IVF/ICSI/FET December 2024

[camelinastorm]

Any peeps having IVF/ICSI/FET in Dec.
I am due to start meds 1st Dec this will be my frozen transfer from my 2nd cycle in August have stocked up on beetroot and pomegranate juice, looking for any tips 🙏🏼

I used to do them vaginally but hated the feel of them and had some irritation so switched to Lubion injections instead.

looking like a chemical again guys :( these were 48 hours apart. Back to square one again as this was our last embyro. Happy new year :( . Hope everyone is OK xx

@Laura2301 I'm so sorry. I hope you can take some time to be kind to yourself today

@Sherr33 welcome to the thread. I do them vaginally at night but rectally during the day because of convenience and being able to get on with the day. I'm also on prontogest injections every other day.

13dp5dt HCG came in at 157. Which isn't great, it's outside of the range for viable pregnancy at the moment. I have a follow up beta tomorrow.

@Laura2301 don't be disheartened straight away the second one isn't much different, my chemical literally went from a good line to 38 hrs later a pure squinter then that night nothing

Hi all, wanted to tap into the wisdom! my progesterone levels were low on transfer day (32.5 if that means anything). I am on vaginal pessaries and had choice of lubion (expensive) intramuscular injection (sounds painful and my partner is reluctant to administer) and “back passage” pessaries. The nurse said they are all similar in terms of effectiveness- is that your experience in terms of what you’ve been told? TIA

Welcome.

There is a difference in how's people body's absorb progesteron. Doe some people cyclogest or ultrogstan pessaries are enough. This wasn't the case for me. I for 3 transfers I had lubion injections added too. This still wasn't enough progesterone support for me so on Thai round my consultant said I needed to increase. She gave option of lubion 2 x a day. Or progesterone in oil every other day. She said her preventive would be for me to use progesterone in oil as it's infra muscular and the most reliable for your body. That's what i have done and my levels are the best they've ever been.

Hope this helps.

@charja100 how are you doing? Did you get an update today? Been thinking of you x

Hello @Eagerlywaiting1990 how are you? Did you have a nice Xmas and new year?

So the clinic called this morning with yesterday's beta results.

1st beta 13dp5dt - 157
2nd beta 15dp5dt - 567

So a large increase almost doubled in 25 hours. This roller coaster ride continues. I just burst into tears on the phone to the poor nurse. Going in for third beta (second with them) on Monday morning to check rise.

This morning I couldn't believe the increase and I was so relieved and almost relaxed. Then from this afternoon I’ve had these left side cramps come back that I had 3/4 days ago and they have definitely gotten stronger so lost I've list that short lived positivity.

Nurse at clinic asked if I'd had pain or if I had bled again on phone as that can be a telltale sign of ectopic. I haven't bled so that's good and told her no to cramps as that was true at the time... but these pains are bugging me now. She told me to take paracetamol if needed and that it was likely too soon to feel pain from an ectopic anyway so to relax. Took paracetamol as pain got worse, it’s placement is quite high and not in my uterus like period cramps it's kind of near my hip, so i am worried as it hasn't gone with the paracetamol.

Going to sit it out and see if they go. Or if they get worse over the weekend. Might call clinic or EPU for advice.

I know I sound like a proper worrier but I'm not normally like this

@charja100 congrats on your most recent hcg results, that's a great increase!! If I remember correctly we had our transfers on the same day and my transfer also worked :)

I'm having very similar pelvic pain at the moment, so I'm quite relieved to see your post!
Its been on and off for the past week but stronger and more constant as of yesterday and today.
Does yours feel like it's quite deep and quite a dull ache? mine goes through one side of my groin, up to my hip and a little bit down my thigh. Sometimes in the lower back too. It's really weird! The only thing I can find online that sounds similar is pelvic groin pain, but also feels too early to be experiencing that.

My clinic haven't been too worried as there's no bleeding, but suggested a scan in the next week or so if it'll help ease my worries, so I may do that just to double check location

@charja100 @Ru19 sending good wishes to you both! I am awaiting a FET but with my first pregnancy (very healthy boy) I had really bad like pulling pains and spotting all through first trimester. Almost felt like I was wearing a very heavy bumbag that was pulling down xx

@charja100 that's really positive news! I know it's still an anxious wait but it sounds like your symptoms are similar to others and hopefully not cause for concern.

I'm doing ok thanks. In on Monday to start oestrogen for my FET so at least things are moving :) xx

@Whysitsohard91 I am on progesterone injections X2 (progestan Dex) and pessaries 4 X per day if they are offing it I would take it personally

Agree with this. My last message wasn't very clear but I've ended up with the kitchen sink, and do progesterone in oil (prontogest 1.5ml every other day) and 3 cyclogest pessaries now. It's believed my chemicals were likely because of low progesterone.

@Ru19 congratulations on your positive! Mine are more localise to my ovary area on my left. I'd it wasn't a FET I'd have sworn it was a corpus luteum but it's weird.

@Cosyseason1234 thank you. That's good to know!

@Eagerlywaiting1990 I know I sound anxious. After 5 years TTC and 3 ECs and 5 transfers I just know my body. I'm trying to ignore the pain for now and hoping it doesn't get worse. Granted if not been pregnant before but you do somethings need to listen to your gut.

I am going to try to rise this positive wave this weekend!

@charja100 you have every reason to be anxious...you've been on one hell of a journey and probably know your body inside out. I'm like you and take everything with caution so totally understand your need to protect your heart, I just hope that there's a little miracle at play xx

@charja100 and @Ru19 sounds like you’ve both got positive progress - fingers crossed. It’s really tough and so hard there’s nothing to do except wait.

@camelinastorm @charja100 thank you both for your advice - I’m going to ask when they’re checking my levels again (presumably after OTD) to check it’s enough. My first round was a fresh cycle and my levels were ok then but presume need more of a boost with FET. Thank you

@Whysitsohard91 my clinic never checked my levels I was just put straight onto them all I'm assuming with my age it's standard procedure maybe what date is your OTD again ?

Every clinic should test your progesterone the day before a FET (assuming it's medicated) because their mimicking a cycle. I've had some follow up progesterone bloods too a few days ( normally 2 days) after to double check. Generally they increase your progesterone for a FET than from a fresh for this reason.

They reviewed the results from my bloods tests of my endometrio cycle (EMMA ALICE and ERA) to see my levels too which showed I needed more progesterone for future FETs than I had been on.

I didn’t have my progesterone levels checked at any point either. I’ve been on 3x daily pessaries since about 3 weeks prior to FET and told to continue them until 12 weeks pregnant. My clinic is reputable (TFP Oxford) so I’m guessing they would only check the levels if they had any particular concerns or a reason to?
Before the FET all I had was a scan about 5 days prior to check the lining.

@AMMxx or Were you on a fresh cycle? Or a natural cycle? Or is this your first cycle?

If medicated FET they should because your body doesn't naturally produce progesterone. However if a fresh or a natural cycle your body produces its own progesterone. I lost my first positive on my fresh cycle to early bleeding because my progesterone was too low. Clinic called it a chemical but we'll never know if it could have been viable. Turns out my progesterone was really low. It's not common in the UK to do the tests on first transfer (unless medicated FET which my transfer wasn't) but I encourage everyone to advocate for it. It's such simple test that can prevent heartache.

It’s a medicated cycle and frozen transfer, my first transfer. If anything goes wrong I’ll raise it with them, good to know others do it as a standard!

I wonder if they took the values when I had my egg collection as that’s the last time I had a blood test, and they then determined I’ll be fine with the medication they’ve prescribed. And if there are any issues they’ll then investigate if it’s due to progesterone.
I didn’t have a blood test at any point between EC and FET.

If you had a blood test at egg collection then I think they took them then. 😊 in the UK clinics really don't monitor us enough. In the USA they monitor progesterone as standard as it's so important. I learnt it the hard way I guess and just like to raise awareness.

My clinic said they don't test progesterone. I asked if I could get it tested this time after two failed transfer. My fresh transfer I started bleeding early so on my frozen cycle I was on 3x pessaries cyclogest and 1x lubion injection. This is again my progesterone protocol for my 2 fet and I'm so worried that it isn't enough or being absorbed but my clinic just won't budge. Any advice on this?x

@Sherr33 my clinic wouldn't test my progesterone after they switched me from 2xlubion and 3 cyclogest to 1 x prontogest every time day.m on the day I wanted them to ( the morning / afternoon where I'd be the lowest). Got my own peace of mind on this cycle I paid for a private progesterone test at a local clinic that does private tests and scans. It cost me 40 and gave me what I needed to know.

It also what I did on my first transfer that failed. Because they wouldn't my prayer one came back at 11 on that first transfer.

If they won't do it you could always ask your doctor or pay for it to be done privately. I'm privately paying for this ivf. For me I saw it as 45 for a blood test to ensure successful transfer saved me 8000 of a failed cycle.

@Sherr33 my clinic wouldn't test my progesterone after they switched me from 2xlubion and 3 cyclogest to 1 x prontogest every other day. I wanted to test on the day I wanted t morning / afternoon where I'd be the lowest). For my own peace of mind on this cycle I paid for a private progesterone test at a local clinic that does private tests and scans so I could test at the exact time I wanted to (when my progesterone would be at its lowest) It cost me 40 and gave me what I needed to know.

It's also what I did on my first transfer that failed. Because they wouldn't test me post transfer even though I asked them to. My private test showed my progesterone came back at just 11 on that first transfer. Only after I did this did my clinic take it seriously. I already knew I had a short luteal phase so I just knew it needed support.

If they won't do it you could always ask your doctor if they will refer you, or pay for it to be done privately. I'm privately paying for this ivf. For me I saw it as 45 for a blood test to ensure successful transfer saved me 8000 of a failed cycle.