’t stable prior to the first cycle. Anyway we’ll see how this cycle goes but not feeling massively hopeful.

Because of this and my medical history I mentioned to my consultant that I’d like to go for a natural transfer. I’m done with all the drugs. If I can’t trust the clinic to monitor me properly then I don’t want drugs unless I really have to have them.

Also I just don’t like the sound of the FET drugs after hearing about how they’ve made a lot of people feel. My mood has been all over the place. I don’t need anything making it worse.

I’ve found a private endocrinologist and I’m going to look into having an appointment with her I really want to make sure I’m as well as possible before transfer.

Managed to catch up on my sleep today. Still tired. You forget how crappy you feel at the end of stims. I really hope it’s been worth it. I’ll be even more peeved if we don’t get anything :((((

@IslandStars I’d feel the same about the estrogen. I don’t think it’s unreasonable to explore having a natural transfer. Sorry to hear about the thrush. Honestly we have to put up with so much!

We only had two eggs retrieved yesterday. 1 has fertilized. Just feel this cycle is a complete write off and I’m so angry at my clinic for not managing my thyroid properly and also as I’ve had to see 4 different consultants this cycle. The one I saw on my day 2 scan didn’t even tell me my AFC and I had to ask him to check me again. He just said blasé ‘oh 2 follicles on the right, 2 on the left’… I said that doesn’t sound many and he literally just said, ‘take the medication’. I’ve been REALLY unwell after egg collection not like the other two retrieval’s. I’ve had dizziness, nausea and extreme pain under my ribs and abdomen. It’s much better today but still there a bit. I’m so pissed off that I’ve been through so much for the sake of one fertilized egg. I realise the chances of this developing to a 5 day blast is minuscule. Obv there is a chance but I have completely lost faith in my clinic and just feel broken by this process 😓