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..

@StillTTC7 Procedure went well without complications. Thanks for asking :) I was told this would work as an endometrium scratch by my original doctor but the one performing it don’t seem to think so.. (original doctor on leave) so I’m confused now. I don’t have any pain too, but I went in with a slight cold so I’m still feeling hungover from the GA even after 10hours of sleep last night!

I did acupuncture in one of the rounds and didn’t find it useful. Mostly because I can’t sit still/lie still. That’s the round where I had an euploid :(

Clexane is a blood thinner, it improves blood flow so not the same purpose as lubion (progesterone). I haven’t used lubion myself so I’ll let @Serendipity24 advise!🙃

@blahblahetc glad that it went well. Did they discuss the result with you? I'm sure it's all fine though, as the doctor did not ask for the procedure.

@StillTTC7 yes the progesterone in oil form is a subcutaneous injection.

They clinics only tell you when you need to be there and leave it up to you to schedule your travel plan. The Spanish clinic organised complimentary airport pickup the first time though.

@Serendipity24 Thanks :) They said they can’t see anything abnormal, nothing to remove but they took a biopsy from the uterine cavity and the cervix to test and I will know if I need treatment (antibiotics) in 3 weeks time. Not sure how I’m gonna get hold of the meds if I need them though.. I’ll ask at the scan appointment tomorrow.

We’ve been given estimated dates for FET for 29th April. The dr discussed about we are going on the long protocol this time to hopefully give us a better outcome/more eggs/high quality embryos. I’ve never heard of the long protocol? We had gonal-f and fyremedal and ovitrelle trigger shot for the first cycle.

Were you on the short/mild protocol previously @Vik27? I did long protocol on the NHS for my first round, I remember it was prostap then menopur and bemfola 225 and Ovitrelle for the trigger. 16 collected and 14 mature but they didn’t do ICSI so only 3 fertilised 😥I was so annoyed with them having “wasted” my eggs! They were the one who recommended ICSI too so unsure why it wasn’t done that way. Are you doing ICSI?

The long protocol definitely yield more eggs as you stim for a longer period. Definitely watch what you eat as that will have an effect on the eggs.

@blahblahetc I’ve never heard the terminology short/mid/long protocols until today but it must’ve just been the short protocol the first time around. Yes they’re doing icsi. I’ll just wait and see when I get all the protocol through and dates etc

Hi all! We've just had 4th icsi and got 4 frozen embryos, did do pgta due to quality fragmentation issues age etc. All 4 blasts tested with 3 euploud and one mosaic. None of the other 9 fertilised made it. We're planning for FET April as we decided we'd go away prior to transfer as after ohss and my ME and have a little gap.
They have suggested oestradiol, fyremadel to prevent ovulation, then scen and progesterone prior to transferring. 1st ever FET and nervous about timings...they altered my icsi cycle to mimic my longer cycle and it was best response we ever got. Not sure if it'll make a difference if they transfer earlier than I would naturally get an embryo arriving in uterus- it made a difference with ivf even though medication 'controlled 'my cycle and 1st clinic said it doesn't make a difference. For me it does....🤷‍♀️
@blahblahetc I had emma/alice but they treated me with doxycycline for 10 days while waiting for results anyway. Result was neg. Never had hysteroscopy even though I had a lap

Those are promising embryo figures @kerrym87 🤞🏼

I must admit I don’t know the difference between Emma & Alice and hysteroscopy, I did ask my previous doctor why not just give me the treatment if it’s only antibiotics and he said he didn’t wanna treat anything without a diagnosis.. and that might mess with the natural environment 🤷🏻‍♀️ The doctor today said the treatment will be 1 month of antibiotics if I need it 😳so hoping for the best now as don’t want any delays to my FET.

I’ll be doing the ERA test next week and I need to start on progesterone pessaries this Sunday: 3x a day.. JOY! If my calculation is anccurate and everything goes to plan, I’m hoping for the FET to take place first week of April.

@blahblahetc ema is to see about a low level infection in lining, alice checks all bacteria etc in lining. Hysteroscopy is camera in uterus to check for structural issues, polyps etc. The ERA can be useful for some people but the window can vary slightly cycle to cycle x

Got my hysteroscopy done. No GA, they just gave me antibiotic suspension, Ibuprofen, and Valium two hours before the procedure. I was wide awake and saw everything on the screen. There was slight period like cramp especially as the camera entered the uterus, but it was short lived. Egg retrieval caused more pain than this to be honest.

I am now wondering why GA is used, especially in a diagnostic hysteroscopy by some clinics. Mild sedation would be more appropriate than a GA in my opinion. I would understand the use of GA if it was an operative hysteroscopy and they were taking out something big. In my case, they found something which they took out for biopsy and I didn't feel anything. They told me they can remove anything less than 1cm in a diagnostic hysteroscopy.

But I am glad I did it. Everything else is fine apart from the small polyp or whatever that is.

Thanks @kerrym87 thats useful to know. The U.K. doc advised on a hysteroscopy when I mentioned Emma and Alice (although I didnt know the difference), they also said they have done all the tests necessary so hysteroscopy was the next one.. if any was required.

@Serendipity24 I agree, in hindsight prolly will
not pay extra for the GA.. the Prague clinic doesn’t use mild sedation, only GA but I think they gave me a lower dose as compared to egg retrieval time as I was awake when they moved me to the next room. Groggy nonetheless.. didn’t have anything removed. What confused me was I thought the hysteroscopy works as an ‘endometrium scratch’ (what the original Prague doc told me) but when I went back for my scan 2 days later, the doctor who did the procedure said it doesn’t when I asked again, so 😐

@blahblahetc @Serendipity24 I think its best practise when doing a lap with GA to do hysteroscopy at same time, some people may have higher pain and anxiety. I was not offered hysteroscopy at the same time when I really should have been so who knows....

@Serendipity24 @kerrym87 I have been dwelling on it - do you know if a hysteroscopy works as an endometrium scratch?

@blahblahetc after your post I googled endometrium scratch, and from the definition eg "the lining of the womb (the endometrium) is 'scratched' using a small sterile plastic tube" I would say the hysteroscopy does not work as one. I saw what was done during my hysteroscopy and at no point she scratched my womb with the camera or anything else. So sorry that you were given misinformation. Do you want to have an endometrium scratch prior to the transfer?

Thanks @Serendipity24 I googled the same thing and kept thinking maybe that was what they did but why do I feel no pain if it’s healing hence the confusion. So thanks for sharing your experience as that’s provided more clarity.

It is disappointing, I also had both the uk and Prague doctors said the same thing. I will ask them again when I go in next week.

I don’t think I want to bother with another appointment (unless they can do it same time as the ERA). Just want to get the transfer done asap 🙂

I think you said you will be using donor eggs? Just curious, how many embryos would you end up with? Does it work like this? Or is it just the one?

@blahblahetc Like everything in IVF, it really depends on your luck how many embryos you will get in a DE cycle. Some people get one, some get many. Getting zero viable embryo is also not unheard of, though rare. We got five, the first was transferred fresh but failed. So now doing our first FET, and really hoping this will be the last one.

@Serendipity24 DE is our next port of call and its true it can be pot luck . A friend of mine had 8 donor eggs and got one embryo- which has taken. It does just take one but I have a hard time believing it until it happens to us 😅

@kerrym87 so true! It doesn't really help me if the DE success rate is 90 percent (cumulative after 3 transfers) if I am in the unlucky 10 percent category!

Keeping my fingers crossed for you @Serendipity24 !

I haven't really considered the DE route, I have 6 untested (good/excellent blasts and 1 day-3) frozen at the moment.. I think (at this point in time!) I will call it a day if they are all unsuccessful. I turn 42 this year, so I don't think another round of retrieval will do my body any good - 6 collections in total... what a journey it's been.. hoping April 2024 is our time!

Thanks @blahblahetc. I totally understand DE is not for everyone and if it comes at that you should only go for it when you are ready. Good thing is DE success doesn't depend on the recipient age, so people can take time to think through everything. But hopefully you won't have to consider it ever as 2024 will be your year! 🍀

@Serendipity24 we're always that small percentage that are outliers.....we don't behave typically in the fertility world based on our on paper stats....
@blahblahetc 6 is great!!

Hi everyone, I wondered if I can join.

We had our consultation today and will be having our FET transfer in April.

We have extreme male factor infertility (obstructive azoospermia). We've had 3 rounds of ICSI but this is the first time we have day 5 blasts to transfer! Previously on our first two rounds all our embryos stalled at day 3 or were day 3 transfers that resulted in BFN. Our 3rd and most recent ICSI round we moved clinic to CRGH and it resulted in a day 5 blast and day 6 blast both frozen. We will be using the day 5 in April 😊 So i feel so lucky to even be at this point.

The consultant wants me to have a dummy embryo transfer and 3D sis scan tomorrow (not too sure what the scan is for!) and an endometrium scratch next Wednesday. I start provera on Sunday and then will be taking a prostrap injection, having a period then the eostrogen/progesterone.

I hope we all have some luck xx

Welcome @lemons44 and best wishes for the upcoming FET!

Have any of you already received your treatment plan? I am interested in knowing the dose of progesterone, especially in a natural modified FET.

I asked my clinic about using Lubion instead of Cyclogest because I don't like pressaries, and they said that if I get a BFP then I will have to continue taking it until at least week 6. As Lubion is more expensive, they usually prescribe Cyclogest, and Lubion only if you need a top-up. Also, if I start with Lubion, I will not be able to switch to Cyclogest later. As some people may need it beyond week 6, it can really add to the cost. I am not worried about the cost if Lubion works better but my research so far is inconclusive.

Also, they are not going to test progesterone before transfer this time (because it's a natural modified cycle and body will produce some progesterone), so they will not know if I need a top-up! I am not liking not testing bit. Yes, theoretically the body should produce progesterone in a natural cycle, but there are so many women who don't produce enough. I guess if they give me the same dose as last time then it should be fine. I have to wait for the treatment plan and see what they are proposing.

By the way @StillTTC7 I just checked the box of Lubion I have from previous cycle, it says it can be given as both intramuscular and subcutaneous injections.

@Serendipity24 i had both cyclogest and lubion for my previous 2 fet’s. Mine was a medicated cycle though. I much prefer the lubion although granted it is expensive especially considering I would have to be on it until the 12th week of pregnancy. They found from my first round that I naturally have low levels of oestrogen and progesterone so I couldn’t do without them both so I can’t imagine a natural modified cycle would ever work for me.

Welcome @lemons44 🙂I haven’t had a dummy transfer but I’m getting a scan/biospy tomorrow to check ‘implantation window’ so I’m assuming it’s for that reason ie check that your lining is ready..maybe? All the best in your FET!