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Infertility

Our Infertility Support forum is a space to connect with others in the same position, discuss causes, treatment and IVF, and share infertility stories of hope and success.

October FET

664 replies

InfertilitySWS · 25/08/2025 03:27

Hi! I’m starting the process of a FET in September, transferring a 4AB early October. Trying for baby number two. Anyone else? Would be great to have people to talk to amongst the symptom spotting, line eyes and general freak outs ☺️

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15
StillBelieving2 · 01/10/2025 13:31

Welcome @Lalalansy , sounds really mean to throw that at you in the last minute while you're already going through alot!
Thanks @Sara237. Yes lasted a week! Have FRER being delivered today and will likely test with them tomorrow and Friday 🙈 I've lots of cramping so starting to assume I'm out 😞 as our last embryo not sure if we'll try again..

Sara237 · 01/10/2025 13:50

@StillBelieving2 It's so hard. Especially when so many of the symptoms of it working are similar to the symptoms of it not working. Bloody progesterone. I've been in the same situation with our last embryo a few years back. Thinking of you.

SarahAndQuack · 01/10/2025 18:14

I've just made myself tuna and brown rice salad, with avocado and toasted almonds ... because obviously my womb lining knows I'm doing FET tomorrow. Hmm

Is it just me who inevitably beats herself up just before appointments about all the things I should have done differently? In real life I am fairly calm and take a moderate approach to healthy eating and so on, but those 24 hours before I go to the clinic I seem to imagine I can cramb 40 years' worth of nuts, oils, seeds, green veg, etc., in. Grin

Fingers crossed @StillBelieving2. It is rough.

Welcome in @Lalalansy.

StillBelieving2 · 01/10/2025 21:17

Thanks all. After such a chilled out round last time I'm finding this one so hard! I've had conflicting symptoms all day, between the cramping which I really don't believe implantation is that noticeable is it? But then couldn't face dinner tonight as felt a bit nauseous. What a rollercoaster. Off to sleep it off and will likely test in the morning. Any thoughts on how reliable an FRER is 10dpt5?

@SarahAndQuack good luck tomorrow! Know exactly how you feel cramping every health kick in at the last minute!

SarahAndQuack · 02/10/2025 08:36

Thanks @StillBelieving2. Sorry, I've no idea about reliability and tests, but wishing you luck.

I've just lifted my last two bags of compost for two weeks! Going to do a garden then go to the clinic.

SarahAndQuack · 02/10/2025 16:34

I feel absolutely shattered. Done embryo transfer and the embryo thawed fine. I know we are all super hormonal, and I was really missing someone to hold my hand, and I know it's made me really over sensitive, but it really upset me.

When they did the transfer the nurse played it back on the screen to show it happening. Now, I know they have to give us records of things or tick boxes to say we've been told/shown things; I do get it. But she printed out the image and gave it to me, and it's like the print-out you'd get for a pregnancy scan, and I just felt there was no need for that. I do not understand why that couldn't have been emailed or whatever, so you're not walking around with what looks like a pregnancy scan.

Anyway, that set me off, which is stupid, then after they'd done their talk about medications the nurse gave me a little box of chocolates. And I know - that's so sweet, it's meant to be nice, but I am trying so hard to control how I feel, and I just felt, in combination with the non-pregnancy-scan picture, really shit. Because I've got to hold it together for two weeks, and I really don't want to sit around eating chocolate and pretending this is a lovely happy time.

On the top of that, the doctor wrote me a prescription for two new medications. Last time, I had problems getting medications from any of my local pharmacies, so this time I asked about it and also asked how much they'd cost. She said she had no idea about costs but Morrisons across the road would have them. Well, they didn't, nor did my local pharmacy, so I guess tomorrow I look again.

I get it: they are obviously not trying to be actively crap, but why on why not spend the money on basics like knowing how much medication costs and where people can quickly and easily pick it up, rather than messing around with chocolates?

Sara237 · 02/10/2025 20:59

@SarahAndQuack You've just expressed so many of the parts of this process that make it so bloody tough. The way you get the pic like a pregnancy scan pic without knowing if you'll even be pregnant, the chocolates ffs...then more constant stress and irritation with sourcing yet more drugs. On it goes. They're obviously trying to create a celebratory mood and sense of occasion and for some that may be appreciated but when you feel battered by this process, it's not really fit for purpose. Our experience is different and a different approach would be good. I often think this when waiting for private scans surrounded by baby pics and joyous expecting families...This trying to control your feelings all the time also sounds bloody exhausting though admirable. I hope you can keep your mind occupied these next few days. Steer clear of th compost!

Sara237 · 02/10/2025 21:08

@StillBelieving2 FRER test is meant to be able to detect 25 mIU hCG/mL which i googled is approx hormone level 10 days after implantation...but varies from person to person. So I'd believe it if it is positive but repeat if negative. Good luck .🤞

SarahAndQuack · 02/10/2025 21:45

Sara237 · 02/10/2025 20:59

@SarahAndQuack You've just expressed so many of the parts of this process that make it so bloody tough. The way you get the pic like a pregnancy scan pic without knowing if you'll even be pregnant, the chocolates ffs...then more constant stress and irritation with sourcing yet more drugs. On it goes. They're obviously trying to create a celebratory mood and sense of occasion and for some that may be appreciated but when you feel battered by this process, it's not really fit for purpose. Our experience is different and a different approach would be good. I often think this when waiting for private scans surrounded by baby pics and joyous expecting families...This trying to control your feelings all the time also sounds bloody exhausting though admirable. I hope you can keep your mind occupied these next few days. Steer clear of th compost!

You're so kind, @Sara237. I really appreciated this post.

I think ... it's just the way I felt as if it was such a cynical, production-like approach. When I did my last cycle (same clinic) they emailed me before opening hours on a Saturday morning to tell me I urgently needed to sign a form to 'destroy' the embryos and then to tell me they couldn't carry out my 'request' to destroy them because the baby's father hadn't signed. I found that pretty upsetting, but to veer from that to 'ooh, here are chocolates, let's pretend it was the happy kind of scan!' just felt really cruel.

Individual nurses can be really nice, but I'm fed up about the nonsense with medications and quite fed up with the whole thing. Oof. I shall pull myself together, I promise.

And no hands near compost! I swear!

How are you getting on? This is your first day on progesterone for transfer on Monday, is that right?

Sara237 · 02/10/2025 22:10

@SarahAndQuack To be frank, they sound like complete fuckwits. It's almost akin to gaslighting where you start to think it's you but really they just are a bit shit. I felt this with a clinic I used in the past. Worst experience I ever had of a transfer. I had to have gas and air it was so bad. With my son, it was easy. Incomparable experiences.
I'm ok. Injection was fine. Woke with headache but my skin looks outstanding, must be the oestrogen! I just want to get there and back and be on the home run as it were. Yes, transfer Monday. 😁

SarahAndQuack · 02/10/2025 22:15

Grin Ha! OK, you genuinely made me laugh there! And it feels better. You get so gaslit into thinking it must be you being oversensitive, don't you? Ugh.

But that is awful about the transfer where you needed gas and air. That should not be happening! I'm so sorry.

Absolutely get what you mean about wishing to get through it. I have not noticed any skin-beautifying benefits of oestrogen but that's a nice perk! Here's hoping Monday rolls on quickly for you.

cakeislife1234 · 03/10/2025 07:33

Hi everyone,
so I have a little update. Had bloods on Monday when they saw the cyst on my ovary as they thought it was because I have ovulated, bloods have come back that I haven’t so long chat with the consultant and because this area on my uterus has been on and off (possibly a smallish 8mm polyp or maybe a fold in my uterus lining) they’ve agreed I can go ahead with transfer on Tuesday provided my progesterone levels are ok!

Honestly the relief when I got the phone call yesterday was so immense I almost threw up!

Hope everyone else is getting on ok and not feeling too stressed about everything xx

Waitingforday6 · 03/10/2025 07:50

That's great @cakeislife1234! Thinking of all of you and cheering you on. I am still on this board even though our transfer will be after Christmas now but I am so invested in everyone ❤️ when I joined this board I wasn't sure when we'd have our transfer (egg collection and freeze all early August, then waiting for the cycle to go back to normal and had a few commitments including a long awaited holiday to reward ourselves for the year of IVF prep we've had but because IVF shifted my cycle late November/early December would have been our earliest and for the sake of a month or so we decided to enjoy our Christmas first before jumping into transfers

SarahAndQuack · 03/10/2025 08:09

cakeislife1234 · 03/10/2025 07:33

Hi everyone,
so I have a little update. Had bloods on Monday when they saw the cyst on my ovary as they thought it was because I have ovulated, bloods have come back that I haven’t so long chat with the consultant and because this area on my uterus has been on and off (possibly a smallish 8mm polyp or maybe a fold in my uterus lining) they’ve agreed I can go ahead with transfer on Tuesday provided my progesterone levels are ok!

Honestly the relief when I got the phone call yesterday was so immense I almost threw up!

Hope everyone else is getting on ok and not feeling too stressed about everything xx

Oh, that's wonderful! What a relief. Roll on Tuesday!

Miraclemuma03 · 03/10/2025 08:13

SarahAndQuack · 02/10/2025 16:34

I feel absolutely shattered. Done embryo transfer and the embryo thawed fine. I know we are all super hormonal, and I was really missing someone to hold my hand, and I know it's made me really over sensitive, but it really upset me.

When they did the transfer the nurse played it back on the screen to show it happening. Now, I know they have to give us records of things or tick boxes to say we've been told/shown things; I do get it. But she printed out the image and gave it to me, and it's like the print-out you'd get for a pregnancy scan, and I just felt there was no need for that. I do not understand why that couldn't have been emailed or whatever, so you're not walking around with what looks like a pregnancy scan.

Anyway, that set me off, which is stupid, then after they'd done their talk about medications the nurse gave me a little box of chocolates. And I know - that's so sweet, it's meant to be nice, but I am trying so hard to control how I feel, and I just felt, in combination with the non-pregnancy-scan picture, really shit. Because I've got to hold it together for two weeks, and I really don't want to sit around eating chocolate and pretending this is a lovely happy time.

On the top of that, the doctor wrote me a prescription for two new medications. Last time, I had problems getting medications from any of my local pharmacies, so this time I asked about it and also asked how much they'd cost. She said she had no idea about costs but Morrisons across the road would have them. Well, they didn't, nor did my local pharmacy, so I guess tomorrow I look again.

I get it: they are obviously not trying to be actively crap, but why on why not spend the money on basics like knowing how much medication costs and where people can quickly and easily pick it up, rather than messing around with chocolates?

It really sounds like today was a very hard day and im sorry no one was there to hold your hand through all those big emotions. I hope your feeling a little better now. Please go and do something nice for yourself throughout the 2ww.

StillBelieving2 · 03/10/2025 08:18

@SarahAndQuack so sorry it's felt that way, totally understand what you mean. You'd think with all the money you pay they'd be more aware of your history and be more sensitive that it's not always resulted in happy ending...

@cakeislife1234 great news, good luck for Tuesday!

Thanks @Sara237 l tested again this morning and there's no line or shadow So was clearly test eyes or evapyesterday. We're still 3 days away from OTD so not completely out but its looking less and less likely. Gutted.

SarahAndQuack · 03/10/2025 08:31

I'm so sorry, @StillBelieving2. It's such a hard road. Lots of love.

Miraclemuma03 · 03/10/2025 08:40

I feel like waiting for your period to come when you want it to come is the longest wait ever (besides the 2ww). My app says 7 more days but w will see. I just hope randomly it doesnt come earlier because I dont know how id make it too the clinic inbetween my current priorities.

waitingforourmiracle · 03/10/2025 13:34

I'm usually good at keeping up with the these threads but I've been rubbish this time!
@SarahAndQuack hope your feeling okay today after your transfer, I hope the 2ww isn't too bad and you get your positive result!!
@StillBelieving2 really sorry to hear that, sending lots of love!
@Miraclemuma03 I hateeeeeeee the wait for the bleed, my cycles are so irregular so I never know when it's coming!
I had my first lining scan today and it's still looking thin 6.2mm I think she said so she was pretty sure transfer will be pushed back from next Friday, looking more like the 17th now.
Hope everyone is doing okay xx

Sara237 · 03/10/2025 20:44

@cakeislife1234 Yeeees! I'm so pleased, it's such a novelty actually getting good news isn't it? Here's to this being the new trend for us! You'll be the day after me for transfer so we'll be able to compare symptoms and generally moan throughout the entire 2WW...yay... 😂
@StillBelieving2 You're not out yet, but I know how defeated you're feeling. Give it those few more days. Really hoping you get that line soon. 🙏
@SarahAndQuack One day down! You've got this. How's your little girl doing? My husband thinks we should tell our son and doesn't get my need for secrecy but I just can't face it. Also feeling nervous about this journey on Sunday alone ...roll on Tuesday!
@Waitingforday6 Love that you feel invested. It is a lovely thread this. The devoted gardener clutching her chocolates and non-preg scan, scan pic, the mother desperate for another chance at mothering despite her age, the cake lover why thinks she's out then discovers she's back in, trying not to implode with shock, the mum of ten with space in her heart for another...and all the others weeping in car parks, exhausted and prodded, so resilient on the surface yet edging towards our own internal crises...it's life imitating art it really is .. 💕

Sara237 · 03/10/2025 20:45

Sorry everyone... might have got a bit carried away there...

SarahAndQuack · 03/10/2025 21:17

Oh, aren't you lovely, @Sara237! What a cheering post to read.

I get where your husband is coming from, but I think it's not worth doing if you will find it harder. I won't bore you with a long story, but basically with DD I needed to tell her last cycle, because my friend who was trying with me was stepping into a parental role with her too, and she was starting to ask questions, so I thought the most sensible thing to say was that we hoped there might be a baby but we weren't at all sure. Because DD is donor conceived I think it is less of a big deal for her because we had talked about things like injections before. And that made it easier for me because I didn't have to hide from her that I was injecting myself of having to lie down after pessaries or whatever.

But I think it is really personal, and I absolutely get not wanting to say something to a child and then risk having to break bad news. Hope you're all ok.

It's absolutely blowing a gale here - I guess it is with most of us - and I've got the candles out because the power keeps going down. Hope everyone is staying safe!

Miraclemuma03 · 03/10/2025 23:07

@waitingforourmiracle oh that news sucks doesnt it. Hopefully you do get to have a transfer this cycle and it doesnt keep being pushed out. My transfer keeps being postponed because I have a bleed inbetween my periods and im trying to go for a modified natural transfer but the clinic said if I keep having a bleed I can go with a medicated cycle, guess iv had previous success with the natural cycle plus it saves some money and im not pumped full of hormones. So far this cycle is going well.

Miraclemuma03 · 03/10/2025 23:11

@Sara237 you said all of that beautifully. This is a great group and I am hoping everyone goes on to have their miracles.

Needamiracle12 · 03/10/2025 23:45

Hi ladies. I am starting our first FET cycle in the next couple of weeks. To say I am nervous is an understatement. I just received my FET meds and I've noticed they're asking me to take Voltarol 50mg 2 hrs before transfer and another 6 hrs after transfer. I was just reading online that NSAIDs are generally not recommended around transfer as they can affect implantation. Anyone else's clinic asked them to do this? I am with CRGH. Thanks