FET/IVF - January 2023

[Jane1284]

Hey

I would love to get a group together of some of us who are undergoing IVF or FETs in Jan. I found it really helpful to have the support of those going through similar last time (Nov 2020).

My story: I am due to start my first FET in January of my one and only frozen embryo. The embryo is from a cycle in Nov 2020 when I was almost 36. I have low AMH and AFC and it was my first and only NHS round. I got 4 eggs all which miraculously fertilised, 1 made it to day 5 and was put back in with a fresh transfer. Sadly it did not stick. 1 egg was left until day 6 and it finally made it to blastocyst. It has been frozen. Rather than having a FET back then they advised me to do a banking package of 3 cycles due to my low AMH/AFC so in Jan 2021 we started our first private IVF cycle with the same clinic (Kings). Once again I was on max stims (gonal f and menopur) and it looked like we would get 4 eggs again but when I woke from EC they told me they only got 2. I had a bit of a breakdown. I was so upset going through all that including over £2k worth of drugs injected to only get two eggs. It felt even worse as I had let myself hope it would go well. Out of the 2 eggs only 1 fertilised normally. On day 3 the embryologist told me it was average quality and she wasn't sure it would be good enough to freeze on day 5 if it even made it that far. I couldn't handle the thought of going through all that mental anguish to not have anything to freeze so I made a last minute decision to go in for a day 3 fresh transfer. I had zero expectations but somehow that average embryo stuck. I was so stressed all pregnancy and worried about everything but amazingly I gave birth to my first baby in Sep 2021. He is now 14 months and I am turning 38 in 2 weeks.

Now it is time to get back on the IVF/FET train. I have been for my initial scan and blood tests. The scan was fine. Still not many follicles but not significantly worse. Waiting for a consult with the Dr next week for an update on my AMH (can't wait.... ) where she'll also decide on our protocol. I am leaning towards a medicated FET just so we can plan it a bit better. If that doesn't work then it is back to a 3 cycle package of IVF.

I hope I haven't bored anyone reading this to tears. Would be great if anyone else out there would like to be a cycle buddy? :-)

@Fourfrosties mine is tomorrow too. I should be getting a call today don't know when that will be. Hope all goes well for you x

Also wanted to ask the two week wait when they do the bloods is it 14 days after the embryo transfer x

Hello I had a FET on 17/1/23 and iam currently on the 2ww.
this is our second transfer- we had our first in August 22 and ended up in a miscarriage unfortunately 😪.
I wish good luck to everyone ❤️🌈

Try beetroot and pineapple today+tomorrow, have warm soups not heavy food , avoid sodas or anything cold with too much sugar in it, keep your feet warm , go for a nice walk today to maintain good blood circulation and good blood supply in your uterus.. and most importantly tomorrow before you go to the clinic for a transfer have a nice shower and don’t use any perfumes or any body lotion or make up coz they can affect the embryo quality and the air in the laboratory ( remember to not have hot baths day before and weeks after transfer)
I wish good luck 🤞❤️🙏

@countrypunk Congratulations on being PUPO! No tips I’m afraid, I’m just trying to keep busy but the days are dragging.

@Frosty91 My clinic have booked me in for bloods on day 10 after transfer. Not sure if that’s the norm or not?

@AnnaPr06 I had my FET the same day as you! How are you feeling?

@countrypunk you are so right!! All the best for your FET this month!! 💜💜💜

@Purrrrr awww really ?? That’s great- well I am currently on high dose of progesterone due to previous miscarriage - I take 1200mg of cyclogest pessaries and 8mg oral oestrogen - I feel so bloated and constant headaches and so hungry all the time. Also last night I had some crumps like i was about to have my period - I am so terrified and so scared that this will end up as my first pregnancy 🥺
how are you ? How are you feeling? Have you done a test yet ?

@Frosty91 my clinic in London doesn’t do bloods at all 😩
I had my ivf via NHS coz we needed to perform genetic testing to our embryos as I am a carrier of a faulty gene 🧬
has been such a long journey to wait on the NHS list took us 2 yrs from the initial referral to the first FET.
currently 6dp5dt and this is the second FET 🤞
I send love and hugs to everyone 🌈🙏 good luck with our Frosties 👼🏻

@AnnaPr06 Oh that sounds like a lot of medication, hopefully it’s all doing the trick for you 🤞🏻 I’m feeling pretty normal apart from awful night sweats and vivid dreams. It’s really tough as any ‘symptom’ could equally be related to progesterone so I’m driving myself insane.

I haven’t tested yet - trying to hold out until Friday. Have you?

Yes the vivid dreams plenty of those here too 😅
I tested yes - I have no self control 🥲
I had a very faint line today in day 6 but is still so early I will probably do another test in a couple of days.
the hospital we had our ivf in London they don’t offer blood test to check the HCG they just offer a scan 5 weeks after transfer to confirm the pregnancy..

@Purrrrr
I tested at four days, which was negative, but then again at 6, which was positive and have had a few positives since. My official day is tomorrow - providing you didn't have the trigger, then they are reliable from day 7 (according to a pp!). Good luck x

@AnnaPr1992 Ooh Anna those look extremely promising 🤞🏽

@JenM83beth Thank you ♥️

@Purrrrr something pretty stressful is happening at work so that's going to keep me occupied. Not sure if that's good or bad really...

I've had a very small bit of brown spotting this morning. Is that normal the day after transfer? I didn't have it last time but it felt like my cervix protested a bit more at yesterday's transfer than at my first one.

@countrypunk I had dark brown spotting with my 1st pregnancy on week 5 - I got panicked went to ED got checked and cervix was closed so we put it down that probably was caused by the implantation.
After my 2nd transfer on Tuesday 17/01 when I came home I had a bit of pink spotting when I visited the toilet , but during the procedure I felt so much pain when the Dr put the speculum in so I think can happen could be normal x 🤞for u x

@AnnaPr1992 Thank you, that's very reassuring! I found the speculum pretty uncomfortable yesterday. Xx

I totally understand I have had so many smears that speculum on Tuesday was so painful maybe they used big gauze for our cervix ..
How are you going to spend these 2weeks? Did you take some time off from work ? I know they say we can return back to our normal routine the next day but I am so stressed and scared to go to work these 2w - I work 3 or 4 12hrs shifts a week in a chemotherapy unit with cancer patients 😪

Big size *

I'm so far behind on all of these!

I'm not going to be starting ovaleap until the week after next, right now I'm just on the pill but I'm already finding it's affecting me. My mood is all over the place and my skin is horrific.
I don't produce progesterone naturally so I think it's just sending me haywire, I'm already starting to panic and question whether it's the right thing to do given the chances of success, which I know is ridiculous because you always know this going in. We are just so lucky to have had it work once with DD that I think MC last month has put the whole 'have we used our one lucky round' idea into my head.
Plus all the usual, it's all my fault because the fertility issues lie with me and I feel like I'm letting my husband and DD down. I know this is all my hormones but that makes me scared as I'm just on the pill and I know it's going to just get worse. I feel like I'm an absolute nightmare for everyone around me.

This thing really messes with your mind!

@AnnaPr1992 Oh jeez, I bet your job is very emotionally draining. Are you taking some time off? I work from home which is nice at a time like this, and my boss is very supportive. I'm going to try to carry on as normally as possible but if I had a very stressful job I think I'd be taking some time off. Take care of yourself ♥️

@West8690 IVF is a complete mindfuck. But there is no 'one lucky round' - it's seemingly pretty random. All we can do is go for it and hope for the best. I have spent many an hour trying to calculate my exact chance of success and it's enough to drive you round the bend! It's not your fault and you haven't let anyone down. We've all just been a bit unlucky in the fertility stakes. Be kind to yourself x

PS @West8690 I know how you're feeling because I also had a terrible time with the first lot of hormones. You'll feel much better once you start the ovaleap. You have my total sympathy. Small pleasures are good right now - favourite takeaway, comforting books, cuddles with your DD. Xx

@countrypunk that is so important the employer to be supportive and understanding - I have taken 3weeks off coz is too much for me to take in especially after we lost the 1st baby - I still haven’t recovered from that emotionally and I think I never will 😢🥺
please take care of yourself too x have lovely walks and nice rests x 🙏🤞

@West8690 going through ivf for any reason is sooo hard , I never imagined that this journey will be so hard and so long , has ups and downs but the important thing I have learnt this 2,5yrs iam going through this is that you need lot of patience, lots of self love, never never blame yourself for anything we are just humans, we have nothing in our hands, and your husband loves you for what you are - and you are his family ❤️
Unfortunately I have blamed myself as well and I regretted it - because of my genetic condition we had to perform genetic testing to our babies through ivf so we had to go through that path - we waited on the nhs list for 18months for the PGD hospital only to offer us for a consultation- I cried hundred of nights waiting to become mom- we don’t have any infertility issues but knowing that I have 50% chances having a baby poorly that killed me so I waited patiently and my husband had his ups and downs of course especially after we lost the baby on week 11 🥺 but he said to me once when I am happy he is happy too so the same for you please look after yourself and your husband and one day we will hold our little babies 🌈 I send you love and hugs ♥️

Had my scan yday and the lining is at 9mm so we are good to go with a transfer this week yayyyy, they are defrosting 10 embryos tomorrow so fingers crossed at least one is good quality and makes it to day 3 or 5 😊

@JenM83beth 14 is amazing numbers! well done, I will have my fingers crossed for you :)

@countrypunk k eeeek! exciting, got everything crossed for you that you get a BFP (laughing at the if its negative at least I can get pissed hahahaah I would be the same 😂)

@AnnaPr06 amazing tips, I have saved them all for my transfer later this week 🤗

@AnnaPr1992 those tests look promising 😍

@Frosty91 have you got your time?mine is at half 3, already feeling nervous. I've got half a day off work but trying to work out whether to leave at lunch or keep myself busy and distracted till I actually need to leave to get to the clinic.

No bloods for my clinic either, it's just a test at home. I think it's about two weeks after I took the trigger shot but will be given the otd tomorrow I'm sure. Going to feel like a long wait no matter how long it is.

@Laura23FE good luck with your transfer this week 🙏🤞

@Fourfrosties hey my time is 4.30pm wish I had an earlier time. My doctor GP has given me time off plus said I can extend it anytime and has written post op recovery. Itss paid so I didn't mind taking it. I think I prefer to be at home with the two week wait. My Clinic does bloods which is good. Good luck I'm feeling really nervous many are saying it was painful. I pray it goes all well for you. X

@Purrrrr yes I think day 10 is normal if its a q day 5 embryo so that's like 2 weeks in total I think mine will be like that x