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

❤️

Congratulations on being pupo @Janefx40 🥰 I'm so pleased you have your little one on board. Please do not Google and try to enjoy this bubble. I know you'll be feeling anxious but do allow yourself to enjoy this too ❤️

I hope recovery goes smoothly for you @Gardenlady543 small steps 💕

Thank you for the birthday wishes @MyEasterEggs @birdbybird @Yuliaaa I'm keeping myself busy by buying plants. Pottering in the garden today.

Thank you @VenusStarr I will. I'm already moving on from that anxiety and being home. Really want to enjoy being PUPO. This is the last time for everything and I want to just really relish that there is still all this possibility for me at this point.

Hope you got the plants you wanted.

Hope you're still doing ok @Gardenlady543

Love to everyone else x

@Janefx40 💕💕

I'm not doing so well today, I'm still in hospital, woke up at 3am and started vomiting, completely unexpected so it went all over me, I needed 2 different IV antiemetics because for 3.5 hours I was still vomiting. The nurses had to shower me and wash it out of my hair and get the whole room cleaned back up. Made me question whether I can do this, the surgeon said it's likely I'd need a c section if I can get pregnant. Don't know if I can go through this recovery again especially with a baby to care for.

@Gardenlady543 I'm so sorry. That sounds absolutely awful. Do they know what is causing the sickness? Could it be the opiate painkillers? They can make some people sick.

Try not to think ahead to a potential c-section. It could be completely different and if not, there would be time to plan around a recovery.

Just focus on yourself for now and getting better. Hopefully you are now feeling clean and less sick if the anti-emetics are working now. Make yourself as comfy as possible - this day will pass and hopefully you'll start feeling well again soon xxx

Thanks @Janefx40 I really didn't expect the open surgery, I thought it would be the hysteroscopy and lap and a quick and simple recovery. They think it's a combination of things, after the surgery the bowel slows down a lot for a few days, I also have had a lot of opioids and the surgeon thinks the laxatives I've taken have done more harm than good. I was eating normal amounts and the intake had no where to go. It also looks like I've failed the trial without catheter, it came out at 3am and I've not passed urine since, I think it's the pain, so just had some oramorph. They want me up and moving about but I'm so faint when on my feet so laid back in bed now.

Sorry to put this downer on your PUPO! Lol why did these two things fall at the same time after months of waiting for both of us!

@Gardenlady543 sorry you’re having such a hard time. The unexpected will be adding to the upset so try not to think too far ahead to a c-section. As @Janefx40 has said you can plan for that! This is hopefully a small bump in the road to recovery and readiness for next steps. Get well soon ❤️‍🩹

@Gardenlady543 you are definitely not ruining my PUPO! It's important to focus on other people too I think and not get too caught up in myself. I really hope you start feeling better soon.

I feel a bit ropey and think it is the pred. Has anyone else been on that before? I did have it years ago but a lower dose and I think only briefly. Super thirsty and a bit washed out and drained.

Also just ordered pregnancy tests. Am going to do a trigger test Sunday evening which is about the latest I can test without getting confused about whether the Hcg is from the trigger or a new pregnancy. I'm also going to do evening because I think when we do the final result we will want time to reflect without DD being up or having to rush to work.

What dose are you on @Janefx40? I was on steroids for chronic pain relief a few years ago and I felt so out of sorts…but my dose is 25mcg and sure I was on more.

@MyEasterEggs yes am on 25mg or mcg. Not sure. 25 something anyway!!

@Janefx40 you’ve reminded me to ask a question about my protocol. I’m going to be on 40mg clexane and 75mg aspirin from the day after embryo transfer and my plan suggests I stop when I get a positive pregnancy test. Can’t say I’ve ever known anyone be on it during what’s essentially the 2ww only. When did others start and how long have they taken it?

Hi @Gardenlady543, sorry for jumping in. I’ve been following the channel, but only joined mumsnet in the last few days. I would like to share a bit of what I’ve been through, which I hope helps you with recovery. I had an open myomectomy in May 2021 following 11 fibroids being found. Mine also started off as only needing to be laparoscopic, but fortunately I knew before I went under that it would be open instead. What was a shock to me when I finally saw my scar was that it was a lot bigger than the 5cm max they told me, easily double the size. Having a scar that is the same as a c-section without the baby, without maybe ever having a baby, is a cruel irony. I feel for you doubly, for the shock of having the open at all.

What I can assure you about is that you will get through recovery. For the immediate sickness get them to give more anti-sickness (I think I was automatically on a lot of this) and in general use the morphine button often. Don’t be tough, it doesn’t help. When you get home, move everywhere very slowly and don’t pick up anything heavier than a cup or blanket. You will also need 1-2 weeks off work, not doing much other than walking round the house. When you feel a bowel movement coming, use a step or books to rest your feet on when you’re on the toilet, so your legs are raised before you go. Without this it’s quite difficult. After 2-3 weeks you’ll be able to start exercising (very light core exercises), make sure you do these daily (let me know if you need instructions for this) and also walk a lot, again slowly (and avoid uphill where possible). I went on a hike after 3 months and felt really strong then, which really helped with my mental health, so maybe a physical goal is helpful too. We were told not to try for 6 months and although this was hard at first, in hindsight the break was really good for my relationship. The fact that a vaginal birth is now not advised, also sucks, but there are benefits after a time you’ll be able to see for this option.

Thanks @OrangeBengal that's some really good advice. I can't see my scar as it's got a dressing over it so I don't know how big it will be, hopefully it's ok as the surgeon specifically said my uterus was small. But I completely agree, I am someone that always wanted a c section but didn't want the scar so to have the scar and no baby is pretty rubbish.

The nurse mentioned a PCA initially after surgery but they decided against it so I have regular paracetamol which I'm having IV at the moment and then as required oramorph. I had initially told work I would need 2 weeks sick and 2 weeks home working but 2 weeks will pass very quickly and there's no expected discharge date yet so I have told work expect me to be off for 4 weeks, this will give me some flexibility for rehab and I won't be rushed. Great tip about passing stools, I'll see if I can order something from Amazon to help.

Glad to help @Gardenlady543. Yes, you take all the time you need, mentally as well as physically.

I’ll be doing an ERA soon (I did the Emma/Alice previously and both were normal), so I’m sure I’ll be asking for advice / looking for support then.

@OrangeBengal welcome to the thread. It's kind of you to share your experience especially in your first post 💕

This is a very welcoming thread so feel free to ask advice whenever you need it.

@MyEasterEggs checked and my protocol with Mr Shehata says aspirin to 36 weeks and Fragmin to 12 weeks. But he writes this in a separate place to the pre-pregnancy test protocol - maybe your clinic have done the same and the follow on protocol is elsewhere?

Clinic called. My progesterone is 75.2 and they like it to be over 80 but they weren't going to change anything (currently 2 cyclogest per day) and just have me back for bloods on Monday (already in the plan). These people are crazy. I said, since there's no harm in having more progesterone and it's my last embryo I'd prefer to just increase the dose. So I have added an extra cyclogest and a Lubion injection in the middle of the day.

I was in 2 minds about Lubion as I usually think you need to do at least twice per day due to the shorter half-life but the packet says the usual dose is once a day and I don't have that many syringes so stuck with that until my test on Monday.

ARGC say they like progesterone to be over 100 (tho actually they keep it over 200) so I am working to that.

Sorry to bore on about myself. Lots going on in my head x

Can I have some reassurance please, my cd2 bloods are back. LH 2, FSH 6 and estradiol 338. My estradiol is higher than when I last checked in November 2020 but my FSH is up to 6 from 5 now. This is all still within range isn't it? X

Thanks @Janefx40, I really appreciate the welcome. Low progesterone is potentially one of my problems too, though my clinic think they have it right now. 25mg of Lubion post-ovulation got me to 150 (my clinic want 50+ for a natural cycle and 100+ for medicated). But without ovulation, so a fully medicated round, they last tried 50mg of Lubion and 800mg of cyclogest a day, which got me to 374. This was a lot and coming off it was tough, so chatting the the consultant today they think I could maybe half my cyclogest. You were right to insist on more progesterone, crank it up as much as you need to!

Ugh. Just spoke to one of the nurses at crp and she said my estradiol is too high and until it comes down they wouldn't recommend we continue with ivf 😪

@VenusStarr ugh why is there always something to worry about!! I don't know much about estrogen but could you have a cyst? I've had a couple of baseline scans where I have had cysts and they have checked my estrogen to see if they are producing estrogen. If so that would have stopped the cycle. What other reasons might there be and how can you bring it down?

The FSH is absolutely fine. It goes up and down anyway between cycles but 6 is still a very healthy result. Once it gets up above 10 - 12 then it can affect stims so you are way off.

Sorry - you deserve a break from stress x

@OrangeBengal thank you. Would you mind sharing how you took the Lubion and cyclogest? Ie on the 25mg dose what time did you take the different cyclogest and Lubion? And same for the 50mg dose?

Of course @Janefx40:

25mg Lubion

x1 injection daily, in the morning (stomach) from a couple of days before transfer.

50mg Lubion + 800mg of Cyclogest

x2 injections daily, one in the morning and one in the evening (both stomach). I did 10am and 8.30pm.

x4 pessaries daily, each 200mg as there’s a shortage of 400mg pessaries. I did 2 (15mins apart) around 8am and then the remaining 2 around 8pm (15mins apart). I took them rectally.

Lubion started on cycle 14. Cyclogest started a couple of days before transfer.

*cycle day

@OrangeBengal thank you ❤️

No probs, I should say the cyclogest was added later, based on my levels, they’d probably start both at the same time going forward @Janefx40.

Thanks @Janefx40 it’s definitely not part of my pregnancy plan judging by the letter. Seems strange to me that I’m on it for such a short amount of time so I’ll question it. Had two chemicals but with further losses at 6, 8, 10 and 16 weeks I’d want to be on all of my treatment until then at least. I only have two intralipid infusions too, one 5 days before FET, one four weeks later if pregnant x