chemical pregnancy after FET

[BW14]

hi, had a frozen embryo transfer 2/01/24. All went well and tested positive on day 15 & day 18. This was followed by brown spotting and some red blood (I just knew it was something bad) Today, I have tested and test coming back with the faintest line so it’s confirmed my doubts. I was on lubion as had 2 failed FET’s previously. As soon as we can we would like to crack on with our last embryo. Has anyone got any suggestions on things we could add into our next transfer. Cyclogest alongside lubion? Steroids, intralipids? My clinic are not the most helpful and I had to really push for lubion or we would have had just cyclogest like the two previous failed transfers. I have always worried that my body rejects the embryo but with getting a positive result I felt pleased, it’s the furtherest we have even been but also heartbroken that I only got to be pregnant for a couple of days and had it dashed away.

Tia x

[yogabum]

Hi there. So sorry to hear of your loss😥 Having been in the same situation, I know how tough it is. Good to hear you are looking forward though. Steroids would be a good idea. If you have the budget, you could look into Emma/ALICE testing to rule out any endometrial issues xx

[BW14 in reply to yogabum]

Hi. Thank you so much for your reply and so sorry to hear you have been through the same. I was thinking of the Emma/ALICE testing, have you had this done? Xx

[DianeArnold Partner Nurse Fertility Network UK]

Hi BW . I’m just hoping that your remaining little embryo is the one that will decide to stay. Perhaps a hysteroscopy if never done, just to check your womb out. Don’t forget the pineapple core to help with blood flow and to help prevent clot formation. Works a bit like an anticoagulant. Good luck. Diane

[fviskcus in reply to DianeArnold]

Thank you so much, that's really kind I've had a hysteroscopy and it's come back fine. Honestly it's just quite frustrating when the doctors have literally tried everything and then can only say 'you're just unlucky'. I think I'm looking for reasons it hasn't worked and anticipating disappointment, although that's probably not the healthiest way of thinking! Unfortunately I'm allergic to pineapple, I wonder if I could find a supplement that does the same thing.

[DianeArnold Partner Nurse Fertility Network UK in reply to fviskcus]

Hi. Oh that’s a nuisance. There is pomegranate, orange juice with tiger bits in and at a push ask about low dose soluble aspirin. Diane xx

[BW14 in reply to DianeArnold]

Hi, thank you for your reply and your advice. I haven’t had a hysteroscopy so will look into this. I done the pineapple core, pomegranate juice and low dose aspirin. I do think I will definitely ask for steroids and possibly intralipids for next transfer if possible. xxx

[BethanyDavey]

Hi,

Really sorry to hear of your losses. We are in the exact same position, about to go into our third cycle after 2 chemicals previously. My clinic have asked me to have a thyroid blood test (which if high would be treated with thyroxin) and also an autoimmune blood test. This second blood test was to check that my blood isn’t clotting, (this would be treated with aspirin). To be honest, we’ve decided we’re just going to take a daily dose of aspirin to avoid that anyway. It may be worth asking your clinic about these?

Wishing you all the luck in the world for your next transfer! I’ve read lots of stories of people having 2 chemicals followed by a sucesss. So hopefully that will happen for both of us!

Take care xxx

[BW14 in reply to BethanyDavey]

Hello, thank you for your reply and I’m so sorry to hear you’ve been / going through similar. We had a scratch before this transfer, aspirin and lubion injections. This was NHS funded and they wouldn’t fund or let as pay for intralipids. I am going to ask again for those and see if they will let us fund it. The Dr did say we could have steroids but we chose not to as she wasn’t too positive about them but I will definitely be adding steroids to our next transfer. It’s all just so mentally draining. They didn’t ever do a blood test to monitor my progesterone and I do fear this could be an issue. I will request one next time as think cyclogest with the lubion may help. If all that fails I may have to have some further investigations before going into a private round elsewhere. I am 35 so just getting so concerned about my age now beginning to have a negative impact. I have PCOS so have just started taking inofolic and praying some luck comes our way and this can help me ovulate whilst awaiting the next transfer. Really hope we both get our happy ending too. Sending loads of luck to you. Please let me know how you get on. xxxx

[Fruitandflowers]

I had two chemicals/early losses on fresh transfers at different clinics on just cyclogest and even though my progesterone levels were actually high on them, the very helpful ladies on here suggested utrogestan vaginally as there is some evidence that it works a bit differently and may get to the womb better, than just in the blood. I tried that and lubion (started on one a day, moved to two a day post transfer), and took aspirin, and that one took immediately and was so much stronger than the prior two. I also stayed on the utrogestan throughout the pregnancy as it was the only thing that stopped some.spotting and bleeding I was gettung. *but* I did the same again last year to try for a sibling and I had a PUL on a fresh transfer and then a FET that was a BFN. Then I got pregnant the following month naturally (for the first time ever) on nothing. My consultant said it's numbers and he would expect 1 in 3 to work even when there are no known issues an top quality blasts - I found that so hard to swallow after the first two losses and I grilled him on every possible problem, investigation and add-on and didn't get anywhere. Ultimately he was spot on as our pattern has been two losses/failures, then success. But I still think it's worth going through the process and raising everything with your clinic, even to rule stuff out and know you've given it your best shot.

[Itisajourney]

i am sorry to hear about your lost. I know how devastating can be. One of the most common causes for chemical pregnancy is chromosome abnormality. I would suggest to test your partner for DNA fragmentation in case he hasn’t done yet.

[BW14]

thank you for your reply. We have never heard of this so we will definitely look into it. X