Hello,
We are so pleased we got our BFP after a down regulated medicated FET and my partner is 5 weeks today.
The clinic have given us enough Meds to last until 8 weeks pregnant and then said to stop.
I feel this is very early for a down regulated FET so we're worried to stop them when the time comes.
Has anyone else stopped at 8 weeks after a FET, I understand it for a fresh as the body creates its own but I'm of the understanding that the body doesn't create any in a FET.
Thanks in advance.
I was told to stop at 8 weeks after a fresh round as well. Although when I found out it was twins they told me to continue till 16 weeks. They did say if I had any bleeding they would have me continue longer than 8 weeks anyway. Might be worth speaking to the clinic about your concerns. I was a bit apprehensive about the 8 week thing too I'd heard most places say 10 weeks is when you should stop.
Thanks for your reply.
I've already spoken with the clinic when they gave us the Meds and they basically said yes its scary but everyone does it.
I understand the fresh round more as the ovaries are producing hormones but the ovaries where shut down with the FET so i'm unsure why it would be the same amount of time as a fresh?
Not sure what we can do?
Congrats by the way !!!
Hi Tryingforbabynow. I can’t see why you can’t wean off them both, but check with your clinic. Diane
I have checked with the clinic and they say to wean off at 8 weeks. Everywhere else says 10-12 weeks after a medicated FET. I didnt think the body created this in a medicated fet? Thats why we are scared to wean off. Thanks
Hi Tryingforbabynow. Of course your body is already making progesterone, how do you think your lining thickened? Medicated assists what you naturally have, then the pessaries etc just top up if you need to. You will be safe, bless you. Good luck. Diane
No, it was a down regulated FET, the lining was thickened by using estrogen patches.
The ovaries where fully shut down so don't create any progesterone or estrogen.
Hi. O, but you must be producing progesterone for implantation and pregnancy to take place and will increase. Try and remain positive and trust your clinic. Diane
Progesterone is supplemented with lubion and cyclogest. Hopefully it will all be okay! Thanks
Your placenta starts creating progesterone usually around the 6 week mark. I did a medicated FET and stopped cold turkey at 8 because I was starting to get an allergic reaction (rash) from the progesterone injections - both obstetrician and fertility specialist were happy with this and all was fine. Best of luck 😀
Thank you for the reassurance! It's certainly a scary time.
I think anywhere between 8-10 weeks is what most clinics advise, with the idea being that the placenta has taken over and is producing the hormones needed by then. Different clinics say go cold turkey and just stop or taper off. I stopped the oestrogen really early as it made me so ill but I got spotting/bleeding when I stopped the progesterone so my doctor said stay on it.
Thank you. Did you do a down regulated FET? My fear is that the placenta doesn't take over until 10 weeks but we come off it at 8 weeks lol I wish they'd just do until 10 weeks as standard! We have enough to taper off for an extra week (progesterone) so that will be 9 weeks. Hoping this will be okay.
No, just went from the first day of my natural period but it was medicated so took oestrogen to stop any follicles developing/ovulation. I think in a natural cycle the progesterone come from the corpus luteum so without any follicles you don't have that to make progesterone and that's why you take the extra support until the placenta kicks in. Not sure if there's any difference if you down-reg before, but the placenta normally takes over at the same stage in any pregnancy so should be the same timing? If you were really worried maybe your clinic would give you an extra week or two's supply, or you could ask your GP? (It's a really cheap and straightforward med, and some GPs are fine to prescribe it).
I would say if you’re nervous to ask for more progesterone. There’s no harm in going longer on it. I had a modified natural FET and so I was producing my own too and they still said to come off at 12 weeks- I even felt this was too early and got more cyclogest and stayed on till I started weaning 16-18 weeks. I’ve never heard of a clinic stopping medicated FETprogesterone at 8 weeks- as placenta starts to take over then but it’s different for everyone and can be later.
They can’t stop you taking more and it will give you peace of mind. The miscarriage risk is high till 12 weeks so if god forbid anything happened - even if it was completely unrelated to the progesterone you might feel a ‘what if’.
Wishing you all the best!
That's what I thought, I've never heard of it either but they said it's standard for everyone unless there is a history of miscarriage... They said they won't supply any more as it's not necessary 😳
I would say to them that you don’t want risk having a miscarriage to find out. Is this NHS? If you wanted you could ask to pay for more if they won’t give free? I’m sure it would be fine anyway but don’t know why they would take that risk with people.
Yes it is the NHS. They said scientifically there is no need after 8 weeks as the placenta creates everything by then and basically if it isn't creating it by then there is bigger problems then low progesterone. It's just everything I read is so much longer, we have enough pessaries to take us to 9 weeks so we'll just wean off and I guess hope it's all okay. Just no lubion or estrogen patches past that point x
Hmm that’s very frustrating - I would be kicking off - but I had so many prior failures I just couldn’t take the risk.
Wishing you all the best - I’m sure it will be fine! 😊
down reg FET we stayed on until 12 weeks were told placenta and body fully takes over by 8 weeks so the extra 4 weeks was a precaution just tell them you would like another few weeks worth if you are very worried so you can wean off it but your partner may start to feel better too after stopping the extra hormones I know I did so don’t stay on too long!
You might want to move on to the pregnancy after fertility forum for these types of questions as lots of people in or have been in similar situations on there xx
Thanks for the reply! Yeah exactly, it should be taken over but what if it isn't ? Why don't they just do 12 weeks like everywhere else seems to lol 😆 we asked for more and they said no basically as it's not needed and it's standard for everyone unless there has been previous miscarriage x
It will have taken over but any spotting etc just contact them straight away. I had some pessaries left from a previous transfer so I ‘weaned’ off so went to one a day then one every few days for about 10 days but it really was just to make myself feel better. Eostrogen I just stopped cold turkey. Everything was fin. I know it’s scary but at some point you got a let the body take over, it feels so weird to be a ‘normal’ pregnancy after that. No meds, no ivf clinic just the midwives and the usual path but it is really happening 🤗💜
Thank you 😊🙏
for both I requested an extra prescription to 12 weeks, made me feel better even though they said I could stop cold turkey, even at 12 weeks I had weaned it down x
Did they say you could stop at 8 weeks initially? And was it a medicated FET x
Yep I just preferred to carry on as we had an early loss before x
I was told to stop at 12 weeks.
FET with Oestrogen patches and Cyclogest. Stopped both at 12 weeks and I’m now 19 weeks.
It seems too early. When I did modified natural FET transfer with stims, I was on a lot of progesterone and still told to continue taking lubion until week 10, 3 cyclogest until week 11, 2 cyclogest until week 12 and one a day until week 13. Also, corpus luteum with a natural only works for awhile. Then ovaries temporarily stop working to avoid ovulation again. 8 weeks is definitely too early.
What can I do then? My clinic are saying it's not too early. Can I ask if you've had prior miscarriages? Could that be the reason why some people are on them longer than others?
I think it's too early too but they're the professionals I guess there's not much I can do
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