ERA EMMA ALICE testing thread 9

[Gardenlady543]

@2021ivfagain @Enfys23 @clhiu @CailinInUK @Spin101 @Loz2467 @Mybabydream @Janefx40 @ChickenT2b @kerrym87 @Sar1010 @AM08 @thislittlebird @IVF22 @APSR
@Faithhopelove83 @KLM25 @VenusStarr
@BewilderedBee @Dochas12111 @seven201 @StillWishingHoping

We've maxed out the other one so here's thread 9 😊

@clhiu nitrofurantoin is pretty UTI specific so it's probably not as bad as others but using probiotics while on any antibiotic is probably a good idea, I think it's fine to use them around ovulation time as long as you aren't using an acid containing one.

You know it's been over 10 weeks since I had Covid and I still have no sense of smell back. I am currently in a situation where everything that smells strongly smells like a burnt smell that kind of hurts my nose.

Thanks @Gardenlady543 , this is the Canesfloor composition, does any of these sound like an acid to you or something that Wouldn’t be soerm-friendly?

Lactobacillus plantarum P 17630 not less than 108 CFU, maize starch, mannitol, carboxymethylcellulose sodium cross linked, vegetable magnesium stearate, silica dioxide, gelatin, titanium dioxide.

@clhiu this looks fine it's ones with things like lactic acid in them, which are good but best at the start of the cycle.

@Gardenlady543 we have decided to go ahead with a naturally modified FET this cycle! (We’ve never done naturally modified before)
So in less than 20 days from now… eeek!

im going to start a course canesflor in a few days and carry on with my supplements; folate, vit d, b12, magnesium

I’ve got acupuncture booked in once a week which I’ve not done before a transfer before.

and the bonus is my clinic has agreed to put me on prednisolone 3 days prior to transfer too.

anything I’m missing? My head feels more in the game this time in comparison to the other FET’s so perhaps that will be a good thing.

xx

@Sar1010 that all sounds good, can you start prednisolone earlier, I started mine cd8? I had acupuncture pre and post transfer on the day, can you do that? This is what my acupuncturist showed me.

@clhiu ah sorry! Heads in shed, just gearing up for 1st long protocol with new clinic! Btw anyone here done down reg and used gonal f? Got a cost estimate for drugs and on list is gonal f 2 different strength pens....300ui and 450ui. Why would I need both?? Just wondering what to expect

@kerrym87 that's the amount of units in the pen, you will be told how much to administer. So if you administer 75 units a day you will get 4 days worth from the 300 unit pen and 6 days worth from the 450 pen. It's to make sure you have enough for the expected dosage you'll be taking.

@Sar1010 good luck with the modified natural FET! I’ll be doing similar in Jan/Feb hopefully. how much progesterone are you prescribed? I’ve only been prescribed cyclogest x 2 per day as corpus luteum intended to provide vast majority. I’m wondering either to ask for subcutaneous too (Lubion)?

My Day 1 arrived today, earlier than expected (4-5 days early), which is unusual for me. Maybe it was the saline scan or Covid or UTI? BBT chart was off.
So I’m starting my low dose stim ERA tomorrow Day 2 with Gonal F 75. I didn’t have a baseline scan as they don’t do scans on Sat and Day 4 considered too late. Not ideal and I wouldn’t accept it for the real FET, I’d get a private scan. I’ve never had any issues with baselines before, no cysts etc, so hoping all ok to start. I’ll have a Day 4 scan instead.

@kerrym87 good luck! Long protocol always worked better for me - more even sized follicle growth, maximising number of mature eggs.

@CailinInUK thanks, I tend to get at least 8 mature eggs /roughly 2 thirds mature with normal or slightly reduced rates of fertilisation but then it's the division of the embryo that causes a problem- we get massive fragmentation. Not age and although sperm not great, my sister had same problem in her 20s with great sperm from her hubby but was same approach as me. Must be something in our makeup that means this happens. Clinical director thinking a gentler approach, double trigger and more time on stims might allow egg quality to be a little better. Taking every supplement known to help egg quality, Mediterranean diet which hubby now on board with.
Hope your FET yields success, we've never had a frostie from 3 rounds so fingers crossed for you x

@CailinInUK yes I will take Lubion 25mg on day 12-16 in the AM along with cyclogest in the PM

then after transfer they have suggested aspirin and Clexane bcos of the PAI 4g/5g and MTHFR gene.

who knows if it’s the right concoction this time. Just gotta trust and hope!

Oh Jan /Feb! How are you feeling about it all? What transfer would this be for you?
this would be my 3rd in 3.5 years ttc (plus 2 CPs)

@Gardenlady543 interesting that you started pred on cd8. I haven’t asked them if I can start earlier but I’m not really sure what my argument would be… except that you’d suggested it haha. I guess I could just ask if I could start it early? I think I may try 3 days prior this time and if it’s unsuccessful then I can always ask to start early next time?
Thank you so much for the acupuncture tips. I’ll show this to my lady and see what we can do.
and I’m really not doing a healthy “fertility friendly” diet this time- just enjoyed a lovely Burger King haha. My past self would be completely shocked and disgusted but I think I’ve hit a point where im just letting go a bit.

x

@Sar1010 good luck with your FET, hope this concoction works!
It'll be my 6th FET in Jan/Feb. I'd need more time to express how I'm feeling about it as likely my last chance for sibling. Every emotion!

Started my Emma/Alice/ERA cycle. I had a Day 4 scan (two days of stims, 75IU); 14mm, 8mm on RHS and 11, 8 on LHS. Lining 4mm, I'm at tail end of my period.
These follicles seem a bit big for Day 4, don't they? I've never done a 75IU low dose FET before so all new to me. Anyone I can compare with? I don't know the sizes before I started stims as days fell on a weekend. On a normal long protocol IVF, my follicles would be 14mm after six days of stims, not two! I wonder if this indicates my FSH is high...

@CailinInUK I didn't really have much going on at my baseline scan I don't think when I was on low dose stims. I did once have a very big follicle and needed to trigger and wait for another bleed, but that was much bigger than yours.

@Loz2467 how are you getting in, did you decide when to test?

Thanks @Gardenlady543. Ideally
I would have had a baseline on Day 2 but went ahead with stims. Consultant has reduced my dose to 50IU tonight. I think I'll likely be at threshold Follicle (>16mm) and lining thickness (>7.5mm) by Friday Day 8 (Day 6 of stims) but that seems unnaturally early to me. Anyway, at least it's just a 'mock' cycle and the Emma /Alice will still be worthwhile.

@2021ivfagain how did your follicles progress in your stimmed FET? I recall you being on a higher dose. Hope you're doing ok.

@Loz2467 thinking of you. I found a chart which shows fluctuation of progesterone levels during the day and even within 90mins so don't think your difference in levels this time compared to last time was anything to be concerned about. Easier said than done, I know.

@CailinInUK, good luck with the mock cycle, sorry you have concerns about your follicle’s size, hopefully as the ERA is just to determine the optimal window of implantation from ovulation so that won’t be an issue overall.
I can see why you have a lot riding on this and you want everything to be right.

Does anybody know if having really sore breasts from one day before ovulation and getting gradually worse can be a sign of low progesterone or too high oestrogen v progesterone in the second cycle phase? They’re equally tender on both sides. I had the same thing last month from 1dpo, I knew it was too soon for it to be a pregnancy symptom, but took it as a good sign my progesterone must have been nice and high. This time though it started even earlier and I read it could be a sign of progesterone imbalance at this stage of the cycle. Never had this kind of breast pain before unless I was actually pregnant or much later in the cycle just before AF starting. Just these 2 months, last month I was pregnant after all and this time too early to know yet

I usually get my hair dyed with bleach and I have an appointment booked for Monday 20th. I’m potentially transferring a week later, potentially sooner depending on my scan on Friday I guess.

would you change your appointment til after you’ve got a bfn/bfp?

I think I should but maybe I’m being too cautious?

x

@Sar1010 it probably makes no difference either way but if I was one week from transfer, I'd likely cancel/rearrange the appointment. This process can unfortunately make the sanest, most rational people go a little paranoid!

@CailinInUK good luck with your mock cycle. Are you doing this through Care? I think it’s one of the next things for me to consider and maybe immunes because of my adenomyosis but seeing dr gorgy even though my partner will have a shock at the cost! £! After already spending a small fortune with no guarantees. But then I feel reluctant to pay / do all that when I only have 2 early blasts left and 1
day 6. So another option would to be to consider other things before that and immunes before / along with my next retrieval. Any ideas?

I think when my withdrawal bleed comes I need to do metrozrodole and doxy as a precaution against endometriris maybe? Again I know it’s linked to adeno and endo and last had that checked May 2022.

@Gardenlady543 I haven’t tested but totally know it hasn’t worked - zero symptoms. Even on the last one that I didn’t think worked I did get cramps at 2 days past transfer as I remember being at work and feeling them for a good few hours! This time I’ve felt absolutely nothing :( As I said above I don’t really know what to do next. I really want to try hydroxycloriquine incase it’s what I need but dr gorgy costs are so expensive. I’m wondering if anyone knows any other way of trying these empirically or whether I need all the full testing done? Is fertilysis similar for testing? And will dr gorgy use those results?

@Loz2467 don't stop any medications without testing first. I did my initial immune tests through fetilysis and Dr Gorgy was happy to interpret but did ask for some extra ones like the immune biopsy

@Loz2467 I concur, the lack of symptoms is going to be concerning and disheartening, but try holding off until test day. I hope it’s not a bad sign for you 🤞🤞🤞

@Gardenlady543 any recommendations or thoughts on the breast pain I mentioned in my last post? If it continues for another month would you speak to the GP and ask for hormones blood tests or any other conern/investigation you would recommend?

@clhiu I don't think you'd be able to tell anything about hormone levels without blood tests. If you ask your gp they would probably just do one to confirm ovulation. You could order a few through medicheck, maybe three to monitor progesterone levels if you're worried.

Thank you @Gardenlady543, noted. I’ll see if this continues next month then decide whether to speak to the gp about it or book some tests directly.

Does anyboy have any counter-indications for using vaginal probiotics whilst also taking cyclogest vaginally? Like if I do the probiotics at a different time of the day from the Cyclogest pessaries. How long would you leave between? I know I could take Cyclogest rectally, but I’m really not keen on that

@clhiu if you're worried about any breast changes do see your gp though, my gp takes no risks and sends me to the breast clinic with any breast issue.

I think I've used vaginal progesterone and probiotics I just timed it at different times of the day.

I’m sorry to read and run but struggling with news that DH sperm dna fragmentation is abnormal as is one of his hormone bloods. We’ve asked so many times about testing and always been shot down because his SA “perfect” and now this. Wondering if may be varicocele. Was so hopeful we could start next cycle soon after the lap and even try naturally with some renewed hope in meantime and feeling it’s just one crappy thing after another.
Enquired about Jonathan Ramsay, heard back today and his next availability isn’t until February earliest 😭. Is there anyone else we can see or is it pointless to see anyone else? @Janefx40 @thislittlebird am I right that you saw him? Can’t believe might have to wait until the summer then if any tests and interventions to improve sperm take some months.
Sorry if I don’t make much sense I’m just all over the place right now.

@Enfys23 does your clinic offer Zymot? It virtually removes the DNA fragmentation and costs ~£220. How bad is his?