Questions for clinic after failed FET

[Minnie92]

BFN this morning on OTD which I was expecting as Iv had spotting since Monday. My clinic will be ringing me later and Iv got a list of questions but wondered if there’s anything anyone can suggest?

We’ve got 2 blastocysts left although I can’t remember the exact grading. My clinic haven’t done any bloods before or during my cycle so that’s one of my questions. Really can’t afford to do another fresh cycle so want to make sure I’m doing everything I can next time for success (although I thought did that this time 😢)

Anybody also have a list of questions for the clinic, what kind of things should I be asking?

xx

[Lucyhannah1]

I didn’t have my bloods done on a couple of my failed cycles. One they didn’t take my blood till the day of transfer and my progesterone level was so low. Think it was 26. That cycle failed however the one after they tested my progesterone the day before after changing my medication plan and adding in lubion and my levels were 90 something. Currently 11 weeks 🙏🏻 good luck x

[Lucyhannah1 in reply to Lucyhannah1]

Also had no issues with my first cycle which resulted in my daughter with progesterone so don’t think it was picked up until 3 cycles had failed 🤷🏻‍♀️ x

[Minnie92 in reply to Lucyhannah1]

Thanks so much for your reply. Congratulations on your pregnancy! Hope you are feeling ok ✨

Out of interest with your low progesterone did you bleed before otd? Or did you bleed any of the failed cycles?

We are trying for a sibling, we have 2 children through a fresh and a frozen and this is my first failed cycle. We know how lucky we are but would really love to add another if we could. So we have 2 embryos left so essentially 2 more chances so want to do everything we can! Feel I was too laid back this time as just assumed it will work 😢 xx

[Lucyhannah1 in reply to Minnie92]

I know what you mean, on my first cycle after my daughter I just assumed it was going to work. Was quite laid back about it all so was shocked when it didn’t. No I never had any spotting or bleeding! They did recommend Emma, era testing but it was a lot of money and I figured if it had worked first time surely there couldn’t be too many issues. I do sometimes believe it could just be down to the embryo too. We had 8 in total but I would def say ask for a blood test personally.x

[Minnie92 in reply to Lucyhannah1]

I’ll be interested to know what my clinic say when they call today then. Obviously I’m worried as the embryo quality of the last 2 is lower than the one I had transferred. Will definitely ask for bloods!

How soon after your failed transfer did your clinic let you try again? Did you do anything differently in order to prepare for your next cycle? X

[Lucyhannah1]

I can’t remember with the first one but im sure they said to me you need to have the ‘withdrawal bleed’ which is from the failed cycle and then your next period I counted as my day one. Think I skipped a month so I had a failed cycle august then started FET October. So you could maybe start again from March? Depending on your clinic rules.

I didn’t change too much, I did change my diet a little cut back on alcohol as I do enjoy a wine and generally exercise 3 x a week but who knows 🤷🏻‍♀️

[Minnie92 in reply to Lucyhannah1]

Hoping the withdrawal bleed comes quickly as I can imagine it’s not very nice. Yeh I thought March /April time too - see what they say.

That’s good that you didn’t make any major changes and it worked, I’m going to use the next month or 2 to get a bit healthier and prepare my mind and body for this next emotional rollercoaster 😵‍💫 x

[Lucyhannah1]

tbh it’s just like a normal period. It was for me anyway. That’s exactly what I did… good luck! X

[Meeandembryos]

Hi, sorry to hear this cycle hasn't worked. I would ask if they can test your progesterone on your next cycle.

[Minnie92 in reply to Meeandembryos]

Thank you, I asked yesterday and they said they wouldn’t as Iv got pregnant before. But there’s a private place near where I live that do progesterone and Estradiol bloods so I can pay and get that done before next transfer if needed x

[Meeandembryos]

Yes I would get one done. I have mine on day of transfer.

[Minnie92 in reply to Meeandembryos]

Thank you, I’m going to pay privately next time for bloods 🙏🏼

[Meeandembryos in reply to Minnie92]

R u with the NHS? X

[Fruitandflowers]

I would ask them to check your progesterone on day of transfer and to be prepared in advance to add one or even two lubion injections per day if it comes back low. You could also ask them to do a day 21 test before you start so they have that information too. I've always been able to go again on the next natural period after two early losses/chemicals on fresh transfers and a BFN on a FET (only time they've suggested waiting was after a PUL at 10 weeks, which was more complex and needed time to recover I suppose, even then they suggested only two periods in between). I don't think their logic about you having been pregnant before makes too much sense as your body and hormones can change massively after pregnancy (in good ways and bad) and also as you age, and why not check everything even to rule out any issues? Having said that, my doctor said it's numbers and with no known issues, top quality embryos and age not really a factor, it would be about 1 in 3 and that's about the same as natural pregnancies. That's been exactly our odds no matter what we've done or haven't done so I can't argue.

[Minnie92 in reply to Fruitandflowers]

Thanks for you message and sorry for your losses that must’ve been awful for you.

spoke to them yesterday they were really helpful and said I can try again next cycle after this bleed. I’m going to ask my gp to run some baseline bloods and then when I have my next transfer will pay for extra bloods to check hormone levels. They said ultimately it comes down to a chemical reaction which either happens or doesn’t and there isn’t much they can do about that.

They are also arguing that my pregnancies were recent so December 2019 and November 2021 so chances are nothing much had changed except I’m older but still I’m only 31 so I’m hoping if I have some bloods it’s just one of those things that was going to happen regardless x

[Fruitandflowers in reply to Minnie92]

That sounds good that you can go again soon if you want to. The losses were hard and I did start to wonder what was wrong after two in a row, but the third transfer/first FET worked and I had a LG in 2022. Then had the PUL and the BFN but am 6mnths pregnant naturally now. So I think sometimes it's just something not right with the embryo, or the environment, that no-one can explain. My periods and hormones went almost textbook since I had my LG and stopped breastfeeding though so pregnancy affected my body in a positive way, so just good to check that nothing's changed or a bit out of range etc.

[Twiglet2]

Im so sorry lovely 😥 if you had spotting before test day I would defo ask them about your progesterone and either checking those before and during or just upping your dose or adding lubion (some people don’t absorb the pessaries well and need the injection form too which as really helped me). Our clinic don’t really test for progesterone as it can fluctuate depending on time of day you test etc so if spotting or bleeding before test day they will just up it anyways to be in the safe side.

I also added clexane which helps with clotting issues of your lining which can stop implantation. So if you’re not already in that maybe ask about that? Again they can test for ‘sticky blood’ but there was a pause of a couple of months for results so I just added it anyways rather than testing and it helped.

With those changes just about every embryo now tried to implant or does implant for us although I miscarry so I now know it’s highly likely an embryo issue and I just need to keep trying to get the right embryo rather than change anything for the transfer prep. I hope your appointment tent goes well and that you are doing okay right now too 🤗💜

[Minnie92 in reply to Twiglet2]

Thanks for your reply 😌

As I’ve had 2 successful pregnancies they said they won’t be changing anything but can try again next cycle after this bleed. I’m going to use this month to get some baseline bloods done with my gp once the hormones are out of my system and then I’ll pay to have progesterone checked before transfer next time.

My last FET which was successful I had spotting from day 5 up until about 7 weeks of pregnancy, Iv got an ectropian on my cervix so they said it could be caused by that but no real way of knowing. I also bled towards the end of my first pregnancy because of my cervix. So it’s really hard to know what causes it but I think if I get the hormones checked it will put my mind at ease!

I’m sorry to see you miscarry that must be really awful for you, I’m hoping you have an embryo that sticks soon for tou ✨

[Twiglet2 in reply to Minnie92]

Aww fab you can get going again soon! Yeah I had a little boy in 2021 (also had bleeding with him up to 10 weeks) but then trying for a sibling had a few negatives in a row so added the lubion and clexane and then I have had 3 positives in a row (but miscarrying) so I think getting progesterone checked is a good idea. I did a medichecks one on my last pregnancy at about 6 weeks and progesterone was good so I know the misccariage wasn’t related to that at all at least, it’s just one more thing to check of the list 😊. Honestly though I do think it can be just down to the embryo sometimes no matter what we do! Hoping the next one for you a sticky one xx

[Minnie92 in reply to Twiglet2]

Definitely a good idea to check progesterone, and it’s helpful for you to know it wasn’t anything that can be helped.

Iv just spoke to our embryologist who said our embryo was 5bb when frozen but thawed at 2bb - according to google this is an average quality so I feel like it was destined to fail from the start! They never told me either just said it was a perfect looking embryo 🙄 x