Path To Birth

Supporting you on your path to parenthood

Iced Iced Baby- The Wonderfully Strange Feeling of a Frozen Embryo

Fertility, Infertility, PregnancyJess LoweComment
 
Frozen Embryo FET IVF Infertility TTC
 

'Frosties', 'Snowflakes', 'Ice Baby' – there are many terms for Frozen Embryos getting around on the fertility forums. I realised that prior to the creation of our first ‘Snowflake’ that I’d only thought about frozen embryos quite procedurally. The more Frozen Embryos you have the greater your chance of getting pregnant without enduring another stimulated cycle. It was all very intellectual.

But when we suddenly had one, it became a strangely emotional feeling.

Don’t get me wrong it’s a great feeling….but I find it an odd one. It felt foreign that something we created was stored somewhere else, not inside me where I instinctively felt it belonged.

As I went about my day - eating, working, sleeping, talking, chores, our baby was on ice. Deep frozen, waiting for us to defrost it and implant it.

It’s like the promise of a dream on hold for when we are ready.

A possibility frozen in time for us to grab onto when we are ready.

I'd find myself thinking about it often – already worrying if it is ok. Already nervous about what it will go through when it defrosts. Will it survive??

Do Frozen Embryo Cycles Work??

Frozen embryos are one of the many things that totally amaze me about IVF. In fact at my clinic success rates are often higher on frozen embryo natural cycles as your body is undergoing less trauma and drugs.

I find it so fascinating that they can create a baby for you outside of your body and put it back in…let alone deep freeze it, defrost it and then put it back in!

How amazing to be able to grow, birth and hold a child that has at some stage in its development spent time frozen.

Generally speaking physically things are a bit easier going into a Frozen Natural Cycle. If there is nothing else you are being treated for its normally only a few blood tests for your LH surge then the embryo transfer. There are still things that can go wrong and no guarantee of success but not having to take on the stimulated cycle is a big bonus.

Given this I take it as a chance to get my body prepared and really give our ‘Snowflake’ the best environment to come back into….and hopefully continue to grow and thrive!

So what are my tips for preparing for a Frozen Cycle?

  1. Help strengthen and prepare the endometrial lining.  I do this in a few ways but two of my favourites are eating lots of brazil nuts, and also using a moxa stick on my stomach (in a special Traditional Chinese Medicine point) for 10 minutes each day in the follicular phase.
  2. Acupuncture. Hormone regulation, stress relief, helps to build the lining, and also support the ovaries.
  3. Yoga and Meditation. I listen to affirmations and guided pregnancy meditations to help get my mind in a positive frame, set for success! Yoga is also great for meditation, stress relief and hormone regulation.
  4. Food, Exercise and Rest! Feeling well rested, fit and strong physically going in is important. I basically act like I’m pregnant already- get good sleeps to rejuvenate, eat clean and get some light exercise in each day.

How do you feel about your frozen embryos? What are your tips for preparing for a frozen cycle?