ERA/EMMA/ALICE Testing thread 4

[Janefx40]

New thread ladies! @Gardenlady543 @MyEasterEggs @seven201 @VenusStarr @Violette22 @Yuliaaa

I've reported myself as I didn't crop my postcode out

There definitely should be an emoji!

Weird about the spotting. Sorry your clinic are rubbish. Mine are too at times. It's really infuriating, especially when we give them SO much money!

@seven201 ha ha! I've reported myself a few times before too!!! Occasionally I've said something that I wished I'd phrased differently etc. They're usually pretty quick about it.

Glad you liked the intralipids.

@RPishopeful welcome. Sorry you've had a hard road. I was told that even a chemical meant that implantation had taken place so no need for ERA. I did an ERA anyway and obviously it showed nothing wrong (since I've had 2 chemicals, a miscarriage and a live birth). I kind of regret it because it delayed us. Really not needed if you've had several implantations.

Period seems to have got slightly heavier. Doc has agreed to do full day 1 bloods (FSH, LH, oestrogen, progesterone and prolactin) to check levels are normal for start of follicular phase when we start. Clinic wouldn't give me an appointment tho because DP hasn't signed his forms. He only has one job 😡!!!

@Janefx40 aghhh! Silly DH not signing the forms. So so annoying. Has he done it now and are you sorted? I have to stand over DH and check he does his very small bits of ivf admin.

I have my scan tomorrow to see if my lining has thickened enough. It was 6mm. I can't decide what to do if it's still 6mm. Transfer next Thursday anyway? Or 6.5 or above? I'd feel ok with 7mm or above I think but I REALLY don't want to cancel again, especially as I might have the same problem next time, but it does sometimes go thicker. The drugs this trike have really affected me and I've already had the intralipids in preparation. I've had a FET cancelled before when I didn't get to 6mm. What do you all think I should have as my cut off?

I hope your lining will have grown @seven201 even if just a bit. I saw on Instagram last night that someone who's had recurrent losses, asherman's and is on an immune protocol transferred at 6mm and pregnancy is going well so far. I think if it's triple layer, that's more important. Let us know how you get on.
Interesting you already had intralipids. Last year for my FET they waited until I had my final lining scan and got my transfer date and I went down the day before I started progesterone. It covers you for 4 weeks anyway.

Got my nurse consult today for our FET so did our consents last night. @Janefx40 I missed your message. Hope its sorted now. Was surprised we only had 2 forms this time.

I decided to stop the estrogen to see if that has an impact, so last one was Tuesday. I saw my acupuncturist yesterday and she reassured me that even if they abandon the cycle, we still have a chance as I will eventually ovulate. She did some electro acupuncture yesterday so hoping that's brought the follicles to life.

I'm really struggling with my mental health, another reason I stopped the estrogen, I couldn't stop crying on Tuesday, has an awful day at work and then was just about to email my biopsy results to my ivf clinic and saw diagnosis: disordered proliferative endometrium. That tipped me over the edge. Everything I googled suggested it's not something you want to be happening. But it was after 6 so couldn't call the clinic. Posted in one of the FB groups and luckily someone replied to explain its normal and happens in your cycle after ovulation. Really wish the clinic had explained though. I'll ask the doctor to explain tomorrow as well.

Lots of love to everyone ❤️

@VenusStarr do you mean the intralipids lasts 4 weeks? As it's transfer (if lining ok) next Thursday ivf dr said to do it last Thursday (meant to be 7-10 days before). He did change his mind a few times though!

Sorry you've been having such a rough time. Finding notes like that is scary. Sorry, got to rush and get ready. X

Yes, intralipids last for 4 weeks. Did you have them done with your ivf clinic? You'll definitely be covered @seven201 x

@seven201 🤞 for your lining. Hopefully it thickened more. Is there any chance to have another scan after you start progresterone? My consultant said she had had succesful pregnancies on 6.5 lining. I don't know what to say. I think it's a tough decision. Like I said I would ask for another scan next week. 💜

@VenusStarr I am so sorry you have had such a bad reaction to estrogen and that you are going through such a hard time. This whole thing really hits the mental health really hard! When is your next scan?
I hope your doctor will clear any confusion regarding the diagnosis. 💜

Thank you @Yuliaaa scan is tomorrow. Not expecting much progress but I'm going to ask for intralipids even if they say they won't do a trigger so we will be covered anyway to ttc.

I did manage to sort the gcsf injections, collecting tomorrow.

How are you feeling, how many days past transfer are you now? Xx

Thank you both. I had it done at the CRP clinic. I think ivf dr did initially suggest this afternoon after this morning scan but I said I wasn't sure if I'd be able to cancel it at that short notice so he changed his mind. It's good to know it lasts 4 weeks! The CRP clinic didn't tell me that when I was trying to work out the timings.

Thanks for the support ladies. I really hope it's 7 or above but I'll consider going ahead anyway if it's lower. Will see what the doctor says. I'm all gowned up ready to go in (feels a bit silly wearing a gown just for a scan, but as the doctor's doing it it's in the theatre room).

@VenusStarr hopefully you stopping the estrogen combined with the acupuncture will have done some magic. I'm sorry you're having a tough time with your mental health. It's such an emotional and physical battering our bodies go through when we do these treatments. It's a lot so be kind to yourself and know that you are a warrior. Could you book in some counselling?

@VenusStarr I am 5 days today. I started cramping more yesterday. Otherwise, I am okish. I am much better than the previous transfers, but I know that as test day aproaches I will get more impatient. I have some issues with sleep because I am going to the toilet quite often. It takes me a while to fall back to sleep and that's when some scattered thoughts bother me.

Hi everyone.

@seven201 it's such a tricky one. For me it would depend on a few things. If my lining was always that thickness I would be inclined to go ahead. If there was a chance it might be significantly thicker on another month I might wait. But then as @VenusStarr said, the quality may be more important. I'm afraid I'm not that well informed about linings. Fingers crossed for some thickening.

@VenusStarr sorry you're feeling rubbish. I did this meditation yesterday from Julia Indichova. It is something I paid for ages ago but never used. It was called "meeting yourself where you are". I didn't know what to expect but it asked me to identify what I was feeling at that moment and I just realised what I was feeling most was panic. I just cried and cried but afterwards I kind of felt better. Like I am now accepting that I am panicked and that is expected and I just have to sit with it. Anyway it helped me. I think we just have to accept and sit with our worry and sadness while we go through all of this.

The clinic are still saying DP didn't sign his forms (even tho he has) and he has to attend our appointment today in person or via video link with his passport which he doesn't have as he's at work. And now they are saying that I need to repeat all my screening because it expires 6th June and my transfer is after that date! And of course they massively over charge for it all so I now have to start shopping around. I'm trying so hard to be calm but my stress levels are now through the roof!

@Yuliaaa the cramping could be a positive sign 🤞. Interrupted sleep is SO annoying.

@Janefx40that meditation sounds good. It's alright to feel panicked, not a nice feeling at all, but understandable given the circumstances. Oh gosh that is all so annoying!! I hope you get it sorted. When I was at the CRP clinic before my intralipids the nurse said my blood tests have expedited and I needed new ones. Paid nearly £400 and afterwards I thought, why did I even need those as I'm mainly with the ivf clinic and it was only 3 months ago! To be fair she did say I could try doing it through my GP, but getting an appt with them is near impossible and I didn't know if they'd do it or not and didn't want to have to drive 1 hr each way back to CRP another day. I am regretting doing it there and then now though.

My lining is 7.6mm (I'm pretty sure he measured generously, but still!). I am happy with that! Was a nice surprise so I'm booked in for transfer next Thursday, starting progesterone tomorrow eve.

@seven201 great news!!💜

@Yuliaaa cramping has always been a good sign for me 🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼

@seven201 great news about the lining! That is such a big improvement !! Hooray x

Fab news! @seven201 so pleased for you.

Really hope we continue to get more positive news 🙏

@Janefx40 I'm sorry that things are so stressful. I hope you can sort the consent form issue. I've got to go for a thyroid blood test next week. We had our FET call and within minutes of signing off I had the invoice! They charge £10 per injection of fragmin. Crazy, so I think I'll get it from crp instead, who'd have thought they'd be cheaper?!

It's interesting hearing you are sitting with your feelings. I think I am definitely avoiding that at the moment, its too painful.

I bought some opks just to torture myself with. Yesterday's didn't have a line at all and today I have a very faint pink line. So there may be a tiny glimmer of hope that tomorrow might show some follicle progress 🤞

@Janefx40 thank you! I am sorry you are going through that paperwork mess! It's so annoying!
It's good to face your feelings and panic I think it's only natural. I think the worst thing about this journey is the little control we have over the whole process and the outcome. But I think we have done more done enough, we have gone through hell and there is nothing wrong with panicking and crying. 💜
I decided long time ago to allow my feelings to come and go and I stopped fighting and pretending.

@VenusStarr good news about the opks! 🤞 for tomorrow's appointment.

@RPishopeful hi there. I am so sorry to read you story.

I am on Optibac for women. I have also used some vaginal probiotics, but I am not in the UK so the brand wouldn't matter as far as it has the right strain. (Can't remember the names, perhaps the other ladies might help).

As for supplements, I was on Ubiquinol (Jarrow's) for many months prior to egg collection. I also took Vitamin C, D, Omega 3 and Folate. During the second cycle there was a bit of a difference in terms of egg quality (according to my consultant), however I had a BFN following a 4AA untested embryo

Hope this helps!

Thanks ladies!

@VenusStarr good luck for tomorrow. Let us know how it goes. The line on the opk sounds hopeful.

Anyone else not sure how much faith to put in the ERA timings (I'm back on thread topic!)? I'm meant to be progesterone 137 before transfer, which I think is 24 days earlier than most. That biopsy was so long ago now and I've had surgery since then, treated the bad bacteria and just aged generally. I'm meant to be starting progesterone at 6.30 pm tomorrow but I'm tempted to push it to later in the evening. Bad idea?

I meant hours!

Ooh @seven201 I stuck to my timings and it worked. How many hours will it be if you want tomorrow at 6.30? I think I'd try to get A close as possible x

@VenusStarr thank you. I'm probably having yet another irrational moment! I've had quite a few on here . 6.30pm is 137, so the correct time according to ERA. I was thinking maybe more like 9pm. Maybe I'll just go with the 6pm!

Maybe split it halfway and go about 7.45?! @seven201 I have had many irrational moments.... its hard to trust my own judgement 😪

@VenusStarr I definitely don't trust myself! I cock up a lot of things! Thanks, splitting it seems a good idea.