FET March thread

[Copenhagener]

Hi all 👋

I have a failed first transfer (fresh) and have one embryo banked from my first retrieval.

I’ll be doing my first FET with it in March. Anyone else joining me for the wait?

I’m still waiting to find out what went wrong with my fresh transfer. Hopefully next time is the charm!

[Anna531]

Hi @Copenhagener i think I’ll be an FET March too- fingers crossed! Hopefully this next time is the charm for you.

I was meant to start end of last year but just as I started stims I had to have my appendix out which was devastating so we started again in January and found out I was at risk of OHSS so had to do a freeze all. Third times hopefully the charm 😊

[Sunflower360]

Hi @Copenhagener @Anna531 👋 Following 3 egg collections and embryo banking I'm hoping to do my first FET in March, possibly natural with trigger injection, but I am possibly considering medicated but not sure yet if I'll change it as I'm pending Dr's advice.

Does anyone know how much control you have over the transfer day with medicated?

[OceanSunday]

Hi all 👋 I’m hoping to have our next FET in March. I’ve had three since September, one chemical pregnancy and two failed implant. The first two I did natural and the third medicated.

I have a 2yr old from a successful FET back in 2020 and trying for #2 is taking longer than we thought :(

I think we are planning another natural round next time and so so hoping this one works!

[Anna531]

Hi @Sunflower360 @OceanSunday it’s nice to have company 😊

sorry @Sunflower360 no I don’t know much about how FET works time wise. This will be our first.
originally we were unexplained infertility but following stims the Dr said I have PCOS given we had 39eggs retrieved so they’re likely to advise a medicated frozen transfer. He said it’s preferred too simply because it allows them to control exactly when everything happens but every clinics different I guess. 3 egg collections though- fair play that’s amazing, I’m still not right from 1.

@OceanSunday sorry to hear the last ones haven’t worked out. Fingers crossed this is the one 🤞🏽

[Sunflower360]

@Anna531 39eggs! How many embryos did you get to freeze?

[Sunflower360]

@OceanSunday sorry to hear about your previous transfers. If you don't mind me asking how did you find the medicated FET?

[Runner77]

Hi Ladies,

I’m also planning to have a FET in March. It will be nice to have some company along the journey, although of course I wish none of us were in this situation.

I have had one FET and one fresh transfer, which were both unsuccessful. Hopefully third times the charm.

@Sunflower360 I’m doing a medicated cycle. The plan is to take estrogen tablets from day 1 or 2 of my cycle, have a scan to check the lining thickness after 2 weeks and if it looks good the transfer will be scheduled for 5 days from then. I imagine there could be some room to move the transfer out by a day or so if you needed.

[Anna531]

@Sunflower360 we had 35 mature, 31 fertilized with ICSI and 13 made it day 5 and 6 and were frozen. So we’re hoping we won’t have do an EC again. It’s been a tough recovery though, great the week after but this week’s been really difficult.

sorry to hear about your earlier transfers @Runner77 hopefully they’ve worked out some things through the process and this next one’s the one 🤞🏽

[Sunflower360]

@Runner77 Thanks for the tip, I may end up sticking with natural as it includes a trigger shot so there is some degree of control I suppose (I tend to ovulate later than the 14 day point than earlier naturally and the scans start anytime between CD 7-10). If you don't mind me asking were there any investigations following your previous transfers and are you doing anything different this time? I'm having steroids for thyroid antibodies and they said they'll let me know if aspirin would be beneficial dependent on my blood flow during the scans

@Anna531 that's good, with 5 embryos hopefully you'll have a good result and hopefully it is this transfer

[Copenhagener]

Hey ladies,

Curious for anyone who's had a fresh transfer - what did they do differently for your FET? Or was it just considered a 'bad luck' thing the first one didn't work out?

[Sunflower360]

@Copenhagener Hi, from what I've read it is pot luck as dependant on age it can depend how many embryos you need for success. Think 1 in 3 stands a good chance of success in your 30's but then this drops and you'd need more as you get older

[Sunflower360]

There are tests though @Copenhagener to rule things out too, have you had a follow up?

[Copenhagener]

@Sunflower360 I’m 32, we’ve been TTC for 18 months. We had 3 failed IUIs before this. If the FET fails I think my new ER won’t be until June/July. My mind is already worrying about going to donors. I really dislike the ‘unexplained’ label.

We’ll have a review with a doctor at some point before the FET. We did have a bunch of tests a year ago (tubes; hormone levels; sperm quality, progesterone, diseases) which were all clear, but none during this first IVF cycle.

[OceanSunday]

@Sunflower360 Oddly I quite like the medicated rounds as they make me feel productive, like I’m actively helping the situation!

I was on Progynova tablets, then Lubion injections and Cyclogest pessaries. The only thing I’m finding difficult is the symptoms of the progesterone, which I’ve had in all three rounds so far but they were a bit more pronounced in the medicated round as I was on a higher dose. During the tww I felt nauseous, gnawing hunger pangs and tiredness, which I also felt during my first successful FET back in 2020 so I’ve had to keep reminding myself that the symptoms are the meds and not signs of a BFP. The injections are fine though and following the crazy of IVF, I find the FETs are much easier.

For this next round we’ve decided to do another natural cycle. I’m getting my TSH levels checked with the GP this week and the Doctor has suggested I focus on probiotics. I’m also trying to follow the Mediterranean Diet and cut out all crap foods as I hadn’t really done so over the past few months. To be honest the Dr thinks the embryos are the issue so suggests we just need to keep going. Back in Sept we had 9 frozen embryos and now we are down to 4 in the freezer (used 3, lost 2 to the thaw).

[Sunflower360]

@OceanSunday thanks for sharing. In relation to the thawing process did they explain what caused the embryos to not survive that?

[Cloclo93]

Hey @Copenhagener I think I remember your name on another tread! Sorry to hear your 1st transfer didn't take! I hope your next one will be a sticky bean 🤞🤞
I turned 31 on the 7th! Started fematab yesterday due to start my injections in roughly 6 days when my peroid starts! All going well egg collection on the 28th - 30th, then my fresh transfer March 5th roughly! this is my 1st ivf cycle and hopefully last 🤞🙏 feeling nervous and excited
Suffering from secondary infertility low AMH of 3
do you know what dates in march you will ne doing your transfer? xx

[Runner77]

@Sunflower360 no, we are not doing anything different this cycle. I did ask our consultant after our last failed transfer and he essentially thinks it is a numbers game at this point. We are doing IVF due to MFI so the two cycles have been successful in terms of my response (lining, hormone levels) except of course no BFP. I have decided though that I will ask for a dna fragmentation test if this third transfer is unsuccessful.

At what point were you sent for further testing?

@Copenhagener as I’ve noted above, we are not doing anything different this round. I have already had one fresh and one frozen transfer. The frozen is by far easier - no needles involved for me! Good luck with your FET.

@OceanSunday I’m also interested to know what you were told about the embryos which didn’t survive thawing. It must have been devastating. Hopefully everything goes smoothly for you this time around.

@Cloclo93 good luck on your first, and hopefully last round! How are you feeling about it all?

[Sunflower360]

@Runner77 I had more tests done after my natural chemical pregnancy, namely to rule things out as those tests were only advised once you have 2 miscarriages and I'd only had one at that point. Was worth doing in the end as that is how I find out I have Thyroid Antibodies and will need Prednisolone for the transfer, whether it'll make any difference is yet to be seen

[Copenhagener]

@Cloclo93 how's your round going so far? I'm not 100% sure yet. My period should be due around 1 March - which makes timings simple! They normally do a scan on day 11/12, then transfer approx. 6 days later. So all going to plan, around 15-18 March.

On the not so good side, I also start a new job on 1 March! Which will make things a little complicated (I've been freelancing after being made redundant in October). My January cycle was much easier because I had total control over my schedule, so I'm a bit worried about taking time off so soon at my new job. I'll hopefully be able to schedule the scans first thing in the mornings, and say I have a pre-existing appointment for the FET transfer day.

[DoctorBambino]

Hi all, can I join? I'm due to start a natural FET cycle in the coming days. From my somewhat obsessive calculations I am predicting ET to be on March 6th.

We were very lucky to have a successful fresh cycle which resulted in DS who recently turned 2. Now using our frosties to try for a sibling, we only really have one "good quality" embryo (it's a day 6 though) so really hoping for this one!!

I'm feeling quite nervous about it all to be honest! It's all so uncertain and I feel under a lot of pressure with it being a natural FET, to make sure I catch ovulation!!

Anyone else similar time line?

[Sunflower360]

@DoctorBambino I may be on a similar timeline, just waiting on AF hopefully due next week. I'm on natural too, are you having a trigger shot? That's included in my protocol so ovulation can be triggered sooner if lining is any good. I'll be taking steroids Prednisolone too

[DoctorBambino]

Hi @Sunflower360 no no trigger shot for me, I think I'd prefer that though as less reliance on my body which I have little confidence in! Just progesterone. Finding it really hard to plan my work diary with not really knowing when scans etc will be!

[Sunflower360]

@DoctorBambino you should be able to plan the first scan as you book that in for anytime CD 7-10 on CD 1 of your period...then after that could be every other day for another scan or 2

[Cloclo93]

@Copenhagener congratulations on the new job! I'm starting my injections tonight doing Pergoveris ? Heard there for older ovaries I guess it makes sense with my low AMH
@DoctorBambino I think our time line might be the same if I'm understanding short text right your transfer maybe March 6th? All going well that could be my date too for transfer 🥰

[DoctorBambino]

Hi @Cloclo93 yes I'm guessing March 6th or 7th, will be nice to have a buddy! I'm currently on cycle day 2 and have my first scan booked for Monday 26th. I'm guessing then based on what you've said @Sunflower360 maybe another on the Wednesday...

Realllly hoping this is my last period for a LONG time. I'm seriously over the excruciating pain every month 😫