FET February 2024

[kirstysmbc]

Hi, just thought I'd see if there was anyone else doing a FET cycle in February that is looking for a cycle buddy?

I'm due to start meds at the end of this month, hopefully with transfer mid Feb. This will be my first donor embryo cycle after final attempts with my own eggs failed last year.

@IWouldRatherBeOnHoliday - best of luck today. Crossing everything you get that positive result!!!

@seekingbabyk - hope your Valentine's Day transfer is super romantic 🤣

Hi everyone,

Thank you so much for all the good luck messages. Sadly we had a negative test this morning. I hope I'm the last negative in this group and it's positive results all round from here on 🩷

@GCS34 this was my first round of IVF (ICSI). I had a freeze all as we got 18 eggs (I have PCOS so high AMH). Ten eggs fertilised and all were still growing on Day 3 after defrost, but we only ended up with 1 3BB embryo to transfer which felt like a shock after our positive day 3 update. I am 33 and DH is 32, his sperm analysis showed slightly low parameters hence ICSI, but other than my lean PCOS we weren't expecting to have many other issues so our result seems like we might have some other issues with egg/sperm quality.

I'm hugely grateful to everyone on here who has shared their experiences and details of lifestyle changes they've made. We've reached the end of the line with our NHS funded treatment now but will look into private UK treatment, likely with some lifestyle adjustments and some further tests to try and establish if it's a quality issue or just bad luck on our first round.

@seekingbabyk really hope all goes well and you've nailed the bladder filling!

@IWouldRatherBeOnHoliday I am so sorry to hear of your negative result. It's such a horrible time so please take care of yourself. 💛It's never easy, and I think that everyone in here will have experience, so please let us know if we can help. I found last time that going out walking and trying to plan or focus on something in the near future that brings positivity, but equally cry and screaming also does the trick!

I too have lean PCOS 😊It's nice when someone has the same as it's not very common. I am 35 (as of last week - gutted I moved into the next category up!!) and my AMH is 64, so naturally they put me on a freeze all from the get go. I had 53 follicles with 40 mature eggs. We ended up with 5 blasts, so clearly quantity over quality. We actually had 12 other blasts but they were too low quality to freeze (think they were D onwards).

Honestly I'm really sorry again. I always found the first the hardest. Be kind to yourself. x

Ps. I am sure you're aware, but Access Fertility offer some fantastic packages and on 0%.

Thank you so much for your thoughtful message @GCS34

I am having a few days off work (extremely lucky to have full sick pay and a very supportive manager!) so have some time to process/have a cry/do some research. Its currently raining but hoping to get out for some much needed fresh air this afternoon.

Thanks for mentioning Access, I had started looking into them already as we've been recommended a clinic by some friends and they offer Access funded packages.

I have no doubt the fear and stress increases as time goes on with negative outcomes, but there is something very sad about knowing that the naivety/excitement of hoping you'll get a great outcome first time is over.

40 eggs was an incredible result for you, although I dread to think how your recovery from collection was!! But fantastic that you got 5 suitable embryos. We also had other embryos that made blastocyst but just weren't a suitable grade to freeze.

@IWouldRatherBeOnHoliday Sorry to hear your news.

We used Access Fertility at our clinic and they were great. We had unlimited IVF goes with 75% refund if no luck and we decided to stop or obviously no refund with a live birth.

Im glad you have a few days to yourself.. look after yourself

I'm so sorry @IWouldRatherBeOnHoliday - it's really, really tough to see that negative. I'm glad you have the time and support to take care of yourself, and think about future plans. I totally understand the sadness of knowing the first attempt didn't 'fix it' (I struggled with that a lot too) and I definitely think it's a loss to be grieved like others (and I agree that crying and screaming does help!). I hope the lifestyle changes help, including in feeling like you're doing something whilst waiting, and success rates do go up over additional attempts, so I hope that you'll get there the next time you're ready to go xxx

Welcome @GCS34 I'm really sorry for your previous losses and I hope this is really lucky number 3 🤞🏼🤞🏼 I hope that dream hasn't ruined your calm! Also glad to hear you've got another couple of embryos but hopefully you won't be needing them!
OTD is not until Fri 23rd but we might start testing on Sunday so that we're together, or Monday as we both work from home and I can take a sick day if needed. Just so you don't have to read the thread, unexplained infertility here and I had a natural cycle FET last Sunday - first FET as previous transfers were fresh (first was a BFN, second was successful).

Thinking of you @seekingbabyk !

@Staryskylark yep, I hate OTD at home. I think the one BFP I had kind of reduced the trauma from all the other previous BFNs, but I am not looking forward to turning that test over, at all.

Safe travels @kirstysmbc. I really hope your body can fight off that cold quickly, and you feel better soon, for transfer and your holiday!

@IWouldRatherBeOnHoliday I'm so sorry! I'm glad you have a few days off now to regroup. It's worth checking out Gaia too. We have had them recommend but you only pay if you are successful so worth a look.

Transfer went great today. Now have two little Frosties on board. I actually got a bit emotional after - bloody hormones - because of how pleasant the whole experience was. Thanks for all your lovely wishes ladies xx

Aww @seekingbabyk how lovely that you had a great experience. Hopefully double transfer does the trick for you, take care and hope you have as pleasant a TWW as you can!

I have had a look at Gaia but I think you pay 2k per cycle as your fee, then liable for all other costs on top if/when you have a successful round? I found it easier to understand the different Access options tbh, but maybe need to look at it with a clearer head to understand properly. Thank you for sharing though

@beachbum85 @Staryskylark thanks for your support.

@IWouldRatherBeOnHoliday I'm glad you have a few days off. Even if you drive yourself mad, at least you don't have to fake it at work! And if you're being paid then that's even better. Just take it easy and don't go back until you're ready. My sister said to me if you go back too soon, you can't un-go back and have more time off after, that's kinda it, so make sure you don't return until you're fully ready.

For my failed last time at Christmas, I found being off really helped. We tested on 29th December, so we had a few days 'grace' before we had to go back, so I do think it helps (if that's the thing for you!). Hope you enjoyed your walk.

Yeah they're really good and a couple of friends of mine have used it for theirs. The multicycle one especially. I actually have the pricelist if you want me to send it? It's for my clinic specifically but it will give you an idea.

And do you know what, I was actually fine after egg collection! they thought I was going to have OHSS but I didn't have a thing. I actually had it during an ovulation induction round previously!

@beachbum85 thanks for the welcome! And for filling me in on your journey so far - congratulations on your success previously. That fills me with hope 😘If you decide to test early then I'll be testing with you on Sunday, so at least we'll have moral support! Is anyone else testing Sunday? Do you have any others in the freezer or is this the only FET from this round?

@seekingbabyk Good luck for the TWW! Double bubble has to be good news 🤗

@GCS34 thank you so much 😘 I love listening to others' success stories but I'm always hesitant about talking about ours when everyone is in the throws of a cycle! We have 1 more in the freezer from this same round, our second one. Really hoping this or the other will work and we won't have to go to EC again 🤞🏼🤞🏼
Just knowing that someone else is testing that day makes it seem better. I have never tested early before so I'm not sure what's better or worse at this point!

Thanks @GCS34 yes I hope so 🤞🏻

@beachbum85 it just helps fill you with hope and realise the whole thing isn’t just a scam 😂 my friend was convinced at one point they were faking putting embryos - drugs make you mental!
do you mind me asking how old you were with your success, and was the your first/second etc transfer?

That is great you have another in stock! Is this the same embryo from your baby batch or a different one? And yes it really does! So if you do test early, take comfort that I’ll be up at 5:00am on a Sunday morning, shakingly peeing in a pot, while counting out the longest 3minutes ever too! 😉 has anyone ever gone back to sleep after their result?! 😂🤷‍♀️

Sorry I missed your post earlier @seekingbabyk - I'm so glad to hear you had such a positive experience and you have 2 little embabies on board! How are you feeling? Best wishes for the tww xxx

@GCS34 haha your friend's theory is one I hadn't heard before but literally everything can go through your mind whilst going through all this!
We had 2 rounds of ICSI when I was 35, after a couple of years ttc and an unexplained 'diagnosis'. First round was a disaster: 9 eggs, 5 top + 3 good embryos on Day 3, 1 early blast (not gradeable) transferred and none to freeze on Day 5. I was so demoralised... Did some research and read about potential male issues leading to a huge dropoff between Days 3 and 5, and both my partner and I made quite a few diet and lifestyle changes (him more than me). Second round was the successful one: 6 eggs, 4 top + 2 good embryos on Day 3, one 4BB transferred on Day 5 (now my son), another frozen on Day 5 (this FET, I'm now 38), and another frozen on Day 6 (still our frostie). I hope that's not too many details now, as I tend to get right into the numbers 😅

@beachbum85 yeah I'm feeling pretty good just exhausted but it's been a long day - two hour drive each way, anxiety about it hurting, emotional after, progesterone wiping me out, etc. we've had a really lovely day together though and lots of lovely staff at the clinic and positive stuff happening so right now I feel really good. No idea when we will test tbh. OTD is 26th which is a Monday but might try on the Friday before so we have the weekend to digest!

When is your test date?

@seekingbabyk that does sound very intense, but also really positive 😍sounds like the trasfer on Valentine's Day worked well for you!

Our test day is Friday 23rd but we will almost surely test early because we'll be staying at my parents from the 22nd and we haven't told them about this FET so as not to worry them until we have a result. I happen to have 5 cheapo tests at home apart from the clinic's test, so right now I'm thinking we could test every day from Sunday to Friday, but as we get closer I might prefer not knowing and being PUPO as long as possible😅

@beachbum85 yeah you definitely just have to play it by ear don't you. The PUPO feeling is lovely actually. We have a print out of our blasts photos and the video of them putting them in on the ultrasound which is lovely too. Ah that'll be nice to be away once you have tested x

@GCS34 that's crazy that you didn't have OHSS, it is so weird how our bodies all respond so differently! Thanks for the offer of a pricelist, one of the clinics in our area is actually very transparent and has all priceless on their website including their Access offering. It is making me think we should choose them (they are highly rated and a friend of a friend has used as well) as some of the other clinics websites are much more confusing and I think it's so unfair when places can't just be honest about their prices. I hope the wait until your test on Sunday doesn't feel too long, fingers still firmly crossed for all of you who are PUPO!

Hi there all!

@IWouldRatherBeOnHoliday sending you love and positivity for the next round.

@kirstysmbc @muddlingthrou @beachbum85 still thinking of you and sending positive energy ✨️ for transfers and OTD.

Thank you @SkyLab8 ! How are you doing? I hope everything has been going smoothly.

@seekingbabyk that's so lovely! Really glad you have the photos and video 😊we're part of a clinical trial on embryoscopes so they can't give us too much info on the monitoring of our embryos, and therefore don't easily share pics, but we did manage to get a photo of the blast that turned into my son, only after the birth.
I do love the PUPO feeling too. I'm feeling pretty positive - obviously knowing there's every possibility it hasn't worked, but preferring to enjoy these days thinking it has 😍 how are you doing today?
Yes, it's always very busy when we go back home just catching up with everyone, which is always great, but possibly also a good distraction this time if we get bad news.

Hope you got there OK @kirstysmbc and are feeling better. Very best of luck for tomorrow xxx

@muddlingthrou good luck with the progesterone, hopefully no side effects 🤞🏼 how are you feeling about next week?

And I hope everyone else is well

@beachbum85 I know - I had a theory that they knew during transfer if it was going to work or not, and they just never tell you. I also sometimes think, do the consultants ever have days like everyone where they 'fake it till you make it' 😂Probs best not to think about that one! 👀
That's crazy how different round 1 vs. round 2 was! And that's great that you have 2 left from the batch of your boy (well, 1 frozen, 1 hopefully nustling down for the foreseeable!) And don't worry about being number heavy - I am a stat whore, and love to hear about numbers, eggs, blasts, AMH and all weird slightly OCD stuff 😂

@IWouldRatherBeOnHoliday I know, I think they thought I would but honestly I was fine. Which made being on a Freeze All even more infuriating 😅That's great that the one you're looking at is transparent. I'm sure you have already, but check them out on the HFEA website to check their stats against the national average, and patient feedback etc. Sure you know already but URL https://www.hfea.gov.uk/choose-a-clinic/clinic-search/

How are you feeling today? Did you manage to sleep?

@seekingbabyk how are you feeling today? Any feelings or anything? I think our clinic have embryoscope too - I got a pic of them on day 3 but they just looked weird haha and weren't representative of the Day 5/6's we have now.

This round is so weird - I had nothing for days 1-5 (like my MMC round), then some twinges, pulling feelings day 6+7, then nothing again bar the odd ... sensation... the last couple of days but like really mild. So god knows what Sunday will bring.

@beachbum85 @GCS34 yeah I feel ok but had a really bad nights sleep and woke with a migraine so trying to push through. Clinic called and my progesterone level was only 24.2 so they have put me on the injections too. Any idea what your levels were? They said they wanted 50 but weren't too worried about it. Just wanted something to compare to really x

@IWouldRatherBeOnHoliday Sorry to hear about your negative test. I hope you've been able to take some time to look after yourself since your result. Another vote here for Access, even if you don't need to use all the cycles, I found it a great comfort blanket.

@seekingbabyk Congrats on being PUPO, fingers crossed twice the embryos means twice the chances 🤞. With my daughter, my progesterone levels on transfer day were 29. I started injections 3 days later and luckily had a very good outcome. My clinic wanted over 30, so I was just on the cusp.

I hope everyone in their 2ww is managing to cope with the anxious waiting, and those waiting for transfer are doing well on their meds.

I've had a hectic couple of days with a sick daughter, work and packing, left all to the last minute as usual. I fly out this evening once I'm finished at work, early train in the morning to the town where the clinic is, than I can officially relax. Weirdly I have to go in for a catheter check a couple of hours before transfer, never had this before. Apparently it's so they can give me meds to relax the cervix if necessary.