3rd Failed Cycle - Advice what to do next

[IVF_Life]

Hi All,

As the title says, we got a BFN on our 3rd cycle 💔.

It was our first FET. I threw everything at it, a load of meds, decent diet (lots of pomegranate), accupucture, progesterone test (said it was above 50) triple layer linning (perfect they said), had our best embryo transferred (day5 blastocyst - 4BB) and it still didn’t stick.

I’ve got 2 Frosties left, but now I have no confidence it will work. Turning 40 in a few months.. will be trying again in January, any advice on what else I can try to help it stick? I’ve got a day 6 blastocyst left, and a day 3.

I’ve read about getting a scratch done on here and using embryo glue? Any success stories with these? Or anything else I can try in addition?

Thinking I should get the embryos tested too.

Any advice will be appreciated. Thank you xx

[JA-fnuk Partner Nurse Fertility Network UK]

You could get more information about add on to treatment ie scratch & embryo glue from the following web site hfea.gov.uk add ons Then you would be able to make an informed choice with your clinic helping you with any information you do not understandThinking of you

Janet

[IVF_Life in reply to JA-fnuk]

Thank you Janet, I’ll have a look into it more. I did mention it to my consultant last time but she didn’t encourage it due to the limited data/ results of it working I think.

[Ladybugluck]

Testing at your age is a good idea, but given that PGD is not perfect and there’s evolving research out there that mosaics and even abnormal can result in healthy babies, I would not test. I’d give the two you have a shot! If you test and the come back abnormal many clinics will not transfer. I’m glad you still have two on ice! My wife is fighting low ovarian reserve and was told that day 3 embryos can be a better approach for some folks with low ovarian reserve. Unfortunately, She’s been through 3 cycles this year with zero blasts. I hope one of the the two you have remaining are your miracle!

[IVF_Life in reply to Ladybugluck]

Thank you so much, best of luck to you and your wife too ❤️

Yes I try to remind myself that I’m lucky to have some on ice to try again. To be honest, the one that did implant for me was actually a day 3, but it ended in a chemical. Hopefully one will will work.. we just need one! 🤞🏼

[AuroraXen]

So sorry to read this. This might be me, almost precisely, a week today 😢 if my current FET fails. Like you, this is my first FET, but third transfer and if no luck I'll also have 2 frosties left. And like you am not sure what our next steps will be. Also a 4BB 5 day blastocyst too! Only difference is, I just turned 41 eek. I'm thinking very seriously about a scratch and doing immune testing if this one doesn't work out. I'm so sorry. It's so hard. It's difficult to know whether to just keep ploughing on and hope we hit a good embryo, or to spend more time and money potentially, trying other things. Sending hugs xx

[IVF_Life in reply to AuroraXen]

Thank you and good luck AuroraXen , I hope you’re not like me and you do get your BFP and it stays put. What did we do wrong to deserve this journey?! Hopefully one day we’ll get to forget about it all. I did the immune test too and everything was fine. They bumped up my dose of prednisolone just for extra support. I’m thinking it’s not my body that’s the issue as everything seems to be working fine, it’s my embryos. Maybe I need to get my head around donor eggs if that’s the case. That will be the next thing if my Frosties don’t work.

[Crie1983]

Hi, I feel your pain. I had a fresh cycle which failed, a second FET which resulted in a pregnancy then a miscarriage and I have just found out my third FET has failed. Struggling to keep hopeful with one frozen embryo left.I had the scratch done on the first attempt but not on the second or third as my clinic told me little data to support it increases your chances. I’ve used embryo glue at each transfer.

I’m sending you all the very best for the future. Also looking for motivation as right now I’m struggling to keep positive. The heartbreak is real!

[IVF_Life in reply to Crie1983]

Crie1983 sending hugs your way. I feel the same about trying to keep positive, it’s so hard. I try and remind myself that at least we are lucky enough to be in a position to try whatever we can. At least we can look back and say we tried everything.. with the hope that one day we may have a miracle to show for it. I know some people who have not been able to go through IVF and have given up. Good luck with your next embryo, I really hope it sticks xx

[XOXO13]

I’m so sorry to hear this 💔

By the time my third transfer was unsuccessful (it ended in a CP so the furthest we got with IVF), I was ready to try something totally different which my clinic disagreed with. I had explored pretty much all evidence based tests such as hysteroscopy, HyCoSy, karyotype screening etc., and all was coming back clear.

For my third transfer, I did a double transfer and also added in blood thinners as my APS markers came back elevated. That was actually picked up by someone other than my fertility doctor who didn’t think I needed them. Anyway, I really think that helped me get to at least short term implantation stage.

For my fourth transfer, second fresh cycle, we moved clinics to one who specialises in immunology. I was sure my immunes had a role to play as I was always feeling unwell with my transfers and before I started treatment around the time of my periods with shivers, sweats, fever, swollen glands etc., and I also ticked the box for someone who may have elevated immune system. That box includes recurrent miscarriage and/or recurrent implantation failure, under 35, family history of auto-immune issues…

Whilst I am younger (I am now 31), I really think having my immunes checked and being given steroids (dexamethasone plus intrapilids) alongside starting blood thinners much earlier and taking a higher dose of progesterone, is what helped these embryos stick around (I’m now nearly 27 weeks pregnant with twins).

There is lots of reading you can do on it to see if you think you fit the bill for someone who may need your immunes checking - it’s expensive so I’d do research first. I’m sceptical about embryo glue and scratch after exploring the research myself but I haven’t personally tried them so I can’t offer advice there.

There is also a professor called Sir Robert Winston who you may have heard off. He has a website that hosts a Q&A around fertility and you may find some answers on there. I’ll prepare you, I found some of his answers brutally honest but he’s known as a pioneer in the field of fertility so you may find something on there?

Sorry for the super long post, but hope there’s something in this response that may help you with your next steps.

Sending you so much luck 🍀 xxxx

[IVF_Life in reply to XOXO13]

Hi XOXO13 thank you for your detailed response, appreciate it. Congratulations on your pregnancy, that’s amazing!

My clinic did some bloods to check my immune system (I too have immune problems in the family but never been diagnosed with anything myself). The bloods came out negative however for extra precaution, they increased my steroids. I was also put on a low dose of asprin for blood thinning. I will ask if there’s anything more that can be tested on this and I’ll look into Sir Robert Winston - thank you.

I’m not able to move clinic, last time we did this, we had to go through some medical board approval (we moved from nhs private (they didn’t do anything and wasted so much of our time) to a proper private clinic which supposedly is meant to be one of the top ones in the region). We’ve spent so much money on this, hope it’s worth it in the end.x

[XOXO13 in reply to IVF_Life]

Alongside aspirin, I was also taking clexane twice a day too and POI shots alongside suppositories if that’s any help.

Sounds like you’ve had a tough ride, so sorry. And it is so expensive, it’s burned through so much of our savings and set us back financially - it feels so unfair that we have to spend so much money to get pregnant but at the same time, I know how fortunate I am to be able to spend that money in the first place so I try to remember that myself on a bad day!

I really hope it works out for you. Will be thinking of you xx

[IVF_Life in reply to XOXO13]

They were going to give me clexane and then decided not to. Not sure why. I’ve got my consultation booked in for Monday to find out more and about next steps. Hoping to try again in January. Thank you for all your advice and wishes x