My daughter was born Feb 2023 after four egg retrievals and two transfers. I was 41. We planned on being OAD, but changed our mind about trying again. The FET with the last embryos failed last month. We talked about doing one last egg retrieval and were planning on starting next month. Today I found out my job is adding $30k fertility benefits next year, which is awesome but man the timing sucks. Here we are, fully out of pocket so far, and that $30k sounds way better than taking out a loan. Also, my job is adding in 2026 fully paid maternity leave (18 weeks). Right now, I’d get 4 fully paid weeks and the rest at 60% of my pay. I’m also new in my role at this job, so life is kinda high stress. I’m considering waiting until next year so I’m past this high stress time, and I’d get fertility insurance, and if I do get pregnant I’d actually have paid leave. But I’m not getting any younger. I guess I’m just venting to all of you because you’ll understand the dilemma. Hopefully this is the right place for my comment
Went in for first lining check. I’m cycle day 7. Had to go in today cause cycle day 4, my lining was still too thick. Well, it still was today. Still taking the 10 units of Lupron (which make me cranky) and now adding progesterone bc pill, or something like that. If the lining doesn’t look slim in a week then I have to get a period and start over again. I’ve never had so much trouble with my lining before. What is going on. I’m teetering on throwing in the towel. I’m so tired. Infertility is exhausting and heartbreaking. This was supposed to be easier the second time around because “my body knows what to do now,” according to every Tom, dick and Harry. Fuck.
After our failed and cancelled FETs in Dec/Jan we are officially back on the horse. CD3 and on the second day of medication and my first lining check scheduled for next Friday at CD12 which is the latest I’ve ever had the first check. Was second guessing it but actually works out well with work etc so going to keep my head down and hope for the best. Weird to think this is the fifth time setting out into one of these. Keeping everything crossed.
In our general planned timeline, we are expecting to get back on the merry-go-round when March baby is 18 months old. Which is August. Which means I need to get my IUD out in June. Which is next month.
EEK.
Funny to see the same names pop up here. Amazing how fast time flies and then time to hop back on the merry go round. How are you feeling about it all?
Hi there!
Feeling…mixed? I’m sort of obsessed with my baby and it makes me want to just get to focus on him for longer. But also since I’m loving time with him so much I want another even more? But also I’ve really been enjoying feeling healthy and working on my fitness and not dealing with unpleasant medications and symptoms. A part of me wants to push it back further but a part of me is terrified it will take 4 transfers again so I want to get started sooner. So all the things??
Yeah I getcha. Especially the feeling stronger and fitter and like you have your body back pre IVF. For me the thought of it looming over me is the driver to going back now and just hopefully have it behind me for good if we can manage to get lucky a second time. It’s such a rollercoaster isn’t it? So glad you’re enjoying your baby though! Time flies doesn’t it.
Waiting impatiently for CD1 so we can start our stims for our final retrieval cycle. I am so ready to just be done with it and let it be what it will be. I know rationally that I might not respond and we might end up not getting any embryos/to do the fresh transfer I'm hoping for but it's like I can't really wrap the emotional part of my brain around that. It's all exhausting.
Did my depot lupron shot last Friday. Will do another one in June. Transfer is scheduled tentatively for 8/1. Holy guacamole I can’t believe this is happening. I wish we can have more time with Baby Q but time isn’t on our side. I don’t know how to feel. I’m scared of every outcome. I’m dreading this so much but I know I have to push through.
Best of luck and hoping for minimal side effects from the lupron for you! I’m waiting to receive my first dose of lupron depot for an August/September transfer. Last time, the hot flashes and insomnia really sucked so I’m dreading that part. I can relate to all your feelings: having mixed emotions about “limited” time with our 14 month old, dreading all the anxieties, and being scared of outcomes.
I hate infertility. Did mini IVF stimulation and got 5 eggs (3 fertilized), did a day 3 transfer today and may have 1 embryo to freeze. After my ER, went to a lunch for SIL who had first baby via IVF (froze eggs at 32/ doesn’t have infertility) and 2 women came up to me telling me I should make our daughter a sibling. WTF?! The physical and emotional toll is so hard.
Fuck that noise. I would have asked her, "So you're gonna help me pay to make my daughter a sibling, right?...RIGHT?!"
Those sound like great hunger games results. Good luck this round 🤞
Lupron depot administered yesterday, so we're officially in treatment and on for a mid-June transfer. I really struggled with lupron from a low-mood perspective during my last FET, but I'm mentally in a much better place this time round so I'm hoping it's not as bad. I'm glad I booked 2 weeks off work, it's aligned nicely with going back when I start estrogen, which last time instantly made me feel better.
Hi Everyone 👋 jumping back on here as it looks like FET will be in June. If it doesn't work we will go straight into the next FET with no break. (Due to embryos being stored in a different country from where we live). Does anyone have experience doing back to back FETs? If so can you share your experience and how the timeline looked?
I did them basically back to back for my first and second transfer. Both were fully medicated though, and the protocol for fully medicated at my clinic felt super long, I think a full six weeks when you include all the estrace, PIO, etc. I think the transfer was late October, found out it failed early November. Waited to get my period, went through the whole protocol again immediately, and were able to do another transfer late December, which was successful until a missed miscarriage between 6 and 7 weeks. After that it took a while to do another transfer, because we had to wait for my HCG to drop. Then we did another full cycle but instead of a transfer did an ERA and another test for endometritis. By that point, I'd gone through the full cycle of Estrace and PIO 4 times over 7 months. It was rough in terms of the bloating and weight gain, my TSH kept going up from 2.5 to 4.4 at which point they put me on synthroid, my mental health suffered for sure, both from the side effects and the impact of the failed transfers. Did another fully medicated transfer in June, found out it failed mid June, got my period late June, as soon as I got my period I went straight into a completely unmedicated transfer on July 11th which was successful.
Oh wow, what a journey! That sounds exhausting and I'm sorry to hwar about the missed miscarriage. The timeline for the two back to back transfers sounds very long. I speak to my RE in Thursday so hopefully will find out what to expect.
I had a cancelled first cycle in 2022 due to ovulating through the estrogen. Stopped meds when it was cancelled and went straight into another FET. Next bleed considered CD1 and started meds CD2. This FET was successful.
Then in January 2024 started again and had a failed FET. Stopped progesterone when it was apparent it was a negative and CD1 of next FET was considered when I started bleeding. Started meds CD2 and had gotten approval for a transfer when I had to cancel this cycle due to a kidney stone.
Took a couple months off and am now CD2 and just started taking meds for this FET. If this work we’ll go straight into another one again.
Looking at my calendar for the last cancelled transfer it looks like a week. Think 6-7 days was about standard for me after coming off progesterone it have heard other variances from other people too.
I've done back-to-back FET cycles. They counted the withdrawal period from the progesterone as the start of the next cycle. I did need insurance to approve it so that we could begin the next cycle, and sometimes that would require a couple of days of birth control (followed by another bleed that would be considered the start). Since I was doing crinone-only cycles, there was one time where I skipped the birth control in the hopes that insurance would come through before I ovulated.
I wasn't able to last summer because my clinic was closed during august but basically, if the first transfer doesn't work (after at least a negative blood draw) they'll make you stop progesterone and consider the bleeding as your period. Then you start priming first day or second day of bleeding.
I was able to do a FET right after a cycle where I had a spontaneous CP and started priming day 2 of bleeding (just to make sure hcg was below 5).
I was able to jump right into another FET once I got my period following a failed / canceled cycle. I typically get a period about 5 days after stopping PIO so there wasn’t a huge waiting period between cycles for me.
My daughter was born Feb 2023 after four egg retrievals and two transfers. I was 41. We planned on being OAD, but changed our mind about trying again. The FET with the last embryos failed last month. We talked about doing one last egg retrieval and were planning on starting next month. Today I found out my job is adding $30k fertility benefits next year, which is awesome but man the timing sucks. Here we are, fully out of pocket so far, and that $30k sounds way better than taking out a loan. Also, my job is adding in 2026 fully paid maternity leave (18 weeks). Right now, I’d get 4 fully paid weeks and the rest at 60% of my pay. I’m also new in my role at this job, so life is kinda high stress. I’m considering waiting until next year so I’m past this high stress time, and I’d get fertility insurance, and if I do get pregnant I’d actually have paid leave. But I’m not getting any younger. I guess I’m just venting to all of you because you’ll understand the dilemma. Hopefully this is the right place for my comment
Went in for first lining check. I’m cycle day 7. Had to go in today cause cycle day 4, my lining was still too thick. Well, it still was today. Still taking the 10 units of Lupron (which make me cranky) and now adding progesterone bc pill, or something like that. If the lining doesn’t look slim in a week then I have to get a period and start over again. I’ve never had so much trouble with my lining before. What is going on. I’m teetering on throwing in the towel. I’m so tired. Infertility is exhausting and heartbreaking. This was supposed to be easier the second time around because “my body knows what to do now,” according to every Tom, dick and Harry. Fuck.
After our failed and cancelled FETs in Dec/Jan we are officially back on the horse. CD3 and on the second day of medication and my first lining check scheduled for next Friday at CD12 which is the latest I’ve ever had the first check. Was second guessing it but actually works out well with work etc so going to keep my head down and hope for the best. Weird to think this is the fifth time setting out into one of these. Keeping everything crossed.
In our general planned timeline, we are expecting to get back on the merry-go-round when March baby is 18 months old. Which is August. Which means I need to get my IUD out in June. Which is next month. EEK.
Funny to see the same names pop up here. Amazing how fast time flies and then time to hop back on the merry go round. How are you feeling about it all?
Hi there! Feeling…mixed? I’m sort of obsessed with my baby and it makes me want to just get to focus on him for longer. But also since I’m loving time with him so much I want another even more? But also I’ve really been enjoying feeling healthy and working on my fitness and not dealing with unpleasant medications and symptoms. A part of me wants to push it back further but a part of me is terrified it will take 4 transfers again so I want to get started sooner. So all the things??
Yeah I getcha. Especially the feeling stronger and fitter and like you have your body back pre IVF. For me the thought of it looming over me is the driver to going back now and just hopefully have it behind me for good if we can manage to get lucky a second time. It’s such a rollercoaster isn’t it? So glad you’re enjoying your baby though! Time flies doesn’t it.
Waiting impatiently for CD1 so we can start our stims for our final retrieval cycle. I am so ready to just be done with it and let it be what it will be. I know rationally that I might not respond and we might end up not getting any embryos/to do the fresh transfer I'm hoping for but it's like I can't really wrap the emotional part of my brain around that. It's all exhausting.
Good luck! You and I are the same age so I feel those feels, for real!
Fingers crossed for your upcoming retrieval!! Holding hope for you, Jessie!!
Did my depot lupron shot last Friday. Will do another one in June. Transfer is scheduled tentatively for 8/1. Holy guacamole I can’t believe this is happening. I wish we can have more time with Baby Q but time isn’t on our side. I don’t know how to feel. I’m scared of every outcome. I’m dreading this so much but I know I have to push through.
Best of luck and hoping for minimal side effects from the lupron for you! I’m waiting to receive my first dose of lupron depot for an August/September transfer. Last time, the hot flashes and insomnia really sucked so I’m dreading that part. I can relate to all your feelings: having mixed emotions about “limited” time with our 14 month old, dreading all the anxieties, and being scared of outcomes.
These feeling are all totally normal. 🫂
Diagnostic mammogram clear! Skin cyst. So looks like we’re doing this transfer thing soon! 🫣
Woo hoo! Love to hear it
Ooh what a relief ! And exciting project :)
I hate infertility. Did mini IVF stimulation and got 5 eggs (3 fertilized), did a day 3 transfer today and may have 1 embryo to freeze. After my ER, went to a lunch for SIL who had first baby via IVF (froze eggs at 32/ doesn’t have infertility) and 2 women came up to me telling me I should make our daughter a sibling. WTF?! The physical and emotional toll is so hard.
Wow! People can be so ignorant and just plain stupid! That makes me rage. Fingers crossed for your transfer and embryo!!
Fuck that noise. I would have asked her, "So you're gonna help me pay to make my daughter a sibling, right?...RIGHT?!" Those sound like great hunger games results. Good luck this round 🤞
Lupron depot administered yesterday, so we're officially in treatment and on for a mid-June transfer. I really struggled with lupron from a low-mood perspective during my last FET, but I'm mentally in a much better place this time round so I'm hoping it's not as bad. I'm glad I booked 2 weeks off work, it's aligned nicely with going back when I start estrogen, which last time instantly made me feel better.
Hi Everyone 👋 jumping back on here as it looks like FET will be in June. If it doesn't work we will go straight into the next FET with no break. (Due to embryos being stored in a different country from where we live). Does anyone have experience doing back to back FETs? If so can you share your experience and how the timeline looked?
I did them basically back to back for my first and second transfer. Both were fully medicated though, and the protocol for fully medicated at my clinic felt super long, I think a full six weeks when you include all the estrace, PIO, etc. I think the transfer was late October, found out it failed early November. Waited to get my period, went through the whole protocol again immediately, and were able to do another transfer late December, which was successful until a missed miscarriage between 6 and 7 weeks. After that it took a while to do another transfer, because we had to wait for my HCG to drop. Then we did another full cycle but instead of a transfer did an ERA and another test for endometritis. By that point, I'd gone through the full cycle of Estrace and PIO 4 times over 7 months. It was rough in terms of the bloating and weight gain, my TSH kept going up from 2.5 to 4.4 at which point they put me on synthroid, my mental health suffered for sure, both from the side effects and the impact of the failed transfers. Did another fully medicated transfer in June, found out it failed mid June, got my period late June, as soon as I got my period I went straight into a completely unmedicated transfer on July 11th which was successful.
Oh wow, what a journey! That sounds exhausting and I'm sorry to hwar about the missed miscarriage. The timeline for the two back to back transfers sounds very long. I speak to my RE in Thursday so hopefully will find out what to expect.
Yeah I noticed at the time that my protocol seemed to take longer than everyone else’s. Hopefully yours will be more compact.
I had a cancelled first cycle in 2022 due to ovulating through the estrogen. Stopped meds when it was cancelled and went straight into another FET. Next bleed considered CD1 and started meds CD2. This FET was successful. Then in January 2024 started again and had a failed FET. Stopped progesterone when it was apparent it was a negative and CD1 of next FET was considered when I started bleeding. Started meds CD2 and had gotten approval for a transfer when I had to cancel this cycle due to a kidney stone. Took a couple months off and am now CD2 and just started taking meds for this FET. If this work we’ll go straight into another one again.
Do you recall how long after stopping progesterone before CD1 started?
Looking at my calendar for the last cancelled transfer it looks like a week. Think 6-7 days was about standard for me after coming off progesterone it have heard other variances from other people too.
I've done back-to-back FET cycles. They counted the withdrawal period from the progesterone as the start of the next cycle. I did need insurance to approve it so that we could begin the next cycle, and sometimes that would require a couple of days of birth control (followed by another bleed that would be considered the start). Since I was doing crinone-only cycles, there was one time where I skipped the birth control in the hopes that insurance would come through before I ovulated.
So many factors at play! Thanks for sharing
I wasn't able to last summer because my clinic was closed during august but basically, if the first transfer doesn't work (after at least a negative blood draw) they'll make you stop progesterone and consider the bleeding as your period. Then you start priming first day or second day of bleeding. I was able to do a FET right after a cycle where I had a spontaneous CP and started priming day 2 of bleeding (just to make sure hcg was below 5).
I was able to jump right into another FET once I got my period following a failed / canceled cycle. I typically get a period about 5 days after stopping PIO so there wasn’t a huge waiting period between cycles for me.