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.

@muddlingthrou transfer was last Wednesday so 9dpt today. OTD is Monday x

@seekingbabyk i'm so so sorry you've had a BFN this morning. You're still 3 days early so there is time... You're 9dp5dt today is that right? How do you feel in yourself as I know you weren't feeling the best on the drugs with the headaches?

@MaybeBabyTwo Interesting what you said on the bleed. A Friend of mine (IVF pregnancy) had bleeding from week 6-10 and her clinic said that 40% of IVF pregnancies have bleeding, so I guess that's worth knowing for anyone here! How do you feel today? Did you test at 4dpt with your daughter?

@muddlingthrou I was just like you and symptom spotting anything "My left foot hurts and is itchy on my 3rd toe - is that a sign of pregnancy?" honestly we go mad don't we? 🙈Did you test early on your others?

@beachbum85 Have you read any of the ones from that genisis guy I can't remember for the life of me the details but he's the one that can be quite blunt, but honest, and he's realllllllly good too. I realise that is extremely unhelpful 😂You mentioned 'back home' where are you now and where is home? Interesting though - I'm not sure Mr. GCS will be quite so on board though! I'm on Vit-E already, the dr recommended L-Arginine on my call, and i've read about castor oil packs but I thought the were just heat packs - is that not the same as like a hot water bottle? 😂
Hope you get on okay with the clinic. Have you sent your email yet? With the pain thing - was that when you had the transfer or after? Could you ask about baby aspirin as that can aid implantation? And my consultant mentioned an Implantation Screen Check, that would check for (I'm copying this so apologies!) "thrombophilia screen looking at autoimmune screen and inflammatory markers along with repeating your TSH". I said no, but I'm not sure if anyone else has had it? Maybe ask your clinic and see what they say? Good luck and I hope you get on okay xx

@GCS34 yeah I'm feeling ok. I have had really odd 'symptoms' like an awful headache for two days but that went, dizziness, some nausea, cramps, etc. I have no idea whether they are progesterone or something else - this whole thing is a mind fuck tbh!

@kirstysmbc great news on the BFP yesterday - have you tested again today? When is your OTD with them?
Thanks for the info on your clinic / process - hadn't thought about the fact you didn't use your own eggs so yeah, I imagine it's a lot different if you are stimming etc. I've read quite a lot about the CR as they have the best success rates in the world don't they? I had a look online last night after I read your message and it was £3,000 for a full round of IVF that includes everything bar the prescription for the drugs. Seems very reasonable!

@seekingbabyk I've seen the headaches thing a lot online, but are you also on progesterone injections? I got really odd symptoms when I was on that, like really bad cramping (period pain level), and they also made me really anxious, so I asked not to be put on them again unless we get a positive.
The whole thing really is and the further down the road you get, the more angry at the whole process you get. I just feel like I've been robbed of something I should be able to have. It's so hard not to be 'woe me' but sometimes you really just think 'fucking hell this is totally unfair!'

@GCS34 yes on progesterone injections and pessaries 😫 I am just feeling a bit fed up like it's been 18 months (we had a break moving house). 3 rounds, so many meds, around £20k so far and at this moment in time we may as well not have bothered! We got 3 average grade blasts overall. Last round none at all. I'm kind of thinking we could do the same again and be in the same position! I think we need to wait until Monday so I can stop the medication and regroup feeling more sane and then think about what's next, maybe we will just do one more, if we don't get any again we can call it a day. Definitely keep me updated on your research re going abroad though - that could be an option for us! I saw someone on Instagram who went to Greece too and she got pregnant first go

@seekingbabyk i'm so sorry about your negative result...keeping my fingers crossed still for the OTD on monday, but I can imagine how gutted you feel. I'm nervous to test. I took a waaayyy too early test the other day (I'm 4dpt today) and still contemplating whether or not I'll test before my OTD on the 28th/29th. sending you positive vibes and hoping you and your partner are coping ok
@GCS34 In eastern canada, and the temperature fluctuates, but it is often (between 0 and -20) here these days so I’ve been avoiding walks to avoid cold blasts on my body. My OTD is the 28th, with them calling with the results on the 29th, but I’m contemplating testing on day 7 or 8 (sun/mon) so that my partner and I can receive the news together instead of from a random phone call. Yeah, It’s hard with the DET question, because we read all about how with each transfer our chances go up, but at the same time, with each transfer our energy and mood often gets fatigued. Also, there is the argument as the embryos are not competing with each other, you are essentially doing 2 transfers and each has the same chance. I did a DET for this reason, even though I’m trying to avoid doing another full package stim and collection 12000CAD+ meds. Sending you the courage to just go with your gut and trust it.
@kirstysmbc how are you doing? have you tested again? sending you positive vibes
@IWouldRatherBeOnHoliday just adding to the plethora of little tips and tricks (and honestly just things to help distract my mind and make me feel in control..) - I put MACA root powder in both my and my partner's smoothies - this has helped a lot with our energy and apparently is very good for fertility too. After doing a 1/2 year of a boatload of different supplements I subscribed to https://birdandbe.com/ which offer packages for men and women that include folic, coq10, omega etc etc. - you can see the list of ingrediants. It's a little pricey, but it is one nice thing that has made the day to day a bit smoother for us.

@seekingbabyk the PIO Injections are horrible aren't they? I'm sorry you're feeling so fed up with it all 😞It's such a lot of money isn't it? Did you go via Access or did you pay cash? I think having a chat together once you're off the drugs will help. Do you mind me asking your age? Don't answer if you don't want to.
Would you consider travelling for it, or will you only do another in the UK on the next round? I've heard good things about Greece. And CR too. Prague has some really good clinics.

Spoke with the Embryologist today, and she said based on my clinical history, and the contributing factors like having PCOS which does impact egg quality, she recommends we do a double transfer. She said our pregnancy rates from 1 would be around 30%, vs 40% if we were to do double (that's just pregnancy rate, not live birth rate). 😕
A lot to get our heads around -- we've not sat and chatted about it yet, but it would mean that if we didn't get pregnant, we'd have to go into a fresh round from scratch, and it wouldn't be funded this time. It's a lot, and really quite saddening too. I know 40% is still good, but it just feels so unlikely for us I Just feel a bit unsure what to do. 😞

@kaydevo7777 blimey that's some chilly weather! 😨I don't blame you avoiding going outdoors! brrrrrr - keep that uterus warm!! Do you usually wait for the blood results, or test early on a home test? In the UK it's standard to do a home test, then bloods only if it's positive. So different isn't it everywhere you go! And I agree on the fatigue going down. I just updated before on what our embryologist said about our chances, so now i'm even more torn on what to do! and $12,000 is an almighty sum -- just to add salt to the wound! How do you feel today symptom wise?

@seekingbabyk Sorry to hear your news.. thinking of you both.

@kaydevo7777 thank you! Yes it's so hard not testing isn't it but I just had to do it this morning because I wanted to have the weekend to deal with it.

@GCS34 in 39 next month. I did chat to hubby about this earlier with going away but I'm thinking even though it's cheaper, by time we factor in flights, accommodation, pet care, etc there's probably not a huge amount in it and we have built a relationship with the team there so it feels like we should stay. No we paid cash. Luckily we came into some money from my parents when they sold a house and then we moved so had a bit left over so the timing just worked out. Our plan was to do another round in September, then we delayed to January, and then the clinic told us we only had a month left on our "free transfers within a year" so we decided to transfer. So now I'm thinking should we just go back to our original plan of one more round now we have made lots of lifestyle changes, been taking supplements, etc and see what happens. I don't want to pay for another 3 cycle package if we are just going to get mine each time. But if it works and we get two they will upgrade us to the multicycle if we want to anyway. Just means a three month break to start taking all the various supplements now before our next round!

With your transfer @GCS34 I'm thinking go for it. If it doesn't work, you can move onto your next steps but you have a slightly higher chance of it working which is great! It's a lot to think about but i am glad we did a double transfer now because it looks like neither would have worked anyway so we would have just wasted more time.

Thanks @Staryskylark ❤️

Anyway enough about me, who is in their TWW at the moment? I feel like we need a list of OTDs so we can all be thinking positive thoughts for you all 🥰

@seekingbabyk Im sure you’ll
work out whatever is right for you. it is very frustrating but I have everything crossed for you..

I’m not a fan of the Lupion injections.. and after 5 FETs we have done a few different versions but for this round went back to the same round that helped us have our DD. Im not sure why the clinic changed us and perhaps in hindsight I should have questioned it..

I am on my two week wait.. day 10dp5dt.
I hadn’t tested at all but couldn’t help myself this afternoon and had a BFP. Can’t let myself get too excited though still very early days and have had a previous chemical..

@Staryskylark amazing ! congratulations on the BFP <3 I know it's still early days and you're being cautious, but I think it's also important to just revel in this happy glow - it makes me so warm and happy when I hear about these milestones being reached by y'all

Awww that's amazing @Staryskylark - congratulations! Yes it definitely gives everyone hope seeing success stories doesn't it! Keeping everything crossed for everything to run smoothly for you xx

My OTD date is next Friday (1st March) which has been torture. I’m 7dpt3dt and did a cheapie at lunch which is a faint positive. I’m definitely more anxious than excited given there is still another week to go. Showed my husband, who is horrifically hungover from a work party, and he is more nauseous than me.

@DiscoKitty @Staryskylark Congrats on the BFPs. Fingers crossed for sticky little beans for you both.

My lines are getting a little darker, but they look like the lines from my last miscarriage, so now I'm convinced it is all going to end badly again. I know I should be feeling really happy to have that second line, but previous unhappy endings really take the joy out of the process...

@DiscoKitty awww that's amazing news too! I was beginning to think we were all doomed on this thread but it's so nice seeing success stories. Wow a whole week still! That's a long time!

@kirstysmbc I think as long as they are getting darker that's great! When are you back?

@GCS34 yeah, i'm doing some pelvic floor yoga, drinking ginger tea, and trying to get some administrative work done, but so distracted. My plan was to wait for the blood result, but I think I'll test on sunday (day6) or monday (day7), They do the blood test on day 9 and call back the next day. I have had zero symptoms! which I'm grateful for hearing about all these other symptoms, but also makes me feel like nothing is happening.
@DiscoKitty congrats to you too!! that's super exciting

Congrats @DiscoKitty @Staryskylark xx

@kirstysmbc that's a great news.
I can understand your worry. Wishing you lots of luck 🤗

anybody else have experiencing with getting veeeeeeery faint lines (like mabye i'm seeing things and possibly evaporation lines?) : I made the mistake of taking a cheapie test on 4dp5dt (face palm emoji)

@kaydevo7777 have you got a photo? I thought I kept seeing something this morning but my OH said there was definitely nothing and then I couldn't see it

i'm almost too embarrassed to share, but in the name of stressful solidarity here it is: so the top test is like 7 minutes post taking the test, the bottom one is 4 minutes (and still quite wet): I was trying to figure out if they were evaporation lines or not. these are cheapie tests and most likely give evap lines often

@kaydevo7777 i can definitely see a faint line on both of those. How many dpt are you?

thanks for being second eyes :-) i'm still very dubious that they are just evap lines as these tests can be notorious for that: i'm 4dp5dt (evening)

@kaydevo7777 I don't know much about the evap lines but fingers crossed it's darker tomorrow