EMMA/ALICE test alternatives?

[Loosy80]

I've been considering doing the ERA/EMMA/ALICE tests before my next (and final) FET, but a few different clinics have said they wouldn't recommend the ERA given that the embryo last time did implant. Has anyone else heard this? From a lot of other posts it seems like people were recommend this as a next step even after a chemical.

Even if I don't go ahead with that, I still want to check the microbiome etc but my clinic (who have said they don't recommend the EMMA & ALICE tests at all, and very rarely do them) said I would need to take all the meds as if I was doing a FET, so it would be too late for this cycle now anyway. Is this right? It seems strange that these are needed just to check bacteria? Obviously I understand why they would be required for the ERA but just not sure on why it's relevant to the other ones.

My acupuncturist recommended these as an alternative (as did a back up clinic I am considering doing a fresh cycle at in Greece if my next FET fails again), has anyone tried these tests? They seem to test for the same things as ALICE and EMMA but as the FET meds aren't required I just wondered how accurate they are, and as its a self sample its unlikely to be testing the endometrial lining, so again not sure if they are actually looking at the same thing. Would be good if it was though given its about a tenth of the cost!!

invivohealthcare.com/produc...

[Patches86]

Hi Loosy, you are right - you don’t need to take any FET meds for the Alice and EMMA test, it just needs to be done on day 17-25 of your cycle. Best of luck!

[JuicyLu]

You don’t need the meds for EMMA/ALICE - I had mine re-done (the results expire) without ERA the second time and no hormones needed

[PaulaDag]

Hi, I’ve just sent that same Invivo test kit back and am waiting for the results. The reason I chose this route is because my clinic don’t do Emma/Alice, only Era and so I didn’t want to go elsewhere and go through a second biopsy. My era came back receptive so that was fine.

I saw a fertility Nutrionist, Mel Brown, and she recommended this Invivo test based on me having 4 recurrent miscarriages (naturally conceived) and 3 transfers with BFN’s. My partner has high dna frag and so her theory is if there is an infection and/or too much/too little good or bad bacteria in the vagina it is also likely to be in the endometrium. So this test is a swab if the vagina cavity, not the endometrium like Alice/Emma. I figured it was worth it for my situation. Saying that if my clinic did era/Alice/Emma I would have insisted on the trio combined. They didn’t recommend the era either due to natural pregnancies, but I wanted to rule it out before proceeding.

I’ve also heard that if you’ve had implantation previously from an IVF transfer then an ERA might not be necessary.