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.

Oh no @VenusStarr I'm glad they can get you in quickly, how rubbish to have this on top of everything.

@VenusStarr I'm sorry you've now got an infection! Not fair to have this on top of everything else :( fingers crossed for a speedy recovery. You're far from helpless - you are amazing for coping with everything that's been thrown at you.

@Gardenlady543 I think the big decisions like donors or surrogacy have to percolate for a while. It doesn't matter what others think or what the logic is, you just have to wait until you're ready to take that step...if you do

My headache was self-inflicted. We had an impromptu early evening Friday night party with the neighbours until about 8:30 and then I got hungover by bedtime! Loving the drinking...

I had my scan this morning - it is twins 😨 Slightly shellshocked although I kind of already knew it. Both looking ok at this point but of course it's extremely early days. It seems so utterly improbable - 8 transfers, up till this point only one had ever stuck. Now both suddenly do! One day at a time I suppose. I do feel very lucky.

@whatcangowrong

I knew it!!! Congratulations - I know you really didn't want twins - honestly it's the most amazing thing I've ever experienced and I feel so very very privileged - I lost 7 before my twins and every second with them is worth the lack of sleep and lack of time and lack of money

PM me if you feel overwhelmed x

@tiggerwhocamefortea thank you. I did want 3 children, I didn't want twins really but I had also decided that it would be pushing my luck to go for a third and having to start stims again at 40 (everyone is different but I didn't think it looked as though it would be easy at that age for me). So I am actually really pleased! If a bit nervous. My husband pulls his weight and we will get lots of help (paid not family sadly!!). And of course they are not both here yet, not by a long stretch.

Congratulations @whatcangowrong glad all is looking well. Definitely take it one day at a time. It’s good you’ve had a successful pregnancy before. No reason to think this will be any different. It would make you wonder about grading wouldn’t it!

I had my scan last week at 6w 4d as I had some spotting which cued panic. Thankfully all is looking fine. They found a heartbeat and measuring correctly. Back for an 8 week scan next week. Nerves already setting in.

@whatcangowrong wow congratulations. This is so wonderful if a little overwhelming. So lovely to hear your news.

@Dochas1211 so pleased to hear you had a good scan too. Sorry about the spotting - that must have been stressful. Hope it all goes well on Wednesday. Xxx

Congrats for the lovely scan news! And @whatcangowrong crazy!!!! Just shows that this fertility journey is full of ups and downs and it’s just impossible to predict. ESP after so many failed transfers. Maybe u were destined to have twins so needed 2 putting back in x

@whatcangowrong log! Twins!!!!! Congratulations. You were SO sure the transfer wouldn't work.

@Dochas1211 sorry about the spotting. Are you already on progesterone? I think you probably are but just in case, I read an article recently that said now all women with bleeding in early pregnancy will be offered progesterone. Congratulations on the scan.

@Gardenlady543 I empathise. I've only done 5 transfers and it's now been 2 years; I had no idea it would all be so bloody slow when I started along this road. I thought it would be one month on, one month off, but far from it!

@Janefx40 good for you and your hangover! I'm
In the tww now and was away for my family Xmas this weekend and probably drank a bit too much. There's only so much putting your life on hold you can do. When does your FET cycle start?

Congrats on the scans @Dochas1211 and @whatcangowrong

@seven201 yeah definitely, I can't believe I'm a year into treatment and have only done 4 transfers, the investigations have taken up so much time. It really drags on :(

I have my blood tests back, my AMH is actually higher now than it was in mid-2020. It's 20.2 compared to 17.4 which is good news.

My LH is normal at 4.59, estradiol is at 97.8 and FSH is at 11.8. The FSH is in the normal range for this lab but is just over the normal range used by the NHS lab I had my last sample with, it came back as 8.4 in the past. I'm hoping it's related to the medicated FET I just had.

@Gardenlady543 they sound like good results which is reassuring. Your FSH is slightly high but not too high but that only matters if you are doing another set of stims. ARGC like it to be under 12 for stims which it is but only just. That's just because it impacts your response to the stimming meds. But it is also something that varies month to month so I wouldn't be concerned. Great AMH. X

@Janefx40 I'm hoping to do more stims in the future. Do you think it's high because I had come off the estradiol and progesterone 5 days before the test? As it was right after a medicated FET. I am not sure why it would be high otherwise, I have a high AFC.

@Gardenlady543 I'm not sure what meds make FSH fluctuate but it does change month to month so I personally wouldn't worry too much until it's time to do the stims. As your AMH and AFC are both good, it suggests that your overall fertility is good so I doubt your FSH is consistently high. And anyway it isn't above 12 anyway. There are a few natural things people recommend to bring it down so you could also try them before stims if they aren't too onerous x

@Gardenlady543 do u have pcos?

My bf had pcos and had 6 fails with pgs normals (all with care too). Never had a conception. the one which stuck was a natural cycle where she had times sex too so who knows if was the frozen or a natural conception. She then fell preg naturally by mistake with no 2 - 6 months later.

That's interesting @Cream123 I have a high AFC but I don't meet the diagnostic criteria for PCOS, my hormones are normal and my cycles are regular. Also AMH is often very high in PCOS and mines quite normal. I've seen some studies about people with PCOS being prereceptive, which I definitely am, but it seems that's caused by the hormonal imbalance. It's interesting that your friend had luck in an unmedicated cycle which is what I'd want to do moving forward since clearly the medicated cycles don't work.

I looked up the ratio of LH:FSH in PCOS and usually LH is 2-3 times higher than FSH. But mine is the opposite which is weird.

Maybe it’s due to the meds…it’s all upset ur poor body!

Honestly there is sometimes no rhyme or reason in this fertility world. I’ve heard and seen so many stories that defy all the odds and work out in strange ways…..

Think it’s worth trying a natural if u have never done one before…

How is everyone? It feels like this week has gone on forever!

I had my phone appt with a dr at my ivf clinic today. She just agreed with everything I said, which was nice! She says it all depends on how my lining is now after the surgery, so I need a mid-cycle scan, which would be around Xmas day so may end up being in January . Annoying since the nurses wouldn't let me book it in without a dr appt. She said if my lining is fine then can reduce or remove some of the drugs - yay. If it's still rubbish then would keep the protocol the same. I asked about a natural cycle but she thought perhaps not seeing as I have the era adjustment. Although she did say the era may not be reliable if I do remove some of the drugs. So I have to wait for this scan then have another appointment to agree a treatment plan. Other than the more waiting, it's good I think.

@seven201 glad your Dr consultation was ok. I'd forgotten about the need for things to be the same to make the ERA valid. I don't think it's that usual to do ERA on a natural cycle anyway - the nurses seemed to think I wasn't the norm at our clinic anyway.

Is your scan definitely going to be Jan or does it depend on your cycle? So frustrating to have to wait another month. I can't bear all these delays.

Am getting paranoid about catching Covid - that's about the only thing that can delay us now! Had decided not to go to the office party sadly but they've actually cancelled it now.

In other news I have now been boosted!! I was due to be eligible from 27th Dec which was when my cycle was going to start and I didn't think that would be a good idea but now the rules changed I was able to do it yesterday so a bit more time before we start/transfer.

@Dochas1211 how was your scan?

How is everyone else? Xxx

@Dochas1211 sorry I realise now your next scan is next week x

@Janefx40 my period is due on Monday ish so I need to call then to see if it could work for December or not. The doctor didn't know exactly which dates the clinic are closed.

That's great about being boosted! I'm under 40, just, so going to try a walk in clinic as soon as my period arrives. I'm really worried about catching it at school, or having to isolate because of the new variant. It's all gone to shit again hasn't it! We just need to keep our fingers crossed that we all get to carry on our treatment. At least it seems unlikely they'd close ivf clinics this time. I was crushed when my FET was cancelled not long after starting last year.

@seven201 that sounds like a productive conversation, is the lining check going to be in your natural cycle? I had my clinic do one of them a few months ago and my lining was thicker than the original scan I'd had before starting IVF.

@Janefx40 Woop to being boosted, I got mine right at the end of my FET cycle, so got it out the way. It was the day that Boris made the announcement, so was a good time to have it as I'd imagine it's really busy now!

I have been checking my pH after my period stopped and sadly it's as high as it can ever. So it seems that as soon as my period arrived it wiped out all the good bacteria. As the test I'm doing is menstrual blood and mid cycle vaginally swabs, hopefully I'll know more when I've sent them off and got the results. It just seems pretty hopeless though, the person that owns the testing company did tell me some people revert to dysbiotic bacteria after it's treated and all they can do is create a window of opportunity before a transfer, but that's what we did last cycle and it didn't work.

Hello everyone. I was been treated for recurrent miscarriages, then I found I couldn't convince naturally anymore so have just had my third round of IVF. Two cycles resulted in early miscarriages again. The only thing I haven't tried is EMMA, ERA and ALICE but can't try until the new year due to Christmas closures.
I'm trying to read this thread but can't see the answer- have these procedures actually resulted in anyone getting a diagnosis, treatment and successful pregnancy? I'm weary about them so would love some reassurance if they are a good next step. Thank you x

@StillTrying10000

@Cream123 is pregnant, I believe she was prereceptive and had antibiotics and probiotics because of the EMMA, but also had surgery for Ashermans which likely helped.

@Dochas1211 is pregnant, had 0.00% lactobacillus on EMMA and it had improved on the rebiopsy, I believe she was also on an immune protocol.

@whatcangowrong is pregnant, but I can't remember if she had ERA EMMA ALICE.

I have had 2 biopsies, first prereceptive, second done at the new time and still prereceptive. 0.00% lactobacillus on both biopsies so the treatment didn't help me. Just treated it again and had another unsuccessful transfer with a euploid embryo. I suspect my microflora is still bad. And at least it is helping me form plans for the future. I'm doing a third test, this time through a company called fertilysis that uses menstrual blood to assess microflora. I'm not sure I have that much faith in the ERA adding an advantage.

@StillTrying10000 have you had a hsg/saline scan/hysteroscopy?