? for ghost or anyone, Implantation not happening

[kez01]

Hi

If you see my history, I seem to get good embryos but for the third time now they are not implanting. It looks like I'm going to have to wait nearly 6 weeks to see my consultant and I just dont know why this keeps happening.
I had acupuncture, lost some weight, had a different protocol but the embryos just wont implant, I dont know what else I can do.

I have 2 frozen embryos left and only really the funds to use them so if they dont work I dont know what I'm going to do. I dont want to jump in if I can solve a problem with implantation.

Any advise will help
Thanks
Kerry x

[Ghost]

We used to have patients who had tried IVF many times and kept failing. Then we shifted them all over to FET only, and they all got pregnant. The endometrium in FET is much better, because there is no ovarian stimulation to screw it up.

Clinics usually want to blame the embryos, but sometimes it's endometrial receptivity.

There was a published case report of a woman who failed ten consecutive fresh cycles, then succeeded in her first FET cycle. That's a little extreme, but you get the picture.

[babyscoming]

I can imagine your frustration. I just had beta yesterday and it was a BFN. I have heard that some of us have a better chance with a FET. I did everything with the fresh cycle and it still didn't stick. I won't be stressing this again. Whatever will be, will be. Keep the faith.

[kez01]

Hi

thanks Ghost I have heard you mention receptivity of the endometrium, I really do feel that is the problem, my acupuncturist said I have stagnation as my periods are always very clotty. Do you feel may a D&C would help prior to FET, also I do not ovulate every month but I want to do a natural FET cycle and not a medicated cycle. I'm going to continue with acupuncture and Royal Jelly, do you feel these may help.

babyscoming, thanks for your reply. I'm sorry about your BFN I guess you are feeling the same as me. It is really hard isn't it, my thoughts are with you too.

take care
Kerry x

[Ghost]

Hi

thanks Ghost I have heard you mention receptivity of the endometrium, I really do feel that is the problem, my acupuncturist said I have stagnation as my periods are always very clotty. Do you feel may a D&C would help prior to FET, also I do not ovulate every month but I want to do a natural FET cycle and not a medicated cycle. I'm going to continue with acupuncture and Royal Jelly, do you feel these may help.

take care
Kerry x

I don't know. We never use a D&C that way, we never refer for acupuncture, and we don't mess with herbal anything.

[kez01]

Hi

I have heard on some posts that assisted hatching is used in the states with all FET, is this so and do you recommend this. I only have 2 embryos frozen and they were frozen on day 1 of developement. The clinic I use thaw them on one day and usually transfer the day after, so essentially they are 2 day old embryos. Can assisted hatching be done at this stage, if it is recommended at all.

Thanks
Kerry x

[Ghost]

Hi

I have heard on some posts that assisted hatching is used in the states with all FET, is this so and do you recommend this. I only have 2 embryos frozen and they were frozen on day 1 of developement. The clinic I use thaw them on one day and usually transfer the day after, so essentially they are 2 day old embryos. Can assisted hatching be done at this stage, if it is recommended at all.

Thanks
Kerry x

Assisted hatching can certainly be done. My clinic never does that either, but we suspect the ICSI hole helps with the hatching anyway. ICSI, AH, and PGD all leave holes in the zona. The ICSI hole is smaller than the others, but still defines a weak spot perhaps easing the hatching step.

[ivfnurse]

Assisted hatching would help in your situation. I would inquire about it. D&C would not be recommended because there is always a risk of uterine scarring causing a condition called Asherman's Syndrome. Since you have good quality embryos I would ask about transferring more than two to give you a better chance, but since you can only do one more FET financially....I would stick with the assisted hatching question.

[kez01]

Hi Ghost and ivf nurse,

thanks so much for your advise. Unfortunately I have to wait until midseptember to see my consultant as he is on his hols for most of august and then I have to wait. I will ask the questions on AH and thanks again, your both really great for supporting us.

Kerry x

[NY4thtry]

I have a similar problem and am on my 4th attempt my transfer was friday.

I am at Cornell in NY which is considered one of the best clinics in the world and actually pioneered assisted hatching.

I have had good embyos etc and implantation problems.

my team says that they do not recomend assisted hatching so much anymore "and we invented it" so they did not do it for what it is worth...

[jenniferdp]

NY4thtry- I had MY transfer on Friday and I am also with Cornell/CRMI. MY doctor is Dr. LKilgman.

Not sure we were in the waiting room at the same time, but my husband was teh big, bald guy ???

I also have the same problem as you and this was my 4th attempt as well. My first two were done at RMA.

Would love to chat with you as we go through the agonizing 2WW.

[Ghost]

I have a similar problem and am on my 4th attempt my transfer was friday.

I am at Cornell in NY which is considered one of the best clinics in the world and actually pioneered assisted hatching.

I have had good embyos etc and implantation problems.

my team says that they do not recomend assisted hatching so much anymore "and we invented it" so they did not do it for what it is worth...

Some recommend AH for FET. We never use it, and we have some of the best FET success rates I know of (in fact, for 2008 so far, they are the best I have ever heard of). So I'm not convinced AH does much. But we do use ICSI routinely, and the ICSI hole seems to establish a weak spot in the zona, perhaps easing hatching anyway, a little like AH.

[kez01]

Hi

thanks Ny4thtry, if you have had similar implantation problems, what did your clinic suggest and did they do anything different to prepare you for your transfer this time. Good luck in this attempt, I will keep my fingers crossed for you.

Jenniferdp, good luck to you too in your 2ww I will be thinking of you both.

Ghost I had been thinking that I would ask about AH but now reading through, I really dont know what I will do. Is it the embryos or is there something wrong with my endometrium, it is always a good thickness. If so do you have any ideas of what can be done to investigate it and remedy it.

THanks so much everyone
take care
Kerry x

[Ghost]

Ghost I had been thinking that I would ask about AH but now reading through, I really dont know what I will do. Is it the embryos or is there something wrong with my endometrium, it is always a good thickness. If so do you have any ideas of what can be done to investigate it and remedy it.

AH might help a little. It should, theoretically, allow hatching a few hours earlier.

A thick endometrium is good, but that alone does not indicate receptivity. It seems the endometrium is highly affected by ovarian stimulation. Some recent papers suggest the problem is advancement. That is, the receptive phase occurs earlier than it should, and the embryos might hatch too late to have a chance to implant. If a few hours would make the difference, then AH would be the answer. If it's more than just a few hours, AH won't matter. We freeze all the embryos in many patients, especially those with a history failed transfers. They do much better in FET at our clinic.

[NY4thtry]

they changed mt protocol this time hoping for better quality eggs and in addition to progesterone shots they have me on an estrogen patch.. i am really hoping my 40 yr old eggs are not just too old