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!

@Runner77 I'm ok, I'm feeling like it hasn't worked mainly because I can't say I've noticed any major implantation cramps (bar from occasional pulling type feeling, but even that is few and far between and I'm not sure if I'm looking into it) or implantation bleeding which I had in my chemical ast year. I was feeling a bit of nausea last night but I'm attributing that to the pessaries as I did a pregnancy test (standard not FRER) this morning because of those symptons and it was negative, so likely not worked this time. I'm 5dp5dt at the moment.

@JulesIVF at CD 10 I was 5.1mm but then at CD 13 I was 7.1mm, I then had my surge on CD 15 so hopefully you'll be good to go too next week for the FET

@Nk11 I was considering the same about how soon you can start another FET as I too would want to go straight into another if this definitely hasn't worked. I've done a natural FET so only had a trigger shot and am currently on Progesterone

@Nk11 such a tricky choice, I think I'd rather see it on a test than hear it from someone random. Maybe you could test but get your partner to look for you?

I'm really stressing about my lines, they are very faint and everything I am seeing online suggests we are headed towards a chemical or early miscarriage. Hopefully not another ectopic!!

Why does it always have to be so hard!! There is definitely progress, pic shows day 7, 8, 9 but it's definitely still too faint 😔

@DoctorBambino how many dpdt are you? I can see progress and I understand HCG levels can vary person to person so hopefully that it's progressing is a good sign?

@DoctorBambino Still early for a urine test though so I would think that your tests look good as there must be a chance nothing would show before your official test date. Fingers crossed for you.

@Sunflower360 how did you go about doing a natural FET if you don't mind me asking, as I have done medicated short protocol but my clinic as standard do long protocol FET which is a down regulation and takes quite a long time. I said I really didn't want to do that as I have a regular 30 day cycle and I didn't want to mess too much with my hormones. They were ok with it but I think there's not much chance they would let me do a natural as they seemed to need to be able to book everything in and doing that would make it harder. When I did the stimulated round I had to take norethisterone before and they said that was just so they had control over when I got my period before starting. I would think if you have done a natural round then surely you can just go again with the next cycle but I don't know how much of it is on your clinic's availability. Really frustrating though everything takes months as it is without a break.

@DoctorBambino there is definitely progression there but I totally get the freak out! Have you tried a different test? FRER are the "gold standard" for early testing but I'm finding not so great for progression! After my freak out on Sunday, I ended up taking a clear blue (non-digital) that afternoon after my balls up with the FRER that morning and it was really strong, much stronger than the FRER showed. I'm thinking the FRER are much more sensitive to small amounts of HCG but maybe not as sensitive to how much there is, maybe?

@Nk11 I'm at Create Fertility and they tend to focus quite a bit on natural and mild approaches to IVF, but I do think they do medicated FET. As I appear to ovulate and have a 28-30 day cycle they advised natural with trigger shot and progesterone as support in the first FET (plus I got a polyp from my egg collections so they wanted to avoid that happening again from excess hormones). I'm hoping they will advise that again as generally all else appeared to go ok with the transfer, of course you can never really be sure whats going to happen where the embryo is concerned but lining etc was what they would have liked to have seen and that was without estrogen. My issue may be that my follow up does not happen before my AF arrives as I'd need the green light from the Dr to re start 😬

If you've had estrogen/shut down your system etc they may treat it like an IVF cycle so you may end up needing a break unfortunately, but I would definitely ask the question. I think clinics prefer medicated generally as it gives them more control to schedule in FETs around ECs.

After my lining being 6.4mm today, they want me back in at 9am tomorrow to check again!! Feel a lot of pressure on my womb right now 😂. Is 24hrs really enough to get it above 7?

just editing to add my my dom follicle is 14mm.

Oh and they seen a triple layer!

Hi all, 3dp a 5dt here. First FET with a natural cycle but with trigger shot. I’m impressed with everyone who’s held off testing, testing here even before transfer to see the trigger shot fade out so we knew any positive that came up would be a pregnancy one.

@FlowerWheel Hi! I did test at 5dp5dt but it was negative so I'm not holding out much hope its going to change but will await OTD. Did you have a fresh transfer following your EC or did you go for a freeze all?

@JulesIVF how did the lining scan go?

@Sunflower360 hey. Lining is now 7.8! Waiting on a call this afternoon. My lead follicle was still 14mm as it was yesterday so she said they might want to scan me again first. I was told yesterday it’s the lining size that important and not the follicle so the mixed information is quite frustrating. I should know in a few hours anyway 🤞🏻.

@JulesIVF I think its a mix of both when it's a natural cycle but you sound like you're not far off, are you having a trigger shot?

@Sunflower360 Do you know what size the follicle should be? I tried googling but no luck.
Yeah, my clinic have recently changed their natural FET protocol so not sure if this is the norm, but I have a trigger of Ovitrelle and then the transfer is 6 days later.

Well I think if it's 15mm that's a good sign for nearing ovulation, but it can vary on each clinics approach. I was 15mm then had a surge 2 days later and I added the trigger at that point

Reality is in natural the clinic don't really have a say, your body decides when its ready! But I think they'd instruct trigger before a natural surge if you were 17mm (that's what they did in my natural modifier IVF EC cycles)

Scan 4 of FET done. Lining is at 7mm now, but my lead follicle is only at 12mm. So we need to go back again on Monday for another scan. Even they said the number of scans for this cycle is getting out of hand now. I’m a little worried I’ll ovulate over the weekend and they’ll miss it, as Monday is day 21 of my cycle.

The doctor today was far gentler and found my left ovary much more easily, after the bashing it got last time from his colleague. Small victories haha.

@JulesIVF hope you’ll get some clarity soon!

Wishing everyone a good weekend and that anyone testing gets a nice answer!

Best of luck @Copenhagener . Our timeline is so close!

Just got the call - triggering tomorrow and transfer is on Friday 22nd 🥹🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻. So excited.

@Copenhagener not sure why their bring funny about the number of scans, surely it takes however many it takes? Especially if its a natural FET. Sounds like your progressing which is good

@JulesIVF that is good news, fingers crossed! Is it one that you're transferring?

@Sunflower360 the limits of using a public health system I guess. They generally keep it to two scans per FET. Of course they’re professionals, but they’re also quite blunt/openly frustrated when you don’t meet their expectations or take up too many resources😅

@JulesIVF great news! Crossing my fingers for you. I hope I’ll be joining you next week! Always nice to have a cycle buddy. Are they doing anything different post-transfer with your protocol?

@Sunflower360 thank you!! Im transferring two 🤞🏻.

@Copenhagener thank you! they have added progesterone pessaries til week 10 of pregnancy if successful! This is my first transfer but prescribing those for natural FET is new process for the clinic.

@JulesIVF oh that's exciting! I'm going to ask about a double transfer if this was definitely hasn't worked for me. If you don't mind me asking what are your circumstances? My Dr was very firm that double transfer is not an until transfer 3 at the earliest, but I may revisit that point seen as I've had a chemical naturally last year and possibly a failed implantation if this FET definitely hasn't worked. I'm 38 too with low AMH

@Sunflower360 yeah I would push for it if it’s what you want. Are you in UK?
We are male factor - my husbands morphology.

We are private so they told us that it’s our choice but they are required to try and prevent multiples under HFEA guidelines, so just sent us a risk factor sheet for info. I’m 31, husband is 33. I am on a Facebook page for the NHS clinic in glasgow and have seen people push for a double transfer and getting it despite not having had 3 fails or being over 37.

@JulesIVF how interesting, I got told flat out no because it could lead to losing both embryos if the issues are lining etc. Now don't get me wrong I do get that sentiment but if all appears ok with the uterine environment then there really is not a lot else you can do - I've had quite a few tests and Hysteroscopy to smooth the lining, and all else with FET scan / procedure wise was as good as it could go (Drs words who did the transfer on the day), so if this doesn't work I'm putting it down the embryo I think.

I do feel our Dr is very cautious and in which case is applying the HFEA guidelines quite firmly, but perhaps he may be more towards it if this FET hasn't worked. Its good you got to decide for yourself though in the first instance

What grade are your embryos if you don't mind me asking? With your age you should have good euploid ones which is a positive