ERA/ALICE/EMMA testing thread 2

[seven201]

Link to the old thread
https://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/infertility/4187520-era-testing-after-multiple-implantation-failures-anyone-had-it-done?msgid=110302437&utmsource=mentions&utmmmedium=email&utmcampaign=2020-10-19&utmmterm=You+have+been+mentioned+in+a+post&rei=438192#110302437

Welcome to the new thread. Anyone welcome.

Thanks @seven201 whenever I get stressed I lose my appetite, so its really hard. I'm hoping it doesn't effect the test results this cycle.

@Moonstarr that's tough, I'm sorry. I hate the baby section of shops as well. I'm a big fan of TK max and have to avoid all the baby stuff.

Baby sections in shops should be banned!! I know it's ridiculous but sometimes I walk through them on purpose even though it makes me sad.

@Gardenlady543 I doubt the smaller appetite will affect things.

I had my scan to check on things pre my op on Monday.

Cyst still there and still big so having a laparoscopy to remove that.
Laparoscopy to either re-stitch my c-section niche or shave off the sharp edges. He thinks it might not be attached to my bladder after all, so will look and decide on the day. I think that wouldn't have been a laparoscopy normally but since he's doing one anyway.
Then removing/improving my adhesion.
Hysceroscopy to check everything.
Stent for a couple of weeks. Progynova for 28days (plus progesterone towards the end).
I forgot to ask when thinks my next embryo transfer can be. I'm now worried that my clinic will say it has to be in January!

@seven201 glad u have a plan
Mr lower likes to see u the period after and scan u to check the scarring isn’t back and give u the all clear (so before u ovulate the cycle after)
And then u can go the cycle after . So u will have ur af roughly 4th oct. He will check u that month. Then u can cycle Nov period.
So much luck for monday the stent is Bloddy weird and dangles out it’s so annoying unsexy! x

Yes I had my niche shaved during the hysteroscope but he might as well go in that way if he’s looking with a laparoscope

@Cream123 thank you so much as always. Ha! I look forward to the stent shenanigans.

That sounds like a productive day @seven201 is the surgery this coming Monday? I think the laparoscopy will be good, I was hoping my hysteroscopy would involve one, as it's the only investigation I haven't had now. I couldn't justify having it though as there is no reason in my case to do it. But you'll be able to tick it off your list. I hope you've got some recovery time booked in at least for the few days after.

That will be good if you can do the cycle in November when I'm hopefully having mine too.

@Gardenlady543 thanks. Yes, this coming Monday. I have the rest of the week off work thankfully. We may end up as cycle buddies!

I had my pre-assessment yesterday and the nurse said my blood pressure was a bit high and that I should take my weekend readings with me on the day as prof they're normally lower and they'll probably do an ecg anyway when I arrive. I take labetalol for high bp. I've been looking at my readings and I think they're too high so now I don't know if I should up my meds a bit (I'm not on a high dose and my gp said I should monitor/adjust it myself last time I spoke to them). I'm also not sure if my home readings since the appt are raised because now I am stressing that my op will get cancelled due to my bp! And I'm also not sure if the synarel or the cyst have raised my bp - dr Google says that's possible! My readings in July were fine, but I was on holiday and relaxed then!

I was thinking maybe those of us who have done the ERA/Alice/Emma could summarise on here in case it is useful for people who find this thread if they're in a similar boat.

I have a naturally conceived dd and an early misscarriage but then no joy. I was ovulating anyway but tried clomid, letrazole and another one I can't remember the name of. Had a Fallopian tube unblocked and ovaries drilled (I have polycystic ovaries). Then ivf with four failed transfers. I have thin uterine lining so lots of drugs for that. Then had the ERA/Alice/Emma which showed I should start progesterone one day earlier and that I had low level of good bacteria in my uterus (oral and vaginal probiotics is the treatment). Have since had another failed transfer (never had a bfp after embryo transfer) but found other problems, hence the surgery. Also having our 4 frozen embryos pgta tested at the moment.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing! Things I wished I'd done sooner:
ERA/Alice/Emma
Saline sonogram (discovered my big adhesion that was previously thought to just be a midline septum)
Started ivf sooner generally!

Good idea @seven201

I had 3 naturally conceived pregnancies which ended in miscarriages. Then couldn’t conceive and found out DH had near zero count. Did ivf cycles all bfp ending in 3 miscarriage agains. Got ashermans got that cleared. Then did fresh ivf with pgs and full immunes son born.

Ttc no 2. used up my 2 pgs normal blasts both bfn with full immune tx . Discovered I have section niche and ashermans (again) but all over uterus lining this time. Removed scarring and ablated and shaved niche. Did era/Emma/alice - pathogen found tx with antibiotics. Lactobacillus a little low treated with canesflor. To do progesterone 24 hours earlier. Next cycle (had to do another fresh to get some embryos) pgs and hardly any immunes due to covid mainly - bfp. currently 18 weeks and hoping I can leave ivf in the past after being on the rollercoaster for last 8 years if all goes well (praying really hard!).

Hindsight

Not doing pgs sooner (son was first pgs transfer and first pregnancy that didn’t mc)

Not going to look at my lining earlier despite it being poor quality on scans I still wasted 2 perfect embroys on a scarred lining which never would have allowed a pregnancy

Personally not sure era/Emma/alice made a huge diff to me but I’ll never know. And I’m glad I did it just to tick them off the list as potential reasons for my bfn.

I had my Era/Emma/Alice biopsy this week so now just waiting for the answers. I have to say it was extraordinarily painful despite having a very high pain threshold! So much so I sweared very colourfully & involuntarily at my lovely consultant.

Now to wait for the results. They have said if we do need antibiotics/probiotics they’ll want to repeat the biopsy, but failing that, I’m hoping to transfer in early October

@Porridgeislife you don't always need to re-test, I think it depends. I didn't need to for my low good bacteria thing. Hopefully you don't need to. Sorry it was so painful 

@Cream123 I think I'm mainly glad I did the era etc in terms of having it ticked off the list. I definitely do recommend everyone takes probiotics for women though!

👋 Best wishes for Monday @seven201 I hope your BP is ok, hopefully it was being in a medical space pushing it up.

I hadn't realised your history @Cream123 I've got everything crossed that you can leave ivf in the past ❤️

My history - struggled to conceive, started infertility tests and naturally conceived on our 16th cycle. Had a mmc. Had hsg, all clear then conceived on second cycle, another mmc. Had hysteroscopy and polyp removed then a chemical pregnancy. Had nk cells biopsy, normal levels but prescribed cyclogest. Conceived within 2 cycles but had my 3rd mmc. Baby tested normal. Did private immune tests and found to have overactive nk cells, so on full immune protocol. Couldn't conceive, so did ivf, low amh so only 3 blasts. Fresh transfer ended in chemical pregnancy so did era, emma and alice tests but everything was normal, so FET planned for October 🤞

Thanks @VenusStarr. Hope ur next cycle is your lucky one. Rec mc was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to go through. So heartbreaking.my thoughts and good wishes are with u ! Xxx

@seven201 agree. My bf just started ivf and I’ve given her all my probiotics she’s not doing era etc but there’s no harm and only to gain just taking the right ones

Hi ladies, I wonder if I might ask please... I have no known fertility issues but my husband has no sperm (literally, no testicles) following testicular cancer twice. We have an ivf child and 3 remaining embryos. Our clinic have suggested the era/emma/alice test simply because these are our last possible embryos since my husband has no sperm, therefore need to give embryos best possible chance. But reading this thread it doesn't seem like a test to undertake lightly? Do you think it's not necessary? Thanks x

@Scottishgirl85 if those three little embryos are your only chance then I personally think it's worth doing all the tests possibly first. Otherwise I'd say it's probably too early. I don't know what you mean about taking lightly, is that in reference to the pain, time delay or cost? Personally it was an intense period pain feeling for me so fine as the procedure didn't take long. I'd say if your clinic are suggesting it I'd go for it.

My bp seems to be better today. I did send dh on a bp reducing sainsburys trip so I've only been eating and drinking bp friendly things! Beetroot juice is not as bad as I thought it would be! I'm also isolating in the lead up to the op so maybe my bp is lower because I'm doing hardly anything.

@Scottishgirl85 I do think a lot can change in our bodies. I conceived my dd after 9 months trying but 3 1/2 years more trying and one early Mc and 5 transfers I've had no joy. My point is last time it worked fine for you, but you just don't know if something has changed. If you can afford it I'd do it in your shoes.

@seven201 thanks so much for your reply. We can afford it, and the embryos were frozen at 31, I'm now 36. Guess I'm worried about the health implications of too much meddling, extra round of hormones, damaging lining with biopsy etc. I'm also wary the clinic just offer everything when it may not be in our best interest.
I can't believe how little I thought of things when doing ivf 1st time round. We went to Czech Republic and the nurses couldn't speak English so I just went with flow. Now we're transporting embryos to London and overthinking every detail!
Are there any long term risks/effects from the sampling?

@Scottishgirl85 to be honest I didn't really think of that side of things when I did it. I guess I was in a different boat as I was looking for answers, so it wasn't a big decision for me. Hopefully someone else will know the answer but I saw it as 'just' a minor procedure to get through and not a worrying one.

@Scottishgirl85 my friend had ERA EMMA ALICE before a transfer as it took her months to get her 4 embryos. I would also recommend some form of imaging either a HSG or saline scan, because ultrasounds can miss a lot.

I would do these tests if I were in your case, it has the same impact as a scratch, so if anything it will help your chances.

@Porridgeislife as already mentioned you don't have to test again. The lab can recommend a retest if the microflora needs treating, they did in my case, when it was as bad as it could get. But my specialist said we should try a transfer first, which was unsuccessful. So I've insisted on a retest now, I'm hoping it will come back and say we're all good now, as there have been improvements in my lining since treatment.

@seven201 try to keep an eye on your blood pressure when you're at home and relaxing. If it is high then the anaesthetist may give you an antihypertensive on the day. I'd expect with the op imminent it's going to be on the higher side, these things are so stressful! It's great it's not far away now! I bet it will feel great when you know it's out the way.

Thank you @Gardenlady543 that's good to know. Bp has been good today thankfully (have tested lots!) so hoping it stays that way. I will continue with the beetroot juice, avocados and bananas!

How are you doing? I hope you've managed to get out this weekend to take your mind off things a little?

@Scottishgirl85 there is no harm from the biopsy. I have had scarring in my womb from previous surgery and I was worried about this so I asked my specialist and he said no and he encouraged me to do the test despite knowing the history and routinely does it on his patients. So that shouldn’t stop u doing it

In terms of if u should or not I’ve no idea! Over the years I’ve never know weather to over investigate or keep things simple. I would def do it if your first one fails but not sure about doing it now depends how confident u feel that it would work. if u don’t do it def take probiotics in the month leading up to ur transfer as one of the tests checks ur microbiome Level which is easily rectified and can be done empirically with hour testing anyways.

@seven201 that's great that the bp has come down, make sure you have a nice chilled out day today.

One of my friends came to visit me yesterday and that was nice, I basically only talk to two friends now and she is one of them.

I hope everyone is having a nice weekend

Good luck today @seven201 I'm thinking of you

Thank you. I'm awake now. I have a vague recollection of him telling me it went fine and that he put a coil in (to be taken out in 4 weeks) instead of the stent. Not sure why. Xxx