On 20th May 2018, the journey to bringing our frozen embryo begun. We had an appointment at Fertility Fusion in Wrightington, with our consultant Mr. Harris. He has been our consultant from the beginning, along with some of the nurses, so I felt very relaxed and comfortable under their care.
I left the appointment with a bag of Buserelin, needles and a sharps box! This protocol was ‘piggy backing’ some treatment I had already been on for my Endometriosis (Zoladex shots) and was to keep my ovaries shut down until we were ready to start FET meds after easter. I must admit I found it amusing they were worried my ovaries would wake up and work. They haven’t worked in 9 years ha ha!!
So I had 11 days of the shots, and I administered each shot myself due to the shifts my husband works. I found them quite therapeutic if I’m honest. I grabbed an inch of skin on my tummy and straight in, far easier than in the thigh, and stung less!
It was expected that I would have a withdrawal bleed from the Buserelin injections. NOPE! I then started a 10 day course of Northisterone to induce a bleed. NOPE! This delay put us 1 month behind where we wanted to be. I did however have some spotting, and was invited for a scan and blood tests to check everything was ok. Bloods were ok, scan showed lining still thick.
Then the final blow. I had to do 28 days of birth control. I know, I know. You can’t make this up. Birth control, to try to induce a withdrawal bleed again. I was so annoyed, and frustrated with my own body….again! This put us 2 months behind. I was fed up of waiting, I wanted to get started. I wont lie….that evening I bought a bottle of wine and enjoyed every drop. And a few more glasses across the 28 days. Then I felt guilty id been drinking alcohol and thought id mess up the whole cycle. IVF makes you crazy!
The birth control did the trick and my bleed arrived finally 20th May. Baseline scan was booked in for 23rd May, and everything was beginning to fall into place. We left that day with our meds. 4 years to the day since we started IVF to conceive Daniel, and I suddenly felt that everything had happened for a reason. On the car journey home, George Ezra came on the radio. Again he along with James Bay were pretty much the sound track to our first IVF journey.
So my lining scan was booked in for 10 days later and I was a woman on a mission to ensure I grew a nice think, lush, rich lining. So I ran off to Google different things that can help grow a healthy lining. So I started on POM juice, brazil nuts, beetroot juice, liquid iron, blueberries, raspberries and a hot water bottle on my tummy for an hour in the evening. I was mightily pleased when my scan confirmed my lining was a nice thick 8.8mm. The nurse said we were aiming for 7mm. I was over the moon. That day I was transferred over to CARE and left with my cyclogest prescription and paid my fees.
CARE Fertility Manchester called me that afternoon and explained our frozen embryo transfer was booked in for 7th June at 11.20. Much sooner than I expected, I had to cancel 2 days of work. I hadn’t expected transfer until after 11th, but I took it all as a positive.
I started my Cyclogest pessaries the following day and had a headache from them just 3 hours later. Luckily this was just a fluke and I’ve felt fine on them since. I continued on the beetroot juice until it ran out the day before transfer. I bought the stuff with added passionfruit juice and it was vile. So you’ve been warned!
A couple of days before transfer I gutted the house from top to bottom so I had zero housework to be doing afterwards and could relax. I’d met up with friends for a coffee and a natter, I had a nice long hot bath, and the day before I had a little date afternoon with my husband.
Each evening I had also been listening to either a Zita West relaxation download, or Mindful IVF app to help me relax and visualise the treatment working.
We hit humps in the road when trying to concieve Daniel, so i did expect a couple with our FET, but not 2 months worth. I was frustrated with my body for not bleeding despite 2 different lots of medication to try and induce. These meds made me feel pretty naff about myself too. I was bloated, spotty and my skin was dull, and my energy levels were pretty rubbish too. But none of this was anyones fault. I wallowed for a little while, which you have to allow yourself to do. Then pick yourself up and carry on. Nothing worth having ever comes easy!
My routine when growing my lining,
- Breakfast was strawberries, raspberries & blueberries topped with greek yoghurt, honey and cinammon and i grated 3 Brazil nuts on top. I found this the easiest way to get the foods into my diet and set me up for the day, followed by…
- Tsp Liquid iron
- 75ml Beetroot juice
- 100ml POM juice
I would take the 2nd dose of liquid iron a couple of hours before bed, and my prenatal (Pregnacare Conception) and Omega3 when i went to bed. My Progynova medication was 3 time a day, and the Cyclogest was twice a day AM/PM.
There is no science to our side of IVF, you can only do what you feel is right for you and your body x.