Frozen Transfer - what is the preparation process like?

[Hopewhite]

Hi all,

I hope you're all keeping well and strong at whatever stage you are going through xx

We had a failed fresh 1st transfer earlier this year (MMC), our next step would be to try luck again with the 2 frozen embryos we have left. I'd like to understand how does the FET works?

I suppose the preparation process is "easier" as you don't need to do the stims for egg collection, but would love to read your experiences to understand better what it entails on a practical level. I'm trying to understand timelines and the process itself.

I know it's always hard to plan around treatments but we'd love to go and visit my family abroad, and just realised that the dates we had in mind may be right before my period expected dates, so not sure what to do !! I still need to discuss availability with the clinic (NHS self funded) so that itself might decide things if they have no capacity for September, as I've never done an FET before i'd really love to hear from your experiences to get my hear around it.

also, end of August will be 1st period after MMC, is it ok to try again FET on September or would you advise giving the body 1 more month for recovery?

Thank you so much, sending you all loads of hope and good luck xx

[scotchegg]

My experience was that it did feel significantly easier and shorter than the fresh cycle.For me, the process was:

- 2 weeks of norethisterone tablets to control my cycle and suppress natural hormones

- Baseline scan at beginning of my period to check womb lining and to check my follicles weren't doing anything they shouldn't

- started taking oestrogen tablets

- second scan to check womb lining 10 days later

- started taking progesterone via pessaries and injections

- blood test day before transfer date to check progesterone levels

- embryo transfer the same as with th fresh cycle.

The whole thing felt super quick and it was much less intense without the stims and egg collection. Baseline scan - transfer was 2.5 weeks!

[Hopewhite in reply to scotchegg]

Hi Scotchegg thank you very much for taking the time to share your experience, I hope you're well. May I ask if the 2 weeks of norethisterone are prior to the baseline scan? , my experience with fresh transfer was very quick it took 2 weeks from baseline scan/start of stims to transfer, so this sounds similar. I did certainly feel all the changes in the body, so I'm hoping this is a kinder process xx. Wishing you all the best of luck for your journey xx

[scotchegg in reply to Hopewhite]

Yes, norethisterone was the first thing. I had my bleed about 4 days after stopping and the baseline scan was within a few days as it had to be at the start of my new cycle. I've been on oestrogen tablets, cyclogest pessaries and lubion injections since the second ultrasound scan. After a while as you'll know, the injections are (literally!) a pain, but none of it has been as bad as the stims or egg collection of the fresh cycle.

Thank you so much, my frozen embie still clinging on 4 weeks later! 🤞

Best of luck and baby dust to you

[Hopewhite in reply to scotchegg]

Thanks again for explaining and huge congratulations !! I hope it all keeps going perfectly xx

[DianeArnold Partner Nurse Fertility Network UK]

Hi Hopewhite

I think “Scotchegg” has given a good detailed outline of the process with maybe a few slight changes. Good luck. Diane

[Fruitandflowers]

I didn't take the pill for my FETs as my clinic were flexible enough to go off my natural period, but NHS tends to want you to use the pill so they can time things better. The timing for me was scan somewhere between days 2-3 after period to check the lining is thin and no follicle growth (they call it everything being quiet), then start oestrogen to thicken the lining and stop any follicles growing, normally you stay on that for 10 days and they scan to check the lining's thick enough and if so start progesterone (pessaries and/or injections) the following day, then transfer (and possibly/on request progesterone blood test) 6 days later. I had a successful FET on my first go after two chemicals on fresh transfers and I went into that immediately after the last loss, so I didn't need any time in between for recovery. However, I think it depends if you've had any complications, but your clinic can advise you x

[Hopewhite in reply to Fruitandflowers]

Hi MrsOrangejuice thank you very much for sharing this , I like the sound of natural FET, I’ll definitely ask if they can do this at my clinic, I was normally quite exact on my dates , not a clue now as I’m still waiting for first period after MMC. I didn’t have any complications, other than it was a veryyy long process , I found out on viability scan end of June and concluded nearly a month after… I’ll ask on our review appointment all this!, I’m hoping you’re doing well in your journey, wishing you the best of luck xx

[Asha82]

Hi! I've only done one double embryo fet cycle and mine was doing blood tests 8 days after my period started tracking for ovulation and then when I ovulated i had a scan to check my uterine lining and make sure I definitely ovulated and then 5 days later I had my double embryo transfer and I started using crinone which is progesterone gel on the morning of the transfer to now I'm 5 weeks and 1 day pregnant, I'm still using crinone twice a day until the viability scan at 6 weeks and 6 days pregnant, in my experience it's heaps better and less stressful then a fresh cycle and better on the body because of having way less chemicals and stress on the body, I wish you the best of luck, I also had a missed miscarriage in May so I know how you feel, I'm sorry you had to go through that it's a real nightmare xx

[Hopewhite in reply to Asha82]

Hi Asha thanks for sharing , huge congratulations!! ,I hope everything keeps developing perfectly in your pregnancy xx MMC is a true heartbreak , but I’m very happy to read your success story, it gives me hope xx

[Asha82 in reply to Hopewhite]

Thank you so much, I'm glad I gave you hope xx