IVF January/February 2021?

[jm2020]

Is it too soon?

Hi Is anyone starting IVF in January/February next year?

We had our first failed IVF cycle in October and looking to go for our second cycle but the way my periods are it falls over xmas when they are shut.

So we are starting in Jan :)

x

Gosh lots to catch up on!

Welcome to those who have joined since I was last on here :)

For those who have a closely monitored cycle, when do you get your progesterone and oestrogen tested? IE one EC, ET etc? My clinic doesn't offer this and I am keen to include it this time so will go privately elsewhere

@Gardenlady543 I’m sorry to hear it’s also happened to you. It’s a special kind of hardship when you go through the whole process and don’t even get to OTD. Personally I would not accept ‘one of those things’ for your FET.

Were you on the pessaries as a lot of women actually can’t absorb them properly? If so I would ask to be prescribed something like Prolutex which is progesterone injection and I would also request a progesterone blood test at transfer to see what your levels are like so if they are low they can up your dose. Clinics are so odd about progesterone - one of the reasons we ended up going with Lister is they agreed to actually monitor them whereas others were acting like it’s this great mystery and it’ll be fine. In ARGC they actually monitor your bloods every two days during the TWW to make sure your progesterone is ok and adjust dose accordingly so the clinics can do a lot on this they just don’t bother.

Re immune issues given how you can make plenty of great blasts I would not be too worried. For us we struggle to get blasts and with everything we’ve been through already I’m hoping the next transfer I do will be the one that results in pregnancy with a PGT-A normal embryo, immune issues taken account of and I am also going to do an ERA/ALICE/EMMA too. Unfortunately it’ll likely be June by the time I do a transfer. If you do have issues with your next FET it could be worth asking for steroids given the link between immunes and progesterone absorption. Hopefully it wont happen though but at a minimum your clinic should be increasing your progesterone for this FET

@ForeverAintEnough Thankyou for that message, it’s really helpful. I think you’re right that at the moment there isn’t enough evidence for me to worry about immune issues. But I will keep in mind to ask about further investigations if there are further unsuccessful cycles.

I was initially on the progesterone pessaries three times a day, but by the end of the third day I’d developed a really bad rash on my arms, so I was changed onto lubion injections. It seemed to be the progesterone causing the rash, rather than a different ingredient in the pessaries, as I kept getting skin symptoms about 3 hours after the injections. But, this only lasted for a few days. There is a condition called progesterone hypersensitivity, I suspect I had an issue with that, and that my body reacted to the suddenly high dose of progesterone, since I’ve never had issues with progesterone before. And then it looked like the dose wasn’t high enough with the early bleed, so overall there is a big issue to overcome with the progesterone! When I speak to the specialist I’m going to enquire about starting progesterone at an earlier point and slowly titrating up the dose and taking a level the day before the transfer. I’m hoping that my clinic will be able to work with me on this issue, as I’m on an access fertility package so have paid upfront, but the specialist was insistent on cancelling the transfer on the day because of the rash (we negotiated on transferring the worst blast instead), anyway that gave me the impression that they would rather stop everything rather than adjust things. I know there are more specialized centers who would be a lot more comfortable dealing with this issue, but at the moment location and the additional financial burden means it’s not an option right now.

I've decided to do a medicated cycle. It can be controlled then started injections this motioning. Hubby still not here so doing it on my own. 😩 looking at transfer on the 14th January xxx

Is it a medicated frozen cycle you are doing? @ivftake3?

I think we may have our transfer around then aswell fingers crossed 🤞🏻 xx

@jm2020 yes a medicated frozen. I still have 3 in the freezer! I just feel more at ease rather than trying to track all my ovulation an what's happened since July, I jsut think all round it's better!!

I jsut seen your message and I've just your one! ❤️

@Gardenlady543 just be careful with that approach re the window for implantation. I had an ERA which said my window for implantation was not day 5 but day 6. So to get to the implantation window for a day 5 transfer the solution was to start progesterone a day earlier so my day 5 transfer would mimic a day 6. So I would worry with starting progesterone a lot earlier whether you’ll miss the window of implantation by transfer.

I would ask for a progesterone blood test in your case as with the progesterone hypersensitivity I would want to know whether that means your levels shoot up at start causing a rash but maybe drop significantly afterwards. It could also be purely that your period started early as the embryo was abnormal and didn’t implant and your body pushed through on a bleed. A consultant did say this ‘sometimes happens even on progesterone’ but that was very vague to me.

Hi, can I join you please? We have one miracle from a fresh cycle, hoping for another. After many years of trying, we had a cycle of IVF - we only had two embryos - one is now our daughter, now looking to have a FET and hoping number two is her sibling. It's last chance saloon for us as we can't have any more cycles, so I am very nervous. Had a baseline scan so far and looking to start treatment when the lab re-opens. Could we be lucky again?

@ForeverAintEnough oh wow I hadn’t heard of an ERA test before. I will need to take on board the advice of the specialist. I’m medical myself and can get carried away with research and my opinion on the plan!

@AiryFairyMum ah bless you and welcome, it sounds like you’re going to have a big event coming up then. It’s so good that things worked the first time, hopefully they can replicate what they learned so you’re successful with the second transfer as well.

Welcome @AiryFairyMum I hope you’re successful on this cycle also xxx

@Gardenlady543 I started bleeding before my OTD also. This cycle the clinic are going to test my progesterone level the day of transfer - I might ask whether they will test earlier as I start the pessaries day of egg collection so maybe if they test a few days later it will give them an idea before transfer xx

Thanks @jm2020 the nurses seemed to think that this wasn’t to do with progesterone as it was a fresh cycle and my body should have been producing progesterone itself. I speak to the specialist next week and will definitely be pushing for at least one blood test before the transfer in my FET. I’m really hoping I don’t get a rash or early bleed in the next cycle and that these things were just unlucky.

Yeah mine was a fresh cycle also @Gardenlady543 - I don't think I was absorbing them enough as it looked like alot was coming out when I went to the toilet (sorry TMI).

I hope that it was just that one time for you and you don't have any further reactions. I think clinics should check progesterone as basic tbh! Some clinics seem really good at checking things and it seems like some don't want the hassle
xx

@jm2020 That’s interesting that it also happened in your fresh cycle, I’d been changed onto injections the day of the transfer and they insisted that 1 x Lublin a day was more than enough, even when they knew I was bleeding heavier.

If it is the difference between success and failure I would rather just pay the extra and get the tests done. I imagine the cost to the clinic of a blood test is next to nothing. Any doubt about progesterone levels and I would have thought it should be done, but I’ll see what my specialist says next week.

I bled at 7dp3dt and then started again at 10dp3dt. It is horrible because I knew it hadn't worked even though I hadn't tested then but I still had to keep taking the pessaries. It's just such a hard process to go through.

I'm petrified but excited to start again as I don't want the same outcome. It's hard to stay positive some times.

Ladies - Have any of you told your family? Only me and my husband know at the minute and I'm debating telling my mom and sister as my mom had IVF to conceive my sister.

xx

@jm2020 mine was really cruel it started as pink discharge with just one tiny clot on 8dp5dt after pelvic pains I’ve never experienced the day before. I was convinced it was implantation and it all came crashing down after several days of pink discharge turned into a full on period on 11dp5dt.

I haven’t told any of my family, just close friends. I don’t want family to know, they’ll get all excited and it will make it worse if it doesn’t work again.

@ForeverAintEnough - do you remember when you were tested for progesterone during your fresh transfer? I want to do this, clinic have said it's not required but as others have said I have bled early on both of my fresh transfer.

I am fed up of seeing some many woman bleeding before day 9 PT and clinics are shrugging their shoulders saying it is just one of those things! Um no, it is not one of those things. I don't think they understand how all consuming waiting a baby can be and how much of a failure you feel when it doesn't happen for you, not to mention the eye watering cost of IVF and meds.

Has anyone else see the Fast Track IVF posts on Facebook?

@ivftake3 - that's great news about the transfer date, sadly we won't be transfer buddies this time but I have everything crossed for you :) Oh have you seen the buddy system they are setting up at the clinic?

Regarding telling people, our whole family plus extended know that we require IVF but I've stopped telling them the dates. I feel that I still feel sensitive that we are going through this, but I shouldn't, I wish I knew about fertility earlier on as I never thought at 31 I would need IVF to conceive - I am now 33 in case anyone wanted to know ;) older but no wiser!

@jm2020 I’ve told my immediate family (parents siblings) and my friends at the start. I just felt it was obvious we were having issues as we were married a year with no pregnancy and both in stable jobs and house all sorted. It’s been good I’ve found but I think I have great friends. All very supportive - gifts in post whenever a round doesn’t work, offers to mind our pup and no one sending me scan pics or bump pics during their pregnancies. Our friend is also a pharmacist too so sorts out all our medications for us.it depends on how you think your family will react. Some people have had very insensitive comments when they tell people.

Are you getting injections this round or still pessaries? There was a thread before on women saying they don’t absorb the pessaries so it’s more common than they say.

@Mrbay I wasn’t tested! I was told ‘no one needs more progesterone than this’ and fobbed off about needing a test and then got my period the day before test day. So I moved clinics and specifically asked if they would test my progesterone before going to one. They said they would test day of transfer and then during TWW.

I haven’t seen those fast track posts - I’m not on Facebook - what do they say?

I’m the same as you @mrbay 31 both no health issues when we started. 35 now in March and no further on. We are particularly unlucky though.

Just pessaries still @ForeverAintEnough :(

OOhhhhh what's the fast track posts? @Mrbay

We are unexplained - well we thought we were but when U had my first scan the doc told me I have PCO but not the syndrome as my periods are regular.

xx

@jm2020 we've told our family. Partly because they always hint at things and it was getting me down. But also as we appreciate the support. My husband probably won't be able to drive when it's EC as well (his USA license has just expire and covid means he's not had his UK test yet :( ) so we will need someone to drive us home, or at least be in the car while my husband drives us home! They were all very supportive but we made it clear that we will give them information we are happy with and tell them things when we are ready so they don't really ask apart from how we're feeling and let us open up as and when we're ready.

Apparently they have partnered with Care (who are taking over the UK with their clinics) www.facebook.com/fasttrackfertility

@ForeverAintEnough - oh! That's what my current clinic keep telling me (Care) it's my last NHS funded cycle so if it doesn't work we will look elsewhere as I feel that I need a more tailored approach - endo and lazy sperm!

Tomorrow, I will have a quick ring around to sort private bloods to go alongside my cycle.

I've email a recommended practitioner for acupuncture - I figure it can't hurt plus I've got a cash plan from work so it'll be covered - bonus!

Hey all I was on the December thread but done a freeze all, just spoke to hospital and will start my medication for frozen transfer this month when AF comes around the 24th December and likely to have the transfer early jan they say if all goes well. Hope everyone’s ok x

Hello all,
Please may I join you? I've read through the whole thread..

Firstly would like to say a big hello to @jm2020, as I am also in Birmingham and will also be going with create!

Background:

2 x ectopic, no fallopian tube
1 x live birth ivf 2014 with ex H
1 x failed ivf with DP Jan 2019.

DP has children from previous so no fertility issues.

Two previous ivf was long protocol, failed round 3 blastocyst transfered, both failed, they started strong but by transfer they had started to degrade. That was with a different clinic, we are now trying with create, and mild ivf (my DP has his hopes on this clinic as he likes the ethos)

We have had the female scans (all is well) and bloods, and awaiting consultation on Monday (seems like a lifetime away) I have no idea when they will start me (im CD6 so im guessing too late for December cycle)

Hoping to start January if thats as early as they can, as long as finances allow.

Lovely to read everyone stories and im hoping to continue to return to this thread to keep me sane!

*sorry the failed round, 2 blastos transfered, not 3.