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

@RainbowFluff so you still have a frozen one then, that's good. I think you have to culture them until day 5 to genetically test them. We decided against it because my numbers are so low that I just don't want to risk it. Which Create are you at? X

Hi all, hoping it’s ok to join. I have my first egg collection with Create on Friday.
My background is 42 years, 2 cycles last year of standard IVF with another clinic. Very poor response, first cycle cancelled and second cycle tried to get one egg but the follicle was empty. Tried natural modified with Create at end of last year but cancelled the cycle as didn’t respond. This time, I have done just two days of low dose stims and I have two follicles so we are giving it a go and I trigger tonight.

Would love to know people’s experiences of the egg collection at Create. With my last clinic I felt quite awake throughout and had some pain despite gas and air as well as light sedation. So I’m a bit anxious. Thanks for reading and I hope everyone is doing well.

@GingerRCD I’m with St Paul’s, sadly I used my frosty in October and it didn’t stick so I’ve got nothing currently. My meds should arrive Friday, AF due on Sunday this week.

@AlleycatMarie I’ve had 2 egg collections with Create and had a great experience, sedation worked perfectly and I didn’t feel a thing. Both over quite quickly with no pain or side effects afterwards, I can’t fault them in that regard.

@RainbowFluff I'm sorry for assuming that and I hope I haven't upset you. That's good that another cycle is starting soon. Good luck for the scan - I hope you see some promising follicles! I'm also at St Paul's.

@AlleycatMarie Hi, welcome to the thread. That's great that you have two - I hope they are looking promising and that you get a great result on Friday. I've had four egg collections at Create now, and have no recollection of any of them! I've always been completely conked out! My only thing would be to make it clear when the doctor comes to see you that you want them to drain both follicles. I sometimes find they can be so focused on "the one" that they may overlook others that are perhaps smaller. All the best of luck x

@GingerRCD not at all! It’s been a journey, that’s for sure. Great to find others that are going through similar, can’t believe you’re at St Paul’s as well.

@RainbowFluff I hear you! I often say I will be so glad when this phase of my life is over. But. I also don't want it to be because I want to stop the clock to have more time to hopefully have another baby. It's a tough jouurney.

How do you find it there? I find the admin team painful, and there are definitely consultants that I rate more than others.

Hi @RainbowFluff thank you for replying, your experience with egg collection is very reassuring.
I’m so sorry your frosty didn’t stick 😢 How are you feeling about another cycle?

Hi @GingerRCD thank you so much for replying! I have only been to St Paul’s once as I have been using their satellite clinic in Hertfordshire, so unsure what to expect. That is a great tip, thank you, I will definitely stress that I want both follicles drained.

How are you doing?

@GingerRCD admin has been a nightmare, I had to chase our patient co-ordinator a lot and we were sent incorrect invoices a couple of times. It is a pain trying to speak with a consultant, they often seem to book me a nurse appointment instead. I feel they don’t take much ownership of the treatment but maybe that’s because the things I suggest won’t make much difference, I just wish they’d say do X or don’t do it instead of letting me decide!

How did it go today, @AlleycatMarie ? I hope you're feeling OK x

Thanks for asking @GingerRCD Sadly, despite having three follicles drained, two of which were a good size, there was no egg. I’m devastated. I don’t know what else I can do.

Hi @AlleycatMarie I am really sorry to hear that. I know that it must feel crushing. I'm thinking of you and hope you recover from the physical side of things quickly. Be kind to yourself these next few days and allow yourself to rest, but also to feel all what you need to feel. It's a rough journey all of this.

It might be worth asking to see your blood results and discuss those at your post-cycle review. They can usually point to whether the estrogen was indicative of there being any eggs/a certain number of eggs being present.

I assume you're likely taking things like COQ10 and DHEA? I would also recommend fertility acupuncture.

Thinking of you and sending you love. Take care of yourself and we're here to chat if that helps xxx

Thank you for your kind words @GingerRCD
My bloods were good and that is why the doctor was so confident we would get an egg!

I’m taking all the supplements, but I don’t think they are making any difference. A year ago I had a much higher AMH and afc. Then I started taking all the ones recommended in It starts with the egg, and just six months later all my levels had rapidly declined.

My doctor says he will discuss me with the team and is wondering about trying a completely natural cycle, but with this one I only took 150 gonal f for two days, so it was a mild as possible. I think I may have to admit that this is just not going to happen for me.

Hope you are ok x

@AlleycatMarie That's good that he's going to discuss it with the wider team. Perhaps a completely natural approach is a good idea, because your body will show them which month is the best month, without the interference of drugs.

One thing I forgot to mention is that for the last two cycles, Create prescribed me Tamoxifen, which I take for about 5 days beginning on Day 3 of my cycle, then I start the stimulation on Day 5/6. I've found that my follicles have grown at a similar rate as each other, and I've had the most success these last two cycles. I think I've responded well to that. It slows down your estrogen to give your follicles a chance to reach maturation a bit slower. I didn't get an embryo on the first two cycles. It might be worth asking about that. I have very low AMH - 0.55 when tested over a year ago.

I will keep rooting for you, take care xx

@AlleycatMarie I meant that on the first two cycles, without tamoxifen, I didn't get any embryos. On the last two cycles, with tamoxifen, I've got one embryo and then two embryos.

Thank you @GingerRCD that’s really interesting and not something I have heard of at all. I will definitely mention it to the doctor when I speak to him. That’s amazing that it helped you get embryos! X

@AlleycatMarie did you say that was your first cycle with Create? Hopefully now they have some data they can make a more personalised plan for you, if that’s what you want. There are so many adaptations that they can make.

Hi @RainbowFluff no it was my second attempt with create (and 4th in total). I think we are out of adaptations and money sadly. We tried as natural as possible this time whilst still ensuring I didn’t ovulate early (so only 2 days of low dose stims). The only option is 100-% natural but obviously that comes with a lot of risks of ovulating before collection. As I said, I don’t think we can afford any more now 😢 x

@AlleycatMarie so sorry to hear this, it’s such a rollercoaster journey and emotionally and financially so difficult. Thinking of you x

@AlleycatMarie Do you know what your oestrogen levels were on your last test? As someone else said, that's usually a good indication of mature eggs. In my experience it's around 1000pmol of oestrogen for a mature egg?

Hi @Rosiestraws yes, it was this high, which is why the doctor was so sure we would get an egg.

Thank you @RainbowFluff Hope you’re doing ok xx

ah sorry, no advice, I'm afraid. I know how rubbish it is though as my first EC (at another clinic) I had 5 follicles going in and got no eggs! They didn't monitor bloods though so I've always been reassured that Create did do this and had good experiences with them because of that.. bit concerning if the bloods can't even be relied upon!

I assume they confirmed you had not ovulated early before the EC? I know one cycle I had 2 follicles before EC and when I had my scan in the operating theatre, there was then only one follicle so I must have ovulated early. I believe there was no obvious fluid in womb (or wherever they were expecting to see it) but the follicle was simply not there anymore so they assumed that happened.. (We did go ahead with the EC anyway and get the 1 egg though..)

I was also really reassured with them monitoring bloods as I haven’t had that at a previous clinic. Plus, they scanned first to confirm the follicles were still there, so I really don’t know how this has happened!!

I don’t know whether to attempt a completely natural cycle, or admit defeat.