FET stress - lots of questions. Help!

Can anyone direct me to somewhere I might be able to find out about the success rates of FETs?

In particular, I'm interested in the difference in success rates between natural FETs and medicated FETs.

My FS has told me that he gets better pregnancy rates with natural FETs. All well and good for someone who actually ovulates - but for me, not so good.

He's got me trying a drug to induce ovulation on our break cycle, and once I reminded myself of what EWCM actually looked like (thank heavens for puregon so now I've actually seen my body make the stuff!), I've hit CD21 with very little sign that my body is actually going to ovulate, so I'm losing faith in my body's ability to do this.

I'm really beginning to think I would have been much happier and more relaxed taking the pill for our break cycle and jumping into a medicated FET cycle afterwards, and I'm suspecting quite strongly that I will need to call the clinic in another couple of weeks and request that we move on to Plan B (yet again! :rolleyes: Those poor nurses are going to get so sick of me and my tendency to just not respond!).

So... just how much do we reduce our chances by going with a medicated cycle rather than a natural cycle?

And yes, it does seem strange to be calling anything I go through a natural cycle when I have to be medicated to ovulate! What I'm referring to as a medicated cycle (I'm not sure what else to call it!) is the protocol listed in the handbook from the clinic that involves taking progynova for the whole cycle and progesterone pessaries after transfer. Are the progesterone pessaries used in this case crinone? I was given it for the stim cycle, but it's still sitting in my fridge as with the OHSS we knew we weren't going to get to transfer then.

BW

Hey Bw- its all so confusing what works for one may not for another, y cant these things like having a baby be easy for every one, i ask this every day

Firstly yes they are using the pessaries in place if the gel, this is purly a cost thing and you could use up the ones you have first, thats what i did when my cycle was canciled. From what i remember when i bought crinone it cost me about $190.00 ( for 15!)but ive found a place in caulfield that sell the pessaries $50 (for 27) now there is one difference the gel (crinone) needs only to be inserted once a day where as the pessaries need twice a day

I wouldnt say a natural works better than a HRT cycle as some people like myself dont do the norn and if i waited to do o'natural i'll be 60 by the time i get my bubs

Talk to your Fs and do what feels comfortable to you

Just wanted to add that medicare covers the cost of the gel for your stim cycle but not for others following thats why you get the gel


I have tried natural FET but switched halfway as my body wasnt doing what it was ment to

H that H

Ok, just to make sure I'm completely clear on this... if we go medicated, then the first time I'll be able to use the crinone I still have, but subsequent FET cycles will use a different form of progesterone?

Is this different to the progesterone pessary they ask you to use the night before transfer? I'm assuming that one is to help open the cervix so they can get the emby in. And in that case, how does using progesterone pessaries through the luteal phase help an emby stick when it also has the effect of opening your cervix?

sorry BW i dont think i was clear enough they ARE THE SAME it doesnt matter if you use the gel or pessaries

Ive never heard that the pessaries or gel help to open the cervix? i thougt it was to keep the lining thick and to paise P4 which keeps AF at bay. i will say that taking the gel befor a TF is a nightmare as it leave all this white $h!& in your you know what and it can make it hard for the doc to find the right bit and sometimes they clean you which isnt plesent

H that H

Please pm me if your not sure on anything

BW,
I am the queen of FETs and different types of FET. Originally I waited and waited till I got a positive O..this could be either with LH tests then confirmation with BT.This often stretched my cycles out of whack completley to 45 day cycles and I hated having to wait and feeling like a failure as Ovulation wasnt something my body didnt want to comply with..then I went to progonova tablets (which I think is estrogen) and waited for O with the help of ultrasounds to check the lining if it was thick enough...Finally I went on to stim drugs...Puregon then a trigger and then a transfer 3 days later, the same as a 3 day Stim cycle. Then all supported with progesterone pessaries till day 14 DPO. I think on the MIVF website it was something about sucess rates on FET's but keep in mind what is frozen isnt necessary the best quality. As for me ...One preg from Fresh, 2 from FET's.
Bec

I'm an advocate of medicated FET's...especially if you don't ovulate on your own.
We tried a natural FET and it was a complete disaster! According to OPK's we O'd, but 4 days after transfer, I got my period, so it was clearly inaccurate.

At least with a medicated FET, there is more control over your body, u/s are done to determine the thickness of your lining, which gives FS a better indication of when your body is ready for transfer - obviously the thicker the better!

My last cycle, I took Progynova from CD2, started progesterone pessaries 2 days before transfer (twice a day), we did achieve a BFP (but m/c). We'll definately be doing another medicated FET, I had success with that, so will stick with what I know. It is a lot more expensive with the pessaries, but I like that we had more control over what my body was doing.

Loula - am going to see my FS today for my 6 week follow up after m/c. One of the questions I have to ask him is about the quality of pessaries made from a chemist outside of the MIVF pharmacy. I've heard about a compounding chemist in Surrey Hills that make them for a fraction of the price. I just wasn't sure they'd be the same quality/product...you had no problems using them???

Lisa,
I too would do medicated over and over compared to natural :), I get my pessaries from a local pharmacy Lisa..the first few times we did it thru the chemist you are talking about then I ran out one day and they told me just to get them locally
Bec

Bec..thank you!! I've had so many people say only the MIVF pharmacy ones are reliable, but lately I've spoken to a few people that just use their own chemist, or the compounding chemist, and it works out $1.50 per pessary compared to $4.

It is good to know that for women with PCOS who can't seem to ovulate, that the medicated cycles can be successful.

I'll still ride out this wait cycle with the letrozole and see how we go. In a way, I'm glad we can do it for this cycle with nothing happening as it lets me see how my luteal phase is. The one time acupuncture got me to ovulate I had an 8 day LP. I had a trigger shot when I grew a cyst and AF arrived 7 days after the trigger, and AF arrived 8 days after my EPU, so I'm suspecting a slightly dodgy luteal phase here. Although the FS is convinced that AF arriving so soon after my EPU is because we weren't using luteal phase support as I had bad OHSS and we weren't transferring. If I get anything remotely questionable with my LP this time around I'm going to be SCREAMING at my FS!

I think I'm feeling a bit more confident about things now as I had proper EWCM a couple of days ago, and a huge temp spike this morning which will give me coverlines very soon if the elevated temperatures continue.

Thanks for the suggestion, Bec. I'll look up MIVF's web page and see what I can find out about FETs.

I think I'm still confused about the crinone/progesterone pessaries, but I'm sure it's something I'll figure out when I actually need to know.

BW

Hi Lisa i was paying $60 - $90 for 15 pessaries at local pharm but now get them from the compounding chemist at $50 for 27! and yes they are just as good as i have had my BT and they say that my P4 levels are good

Also they are smaller which is nice i think and i dont get too much out after i pee!

I've just asked this elsewhere, but since we are talking about FET's.....my FS yesterday suggested trying a Clomid/FET. He said he's only been doing them recently, but has had good success rates.

He says they are perfect for woman with PCOS, the Clomid regulates the cycle, we can either see if I O naturally or we'll Trigger, then transfer, then we won't be reliant on the pessaries.

Anyone else done an FET this way??

Lisa,
I do mine kinda similar but with puregon and then trigger, it was a trial MIVF did a few years ago with PCOS patients...it worked well for me.
Bec

Lisa, this is what my FS is planning on doing with me. Except without clomid. My FS is a big fan of letrozole or femara (brand name). I'm not up to a FET cycle yet, but the letrozole appears to have done what clomid did not and made me ovulate... When AF arrives we'll be starting the FET cycle. My FS says he gets better pregnancy rates this way than going with completely medicated cycles. We'll see how we go when we get there.

Just wanted to let you know it's not that unusual for FET cycles to be done this way.

BW

Thanks Bec and BW!

I get nervous doing something I'm not familiar with, so it's nice to hear stories from others who have done it!