ERA/EMMA/ALICE Testing thread 4

[Janefx40]

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

@Violette22 Cd11 today. I usually ovulate on my own on day 10. They haven't changed anything so not hopeful that things will change by Friday to be honest. Just feel like we're going through the motions x

@VenusStarr sorry to hear the appointment was disappointing. If your follicle is only 8mm then maybe that is why your lining is that size - it's probably the right thickness for this stage of the cycle as you're not quite ready to ovulate.

Did you mention your concerns to the doc? What did they say about it affecting future cycles? Xxx

They weren't concerned about it if I just don't ovulate or respond but I'm worried about the follicles becoming cysts or something. And what happens of they're all bigger but hit big enough to ovulate? Will I just bleed anyway?

Feel like giving up

@seven201 I have a 3D scan on Wednesday to find out a bit more hopefully about the fibroids although I'm putting off the surgery, I will have it hopefully see a specialist and get on with it in the next few months I think, I'm just feeling very tired. I had this spurt of energy and think I pushed myself too much at the gym now I'm feeling dizzy and faint!

Not sure about the loose stools, as far as I'm aware intralipids are just a shed load of fat, but if they can have an impact on the immune system then you'd want to rule out an active infection before having them I guess.

That's rubbish about your lining but 6mm isn't too bad, I think anything about 7mm should be fine and you have time still!

@VenusStarr yes definitely a case of how the hell is this my life for me too! Sounds like a big day for you, what's happening today?

@Janefx40 no consultation booked, I did it through fertilysis.

@Violette22 I am not sure I can face the immune treatment right now, with the hypothyroidism and the fibroids coming after 1.5 years of constant treatment. I just feel like my body is giving up and throwing immune treatments at a situation where specialists say there is no hope (complete DQA1 match), it's just, what's the point. I hope things keep going well for you.

@VenusStarr I usually ovulate around cd10 too but I rememver at least one occasion when I ovulated around cd16, I had given up all hope that cycle and was really surprised. I really hope this will be the case for you too. Hugs💜

@Gardenlady543 Good luck with your scan next week, I hope it will give you some useful information. Do you have a good doctor who could help you in the UK and take charge of the situation holistically?

@Violette22 I guess it depends what you mean by holistic, I'm a doctor myself, I'm already doing all the healthy stuff, not sure anyone could advise on lifestyle changes that would help. I have my fertility specialist in the uk who I haven't spoken to for months, my last transfer was November and was a bad experience, I had the follow up in late January and we discussed a modified unmedicated FET although that's unlikely possible with what's happened since. I updated her on my hypothyroidism via email. Since then I have developed the fibroids that need surgery, my lining has dropped down to 5mm again and I have the immune results. She already told me the situation was dire and she was praying for me before all this happened.

The lab that did the immune testing, I paid them €100 for a treatment plan, they said the situation was complicated so they'd have to do a literature search and despite asking several times I've not got anything from them in writing about what treatment might help. I think I would need to see Gorgy to get a plan in place but there's no point until the fibroids are out. Then I'd need to decide whether to put my body through more hell while I waste more embryos :(

@Gardenlady543 My appologies, I think I used the wrong word since I am not a native speaker, what I meant was "comprehensive", meaning a doctor who would have the know how about all the medical things you are facing including fibroids, dq alpha stuff etc. So I definitely didnt mean any life style stuff or such, sorry about that💜

You are going through so much 💜I hope dr Gorgy will be helpful in getting your plan in place once the fibroids are out, he seems to be pretty succesfull from what I have googled😊

@Violette22 I'm glad you continue to have good news.

@Janefx40 thank you for looking that up for me - very kind! He said it would hopefully be 7.5+ by now (cd14). Historically my lining doesn't tend to increase much between this scan and transfer, but I'd love it to be over 8. I think realistically 7mm ish would be the cut off - wish I'd asked! I think I've done one at 6.5 before, but obviously that didn't work! How are you doing?

@VenusStarr I'm sorry that you've not been responding well this cycle. What size follicles were they hoping to find? Do you think it could be a case that the letrazole dose was too low and the estrogen has sort of worked against it? I have no idea if that's a thing or nowt. It could just be a random bad cycle and not be indicative of anything. Fuck knows. Bodies are infuriating! Sorry you have to wait until Friday to find out. I doubt it would affect your FET. They could always put you on norethisterone if you aren't a triggered this month. Aghhh. Sorry.

@Gardenlady543 that's good you have a scan booked in. Wait and see how that goes. You've had so much going on. I hope you've recovered from the dizzy spell.
Thanks, I emailed the CRP clinic and they said it's only a problem if it is diarrhoea, and although my tummy is still unsettled I don't think it's is that luckily.

Comprehensive is a good word @Violette22 :) I suspect that would be Gorgy but only after the fibroids are out, I don't think he would mind about the fact fibroids were there once they're out. My issues are hypothyroidism, MTHFR mutation, PAI-1 mutation, C4M2 mutation, thin lining, raised NK and complete HLA DQA1 match so I suspect with his expertise in immunology he'd be best placed. I don't know if it would be better if I am to seek the immune treatment to do timed conception with letrozole, that should hopefully create a few follicles to thicken up my lining and provide a couple of eggs, I won't then feel I'm wasting euploid embryos. I guess it's about taking it one step at a time at the moment.

@seven201 ah sorry - maybe medicated cycles are different. With natural it's less about the actual cycle day and more about how close to ovulation you are.

I've started spotting and it's only CD25. Now I'm panicking that my hormones and cycles are still screwed and this isn't a good time to start a FET. I wouldn't usually spot until just when my period is due to start (or sometimes on ovulation). What is going on?

@Janefx40 yes, It probably is different when medicated. I have acupuncture this evening so hoping that also helps. Every .mm counts! Weird about the spotting. Have you done any opks this month? Maybe it just means you get to start the FET a little sooner.

@seven201 I took 7.5mg of letrozole from cd3-7 and estrogen x3 ongoing. She said it was a good idea to be on the estrogen as my lining was so thin and they expected it to be better by this stage. She did say it was triple later just not thick enough.
They said they would hope I'd have dominant follicles and to trigger in a day or so but I'm no where near.

@Janefx40 how long are your cycles normally? It might be af.

@VenusStarr I have no experience with Letrozole, but last year when we did the transfer on a natural cycle I remember that the doctor had me take estrogen pessaries to increase the lining only after one follicle had reached a certain size (above 10), saying that otherwise the estrogen would have slowed down the follicle growth and delayed ovulation. So perhaps they are growing more slowly because of the tablets, but I might be wrong. Have you had letrozole and estrogen tablets together before?

@seven201 if they increased the dose, it should grow more before Thursday. Fingers crossed for that! 🤞💗

@Janefx40 how long are your cycles? Are you having a natural or a medicated cycle (sorry if I can't remember well).

@Violette22 I am so happy to hear that everything progress nice and steady! Keeping the fingers crossed for you! I am fine, trying to survive the wait and not to drive myself mad with symptom spotting, because I know for a fact they mostly caused by hormones.

@Gardenlady543 It's good to hear from you, but I am sorry you are going through such an overwhelming experience. I do hope you will be able to have a treatment plan put together. 🍀

Sending lots of hugs to everyone!

@Yuliaaa when I did it last year, I had poor response with my lining at 4mm and small follicles, so we added estrogen day 9 and I was ready to trigger by day 16. They said if I ever did it again I'd need estrogen from the start, so that was my protocol this time round.
I asked if the estrogen was the issue but they said probably not and if I'd not taken it, my lining would be even worse ☹️

@VenusStarr sorry it's all a bit rubbish! I've no experience of any of it but sending you a hug for the frustration of it all.

My cycles used to be 26/27 days with the occasional at 25 but the past year they've been 28/29 because I've done so many egg collection/ transfer cycles and that always make my natural cycles longer.

@Yuliaaa my FET is natural cycle so it matters if my body is screwed for some reason

Ffs. I'm so sad and annoyed that we're going through more shit and confusion @Janefx40 @seven201 @Gardenlady543 why is it getting harder for us 😪

@Janefx40 yes, you are right! I hope everything turns out ok! Hugs!
@VenusStarr I am sorry! 🤗 I hope things will have improved by your next scan!

Sorry to everyone having a shitty time. It's not fair . Big love to all.

@VenusStarr that's interesting about the estrogen. Hopefully it has just slowed things a bit and the clinic just don't know for sure.

I've been looking up neoupogen infusions into the uterus (what I had today and have had many times before) and it's mainly saying how pointless it is . I did read something else that thin linings aren't necessarily disastrous though and can still make babies, so that was nicer to read.

I agree I'm stomping my feet for all the annoyance we're experiencing!

Where is the stamping foot emoji? 😆 you ladies make me smile even when things are shit!!

I'm spotting brown/dark red blood so who knows what that means.

My clinic have a great reputation but are actually a bit shit and don't do that much monitoring. I might ask them to do Day 1 bloods when they do my scan to check what's going on

Hi All, I hope you don’t mind me joining in on this thread. I have been lurking for a while and finally plucked up the courage to post today. This thread is so informative.

I am sorry you all find yourselves here. You are all truly warriors as this journey is such an emotional rollercoaster. Congratulations to those with BFP’s and good luck to the others in their cycles or will soon be commencing a cycle.

My story is that I am 37 and I have had a natural pregnancy which ended in a MC at 6w after 3.5 years of trying and then a CP from a NHS ivf round before 5w. After my unsuccessful fresh round with care fertility last year, I opted for level 1 and level 2 testing. These tests highlighted some issues with thrombosis (PAI Mutuation homozygous), MTHFR mutation homozygous and elevated NK cells. I therefore was moved onto an immune cycle. I have since undergone two transfers, one BFN and other positive but a scan at 5w4days and 6w1day showed an empty gestational sac. I am waiting to miscarry.

I am going to have to do another fresh cycle and possibly opt for PGD testing as there may be issues with egg quality.

My consultant does not think I need the ERA because implantation is taking place. I have had a biopsy for chronic Endometrisis with Professor Quenby which was negative. This was quite a traumatic experience to be honest. I am not overly knowledgeable on the ERA, Emma and Alice. Is chemical pregnancies related to the window of implantation? The only other thing that could be an issue could be bad bacteria but I thought I could treat it empirically?

I was hoping you could assist me with the following:

1. what I could take to treat the bacteria empirically? If so, what do I take and which brands?

2. what supplements do you take to improve egg quality and what brands? I read something about ubiquinol but there is so much out there, I don’t know which brand is a good brand to take.

Any assistance will be greatly appreciated.

I am hoping you all get your miracle baby or rainbow baby. I wish those that are pregnant, a healthy successful pregnancy x

Hello @RPishopeful sorry you find yourself here.

I take jarrow fem dophilus - the 5 billion one, not the 1 billion one. They're easy to order the wrong version. The 5 billion one needs to go in the fridge. Twice a day. My treatment plan suggested optibac for women, but gardenlady on here recommended the jarrow one and she knows her stuff!

I also do canesflor suppositories. I think my initial treatment was 1 every night for a week, then I do one roughly once a week.

I take https://iherb.com/jarrow-formulas-ubiquinol-qh-absorb-200-mg-90-softgels/109094/?utmsource=messageecenter&utmmedium=email&utmmcampaign=PURCHASECONFIRMV2&utmmcontent=bodyproducttlink 2 a day. It's expensive though.

I don't think miscarriages/chemicals are to do with timing of embryo transfers. I am wrong about many things though!

I had my first intralipids infusion today. Was quite relaxing!

Not necessarily all bought from these places. Actually, they all are bought from the photo except the fem dophilus one - I've not bought from there.