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? :-)

@Jane1284 thank you, wow it's quite lengthy isn't it. I just assumed if the fresh didn't work and we had some stored we could put a frozen one in the following month 😬 I have a lot to learn on this ivf journey!

@LittleDoveLove on FET timings after failed fresh round, my clinic would have been happy to do it immediately on next cycle. My ivf was short protocol and I’ll be doing a ‘natural’ FET in case that makes a difference with timings. We’d booked a holiday so couldn’t do straight after, then timings clashed with Christmas closure of clinic so will be two months after when I (hopefully) do FET in Jan. I wanted to do it asap but now seeing how much the ivf has affected my cycles I think it’s good I’ve had to wait a little bit. My normally super regular period was a whole week late. Now just hoping it’s back to regular so nothing delays Jan start.

what supplements are people taking for FET? I’m taking the standard ttc multivitamins but wondering if there’s more I should be doing to maximise lining and implantation.

@LittleDoveLove I’m not sure 🤔

I’ve been having buserelin injections since the 9th December. In down regulation your lining should get thin and your ovaries quiet. Once that’s Okay, I can then start stims to grow my follicules. Down regulation is meant to put you in a temporary state of menopause.

After I’ve had a bleed they’ll do the scan in about 7 days to check everything is nice and quiet. problem is my body is just carrying on as normal. Hence having to carry on injections and injecting trigger tonight to basically kickstart ovulation or something to have another bleed. Hopefully 6/7 weeks of down regulation will work.

Down regulation is ‘long protocol’ rather than short.

Hi everyone, I hope you don't mind me joining :) I have never joined a forum before, but thought it may help on those days when I'm going crazy haha!!
I'm due to hopefully start my FET the 11th of Jan with a short medicated protocol. I can unfortunately feel the negatively setting in already as my last good blastocyst didnt make it during my fresh cycle, so not holding out much hope for my two remaining 4bc and 5bc embryos :( but i'm trying to remain as postive as I can!

@PimlicoMum4 I am just taking multivitamins and omega 3, but would be interested to know if anyone is also doing anymore.

@Claireabella05 Welcome! We should be similar timings as I’m hoping to start short natural but with hcg trigger injection cycle around 15th Jan. Also struggling with negativity after ‘perfect’ blast didn’t stick in fresh cycle and now have weaker embryos left. But as people reassured me on this thread, anything worth freezing is viable. I’m clinging to the fact that my body doesn’t have the hormone cocktail of fresh cycle…!

@PimlicoMum4 thank you, fingers crossed we both get our bfps and can keep up each others positivity!
We must be doing a slightly different protocols, I believe mine is just prognova from day 2 then utrogestan with no hcg trigger. Yes definitely agree about the hormones, the clinic did mention I could do a natural fet, but I wasn't sure what to do, so opted for the medicated :/ hopefully I made the right decision but I guess its all a learning curve..

hey @Claireabella05 - I’m on a similar protocol
to you for my FET. Went with medicated so I’d have a bit more control on timings. That’s great you got 3 embryos. I’d be over the moon with that. I really hope this FET sticks for you.

@PimlicoMum4 I’m currently on a prenatal multi vitamin and was also taking vitamin e and some ubiquinol in case I have to do a fresh ivf cycle soon. It’s so easy to get carried away with all the supplements. I took so many for my first fresh rounds.

@LittleDoveLove - it can be so long and it’s hard not to get impatient! Will be interesting to hear what your clinic says. They may let you do a FET straight away if that’s what you want/need to do. They all have different procedures.

Thanks all :)

@PimlicoMum4 I have been taking supplements from it starts with the egg book for about a year. I have been taking Super Ubiquinol, Pregnacare, Vit C and Vit E.
I was taking more but I've stripped it back since deciding to do the ivf as I wasn't feeling all that good on so many tablets anyway!
Husband also taking wellman fertility multivitamin and a little bit of super ubiquinol although he probably doesn't need that as his results came back good so he will prob just stick with the multivitamin going forward.

@Lauralozzle

Apologies, just catching up on previous messages and it sounds like we're on similar protocols. I'm also on Buserelin (started 21st) and currently awaiting my bleed before downregulation scan on 4th. I'm so sorry to hear your scan didn't go as planned. I completely appreciate the frustration at how slowly long protocols take.. I have shed many tears over it!! I really hope everything goes to plan for for for your n3xt scan. Have you had a FET before?

@ali2021 Thank you. Yes, down regularly is painfully long! But, I suppose by the time of transfer my diet will have improved as all the Christmas food will have gone by then!

I’m doing full cycle with egg collection and all. It’s my first cycle. It’s taken long enough to get to this point, but I can wait a little longer.

@Lauralozzle sorry to hear your scan hasn't gone as planned, but it will hear before you know it, the whole ivf process is long and frustrating! I did a long protocol on a previous cycle and remember it feeling long but was able to do a short protocol on my most recent one so felt a little quicker.

@Lauralozzle really sorry to hear your scan news, keeping everything crossed for you things go to plan from now on.

I'm having to come off some of my usual medication before my cycle starts, one of which helps me sleep. Slowly tapering it but already feeling the difference and struggling with sleep 😴 not helping me shake this flu bug for good either. Looking forward to some nice fizz tomorrow though before I start dry Jan!

@Claireabella05 It’a good that you’ve managed to move to short protocol. I’m ok, I’m taking it in my stride, they have a plan so I’m trying to just trust the process.

@Fourfrosties Thank you. That’s rubbish you have to stop some of your meds and you’re struggling sleeping. There is something going around at the moment. I’ve got a horribly stuffed nose which can’t be meds as I’m injecting buserelin not sniffing it! I suppose it’s the time of year.

Happy new year everyone, may 2023 be a good one for us all.

@Fourfrosties happy new year to you too! and Ofcourse the rest of the group on the thread x

Happy New Year everyone 😊 x

Happy new year all!! Wishing you all lots of good luck and wishes for the year ahead and that this year will be your year!!

Happy New Year everyone! AF arrived this morning so I will be calling the clinic on Tuesday and starting my FET.
Wishing you all good luck for the year ahead!

Happy new year everyone! 🎉

Happy new year everyone! Let’s hope 2023 is the year for us all x

Happy new year gang! I hope 2023 is a positive year for us all with successful rounds.
Good luck to those starting soon.
For those of us who have a wait, I hope we aren’t too impatient and all goes smoothly in the build up xx

@ivf2022 exciting news that af has arrived and you can get going, I hate the period of limbo waiting for AF to arrive to get started. I'm due around Thurs this week so hopefully will be joining you with starting a FET cycle soon! Actually hoping I might be a day or so late so I don't have to worry about train strikes and being able to get to my clinic, and some more time to sort my blood thinners out.

Haven't started the new year healthy eating very well, still so many treats left from christmas as we were ill. Moderation starts on Tuesday- Bank Holidays don't count, right 🤔

Happy New Year Everyone! I am on my second day of down regulation meds and so far feeling good. I am relieved that the process has finally started and hopeful for 2023.

@Laur0606 congrats on starting and great it's all good so far 👍

@ivf2022 and @Laur0606 great to hear you are both off starting your journeys for 2023, hopefully we will all be following you both shortly!