FET ?'s

Crystal120410 · January 2013

Ok I have never made it to a transfer with a FET so I have some questions. I know you may not be able to answer them but I thought it was worth a shot.

When they thaw the embryos, how many days is the process?

Whats the chances of them not making it through the thaw? I have 2 blasts and one thats just ok, I dont know the grade. But if they made it to blasts then and through the freezing process to begin with then they stand a pretty good chance right? I also dont have a problem with egg quality(just making them and holding on to them).

Once they do the transfer and if it takes will I be farther along at beta then with a fresh cycle since the embryos have been growing since the thaw?

Im getting myself all worked up already and I havent even started meds yet, hopefully tomorrow. Holy moly, yall might be putting me in the looney bin before this is all over with. Thanks ladies!

lincoln79 · January 2013

making it through thaw is always a question. my perception is that the freeze/thaw process has gotten much better, so some of the stats out there are pretty outdated.

we were not notified when ours were thawed, but my guess is that they are thawed the day before.

as far as being further along, the timing of my beta after 5dt was the same even though they are technically 6dembryos.

cells that come out of freeze tend to grow a little sluggishly at first, that is true with the bacterial and mammalian cells i do research with too!

try to take a deep breath and realize there is nothing you can do to intervene in this process except to take care of yourself.

i know it's tough and will be right there with you!

solisilou · January 2013

Hi

I don't know anything about thaw survival rates, but I've done a couple of FETs so I can answer the other questions.

-The thaw is a quick thing, I'm not sure if it takes a few minutes or more than 1 hour, but it definitely doesn't take days to do.

They thaw the embryos on the day they would be just as old as if you had done a fresh cycle, i.e. my embryos were froze 1 day after ER, so now, my scheme for FET is

cd11 trigger

cd12 --

cd13 -- (in a fresh cycle would have been ER)

cd14 -- embryo thaw

I'm sorry if this was confusing, I'm a little bad at explaining this sort of stuff. Let me know if you have any other questions about FET

solisilou · January 2013

I forgot to say that my beta was also 14dpo, just like in a fresh cycle.

Crystal120410 · January 2013

Thanks for the info, it explains a lot. I shouldnt even say this Im kinda embarassed because at this point I should know these things but I dont. When you say 14dpo I know what it means but dont really know where it fits in at in a cycle. I had been on BCp from the moment I began having a cycle.Then, when I started TTC I got off BCP and immediatly began bleeding every 5 days. Since I have a hx of endo I went straight to my RE that treated me for my endo and thus began the story of finding out I dont ovulate and so forth. So I never temped or tracked ovulation since I kinda skipped that part. I dont even know what a wondfo is that I see so many talk about. ::hanging my head in shame::

JewelsW1980 · January 2013

Can I toss a question in here too?? I'm confused. Does everyone trigger?

My FET was explained to me like this:

Birth control-> lupron-> E2 Check-> lupro + hormone replacement-> lining check-> more lupron + hormone replacement-> stop lupro + hormone replacement; begin PIO (5days prior to transfer)->Transfer January 31st (21 days after hormone replacement).

freeman2121 · January 2013

Great questions. Our next step is FET & for some reason it seems to be more complicated than IVF (in theory).

Why do you trigger with a FET?

Crystal120410 · January 2013

I dont trigger, thats what kinda confused me to. Mine goes like this...

BCP free for 3 days, start hormones replacment(estrace, viagra, vivelle, folgaurd). 5 days before transfer throw in some PIO then day of transfer add in a little lovenox.

solisilou · January 2013

@Crystal:

Sorry, it was totally silly of me write it like that. I meant 14dp theoretical ER.

@JewelsW:

I don't think everybody triggers. I guess you only do it if you're having a natural FET, which is what I'm doing. But I also started progesterone supps 5 days before ET (I'm doing a 5dt). I guess the day your start PIO would have been your ER day on a fresh cycle. I could be totally wrong though, math was never really my thing... :-)

solisilou · January 2013

Freeman2121:
Great questions. Our next step is FET & for some reason it seems to be more complicated than IVF (in theory).
Why do you trigger with a FET?

This is what I found on the net:

"The most common reason for using hCG in an FET cycle is "natural cycle FET" in which a developing follicle is used as the source of sex steroids (estradiol and progesterone) to support the cycle. In that case the hCG is commonly used to induce ovulation, and therefore sets the timing of progesterone start. It's also possible that a clinic might provide hCG for luteal support in such a natural FET cycle or to promote implantation (the latter, according to some)."

It's more or less what my RE told me.

twistsandturnsto2 · January 2013

I just got my calendar for my FET today and I'm not triggering either.

I'm prepping with vivelle patches :start on CD1: and estrace :start on CD 12:, start PIO on CD 15, and provided all bloodwork comes back good, they thaw on CD 16 and transfer sometime after depending on how the embies look. I think they freeze embies on day 3 at my clinic and it looks like they transfer the day after they thaw provided the embies look good.

ETA: added CDs for clarity

solisilou · January 2013

I'm sorry I'm getting everybody even more confused %-)

I just thought that even medicated cycles would also use some kind of trigger... That was not my most intelligent moment. Sorry ladies...

JewelsW1980 · January 2013

Knowing you're au'natural explains a lot Thanks for that explanation.

So when you say you'll have a 5dt what does that mean compared to my day of thaw?? I'm just curious now because I didn't research natural cycle FETs.

liz4paws · January 2013

I know you've already had lots of answers so not sure if this is going to add anything to the thread or not.

I had the same questions for my RE about thawing our DEmbryos.

He said that they thaw them a couple of hours prior to our ET, not even the day before.

I asked him if ALL embryos sometimes don't make it, because in my head that's almost harder to imagine than a BFN. He said that of course it does happen, but last year of the hundreds of FETs he did, he only had to make "that call" once. So, chances sound very slim.

Oh, and no trigger for me either but I'm on lupron and estradiol, so it's not a natural cycle. Try hard not to worry, I'm freaking out about it too so I think it's a normal feeling for most women going through FET.

solisilou · January 2013

That depends, how old were your embies when they got frozen? Let's say they were frozen on day 4 after ER. If you then thaw the frosties and transfer them the day after the thaw, you'll be doing a 5dt (4+1 days old embies).

So, what I understood was that when you freeze them you just stop the clock and you thaw them the clock just starts ticking again and you just add up the days to know if it's a 3dt, 4dt or 5dt.

I'm really sorry for the confusion I created... I got some bad news today about one of our embies, so I hope you blame IF and not me...

BrideJackie11 · January 2013

I am not doing a trigger. My beta is 12 days after transfer which is the same as they do it for a fresh cycle. I too start progesterone 5 days prior to ET. I am also going to put on medrol. My RE seemed confident in the thawing process. Good luck!! I am starting estrogen on Friday

When is your tentative transfer?

jadwedd · January 2013

I don't know the answers to any of your questions. I am just so excited for you!!! And I wanted to wish you good luck as often as possible.

Crystal120410 · January 2013

My RE says ET about 18 days after starting so if I start my viagra/estrace/vivelle/folgaurd concoction tomorrow that puts my transfer on Feb 2. Feb 2 is the 18th day but Feb 3 would be 18 full days of meds prior to FET. I should know tomorrow a little more on exact dates. But then again Ive never made it to a transfer, this is my 3rd attempt at a FET. So hopefully this time it all comes together. Im not sure what day they froze them. Im assuming day 6 since I did a 5dt.

Oh and I think my bottle of PIO is taunting me from the top shelf in my pantry where all of my meds are put up in a box. I havent ever made it far enough to use it and it scares the living hell out of me!!

BrideJackie11 · January 2013

That's great! We will be almost cycle buddies. I am scheduled for 2/4 if I respond accordingly. I haven't made it to the progesterone either and have to reorder it because there are crystals in mine

Some of mine are day 5 and some day 6. Not sure which they are thawing. FX for us!

Crystal120410 · January 2013

Yay for a cycle buddy!! I could have used one in a bad way last time. Im excited to see how the estrogen injections work out for you and the viagra suppositories work for me since we have the same problem. Im so ready to get this show on the road! I guess I need to check min esince Ive had it since before Thanksgiving, lord I hope its ok. What day are you starting meds on? What all meds are you taking? Sorry thats a lot of questions lol.

BrideJackie11 · January 2013

Last day of the pill is tonight. IM estrogen starts Friday. I am on a Tuesday-Friday schedule for the estrogen. I will also be on doxycycline, medrol, and PIO. Seems a lot easier than a fresh cycle. You will have to let me know how the viagra is. That sounds interesting and I bet with you on that and the estrogen, your sex life might benefit from a cycle, lol. I would look at your PIO. It's probably fine but doesn't hurt to check the meds. I glad you started this thread. I was wondering some of the same questions. Another thing is they are doing assisted hatching which I wasn't trilled about but they do it on the FETs.

Cowgonewild · January 2013

Our first IVF failed but we had 7 frosties left. Our FET was done on 12/19 and we are now pregnant. Thawing was done the morning of the transfer, not sure how long it took but they were ready for us at our appointment time. Our doctor told us the chance of the embryo surviving the thaw was about 80-90%. As far as how far along you'd be, they make a calculation that's based on your transfer date. For ours we are considered 6 weeks pregnant with a due date of 9/6 even though our transfer was less than a month ago. They had my wife go for her first beta just a few days after she got her lab test confirming pregnancy. Hope this helps. I wish you the best and good luck!

BrideJackie11 · January 2013

Cowgonewild:
Our first IVF failed but we had 7 frosties left. Our FET was done on 12/19 and we are now pregnant. Thawing was done the morning of the transfer, not sure how long it took but they were ready for us at our appointment time. Our doctor told us the chance of the embryo surviving the thaw was about 80-90%. As far as how far along you'd be, they make a calculation that's based on your transfer date. For ours we are considered 6 weeks pregnant with a due date of 9/6 even though our transfer was less than a month ago. They had my wife go for her first beta just a few days after she got her lab test confirming pregnancy. Hope this helps. I wish you the best and good luck!

Congrats! It's great to hear success stories!

Crystal120410 · January 2013

Why are they doing assisted hatching, what is that? May I ask how old are you? Medrol, that's a steroid right? What's it for? I think you will only be 2 days behind me then if your RE does 18 days also. I had been wondering these questions for days and finally was like to hell with it I'll just ask. I'm very curious also about the Viagra. There's not much research about it in women. I've read in men that muscle aches and headache are the most prominent side effect but no idea if that applies to vaginal use or not. It does say that they used it in a study of women on antidepressants that had trouble with there happy endings because of the antidepressants killing there sex drive. It promotes blood flow to the ladies happy place downstairs thus making it more pleasurable. But I read on another IF page somewhere a woman was complaining awful about it. Saying it made her vag very irritated and it was hard to get it up there because it would start to melt to quickly. Everyone has different experiences and I'm just going to go into it with a open mind. I feel AF beginning to come on so that means once again ill be shoving crap up my tootoot while on my period. I hate IF, it makes you do volatile things. O'well there are worse things....

BrideJackie11 · January 2013

Assisted hatching is when they use a laser and poke a whole in the shell. RE said the shell gets harder after freezing and this makes it easier for the embryo to hatch and implant.We weren't given a choice about that. I am 28. DH is 36. You are right- Medrol is a steroid. RE said that it turns down your immune system and helps with implantation and success rates (maybe the body doesn't attack the foreign embryo, not sure but they weren't giving that to me for the fresh cycle). Hopefully all will go well with the meds and you don't have problems. I'm also hoping neither of us have fluid in the ute. I forgot to ask them today when I had my ultrasound but the tech didn't say anything about it. I have a feeling I'll get AF too in a few days since I am stopping the pill after tonight.

Crystal120410 · January 2013

Mine hasn't said anything about assisted hatching so I guess they aren't doing it. But they icsi everything and you have no choice nor do they really tell you so it could be the case with that also. I'll ask tomorrow. We're very close in age, sometimes I feel like the baby around here lol, not that it matters. Oh I hope with these new drugs we don't fight the fluid again. I get nervous about that. The only other option for me would be the nupagen fluid since he doesn't like the estrogen shots. I'm sure if they saw it they would tell you. So is cycle day 1 my first day with out BCP? I sure hope this is the month for us. Lincoln is one day ahead of me I think, so there will be three of us all right together.

BrideJackie11 · January 2013

I agree with you on the age thing. I thought I was young but you are even younger than me. It was hard initially to deal with because it feels so unfair to have to deal with issues in your 20s but I am getting used to it now. I feel like I am always the youngest when I sit in the waiting room. I don't really have a cycle day 1 since they say we can pick whatever day we want to start since I don't ovulate on my own. I was supposed to start last week but told them I had a bridal shower end of Jan. so they had me on bc for a week longer. They just give me a calander with the dates and injection instructions. I'll have to look at the check-in to find out more about Lincoln.

Crystal120410 · January 2013

I'm glad I'm dealing with it now rather than later but DH and I have agreed if we don't have a child by the time I'm 30 we will quit. It's just a personal decision. I'm the same, don't ovulate so they pick when to start. I am the MOH in my SIL wedding and throwing her a shower feb 9. Going to be cutting it close to that with 3 days bed rest, I'm sure it will work out. If you ever want to talk on FB message me and we can talk.

BrideJackie11 · January 2013

I wouldn't worry about the shower and 3 day bed rest. My RE only has me staying on bed rest the day of but I am going to take off the following day also. I have a shower that I am flying to the day before the initial proposed transfer (1/28) so they pushed it back to 2/4. RE is part of group and only does transfers on Mondays. I really wanted it to be done by him since he did my mock transfer. Great idea about facebook. Good luck today at the doctor!

Want a personalized experience?

FET ?'s

Re: FET ?'s

Choose Another Board

Search Boards