So I unfortunately had a BFN on Wednesday, stupidly felt quite confident this cycle too! I have previously had an early miscarriage after a FET last Jan and have a 3 year old from ICSI. We are keen to start again as soon as we can but this is our last wee frozen embryo and I’m terrified of it not working again.
I felt I did all I could, tried to relax, stopped alcohol and caffeine, drank pomegranate juice, ate Brazil nuts and took meds like clockwork.
My question is, what else could I do to try and make this last one stick? I’m hoping my clinic might change my protocol with more progesterone perhaps but is there anything else anyone would recommend to help make the next cycle a successful one? I worry that each time we try it’s getting worse!!!
Written by
Jam-master
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Sometimes it’s so hard to argue with the doctors as they discount your gut instinct as “female hysteria”. If you feel like something needs to be changed then you’re probably right.
I was/am on 10mg Progynova, 3x400 mg Cyclogest and a 20mg Clexane shot (reduced from 40 post transfer) daily.
Maybe ask about increasing your progesterone? It can’t hurt. I’ve been banging my head against a wall for 2 years telling my doctors I needed progesterone support after having 2 CPs and they wouldn’t listen. Turns out it was what I needed.
Go with your gut and at your next consult, DEMAND that the protocol is adjusted. You’re paying them for a service, and the “it worked before” is not an adequate answer.
I’m so sorry that you’re going through this and I hope the next cycle works out. Lots of light to you✨✨✨.
Thank you, I definitely think your right and I need more progesterone help, I’m annoyed as they said I could have the extra progesterone injections this cycle but it was probably pointless so I didn’t need it! Which is why I didn’t take them! I won’t know if this would have made a difference or not but it’s frustrating!
It’s incredibly frustrating and you feel like you’re fighting an uphill battle just to be heard about your own body!
Take some time to gather some information so you can challenge the doctor when the time comes. I told my clinic to basically throw the whole kitchen sink of drugs at me, because I was tired of having cancelled cycles. I also spoke to some other IVF friends and got the recommendation for the use of clexane.
I don’t know if it helped but I did vaginal steaming a couple times before my transfer as well. I was willing to try anything ....
Am so so sorry to hear this. I know how devastating that feeling is. Have you had an ERA done? Checked endometrium receptivity and progesterone levels etc? Thinking of you xx
I’ve had no tests done at all, they said as I had a successful pregnancy the first time I didn’t need any, but since I’ve done frozen transfers I’ve not had much success! I’m hoping they come up with something different this time!
Are they PGS tested? Sorry don’t mean to fire loads of questions at you but sadly there are so many variables in IVF. I’m sure you will have a follow up appointment with your consultant where you can go through the options xx
No I don’t think they are. Yeah I need to wait until my notes are reviewed which will probably not be until a week on Friday! I’m hopeful they’ll suggest something, as I don’t think anything I do will change the outcome
Definitely! It’ll be a huge decision to do another egg retrieval so I want to be as prepared as possible to make this next one successful. I always wonder why the fresh transfer was successful but the frozen ones weren’t x
Likewise I don’t want to do another EC either so I totally get that everything is riding on the transfer. Hopefully the follow up should give you some answers xx
Definitely look into the progesterone. I had some bleeding at 6 weeks and they upped my progesterone and bleeding stopped and all was OK. I'm so sorry for your loss and am sending ❤ 💜 that this embie sticks!!!
I definitely think that this is something that should happen! I suggested it for this cycle but they said as I had a positive test the last time that it wasn’t necessary!! They were clearly wrong!
Its your body, your cycle, your embie babies push for them to test everything! I was on 100mg of progesterone 3x a day. They had me stop them at 5 weeks and sure enough I started bleeding. So they put me back on until 10 weeks. Every pregnancy is different. One success doesn't ensure the other.
Hi there Jam-master. There have been studies that show that taking a combination of Cyclogest and progesterone injections (every 3 days) is a more superior protocol as opposed to being only on vaginal progesterone. I’ll leave a link to the video below. You might want to push and ask for the injections if it is indeed a progesterone issue. I took them twice a week along with cyclogest pessaries (1 x 2 times a day) and I have managed to stay pregnant.
We had a failed cycle 18mths ago and a chemical pregnancy over Christmas. It's so frustrating when you do everything you can and it still turns out to be bfn.
I'm having my follow up appointment next week and I'm wondering what else can I do differently. I was on 400mg cyclogest and 8mg prognova, I drank beetroot juice, pomegranate juice.
Hi and sorry about your unsuccessful cycle firstly. I’m the same have a 3 year old from ICSI and 2 failed FET cycles following that. On those 2 cycles I had the prostap injection on day 21 and it didn’t really feel like I was doing IVF as you just wait don’t you .. so this last cycle (which was our final ever go) I decided to inject buserilin every day instead. It’s definitely more intense but I wanted to try something different and really feel like I was in a cycle. If you get that? I’m not sure exactly what your cycle had entailed but if you feel you would like to change something then do it. And if you haven’t already try mindful IVF meditation and acupuncture. You sound really like you’ve been doing everything right so maybe just a tweak. I really wish you the best in your last cycle. Also one last thing I think you need to leave enough time between cycles .. I was always told leave at least 6 months before starting again. Not sure if it makes that much difference but a doctor told me it gives your body time to reset again and destress so sounds sensible. Best of luck xx
Thank you so much, how strange that our journeys have been so similar. I have heard a lot about acupuncture so I might look into that, unsure about whether it’s available due to lockdown.
My cycle was exactly the same, the prostap injection on cd21, I’ll wait and see what the consultants say at my review but I definitely think a tweak is needed.
I waited almost a year between the 2 FET’s so this time I’m not going to wait as long but I appreciate the info nonetheless.
So glad that this cycle is working out for you, let’s hope my journey continues as similar as yours xxx
Sorry to hear. Taking antibiotics (Doxycyline) prior to your cycle may help. This will help with infections which may prevent the implantation. Also baby aspirin may help. I had previous early miscarriages. We have added these medications which helped me I guess. Now I am 14 weeks. Check with your clinic.
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
Next steps…
2nd failed transfer - thinking about next steps and additional tests
Another heartbreak BFN - confused on what to do next?
BFN ❄️🥚😢
BFN. Devastated 😪
