ERA EMMA ALICE testing thread #6

[Gardenlady543]

@Janefx40 @birdbybird @seven201 @Gardenlady543 @patientpatient @MyEasterEggs @thislittlebird @Yuliaaa @Violette22 @2021ivfagain @OrangeBengal @Enfys23 @Loz2467 @DEIVF @Hopeful199 @ER12 @greendress789 @Douchas12111 @Lori2022 @AdviceForJane @Anonbaby @Molls87 @ChickenT2b @GoldenElephant @IVF22 @StillTrying10000 @warrior101 @whatcangowrong @Yaynayokay

Oh yes it really has happened we are onto thread #6.

All are welcome to join us, we started out as people interested in ERA EMMA ALICE but we seem to have had every test available between us.

So if you want to know about the microbiome, reproductive immunology or you just feel your case is complicated and what like minded people to talk to about it you've come to the right place

@thislittlebird So, we come across this at work...negative blood group can cause anaemia in the baby (generally mild) more common is jaundice after birth which is easily treated. Anti d injections are given during pregnancy and baby monitored for signs of marked anaemia via ultrasound. At birth a blood sample is sent from the cord to ascertain baby's blood group and if any antibodies from mum are present. Baby would also have a full blood count for hb levels. If there are more than 1+ of antibodies the baby would get regular jaundice blood level and hb checks, phototherapy if jaundiced, rarely antibody infusion. Its rare it needs much more intervention than that. Maternal and foetal cells do swap between baby and mum, it can be symbiotic such and useful antibodies against infection to baby and stem cells to mum to repair damaged cells etc.
There doesn't seem to be much much research looking at implantation issues and for later losses it may have something to do with it but there's not much good quality research to give a clear mechanism 😔

@VenusStarr thank you, that would make sense. I was given it after medical
management at 9 ish weeks through epu.

@kerrym87 that's interesting. My dd was a bit jaundice when born but I can't remember her results - not sure if they mentioned it to be honest.

I’m also rhesus negative but haven’t managed to get a BFP at all yet. Starting a fresh cycle in 2023 and choosing a rhesus negative sperm donor to see if that makes a difference 🤞

Can I just check ladies I’m due to start my norethisterone on Tuesday. 10 days of that then wait for my bleed and then starting stims on 5th Jan. it’s cycle day 16 I’d be starting the norethisterone but I sometimes ovulate cycle day 17. Does this matter or do I ideally need to ovulate before starting the norethisterone? Sorry if this is a silly question. I’ve got ovulation signs so it must be close.

@Loz2467 I started it CD18 and sometimes I've ovulated on CD19, I think it will be fine.

I decided to do a FRER today 4dp5dt, I don't know why, partly to see if there is trigger there still, partly to stop convincing myself it must work so I lie down obsessively googling all day. It was stark white and I could convince myself that it is early, that the blast hadn't recommenced hatching at transfer and needed more time, that it was a post 3pm transfer and that I likely need a bit more time to become receptive.... But plenty of people see something at this point and I never seem able to catch a break. Everytime I've seen nothing and it ends up as nothing. So I'll keep taking the expensive meds and likely end this year having put myself through hell and all for nothing.

Thanks @Gardenlady543 I need to ring the clinic tomorrow anyway as I have some other questions like asking for a scan on day 8.

Im sorry I can’t advise on your tests and trigger etc as I have no knowledge so I wouldn’t be any help but I’m thinking about you and hoping it’s too early like you say.

Oh @Gardenlady543 I feel for your trepidation going through this TWW. All you can take from this morning’s test is that the trigger is gone, which is valuable information. Yes, some people get positives on 4dp but most don’t. Earliest I had very faint positive was 4.5dp (all three times) but that’s early too. Keep busy and be gentle on yourself.

Thank you so much to everyone who welcomed me so kindly quite a few pages back now and I'm so sorry it's taken me so long to follow up. Back then I was convinced our latest cycle had failed as I had stark negatives and felt like by 8dp5dt I should have seen something by now (the one other cycle where implantation had occurred, I had a fairly obvious line by day 5).

Reading your post today, @Gardenlady543 I thought it may be worth updating. I continued to get negatives right up until test day (11dp5dt) and actually stopped all the drugs bar steroids on day 10 as was feeling so dejected and couldn't see the point in continuing to waste money and bruises on the unsavoury meds cocktail. Test day line was very faint so clinic called me in for an HCG test the following day, which came back as 67. Not very encouraging given studies seem to suggest that under 100 around that stage is likely to lead to a less than happy outcome. Two days later it was 244. I felt completely beside myself as had sort of raged and started to grieve this latest failure, and now was confronted with a bit of hope. Plus, wondering what over 24 hours without drugs would do :/

Anyway, this is getting long, but since then I've had several scans through my fertility clinic and the recurrent miscarriage clinic I'm under. First two did detect a heartbeat but measured 4 and then 6 days behind, which had me thinking it would probably all be over soon. But at the last scan things were looking up a bit - measured 8 weeks when at 8+3 and the heartbeat was good. Dreading this week's scan as i haven't had a baby make it past 9 weeks before. I also know how quickly the dream can be ripped away and that the odds are not stacked in our favour with my age/history/late implantation. But I just wanted to add a voice into the ether about early testing - I read SO many threads where everyone said it was over if you didn't have a positive by day 7, 8, 9 etc and really, just spent too much time on the internet full stop. Comparing, and constantly coming up short. The 2ww really is the worst, especially when you've experienced heartbreak before and are kind of just waiting for the punch to make contact. But I wanted to send hope and solidarity. And also, a thank you for all the incredibly insightful posts you have added to these threads, which have helped to inform some of my own choices along the way.

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

So many factors can impact HCG. Late implantation, HCG being lower than average (not necessarily a bad thing since there’s a range) or, as you’ve pointed out, it could just be on the early side. I got a positive at 5dp5dt with this pregnancy but it was faint. I didn’t feel confident until I was about 7dpt and a couple of women who were having transfers around the same didn’t get their positive until 10dpt. Hang in there!

@Gardenlady543 I think that's early to test. Don't count yourself out yet. When are you next going to test? When is official test day?

I know mine is just a normal letrazole round, but my official test day is Christmas Eve. It's a shitty time of year to get bad news! I've already told dh I will be the one drinking on Xmas day if it's negative (one of us has to drive).

I found out this morning that I have a UTI. Terrified as I had an infection when I lost my son and I’m approaching that stage. Awaiting a callback from GP then I’ll pick up a prescription for antibiotics but is there anything else I can do? I have D-Mannose so perhaps that could help. I’m conscious I’ll be potentially wiping all that good bacteria. I’m so scared 😢

@MyEasterEggs if it's any consolation I had multiple utis when I had my daughter (I had hydroenphrosis where my kidneys swelled) and for the last trimester was on a low dose antibiotic the whole time, and still had flare ups and more high dose antibiotics. It must be scary given your history, but it sounds like you're getting the antibiotics nice and early. I think for now all you can do is keep hydrated and rest up if possible. I think you're meant to stay away from citrus and sugary things, but I may have made that up.

@MyEasterEggs did you manage to get the prescription. Are you ok?

@MyEasterEggs hope you’re ok. I used to suffer from UTIs all the time until I started using soap only to wash myself, drank more water and took cranberry capsules daily (www.hollandandbarrett.com.mt/product/holland-barrett-cranberry-fruit-extract-100-tablets/), I’m not sure this will help now, but should help prevent any more one the antibiotics have done their stuff

You guys will think I have gone mad. It's 5dp5dt I did a FRER, I have convinced myself there is something there which is very difficult to see and close to impossible to get evidence of. My friend has had to endure videos I screen recorded of a checker app while I adjust the concentration and brightness. Basically if I hold it at a very specific angle I can see what I think is a pink line and I flit between there is absolutely nothing there to I am convinced there is something there. It is 12 days post trigger so I expect that is out of my system and while if I stare at yesterdays I can maybe convince myself there is something there, I can't really and todays seems easier to convince myself.

However I then went officially ridiculous. After 5 hours I did another FRER, if there was a line it was lighter, but the urine was dilute and for some reason I decided to take the whole thing apart making it impossible to interpret.

Then I did a cassette which expired a year ago that you can put blood droplets on as I thought blood levels should stay fairly static vs a short urine hold. However the sensitivity is 25 and if I could convince myself there was a line there in at the time I was supposed to read it, it has now disappeared. So in conclusion I don't know what I'm doing, and may just be working myself up for a massive let down.

Thanks for checking in @seven201 @OrangeBengal I managed to get hold of my nutritionist who happened to have a free slot today so she quickly put a protocol together.

In case it’s ever helpful for others I’m adding in:

Daily

• Bio Me Femme UT
• Pro Bio Women (swapping from Bio Me Femme V)
• D-Mannose x 1 a day
• Prebio GOS to feed good bacteria

Had the last two in cupboard already and will probably continue on them all.

This week I’m also having Optibac for use with Antibiotics (on Cefalexin which I haven’t heard of but seems to be good for treating UTIs) plus cranberry powder in smoothies. Next week I’ve to switch to Symprove for 2 weeks to replenish.

She also suggested Canesten vaginal probiotics but I’ve to speak with GP first to make sure it’s okay in second trimester.

It’s been a horrible day. Started with this then went for intralipids and infusion took almost three hours. I was originally asymptomatic - just asked to do urine test on Friday for reassurance given stage I’m at - but symptoms kicking in now. So plenty of fluids and rest.

After seven years of this shit you’d think I’d react better but my anxiety went through the roof this morning. I’m only really just calming down now 😩

@MyEasterEggs that sounds like a really good plan with a number of probiotics alongside the antibiotics. And yes get that cranberry down you! Lots of extra cranberry sauce for you at Xmas this year!

@MyEasterEggs well done for getting seen so quickly! Sounds like a stressful day, but try and relax a bit now you have everything in place.

@Gardenlady543 we've all been there with the insane pregnancy test scrutiny. Torch, natural light, tilting, taking it apart, you name it. I have everything crossed for you that you get a pink line in the morning.

@seven201 you know I literally read every webpage saying do not take a frer apart,it is impossible to interpret once you do it. But for some reason decided this was the best idea ever. I know if I asked DH he would say there is absolutely nothing there at all, so I was hiding with a head torch on throughout the day.

@Gardenlady543 I quite like putting them in the bin then fishing them out 10 mins later. Honestly, the things we find ourselves doing!

@seven201 oh mine are labelled and kept for too long! My friend asked if I took a picture of 4dp5dt, I was like no need I have it here.

I was away this weekend and in my sleepy state nearly inserted an omeprazole like a vaginal suppository. It reminded me of the time when I accidentally inserted an oral probiotic and you talked me through trying to get it out! Then there was that time I took a tablet, then read somewhere that I shouldn't if I was also taking something else, so then spent ages trying to make myself sink by drinking salt water. Infertility does really fuck with your mind and make you do such stupid stuff! I've spent a monumental amount of time squinting at pregnancy tests. Just embrace it I reckon!

@seven201 lol I remember the oral probiotic in the vagina and when you got it out it was still intact and had just been sat there!

I'm finding meds a nightmare at the moment, my hands are shaking a lot and today was left bums turn for PIO which is always a bit more challenging. Managed to set off the autoinjector in mid air. Have a much more blasé attitude to progesterone at the moment, last PIO day I found it hard to get the droplet at the top of the needle as PIO is so thick and ended up squirting more than anticipated out the top. I figure any I get in me is better than nothing.

@Gardenlady543 well it sounds like there is some hope there. I think if there is anything on an FRER then there is Hcg there. If it wasn't there yesterday then surely it can't be the trigger

I still have my pregnancy tests from my nearly 4 year old and my miscarriage!

Sorry the PIO is a nightmare. It is pretty horrid but all for a good cause.

@seven201 love everything about that post. I wonder what would happen if you took omeprazole vaginally and I wonder if anyone has ever done that?!

@MyEasterEggs I'm sorry you have a UTI and totally understand why you are feeling anxious. Even tho it will almost definitely be fine, it's natural to worry. Really glad you have the support of your nutritionist xxx