MARCH FET

ndz2018

Since I didn’t see one started yet thought I’d get one going! I’m 37 and H is 42 a little background about our story, unlike most ladies on here we were only trying for a short time(little less than 6 months) when something just didn’t seem right, call it woman’s intuition or whatever so I decided to book an appointment with an RE. Well guess what?? I was right! H has MFI and have a septate uterus. So we move straight to IVF. We did our ER in Dec and retrieved 29 eggs, 21 of them fertilized, 12 made it to day 5 and after PGS testing we have 5 perfect little embryos, we also have 3 mosaic embryos but let’s hope we don’t have to get to those. My septum removal surgery is Monday and will be on Estrace for 4 week after the surgery and then progesterone starts on 2/13 for 7 days. After I stop those meds I should get AF 3-5 after ( so around Feb 25th-ish) after that it’s game time and I’ll start prepping for FET! 
Anyone else doing March FET? Welcome and looking forward to our jounrey together!

J1006

I just got my transfer date today, March 13!!  I did an egg retrieval on January 12th. We have five embryos and are still waiting for our PGS report to come back. I have consent signing and injection lesson tomorrow and a trial transfer next week. I will start BCP on Friday and Lupron February 8th. 

mcgeeva

Hi ladies! Question @J1006 Is this how long in normally takes after retrieval to do your transfer? I am about to start birth control to do my mock transfer before I start my stims. I'm getting worried about this long timeline if it's such a long period between both your transfers. Good luck to both you ladies by the way! I was hoping to join the March month since I was told 3 months from hopefully start to transfer. Ekk but sounds like it will be longer.  

J1006

I’m doing my trial transfer while I’m on BCP but before I start Lupron for my FET.  My RE put me on what she calls her long protocol for both retrieval and transfer. Roughly 6 months from start to finish. 

mcgeeva

What’s the benefit of the long protocol? 

J1006

My RE is one that is leaning toward only doing FETs.  She also preferred for us to do PGS testing due to our background. We do have MFI issues however my testing comes back normal. We did four IUIs with donor sperm and all obviously failed. She wanted to test the embryos to make sure they were genetically normal before transfer. That automatically adds time. Also I’m on BCP for a month during my FET and then I was on it again before my stims.  It’s a better way to have control of the cycle in her opinion.  She works under the thinking of taking time to control everything as much as possible has better success rates. It makes me a little impatient but if we are successful first round it will definitely be worth it. 

mcgeeva

@j100 sounds like your doctor knows what she’s doing so sounds good. But holy god I’m already panicking about time since I’ve wanted another for a while now and my boys were so close together so now there is this big gap. 

stephanienj

Hi!  If all goes well I'll be in the March group also! We're also battling both sides- MFI and I have ovulation issues. I'm just starting my 1st IVF cycle, but will be doing a fresh transfer. I should be starting BCP next week, so my 21 day baseline should be around February 19th, making my Feb AF right around the 25th as well!  

ndz2018

@stephanienj Hey Neighbor I’m in NJ too, I’m with RMA, you? And my AF should be starting around the 25th as well we may be exact Transfer buddies!! We too have MFI and I had My septum removal surgery yesterday everything went perfect.
So they started me on Estrace this month to build the lining up after the surgery. I then start progestron in 2/13 for 7 days. I stop both pills on 2/20 3-5 days After I stop Pills then AF should start and will begin prep for FET. 

stephanienj

@ndz2018 I got to RSCNJ.  Glad to hear your surgery went great, hope you're feeling well.  I just had surgery last month to remove fibroids and recovery was rough. I haven't started any meds yet, and don't even know what protocol I'll be on, I'm just hoping for my cycles to stay regular right now so we can stay on our timeline!

ndz2018

@stephanienj This recover isn’t so bad, some cramping but not too bad surprisingly, when I initally woke up from the it , it HURT but they shot me up with some pain meds and after a few hours it felt like bad menstral cramps. I got REALLY sick from the anesthesia, puked all day yesterday till about 4pm(surgery started at 730am) that was the worst part. 
@J1006 Hoping to do our transfer around then too! Maybe a few days after. As long as AF cooperates! Our PGS took about a week to come back, maybe a little more Bc we actually only paid for 10 embryos and i wound up having 12 to test, and of course they wanted their money before testing! How’s long did they say it would take? 

J1006

@ndz2018 my embryologist said a week which would be Thursday, but my RE today said 7-10 business days so next week. DH said we’ll we wait so much what’s another week. Which is true at this point. 

Got my protocol today, I was not prepared for the amount of injections I need!  I thought the hard part was over. Some days I will have three intramuscular injections. One progesterone AM one PM and then Estradiol valerate every three days (which is thicker than the progesterone in oil).  They said the AM and the PM shots need to be 12 hours apart which makes me have to do one at work. Ugh. 

ndz2018

@J1006 WOW!! That’s a lot of injections! I haven’t gotten my protocol yet , is that typical?

J1006

I’m not sure. I know some REs use estrogen patches instead of injections. I had no clue the progesterone would be twice a day.  I about fell out of my chair when the nurse told me. 

ndz2018

@J1006 Yeah I thought PIO was only once a day too! Now you have me curious. I asked My SIL about it, their FET was in late Dec **TW she’s now pregnant END TW **and she said she only does it once in the morning. I guess when I get closer I’ll find out what mine will be. I didnt my ER protocol till like 2 days before I began. 

mcgeeva

@ndz2018 okay I’ll stick to commenting here I just emailed my doc to see if it’s possible to do my mock transfer the day of the transfer to cut a step. I have a feeling I’ll be told no. - Was just told no!

ndz2018

@mcgeeva I went on That board and I’m like wait a minute, these comment are from 2017  . Ugh sorry they said no to cutting a step. When is the mock transfer? I havent gotten that far yet. Just had surgery Monday and follow up isn’t till 2/2 at that appointment I’m going to ask her what the next steps are then. Im on Estrace right now to build my lining back up after the surgery and will start Progestrone 2/13 so I should be getting my period around the 24th I’m kinda hoping a little earlier than that but we will see. 

mcgeeva

Mine should be I’m hoping whenever I schedule in the next two weeks when I get a stupid period. I’m kicking myself for not doing this crap back in October when I did everhting else even though I didn’t have insurance then. I would of rather had paid the money then have the extra wait. Your surgery sounds painful but now you can move on to the next step! 

ndz2018

@mcgeeva Ehhh wasn’t so bad, expect getting sick from the anesthesia, that was BRUTAL, ugh like really bad! I usually don’t get that sick from it but i guess Bc i was under for so long or they used a different kind Bc the stuff the idea for the ER i was a champ! The pain I can deal with. Just cramps now. 

mcgeeva

Hopefully it passes fast!

J1006

FET protocol has officially started. BCP until Feb 14th. Lupron starts the 8th. Still waiting on the PGS report. 

mcgeeva

Good luck J1006!

ndz2018

@J1006 How exciting!!! How many days since they went out for testing ? 

J1006

Samples were sent out last week Thursday. They said it takes about a week. Most likely I’ll hear next week. I’m just getting impatient haha. 

ndz2018

@J1006 Ha! The struggle is real! It’s like a TWW!

mcgeeva

Okay ladies so I just got my protocol. Looks like I will have a retrieval on March 7th so I probably won't be with the march group will I? I just emailed my nurse asking what happens after? We are doing PGS. I don't even know what the process is after retrieval..what meds do you get on, what is the timeline? 

ndz2018

@mcgeeva After your retrieval you don’t take anything till you get AF after that which will probably show up like week after your retrieval, at least mine did.. exactly 7 days after my retrieval. I think, and don’t quote me on this, they do CD 3 bloodwork / ultrasound and to make sure everything is all good and you’ll probably start taking estrogen in some form to make sure your lining is good for transfer. I think you start PIO about 5 days prior to transfer.

mcgeeva

ndz1018 why would they give you an hcg shot after transfer then? My paperwork says some physicians will have you take a 1500 iu shot of hcg before you leave

ndz2018

@mcgeeva Really? Hmmm I don’t know. This is my first time doing this but I def didn’t take anything after my retrieval, other than some pain meds, so that’s what I’m going by. 

mcgeeva

Or maybe they only do HCG for those who do a fresh transfer? So right after instead of those of us doing PGD, ICSI etc

kristimh80

@mcgeeva Since HCG is the pregnancy hormone, I couldn't image it would help anyone doing a FET. Plus, if you over-stimulate, having HCG linger in your system isn't always a good thing either and can cause OHSS afterwards.

mcgeeva

Your right. I guess they just have that in their protocol for whatever reason. Either way they told me it will be 6 weeks (3 of birth control then 3 weeks of drugs till the transfer) 

kristimh80

@Mcgeeva Awesome! Well least you have a good idea and timeline! I was kind of bummed to have to wait on a FET, but I like the idea it gives our bodies a rest

ndz2018

@kristimh80 Waiting Is def the hardest part about all this. We did our retrieval in Dec  March seemed like an eternity away! Now that I’ve had my surgery and Jan is almost over and I have An idea when I will Get AF it’s becoming more REAL! Will you be on BCP  for the month of Feb?  Can’t wait for your results! 

@mcgeeva Oh yeah it’s probably for people who are doing fresh transfers probably. 

kristimh80

@ndz2018 I'm sooo excited for you!! You've had one heck of a waiting period, but will all be worth it! Not sure a day yet, we meet with our RE on the 12th to discuss next steps, etc. How soon after ER was your AF? Just curious since our cycles get so screwed up!

ndz2018

@kristimh80 I got AF 7 or 8 days after ER. It came really early. My SIL said she got hers early too After her ER. So expect it earlier than usual this cycle.

mcgeeva

@ndz2018 that is a long wait I'm sorry!  I hope this march works  

You ladies are rockstars! This crap is not easy or a short wait in the least. 

I just found out my meds cost and want to puke. $4374.00 Why in the F is this shit so expensive.  I did this with my boys without insurance but holy crap did prices go up?? Not to mention they told me if you did go through insurance they up the price 2-3 times and it will blow you little bit of coverage you have to it's better to pay on your own. Can I tell you all I’m also scared shitless since I can only afford one round of ivf

ndz2018

@mcgeeva Fortunately, and I thank my lucky stars, my insurance covered pretty much everything beside the PGS testing, biopsy, and cryopreservation that all ran about $5500. Our medication was also covered all but $124 of it. I have Leftover medication that i plan on donating back to my clinic for people who may need it down that line or are in a jam. After this cycle I have 3 more IVFs covered HOPING I won’t need to use them but it’s nice to know they are there....BTW had no idea that I had this coverage going into it so I was planning on forking over the cash and going into debt if need be. 

mcgeeva

Ugh that’s awful! So crazy how much they charge for all of this. I’m waiting to now see what the insurance charge is since I need that portion for ivf itself. I’ll never understand how people afford multiple ivfs. I took a loan before I started this but I absolutely can’t take more. I donated meds here on the bump after my cycles as well last time. I see the same person manages the drug group on the bump from way back when. 

J1006

@mcgeeva. AF arrived for me about 9 days after ER. I was so happy it came early since I couldn’t bend, twist, or lift over 10 pounds until AF arrived. Not sure if this is the same for others but it was ridiculously heavy!  Wear layers of protection! Haha. 

 I have no clue what the HCG after retrieval/transfer would be. Since I’m doing a FET no drugs after my ER. I just started BCP on Friday and will start Lupron on the 8th. I will be on that for four weeks. At the end of February I start estradiol injections every three days. PIO shots start a few days before transfer and then twice daily after transfer. 

I just ordered my transfer meds and it was only $900. I pay OOP for everything. Much better compared to the almost $6000 for stims, but my doses were on the high side. 

Ugh and still waiting for PGS results. They have to call me tomorrow....they just have to haha. 

ndz2018

@J1006 How many days has it been since they went out? And i forget if you told us, how many embryos made it to PGS testing?  

@mcgeeva Where is the “drug group” ?? maybe I’ll donate them here!!