NHS funding fresh vs frozen

[Lululemon67]

Hi all, looking for some advice. We live in east London and are very lucky to have some NHS funding. Our first fresh transfer just failed and we are lucky to have 3 frozen embryos. The clinic are recommending having a frozen transfer next but I’m deliberating whether to move to another fresh cycle as I’m 37, want to maximise the funding and maybe have more than one baby. On the other hand be great to avoid stims. I can’t work out the NHS funding rules. They say they’ll fund three cycles from

stimulation to transfer of one embryo but this could include frozen transfer. The nurse on the phone said this would have to include one. Frozen round and if that’s the case may as well do it first but the guidance doesn’t need to say that.

Sorry it’s very complicated. Be interested to hear of anyone else has experience or has thoughts on deciding between fresh and frozen rounds?

Thank you!

Lucy

[Lozzagriffiths]

I had two fresh failed transfers. And then on my third transfer we did a frozen one as we had 7 embryos in the freezer. I am now 25 weeks pregnant from a frozen transfer and think frozen transfers are way better and easier on the system. This is just from my personal experience from doing two fresh and a frozen. I got absolutely no symptoms from the frozen transfer and didn’t think it worked when it had indeed.

[Lululemon67 in reply to Lozzagriffiths]

V interesting thanks

[Lululemon67 in reply to Lululemon67]

And congrats!

[Millbanks]

Hi there! I’m in East London too (at the Homerton) and we have 3 rounds on the NHS. The way it works is you get 3 full rounds (including stims, egg collection and transfer of a fresh embryo) that’s classified as 1 round. We wanted to wait though so did the first round of stims and egg collection then froze 4 embryos. From my understanding we can now transfer 3 embryos (individually counting as 1 round). If we had no more stims/egg collections and just transferred 3 separate embryos we’d have used them all up... does that make sense?

If we’d done the first cycle as fresh - we’d still have the option to do 2 more full rounds.

X

[Lululemon67 in reply to Millbanks]

Hello and Thanks! we’re at St Barts but the commissioning is the same. So each of your frozen will count as a round? Do you think you’ll just do that or are you considering another fresh later?

[Bugblue in reply to Lululemon67]

Hi I’m based in East London and at Barts. Same funding rules apply. Had first ICSI cycle fail and got one egg that we froze. Did second cycle and froze two more. They put one fresh blastocyst and am currently 5weeks. Wanted to leave frozen option till we collected more eggs and they said if the second cycle didn’t work they would put two eggs back for our last cycle. One of the three cycles had to be frozen. Best of luck to you in whatever you decide!!! Xxx

[Lululemon67 in reply to Bugblue]

That’s really helpful thank you

[Lululemon67 in reply to Lululemon67]

And congratulations!

[Millbanks]

Yes exactly. We’ve got 4 blasts so will put 2 back in October and if they don’t take, likely another 2 after that.

Then if we are able one more fresh round x

[Lululemon67 in reply to Millbanks]

Ah great thanks

[Kempton]

I only got the one funded cycle, which gave us an unsuccessful fresh transfer, then a successful FET. We had no remaining emvryos. I've heard that the freezing process can help to improve the embryo. Not sure how true that is, but I found the whole FET process so much less stressful. If it hadn't worked, we'd started discussing going for another fresh.

Obviously though, if you have the funding I totally understand your desire to just go straight for another fresh cycle. Hope you get your miracle soon!

[Lululemon67 in reply to Kempton]

Thank you!