Referral to Professor Siobhan Quenby for RIF

[Sophia_Mama]

Hi all,

This is my first time posting after joining this community a couple of months ago.

I was wondering if anyone had been referred by their GP to the implantation clinic at Coventry Hospital with Professor Siobhan Quenby. If so, how long did the referral take and what sort of tests do they carry out?

I’ve just had my third and final NHS embryo transfer and sadly it failed. I started my IVF journey in May 2022 after 6 months of letrozole with no luck.

After a lower than expected AMH level (10.7), I was delighted to have collected 18 eggs. 14 eggs fertilised (standard IVF), 8 made it to blastocyst stage and 5 were frozen (freeze-all due to risk of OHSS). I had 4AB x 2; 4BB x 2; 4CC x 1. I have 1 4BB and 1 4CC left. The quality of the embryos were not spectacular but saying that, I don’t think embryo quality is our biggest hurdle.

Before starting IVF, I fell pregnant naturally in March 2020 after 4 months of trying. Very tragically, my daughter, Sophia, died at term, due to a true knot in her umbilical cord. She was beautiful and perfect. I miss her very much, especially as I still don’t have a living child to heal my heart.

The need for IVF and the repeated failure doesn’t make sense, seeing as my body grew and carried a healthy baby to term - without medical intervention. It’s heartbreaking to lose a child when we were so close to bringing her home but now thinking that she may have been our little miracle makes it even harder.

I’m hoping that Professor Quenby can do some tests to see if my womb environment has changed as a result of my pregnancy and labour with Sophia. I wondered if the clinic offered tests like the EMMA/ALICE/ERA and NK Cells?

Thank you for reading if you’ve made it this far xx

[Conceivingblee]

Hey.I'm so sorry to read your post. And send you lots of healing energy. As you continue on this journey

I referred myself to professor quenby and then paid to see Professor Brosen who runs the implantation clinic that runs alongside Prof quenbys Clinic

She will do blood tests and for me she did a 3d scan of my womb as was running a Trial this showed I had fibroids and need an hysterscopy 6 failed cycles in I wish I'd known earlier.

In term of Prof brosen which us self funded but cheaper than most clinics he's does an Endo function test similar to the emma/alice/era but it's done on your normal cycle not on medication which is what the ivf Clinics do.

I was referred in Jan and all apptmnts etc done and dusted by March.

Although I'm waiting on my hysterscopy still

Hope this helps 🙏

[Sophia_Mama in reply to Conceivingblee]

Thank you so much for your reply 💗 I’ll look into self-referring as that might be quicker.

Sorry to hear that they found fibroids - it’s so frustrating that hysterscopy isn’t included in standard fertility investigations. Colonoscopies are very standard for investigating fibroids in the back passage so why not a similar method for the uterus! xx

[Poppygarden]

Hello, I just wanted to reach out and say thank you for asking the question. I’m on the waiting list for this clinic too, so it’s really helpful to see the replies.

I’m sorry for everything you have been through and I really hope your luck gets better soon xxx

[Sophia_Mama in reply to Poppygarden]

Thank you for your response 💗 it all does feel like terrible luck. Sometimes I get really down because I feel life is so unfair 💗

I hope you get your appointment through soon xx

[HedgehogMad]

Hi lovely, so sorry to hear what you have gone through, it is so incredibly unfair.I referred myself to that clinic after 4 failed transfers. I had an appointment within 2-3 weeks and then a biopsy with my next period and result and follow up after 3 weeks. Prof Brosens does a biopsy which checks for the timing of the womb (similar to ERA), NK cells and the dEFT test which looks at the robustness of the womb lining. So very similar to ERA but without the microbiome/endometritis test as he doesn't believe in that test. I feel it was worth doing to reassure myself I had explored as many avenues as reasonably possible, but also Prof Brosens seems to believe that the majority of failed transfers are not to do with problems with the womb but other factors, most of the time being embryo issue. I doubt that your womb environment has changed, in a way it's a good sign that you have been pregnant before. Most likely you have been unlucky with the embryos and I think there is every chance you will have success in the future xxx

[Sophia_Mama in reply to HedgehogMad]

Thank you for your reply 💗 sorry about the failed transfers. I seem to get more numb with each failure but it hurts just the same.

Yep, I agree, it’s definitely a positive that I’ve been pregnant before as it shows I can do it, it’s just sometimes I feel that Sophia defied the odds - only to then pass away 💔 I’m working through that with my counsellor. I think if we do another egg collection we will test any embryos we make so we can rule out embryo issues (to a degree!)

I’ve not heard of the dEFT test - I’ll do a bit of research xx

[HedgehogMad in reply to Sophia_Mama]

Some info here: warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/med/r...

[LadyM2019]

I’m so sorry you’re in this situation. Our perfectly healthy son passed away in 2021 at 24 weeks. We are using quite a well known clinic in London now. The consultant here said wanted to run a number of tests to reduce chances of further loss. He recommended 3D Saline Scan, Thrombophilia Screen, NK cell testing, Endome Trio (Emma, Eea Alice tests) and PGTA on the embryos. If you have a male partner, a sperm DNA fragmentation test may also provide some answers. You can access all of these tests privately to supplement your nhs care. You’ve produced a fantastic haul of embryos I really hope you have luck soon x

[Sophia_Mama in reply to LadyM2019]

Thank you so much for your reply and I’m so sorry about the loss of your little boy 💙 The shock and pain is unbearable. The fact that babies pass away in this day and age and health care providers don’t warn us about it is just heart breaking. I hope you’re getting lots of support 💙

I’ve had a couple of those tests (3D saline scan, Thrombophilia Screen, NK Cell bloods) and hubby has had the sperm DNA fragmentation test, which came back as only 1% fragmented. Everything was fine apart from my NK Cells were elevated so I took prednisolone steroids and fragmin blood thinners for my last transfer. I thought they would be the missing link 💔

[Booda21]

So sorry for your loss. Can’t imagine what you’ve been through. I can’t help with the clinic as I haven’t been there, but I’m just asking as you said you had 5 frozen embryos but only 3 transfers? Do you still have embryos left? Or did you have double transfers? And did you qualify for 3 free rounds on the NHS? Or just the one?x

[Sophia_Mama in reply to Booda21]

Thanks for your reply 💗 sorry I meant I managed to get 5 embryos and I’ve had 3 single transfers. I was lucky enough to qualify for one egg collection and 3 transfers on the NHS. So I still have 2 embryos left - day 6 4BB and day 6 4CC but I’d have to transfer them privately.

We’re thinking of doing another egg collection whilst I’m under 37 (I have until October!) and then do the PGT-A on any new embryos and possibly the two left over (really not sure about that though) xx

[butterfliez]

Hi I am so very sorry for the loss of your baby daughter Sophia 💗, so tragic and cruel. it's so difficult continuing further treatment in the hope of another child to then be faced with failures and no luck.

I lost my daughter in sept 2021 at 34 wks after a healthy ivf pregnancy. and have continued treatment since with no luck, I had my last remaining embryo transferred in June 2022 which was a bfn, I did another egg collection in oct22, 2 embryos were frozen the first resulting in a bfn the second failed the thaw. I often have wondered why the embryos aren't implanting like have things changed since the pregnancy. I know a lot of the time it is down to embryo quality. so many go through transfer after transfer before having success, where I was lucky that our first embryo transfer worked but then resulted in tragedy. They often say it's a numbers game.

I wish you all the best with the next steps and hope you get some answers with your referral xx

[Sophia_Mama in reply to butterfliez]

Thank you so much for your reply 💗 I’m so sorry to hear about your little girl 💗 the pain of losing a child added with failed transfers is just devastating. I’m sorry you’re going through this as well.

I’m beginning to think that everything is just a numbers game and just good luck or bad luck 💔

I could definitely see myself going on and on for a while yet if need be but my husband is much more practical and doesn’t want to keep spending money when there’s no guarantee I will get pregnant and no guarantee the baby will come home. We’re both teachers so have a comfortable but humble salary and only enough savings for one self-funded round. It’s so tough 💗

[butterfliez in reply to Sophia_Mama]

Thank you 💗It really is tough , I now find myself just desperate for another pregnancy even though hope is slipping away with each failure. pregnancy after a loss like ours will be another battle but we just want that chance to bring a baby home.

I totally agree it is not possible to keep going so to try and have certain things ruled out with those tests is a good option. I hope the wait is not too long and wish you all the best

sending you strength xx

[MyLittlePinkness]

Hi, I’m in Ireland so I have no advice about the clinic. I just wanted to say how sorry I am about your little Sophia. I hope and pray you get her little miracle brother or sister very soon.💕💕💕

[Shelleybean]

Oh goodness, my heart breaks for you Sophia_Mama 💔 Sending you so much love.

Hope it’s ok for me to tag MammaMia86 in this thread, as they also had a similar question around next steps/ testing etc after recurrent implantation failure and I didn’t feel I could offer much help.

Sending lots of luck to all as you continue your journeys 🍀 xx

[MammaMia86 in reply to Shelleybean]

thanks for tagging me Shelleybean .

I am so sorry for your lost, I am also trying to understand why I am not able to get pregnant again after already been before....The fertility journey is very frustrating, if feels like a rollercoster of emotions.

Keep us update on how is going, and I am sending you lots of luck😘