ERA testing - has any one had this done?

[closephine85]

The next step for us looks to be ERA testing but I’m just wondering if someone can explain how it works? Can you do it on a natural cycle to see what your window would be if wanting to try naturally? Or do you have to have drugs/mock ivf cycle?

I’m just wondering as we’ve had three rounds of iui with donor sperm and I’d be interested to see what my window is naturally to know whether it would be worth trying another 3 iui rounds or if we need to move back to IVF potentially with DH’s sperm again.

[Blondeshavemorefun]

Hi yes I’ve had 2 era - one in uk but results were unsure as think doc didn’t take enough sample

And 2nd abroad at the clinic I was having Icsi /ivf in

You do a cycle like for a fet so only hormone tablets to take/ not daily injections and then they take a sample - bit like a smear /ec and send to lab

By the tissue they work out how your lining is receptive

And in mine it showed I needed an extra days worth of hormones /drugs

I actually ended up having over a weeks extra for my fet due to being on holiday and then scanned once home and lining was fine and we flew back to MADRID for the fet

As said above I had 5 attempts and the 5th was the only it time I’ve got preg

Dd is now almost 16mths

Def have the era. Yes costly but not compared to ivf costs iyswim

They usually recommend after 3 failed

[closephine85]

Thanks Blondes - so does it tell you what your window is on any cycle? So just one where you were trying naturally? Or does it only apply if you replicate the conditions/take the hormones? Does it make sense what I’m asking/getting at?

We have already had 2 failed ivfs with DH’s sperm so we tried iui with donor sperm. The fact that all three of these look to have failed too are I thin pointing to ERA being the next test.

The trouble is I’m not convinced about the timings of the first two iui cycles, so technically feel like I’m giving up on donor sperm after one proper attempt! There are no excuses for this last cycle. Everything was perfect.

[Blondeshavemorefun]

Sorry if I’m being thick but why use donor sperm for iui but dh speem for ivf

I can only comment on era for a fet as we had eggs left over from cycle 3 so knew next attempt would be a fet

Usually they do fet on day 20 and mine showed day 21 /needs 24hrs extra hormones /drugs

But from what I’ve read that some woman aren’t ready for implantation at day 5 after fresh - tho I’ve also had a day 6 as a fet (failed) so sometimes they freeze all eggs and do a fet following month so that woman’s body can recover from ec and also have the implant/transfer at the right time


Maybe contact igenomix for some info

[closephine85]

Basically because DH has a very low sperm count poor morphology and high DNA fragmentation so it was suggested that there was probably something chromasomally wrong with the embryos and that would be a reason why the ivf failed. We did iui with donor sperm on the notion that if DH was the issue, it should work. If it doesn’t work, it suggests there is also a problem with me. Does that make sense?

I think what I really want to know is, if on a normal cycle, no drugs etc. Whether my window is normal or out. Then we could assess whether more iui is a waste (if window is not right). Also if it turned out window isn’t right, then perhaps we should try ivf with DH’s sperm again as even though low, if I’m an issue as well, if we can fix that maybe it can work.

Sorry I know it sounds complicated but it makes sense to us! (I think )

[Blondeshavemorefun]

Ah. Thanks for explaining

Guess unless you had think called pgd testing you won’t know if dh effecting the embryos or just unlikely and didn’t implant

The company I linked know everything about era so they may be able to answer your questions

When I was trying to find a uk clinic to do mine - I struggled - was a few years ago but no one knew of era in many clinics I rang

And the company I linked - send you the stuff for the test and then collect it with a courier / obv Costs but I wanted it done correctly

[closephine85]

Thanks Blondes, yes our clinic use Igenomix so have had a quick look on their website. I will ask for a meeting at our clinic to discuss on Monday.

Have thought about PGD testing too. We just don’t have a bottomless money pit sadly.

I remember you from threads when you were ttc so I’m glad you got there in the end.