Fertility is becoming more complex for couples, with higher rates of couples and women utilising IVF. Gone are the days of just having sex and falling pregnant! I honestly wish was this was case.
Fertilization and implantation is a complex process. Nature has a way of making sure everything is aligned. When these specific factors are mis-aligned it makes the process more complex reducing chances of conception, fertilization and implantation.
Successful implantation requires the following:
– Healthy embryo
– Receptive endometrium
– A healthy dialogue between the endometrium and embryo
– Immune protection from the host
In a previous post- The magic of menstrual blood, I talked about how the endometrium undergoes cellular changes throughout the 4 stages of the menstrual cycle. The endometrium is the most dynamic tissue in the human body. During the proliferative stage (follicular) the expression of estrogen allows for proliferation of stromal cells, glands and elongation of the spiral arteries. Post ovulation called the luteal phase, progesterone brings secretory changes to the endometrium, it is within this window that endometrium acquires a receptive phenotype permitting implantation of a blastocyst. This period of receptivity is called the “WOI – (window of implantation).
The window of implantation:
– Occurs around day 19/20 of the cycle
– Remains open for 4-5 days
– Progesterone must reach peak serum concentration
It is within this time frame of receptivity that endometrium undergoes morphological, biochemical, genetic and cytoskeletal to become womb friendly – fertility functional and compatible.
ERA is recommended for patients who have:
– Repeated Implantation Failures
– Multiple Miscarriages
– Chromosomal abnormalities
– Age Factor
– Multiple IVF Cycles
The ERA testing is able to predict the endometrium to be receptive or non receptive and which day the transfer will occur – WOI. ERA determines a woman’s window of implantation as each woman can have a different WOI. The ERA test has been found to improve global pregnancy rates up to 73% in the personalized transfers made according to the test results (Fertility and Sterility, September 2013).
References:
https://www.igenomix.com/blog/fertility-challenges/what-is-an-era-test-and-how-it-can-help-you/
Amanda is the founder of Angea and has over 12 years of experience working with women to support their health journey. In addition to being a registered doctor of Chinese medicine, Amanda is a yoga teacher and founder of Mindful Pregnancy Yoga Training. Amanda offers acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine and womb healing treatments at Angea.