ERA / EMMA / ALICE testing thread 5(!)

[VenusStarr]

Just setting up a new thread as we're coming to the end of thread 4.

@Janefx40 @birdbybird @seven201 @Gardenlady543 @patientpatient @MyEasterEggs @thislittlebird @Yuliaaa @Violette22

❤️

@Gardenlady543

I’m sorry you’ve had a lot of stress. It’s not easy when going through IVF as well. It’s good you can plan a transfer this year. I’m hoping to have a transfer after mock cycle but it will be tight.

I’m on cd10 of my mock cycle and my lining is 9.2 so that’s going well. I’m worried about the candida parapsilosis which in the last swab with Invivo was high.

As recommended, I’ve cut out bread, yeast/stock, cheese and dark chocolate. I have almond nut butter with rice cakes or oat biscuits as nutritionist recommended. I make stock free soups. I eat lots of vegetables, but avoid starchy to some extent. I eat lean meat, eggs, kefir, fish, nuts/seeds and raspberries/blueberries. I take 3 different oral probiotics and vaginal pessaries as recommended by nutritionist.

I do, however, still have full fat milk with porridge cinnamon, ginger and turmeric as recommended by nutritionist. I’m worried the lactose in milk is not good when I take lots of progesterone. I’m wondering whether to cut out milk before my transfer just for 10-12 days and gradually add it back in. I’m not allergic to milk but in luteal phase before I start stimulated FET cycle I have to take norethisterone and zumenon; both are high in lactose. My body hates it but probiotics are helping a bit.

Also, I’ve just been reading that after an ERA, Emma, Alice and nk cells biopsy, you must delay a transfer by at least a month. My consultant has not mentioned this. What have you been told or not? My main concern of waiting is fsh, but if it’s just one month and I still take zumenon and dhea it might not be too bad.

Also I’m worried about candida and the extra month gives me longer to work on bringing levels down. I just wanted to be done with it this year. I was just billed yesterday the cost for annual storage. It’s bad as it will only be an extra couple of months extra.

Sorry for the moan. I hope everyone is doing ok.

Hey @2021ivfagain, I didn’t wait as the purpose was to benefit from the ‘scratch’. However we knew there were no bacterial issues as this has been tested previously.

*had

@OrangeBengal

Oh yes. I remember you said. I have had issues with microbiome swabs repeatedly due to antibiotics and medication.

@OrangeBengal

So just to clarify did you have your period after era? What was your protocol like? The issue is I’m doing cycles back to back so I’d be taking norethisterone day after biopsy for two weeks with zumenon waiting for period then starting stims again for FET cycle.

@Janefx40

When you did your mock cycle, did you do Emma and Alice as well as era?

I did an ERA mock cycle @2021ivfagain. Came on my period about 5 days early. Took oestrogen from day 2 and then progesterone (50mg of Lubion and 800mg of Cyclogest daily) 6 days before transfer. Prednisolone 3 days before transfer. Clexane and aspirin day after transfer.

@Gardenlady543 are things all sorted at work now? Hope so

@2021ivfagain I did my ERA, Emma, Alice and NK all in the same cycle yes. I think it's fine to go straight into a transfer cycle except that it gets a bit stressful hoping the results come in soon enough so I waited.

@VenusStarr hope you're doing ok. Thinking of you x

Hope everyone is doing okay. I really hope work situation is better @Gardenlady543 its the last thing you need.

Thinking a lot of you @VenusStarr .

Do you have a scan date @OrangeBengal hope you’re doing well.

Got my scan this afternoon. Very nervous my lining won’t be good enough again this time for even just a biopsy. My husband can come with me this time which will be a good support. Had some horrible dreams last night that it was still <4.5mm and the clinic was like there’s no hope you can never have a transfer 😬! I’ve been taking the L-Arginine this time on top of all the other “thick lining” things 🤞🏼

Thank you for thinking of me @Enfys23 @Janefx40 @2021ivfagain @Gardenlady543 @OrangeBengal I'm doing ok ❤️ the GP signed me off til after test day, so I've been spending my days resting, going for gentle walks, cross stitch and watching lighthearted TV.

I hope the scan goes well today @Enfys23 I know how gorrible it is to be worrying about your lining. Keeping everything crossed that you are given the go ahead 🙏

Hope everyone is doing well xx

Glad you’re doing well @VenusStarr and sensible to be signed off. I watched Disney and Pixar films and old episodes of Keeping Up Appearances in the run up to test day!

Fingers-crossed for the scan @Enfys23. Viability scan for me on the 18th, so I’m counting down the days!

I’m glad you’re signed off by your GP @VenusStarr take it nice and easy.

I bet you are @OrangeBengal! will be thinking of you.

well it wasn’t great but it was better than last time. Got to 5.2mm. Bit disappointing 12mg Progynova and 100mcg patch not got me much further but hopefully enough for biopsy. I’ll hear tomorrow with the progesterone blood results whether thick enough to proceed with biopsy next Thursday 🤞🏼. I guess just adds weight to argument that hysteroscopy needed before next FET attempt. She did say it was trilaminar which I guess is good thing.

@VenusStarr

Pleased you’re taking some time off from work. That sounds like a good plan.

When I got pregnant with my son, I played word games and puzzles and found this helped. I also made sure I walked most days.

@Janefx40

Do you mind me asking whether your sample showed a lot of lactobacillus? I’m worried as my nutritionist said I’m still low on these but high on Lactobacillus jensenni only. I’m worried about rushing through the transfer and making a mistake.

@OrangeBengal

That’s good it worked out for you. Did you only have one period between biopsy and transfer? Have you ever had era, Emma, Alice and nk cells done?

Yes, finally @2021ivfagain, 5th time round (including a cancelled transfer)! One period. I did NK cells around the same time as the ERA, hence the Prednisolone. Did Emma / ALICE around transfer 2.

I'm sorry the scan wasn't as you'd hoped today @Enfys23 I hope you are able to go ahead with the biopsy. It's so strange that higher levels of estrogen seem to have a worse effect on some women's lining. I'm on a thin lining group on Facebook and it seems quite common on there. X

@Enfys23 fingers crossed it's enough for the biopsy. That will be a major check off done and we can always learn info from these mock cycles. Have you got a date for the hysteroscopy?

@VenusStarr glad you're taking some time to relax, have you decided when you'll test?

Yes thanks guys, the work situation seems to have resolved itself I hope. And it's made me feel better to have the metronidazole out of my system as I think that didn't help. I am doing the daily vaginal probiotics just to make sure I get some good bacteria in after the antibiotics. I think it was probably a bit of overkill doing the antibiotics but I feel better knowing I did it. Next on the list of things I'm obsessing over is iron (still) there is a clinic I found that does iron infusions, I might hold off until after this cycle but it's something for me to think about. I have turned a issue with a dripping tap into a need to install a water filtration system and the marketing of the added magnesium option is really talking to me. I have my check scan on Monday and will doing my repeat lad test on Tuesday.

@2021ivfagain can you switch out milk for a plant based version, I use oat milk.

@seven201 where are you with things at the moment?

Hope everyone else is good :)

Thank you @VenusStarr @Gardenlady543
I’m interested in why you’re thinking about iron infusion @Gardenlady543 what is the theory behind this? I’ve always suffered with lower iron.

I'm having a blood test @Gardenlady543 I won't test before then. I hope next week goes well. X

Oh now you're getting me started @Enfys23

I have always had issues with a lining which tends to be on the thin side. I'm vegan and was thinking about what else can be optimised. I have a complicated history with iron. My haemoglobin is spot on but my ferritin is at the low end.
Last year they thought I had haemochromatosis as my transferrin says were very high, I think it was as I was taking a lot of supplements and vitamin C. So I stopped and the transferrin sats came down but so did the ferritin. I tried to find what kind of level of ferritin is optimum for transfer cycles and all I could find was a random blog post that said:

"Optimal levels of ferritin are between 70 and 90. If ferritin levels indicated by a serum ferritin test are below 50, it will be difficult for the patient to conceive."

www.conceivingconcepts.com/infertility-caused-by-low-ferritin.html

Probably not the best source of info, but I thought since I had a couple of months before my transfer I'd do a bit of a test to see what I could get my ferritin too. I took ferrous sulphate 200mg once a day, my gut did not like this, iron is pretty poorly absorbed by the gut. I did a blood test after 3 weeks and my ferritin had come up a little bit (something like 30 to 45), unfortunately the transferrin sats went up too so I decided to stop and just hope that what I did helped a bit.

The iron clinic I've found is ran by a surgeon I expect they know more about iron than I do and I think it would be good if I did a consultation and see what they think of my results. From what I can see an iron infusion is the best way to get iron into the body quickly and bypassing the gut side effects.

@VenusStarr glad you have some time off and can relax a little. Will be thinking of you

@OrangeBengal that must feel miles off for you!! It's such a hard wait.

@Gardenlady543 glad work stuff resolved. The iron thing sounds complex. A consultation is probably a good idea.

@2021ivfagain 70%

@Enfys23 sorry the scan was disappointing. Hope you can still have your biopsy. When do you find out?

Hi Ladies I've never posted on a forum before after struggling with infertility for 5.5 years (I'm not even sure I really know how to use this site properly lol) I've stumbled across this thread and am so unbelievably grateful to have found it and not feel so alone. I've read all the pages on this thread and it has been so helpful and insightful. You all seem lovely, welcoming and helpful and this feels like a very safe space. We've just had a 3rd failed transfer with eupiloid donor eggs with a kitchen sink approach to treatment. We've 3 eupiloid hatching blasts left and I feel we need to take a step back from treatment. I'm sure I'll be asking your help and advice at some stage as you all seem very knowledgeable. And if I can be of any help and share my experiences then I will. I just wanted to say hi and to thank you all for your sharing your experiences and knowledge on here 😊

Hi @DEIVF ❤️ this is a very supportive group. I'm sorry you've had such a journey and for your recent transfer.

@Enfys23 I hope you're OK today and out of limbo soon.

I'm feeling the anxiety kicking in now, I'm not ready to find out the outcome of this transfer 😪

Hi @VenusStarr I obviously don't know your full journey but from what I can gather it's been a hard road for you. I can totally relate to what you have said about faith in the embryos and being petrified of another loss. The 2WW is so hard as one minute you want to know the outcome but then you don't and your mind goes all over the place. It sounds like you're off work which is hopefully helping. Mindfulness, deep breathing and meditation really helped me deal with things, I don't know if you've tried any of that? Fingers crossed you'll get the good news you're hoping for 😊

Hi @DEIVF and welcome! Also congratulations on reading through the thread, the thread has been going for some time now and I always like it when new people come alone. The thread started out as a discussion on the ERAEMMAALICE test, but became about various tests and dealing with complicated issues :)

Are you in the UK? Have you seen an RI (reproductive immunologist)? Sometimes clinics add in a kitchen sink approach but RI tend to tailor the treatment to results. Might be worth exploring in the future if you're feeling up to it.

Sorry to hear you're feeling anxious @VenusStarr have you got any nice plans, lots of firework displays to go to 🎆