Use frozen embryos or try naturally?

[blou1]

Hi all

Our son was born following a successful first round of IVF. We have three frozen embryos. We're starting to think about trying for another child. We'd always assumed we'd use the frozen embryos, assuming they survive the defrost etc. But we can't help wonder whether we should try naturally though. Our embies are in storage hundreds of miles away at a clinic in the city we used to live in.

It would be amazing to conceive naturally but we only want two children in total really so if we succeeded naturally that would leave 3 embies. I can't get comfortable with donating them to another couple (much as I'd like to) and so letting them die or be used for research would be our only options if we didn't use them. Don't feel great about those outcomes either.

Can anyone share their experience of a FET please? Do they defrost all the embies at the same time and do they refreeze any that aren't used? Did you have to take medications for the cycle of did you do a natural transfer? What was the outcome of your FET? Our treatment was NHS and free but I think we'd have to pay about £1000 for a FET. Does that sound right? Also, is it best to leave the embies where they are and travel back for FET or could they be moved to a clinic closer to us?

Thanks!

[Sammi]

Hi Blou - I remember you!

We had out first IVF in the summer and it was a freeze all cycle due to OHSS. I have 22, one day old embryos frozen.

In answer to some of your questions, you get to choose how many to defrost, but they like to defrost more than one due to the risk of one not thawing nicely. With us is a bit different as we are defrosting all 22, taking them all to blast and refreezing any that aren't used. You can refreeze any unused but I'm not sure if they are compromised by being thawed and refrozen so close together (yours would be the same day most likely).

The embryos can't be transferred. You'd have to go to the clinic where they are stored for transfer - but you could arrange to have monitoring closer to home and just do one trip on transfer day.

If your cycles are regular you can do a natural frozen cycle but a medicated cycle is much easier for the clinic to time and control and is ultimately less likely to be cancelled because of early or late ovulation.

If there is not reason why you can't conceive naturally, then I'd try that first and relax knowing you have some embryos if it doesn't work.

[ma5alababe]

Hi Blou

If you have regular cycles and can "track" I would say try naturally. A friend of mine conceived on 1st attempt at IVF then TTC no 2 had 2 failed FETs and then conceived naturally as is due early next year...

About FET- it depends on how they have frozen them and in what solutions. If they have been frozen individually and in an "East to defrost" solution then theres no reason why they can't just defrost one at a time, so if first one doesn't survive then they can easily defrost another on same day. I think most clinics prefer to put back 2 at FET. It depends on how they are frozen in the first place as to if they can re- freeze..... I think the best thing would be to have a chat with the clinic and discuss how they do things.

I've had a few FETs now, always had 2 put back and had medicated cycles as I don't have any natural cycles. On the first one, we had the embryos moved to another clinic and we had to pay a "release" fee and courier charges and then something as was frozen in different liquids, so it got expensive in the end but it can be done. We were more comfortable at the new place so I didn't mind paying and got BFP although ended in eptopic...

I would say that do some research/ fact-finding over the next few months to understand whats involved with FET etc and in the meantime no harm trying naturally

[Sazwell]

Hi blou
I went straight to use my 2 frozen embies I never considered really trying naturally! I didn't have a regular cycle (at all, so I had a medicated FET which cost us £900 in May last year (in Sheffield) I think all regions have different rules on defrost.. I was told that they would only defrost 1 blast and if that doesn't thaw then they defrost the second..
My first didn't survive the thaw and the second one was perishing when it was put back, so obviously didn't work we went back to our ACU and was ready to start a full Ivf cycle but ...
I actually got pregnant naturally in the August but sadly lost our precious baby and thought that was it but found out 8 weeks later I was pregnant again, crazy?!?!? I never thought this could EVER happen!!!! I started taking metformin which I think helped me get my 2 natural bfp's..
The way I felt, I didn't want to wait and try for ages naturally when we had potentially 2 of our babies in the freezer (and we had paid to store them) we HAD to use them.
Only you can decide how you feel and your circumstances and how long you want to wait till you go down the treatment route...
One of my friends would do anything not to go through more treatment and found it very difficult, where as I found it hard but it gave me my son so for me it wasn't a question to go straight back to them for help..

So sorry if I've totally rambled and hope I've help a little bit? Lol.. Xxx

[blou1]

Thanks for your replies all. I thought I'd replied to say that back in October. Ooops! Very sorry. Would lose my head theses days if it wasn't attached...! I hope you're all well?

We've decided to move our frozen embies to a local clinic and aim to do a FET around July. I did the short protocol for my first IVF - Pill then Gonal F, cetratide and a trigger shot. Low dose stims. Wondering what protocol is for an FET as obviously you don't need to stims eggs but still need to prep womb lining etc. What have others had?

Also, does anyone have any experience of south Wales private IVF clinics? There aren't that many to choose from it seems. We had our successful NHS cycle at King's in London.

Thanks!