failed FET ☹️ next steps? More tests?

[Prettypenny1]

hi everyone, BFN today following a frozen transfer (it was a day 6, good quality embryo - not sure of the exact grading). I was told the embryo thawed perfectly and was hatching before transferred. My lining was 7.4 before I started the progesterone which I thought was borderline but the nurse used the words “textbook” and “perfect” so I was really hopeful. I will be calling the clinic up Monday to discuss next steps, I just wondered if anyone could give any advice on what to ask / any extra tests before a new cycle?

For context this was our first round of IVF, my partner found out in July 2022 he had no sperm (zero!) and we were referred to our local fertility clinic. During the 7 month wait for our referral appointment, he researched and stopped using a testosterone gel he had been prescribed by a doctor 2 years prior as it can effect sperm production (no mention of this when prescribed). At the beginning of 2023, he has a repeat semen analysis and sperm (albeit an extremely low amount) was found and we were told we were on the waiting list for icsi. We did our first cycle in October 2023 and collected 18 eggs, 12 mature, 6 fertilised and got 1 x day 5 embryo (fresh transfer failed) and then the FET I mention which has also failed.

I’m so sorry for the long post and I’m not even sure what I’m asking but I’ve found so much comfort in reading others stories on here.

If anyone has any advice on what tests we could do before going in to another round, I’d be so grateful. Thank you xxx

[Nabsal]

I am extremely sorry to hear this . It’s very very heartbreaking I can understand. This journey is damn hard. Please start giving him proxeed men . It’s really good we are also using, our Gynocoligist recommend us as well ivf clinic too. You can give some other multivitamins as well before go for another cycle. My first cycle failed too but on that time we were not using any multivitamins only standard vitamin D and folic acid. Which I think not enough for ivf peoples. Also ask them liras if questions in follow up appointment like what they can do differently in next cycle what they recommend different.

As in my case they said they will freeze sperm before to start second cycle. And I am also taking multivitamins and my husband too.

[Prettypenny1 in reply to Nabsal]

Thank you - he does take a few different vitamins but I’ll get him to look in to the brand you mention. Good luck to you and husband xx

[Nabsal in reply to Prettypenny1]

Thank you so much

[Greenleaves1]

I know this doesn't help right now but what helped me (I've just failed my first round also) was treating it as a diagnostic cycle so that the consultants have something new to go on for the next round.

There are a lot of people who take a few rounds to get success.

CoQ10, Vitamin D3 spray and pre-conception vitamins are all I'm taking so I'm hopeful to see an improvement for round 2. Good luck xx

[Nabsal in reply to Greenleaves1]

Me too ! I am also going for round 2 ! When you are going. I am also taking same but I am taking ubiquionol 200mg solgar as CoQ10 takes time to absorb. But which pre-conceptions you are taking? Good luck to you for round 2 🤞

[Greenleaves1 in reply to Nabsal]

I've always taken Pregnacare. I'm due to start Oestrogen priming at the start of March with stims mid March xx

[Nabsal in reply to Greenleaves1]

I am also starting in mid march xx good luck 🤞

[Nabsal in reply to Greenleaves1]

Do you take melatonin. As days are coming near due to stress I couldn’t sleep at all. Don’t know what shall I do ?

[Greenleaves1 in reply to Nabsal]

I started melatonin but stopped after 3 nights as it gave me bad nights sleep.

[Nabsal in reply to Greenleaves1]

Mean you couldn’t sleep ??

[Greenleaves1 in reply to Nabsal]

Yes, it gave me broken and unsettled sleep so I stopped. I have a 21 month old son so I need all the sleep I can get lol.

[Prettypenny1]

Yeah you’re right, I’m looking forward to having a follow up appointment and knowing the next plan of attack. Think it’ll be a little easier once we dates etc for the new cycle. Sorry to hear your first round didn’t work out - fingers crossed for your next one 🤞🏻 I take a prenatal multivitamin but will look in to the other. I’ve heard coq10 mentioned a lot, what dose do you take of that? Xx

[Greenleaves1 in reply to Prettypenny1]

I take 600mg CoQ10. You need to take it for 3 months before your cycle xx

[Nabsal in reply to Greenleaves1]

I take ubiquinol 200mg solgar

[DanoB in reply to Prettypenny1]

I would advise Ubiquinol (the more absorbable form of Q10). I took it for 3 months before positive from Pharma Nord. 100mg two or three times per day. And a must for your partner, too, as it improves egg and sperm quality I understand

[Prettypenny1 in reply to DanoB]

Definitely ordering some, thank you 😀

[Twiglet2]

I’m so sorry to hear this it does sound like despite the sperm issues you guys made 2 good embryos which is fab! Sometimes though it’s a numbers game and you need a few more embryos to get ‘the one’. From the 6 you had fertilised did you get 2 embryos and so now you are going to start a fresh cycle again? If so I would be asking questions about why only half of the mature eggs fertilised and if there is anything you can do to help that as you other drop off rates sound quite normal.

There’s also a few things you can do for your lining as our clinic are 8mm before going ahead, have a look at previous posts on this lining there’s brilliant tips on here. Also adding lubion and clexane worked wonders for us in terms of implantation. Best of luck for your next round! Xx 💜

[Prettypenny1 in reply to Twiglet2]

Yeah in so many ways I know we are fortunate that eventually we found sperm and got to this position, it feels so disappointing to fall at the last hurdle both times. Yep next steps will be a fresh cycle, I’ll definitely ask questions about (not sure if it’s because we had to use ICSI) but I’ll ask. Thanks so much, I’ll definitely look for those posts 🥰❤️xx

[LittleL3]

I also recently had my first failed cycle of IVF. We only got 1 embryo but it was top quality and my lining was similar to yours (I was also worried a bit thin but they said it was fine) so we were hopeful. It was a 3 month process in total due to having to do a frozen transfer and having Xmas in the middle. It is very hard thinking about starting from scratch again. I take Pregnacare Max, Pregnancy Optibac, and an iron tablet prescribed by GP as my levels were a little low. We had a follow-up with the clinic and have made a plan for next time and we have also booked a holiday for a week. Although in some ways I would rather just get going with another cycle I think it is probably important and healthy to take a little break as the whole process is so all consuming. I have also found the BFN podcast and Headspace meditation app helpful. I am also lucky to have 2 friends who are in the midst of treatment so we can rant together sometimes! Generally keeping busy and distracted with other things and people is good for me as I find I can sink into a gloom if moping about at home. Stay strong and good luck for your next cycle.

[Prettypenny1 in reply to LittleL3]

Sorry to hear you’re in a similar boat, it’s so difficult isn’t it. I do think I’ll feel better once I’ve spoke to the clinic and know the next plans. A holiday sounds like a lovely idea! Thanks so much for your reply and everything crossed for your next round too 🤞🏻❤️xx

[CharcoalLab]

Hi lovely 🤍 hope you’re doing ok after your BFN. It’s so hard when the nurses use positive terminology and then it doesn’t work. Happened to me a few times and it doesn’t help does it!

I’ve had 1 miscarriage, 1 chemical pregnancy and one total BFN & am now having a break before we start from scratch again.

It’s hard to say whether the additional testing I’ve done will be relevant for you but I’ve done a vaginal microbiome swab (waiting for results), I’ve had a hysteroscopy which showed no abnormalities in my womb & I’m also seeing a consultant privately for some extra blood tests in case there’s a reason I’ve miscarried twice.

Maybe there’s nothing ‘wrong’ and it just didn’t work for us… which is tough pill to swallow but if you think about it as if 1 embryo = 1 month of trying naturally, we’d never expect to get pregnant straight away… even tho some annoying people do 😂

Hope this makes sense. Let me know if you want any more info xxx

[Prettypenny1 in reply to CharcoalLab]

Hey, aw thank you for your message - so sorry for your losses. It sounds like you’re doing everything to get the answers you need before your next cycle, I’d not heard of the microbiome swab - definitely going to look in to it. I find all the possible variables so overwhelming, it’s just a minefield isn’t it 😂 thanks so much though. Wish you lots of luck for your next cycle when the time comes 🍀🤞🏻xx

[Tamaa]

Hi. After our 2 failed implantations, we added thyroid Function Tests and blood tests for clotting disorders.All the best!

[Prettypenny1 in reply to Tamaa]

Thank you

[CharcoalLab in reply to Tamaa]

Hey! Did these tests tell you much? Xx

[Tamaa in reply to CharcoalLab]

Yep. Needed thyroid medicine! Clotting bloods were borderline once, so git done twice more to be sure.

[CharcoalLab in reply to Tamaa]

Oh wow. Good job you had the tests. Have you had a positive result yet? Xxx