# How to prepare for a natural FET?



## Staying hopeful (Sep 6, 2013)

Hello, 

I am due to have my first natural FET at the end of this month. Before our fresh round of ICSI in May I tried to follow advice about having lots of fluids, drinking milk, eating Brazil nuts etc. bu I'm not sure how much of that was to ensure good quality eggs and if those things will help when it's a frozen embryo? 

We only have 1 embryo to transfer so any advice on anything that I can do to improve our chances would be great and make me feel a bit more in control  

Does anyone have any tips or advice please?


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## BabsK (Dec 27, 2012)

Hi,

I'm going in today for my natural FET.

I have tried to drink more water but apart from that relaxing has been more or less the only thing I have tried to do (easier said than done!).

I will be listening to Zita West throughout the next week also as I did last cycle which resulted in a BFP.

I was told my my clinic during my fresh cycle that the drinking of milk was to absorb and fluid leaked by the stimulated ovaries to prevent OHSS so I don't think it's relevant for a FET.

Pineapple juice is to improve lining so again for a natural FET you will have probably had a lining scan (mine was 14mm last week a day before Ov & they told me 8mm or above is what they are looking for).

Wishing you good luck.
Let's hope our bodies know what to do - I'm not even going to be taking progesterone! Not one single drug.

X


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## PinkPeacock (Nov 9, 2006)

Good luck both of you. I'm hoping for a natural FET too. I can't offer any advice as have the same questions. I've started taking multivits again and will take folic acid but other than that don't really know what to do. Hoping my body knows what to do hasn't served me particularly well so far but gonna give it a go as neither has pumping it full of drugs. I've only got one frostie in the freezer to so a bit scared to use it because then it won't be there as back up any more  does that make sense?


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## Staying hopeful (Sep 6, 2013)

Thank you ladies  I'm taking pregnacare conception tablets as well as q10,  vit D and Vit C tablets but wasn't sure if there was anything else. I too am trying to stay relaxed for this round - if that's possible, so I think it is better for me not to have to think too much about all the extra things you can do. 

Pinkcarys - that makes perfect sense. I'm really worried about using up our one frostie. We even considered having another round of ICSI and leaving the frostie as a backup. But we get the FET round free on the NHS and so we couldn't justify having to pay for a new round of ICSI. I just hope it thaws ok! 

BabsK - I hope you FET goes well today!!


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## lisamarie1 (Jan 14, 2014)

Hi ladies

I'm hoping to have a natural FET in November and have been wondering the same. I'm taking folic acid with vitamin D and multivitamins and I'm hoping to try acupuncture for the first time ever but that's about it really apart from trying to be as healthy as possible. We also only have one frostie so really hoping it works for us this time.

I'm also going to try and be a bit more relaxed this time round, hopefully not having to go to the clinic every 5 minutes will help with this.

*Staying hopeful*, can I ask how much q10 you are taking? I'm certainly not being negative about this cycle but I have to think ahead to the next one if this doesn't work and I know it's good to start taking it well in advance.

Good luck ladies, hope it goes well for you all x


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## BabsK (Dec 27, 2012)

Well I am PUPO!

My blastocysts thawed well & improved in quality by the time we got there 
One was even a hatching blast by this point.

Now begins the wait ! 
AF due a week tomorrow. And seeing as it's not a medicated cycle with no progesterone - there is no way it will be delayed so one way or another I will get my answer then


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## Staying hopeful (Sep 6, 2013)

BabsK - congratulations on being PUPO!  

Lisa - I'm taking coenzyme q10 and B1 capsules from sainsburys, I think each capsule is 100mg of coenzyme q10? I've been taking them since my review meeting in July along with the Vit D and C but I must admit that I'm not very good at remembering to take them all!


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## Blondie71 (Oct 26, 2011)

I did nothing in terms of preparation regarding food/lifestyle etc in fact I was so convinced it prob wouldn't work I was determined not to punish myself further, my clinic had me take 5mg folic acid, 10mg prednisolone and 40mg clexane daily starting 2 weeks prior to transfer x

Best of luck Babs


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## lisamarie1 (Jan 14, 2014)

*Babs*, many congratulations on being PUPO, great that both embryos survived the thaw, good luck for the next few days.

*Staying hopeful*, thanks for that, I'm definitely going to start taking it, just in case the FET doesn't work. Spoke to my consultant and she wasn't that convinced about it but is happy for me to take it so I think it's worth a go. At this stage, I'm willing to try anything. I'm also rubbish at remembering to take things, I have to set myself alarms on my phone to remind me!


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## Lea84 (Nov 14, 2013)

Hi Girls,

Hope you dont mind if i join this thread. Ive just been through my 3rd fresh cycle and we decided early on this would be a freeze all cycle. We changed clinics after our chem pregnancy in July. Previously i was producing so many eggs (16+21!) but we would never have any embryos good enough to freeze! we thought something wasnt right quality of quantity being the phrase. So with a change of clinics and approach i have just finished the 3rd cycle. I had minimum drugs, no ohss and i had 5 eggs collected yay!!. We have 3 x 3day embryos now on ice. I am over the moon as now i can let my body recover - which i feel is part of where the implantation failure has been :-(

I am taking....

Q10
Folic Acid
Omega 3 oil
Vit D
Thyroxine

Aswell as regular acupuncture   Quite a cocktail of supplements. I guess the clinic will give me progesterone (urgh!!!) and ive heard baby asprin helps too. My plan is to try and enjoy this next month by getting back to the gym, eating healthy and prepare as much as i can. BUT most of all ive learnt this mad year is its down to luck and we have to just hope its the right time - its such a hard process when there are sometimes no answers.

xxx


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## lisamarie1 (Jan 14, 2014)

Hi *Lea*, wow, you must be thrilled to have 3 embryos on ice, that's great. I know what you mean about so much of it being down to luck, I went armed with a big list of questions after this last failed cycle and those unanswerable questions are so hard to deal with.

Can I ask how you get on with the acupuncture? I have never had it before and have my first consultation next week, I have no idea how it's going to go, its not something I have ever thought of doing before but figured it can't hurt to try. Haven't mentioned it to DH yet, I can just imagine what his response will be, especially if he finds out how much it is costing!

My clinic won't give progesterone for a natural cycle, they say its not needed.

Lisa x


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## Lea84 (Nov 14, 2013)

Hi Lisa,

Aw thank you, yes we are absolutely over the moon to finally have some frosties. Its been such a relief this cycle to not worry about transfer straight away.

I started acupuncture back in January where me and my husband went (i dragged him along hehe) to a couples appointment. I found it so relaxing and really clicked with the therapist who i felt truly understood our fertility struggle. DH however felt it wasn't for him. Ive been going regularly ever since, once a month when we are not going through tx. Through tx i will go at key points of the cycle. There are studies showing acupuncture can help up to 30% more with implantation after transfer as its amazing for circulation and healthy blood flow to the uterus. I do believe though it mainly helps because i actually feel like i'm doing something positive and can see physical changes. My circulation has improved, less stressed, regular ovulation 

When are you thinking about doing you FET?

Lea xxx


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## lisamarie1 (Jan 14, 2014)

Hi Lea

Thanks for the information about acupuncture, all sounds really positive, I'm quite looking forward to it now. I've not met the acupuncturist yet but I've spoken to her a couple of times on the phone and she sounds lovely. Well done for managing to drag DH along, there is absolutely no way mine would come!

We finished our last IVF cycle in August and are going for the FET in November. I'm hoping that's going to be enough time for my body to recover and get back to normal. I didn't want to leave it any longer as it will then end up impacting on Christmas.

Are you still starting in October? Really hope it works out for you this time.

Lisa x


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## BabsK (Dec 27, 2012)

Update !

I got a 'ghost line' on a FRER at not quite 4dpt & a 'Pregnant' on a Clearblue digital this morning at not quite 5dpt! 

No trigger shot obviously as a natural FET so I'm cautiously very happy!

Good luck to everyone !

I had acupuncture at 2dpt to help with implantation.

X


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## lisamarie1 (Jan 14, 2014)

Congratulations Babs, great news and thanks for the update. Best wishes for the coming weeks and months.

Lisa x


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## ema1978 (Sep 19, 2013)

Hello ladies,

I hope you don't mind if I join you. Babs - congratulation for your BFP. It is an amazing feeling!

I'm due to start the journey for my 4th transfer. I did a fresh cycle last year in July which resulted in 4 blastocysts so the one I'm going to use next is the last from this cycle. I had two medicated FETs one of them resulting in a BFP but unfortunately I miscarried. I had endo-scratch with that one too so I thought I will do now a natural cycle with endo-scratch. My problem for me is measuring the LH surge. I had a long argue with my clinic which insists doing the measurements in the morning. I always got positive results in the afternoon. I will try using this time the CB digital ones with double hormones detection. Maybe I will be luckier. 

I would also give a try to acupuncture which I never tried before. There are lots of positive stories. As Lea said it may be only self-suggestion but if this helps us relax why not giving it a try.

Best wishes to everyone


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## lisamarie1 (Jan 14, 2014)

Hi Ema1978 and welcome

My clinic too ask for morning readings and I'll be using the CB fertility monitor that I bought a few months ago, I always struggled with the cheapie sticks and find this a lot easier to use, hopefully the digital sticks will work for you too. I had the endo-scratch last time too and will probably try it again for this cycle.

Hopefully it will be fourth time lucky for you, best wishes.

x
x


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## Lea84 (Nov 14, 2013)

Hi girls, how is everyone doing?
I got my period a week after egg collection on Friday! ! Just shows what our bodies do without the drugs for a week. So we have decided to wait for our FET with my next cycle as I'm still feeling a bit urghhh. 
May I ask what an endo scratch is?
I'll def buy the digital ov sticks as I can never tell with the cheap ones. I always ovulate late like day 19 or 20 does anyone know if this will be an issue?
Xxx


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## ema1978 (Sep 19, 2013)

Thanks Lisamarie - I hope we will all have positive stories to tell.

Lea - during the cycle before the one with embryo transfer the endometrium is scratched to produce a local inflammatory reaction. In this way that area become more receptive for the embryo to implant. There are studies around it, but probably not enough. Some people do believe in it even though the mechanisms are fully understood. From my point of view, it was only after the endo-scratch when I got the first ever BFP. I don't know for sure what it does but it worked for me in the past.


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## lisamarie1 (Jan 14, 2014)

Hello ladies

Hope you are all well and having a good week.

Lea, I don't think ovulating later should be an issue, I ovulate around day 18. I didn't ovulate at all last month but the consultant said that's not unusual in the cycle after IVF. I just hope it's back to normal this month so I can do the FET in November. 

Had my first acupuncture session yesterday, although most of the 2 hour session was spent talking! It felt good just to talk about everything, felt that I got a lot of things clear in my head and some useful suggestions about some positive steps I can take. Didn't really feel the effects of the acupuncture this time, really struggle to relax and switch my brain off from everything but going for another session next week so hopefully I'll be more relaxed next time.

Best wishes x


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## KALM (May 1, 2014)

Hi ladies, I am hoping to have a natural FET in Dec or Jan, so found your posts of interest.  Babs, wishing you luck and that your little one sticks!

I am currently taking Pregnacare conception vitamins, eating aptimist for the royal jelly, and seeing my acupuncturist once a month. Should I be taking any of the other things you guys have mentioned, like Q10, do you think? I've generally been trying to eat well, and get back into exercise since my MMC.  Also I actually have no idea when I ovulate exactly, so maybe I should buy the tests already to get a feel for that...


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## lisamarie1 (Jan 14, 2014)

Hi Kalm and welcome,

I'm taking the COq10 in preparation for my next and final fresh ivf  cycle in March (if the FET does not work), not really sure if there are any benefits to taking it in preparation for the FET but figured it can't hurt!

As for ovulation, I find it quite reasurring tracking it and although the chances of conceiving naturally are minimal after all this time, we still like to try so its good to know when its happening.

Sounds like you are doing all the right things, really hope it works out for you this time x


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## Loudxx84 (Mar 4, 2012)

Hi all hoping u are all doing great 🙏💗💙 Think I'm in for my et next week waiting for ovulation & I have a 36 day plus cycle, iv carried on completely normal this time 😁 feeling a tad nervous now xx


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## lisamarie1 (Jan 14, 2014)

Good luck for ET *Loud*, I'll be keeping everything crossed for you. Let us know how you get on.

Lisa x


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## Loudxx84 (Mar 4, 2012)

Hello ladies am I ok to join in my et is Thursday from a frozen cycle feeling a tad nervous now, best of luck to u all xx


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## KALM (May 1, 2014)

Wishing you lots of luck for Thursday and the 2WW Loud!


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## Betsy SW (Oct 24, 2010)

Hi ladies 

Hope you don't mind me joining, I'm planning a natural fet for January.  I've had some failed Fet attempts this year so hoping this one works (my bank balance also hopes this lol).

I'm planning to spend the next couple of months reducing my caffeine intake and getting fit and healthy.  Any other tips would be great 

Babydust x


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