ERA/EMMA/ALICE Testing thread 4

[Janefx40]

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

ok it looks like they’ve given me two swabs got mid cycle and one blood collection vial for my period? So I assume this is as it should be? I don’t like how there’s all these scraps of paper with different instructions.

@thislittlebird
That's everything, collect the menstrual fluid in the sterile pot there will be a leaflet on that, but you will need to put it in the freezer.

Keep the swabs somewhere safe, you will take them mid cycle.

You will need to arrange a courier collection on the website before you take the swabs.

@Gardenlady543 thanks! I don't have or use cups so I'm going to have to get my urine sample pot ready and hope for the best

So it could be 4.7 to 5.0 hmmmm. I'll do the ph sticks again after my period. Nervous about what they might show :/

I'm sorry you had that announcement news. It really sucks. I feel like I've reached the stage where most people have had kids now, some might have a second. I've been very isolated from people since all of this started.

@VenusStarr hi! It's good to be amongst a knowledgable group, even if we don't really want to be here. I've recently enjoyed The Boys on Amazon Prime if you haven't seen it before.

@seven201 the progesterone issue really sucks. How have you found the injections? I'm not looking forward to them and assume they're coming. How much do they cost? I'm dreading having to move to private. Interesting, so it was the ERA that picked up the ridge or something different, a saline scan?

@birdbybird I hope you can have at least a few days to recover physically and mentally.

@thislittlebird I'm on lentogest but most people seem to be given lubion I think. Lentogest is about £35 per injection and you take 3x a week! They're a bit stingy but not awful. I've only had one where something must have gone a bit wrong as I had a bit of a limp for a few days from a painful bum cheek.

@Janefx40 @seven201 we’re relocating to a village from a city go it’s quite a change for us, but I’m looking forward to it. It’s going to make the trips to London even more interesting 🙃

@birdbybird I had PGT-A on my embryos and felt it was worthwhile. Three out of seven were euploid, and three of the aneuploid ones were the highest graded, which I found interesting. Time will tell. Hope you’re doing okay 💛

I'm meant to go in for a scan this month when I get a positive Ovulation test but it's CD14 and still flashing smiley. But Thursday night I had EWCM and yesterday cramps and some spotting (which I can get on ovulation since my miscarriage).

Not sure what to do. Feeling like maybe I missed my surge and it was yesterday afternoon. That has never happened before though.

My consultant has said I can be scanned once but he didn't mention more than once so not sure I can go in today and then again tomorrow if needed.

Shall I just wait? I guess if it's just for lining then it doesn't really matter if it's post ovulation although I wouldn't want to be too far post x

@Janefx40 I'd ring the nurses and ask.

@MyEasterEggs oh how lovely. I hope village life suits you both. I'm tempted by it sometimes.

Did you manage to get hold of the clinic @Janefx40 are you hoping to transfer this cycle, or is it a monitoring cycle?

@thislittlebird yes, we watched the boys too. Completely batshit at times!

No miracle for us, tested at what I think is 10dpo (my bbt chart put ov as last Monday, but Tuesday's scan showed I still had a dominant follicle). So guessing Wednesday. Interestingly, my bbt chart is looking great. Much better than when I'm on cyclogest. Temp went up again today. I'm hoping this means my hormones are settling and when we try the FET my lining will respond better next time 🤞

Hope everyone is OK. ❤️

@VenusStarr yeah very batshit, but I did enjoy it! Sorry about the lack of miracle, there never seems to be a miracle for a few of us :/

Ok I have no idea how I’m supposed to catch menstrual fluid in the first twelve hours with this kit lmao @Gardenlady543. There’s no way enough of it for a good day or so, I am worried I won’t get this right.

@thislittlebird they mean full flow, not spotting as you won't be able to catch that. If you think it will be light when it does come then pop out and get a menstrual cup, I think they sell them at supermarkets these days.

@Gardenlady543 ok if they mean full flow then I’ll wait it out, I’m still at the mostly spotting phase.

I’m hoping I’m wrong, but it seems to have stopped again. Hoping the tiny bit of red blood I got today wasn’t all of it. I had a problem for a few months in late 2020/early 2021 where my periods were very light, very brief. A couple of days and a tiny bit of blood over those days. I had a transvaginal scan at CARE in 2021 (fertility tests) and asked about it, they said my lining was fine and it was probably being reabsorbed. Anyway, I started acupuncture, it got better, and it’s been normal again for some time now.

I haven’t been having acupuncture lately, but I’ll start going again I guess. I don’t know if FET stress caused it, but I’m now even more stressed because my periods not being normal totally freaks me out at my age. I feel like such a clown, should have let it come when it was starting, but staying on progesterone never stopped it before now :/

@thislittlebird how are you getting on? Did your period get going? Did you catch some? It sounds so stressful.

@VenusStarr yes yesterday the clinic told me to come in so I got scanned and then today I got my positive so went in again. It's just monitoring to help us decide whether to do a natural or medicated cycle next time. Still not sure. Lining was above what they would transfer at but below my ideal. My lining has been one of the very few things in my favour in the past which is why we are being precious about it. We basically have to either go for natural but lower our expectations or do medicated. Something to think about anyway

Watching the football later?

@VenusStarr sorry you're testing negative. A miracle would have been nice xxx

@Janefx40 it got going slightly more, after I was up from 3.30am crying about it not starting and then the cost of private ivf 😭😩. Not the ideal way to spend a night. I’m currently trying to catch some, I wish it would hurry up and get a bit heavier, but it won’t play ball so I’m working with what there is.

Is there a preference for you, of natural or medicated?

My mum came today, we chatted about my failed ivf. We don’t have an especially normal relationship, for context. But she asked if I wanted to adopt. I said no, I don’t think so. At one time I considered it but I don’t think I want to. I’m 40 next year, I feel like it’s my own kid or none at this stage tbh. I feel sad having to think about it, but I don’t think adoption is for me, I’ll leave it to the people who are confident they want to do it.

@thislittlebird good luck catching some more!

I think adoption is a very different thing especially in this country. It's an amazing thing to do and a wonderful way to have a family but because very few, if any kids, get voluntarily given up for adoption, there are often issues relating to trauma. You have to be ready for that and what a wonderful thing to give a child in need a better chance. I'm full of admiration for people who do it but it's not a straight alternative to having your own baby and it shouldn't be assumed that it's the right choice for women who struggle to conceive. Just my opinion anyway.

I prefer not to do medicated only because we've never done it before and I would prefer not to do something different on our last try.

Ladies who see Dr Shehata….. I was wondering if he has shared his opinion on PGT-A testing?
I’ll find out at my appointment in 7 weeks but am curious…

@birdbybird I'd already done it when I saw him so he never said anything about it.

@Janefx40 yeah I totally agree. I had a difficult childhood, my mother didn’t bring me up, my nan did and she was great but it wasn’t without problems and trauma. One of the reasons I want a child with my husband is so we can have our own family, start afresh as such. He’d be a great dad, unlike my own. But I don’t think adding the trauma of an adopted child onto my own trauma and now infertility trauma is the way to go. I think people who do it are admirable but I don’t think I’m one of them.

Twitter really irks me, because whenever ivf gets mentioned there’s always Reply Guys saying “why don’t you just adopt” and it infuriates me, like it’s that easy.

Yeah that makes sense. I would try medicated but I’m too worried about taking oestrogen so will ask to stick to natural modified for now.

I caught a few drops, eventually, what a palaver that was.

Do any of you ladies have private health insurance? I was considering getting some, but if I want to, for example, go and see a doctor for a second opinion, or see a RI for some tests, I don’t know if it would cover me because it’s around the general area of infertility which is obviously an existing condition of sorts.

@thislittlebird good question. I don't have it so don't really know but in all my years on these forums I've never come across anyone who says they've been covered by private health insurance - not in the UK anyway x

@thislittlebird I'm on a forum that considers people saying things like "why don't you adopt" as being bingoed. I've attached a bingo chart so you can start playing.

Private health insurance doesn't cover anything related to infertility in the UK. So if you develop a gynae issue you might be able to have that sorted if it say caused pain, but it would have to be a new issue.

@Gardenlady543 the Bingo Chart is AMAZING. It sums up the reasons I stopped talking to some people (even some close friends) and I don't even regret it.

@thislittlebird I am sorry you are struggling so much with the failed transfer and the menstrual flow. I am just sending you a big hug! 💜

@VenusStarr sad about your negative test. Hugs to you too!

@Janefx40 disappointed to hear about you lining is not in your preffered range. Just do whatever makes will comfortable, especially since it's your last.

I am back from my holiday, but I am not sure I am ready to face real life again. I'd sooner spend the rest of my life being a fish or perhaps a seagull.
I don't live in the UK, but here the private insurances don't cover anything related to TTC, pregnancy or infertility. Perhaps it's standard policy in many countries.

Sending everyone lots of love and hugs.

Hi all,

I hope you don't mind me joining this thread. I need some advice.
I have been TTC since 2014 (yes you read that right)...you'd be angry by now too right??

I've had 6 Fresh IVF cycles;

1 2016 IVF: double transfer x1 blastocyst x1 morula BFN. none to freeze.

2 2016 IVF : double transfer x2 blastocyst BFN; none to freeze

3 2018 ICSI: x1 fresh BFN

at this point I need a MENTAL BREAK, so I only resumed my fertility journey in 2021 as I was loosing myself.

• FET April 2021: BFP; MMC 8 weeks; trisomy.


• FET sept 2021: BFP; CP


• FET Nov 2021: BFN

#4 Jan 2022: x1 3 day transferred. BFN. None to freeze
#5 March 2022: Zero fertilisation
#6 moved to donor sperm as have MFI too. First time on long protocol; 14 eggs collected (most I've ever achieved). 7 blastocysts.

• fresh x1 4AB transferred BFN


• 6 remaining in fereezer (x2 5 day blasts and x4 6 day blasts).

My consultant doesn't really believe in the evidence for EMMA/ ERA/ ALICE
but I am 39 years old soon. And I really feel I am reaching the end of the road (sorry for my pessimism... its just I've been on this heartbreaking journey for so long now).
With 6 in the freezer, rather than just going through the usual rigmarole of FETS, I want to push for EMMA/ ERA/ ALICE.
Do you think I'm right? Also how long do the results take to be turned around?
I'm currently in my 2ww on 7dp5dt but I had a BFN today so it not looking good.
Do you think I can ask my clinic for EMMA/ ERA/ALICE once I start my period? what point in the menstrual cycle do I do the test, and how long until the tests results come back? I'm at the Lister.
Any other suggestions? I have high NK and I'm on prednisolone for that.

Thank you in advance.
xx

ps: I love the bingo chart... i think on my 8.5 year journey I've had most of those thrown at me.