IVF Cancelled Cycle – Treatment Halted Abruptly During ‘Down-Regs’

Whilst we’re adjusting to life in lock-down, the pain of having treatment postponed or cancelled still isn’t going anywhere. Things are looking more optimistic, however the doors aren’t open just yet. Whilst we saw a Danish Clinic reopen this week, this was for domestic patients only and under vigorous safety measures. So things still aren’t back to normal, which with it brings apprehension and uncertainty about the future of fertility treatments in 2020. So, as our community is needing this support more than ever, we will continue to share readers’ real-life stories of cancelled or postponed treatments, to show you you’re not alone. This week’s IVF Warrior shares her story, showing others the fertility community are in it together.

Over to Katy…

@ivf_got_this_uk 

Hey, I’m Katy – a Healthcare Assistant living in Devon. I’m sharing my story in the hope that it can help others and raise awareness. Like many, we too are on this difficult journey. My husband and I have been trying  to conceive now for five years. I have been pregnant naturally twice but unfortunately the first ended in a missed miscarriage and our second loss was a blighted ovum. 

If you’ve been affected by miscarriage, see a reader’s story here on what not to say to a woman who’s had a miscarriage.

Since our last miscarriage four years ago, my husband and I haven’t been able to conceive naturally and, after many tests coming back normal, we have been diagnosed with unexplained infertility.  After no success naturally, we started IVF sixteen months ago and have since had two failed transfers and one chemical pregnancy. We started our third Frozen Embryo Transfer at the end of February, but unfortunately, after three weeks, due to the Covid 19 outbreak we had to stop all of our medication and our cycle was cancelled.

What’s worse is that It got cancelled just 15 minutes before we were due to have our Down Regulation Scan. Although we kind of knew our cycle was going to get cancelled, a part of us still hoped it would carry on. We were prepared for bad news but it didn’t make it any easier and it still really upsets us. I put my body through so much: just the preparation for another cycle mentally and physically is exhausting, let alone injecting yourself for three weeks, only to find out it was for nothing.

Our fertility clinic told me to call them when my next cycle (period) starts, but they have given us no advice as to when that will be, so I feel a little bit left out of the loop and I don’t really know anything. I understand that they are busy and it is a stressful time, but a call every now and then just to check that my body is behaving and doing what it should be, having had to halt medication abruptly, would have been nice – even just to check on my mental wellbeing. 

It is the Unknown and the Uncertainty of When we Can Start a Cycle Again That’s Most Concerning.

I think the biggest upset for us was the realisation that once again we won’t be having a baby this year. I really wish the government could have considered the impact on the TTC (trying to conceive) community before releasing the statement that all pregnant women are vulnerable and should stay at home (which has since changed) – although I do understand why they said that. However, I do think that this prompted many fertility clinics to cancel cycles straight away. I completely understand why they cancelled all treatments, as it’s a time of uncertainty, but when I see other women being able to finish their cycles it has made me wonder whether my fertility clinic perhaps acted too soon. 

Anyhow there’s nothing we can do now other than stay strong, concentrate on prepping for our next cycle, whenever that may be, and just trust that it won’t be too much of a wait. What keeps me going is knowing that so many men and women are in the same boat as us. It really does help being able to talk to others about all of this. 

Feel free to check out our story on Instagram @ivf_got_this_uk 

FHH is here to bring you weekly reader stories, so you realise you’re not alone in this frustration and disappointment. You can read other stories here.

If you’re struggling right now and need someone to talk to, we have a hugely supportive network of fertility coaches and counsellors on stand-by who are offering all kinds of help at this difficult time. Check them out here. If you’d like to participate and share your story, please message us. The more, we talk, the less we are alone.