# Natural cycle with trigger + progesterone: confused about timing



## Cookie-Monster76 (Dec 11, 2015)

Hi ladies
I'm going for my second FET. First time we tried for a natural cycle, but on CD 11 there wasn't much showing on the US. I blame the very severe cold I was suffering from for 2 weeks to have held up my natural cycle. So they switched to medicated. BFN. 
We are using double donation, so the embryoes are top quality, and I never have any lining issues either. So on paper, everything is peachy.

This time we started again for a natural cycle, and on CD 11 I had 9 mm lining, and 3 follikels showing, dominant one of 15.8 mm. It was just too soon to set the trigger, so I had to have another bloodtest on CD 13 (day before yesterday). Got a call in the afternoon that I was to take the HCG trigger shot (Pregnyl 5000) that night, the exact time didn't matter, and start progesterone the next day (3x200 mg per day, vaginal suppositories). Transfer will be on Monday. 

I am a bit confused about this timing. If they give the trigger shot to make sure you ovulate (although I don't have known issues on that front), why not wait with the progesteron till 36 hours after the trigger, as is normal in fresh cycles? I expressed my concern about this to the nurse calling, and she said that with a frozen cycle you can start progesterone right after the Pregnyl. 

I also don't know why they will transfer an embryo that has been frozen on D3 on the 6th day of Progesterone support. When I asked about that, they said that the embryo will be 4 days by the time they transfer it, because they will thaw it the day before transfer (in the evening I guess) and transfer will be the next day in the afternoon.

I'm still confused by all this, because no matter how deep I crawl into the Google dungeons, I haven't found any protocol like this. So this has me worried.

Furthermore, I felt my ovulation yesterday morning (I usually feel it, so nothing out of the ordinary here), only 12-16 hours after the trigger shot. So I must have ovulated naturally (as I had expected), but then I had already taking my first progesterone tab. In nature, progesterone production doesn't start until after ovulation, right? So won't my body be confused with the fact that it received progesterone before it got to produce its own?
If I calculate correctly, I will have a day 4 (if we follow the nurses' explanation of timing) embryo transfered on day 5 after ovulation (day 6 on progesterone).
I'm maybe stressing too much over this, but in my mind, nature has its own timing and the state of the uterus and its lining is changing day after day and we are now not following that timing at all. They don't put back a 3 day embryo a week later, right?
The clinic I'm at is very well regarded, pioneers, top of the world and all, but the downside to it is that you don't get to see or talk to your doctor very often: you see him/her on the intake (and at that time we didn't discuss the specifics of protocols, just that we would try for a natural cycle FET), and at evaluation meetings after a cycle. The procedures, scans, etc. are done by other doctors, depending on their schedule. So it could be your doctor doing the actual transfer, but it could just as well be another doctor.
Maybe some of you lovely ladies have had similar protocols or could otherwise put my mind at ease so that I can stop worrying.
Thank you and good luck to everyone, cycling or otherwise.


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## MadameG (Jan 13, 2012)

Hi, did you get an answer from your clinic on this as you were feeling worried? If I've got what you said in the right order, then they are transferring on the right day I think. Thursday would be fake ec day (two days after trigger), so day zero. Four days later would be then the correct age for your embryo. Don't worry about the progesterone, they are just making sure it is high enough prior to transfer  hope this helps xxxx


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## shellsuit (Jul 6, 2014)

I've just done a natural and it sounds exactly like mine apart from i had a 5 day transfer

i also had to take some other meds the day before and of transfer, and something after i had done the trigger shot - can't recall the names of the top of my head

they are the experts just relax now you are in good hands xxx


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