Frozen embryo transfer instead of fresh embryo

[Hannakallas]

Hi all,

I've got an egg collection scheduled for this Saturday; however I have just had a call from doctors advising that due to my blood levels being too high they would not proceed with fresh embryo transfer and will instead go ahead with frozen embryo transfer once my body has recovered from all the injections.

I know there are a lot of posts about it etc; however keen to hear from people who have had frozen embryo transfer. How long did you have to wait after the egg collection?

This is such upsetting news as we've been TTC for 4 years now and we were so looking forward to the fresh embryo transfer within the next week or so.

On the other hand, I've read that success rates with frozen embryo are higher.

Background: I'm 28 and my partner is 36, TTC 4 years and infertility reason being my partner's low sperm count and mobility.

Thank you!

[Khess124]

Unfortunately I haven’t had experience with this just wanted to say if they want to wait it’s only for the best! I’ve had 3 cycles cancelled for a frozen transfer and as disheartening as it is, if they did it chances are it wouldn’t have worked so it’s always best to take the recommendations, I hope you get to have the transfer soon! Been TTC for 4 years myself and I’m 23 so I feel your pain hunny, best of luck xxx

[Maui2020]

Hi there. I had the same on my 2nd ivf cycle, the Dr didn’t give us a choice due to OHSS risk. I stopped all medication after egg collection and was disappointed to have to wait another month. However my period came a few days later and I started the FET cycle immediately. I was told the embryos that don’t survive thaw would never make me pregnant anyway. It was a BFP 🙏I’m now on my 3rd Ivf cycle for sibling and I was given a choice to have fresh or frozen but harshly warned that fresh is not ideal if you have extreme levels of hormones and I may end up in hospital with OHSS which is not ideal during covid. They made me take cyclogest for an extra week to “not confuse my cycle” and now I’ve just started my FeT.

Good luck to you!!! The research says it’s just as successful and your body is in a good state to receive the embryo. I know in our case the extra month was worth it in the end xx

[Hannakallas in reply to Maui2020]

Thank you so much for the detailed response! Really helpful.

[Phoebe345]

Hi,I’ve recently been through similar. I’m a little older than you with sperm motility our known issue. We’re on our first cycle and were told I was at risk of OHSS so it would be a freeze all cycle.

At the time I was gutted, but the OHSS I had hospitalised me for a week. However, we do have 6 embryos in the freezer so I’m trying to be optimistic about the new year.

In terms of time frame, I was told that I would need to bleed, then have one regular cycle before we could start preparing for FET after that.

Best of luck with your journey x

[Hannakallas in reply to Phoebe345]

Hiya, Thanks for your response.

I have finally got over the initial shock of having to wait again; however I have come to realisation that the doctors are clearly looking after my health and wanting to ensure maximum success from their behalf.

[Peanutchips]

Hi Hanna, this has now happened to me twice so I know how you feel. My first egg collection was on the NHS, I had to wait 3.5 months before having a shot at a transfer, unfortunately that one was cancelled so it ended up being 6 months in the end. Due to Covid etc delaying things further we’ve now gone private, I had an egg collection yesterday. Bloods said my oestrogen was too high so can’t transfer within this cycle but was told I could start on estradiol as soon as I get my period (providing ovaries have calmed down). So it’ll be about 3 weeks from egg collection to transfer. I’m completely over the moon about this as thought the wait would be longer! Good luck with your egg collection xxx

[Hannakallas in reply to Peanutchips]

Hey,

We've gone private and luckily the whole process only took 2,5 months until the egg collection. I did have my original scans etc back in 2018 but I was hoping we would conceive naturally within that time frame; but clearly not!

Hopefully your egg collection went well!

[LSandJ]

Mine was the same due to risk of OHSS. I was so disappointed and tried to convince them to let me do it anyway! I had all the dates sorted in my head and really wanted to do it in the summer! I was told I’d need to have 2 bleeds so was expecting it to be ages a couple is months at least. It was 7 weeks when I had the frozen transfer! Didn’t feel like too long in the end! It will go quickly xxx

[Hannakallas in reply to LSandJ]

Hiya,

I have come to realisation that IVF is a complete waiting game.

[Lucyhannah1]

I was supposed to have a fresh transfer however due to high number of eggs collected I was high risk of OHSS so was told I would need a frozen transfer. I was really upset at the time, and was told I would have to wait for two periods until I could go ahead with the frozen cycle! The nurse did say to me that FET has high chances of working because your body is more natural compared to all the drugs in a fresh cycle.

I transferred two embryos and my little girl is now 5 weeks old! Stay positive! Hood luck xx

[Hannakallas in reply to Lucyhannah1]

Congratulations on your baby girl!

We've had 3 embryos frozen, so hopefully will be a success story and all these ups and downs will pay off!

[Hatched]

Hiya, I had a similar experience, levels of hormones were really high in my blood tests. Also my ovaries were swollen and just generally did not feel great after my egg collection. Doctor advised to cancel fresh cycle and freeze our embryo. I had a month off to recover and during this time did alot of acupunture, meditation and yoga to prepare my body for my FET. It was the best decision in the end, we got our BFP. Trust the doctors and let your body and hormones settled down. A little background we tried for 4 years and had ICSI due to mobility issues. Good Luck!

[josephnsn]

Hi, the first time I had a negative so was my 2nd period, the next time I deliberately did a frozen transfer so the period after the egg collection I started the frozen transfer and have little boy. There are advantages with frozen transfer some doctors think gives your uterus a chance to recover after all the stimulation drugs. So don't be upset, you can do it straight away on your next cycle there is every chance it can work

[Crabonks]

I am in the middle of that at the moment too. Mine was due to having the embryos PGS tested (I'm 42 so the docs advised it). I also had 30 eggs removed so they could tell I was at risk of OHSS, although I responded very well and had no sign of OHSS in the end. There is one embryo left to transfer so I am now waiting for AF (I've already had the withdrawal bleed) to come and then I start on the FET. Due to Covid and Christmas and my cycle, it looks like this won't start until the new year and even then the doctor has put me on a 'long protocol' which means 7 weeks of pills and injections before the transfer - we're talking February earliest. I started this whole process in September (that was cycle I started on) so I'm trying not to be impatient (hard for me!) and trying to get on with my life. I have lost my job (and got another one) and moved home in the meantime so that helps! Good luck with your journey!

[Hannakallas in reply to Crabonks]

Hey, thanks for your detailed response.

We started our journey in fertility clinic back in September, so it's lovely to hear that we started at the same time! I've prepared myself for the worst so I would no longer get upset once the date moves again!

Best of luck with your journey!

[Ivferrr]

Hey! We have similar stories, I was super disheartened about my fresh cycle not going through but for many reasons it was a God send. Also as much as I hate the progesterone injections I honestly feel like my pregnancy is supported. Fresh didn’t work for us and so far everything is going great with our frosted baby or babies! Prayers for you and let that sweet body reset, it’s been working hard

[Hannakallas in reply to Ivferrr]

Hey,

Yes, I've made my peace with it now and it will happen when the doctors say the time is right.

Congratulations on your pregnancy xx!