May 2025 FET

[Raegs]

I thought I would start a thread for those scheduled for a FET in May.

Had egg collection in Feb, feels like forever ago now.

I have just started a medicated FET cycle. Started taking norethisterone today. Provisional transfer scheduled for May 27th.

Anyone else on a similar timeline?

I have a provisional FET date of 6th May, currently just taking Estradiol, have a day 8 scan booked for next Monday, then will hopefully start progesterone pessaries a few days after that as on my last two cancelled cycles my lining was above 8mm by day 8.

Feeling nervous as it’s our only embryo and not great quality (4CC), but it’s our first ever transfer so I’m trying to be cautiously optimistic.

hi everyone I have a provisional FET date booked for 6th May with my scan on the 28th. This is my first attempt with our only embryo so quite nervous. I have had cycle cancelled twice before for cysts

@OneQuirkyPanda interesting that your lining was too thick ! I was only worried about it too thin do they know why or was it just bad luck.

wishing you both luck that this is our month 🤞

@Anniekent1 sorry, just realised my post was worded badly, the cycles weren’t cancelled because it was too thick, they were cancelled because of cysts, I had corpus luteum cyst one cycle then a follicular cyst another cycle.

I’m not sure why it gets thick so early, I drink 300ml of beetroot juice every day from day 2 onwards as I heard that helps your lining thicken, so could be that?

Hi @OneQuirkyPanda ahh that makes more sense. You almost send me spiralling down a whole new 'what if' scenario 😅least your lining seems to be doing well though. I dont really like beetroot juice but happy to have the beetroot in salads and stuff so hope that works in the same way
Looks like we have had quite similar journeys as I also had two cancelled due to cycts but they were found on the baseline scan so I have never even been allowed to start the Estradiol until now so furthest I have got. Quite worried about the scan next week that they will find something that will make it get pushed back yet another month. I had my egg collection early january so it already feels forever!

Also looks like we are scan and transfer twins with a single embryo so maybe this is a good sign ( Im taking everything as a good sign these days trying to get that positivity out there in the universe that this will work 😄)

how have you been feeling about everything?

@Anniekent1 sorry! I should have been clearer. I hate beetroot juice too, so I mix it with some pomegranate juice as that does the same thing (but think there’s more evidence for beetroot) and it makes it taste a lot nicer, then I just chug it down!

Oh wow, I’m glad someone is in a similar situation, I see people with loads of great quality embryos and it makes me feel quite negative about only having one, especially as it’s not good quality.

I feel the same way about the scans, I had a scan yesterday and they said the cyst is gone and everything looks good, so hoping nothing pops up.

I swing between feeling optimistic and excited and feeling anxious and negative, I think the hormones don’t help with that though! How are you feeling?

Ahh yes I am much better with the pomegranate juice. Tbh at this point I’ll do anything if I think it helps. Although part of me logically is like if it’s going to work it will work because it’s meant to not because I drank juice and wore three pairs of socks

oh I’m the same I have a day 6 as well so they warned me that this has a much less chance already. They said 6-10% in one call so it’s quite hard to get too excited for it. Took some time to process and try and be grateful for at least this one chance. The clinic just said it’s a learning experience for next time which grinds my gears. Glad your scan went well at least and the estridol should keep things nice and calm until transfer !!

@Anniekent1 I will try anything at this point tbh! My embryo is a day 6 4CC, but the clinic said it was average quality, not poor, but everything I’ve read online says it’s poor, so who knows.

The stats I've found online say around a 30% chance for poor quality blasts, and no significant different between day 5 and day 6 for frozen transfers, so not sure why your clinic is quoting so low?

@OneQuirkyPandai think a lot of it is either luck or unknown as well. I read so many perfect looking failing and then poorer quality working so think we will just have to wait and see and hope for the best. The idea of not not working and then having to go for another egg collection just kills me st this point. But then I also wanted a ‘family’ rather than a child so only benefit is that it gives me another chance to make more embroys whilst I’m younger. Trying to think of it as a good thing both ways to save any disappointment

i did a time lapse score thing with my clinic and they said based on the time lapse care score it had this percentage but they didn’t sound too confident and were a bit dismissive of it so not sure what to think. Let me know how your next scan goes!

@Anniekent1 yeah exactly, that’s what I keep hoping, I am a scientist and I did a lot of research into grading and there was a paper published recently saying that poor graded embryos may have lower success rates because they are often implanted last after multiple failed transfers and that grading is highly subjective and can change within a day. So I’m holding onto that and trying to be positive.

Yes we are the same, we want more than one child so we have come to terms with having to do another round regardless. We did mild IVF (reciprocal so implanting my wife’s embryo in me, as I have very low AMH) and I think that’s potentially why we have only one embryo, as my wife has a very high AMH and AFC. We have been kicking ourselves for not just paying the extra for a standard cycle, but hindsight is a wonderful thing.

All my clinic said was it’s a 4CC and is of average quality, they haven’t quoted a success rate, I’ve been too scared to ask!

Hi - I also have scan on Monday with aim to transfer the following week
and I also have only 1, 3BC (day 5, untested)
this is my 3rd round and will be my 6th embryo transfer (2 doubles and a single)

really not got much hope based on my past experiences
I’m 40 next month and feeling pretty down about it all

though I’ve spent the last couple of days madly searching the internet for success stories - but I don’t know why as there’s nothing can do about it now!

Are your doing anything in preparation to the run up to transfer?

@OneQuirkyPandaim trying to think of it as there are two outcomes, either works or it doesn’t. So 50/50 and I’m doing everything I can do it to work so that’s all I can do

oh hindsight is one of those great things isn’t it- think they used my first cycle as a test as they said the medication didn’t work as well as they expected so they want to change that next time. We doing it for MFI so they assumed I wouldn’t need certain things but it didn’t work out like that. All a learning curve and definitely takes time to process the disappointment for each stage. Just mixed my beetroot juice with the pomegranate so great tip thank you 🤩

@spamOFtheDAY hi! This is my third attempt at embryo transfer so I’m doing what I’ve done the last two rounds as they were really happy with my lining on day 8 the last two times.

I drink a pint of beetroot juice every day from cycle day 2 (with some pomegranate juice mixed in for taste), I take supplements recommended in it starts with the egg (ovum, b12, omega 3 and vitamin E) and I’m taking 4mg Estradiol daily.

I was told by the clinic to have a high protein diet with lots of fruit and veg and go back to normal activity following transfer, so trying to have a healthy diet too, but not being too strict with it. How about you?

@Anniekent1 that it isn’t it, there’s so many variables too, it’s not just the embryo quality, there’s genetics of the embryo and womb lining too and so many other things that can influence whether it’s a success. I’ve seen women with poor quality blasts and day 3/4 embryos have success and women with 5AA blasts have failures, so you just never really know!

Best of luck to all of you. It really is a mindfuck isn't it. I find myself scrawling the internet for success stories and people in similar scenario to me. I guess you are right @Anniekent1 - it works or it doesn't.

This is my first FET so feeling nervous about the unknown. Good to know about the beetroot juice and and other advice @OneQuirkyPanda

Fingers crossed for you all!

@Raegsim exactly the same. I scroll endlessly on Reddit searching for a scenario that fit with me but then have a rational head that is saying it’s not helping as I fixate on it. Very much an emotional rollercoaster. Ahh it’s so scary being the first. This is the closest I have ever been to potentially being pregnant and have never seen a positive test so in some ways I can’t actually process it being positive and it happening. Easier to build a defence and think it won’t work

Hi everyone, joining along as I have my transfer on the 1st of May. It's been a bit of a slog as I had EC in mid January and a freeze all due to OHSS risk. I was only allowed to start the FET protocol after 2 bleeds and then was on the long protocol for down regulation. Tomorrow evening is my last day of buserilin (literally been injecting that one for the past 23 days at this point!)

Had my Day 10 scan today and all looks well, they're happy with my lining and everything so I'll start progesterone (2 x pessaries and 2 x lubion injections) on the saturday, plus a high dose blood thinner as I have high platelets.

I'm with you ladies too with not getting too hung up on grading - much of it is subjective and about the aesthetics of the embryo (and also majorly differs clinic to clinic). But like you @OneQuirkyPanda i'm also a scientist, so have been consuming far too many journal articles about the impact of grading on live births. We can try to rationalise and logic our way out of the anxiety, but it doesn't last long for me.

I'm currently trying to reduce stress pre and post transfer (speaking to my manager tomorrow about taking a few weeks off as medical leave) and channelling the vibes of "there is nothing I can do now to change the outcome." The embryos are made, the genetics have been determined, hormone levels are completely dictated by the doctors and the drug protocol, there's nothing in my control about this whole thing. Which is both comforting and terrifying.

Fingers crossed everyone here has a smooth journey to transfer day and that by June, we're all posting in that BFP After IVF 2025 thread ❤

@OneQuirkyPanda I'm close to you in scheduled in for 8/9 th may currently on estrogen tablets 4x a day for next week and then progesterone pessaries and injections and then blood thinners, last time I drank beetroot, pomegranate and blueberry juice every day it was successful but ended in miscarriage so here I am back again, trying to eat eggs everyday as my clinic advised this having it with avacado for some good fats

@OneQuirkyPanda I'm close to you in scheduled in for 8/9 th may currently on estrogen tablets 4x a day for next week and then progesterone pessaries and injections and then blood thinners, last time I drank beetroot, pomegranate and blueberry juice every day it was successful but ended in miscarriage so here I am back again, trying to eat eggs everyday as my clinic advised this having it with avacado for some good fats

I also would recommend the beetroot shots small and can get them down quicker 🤣

I hope you don’t mind me joining. I’m due my first scan on Monday and haven’t been given a transfer date yet so not sure how long it will take before the 2WW begins.

would you mind me asking what beetroot juice is for?
I know a few of you are also on blood thinners, is anyone also taking steroids and aspirin?

@FrostedFlake beetroot supposedly helps the lining thats al basically

Hi all, I’ve got my first FET later in May, think I’ll be on similar timings to you @Raegs. I started norethisterone a few days ago and I’ve got my baseline scan on Tuesday. Also had my EC in Feb, it was a freeze all so this will be my first ever transfer…

I’ve had a few pregnancy announcements from close friends recently so feeling a bit down about it all. But I guess it’s good they’ve come at a time when we’re doing something rather than just waiting!

I had my first beetroot juice this morning, surprisingly tasty once I got over the shock of it being so… earthy 😂

For those that have had their transfers or have them scheduled. How long after you have started follicle stimulating medication did you have the transfer? I’m currently on day 7 and have my first scan tomorrow but trying to plan whether it will be this coming week or the week after as it will depend on how I approach it with work for time off.

good luck @OneQuirkyPanda on your scan today xx

@FrostedFlake are you having a FET or full cycle as Im sure this will make a difference my transfer is 9 days after my scan this is for a medicated FET