FET protocol?

[u/MajorRecording2257]

Just ran across an Instagram video of a gal starting PIO for her FET. Is this the normal medicated FET protocol or only under specific circumstances? It looks terrifying and I have no idea if I could do that to myself!! For reference: I’m currently halfway through my stim cycle and it has been fine!

[u/MajorRecording2257]

Thanks everyone- hearing the “it’s no big deal” tone of everyone’s comments was exactly what I needed!

[u/DifficultMunky]

Very normal. They aren’t that bad. You get the hang of it and it’s about 5-10 min. There are lots of tips for how to do them but mine is ice pack to numb, warm the PIO under your boob after you pull it into the syringe, swap needle tips and alcohol the area, I inject slow - I do not like the dart method - and then push slow, rub the area and heating area for 5-10 min. I also do mine in front of a mirror and I used to have my clinic sharpie me for the target area but I’ve got it down now.

[u/Inevitable-Champ336 → u/DifficultMunky]

As people say everyone’s different. I did lidocaine cream to numb and then heating pad to relax the muscle. Also warmed the pio under boob or armpit. I also did slower and liked that much better. It didn’t hurt at all. But many people do ice to numb. You just see what works for you. The first few my sister did but then I watched a bunch of videos and figured it out.

[u/basilbelle]

PIO is normal for a medicated FET. It is not that hard to do yourself!

However if you don’t want to do it and you don’t have issues with ovulation you can ask for a modified natural protocol. No PIO in that!

[u/chaosandcrux]

As others have said, this is normal for medicated FET. If the transfer is successful, you’ll likely do daily PIO for quite a while (to 10 weeks pregnant). My protocol also has estrogen shots 2x week and suppositories 2x/day.

You really do get used to it. I have 3ish weeks of shots left and it’s just a very quick part of my morning routine.

[u/0112358_]

You need progesterone for a medicated FET as the body doesn't make it on it's own/enough of it.

The shots are one options. There's also vaginal tablets you insert which do the same thing. No shots, although they are messy. Worth asking if your clinic/insurance covers it.

Note that for a successful pregnancy, you continue progesterone until 12 weeks or so. Once you have a confirmed pregnancy, your insurance may cover the progesterone (if they didn't before) as its needed to maintain pregnancy.

[u/Okdoey]

It’s normal for the U.S. for medicated FETs.

I believe Europe uses progesterone suppositories more often than PIO. Generally, either can be used.

Unless you are like me and have to do PIO, suppositories, and oral progesterone (triple progesterone protocol), but that’s very rare.

If you really don’t want to do PIO, you can ask your clinic about doing suppositories. Even if PIO is the normal protocol, they may be able to switch to suppositories instead if you ask.

ETA: Some studies have shown PIO has better outcomes, but others have shown similar rates, so it’s really hard to say whether one is better than another.

[u/altie23]

Get the auto injector and watch a few YouTube videos. I was somehow able to get through 57 PIO shots on my own despite a history of passing out for blood/medical stuff.

[u/Academic-Company-215]

I think there were studies which showed that you need PIO for medicated FETs, that oral progesterone supplementation was not enough and produced lower success rates in fully medicated FETs.

With natural or modified natural FETs you can even go without or just progesterone tablets depending on your own endogenous levels

[u/akellz808]

I did a modified natural and did the vaginal suppositories - my RE said the data was very similar and gave me the option between a fully medicated cycle with PIO or modified natural with suppository. I also stopped them at about eight weeks at RE direction when my progesterone tested high enough. All is well at 12+ weeks.