# FET experiences



## Jenbot78 (May 20, 2016)

Hello, posted this on another thread and another forum but didn't get any responses. I am trying to make some decisions about when and how to go through a FET cycle for baby 2. My DD is 8 months from IVF 2 (IVF 1 failed) and we have 2 frozen ones. Can anyone with experience of FET tell me how it went in terms of drugs/hormones etc? I have a dx of unexplained infertility although I feel it is my Hashimotos disease that has caused this as the IVF was successful due to steroids (first IVF failed without these.) Working very hard on this health wise (under supervision of a functional practitioner) but it could take some time to sort out. DH and I keep thinking maybe it will happen naturally. Cycles and hormones still a bit all over the place since weaning from Breastfeeding and so I dread putting more hormones, steroids etc. into my poor body. CARE say that I will have down reg and then oestrogen to thicken lining. I worry that if this doesn't work it will mess everything up, hormones etc. for ages.

So, to summmarise my very long post:

1.Anyone had FET and it not work? How long did it take cycles to return to normal?

2. Should I wait to get my body back in some sort of balance before going ahead with the FET?

3.What is  the best thread to join? Would like some company...

I am 39...

Thanks so much in advance for any replies!


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## beachbaby (Jan 31, 2008)

Hi jenbot, It is 10 years since my FET so things may have changed a bit, I was a private patient at an NHS hospital fertility centre. Their protocol was to wait 2 periods between each failed attempt to allow the body to heal a bit. Regarding your cycles i would ask the clinic what their criteria is as most have a time scale for starting after weaning babies. 
I was 38, but my eggs were 37, all mine were frozen on day 2. I had 2 chemical FEt's and was sent to the miscarriage clinic for further tests, they found i had a genetic problem and my drugs were altered accordingly the next time and i got twins. Out of 8 eggs thawed over 3 cycles I only had 1 that deteriorated too much to be viable. 
I had meicated cycles but they are far easier than the IVF.

good luck


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## mierran (Apr 24, 2009)

Hi,
I would definitely get your body back on track with regular cycles before you do a FET. Otherwise if you were bf it could be that your prolactin is still a bit high which may interfere with implantation. 

I had 2 medicated FETs which didn't work. I have endo so I had a bad af after meds and the oestrogen may have worsened my endo tho it is also progressive anyway. But it is different for everyone.

The most common form of med FET is what care are saying. You take a down regulator such as prostap cd 21. Your af comes and you get scanned to check lining thin. Then start oestrogen. Scan usually cd 10-12. If ok start progesterone and transfer appropriate number of days later ( eg 5 if day 5 blast). 

You can also do it without the down regulator just starting oestrogen cd 2- 3 or so. In most women this prevents a follicle from developing.

The third option is a natural FET. This can be done either by testing for a lh surge on a ovulation predictor test every day from about cd 9 usually then transferring age of embryo + 2 days later ( so a week for a blast) or by bloods every 2 days to pinpoint ovulation.
You can also do a triggered natural where you are scanned every couple of days from cd9. You need to have one lead follicle. Once it is over 18mm tho some clinics like it bigger, you trigger as with a fresh cycle. Ovulation is 40 hours later. You start progesterone support that day and transfer appropriate number of days later eg 5 for a blast.

What cycle you do depends on your cycle, your clinics preference, flexibility etc. On a good natural FET results at least as good as medicated but more difficult for you and clinic to plan.

Good luck.


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## RFairyGodmother (Dec 3, 2017)

Hi Jenbot78 and everyone else 

Hoping to do a FET in the near future - be nice to chat on here and share experiences/info etc.  Have you made a decision about whether you are going to wait?

I stopped bf in Nov and got told off the ivf clinic I could ring up day 1 of my period anytime after I stopped bf.  However, the milk was there for a while (couple of months) so tend to agree with mierran for that reason.

xx


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