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Mon 17 Aug webchat with Zita West

Join us for a fertility webchat with expert Zita West between 12-1pm TODAY Monday 17 August - as part of Make A Baby Month on Babyexpert.com, in association with Pregnacare.

[Modified by: webeditor on 17 August 2009 10:33:04 ]
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  • hi zita thanks for coming

    i was just after a little advice as we have been ttc for 14 months now with no luck yet,i had a little chat with my doctor back in FEB who said she recommended i stop ttc and lose weight,i am over weight by about 3 stone,and that they wouldnt start any tests until we had been ttc for 1 year,so far i havnt been able to lose weight through no fault of my own but we have kept on ttc and i am now on month 3 of the clearblue fertility monitor and know im ovulating.

    i have decided that i will seek doctors help if by the new year we havnt got pregnant as i just cant bring myself to go back but might ask my husband to go and get tested before hand,were 26 and 28 and already have a little boy who is 26 months.

    i was just wondering if there was anything else apart from the obvious that we could try to help improve our chances of getting pregnant

    thanks again Lisa
  • Hi Zita

    I have been trying to concieve for jus over a year...starting charting etc this month..got a positive on OPK on Friday...
    I went to the Drs at beginning of July..going for 21day bloods on Friday.

    Any tips on getting that BFP???

    Thanks xx

    [Modified by: ~Cupcake~ on August 17, 2009 11:30 AM]

  • Hi Zita,
    I have been off the pill since January. My cycles have been 39, 31, 37, 37, 31 and 37 days long. I am 30 my husband is 34 and I'd say we are an average couple with regards fitness and diet. We are both taking a vitamin supplement.
    We have had a past pregnancy although that was 7 years ago and only atarted trying again in January.I have used opk's and invested in a Clear Blue fertiltiy monitor and both have shown I have ovulated each cycle.

    Have you got any tips for us?

    Thanks
    Rosie
  • hi zita.

    my hubby has recently been diagnosed with very low iron,we think its been going on since january this year as he has no interest in making love...not great while you are trying for a baby!!
    he has been prescribed ferrous fumerate 420mg a day...........he should start to feel better in a few weeks,but will low iron affect his sperm?

    thanks veery much.

    Clare
  • Hello everyone. I am delighted to be here on Baby Expert again and I hope to be able to answer some of your questions today. I will try to answer as many of them as I can but may not have time to do all of them. I'm sure you understand. Best wishes to you all, Zita
  • Hi Zita,

    Thanks for giving us this opportunity. I just wondered if you could offer some advice. I'm 30 and hubby is 35 and we've been TTC No 1 for 2 yrs. After 13 months we got a BFP but m/c naturally at 7wks, and after IVF recently, we got a BFP but there was no heartbeat at 7/8 wks and I m/c naturally at 11+1.
    All my tests have shown that I ovulate, and an HSG was normal, as was TV USS. My cycles are pretty regular at 26-29 days. Hubby has done several samples which have varied quite dramatically. The week we conceived naturally, his sample was almost incompatible with spontaneous conception, and the IVF one was virtually normal. Nothing in our lifestyles has changed in that time to justify such a difference.
    We are both pretty healthy-eat well, exercise, don't smoke and don't drink to excess. I have managed to get an appointment at a recurrent m/c clinic to look into this aspect. Otherwise, we are both at a loss as to where to go now.

    Just wondered if you had any advice for us. Many thanks in advance.

    JCB
  • Hi Lisa. There may be other factors that come into play if you have been trying to loose weight and it's not happening for you. It might be worth your GP doing some blood tests to check your Thryroid. It is very difficult when you have a 26 months old I can imagine to find time to exercise and diet and exercise are crucial factors in loosing weight. The fact that you have a child already so young indicates that your husband shouldn't need to be tested too soon. The most important thing is to keep having sex two to three times a week.
  • Hi Zita,

    I'm 23 and my husband is 29, we are both non smokers with healthy BMI's of 23.

    I am taking both folic acid and vitamin B complex, last month we started using preseed.

    We are 'baby dancing' pretty much solidly for 2 weeks around ovulation.

    I came off the Pill after 8 years in April and have since have 3 regular cycles of 30 days, however my last cycle was 37 days. Do you think this is due to my body still getting back to normal or just a blip in the month?

    Thanks
  • Hi Sparkly Flump. It can take many months to get a regular cycle following having been on the pill. It does seem like you are under the care of your doctor who I am sure would do all the necessary tests to check for other causes. Its worth looking at lifestyle factors - being overweight or underweight are the main considerations to think about. You need to keep an eye on this and return to your GP if you periods are not returning.
  • Hi Clare Hair - with low iron you do feel very tired and I am not surprised that his libido has been effected. As regards to sperm, every man is different and it is hard to know without doing a semen analysis whether it's affected, It may be worth him taking some extra vitamin C as this helps with iron absorption. The most important thng is to keep trying and having regular sex.
  • Hi Babydancer. It's great that you are doing all the right things to prepare. I would add Omega 3 (DHA) to what you are currently taking as it's good to build up this Essential Fatty Acid into the body prior to getting pregnant. It takes time for your cycle to become regular post-pill but your periods as they are sound fine to me.
  • Hi JCB, I am very sorry to hear your news. However I think it's a good thing that you are going to a Miscarriage Clinic as there may be some extra blood tests that you might need to have done before you embark on IVF again. What is hard when you do miscarry is having the confidence next time you get pregnant, so you will need a lot of support in early pregnancy. Make sure you are taking a good multi-vitamin and mineral and omega 3 as well.
  • Hi Susiee - you haven't mentioned how old you are but do start trying the minute you come off the pill. Fertility is often better in the initial months after stopping the pill. It won't do you any harm to build up your stores of Folic Acid. This is also good for men and for healthy sperm as well.
  • thanks zita thats what we have been doing so far so we will just keep carrying on
  • .

    [Modified by: Lottie+Neve on August 17, 2009 04:16 PM]

  • Hi Zita

    I am 30 and my hubby is 32 We have been ttc our first baby for 14 months now. Unfortunately I have miscarried twice is this time one at 13 weeks and another at 7 weeks. I am currently taking a preconception multi vitamin, am a non smoker and drinker, Is there anything you suggest that may help us have a successful pregnancy....many thanks
  • Hi Lottie. Yes absolutely you do need to take into account your family history. You are only 30 and you have got pregnant relatively quickly so do keep trying. There are now medical tests available which can check your ovarian reserve. These will give you a better understanding of your fertility so that you can make decisions if pregnancy doesn't happen easily about what the next steps are. I wouldn't panic as yet and just keep trying until the end of the year. If by then nothing has happend do go to your GP and discuss your family history.
  • Will do, thank you for your advice.
  • Hi Zita,

    Thank you for answering our questions.

    My Husband and I have been trying for a first child with no success so far, I am just entering my 17th cycle.

    All of my tests have come back ok, my husband's Morphology is low at 2%... full report below.
    DH= Volume: 1ml
    >2ml
    DH= Count: 48 Million/ml
    >20 Million/ml
    Viscosity: Normal
    DH= Motility: 60%
    >50 %
    Progression: Moderate
    > 25% moving in a forward direction
    MAR antibody test: 10% Spermatozoa covered with latez particles
    > 10% normal
    DH= Morphology: 2% normal forms
    >15% normal forms

    I've had very little advice as to what our chances are with this standard of sperm. We're both 28 and are due to go back to the hospital in December, in the meantime I'm using a Clearblue Fertility Monitor and doing my best to catch ovulation but I've no idea if it's all in vain and am finding the process at times very emotional and difficult.

    My hubby gave up drinking 4 weeks ago and will ask him to re-test in a couple of months to see if thats helped.

    Any other ideas or advice you can offer?

    Regards~ OP.
  • Hi n5228 - this is difficult for me to answer as you are young but you have had two miscarriages. Generally you are not medically investigated until you have had three miscarriages. It sounds like you are doing all the right things lifestyle-wise. You could add Omega 3 as a supplement as well to your current diet. It may be worth going to your GP to see if there are any further investigations that he or she may be able to offer you at this stage. But in the meantime just try to stay positive and keep trying.
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