ERA testing after multiple implantation failures. Anyone had it done?

[seven201]

I've had four transfers so far (first 3 from 1 batch, fourth from a second egg collection) and 4 BFNs. I have a naturally conceived 4 1/2 year old and had a natural pregnancy with early miscarriage a bit over 3 years ago. My lining struggles to get to thickness, I have polycystic ovaries (on sukkarto), a fibroid, slightly high thyroid thingy (on levothyroxine), high bp (on meds) and a midline septum (ridge/divide in the uterus). I had surgery to unblock a tube 2 years ago. I'm in the healthy weight range.

My clinic have suggested PGS testing (we have 5 embryos in the freezer) but I'm really not keen on it as I've read about actually fine embryos being shown as poor and therefore being disposed of.

They also suggested ERA (endometrial receptor assessment). Has anyone had that done and found it useful? I just hate anything that delays the next FET but I think maybe it will be worth it?

Any other suggestions? Last FET I was on lots of estrogen, extra progesterone injections, clexane, neupogen infusion, aspirin and probably a whole load of other stuff I've forgotten.

I am so fed up with it all!

So I did my progesterone at 126 hours from biopsy but I need to do it 139 hours.

@Gardenlady543 I’m so glad u said that! Mine was much lighter and I was super worried I went back to mr lower and got another saline scan but all was fine. Weird urs is too - must be as some lining is taken away though it’s surprising it can make an impact.

Yes kinda good the tests came back with something being suboptimal with the surgery I had I had a balloon stent in my uterus and hard core antibiotics so not surprised sonething was found with microbiome!

@Cream123 oh good! Glad it’s not just me. My specialist said she suctioned out the tissue, given the uterus is quite small I’m wondering if it ends up being quite a significant amount that’s removed.

I expect I’ll need longer on progesterone as well, I hope I get a result from the endometrial biopsy, sometimes people can get an inconclusive result.

@Cream123 I think that's kind of the ideal outcome. Tests show a small fixable problem! So nice you got the news before the weekend too. I know that manic kind of feeling where you desperately want to get the go to do a prescription - at the time it feels like the most stressful thing in the world!

@Gardenlady543 sorry you've had a rough time. Are you feeling a little better today?

I went to my friend's garden for take away and drinks last night. It was 4 of us from NCT group and 2 of them have 2 kids, and one 3 so there was naturally a lot of chat about toddlers and babies. I had a headache from meds and just didn't get involved much then came home and cried for ages, that snotty can't breathe crying! I thought I was doing ok but obviously not. My face is still all puffy but I have watched 4 episodes of "this is my house" and am feeling a bit better.

I've got my scan on Monday. Really hoping my cyst has gone and my lining is doing ok so can get my neupogen infusion booked in then do the biopsy soonish!

Bless you @seven201 that sounds like a really tough event to go to, I’m certain I would feel the same. Sometimes I just let my mind wander and I have that kind of crying event, usually when I’m in bed and it just floods me. I remember having it in my FET just a few days after the transfer, I just knew it hadn’t worked.

I bought myself a Nintendo switch last year and have a Mario game on it, I play on that to pass the time. And I like shows like parks and rec which is on Netflix, the characters start having babies in the last few series but for most of the show, there is nothing baby related.

@Gardenlady543 thank you. That's very kind. How are you doing today?

I'm into sewing so I'm going to make something this evening I think. Switch sounds a great idea. I spend too much time on mumsnet, which doesn't really help. I also love an audio book while I get on with jobs.

I like sewing too @seven201 🪡 just simple cross stitch, I run 2 tone images through a cross stitch generator and just go with one colour. I finished a heart made up of smaller hearts, (they were all white and I used bright pink aida) in my fresh cycle and started doing a new one of flying cranes, the original image is a stencil, I’m using 4 different metallic golds for the birds. I should probably get it out more but try not to to do it too much because it gives me neck pain from tensing up.

@seven201 I’m sorry about last night. It’s so hard balancing not going and then going and feeling rubbish. I’m at that age atm where literally every single one of my close friends in on number 2. I keep reminding myself I’ve been through much worse to have my son but it still really hurts :( I have spent the last year telling myself it’s ok if it’s just us 3 and I’m starting to accept it . Just not sure I can put myself through anymore coz all the memories and tx I had before my son still feel very fresh and real so I’m totally worn out from it all. It feels like infertility (husband has low sperm count which was our only issue until my ashermans ) / mc has dominated my life for a long time now... not sure why I’m explaining it when u totally know what I’m saying!

Anyways hope ur all enjoying the sun :)

@Gardenlady543 the cross stitch sounds good! I make clothes mainly. Really enjoy it but fabric is not cheap!

@Cream123 I do know what you mean. It's the limbo that is just so awful. I'm not ready to give up yet but if I knew I definitely was only going to have one then I guess I could start to accept it. It's the endless fighting for it that is just so utterly exhausting! I wanted a 2 year gap and my dd is nearly 5, so my dream of having kids similar ages who play together (no guarantee of that I know) is just impossible now. I do know how lucky I am to have 1 dd. I'm not a good mum to her sometimes as I'm just so desperate and miserable. Infertility should just fuck off!

I think coz I had such a struggle to have my son the idea of gap and having a sibling was just never something I could dream or think off. So I sort of got used to the idea of it many many years ago as for a while I wasn’t sure how my son would happen except that I absolutely wouldn’t stop till I got him (was starting to look into surrogacy when he finally stuck not that that’s a guarantee but I had given up on my own body!)
I’m def less available to my son too during tx esp as I have to travel 3 hours to London to get my immune tx so feel physically
Less around too. It’s rubbish’

@seven201 what sort of delivery did u have? Was it section or vaginal?

@Cream123 I'm so glad you did get your son. We are incredibly lucky how modern medicine can help us so much. The guilt of not being happy mum is awful isn't it.

She was breech so I had a c-section. I also have had 2 kidney surgeries (one after dd) with lots of infections, so it's possible that hasn't helped.

Ah sorry to hear u haven’t had the best health after ur daughter. I only ask coz I had a section and it can cause a c section niche which can cause / is a bit debatable infertility. I have one which my ashermans surgeon made smaller while he did my op.

I think I have one too (as the nurse has said in scans there's a bit of fluid in the scar sometimes) but I assume it's not too bad as my doctor didn't mention it after my laparoscopy for unblocking a tube and ovarian drilling and hysceroscopy. I am a tempted if my era/Alice/Emma doesn't show any problems to make an appt with mr trew or Lowe as I also have a 'prominent midline septum' (a ridge) so quite a lot going on in my uterus, so might be good to get a second opinion.

I had my scan. Cyst still the same size but they don't think it's causing any problems. Lining 6.3 but it doesn't get much thicker than that for me. I'm having my first neupogen infusion (meant to help a little to thicken lining and help implantation) in a mo (I'm gowned up ready!) as a miracle occurred and they were able to fit me in today! Will need another neupogen infusion, I think in 3 ish days then I guess the biopsy will be next week. I've been feeling pretty glum about it all so this is a good day!

@seven201 glad it’s all systems go! I find the waiting and linbo the worst! So least u having stuff done and u feel like ur doing what u can....
Who does ur neupogen out of interest. I have it too....
So I still don’t have confirmation I’m ok to start my FeT cycle this weekend when AF comes! I feel terrible chasing them but if no reply to my email by wed I’ll have to ring as I need my prescriptions!
Day 3 metronidazole here and feeling a bit sick but all the drugs make me feel grim so there we go!

@seven201 it sounds like everything is progressing along nicely, I hope you get to the biopsy day ASAP, it’s so nice to stop all the meds.

@Cream123 sorry to hear about the nausea, I hope it settles, I find that I tend to have a peak in nausea on meds and then it settles. I also find ginger in a diffuser really helpful, it has to be proper ginger root and not the Xmas stuff though. It’s recommended by NICE for morning sickness so definitely worth a try.

@Cream123 thanks. It's the doctor at care who does the neupogen. Having a second infusion on Thursday so should be biopsy next Tuesday 🤞. I hate chasing up to but sometimes you just have to. What's the metronidazole for? Sorry it's making you feel ill.

Thanks gardenlady

I'm just back from acupuncture. Apparently my tongue shows I am very stressed!

@seven201 my EMMA came back showing I had some abnormal pathogen! I don’t really know which one it was tbh as my ALIcE didn’t detect anything and I have 70 percent lactobacillus which is the good stuff...and the other 2 they picked up seem like they r ok to have too but maybe there’s too much of them....but anyways the week metro is to sort that out and then I need to take some probiotics to make sure I haven’t wiped out my good bacteria with the metro !

@Cream123 oh yes, you did say you got the prescription from the gp. Sorry it's making you so ill. Our bodies have to go through so much!

@seven201 yes gp great got it and started!
Obsessively checking email to see if I can start FET this weekend!
Hope ur still feeling better about things. Hopefully ur biopsy very soon!

@Cream123 any news?

I've had some bad non ivf related news. My sister, whose young husband died of a heart attack 2 months ago, has found a lump and a specialist thinks it's early breast cancer. I just can't believe it. How is life so unfair?! Sorry, gone completely off topic!

@seven201 that’s awful, I really hope it turns out to be benign and if it is cancerous I hope they’ve caught it really early. What an awful thing for her to go through, I bet she’s still in pieces after losing her partner.

@Gardenlady543 thank you. How are you doing?

@seven201 oh my gosh I’m so sorry to hear that :( is she near u for some support . Life can be so shit . Then I feel bad about whingeing....Sending you lots of love hope ur ok

So I heard I can start at 1pm. No script or protocol yet but assured with me by Friday. Af due sat

But it’s come tonight!!!!!! Day 24 cycle ?! It’s hardly anything just a bit of spotting (massively worrying me) so I think (and really hope) will be full flow tmrw and I’ll start oestrogen on Friday. That’s right isn’t it - it day 2 of full flow?

Feeling dread and like this is the beginning of the end. The ashermans has really ruined my uterus beyond full repair. I wish I could be postive but I just can’t!!

@Gardenlady543 when is ur Hsg must be soon?

@seven201 (again) will u get ur biopsy date?

@seven201 sending you and your family hugs . I’m ok, feeling a bit deflated about everything but hopefully I’ll have some answers soon. How are you getting in with the meds, have you got your era date yet?

@Cream123 hsg is a week tomo, so not long. I am getting lower abdo pain still, cramping type stuff it’s been happening since the ERA, which was about 2 weeks ago now, is this normal? I’m worrying that my uterus was damaged or my bursting bladder during the procedure might have caused some sort of UTI, which I never get so it would be odd. I might dipstick my urine at work tomo for reassurance. Sounds great about the cycle starting soon, my clinic say day 1 is full flow starting before 5pm, so you should have some time.

I’ve been worrying my uterus is also damaged after it. So don’t ask me! The ashermans has made me super paranoid - in a way I wish I hadn’t done the era it’s added on months and doesn’t seem the most reproducible test....anyways I’m sure we r just panicking over nothing. If in that 0.000001 chance something has happened least ur having a hsg to put ur mind at rest or give u some answers.
Sorry ur feeling down. It all takes so long and is so frustrating. I’m hoping ur getting closer to the end of ur journey
Ok great so if I’m full flow by tmrw lunch time then tmrw is day 1. So I can start on Friday!