FETs are all new
I am incredibly confused about the dates for this cycle. I have this whole spreadsheet, you see, for my cycles. I plug things in, it tells me everything I could possibly want to know about the cycle dates… date of ovulation (retrieval), transfer, beta, when I could get a positive HPT, due date… everything. All neat and tidy.
And now I’m freaking confused! I started protocol on a Sunday, which is fine. My ultrasound was today, a Saturday, day 14. I start my progesterone pills tonight, which obviously is mimicking what happens after ovulation… so is today “ovulation day”? And then my blast transfer is on Friday…. that’s 6 days after “ovulation”. Okay… but fresh transfers are done on day 5? Oh, but wait, they did culture the blasts an additional day before freezing. So that part at least makes sense. (But then this is a 6-day transfer, not a 5-day. That’s a little weird.)
So then they say they normally do blood tests 11 days after transfer… WTF that’s 17 days after “ovulation.” During stims cycles they do betas 14 days after retrieval, which would be 9 days after blast transfer. I don’t get that at ALL. Is there something special about FETs that take the embryos longer to implant and cause HCG? I have no clue when I can/should take a pregnancy test. (Which is important, since I’ll be in Canada and will not be getting a beta.)
And don’t even get me started trying to figure out what my due date may be. I know approximately when. But the calculators give different dates depending what I plug in.
FETs are confusing.
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The appointment today started off with me checking in, as usual, and then I was sent off to get my blood drawn. I have to say, I really hate getting my blood drawn on the weekends. The ladies who work weekends seem to be the ones at the bottom of the totem pole… the less experienced ones. And I have tricky veins. So in went the needle into my “good” vein (yes, I have some that I will only let really really experienced ladies try), and…. nothing. It moved. Fucking hell. So she got to do that stabbing right and left thing trying to find it. It freaking hurts when they do that. Thankfully the blood started flowing just about as she was ready to give up (and, what, try a harder vein? Gaahhhh.). Thankfully at this point there doesn’t appear to be bruising, though I thought for sure there would be.
Then into the ultrasound. I have to say, my body knows when we go into an exam room and have to get undressed and sit waiting. Why? Because my stomach gets upset every time. And I don’t mean like anxiety knots. I mean like gas. It’s terrible! I just sit there hoping I keep it under control. My worst nightmare is farting while they’re doing the ultrasound. So far it hasn’t happened. But damn, why scare me?
The ultrasound itself was quick. The lining looked good at a triple layer 10. I’m getting good at reading ultrasounds (“good” being a relative term), I can see the uterus before they point it out now, and tell that it looks fine. I can also see the ovaries pretty easily too. My right one still seemed very long, which concerned me but not the tech… maybe that’s it’s normal shape? Little black circles throughout, the antral follicles. And one big round thing. The left ovary looked smaller and had nothing of interest in it but the antrals. For a few hours I was worrying about the thing in my right ovary. And then it hit me like a slap to the forehead: I’m halfway through a “normal” cycle, hormone-wise… it was the dominant follicle. DUH.
The nurse came in and told me she’s scheduled me for the 11:00 transfer on Friday. I already have the day off (nice thing about FETs!) – I took the whole day, just so I could do the bedrest thing.
So that’s that.
I’m sending all my best thoughts your way. You really seem to be much more comfortable and less anxious this round. Maybe that’s a good sign….???!!!!
Dude, I also have the gas issue. As if your body could pick a worse time!
Fingers crossed for you, babe. Thinking about you every day.
OMG I have the SAME gas thing too…once I was just sure it was going to happen…but whoa I managed to keep it under control. They say after a pg you are not as good at….controlling things down there!
BTW–my ER is 04/10/09 so our babies will be only about three weeks apart!!! yay!!!!
i have a question…during all of this FET.. i understand when you do retrival they remove all of the eggs but.. now they are using a frozen one….and as you stated you seen the main follicle..
during FET so you have to abstain from any sexual relations etc? could there be the possibility of them implanting a blastocyte(sp?) and having an egg fertilized on your own.. just by extremely good luck??? i mean crazier things have happened…is this a possibility?
Cynthia, that is a really good question and I’m not really sure. No one told us to abstain. I don’t think they wait for ovulation, if that makes any sense. I started my progesterone independent of any ovulation signs, which I think think prevents actually ovulating any eggs. But I’m sure it’s possible, if the timing of everything was perfect. Not that I’d actually get pregnant from my own eggs in a normal cycle, lol.
Seriously, I get the gas thing too. DBF keeps encouraging me “let it all go” but I just die even thinking about it. Men!
Hi there, thought I’d give you a few clarification points about the FET although I’m sure you’ve already got it figured out by now. First of all, the day you start PIO, which is also the same day they typically thaw the embryos, is “ovulation day”. So in your case, you are indeed doing a 6-day transfer. But in terms of how you count, ovulation day, or day “0” is the day you thaw/start progesterone.
Also, it definitely shouldn’t take any longer than normal to implant,etc. so you can test on a normal schedule. That is def. a very late beta they have scheduled, but maybe that is b/c of the weekend (if it falls on a weekend) or maybe that is just their FET policy for some reason.
And your guess about the whole ovulating when getting an FET was correct- the p4 will inhibit ovulation (and often lupron is given during an FET as well to basically turn off your ovulatory cycle and inhibit ovulation as well- but that doesn’t always have to happen). Either way, you won’t ovulate.
Thank you, Shilpa!! That clarified a lot for me.
thank you for the response.. i was curious..i mean i am sure it could still happen..as i have said stranger things have happened…but i strongly believe in things happening for a reason…i dont care about the rest all i know is it happens because it was meant to be or whatever..even though it sucks…but life sucks-i am sure you’ve come to that conclusion too..but yet it is so wonderful all at the same time…hahaha
good luck girl i keep hoping…im not the praying type but i still keep thinking/i guess in a way praying.. hoping..wishing etc etc etc whatever you’d like to call it that you could end up pregnant soon…