Sibling round

[2mumlife]

Hi there,

Used to be part of a different thread for sibling round, but thought I'd start a new thread to see if there was anyone else considering a sibling round this year?

Great to hear you've made a plan @2mumlife I think we'll be on similar timings for next month!

@Wildflower9 I'm so pleased it's going well for you. Feeling the baby moving around must be so reassuring, especially after your worries early on.

@RitaFires I feel the same too! I have a son and struggling to put my all into this next round like I did the first time. I do feel a bit more relaxed this time though, knowing I've done it all before and knowing I've got my son so that definitely helped me.

@strawberrylaces12 I don't know if you remember me but I was with you through our last rounds! So lovely to see you here and thinking about a FET.

We've had our first egg collection of our duo stim last month - we got 16 eggs, the same as our round in 2024. Had quite a big drop off again though unfortunately so ended up with a 4BB, 4CC and 3BC frozen. We go again next month for our second round and then hopefully a fresh transfer 🤞🏻 I have a clinic follow up next week to talk about things and hopefully see if there's any changes we can make to improve things for the next round.

@2mumlife thats exciting, hope all goes well for you!

@RitaFires to be honest I haven’t given much thought to preparation other than buying some folic acid which I need to start taking more consistently. I didn’t do much else last time around either, I generally eat healthy and am physically fit so hoping that will be enough this time too. What did you do last time?

@Wildflower9 that’s wonderful that you can feel the baby now and are feeling good 😊

@strawberrylaces12 thats the same policy as my clinic, I stopped bf in March/April with a view to doing a FET in August. Didn’t really want to stop but honestly it hasn’t been too bad once the hormone crash passed. Sounds like your baby is getting ready to wean himself anyway if some days he’s barely having any milk so hopefully the transition won’t be bad whenever you decide to do it.
I understand some people carry on breastfeeding but I felt more comfortable following the clinics recommendations on it.

We are going to get in touch with our clinic soon to get the ball rolling for the FET in August when our son is 1. Got my period back last month and this month it is late which got us hopeful that maybe we’ve managed to get pregnant naturally but the test was negative unfortunately.

Yes I thought I recognised your username on this thread! How are you getting on, how old is your son? 🥰

Yeah I think by the time I stop breastfeeding and have the wait for the tests and then a transfer it could be end of the year or start of next. We're not in any huge rush but we are a same sex couple so nothing is going to happen naturally and it did take longer than expected to conceive our son through fertility treatment. So I'd quite like to start in the not too distant future and ideally not have too much of an age gap but honestly if we are blessed with another child that would be amazing.

I'd really wanted go breastfeed for longer e.g. morning and evening just for the health benefits for my son but I'll be glad to have done at least a year of it. Considering the complications at birth and being told I may not be able to breastfeed or it could be delayed (significant haemorrhage and blood transfusion) I'm very happy to have breastfed for this long 🥰

@strawberrylaces12 he's also 1 next month 🥰

Gosh it's so bittersweet isn't it! 🥹 feels like he's still a newborn but also a full on toddler already 😂

@RitaFires Welcome to the thread! Give yourself lots of compassion that trying for a sibling is less all-consuming. For a FET I'd just concentrate on your basics - folic acid, vit D, avoid alcohol and caffine. Anyhing more than that is a bonus!

@Wildflower9 Can't believe thats you half way through already! Sorry the first trimster was hard on you, but so lovely to feel baby moving around! Thanks for sharing that you also felt some of the hesistations too. I think its because it does feel like a 'luxury' at this point to try again, and also it does feels more like 'going back to the start' as my son gets older.

@strawberrylaces12 I think what you do is very much a personal choice. If you are looking at a non-medicated FET, then there is no medical reason for you to stop breastfeeding. You could ask your clinic what their grounds are for you stopping breastfeeding - there isn't sufficient evidence to suggest it impacts success rates during FET, and if they claim its because IF you get pregnant your supply MIGHT stop - well then thats your judgement call I would argue, and something you can challenge if you wish. Even with a medicated FET the vast majority of medications would cause no concern - either because they cannot pass into breastmilk or would not reasonably cause any harm. Many, many children have breastfed through a second pregnancy, even when milk supply has reduced or stopped. My daughter dry nursed during my second pregnancy, I compltely weaned a few weeks before he was born, then she started again and we ultimately stopped on her third birthday (my choice). With my failed FET I kept breastfeeding my son through it, and he's still breastfeeding now. But this is very much personal choice, and you need to do what works for you and your family, and if you decide to wean completely, you've done amazing to breastfeed for so long 👏

@Magix86 So good to hear you're update and you're still going :) 16 eggs is amazing, and even with the big drop off banking 3 embryos is great. Hopefully you can get another 3 or more next round as well. That's exciting a fresh transfer is hopefully just around the corner!

@AMMxx Not long until your cycle! Thats exciting :)

@2mumlife It worked! I'm now 13+3 and starting to share the news 😊

So, over 2 ICSI cycles we got 5 blastocysts - and the 2nd and 3rd transfer both resulted in a pregnancy (1 fresh + full term, 1 fet + in progress but going well so far).

Good luck everyone, I wish you all success xx

Just to add about FET/pregnancy and breastfeeding, I did a natural FET because I was still breastfeeding our ~18month old and the clinic warned us that meds could cut my supply. But they didn't warn me that pregnancy would also cut my supply! So I was a bit unprepared for that.

My milk supply plummeted when I became pregnant, and my nipples got really sore (partly just a normal pregnancy symptom and partly because DS was probably sucking harder to get what little milk was there). Fortunately he was already disinterested in milk if anyone else offered it in a bottle, and only breastfeeding with me at bedtime, so on days when I missed bedtime due to work he wasn't having any milk at all, wasn't asking for it, and wasn't bothered.

I think weaning was actually easier when my supply dropped cos he realised he didn't need the milk after all. I introduced a water bottle at bedtime so that he could get comfort from the boob then quench his thirst with water, then I called it quits just before my 12 week scan, when I managed to get him to do a feed before bed and he was happy when on the boob but also a bit fidgety and looked like he could take it or leave it. Then I went and cried to my husband 😭 DS has mentioned it a couple of times since then but accepted my 'no' without fuss so it was clearly the right time.

I must say bedtimes are a bit quicker now that he's not endlessly asking for more milk to get to sleep lol (let's not talk about how long he keeps his eyes open to check I'm still there though) 😂😂

Hey guys!

So after freezing the 4 embryos, we tried a FET in June, on a natural cycle, but during one of the ultrasounds we discovered I had liquid in the uterus, which is a no no, apparently (it hinders implantation), so we cancelled the cycle. (the liquid can happen post c section, apparently, and its harmless, unless you are trying to get pregnant!)

Back again this cycle, and no liquid, so far, but also not quite ready yet (folicule is still growing), but fingers crossed!!!

@taytay2020 Congratulations!!! Hows the first trimster been? I found the breastfeeding aversions horrible when pregnant too, and also think the drop in supply helps stop breastfeeding (as my DD did eventually wean). Hold strong to staying no, as I felt guilty and let me DD feed again after DS arrived and she breastfed for another year 😂She still asks occasionally, and its been nearly a year since we fully weaned. She still sticks her hand down my top to try to feel my boob when upset 🙄

@ASGIRC Thats dissapointing to have a cycle cancelled. Hopefully goes more smoothly this time.

@taytay2020 I'm also quitely thinking if I got pregnant again it'd make it easier to wean DS 😆

Terrible drip-feeding sorry. My period arrived early yesterday, so I'm now willing the clinic to finish all their checks so our donor sperm can get shipped to the clinic in time for next cycle. I don't remember there being all these checks when we did this last time, but then realised its been over 6 years now since we shipped our original sperm over at the start of our fertility journey. No wonder its hard to call it an end to fertility treatment when its been part of our lives for this long 😧

@2mumlife Yeah, it was a bit disappointing, but for the best!
This cycle has gone much better and transfer is booked for Saturday!
Havent told anyone IRL, cause I dont want questions about whether it worked or not until I know myself.

Hope your donor sperm arrives in a timely fashion!

Keeping everything crossed for Saturday! 💛

Given thier time-frame I think the sperm should be at the clinic by the 1st week in August, and I think my next period should be about the 20th August (though my period is quite variable) so should all line up even if they take longer doing checks

Keep telling myself it gives me time for supplemnts to make a difference to egg quality.

Oh! I've found my people. Started a thread not realising this one was here already. We're hoping to go a sibling round of IUI later this year but the waiting is really getting to me 😅 Also a two mum family here with a one year old!

We have our returning patient consultation on Monday to discuss the next steps for our second FET. I am hoping we can do it this month, my period is due late August which should give enough time to order medication and have any remaining tests that they may need.

The one slight issue I have is that I forgot to book my smear test earlier this year and the clinic have said they need it to be up to date. I have booked it for 10th August but might not get the results back before my period starts and I doubt they’ll let me start the meds without the smear test result. Currently looking at options like home tests and private testing, cost is not an issue but could really do without it! So if anyone is in the same boat, get your smear up to date asap…

@Waitingaway Welcome to the thread! How old is your little one? Are you using same half to carry or you mixing it up for this round?

@AMMxx Hope you can get something sorted.

Still not heard anything more about all the checks needed to get our sperm shipped so think I'm going to need to call for an update this week and see where we are and try to get things moving

Haven't updated here for a while as feel like we've just been waiting to start again. But finally started stims yesterday for our third round! We have 4 embryos in the freezer - day 5 3AB, 4BB and day 6 4BC and 4CC. Hoping to go for a fresh transfer this time round 🙏
Hope everyone else here is getting on OK!

@2mumlife DD will be 2 later this year so hopefully at least 3yo when new baby arrives (assuming it takes us a few rounds to conceive). Hoping to keep all the conception logistics the same for simplicity's sakes - unmedicated IUI. Depends how all the scans go and if anything major has changed for me since last pregnancy. Fingers crossed!

@Magix86 How are the stims going? I assume you have some monitoring scans this week?

@Waitingaway Hope it happens quickly for you!

My period started yesterday which is a bugger as now means we're going to need to wait another month which is frustrating. Clinic finally got back to us to say its taken longer for checks as some issues have come up where our donor sperm (currently at ESB) doesn't strictly meet UK screening standards, which has results in them haivng to do some extra risk assessments to see if they would agree to import the sperm and use in treatment. Some of it is very minor (STD screen done at 92 days instead of 90 days for instance) but there is a slightly more concerining issue to do with Zika. Our donor went to to a country with a Zika risk, and did a Zika screening, but ESB wont / can't confrim when they got back from the country / how many days after they got back the screening was done. The coordinator spoke to my wife but as we need to sign off on a non-compliance form I want to speak with them myself about it too, but they never called back on Friday, so tried again this morning and the reception have left a messge to return the call ASAP. As I'm doing a medicated cycle though I think they're going to say we need to wait until next month if we go ahead.

Thanks for checking in @2mumlife the stims are going very well! Perhaps a bit toooo well 🤔
Had my first scan on Friday and had 19 follicles and today had our second scan and got a whopping 27!! I have no idea where they've come from lol.
They are moving my egg collection a day early and still aiming for a fresh transfer if it all looks good.

God that sounds so stressful about your clinic and sperm! Is it the same donor you used before? Can understand you wanting to use the same one so really hope they can work this out for you

Hello! Can I join please? I'm day 4 post day 5 medicated FET for a sibling. My daughter is 20 months old from our first fresh transfer. My test date is 24th.

I'm going mad, so sure it hasn't worked but also can't shut off the glimmer of hope that is telling me it has.

Hello everyone hope we're all well. Our FET sibling round was unsuccessful 2 weeks ago. We are gutted. We are planning a new egg collection and transfer either fresh or a new FET. How long do people tend to wait/prepare for a new egg collection after a failed FET?

@Magix86 That’s a lot of follicles!! Hope it means a really good round for you 🤞🤞 I finally got hold on clinic on Monday and they talked through things. It’s the same donor but a different “batch” of sperm collected at a different time point than the vials we’ve used before which is where the issue is. Everything’s been approved after a bit of back and forth, so sperms being shipped on Friday, but the clinic didn’t allow us to begin the cycle without the sperm on site, so we’ve got to wait another month unfortunately

@Keggles36 Welcome to the thread! How you getting on? Not too long to go until test day!

@HappyMamma2023 only time I’ve done an egg collection after FET was when I was trying for my first. I think we were a couple of months. To be honest I can’t totally remember. We changed protocol and retested my AMH and I started supplements and acupuncture. I think we mostly went as fast as clinic admin allowed.