[adoptedembies]

Anyone out there waiting for the passing of the holidays? Our clinic is closed for November and December. We plan to do a natural cycle FET and my cycle would have put us right before Thanksgiving and then right before Christmas anyway.
It's so hard to think of going through another set of holidays with no babies to hold. Well, I get to hold everyone else's babies. But we all know that's not the same
In the mean time we have to decide whether to allow our embryologist to thaw our 3 day embies to see if they will even reach the blast stage. Doc says so far the others didn't get there and she doesn't want to do another transfer with the same outcome.
Here's hoping for someone to walk this one with me.

[Jen403]

Adoptedembies- sounds like we have a lot in common. I, too will be waiting till January to try again with another FET. I just did a cycle in August (fresh) and got BFN, and FET in Sept. and BFN. We are currently taking a break from IF treatments for a few months, waiting for the holidays to pass and trying our luck in 2010. I hope it is a lucky year for us both!

I just had some additional testing done and found out I have MTHFR gene mutation which affects the way you metabolize folic acid and can lead to blood clots. I was prescribed a high dose folic acid and B vitamin pill and baby aspirin and will see if that has any impact on our outcome. My RE also wants to do an endometrial biopsy during a natural mock cycle to make sure that my endometrium is in synch with my hormones, as this can affect implantation. I'll be doing that with my next AF (due sometime next week).

We have decided to go the natural cycle route next time- I see you have done this already. Was it much different than a medicated cycle? Were you on any meds at all? Just curious. I think that going this route makes sense if you have regular cycles (I do). So, we will be doing this if my mock natural cycle goes well. If not, then a medicated cycle.

I hope some other ladies will join us on this thread!

[Jen403]

oops almost forgot- wanted to comment on growing your 3 day embies to blast-

we did this with our frozen cycle. With our fresh we transferred 3 day embies even though we had a lot of embies (24). My RE likes 3 day transfers. Well, after failing that, we decided to thaw half of our remaining 3 day embryos and grow them to blast stage, then transfer the best two of those. Out of 11 thawed, 5 made it to blast, and we transferred two and re-froze 3.

We did this to get the best possible chance since we had so many embies to work with. I don't think I would have done that if I didn't have so many embies, the risk is just too great. Out of 11, 5 made it, so about half. Think about it and discuss with your RE if you think it's something you'd like to do, I just wouldn't risk it if I had fewer embies. I mean, realistically, we weren't going to be doing 11 frozen transfers (if we transferred two each time and they made the thaw), so this went into our decision as to what to do. I guess we wanted to try blast since we failed the fresh 3 day transfer, do something different and hope for a better outcome. I still don't know what we will do in Jan....if we will try growing our 3 dayers to blast again on if we will try thawing our 3 blasts. I hope the answer will present itself before January!

Just thought i'd share my experience with you, I hope it helps somewhat! Whatever you decide will be the right decision for you!

[adoptedembies]

Wow Jen! Thanks so much for all the info. That really is helpful.
Though we were forced to wait till January for scheduling reasons, I'm kind of glad we have time to think about it.
Our embryos were frozen 10 years ago. I know that's a long time. My doc said that if we don't thaw and see if they reach Blast stage, we could be just transfering embies that weren't growing at all. I'm begining to consider just letting them thaw and wait 2 at a time. Mainly because we really don't want to refreeze any of them if possible. It's all just so much.
I can totally relate to wanting to take a break. I needed that this summer. I think you'll appreciate it.

Okay, as for the natural cycle. I really hope it works for you. It was sooooooo much better than the meds cycle.
We did a POA ovulation test kit 3 times a day from day 10 of my cycle.

Then we went in for ultrasound, that very day they said everything was great so I started the antibiotic and medrol

we did a 2ml hcg shot that night. (funny they call it natural, but it's just not as much)

Then we waited two days, I was still taking all the antibiotics and medrol and we did the transfer. That night after the transfer we did one more hcg shot only 1ml this time.

and every night after transfer I had to take crinone gel, vag insert. There was one more hcg shot, a total of 3 all together.

this was all sooo much better than the meds cycle for me. My glute muscle cramped so badly with the progesterone shots that I was in constant pain for the two weeks, as well as the nausea and fatigue.

I really hope it works for you.
Can I ask about the testing your going through? I ask my doc if there was anything we could do to make sure that I wasn't the reason these babies weren't making it. She said I was fine and that she really thinks it's just the embies not continueing to develope. I don't want to do a bunch of extra stuff, but it would be nice to be as sure as I could be.

Thanks so much Jen

[Jen403]

So glad I could help someone, that maybe something good could come out of these BFN's!

I agree with you about the thought that if the embies don't reach blast stage before being transferred, they probably never would. Some docs come from the thinking that sometimes the embies will "take off" when placed in the exact perfect conditions (your body) rather than being grown in a dish in the lab. My own Re even said that he didn't think that his lab was better than my body and it would be silly to think so. Regardless, we pushed to have ours grown to blast because we did a lot of reading about it and logically it just made more sense to us. Why would you want to keep having FET's when there is a way to see how strong the embies are and choose the best ones. I think that the labs are pretty good at mimicing the uterine enviroment and we trusted that. I personally can't afford to do 11 transfers, either physically , finacially, or emotionally. Ok, off the soap box!

As far as what testing we've had done, it's what my RE calls Recurrent Pregnancy Loss testing. I did have one m/c in 2007 and with these two transfers, the embryo quality was so good that they did this testing anyways because they knew that conception had occurred, although I wasn't considered technically pregnant because we didn't achieve implantation. The embryologist was shocked that I didn't get pg either time, she was sure I would.

What the tests consisted of was a bunch of clotting and immune testing. I know they tested for Factor V Leiden, Antiphospholipid antibodies, Lupus anticoagulant, Protein C&S, MTHFR, and others but I can't remember the names of all of them. They took 16 tubes of blood.

We will also have the endometrial biopsy done with my next cycle, although my endometrial linings have always looked good on ultrasound.

Lining problems can be a big factor, was yours ok with your transfers? It differs, but RE's look for a lining between 8 and 13 mm for a good transfer. They also like to see the "triple stripe", which indicates the layers of the lining.

I'm sure you've had a saline sonogram to check out your uterine cavity? I've had polyps twice and they needed to be removed before my transfers because they can act like an IUD and interfere with implantation.

I'll let you know if I think of anything else!

Thank you for the info on a natural cycle, it really helps. It's definitely the way I want to go (and my arse!)

[jenniferh31]

I'm in for January!!!! I just got the call and saw my RE today. I have to do a hystogram(?) in the next 3weeks. Then wait til my next cycle which will be December and hopefully the FET in January. I am very excited about this. I was matched with 6 embryos.

[adoptedembies]

Yay! I'm so happy for you Jennifer. Did you go through your clinic for the adoption? I would love to hear how you did that.
We went through Snowflakes and had to do almost an entire adoption, homestudy and all. It was neat though because we got to know a lot about the bio parents of our embies and they picked us personally. It took FOREVER though to get our clinics coordinated and get our snowbabies here.
I'm planing for January too. It's all written in my chart and I have nothing to do till then. We have 4 little adopted ones left and if this doesn't work we're done too.
It's just all to much. Emotionally and financially. Women that go through all this over and over and keep doing it are like Superwoman to me
I've only had two BFN's and I'm already looking toward what to try next.
I'm looking forward to hearing about your journey as well.
Are you doing a Natural cycle (less meds) or the regular 6 week starting with the bcp?

[Jen403]

Jennifer! Praying for 's for all of us in the new year!

[jenniferh31]

I will be going through the 6 week with meds. I will not do BCP as I will just start with my lupron on the first day of my cycle of the month. We went through our RE office for the embryos. Since we were already clients. It took a year to get through the "list". I am glad to get to meet everyone and excited to have some people to journey together with.

[adoptedembies]

It's great to have some people to talk to while we wait.
Anyone else have crazy/maybe psychosomatic symptoms after their BFN's?
I had my AF a week and a half ago after the doc called and said to stop the progesterone gel because it didn't work and I'd swear I feel pregnant, or maybe like I'm starting AF again instead of ovulating.
My abdomen is bigger than usual, might just be fat. I'm super hungry and exhausted all the time. And I've been having trouble sleeping.
I just keep having these crazy thoughts that maybe the doc was wrong and I really was pregnant. I almost want to take a test but my husband will probably freak out.
My hormones feel screwed up and things are happening out of order and its upsetting.
Starting to feel nuts

[adoptedembies]

I just took took a POAS. BFN. Which I totally expected but I needed to see it for myself. I actually feel better now that I did. Like I can be myself and not worry I might be ignoring something important. I knew it was next to impossible that the doctor wouldn't pick up a pregnancy with a blood test, but I had so many unusual problems over the last two weeks.
I'm still experiencing massive breast tenderness (sorry tmi?) And I'm gaining weight everwhere. I guess my last round with FET did a number on my hormones.
I'm just pleased to be able to say that I'm doing much better and am ready to just be myself till January

[Jen403]

no you aren't crazy- All this stuff screws with your hormones, and makes you FEEL crazy!
This month my cycle was extra long- 30 days for me and I am usually 25. So, I think it takes a while for things to return to normal. In the back of my mind I was thinking hmm could I be pregnant....knowing that it was not the case since I felt ovulation pangs later this time....just a pipe dream but that little sliver of hope still remained. I guess infertility hasn't totally squashed the optimist in me! Oh well, at any rate, has appeared today. I am doing the endometrial biopsy with this cycle...not looking forward to it but if it can tell me something, great.

Hang in there, fellow pseudo-crazy gals! It's getting down to only two months left!

[jenniferh31]

I am having my sono hystogram on November 6th then we will start setting dates. I am excited!!

[Jen403]

Jennifer- yay for having your sono scheduled! I know, January feels like it's creeping up now...I think after Halloween time will really fly!

[adoptedembies]

I'm happy for you that you get to set dates My doc wouldn't even do that until the week beforehand even when I was on the 6 week meds cycle.
Thanks Jen for commiserating with me. It's nice to know I'm not the only one who feels "crazy" sometimes
I think that time will go by pretty quickly since we have so many holidays between now and January. AF is coming for me next week, hopefully. I'm actually looking forward to a reset button for my hormones. Here's hoping next week is it, because my husband is getting sick of my not letting him touch me because I'm sooooo sore He's claiming foul that he doesn't get to enjoy my hugeness. Oh well
Looking forward to halloween and dreaming about dressing up our own little babies. Sigh....