FET in September/October

[MyEasterEggs]

I’m preparing to start my treatment cycle in a month or so and thought it might be helpful to start up a thread for anyone heading for FET soon.

This will be my first FET so I’m nervous but also feeling hopeful having gone through a fair amount of testing and treatment. Think I’m about as prepared as I’ll ever be!

Current cycle finally got going two days ago after a bit of a delay and I’ve decided to use it to focus on eating well and getting into the right headspace.

Anyone at a similar stage and want some company?

@rollercoastertobaby Hi, I'm on Utrogestan so similar and I take it vaginally for my 2nd cycle. I tried it anally and it was ok but I wondered if it absorbed as effectively and clinic told me the ones I have are not meant for rectal so going vaginally this time. This is what I've struggled with the most because I'm so squeamish about this stuff!

It is messy but I wear a panty liner which helps and also lay down for half an hour after inserting (I'm only taking morning and night so no midday inserts)!

I'm feeling some mild irritation too and a little burning but trying to ignore.Only day 2 on it so hoping it doesn't get worse.

Hi all,
I’m glad I’ve found some other people going through FET as it’s good to compare notes!
I’m due to have my first FET on Monday (day 23). I’m taking so many different forms of medication I find it quite overwhelming - lubion injection AM, ultrogestan vaginal pessaries 2 AM and 2 PM, 12mg ellest solo (4 tablets orally and 2 crushed vaginally at night), evorel patch every other day and aspirin at night. Is everyone else on similar drugs?!
With the fresh cycle I remember having cyclogest and taking that rectally which I found less disruptive!
Does anyone have any tips for the pessaries or taking the tablets crushed? I’m finding it quite uncomfortable!
Fingers crossed for everyone on this journey!

I’m on literally no drugs. I still can’t get my head around how a natural FET will work but my clinic swears they get better results this way and I’m trusting them so far 😬
I guess the last one did work, although it didn’t form properly, it still implanted but I just can’t help worrying

@MammyandAva welcome! Hope you’re keeping well and wishing you all the best with your consultation. I believe there’s a donor thread around here that might be helpful if you’re looking for support with the process. Are you starting next cycle?

@Holly05235892 good luck! First transfer here too and I’m becoming very nervous. I have fears around it not working and, due to recurrent loss, being successful. Pregnancy induces so much fear in me now so I’m trying to support myself as best I can so I can cope whatever the outcome.

@123cats another transfer next week! There are at least four of us with transfers Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday so I’m pleased we can all support each other through that agonising 10(ish) day wait!

I’m on a lot of meds too (levothyroxine, metformin, prednisolone, clexane plus the oestrogen and progesterone) but no pessaries so can’t be of much help to on that front. Got an intralipid infusion on Monday as I have some immune issues then I believe that’s it. Though if successful I’ll be carrying on with drugs throughout pregnancy, some up to 12 weeks, some up to 36 weeks.

Hope everyone else is doing okay 💛

lots of transfers next week 😬

everything fine here. 7dpt and nothing exciting to report. Few cramps and twinges still but could be anything. I started testing 6dpt last time and it drove me mad. But I’m struggling to hold out. OH doesn’t want us to test til Tuesday and I was happy with that but it’s hard when the tests are sitting there!!!!
part of me just wants to know. But worried and I think staying in my little bubble of hope is best for now!!

Bless you @LT103 it’s been an age since I last TTC (naturally at the time) and the TWW really was torture. I was never very good at holding out but, in your circumstances, maybe best? By what day should the trigger wear off? Meanwhile…I prescribe you with lots of feel good rom coms! I’ve been watching so much lighthearted rubbish in the evenings just to keep my spirits up and keep me distracted especially as I’m away from home but I do find it hard to stop my mind from wandering and asking Dr Google questions!

Thanks @MyEasterEggs The last week has been ok as work has been crazy but I’m off now til Tuesday (hcg bloods at 8am on Tuesday) so yeah I need to find a distraction. Maybe get back to “this is us” for something easy to watch.
The last time I think the trigger had worn off by time I started tested so it should be gone. My lines just didn’t progress last time and hcg bloods almost doubled each time but not quite. We did eventually get a dye stealer and hcg in thousands but by that time we knew there was nothing there. It’s actually made me not want to test. If I wasn’t working when I’ll get the call on Tuesday I’d just have waited for bloods but I’ll need my OH here whatever the answer so will do a urine test in morning

Will be thinking if you @LT103 and keeping everything crossed! We did EC around the same time so I hope we can enjoy success after all this time and treatment!

Thank you. And I really hope so!!! 🤞

Hi all. I hope you don’t mind me joining. I’m currently in the process of an ERA and a NK profile cycle, hoping to transfer mid-end October dependent on the results. This would be my 4th FET, excluding a transfer cancelled last minute. This is what we’ve done so far:

1. Fresh cycle 1 - x1 5AA untested embryo transferred - BFN
2. Natural FET - x1 5AA euploid embryo transferred - BFN
3. Stimulated FET (Hysteroscopy with endometrial scratch, EMMA/ALICE prior to transfer and intralip infusions) - x1 4BB euploid embryo to transfer - Cancelled
4. Medicated cycle (plus intralips) - x1 4BB euploid embryo transferred - BFN

This time round my clinic are hoping they have the amount of progesterone / oestrogen right and the ERA will tell them if they need to make any tweaks re days. Equally I didn’t feel the benefits of the scratch last time as that round was cancelled, they are hoping the ERA biopsy will provide this for the October transfer. It’s a lot of hope and ultimately I think we’re still unexplained, will is beyond frustrating.

We did think we were down to our last embryo this time, but thankfully we re-tested an embryo that came back as ‘unknown’ the first time and it’s euploid, which was a big relief!

As science isn’t yet working for us, I’m also planning to lean into the more hippy side of things this time with acupuncture and visualisation techniques. So far the former is going well.

We don’t know if we’ll stop after these two embryos, so there is a lot of weight on the upcoming transfer (though thankfully not as much as if it was our last one), though we are trying to live more in the moment, which of course is almost impossible!

I wish everyone here the best of luck in their cycles and you have my upmost support.

@LT103 well done with your willpower! Definitely hold out if you can. That way you will know the answer 100%. I completely tortured myself when I tested early

@OrangeBengal you have been through so much and you're still fighting. I can't believe how amazingly strong you are. Any little baby would be so lucky to have you as a mother. I wish you all the best on your journey xx

Thanks @SarahC1985, appreciated. How see you feeling about your pregnancy now?

Oh @MyEasterEggs I think we’re at the same clinic.

Possibly @OrangeBengal beginning with an E?!

Welcome to the thread. I did an EndomeTRIO cycle a couple of months ago and ERA indicated I needed an extra 24 hrs progesterone. So hopefully yours gives you all the info you need.

Have you done all rounds with the same clinic? Why was your transfer cancelled last minute? And they did intralipids before an immune profile or are you repeating that?

All the questions, but it’s not often I come across people having similar treatment ☺️

Hi Hope it's ok to be jumping on to the thread! I am 29... on my first cycle of Icsi, first fresh failed, currently on first frozen.

I am 8dpt 5dt FET transfered on 15th Sept. I stupidly caved this am and tested but got a bfn( sorry to bring the positivity down) but after spending hours Googling have I tested too early? We go for a blood test Tuesday 8am so I don't know if ive tested too early or if that's just the end of this embryo.... I've got slight cramping/tingling in my lower tummy and slightly ache back
but symptom wise I have very few unlike my last failed try where I had every symptom going! I am taking cyclogest 3 times a day as well as pgyonova 3 times per day! ( think that's how you spell it)

I suppose I'm.just not wanting to give up hope yet as we only have one more frozen on this round.

@OrangeBengal I'm still testing every day lol. I just can't make myself get excited yet. I've printed out the self referral to the maternity unit so that's one step closer! How are you feeling?

@Murraypym1993 welcome! It could be too early. Do you think you could hold out until Monday even?

@SarahC1985 I was planning to do another test Monday just so I was prepared for blood test Tuesday!

I've been using clear blue digital but again after googling these don't seem to be reccomend.... anyone know of better tests to use?

@SarahC1985 it’s such an anxious time. I mean, the whole process is stressful, but the weeks after a positive test are always hardest for me 💛

@Murraypym1993 keep holding onto hope. Still early days I think my clinic is 10dp5dt minimum, maybe even 12!

@MyEasterEggs thank you

I'm so pleased i found this forum, it's such a long lonely road at times. Nice to talk to other going through similar

The wait is awful, I did test early my last cycle and luckily it was positive but I then couldn't stop testing!
Maybe try a first response test on Monday for your next test?x

Thanks @dlkiik I had strangely just ordered some of those tests!!!

Hey @MyEasterEggs no worries re questions. Yup, I’m at the one beginning with an E. I’m hoping the ERA helps, I’d just feel so much better if a problem was definitely identified, though I know I have to get over this as IVF doesn’t really provide answers.

All rounds with the same clinic. I thought about going somewhere else, but my alternative choice wasn’t really interested in taking over for FET and our clinic was wonderful for EC, so there’s not a problem there. Implantation is the issue.

Re the cancelled round, I think my consultant is a bit of a maverick as the that round I was stimulated with Menopur and triggered with ovitrelle. The idea was that I would produce all the oestrogen and progesterone I would need without anything additional, however a blood test before showed that my progesterone level was basically nothing, not more than 10 I think, if that. I had to come the clinic the next day and repeat the test again. I’ve asked for earlier blood tests but they say can’t really tell if the levels are right until close to the transfer.

The intralips were thrown in just in case. Last cycle, I had them about week before transfer and day of transfer. Not sure they’re doing anything for me. If the NK profile shows an imbalance I’ll need a couple weeks of antibiotics and then a month of other treatment. I don’t think they’re expecting to find anything though.

The other thing I’m thinking of is embryo glue. Anyone implanted and got a BFP using this?

@SarahC1985 Ah, I’m glad you’re feeling more confident, your dye-stealer was a lovely thing to see. I’m ok, I’m basically hoping that the additional stuff I’m doing outside of IVF will help us fall pregnant next time.

Welcome @Murraypym1993, I was going to suggest a frer too, just in case.

I’d be interested to know who your consultant is @OrangeBengal. So the cancelled round was going to be a fresh transfer not FET? Hopefully this next one goes well for you 🤞🏻

I’m having intralipids three days before when my plan said five days, so I queried that, but they said it meant “within five days of starting progesterone”. As my losses have generally been later I’m trying not to give too much thought to it. I got a second opinion from an immune specialist so if it doesn’t work out I’m going to switch to his protocol for a future transfer. I only have three shots at this then we’re done so hopefully it doesn’t get to that point.

You’re welcome to DM me if you ever want to compare notes.

Thanks @MyEasterEggs. No the cycle wasn’t fresh, an frozen embryo would still have been transferred, I was just been stimulated to produce oestrogen and progesterone rather than using tablets, cyclogest or Lubion. So kind of it’s own thing.

Welcome @OrangeBengal and @Murraypym1993 👋

Thank you @Holly05235892 I think I’ll stick to vaginal insertion of the pessaries, probably either way there will be a few symptoms. But I’ll do it rectally on transfer day.

Thanks @rollercoastertobaby. I do mine rectally btw and I had a really high progesterone level (374) last time it was checked, though I also use x2 Lubion.