If you had an elective freeze all

[thislittlebird]

How did you advocate for it? Who did you speak to about it? At what stage did you make the request?

I would like an elective freeze all because I’m at risk of OHSS. My doctor was young and in a rush, I had to mention I might need a freeze all. We’re going in to the clinic tomorrow for our first appointment before starting the drugs and I don’t know at which stage to raise it. Should I raise it after we know if we have any embryos when a transfer is discussed?

Realised I posted this in the wrong place and have asked MN to move it!

@thislittlebird hello, as you know I had a freeze all, although this was decided by the clinic rather than elected.
My thoughts for you would be..
If you are high risk for OHSS, then the clinic will not put you at greater risk and will do a freeze all. If they have not discussed a freeze all with you, then they don't consider you high risk. Having said that, when you have your appointment tomorrow, I would ask them if it's on their radar already due to your AFC. A freeze all usually, also in my case, can't really be confirmed until they see how you respond to the stims, it will only be at this point that a decision will be made. For example, if a freeze all was agreed now, put my because of risk, and actually you only produced 4 or 5 follicles, then there would be no need for a freeze all. So if I were you, put it on their radar so you can get the resurance that they will be monitoring it. As I say, mine wasn't confirmed until towards the end of stims when I had well over 20 follicles, I knew it was a possibility but nothing confirmed until I think the 2nd scan.
Another thing to note and maybe ask about is, if they are willing to do an elective freeze all for you, rather than a one due to risk, will their be a cost incurred for storing your embryos at your request. I know ladies do have egg collection after egg collection to bank their embryos for genetic testing so it is of course possible, but I would double check if there's a cost.

Try not to worry too much about OHSS at this point. It's one of, if not the biggest risks of IVF so your clinic will be reviewing your level of risk throughout.

I've got everything crossed for you!

@dogmam yeah I definitely wouldn’t expect them to do it with a few follicles (or none!) but obviously having 38 without meds says to me I am at potential risk, and they should realise that, but I honestly didn’t trust the young doctor I had who didn’t seem to care that I had high AMH. I can’t stress this enough but she paid zero attention to my case and I’m not kidding. So as much as I would like to trust that they don’t think I need one I don’t believe that to be true. She seemed to think my age was the only factor which is insane, the whole process was super rushed and made me very uncomfortable.

I’ll definitely put it on their radar (again) as well as the possible news to adjust my trigger if I respond because I did not trust that doctor. I would like to speak to a consultant really but I don’t know how to go about that either. I’ll see how things go and maybe make a request if I feel it necessary.

@thislittlebird I had a freeze all (non-elective, due to protocol). I would speak wth them ASAP as you wont e.g. be taking progesterone after EC so it will change your med order, and there can be fee implications (some clinics charge more for a freeze all)

@2mumlife thanks! I will speak to them when I go in on Saturday. They sent all the drugs already, it’s my one funded cycle, and I did raise it before but the doctor was a bit, erm, chaotic? I don’t know how to explain her but she certainly didn’t seem to be completely in the room and I’ve had to raise my high AMH and the need for lower doses and possibly a different trigger with them already. I’ll raise it again on Saturday and maybe every time I go in lol

Hi @thislittlebird - hope you're well. I just wondered how you got on? We're due to start our first ICSI cycle in October. I have 40+ follicles without meds so am thinking that it would def be a freeze all for us. I'm not sure when that means we'd be able to do a FET so just wondered what your experience was

@marshk hi! I think they will probably suggest a freeze all for you, yeah, so you'd get to do the transfer following the second bleed after retrieval. I had fewer follicles than you so had top push for it, and since then we've done fresh for following (unsuccessful) cycles. We got on.......but we're still at it, we are not a one and done easy case, sadly. Embryo number 7! was transferred last week so I'm in yet another tww.

@thislittlebird

ah goodness me - I'll keep my fingers crossed for you. It's such a rollercoaster!

Sorry for being a bit dim - when you say second bleed would that mean one bleed in October after the egg collection, one in November and then start a transfer in December? I've no idea how a FET works!

Thanks so much for getting back to me

@marshk thanks, would love this to be the end of IVF hell but time will tell!

So you'd bleed at some point after your egg collection and then again a month later , and they normally say wait for that cycle for the FET. You'd contact them on that second period to book in for a FET and they then get you to come in for a scan, issue meds etc. But there's a few different protocols so best to also check with your clinic what they will do in your case.

thanks so much @thislittlebird