Era cancelled, convert to timed intercourse 🤯 fed up

[Joeysjourney]

Hi all, long time no speak! To be honest I've been a bit down in the dumps after my last failed cycle and finding it hard to face the reality of being 42 and running out of time. Haven't been on this forum much as just needed a break, I know you all get it.

Before I made any more decisions, I wanted to get an era emma Alice to rule out issues there. So I've been on buserelin for 3 weeks (the one injection I HATE and I've hated the last 3 weeks) and had my baseline yesterday. I'd three whopping follicles (30mm) and found out today they are producing oestrogen.

So Dr has now cancelled my era cycle and told me to trigger and have timed sexual intercourse (tsi). Really don't know how I feel about this - getting pregnant naturally / implantation is our big problem so what's the point. I asked about converting to IUI and he's said why spend the money - but last time I converted to iui, he told me it had a better chance than TSI.

Just not sure I rate what's happening here. Difficulty down regging has been a persistent problem for me, every fet ive had to do it for 6-7 weeks to eventually get it sorted. Not sure why we keep doing the same thing. Also don't like that he told me last time iui was better but this time saying don't spend the money.

Maybe this is a rant, maybe I'm asking for advice, I don't know. It's probably a unique problem to me but I just feel so so frustrated and failing at everything, even getting a flipping Era test.

Fed up Joey xx

[DianeArnold Partner Nurse Fertility Network UK]

Hi Joeysjourney. So no embryo transfer? Let’s hope the sperm are good little swimmers and wil be chatting in your tubes waiting for your egg to show up. Hopefully some progesterone afterwards? Good luck. Diane

[Joeysjourney in reply to DianeArnold]

Hi Diane, no this was an era cycle to see if there's any reason why I get zero implantation. So he's cancelled it because of the follicles and oestrogen. Really confused about it

[Habibi87]

Hi Joey, I’m sorry that the ERA was cancelled. It’s so upsetting and infuriating when things don’t go to plan, particularly after taking so many injections. I suppose IUI vs TSI depends also on whether there is known male factor infertility? Without male factor infertility maybe TSI is not too different in terms of chances vs IUI if they can really help you with ensuring you ovulate etc ? I saw from your bio that you had a natural pregnancy that sadly was a chemical, so that’s also a small positive. Our consultant also changed her mind at some point about one of the add ons, and it definitely did not feel me with confidence. Have all your FETs been medicated? Would natural be an option if you have a regular cycle? I didn’t react well to medicated FET but a natural modified one is what worked. Xx

[Joeysjourney in reply to Habibi87]

Thanks for the reply. No male factor, consultant says my husbands sperm is super sperm lol which as you can imagine I haven't heard the end of lol.

Yes all medicated and problems down regging with all. unfortunately that's all they will do.

I've pushed before about natural as I'm pretty regular but the clinic is on a schedule so I have to fit into that. What I don't understand is if it was natural - would my oestrogen be even higher without down reg? I've asked my consultant about this before and whether that's part of our problem as high oestrogen can cause implantation issues, but I just keep being told it's not an issue naturally.

And you're right, the chemical, although probably one of the most upsetting parts of my journey, means that there is still a chance with the TSI. Xxx

[Twiglet2]

hey lovely I wonder whether you have ever had down reg with the prostap injection for your FETs or ERA? If not perhaps that would work better for you? So crap it couldn’t go ahead but maybe you could think of this month as a month you thought you had no chance of trying due to down reg and now you have a chance albeit perhaps a smaller chance from what you’ve said on your history. Wishing you luck this month xx

[HedgehogMad]

I would push for natural cycles for FET or consider changing clinic to one that will do that for you. Studies have shown the window of implantation is much wider in natural cycles and it sounds as though your body is not agreeing with hormones. I'm sorry you are going through this, its so unfair xxx