Final IVF things to try

[Lullabywish]

Hi, After 6 years and 7 rounds of IVF, round 5 being a success and giving us our beautiful son. 🥰 We have one embryo left and we are wanting to chuck everything at it. I've read about vaginal microbiome and gut microbiome causing implantation failure.
I am taking Ovum supplements, taking additional omega 3, optibac for vaginal health and Symprove shot everyday for gut health. The consultant is also giving me a course of doxycycline before transfer in case of any excess bad bacteria. Is there anything else I can be doing to help out odds? Any advice or tips very welcome.
I'm also going to be on extra progesterone and blood thinners as I have had many failed implantations and miscarriages. Thank you 🫶🏼

Hi, I would look into a saline sonogram/aquascan or hysteroscopy the month before transfer just to check it all looks good. It provides a better overview than a transvaginal ultrasound as far as I know. And the traditional wisdom of keeping your feet warm can't hurt 😀 keeping my fingers super crossed!!

You could do a vaginal microbiome test to check out if there's anything more specific you might do to improve good bacteria, or need treating. I was recommended biome her activated probiotics https://naturaldispensary.co.uk/1361_biome-her-30s by a nutritionist as they contain Lactobacillus crispatus, a particularly beneficial strain. A saline scan also a good idea as Pp says

Good luck!

Came here to say hysteroscopy too. And potentially endometrial scratch?

Re the old wives tales - I drank a concoction of 1/2 cup pure beetroot juice, 1/2 cup pure pomegranate juice every day 2 weeks before transfer and up to 12 weeks (lol sounds so insane). I figured at the very least its relatively healthy.

I also increased to 3 x Cylogest pessaries and 1 x Lubion injection, along with Fragmin blood thinners and 75mg Aspirin.

Super good luck to you!! xx

Thank you for your replies, I really appreciate them. I got a price off our clinic a few months ago for a hysteroscopy and it was over £2,000. That's just money we don't have to spend after all these years of treatment. I do have a transvaginal scan on Saturday regarding fertility so I might ask if they could do a hysteroscopy (as it's unexplained for us on my part I wanted to try and do more investigations so I had another HSG before Christmas which was clear and I have another scan on Saturday with NHS).

I will be on 3 x Cyclogest too, prontogest every third day and Inhixa blood thinners and if I get a positive, 75mg Aspirin. I will try the juice concoction!

I did private IVF but got my hysteroscopy on the NHS - there was no wait list because I opted to have it under general anaesthetic. Just sharing in case that’s an option for you xx

Saline sonograms are a lot cheaper than hysteroscopies if that's an option, I think around the £500 mark. Then if they pick up on anything that needs removing you can hopefully get that done on the NHS as the PP said, unless they are happy to do it for you regardless. I was also listening to a podcast yesterday and it said acupuncture right before and after transfer might be beneficial (I seem to remember more evidence for those particular times than general acupuncture throughout TTC, which I did regularly for a while and is super expensive). I understand the feeling of wanting to try everything and I'm doing the same, but if it gets too much please don't feel guilty. We can't all do everything that is suggested and some stuff might even contradict itself. We are unexplained but I keep reminding myself that it's not because I didn't wear socks that one 2 week wait or because I didn't eat salmon one day or forgot to do a fertility yoga pose or whatever. We'd be extinct if it was such an exact science. 😀 But yes I've obsessed about all of those things and a lot more at various points in our ongoing battle. 😂

I feel like I'm in a real time sensitive moment. I'm due to start my down regulation medication on Monday but I have an NHS Transvaginal scan today for further fertility investigation I started. I'm going to ask them if they can see fibroids or polyps on that scan (not 100% sure what today's scan is looking for). If they say there's nothing and all looks good great, if they aren't sure I will ask them what the wait time would be for Hysteroscopy and how I would have to go about getting referred for one or if I can self refer.... probably not I assume.
If they can do a Hysteroscopy and the wait time is short I'd be tempted to pause my treatment....feel sick about it but reading about fibroids and polyps it says signs are difficulty getting and staying pregnant, heavy and painful periods, tick to all of those. It is a total minefield isn't it, never feel like you're doing enough.

I feel you - I delayed treatment to have a hysteroscopy and I was sooo up and down about it. I just wanted to get to the next transfer as soon as possible. But I did wait and get the hysteroscopy and then I transferred a few weeks later. In hindsight it wasn’t too bad but it was painful at the time! Hope they tell you today there’s not a long waitlist xx

@Hopeandfaith1990 did they find fibroids and polyps? Did you do it as a just in case? Xx

Yeah as a just in case - no polyps or anything found, I also got them to biopsy just in case but all was clear x

@Hopeandfaith1990 I've got lots of questions now sorry as I'd be in the same boat. Did you have a reason to think you might have some? It's the multiple failed implantations and miscarriages that's making me think about it mostly. Hope you don't mind the questions. X

No problem, it was suggested because I’d had one failed transfer and 4 previous MCs. I was at a bit of a loss so thought uterine environment might be the issue. Xx

@Hopeandfaith1990 I'm just so torn. So i had my scan this morning and I asked her if there was any signs of fibroids, polyps or cysts and she said no. Which is great, but then I said based on what you've seen would you say I should have a Hysteroscopy and she said a Hysteroscopy is the gold standard but had no idea on time scales.
My concern is delaying treatment when I have no idea potentially how long for as it's all been a bit slow.
Did you go on to have success after that or still trying?

Yes, I am now 13 weeks after my transfer in November 💕

Its a really hard and personal decision - I am 35 and my embryos are 34 so felt pretty confident in the timelines in the grand scheme of things - if age hadn't been on my side I might have not waited (can't remember if you've shared your age). Equally, if it was my last embryo I do think I would wait for the hysterosopy under GA (unless it was a ridiculous like 6 month+ waitlist?). If it was truly my last time I guess I'd want to know I'd done everything I possibly could to try and help it be successful.

I've no evidence to say the hysteroscopy helped for me, but the transfer worked and this pregnancy is the furthest I've ever been. Equally, it could have been nothing to do with the hysteroscopy and could be down to adding in blood thinners! IVF is a minefield xxxx

@Hopeandfaith1990 I'm 38, 39 in April but my embryos were made when I was 32 so I'm not worried about them. I have called my clinic and asked to pause my cycle and hopefully have a Hysteroscopy. I totally agree that I want all bases covered, knowing we did absolutely everything we could and the Hysteroscopy is the last thing we can do. Hopefully I can be referred for one quickly and then we can continue with treatment.

Huge congratulations on your pregnancy, that is wonderful news. Wether it was the blood thinners or the Hysteroscopy it doesn't matter, something's done the trick hasn't it. ❤️❤️

Thank you! Super good luck for your transfer xxxx

Hey, can I ask where you bought the beatroot and pom juice? Or did you just blend it yourself? Thinking ill give this a go.... I mean I've tried all the other old wives tails so why not!

Just from a supermarket like Sainsburys or Waitrose. I buy them separately and just mix half a cup of each. Just make sure you buy the pure stuff. The beet brand is either Cawston Press or James White and the Pomegranate is ‘Pom’ or ‘Pomegreat’ . It’s an acquired taste but you get used to it

There's a beetroot juice with ginger in it that I found more palatable, can't remember the brand but was probably one of those already mentioned!