Natural and medicated FET pros and cons

I've been reading the same things about the progesterone and also feeling the same way! Sorry I don't really know the pros and cons but just wanted to say I totally get it, been researching the same things! X

@E is it progesterone as well I thought it was just the oestrogen? I need to do some more research on it. I know medicated is easier but I’m just panicking a bit because with natural if you ovulate at the weekend you have to reschedule the transfer due to them not being open! X

So this is my second FET this time round, I have a little boy who is two and i did my first FET since just before Christmas and it failed, and this is the next one. Last one I had the trigger shot and then progesterone pessaries. This time I used ovulation sticks so no trigger but am still using progesterone. I think this is classed as a natural cycle but it's not as natural as the one that resulted in my little boy as I used nothing whatsoever. I've never had what they call a medicated one but I think you would still use progesterone too? But your transfer is scheduled for 6/7 days after you ovulate so it wouldn't matter if you ovulate at a weekend. I had a solid smiley face on my clear blue test last sunday and my transfer is scheduled for Saturday x

My doctor gave me the choice. He said no difference in outcomes, one just controls your cycle and one follows your natural cycle. There is more of a risk of the natural being cancelled if you don’t ovulate. And it’s usually only recommended for those with regular cycles. I did a fully natural, no trigger as my cycles were regular and I ovulate. But some people find comfort in the certainty of a medical. My clinic did transfers every day of the week, so it didn’t matter when your ovulation fell. I did take extra progesterone support. This just supports the pregnancy and doesn’t change the cycle.

@E @Jade you can do a natural modified FET which is no estrogen, monitoring scans and bloods and then a trigger so they can time ovulation. Then just progesterone x

@Laura yeah it sounds like that's what I had then! x

@Laura oh really I may look at this then! Thank you x

As for Danielle, I was given the choice. Success rates are comparable, I don't have any known condition and I ovulate regularly. The risk of cancellation goes from 1 to 2% (at my clinic) for medicated to natural. I chose to go natural +progesterone (they made me stop on test date regardless of the outcome) and it was successful! It depends on you, really but I was glad not to have to take additional meds!

@Vittoria yes I am thinking this. Less meds the better. Did you have to have more scans?

@Jade I went in for a scan on Day 10 and it happened to be the day that I had the positive LH test anyway, so just the one. They scheduled my transfer for 5 days later and that was all. My clinic only prescribes progesterone pessaries during the luteal phase (there's no evidence that it helps maintain a pregnancy unless you have a history of recurring miscarriages). For me it was much better, I had to do Lubion shots with my fresh cycle and hated them!