Natural or modified natural FET gang

[magpie234]

Hi everyone. I have been posting in a few other threads but wanted to try and pull together some of us who are attempting natural or modified natural FETs either currently or soon.

I came off my oestrogen pills for a medicated cycle as they were making me feel terrible - constant headache and nausea so bad I was finding it difficult to eat anything. My ovulations and periods are pretty regular so thought why not try a cycle with less hormonal manipulation?

I have been given the green light by my clinic to start this attempt on my next cycle so am now just waiting for my period to start (now expected later than usual next weekend after the oestrogen pills messed things up).

I am excited but also anxious as I know it is harder to control and will require more scans and obsessive at-home ovulation testing to try and time things right. I hope my lining grows thick enough on its own! I may well end up having a trigger shot to force ovulation so that my transfer date will not fall on a weekend when my clinic does not operate (a point of extreme irritation given how much this costs on multiple levels but there we go…). In this case I would then also take progesterone pessaries. In any case… a relief to hopefully be avoiding those oestrogen pills!

Is anyone else in a similar boat? Or has anyone had success this way and have any advice to share? Good luck to everyone however you are approaching this rollercoaster ride.

Hey! I'm hoping to start my FET cycle soon. I've got the planning appointment on Wednesday next week with my period due a few days after - not sure if we will be able to get going on that cycle or not but I hope so!

It's my first NHS funded IVF cycle and we were lucky enough to get four frozen embryos. I've got the choice between a natural or medicated FET and keep going between the two - I'm hoping my planning appointment will help me decide.

Hi @magpie234! I am having a natural FET in September. We had our follow-up with our consultant on Thursday (private clinic) and she talked us through everything. I can’t do August as the clinic is semi-closed for holidays and I’m also away on holiday so the timing just worked that way. Currently waiting on what I hope will be my second last period for a while 😊

@magpie234I had success with natural modified FET (only had trigger shot and progesterone). My understanding is that if you have regular cycles and ovulate; natural or natural modified FET should be suggested, some clinics simply prefer medicated so they have more control to schedule the FET (especially for instance where they shut, clinic I was at would open on Sunday if a FET or EC needed it)

Also with ovulation tests, do them once in the morning and once in the evening at consistent times to get a more accurate picture. I found the flashing smiley ones worth using as they give you a heads up ovulation is round corner as its high fertility

I'm on day 10 of natural cycle and it's been really difficult because I'm having treatment abroad. If I had been in UK I'd do natural 100%. It's just so hard to schedule everything when need to factor in flights etc too. I've had 2 scans and lots of bloods but was still unable to identify ovulation and now we've missed it so an expensive and annoying month for me.

Hey jumping in here with my experience and also as currently doing a cycle this month

I first did IVF in 2021 and had to have a freeze all due to OHSS risks, our frozen transfer was a medicated cycle and was successful and I have a beautiful daughter who is 3.5

We had three embryos in the freezer and tried for a sibling in Dec last year. Our clinic really pushed natural FET so we went with their suggestion and it was an unsuccessful round. Tried again two months after another natural FET and this was also unsuccessful.
we have one embryo left which is a 3AA and I have pushed to go back to a medicated cycle so currently on medication for this cycle for a transfer early August hopefully. Fingers crossed after the two unsuccessful and having only one left this works

my clinic really pushed natural and claimed lots more risks for medicated and really scared me about doing it but I decided I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if I didn’t give it a go since our only successful time was a medicated one
the two unsuccessful embryos were 4AB and 4BB and the one I’m transferring is a 3AA.
our daughter was a 4AA

@pinksheetss That makes sense. My clinic does medicated by default and pushes that as it makes scheduling easier. I was fine doing medicated in theory but I found the side effects really tough hence am giving an alternative a go. Good luck with yours.

@Sunflower360 Thanks! I have bought some of the flashing ones in prep for that exact reason. Great it worked for you. Fingers crossed I also get success!

@CloudyIvy55 Let us know what you decide!

Good luck OP, I don’t think I have experienced anything as frustrating as IVF treatment!

I will have a FET in the next few months but doing some checks now (thyroid, vitamin D, microbiome) in preparation.

Like @Sara237 my clinic is abroad, I’ve had 2 natural FETs, both very expensive in terms of lots of ultrasounds and blood tests in the UK as well as travel but one was insane, last minute bank holiday weekend flights to Spain and then ovulation looked like it was happening earlier so had to change at great cost.

Like @pinksheetss the clinic was very keen on natural FETs but I am having medicated next time.

Good luck all!

Curious about the ones that push medicated. My clinic said studies show higher risks to baby and mum if it’s medicated but I still haven’t been able to find much of this study myself to look into it
bevause my daughter was from a medicated and everything was great and it’s last embryo I’m risking it on medicated again. A lot more expensive though!

I think clinics vary a lot and even within larger clinics different doctors have different approaches.
Medicated probably makes things more predictable but my natural FETs the transfer day was similar. At that time my clinic wanted me to do natural FETs as I was breastfeeding DC1 and preferred fewer drugs (although the quantity that might pass through the milk would not be harmful).
My only successful cycle was a mediated FET so I am also doing that next time, but an also having hormones checked, I want to give this next FET everything.