Create Fertility - Experiences (Part 3)

[Sunflower360]

Hi 👋

A thread for anyone who wants to discuss their Create Fertility experiences.

I'm 38, have had 3 egg collections with Create (2x natural modified and 1 x mild) and am about to go through my first FET following embryo banking and after having a Hysteroscopy and discovering I have thyroid antibodies...joys of fertility challenges.

Tagging as follows from previous chat, please tag any others I may have forgot.

New joiners to the thread welcome to share your experiences - it's a never ending learning curve for all!

@Maddie23
@gemso2020
@Doxy21
@Plantymcplant
@Jennaqua
@Hopesandsunshine
@jolly86
@VenusStarr
@muddlingthrou
@junieS
@littlebitsocial

Hi everyone. Sorry for just jumping on this thread but I just wanted to ask something about Create. I have been diagnosed with unexplained secondary infertility and have been ttc a second child for over three years. I'm 40 going on 41. Have just completed failed NHS funded round of IVF and while I didn't find the whole process that bad I'm reluctant to go down that route again. I am very interested in natural/mild ivf but unfortunately and unbelievably no one offers it anywhere in Ireland which is where I live (Belfast) so I came across Create. I am signed up for the seminar on Tuesday but I was wondering if anyone can shed a light on approx how many times you have to visit the clinic for scans/tests/procedures etc during a cycle. I would be looking at the Manchester clinic probably as it's most convenient but I suppose I'm just wondering if it would be feasible since I would have to fly over for everything. Any advice/insight would be greatly appreciated. Thank you! 😊

@LittleMissTrying Hi and welcome! Feel free to ask as many questions as you like!

Mild IVF is something that depends on the Drs opinion...I had an NHS cycle that was max stims and led to failed fertilisation of 2 eggs. I then had 3 x ECs with Create on natural modified and then mild IVF and with 14 eggs over 3 cycles ended up with 8 embryos, so naturally I'm quite sold on the theory a gentle approach is better. My follicles seemed to respond better on a lower dose of meds or so I found anyway.

Scans wise you can expect to visit clinic around 5 times over a 2 week period which would include monitoring scans and the EC and this can end up being every other day depending on how closely they are monitoring you. It really is case by case...in one EC it was 7 visits (inc EC) as my follicles were taking a bit longer to grow so it does vary

Hi @LittleMissTrying just wondering how is it possible to have funded nhs treatment for secondary infertility? I thought it was available only for first child. Is this dependant on the area?

Thanks so much @Sunflower360that is very helpful. Your case sounds quite similar to mine. Was on max meds retrieved 9 eggs four fertilised and two embryos transferred but neither stuck unfortunately. I didn't get any to freeze. I have heard from many that they had a better response on milder meds and would really like to give it a try but again it's not available anywhere in Ireland. Sounds like I would have to budget for hotel/air bnb for the two weeks. Not ideal but I don't really have any other choice. Are you happy with your experience with create overall? And would you recommend? I'll be putting a lot of money effort and time away from my daughter for it and just want to make sure it's the right decision. I know there's no guarantee but you at least want a good experience and treatment.

Hi @jolly86 yes I think it is down to the area. I was lucky as in NI they allow you one round even if you have a child already. And so long as you meet rest of the criteria. Its so unfair that they are so strict in other areas of the UK.

@LittleMissTrying interesting, I thought for a sec if it had changed but it must be only in NI that it's allowed. I don't think in any other part of England.

@jolly86 really??? Like nowhere in England offers if it you have a child already? That's crazy. And I read that some don't let you even if your partner has another child with someone else. It really needs reviewed in my opinion.

@LittleMissTrying where I am I don’t think you qualify if your partner had a baby previously.

@LittleMissTrying it does but even for people who qualify there s such waiting time that they go private. I was given 1 free round where I live.

@LittleMissTrying in England the rules vary on each trust-Im pretty confident all of them don't offer treatment if you have a child or even if your partner has a child from a previous relationship. Crazy really, especially the latter as you could miss out being a parent if you couldn't afford to go private. Some trusts even specify AMH levels, weight limits, varying age cut offs, number of cycles-bit of a postcode lottery tbh!

I personally would definitely recommend Create but I know there are varying views and each experience is so different. Personally my NHS experience was not good, I felt they did not know or have an interest in low AMH-quite a conveyor belt approach. Then I had a consultation with Care and they wanted to do long protocol which I was not in agreement with and then I had the consultation with Create where it felt they were more aligned to us. It is quite individual. What I have noticed over the last year is that it depends on the Dr and much of the advice is subjective to the area of research they believe and follow. For instance immunology affects on fertility has split Dr's opinion as had mild/max stims, so you kind of just need to see how the consultation feels for you to ensure alignment

I m 8dp3dt and I have been feeling really down in the last day or two and very tired. I feel like crying I am so worried it’s negative. I don’t know how I will cope this time around as I feel like i put in a lot of effort. :(

How do you all find the ivf drugs make you feel?

@jolly86 that's rubbish you're feeling that way, hope you can find something to help with taking your mind off things if possible although I completely understand it is difficult. Have you spoken to anyone or explored counselling? I haven't revisited it but I did have counselling during the ECs which did help, if only to have someone neutral to off load to and put things into perspective with

The meds I found were ok, but perhaps I was more emotional reflecting back on it, hence the counselling...but I'm not sure how much of that was just the IVF journey in general. I'd like to think if I did another EC I would be more prepared for the curve balls

@Sunflower360 yes I did have sessions of counselling and I have completed it for now, was told to go back in a few months if I want to. It wasn't a fertility based one but general.
I didn't necessarily feel bad during the round of IVF but just now, one week after the transfer. I am wondering if the progesterone (this time I have 1 injection every 2 days in addition to usual vaginal dose) is causing this too. Also, this can be pms symptoms, as it is getting closer to that time :(

@jolly86 it could possibly be the medication, hopefully it is not too long of wait for you to get some clarity. When is your OTD?

@jolly86 - I was an emotional wreck after transfer! Not sure if it was the meds or feeling defeatist or what, but I found it the hardest part by far. I gave myself license to cry and wallow a bit then tried to distract myself (with varying success). Please try and keep the faith and be gentle with yourself x

thanks @Sunflower360 @muddlingthrou

My OTD is 2 may but I would definitely not last till then.

@Sunflower360 yes it definitely seems like a postcode lottery and NI seems to be better and more accessible than the rest of UK. However it still didn't work for me and I totally agree with your description of it being like a conveyor belt. My doctor told me straight to my face just after Christmas that she would be "throwing" the highest dose of meds at me due to my age. That was the only reason. Despite the fact that I had a decent AMH and no other underlying issues. It's very much an "onto the next" ethos. I understand because they are so busy but still it isn't personalised and we are all just given the max dose with a Hope for the best attitude. I feel like I need somewhere like Create to really understand what is going on with my body and tailor my meds and treatment to that. How long have you been with them and what treatment plan did you opt for?

@LittleMissTrying I've been with them since last September now and will likely stay with them for this entire journey whether it leads to a baby or not. Namely because I've liked their approach. Plus I feel each clinic has its pros and cons, reality is IVF is still an evolving science and I do believe a lot is pot luck once the embryo is put back in. The main thing is creating embryosas that is the science outside of the body, once that is done then the rest is still a question mark where science is concerned, they cannot be 100% sure why some implant and others don't, they have ideas but the medical world appears quite split on it, plus each IVF case is so unique to each patient with different causes for infertility it is hard to pin point exactly what worked when it does as so many things get chucked in the mix to give it a go-or could it just be that particular embryo, that particular month just happened to stick? Mind boggles! But in any case when choosing a clinic a lot is about making sure you're aligned to their approaches and if you're wanting a gentler approach in comparison to max stims then Create would definitely be the way forward (in my opinion anyway)

@LittleMissTrying I went for 3 cycle natural modified with ICSI, but the last one turned into mild as they noticed I was responding better than they thought despite my low amh

@Sunflower360 when is your next transfer?

@jolly86 booked in for 2nd May, so not long to go! Doing back to back has made my cycles slightly shorter, I ovulated CD 11 this cycle (usually CD12-14), but I was 3 days late starting my period due to stopping Progesterone pessaries later due to OTD so I feel like its my body correcting itself during the cycle if that makes sense

@Sunflower360 yes it happens to me that I have a longer and then shorter cycle. Did you decide what you will transfer? Not long for you then.

@jolly86 well it depends on what happens with the day 3 embryo. If it turns into a blastocyst then it'll depend on the grade as to whether it'll be a single or double transfer. If its good it'll be a single if not then double from the frozen embryos. So won't know until morning of transfer, so slightly in limbo in that respect. I could very quickly go from 6 embryos to 3 in no time if this day 3 does nothing...hence my thoughts of wanting to do another EC if this next FET does not work

@Sunflower360 that's quite a bit of suspense! I kept wondering what my day 3 embryos would do in these last 2 rounds as I only got transferred at day 3 and left nothing to freeze.