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!

@Cloclo93 I got my period early during each of my egg collections, unfortunately it does happen but hopefully will fix itself next cycle

Hi @Cloclo93 I know the circumstances aren’t the same but I done a freeze all cycle and started bleeding 5 days after egg collection. This is a withdrawl bleed from stopping all the hormones and lasted about 3 or 4 days. It then took 5 weeks for my next period. Sorry about your outcome, it’s such a difficult time 🥺. We had great results from ICSI if you are planning to do that in future.

@Cloclo93 once you stop taking progesterone your period is pretty much bound to happen relatively quickly (it's the drop in progesterone that brings on your period in a natural cycle) so that sounds pretty normal to me.

Thanks girls! I was just a bit confused because my ivf doctor told me expect my peroid on my usual date around 17th! I thought he would be more clued in with early bleeds after ivf meds etc.
We will definitely do ICIS next time 🤞 this ivf journey is hard

@Shroedy how was your test this morning?

All good! Definitely much stronger than the previous lines so panic over - honestly, this whole thing does just turn you into a crazy person...! I'm usually a very level headed person but it's just not really possible to keep emotions in check when it comes to IVF.

@Shroedy that is good, do you have any symptoms as yet?

Definitely been feeling nauseated the last few days, lunchtime to mid afternoon. I need to find my travel sickness bands!

@Shroedy that's a good sign! Did you have any symptoms before your positive test? I'm finding the Progesterone is making me more tired than usual

Happy to hear your tests are darker @Shroedy ❤️.

Not the nausea, that started a day or two after the test (I thought it was quite early for pregnancy sickness but Google tells me maybe not). Agree, I've definitely been extra tired and pretty hungry - I think that's the progesterone. Had cracking headaches earlier on but that seemed to have faded by the time of the transfer so definitely the drugs.

Another fruitless scan today.

Does anyone else feel like their doctor doesn’t listen to them? This is my first ‘natural cycle’ FET and I warned them in advance I don’t tend to ovulate until approx day 19-20 of my cycle. I have a very short luteal phase.

They asked me to come in on day 7, even though I told them I was still full flow, then day 12 (today) and then told me I have a ‘weird cycle’ and I should be further along by now, and booked me in for a third scan on Friday. They even were saying I could’ve ovulated early (I only stopped bleeding 4 days ago).

I just feel like they don’t trust me!

She spent a good 10 minutes rummaging around trying to locate my left ovary, until I was in shaking and nauseous after I stood up with all the prodding she did.

Cant wait until more of that on Friday!

@Copenhagener that sounds really rubbish, hopefully they will listen to you moving forward.

I'm not feeling entirely positive about this transfer, can't say I've noticed any symptoms bar from very slight pulling on day of and day after transfer, and brown spotting day after transfer-since then nothing and I'm pretty sure those symptoms are too soon for anything. Oh well, will just see this one through, 3dp5dt at the moment. Already thinking about approaches for the next transfer 🙈

@Copenhagener that does sound very frustrating, and uncomfortable! Have they said what the plan is if you are still not progressing on Friday? It seems that clinics use a bit of a cookie cutter approach to cycles, without much tailoring so it’s not surprising they haven’t noted down your short luteal phase. I hope you get more clarity soon.

@Shroedy congrats, fantastic news!

@Sunflower360 fingers crossed for you. Try not to worry about symptom spotting. From what I have read it is generally too early for any pregnancy symptoms, and a lot of women don’t have any symptoms until they are a lot further along.

I have my next scan tomorrow to check if my lining is thick enough to schedule in the transfer. Feeling slightly nervous about it.

@Runner77 they told me they don’t have time to answer questions at scans 🙄 so, I guess it’s go in and then I’ll perhaps know more then.

Good luck with your scan tomorrow! Do you have any more embryos banked?

@Sunflower360 wishing you all the best with your two-week-wait!

@Runner77 Thanks. It's only because I had a few symptoms when I had the natural chemical back in the summer- I had nausea, lower back pain, implantation bleed, cramps - the full works up until the chemical happened at 4+5... so I think I'm kind of comparing it to that, but then probably a rubbish example as it led to a chemical!

Hope your scan goes ok. Are you looking to have a single transfer?

That sounds awful @Copenhagener poor you, they really should listen to you as you know your body. Also really unhelpful to say your cycle is weird! Hope the next scan is better.

7dp5dt for me... I've been peeing on sticks since day 5 which was completely blank...

Worried it might be a chemical but keeping my fingers crossed for progression tomorrow!

Top photo is 6dp5dt, then this morning and this afternoon!

@DoctorBambino congratulations 🎊 That looks like good line progression! Have you had many symptoms? Think I recall you saying this was a day 6 too, really positive to hear!

Congrats @DoctorBambino! Definitely progression and looking good! 🎉

Thank you @Sunflower360 we will see how it goes, feels like a rollercoaster having tested early. Mix of hope and fear haha! One minute I'm worried it's too faint the next I can't believe it's really there! What will be will be. Yes day 6 embryo this time, a 4ab I think.. I'm hoping it's just a slow grower and that's why it's faint.

No symptoms of note. A few womby feelings at 3dpt5dt and 4dp5dt. I didn't have any with my son either, I remember even my 12 week scan feeling like if I didn't know I would have had no clue!

When will you test?

@DoctorBambino tbh I'll likely leave it until OTD unless I start experiencing symptoms to make me think it could have taken. But I say that but could cave in before the end of the week!

Hi everyone, sorry I am not fully up to date but congrats on the positives! Just looking for some advice, or experiences.

I am 8dp5dt, have my blood test first thing on Friday and up to now I haven't tested. I have no symptoms (other than the odd nosebleed) but I am taking 4 x estradiol tablets, 1 injection of tinzaparin and 1 injection of lubion daily, plus 3 cyclogest. In my previous transfers I only had the pessaries and I did bleed before my test date and had spotting for quite a few days before as far as I can remember. Because I've never had any success I am struggling to be positive about it and I am sweating thinking about the test already. I asked the clinic if I could start to bleed despite the medication and they said I could but I know that just because I haven't yet doesn't mean it will be positive. I don't want to test early because my body normally lets me know without a test as I start to bleed and I will really resent continuing medication knowing it hasn't worked so I don't think I will but I am scared to get a phone call with the result. Does anyone have any similar experiences with all these meds and how I'm feeling or any advice?

I also wondered if anyone had experience with how soon you can move onto another FET as I follow a girl on instagram in Australia who moves from one round to the next but here we seem to have to have a 'withdrawal bleed' and then wait for next period so effectively a 4-5 week break between cycles. Is this right or has anyone been able to move straight on? I am being pre-emptive but I don't know how to expect success when I've never had it, sad I know.

Hi @Nk11!

Honestly, the anxiety is so understandable and we've all been there! There's a massive appeal to just wanting to stay in the dark because that way you can't get bad news but you can't get good news either so try and take that on too!

Genuinely, having or not having symptoms means basically nothing at this stage. If you're pregnant then it would be so early that it would be more unusual to have obvious symptoms than to not. And if you have what could be pregnancy symptoms it can usually the the drugs you're on that cause those same symptoms too! So either way it doesn't tell you much.

In terms of what you do, ultimately you'll have to decide if you want to hear from that phone call or whether you want to find out on your own but it will have to be one or the other. If you're worried about not being able to keep taking the drugs if you get a negative, could you maybe test the morning of?

@DoctorBambino looking good! I can imagine you must be very excited but anxious too. When is your OTD?

@Copenhagener very frustrating that you don’t feel they are listening or giving you the opportunity to ask questions. Are you able to email your consultant?

@Sunflower360 totally understandable. It’s impossible not to symptom spot even when I know they don’t really mean anything. How are you feeling otherwise?

Scan went well, lining is 7mm so the transfer is booked for Tuesday. We have 3 in the freezer and will be transferring one. I’m anxious about them not unthawing and potentially not having anything to transfer. Of course nothing that I can do but just try not too think about it too much!

@Nk11 it’s such a personal dilemma as to when to test and how to receive the news. First time I tested on the morning of the blood test as I couldn’t bare waiting until the afternoon for results. Second time I had already started bleeding so knew it would be a negative. I think I preferred to know or at least have an idea of the result before the phone call so I could get out some emotion beforehand. However both times have left it until OTD so as to avoid days of uncertainty or second guessing the results. Good luck, hope it’s positive news for you.

Was in for my day 10 lining scan this morning and it’s measuring 6.4mm. Suspected this would happen cause I don’t usually ovulate until around CD17 but still a little gutted.
Nurse wasn’t sure if they would want me in for another scan first since it’s so close to 7mm, so need to wait for a call this afternoon.

Fingers crossed for a transfer next week regardless 🥲🤞🏻.