Anyone else preparing for FET April 2024

[blahblahetc]

Hello, wondering if anyone is preparing for an FET in April?

This will be my 3rd transfer. 1st one implanted but early loss, second (euploid) and third (untested) did not implant. I'm waiting to do a hysteroscopy next week + an ERA following week prior to transfer in April.

We decided against testing this time, and are wondering whether or not to do a double transfer. Our embryos are AA/ABs so want to feel hopeful but fully aware of the possible failure(s) ahead of us..

[Serendipity24]

Hello, so sorry for your loss.

I just had a failed fresh transfer, DE cycle. Would like to take a break and hopefully start preparation in March resulting in an April FET if all goes well.

I previously had three own egg cycles and nothing ever implanted. So I would like some investigation to be done. So far the assumption has been the poor egg quality (which is true) but there could be additional issues as well. I haven't had the consultation with the doctor yet, so don't now what he would recommend.

[blahblahetc]

Hi @Serendipity24 It is a difficult journey and I have banked 6 blasts and a day-3; and will be end of the road for me if none of them work.

Have you had any tests done? For me, I have the NK cells so will be on prednisolone and also Clexane & aspirin to encourage blood flow. The hysteroscopy is next, not sure what else to check after that.

Will you be trying with own eggs again?

[Serendipity24]

Hi @blahblahetc , I haven't done any tests yet, apart from hysteroscopy which was done during my third own egg cycle and nothing abnormal was found then. I am open to anything the doctor might suggest now.

I will not be trying with own eggs again, age simply is not on my side

[StillTTC7]

Hi everyone! I will hopefully be joining you all in April. We have just had a failed fresh cycle of IVF, and this was our first experience. We have one frozen blastocyst grade A and we’re hoping to start our FET cycle asap, which will be programmed as in I will be taking medication.

Has anyone on here done an FET before? The doctor said I will start by taking estrogen tablets and then on day 10 I’ll have a scan and begin progesterone pessaries. It was so much information I can’t remember when he said I’d start the tablets 😂 anyone have any idea? I’m just excited to look at my calendar and try and figure it out!

Also I see you chatting about investigations? What are these for, and what is a hysteroscopy?

[blahblahetc]

Welcome @StillTTC7 Sorry your first didn't stick, this is actually my 4th.. (second FET).

They've suggested a hysteroscopy to check the uterus and uterine lining. I haven't had one done before so unsure what to expect, I've read that if they spot abnormalities, they could correct it to hopefully aid implantation of the embryo. The ERA test is to check the implantation window or when the womb might be most receptive. I dont know why these were not made known/recommended in my earlier rounds.

I've started on the estrogen tablets and waiting to hear when to start on progresterone (should be next cycle, after ovulation period). I was also on clexane so I think that will start same time as progesterone but not sure.

Are you waiting for period to commence FET?

[StillTTC7]

Hi @blahblahetc, sorry to hear you’ve had to go through so many. Must be mentally and physically taxing.

Ahh okay, I’ll have to have a google of those because I’ve never heard of them before. I take it they don’t suggest these until a failed round or two maybe?

Glad you’ve got started again though! What day of your cycle did you start the estrogen tablets?

Yes I have already had my first bleed since the failed pregnancy test (immediately after, the joys), so I think by the time we do consent forms and get the planning appointment it will be for the March cycle? I hope so anyhow. If not then April I guess.

[Serendipity24]

Welcome @StillTTC7

Hysteroscopy is when they insert a camera in your womb to get a better view. If they find anything, they usually remove it.

This is my first FET but the process is the same as a fresh transfer using donor eggs, which I recently had. Basically, you start with oestrogen tablets, have a scan, start progesterone pessaries, have the transfer. I was also given Prostap injection on the cycle prior (mock cycle) to stop ovulating. Not sure if it will be required this time though as I don't have to synchronize with the donor.

I was told to start with the oestrogen tablets on Day 1 of the cycle but some people start on Day 2 depending on when (morning/ evening) the period starts. Of course your clinic's instructions may vary.

@blahblahetc Did you do the tests in your clinic or somewhere else? What was the cost like?

[blahblahetc]

@StillTTC7 I started estrogen on day 1 of my cycle too, and I'm assuming I'll continue to take that until the FET in April. I think yeh they don't make the recommendation until after a few failures; but makes me think maybe they won't be failures if I had known about/done the procedure sooner.. only maybe.

It sounds like a withdrawal bleed but I can't tell the difference with my previous experiences too! You might have to wait till April to ensure everything has reset, will they be scanning you prior to prepping for FET?

@Serendipity24 I'm doing it abroad (Prague) this time, the hysteroscopy is only 650 euros compared to what I was quoted in the UK (£2,800!). The ERA (or what they call BeReady) is 520 euros.

[Serendipity24]

@blahblahetc thanks for the info. UK prices are crazy! I am with a Spanish clinic and tests over there are much more reasonably priced.

[StillTTC7]

@Serendipity24 oh okay that makes sense! They found a polyp at my first scan and had it removed. I take it the hysteroscopy shows a lot more than a trans vaginal ulstrasound? Is whatever might be found removed then and there?

Good luck for this cycle! Have you had a fresh cycle then previously? The FET process doesn’t sound as bad as full IVF actually. Obviously the same stresses though.

@blahblahetc yes I know what you means. It’s such a head melter all of this. You overthink absolutely everything.
I’d say you’re likely right re the withdrawal bleed. Though it was exactly the same as my normal bleeds, but scientifically it probably couldn’t be my real one.
I’m not sure about the scan, I literally had the review today so hopefully we get our consent forms asap and then we can book or planning appointment and will get more info the. I REALLY want to start in March though I know it will be impossible with ordering meds in etc.
What is the ERA test also?

How are you both finding clinics abroad? We have 2 private cycles paid for, and 1 NHS. If we need to but we hope we don’t, we’re strongly considering abroad too.

[blahblahetc]

@StillTTC7 Will you be doing any tests prior to the FET? I remember being impatient and wanting to go straight into another when the first one failed. Did lots of tests and was put on steroids (for NK cells) and aspirin/clexane (for sticky blood). When will you know when you can start prepping for the FET?

My first cycle was with NHS, subsequently had 3 cycles with Create. I wish someone told me to go abroad after the first one.. Costs aside (much much more reasonable abroad!) I find it a lot less stressful as the coordinators are more competent and response time quicker. Create caused me PTSD (I’m exaggerating a bit, more like extreme anger) because of their incompetence/mistakes/non-response; and we know stress don’t help with IVF!

I went with a clinic in Prague, it’s been so far quite good. They make sure they only prescribe the meds that are required so I don’t end up with extras I won’t use and I communicate with the coordinator via WhatsApp, which is so so nice compared to being put on hold by a machine in the uk only to be cut off after!

The ERA checks uterine receptivity, we only have a small window where implantation might be successful so that test (like a smear) will determine when is best to transfer the embryo.

[Serendipity24]

@StillTTC7 yes, the hysteroscopy shows a lot more than a transvaginal US. It is the best view they can possibly get. To my knowledge, they do remove anything then and there. Unless of course there is something complicated for which they might defer. But that scenario is very unlikely for IVF patients who usually go through a few scans before getting to this stage.

Regarding clinics abroad, my experience so far with the Spanish clinic is very good. My experience with the last clinic in Greece, however, was not so good. They were very good in terms of communication etc. at the beginning but following egg collection and zero fertilization, their behaviour was quite shocking. I firmly believe that they messed up my case towards the end of stimulation and but would not take any responsibility for it.

On my first scan in Greece, the doctor thought I should have a couple more days of stimulation before triggering. After the last scan, they were really in a hurry to send us to a pharmacy to get some drugs (forgot the name but never used it before) to inject immediately. I had to take the injection in the bathroom of the shopping mall as instructed by them! They also changed my trigger from Ovitrelle to something else which we had to buy. I used Ovitrelle in the previous two cycles, and always got a good number of eggs (9 and 12). This time, we got only 5 and none of them fertilized using ICSI.

However, the most shocking part for us was that following the egg collection we never saw the doctor again. He did not even attend the review meeting and sent an admin staff and an embryologist! They also charged us for time-lapse incubator which we never used because there were no embryos!

At the review meeting they denied that last minute changes had any influence on the final outcome, saying that, their egg donors take this trigger shot! What a daft thing to say! Older women's body function differently to younger egg donors and there is research on customising triggers for older women. Administering right trigger at the right time can greatly influence the number and quality of eggs retrieved.

This clinic (Newlife) has glowing reviews everywhere. We heard really positive things on the mumsnet too which made us choose them in the first place. However, our experience was really bad. It's not because we were unsuccessful, but how everything was done.

So I suppose, going abroad does not always guarantee you success or a good service. But I am happy with the Spanish clinic (Instituto Bernabeu) so far and really wish we went there instead of Newlife in Greece.

[StillTTC7]

@blahblahetc Im really not sure, but they didn’t seem to be mentioned. It’s all such a mystery I don’t ever know what I should be asking. I’ve heard of NK cells and people taking baby aspirin, but I don’t know if I’ve ever had tests relating to those? I also don’t have a clue re prep yet! I’m waiting for our new FET consent forms as they’re different than fresh ones. But yes I’m impatient and want to start yesterday!

Aww I’m sorry you didn’t have good experiences over here, that sucks. I can’t complain about our place, their communication is pretty good. How are you finding the treatment plan in Prague then? How is the travel or do you stay there for a while?

ERA sounds good, I also wonder how I go about getting that! I don’t know if our place offers it, I must check. What part of your cycle do you get it done?

@Serendipity24 hmm I wonder, I think I technically already had this. I had a polypectomy by hysteroscopy so hopefully all else was okay.

Oh your experience in that clinic in Greece doesn’t sound great. As you say seems a bit rushed / frantic towards the end. Sorry you had a crappy time with them. It must be even more frustrating when you can’t even just pop in to see what’s happening. But I’m glad you’ve found somewhere you’re happier with. I asked @blahblahetc as well, how are you finding the travel etc? I’m very interested and we’re potentially looking at going across the water if these cycles don’t work.

Thank you both for all the info so far. What a maze this journey is for all of us!

[blahblahetc]

@StillTTC7 Definitely ask about NK cells and sticky bloods tests to begin with. Re. Prep, it’s really just eating all the right foods etc + pessaries to get the lining nice and comfy (I hate progesterone!).

My work is very good and I can work from abroad so it have done two 1+ week trips so far (I did DuoStim); Prague is also easy to get around so no complaints so far, my husband came with me for a few days so we treated it like a holiday initially. We stayed at an airbnb.

The clinic I’m with tries their best to accommodate with my timings. I’m going there again tmr, this time for 5 days for the hysteroscopy and a scan; then an overnight trip next week for the ERA. The transfer in April will also be overnight (or same day if I can coordinate flight times!).

oh and ERA is like a mock cycle I think so they do it about same time they might transfer the embryo: day 20/21 of cycle. The results from the ERA is good for 6months ie for future FET if this one fails..

@Serendipity24 sorry to hear about your experience in Greece. I was skeptical about Greece but mainly because of its ‘cosmetic surgeries’ reputation. A GP I spoke to actually did her IVF in Spain and has had a good experience (she has a boy from that round) so wishing you the best!

[Vik27]

Hi all, I’d like to join. We’ve just found out our second FET didn’t work. We had a BFP on OTD but the scan just shown a small sac so it didn’t really develop. We didn’t do pgt so hard to say whether the embryo was abnormal or normal. I don’t know too much about pgt so unsure whether we’d do it this next time around. I’ll have to do some research.

We’ll be starting a new cycle in April as we only had 2 embryos to begin with. (First failed/didn’t implant) hopefully fresh transfer.

[blahblahetc]

Welcome @Vik27 sorry your transfer didn’t work out. That was similar to my first (fresh) transfer, it implanted but lost very shortly.. we subsequently transferred an euploid but that didn’t implant so I decided not to do PGTA after that. Lots of info surrounding PGTA but my takeaway is unless you have more than 10 embryos to test, it’s better to take the risk and give the precious few a chance. We tested 4 and 3 were discarded from that batch… they were all good/very good quality embryos too so sometimes I regret testing them.

When do you start stimming?

[Serendipity24]

Thanks @blahblahetc and @StillTTC7

And welcome @Vik27 so sorry that your cycle failed. I think I would find it harder if the embryo implanted but did not progress than getting a negative outright. Hope you are getting all the emotional support.

@StillTTC7 I generally like to travel, so not a big issue for me. There is direct flight to Alicante from here, so it's less stressful. Just need to remember to take everything especially meds. We saw a couple at the clinic who were very distraught that they forgot some meds, and the ones they brought were kept in the freezer instead of the fridge by the hotel by mistake. I always make sure my accommodation has a fridge in the room/apartment to avoid mishaps like this. Luckily FET meds don't require a fridge though.

[Vik27]

@blahblahetc yes I was thinking that we’d probably only send them for testing if we have a lot whereas we only had 2 for our first round and I can’t imagine we can significantly increase this number. I need to ring the clinic when I’ve had a bleed so they can calculate dates. I’m hoping all the progesterone I’ve been taking doesn’t prolong it much longer. After the first round it was only 3 days after stopping so fingers crossed for AF on Monday.

@Serendipity24 thank you. We’re both fine now and have come to terms with it and ready to continue our journey

[StillTTC7]

@blahblahetc I will have to enquire about those thanks. Is it just a matter of blood tests? I’d imagine they’re extras? What sort of foods you talking? I have read about pomegranate juice and pineapple core that thins the blood and can help uterine lining or something? I’m not on progesterone pessaries until the first scan I think. I also hate them! I really wish I could get progesterone in a different form. It also sent my hormones and emotions all over the place!

Aww wow that has worked out well for you then. Nice to take some time together in new surroundings too whilst doing something so big. Must have kept your mind off it a bit more. They sound pretty efficient too! Hoping it all goes smoothly for you 😀

@Serendipity24 thats fab. Don’t just fly in and out too or stay for any length of time? I would be devastated if that were to happen to me. I checked about 7 times in our 1 hour car journey that I had brought the prostap injection 😂

[blahblahetc]

@StillTTC7 yes, mostly bloods. But I’ve done all the bloods possible so doing the hysteroscopy now. Today actually! A bit nervous..

Re. Food, it’s all the good stuff (Mediterranean diet, no processed food) to prepare the body. I also take traditional chinese meds, herbal stuff.. it’s said to prepare the womb to receive and ‘hold’ the embryo, but that would only work if the embryo is normal to begin with. Haven’t heard of pomegranate juice, beetroot juice after transfer is supposed to help too.

There is progesterone in oil form, lubion. But I haven’t been on it before.. I heard it’s very painful, more painful than Clexane!

[Serendipity24]

@StillTTC7 For the tests etc. I stayed overnight, though could manage a day trip if I booked early. For the actual cycle, I stayed 8 days. I booked an extra day just in case the transfer was on Day 6 and I wanted to take a day off after the transfer. I think for FET I will do a 3-day trip.

@blahblahetc My acupuncturist said that pomegranate is good for lining. Beetroot is a good source of folate which is why it is good post-transfer. I had lubion injections before in addition to cyclogest pessaries, I did not have any pain or reactions. I found it a much better way to take progesterone. I think I am going to ask my doctor.

[Serendipity24]

@blahblahetc Good luck for the hysteroscopy today.

My doctor said I could do one for the peace of my mind but he doesn't think it is necessary. He put on table the option of a natural modified FET.

[blahblahetc]

Thanks @Serendipity24 is lubion injected the same way ie into fat?

The Prague doc actually didn’t recommend it, but because my previous clinic did (after all the tests, I think that was the next course of action), I thought I’d rather do it for peace of mind.. and it’s a fraction of the UK cost in Prague. I’m not sure what else is there to check if this doesn’t work..

Also, brazil nuts are said to help with implantation too.

[Serendipity24]

@blahblahetc yes, lubion is a subcutaneous injection

[StillTTC7]

@blahblahetc sorry only getting to this now, how did it go? I hope it went well and you were okay going in.

Actually going to look into the Chinese herbal stuff, I’ve heard good things. I did acupuncture and reflexology leading up to and during the last round but think I’ll give it a rest this cycle.

How do you take the oil form? Is it an injection? Was clexane similar? It’s mad how many different forms there are of the same drug for the same purpose!

@Serendipity24 here that’s not too bad actually. Nice you had a bit of flexibility. So did you arrive just before egg collection and leave just after transfer? I was wondering how the travel worked for it all so that just makes sense. Do they help you figure out a travel schedule or just leave you to it?