Hello and quick question
FaithRyan
Regular
Hi all, I'm officially moving myself over to this forum So i just thought id introduce myself. I'm 33 and DH is 38. We have been ttc for 14 months now without luck. I've tried just about everything I can think of to help but am now out of ideas. Tried SMEP, preseed, vitamins, obviously given up alcohol/caffeine, lost weight so i have a healthy bmi, elevate hips after BD. we used clear blue advanced digital so always get timing right. I do regular light exercise and don't smoke. Drink raspberry leaf tea between AF and O. If anyone has any ideas of anything else I could try I'd appreciate it!
Also my main question is, I went to the doctors last week and had my cd21 blood test done and will be having my cd2-4 done this week (Im due tomorrow and got a bfn today). Also got to go back in aug for an internal and some swabs. DH has to go to his docs for a SA. Just wondered if anyone could tell me what is likely to happen once all this has been done. Thanks in advance and baby dust to all xxx
Replies
Hi Faith your situation sounds similar to mine. I'm 32 and OH 28. We've been trying to conceive since 2009 without any luck sadly. I've had my bloods and internal scans. I've got fibroids that showed up on the internal scan but they said they weren't anything to worry about because of where they were located.
We go back for OH SA results next week. His previous results had low motility so they've asked for 2 further samples, so I'm hoping the results have improved. I also need to lose 11lbs to get my bmi below 30. I've already lost 15lbs so I'm getting there slowly but surely.
The nurse said as soon as my bmi is below 30 they can apply for funding for ivf and it's a quick process as I was under the impression I'd had to go on a waiting list for years but apparently it's really quick once they applied for the funding.
I'm hoping I can get to my weight goal before our other appointment in September. I feel under so much pressure to lose weight
and it's getting me down so I've come back on here for some support.
Good luck on your journey and sending lots of baby dust xx
Hi pinkglitter3 thanks for your reply and sorry to hear you've been trying so long. What internal scans did you have? I'm just having an exam with my doctor, I'm thinking my next stage might be to go for a scan or to start meds depending on my blood results. Good luck with your OH SA results, my husband is giving his first sample next week, so not sure when he'll get results. I've had him on wellman multivits so hoping they will be ok.
Good luck with your weight loss. I've lost 31lbs doing slimming world, which I highly recommend. Fingers crossed you can reach your target by your next appointment. It's good to know that once they apply for funding it's a fairly quick process. I too thought it would be a long wait.
Lots of baby dust to you too xx
Hi Faith thanks for your reply. Ive had a tummy scan which was at my local surgery which showed up normal, then when I was referred to hospital they repeated the same scan to be thorough and also did the internal scan which was when they discovered the fibroids. I've not been prescribed anything yet as we are just getting to the end of my partners tests and waiting on those results before they will advise what course of action we are going to be taking. I did ask at my last appointment and I think we may end up doing IVF.
My test results were all ok and the fertility issue is due to my partners low motility. His sperm count wasn't great (forgotten the results of the top of my head) so he's been on the wellman conception vitamins so we will see what difference they have made to these results as he hadn't been taking them prior to the first SA. The consultant also told us to stop taking those and for my partner to have vitamin c, e and zinc instead, which are in the wellman vits so not sure why he said that so I'll let you know what difference it made to the results. So I'm really hopeful his motility and count has increased.
Well done on your weight loss. I've got to get to my goal weight before my appointment in September so need to focus on it and be really strict. I've even given up alcohol which has helped.
It gives me hope when I read other stories on here which is why I decided to come back online for support as it's been getting me down lately
xx
Sorry its getting you down. i know how you feel I've had my share of ups and downs and we've not been trying as long as you. I find it really helps been on hear as you get so much advice and support from people going through similar things with the same goal.
I didn't know they did tummy scans at the GP surgery. I wonder if that's what I'll be having. I though it would be just like a smear. Oh well i guess ill find out in a few weeks!
Also it would be really interesting to see if the vitamins make any difference to your partners results. When do you get them? My DH has been a lot more conscientious about taking them since he knew he had his test coming up! Ill keep my fingers crossed that they improve for you.
I'm sure if you set your mind to it you'll be able to reach your target in time. How many weeks do you have? Giving up alcohol is a good move, cuts out lots of calories and may also help with ttc xxx
Thank you Faith
our appointment is next Friday for his test results and then I go back mid September for my weigh in so got 5 weeks so need to get motivated and get myself back to the gym. I need to do this so I've got to get to goal.
It does help to come on here as I find people who have fell pregnant naturally very quickly are very ignorant and don't understand just how hard it is to conceive.
My doctors surgery has scanning facilties their as it's a massive health centre for other things too. I was referred to Liverpool women's by my gp which is where I've had all my other tests.
You'll have to let me know how you get on and I will do the same.
I'll keep my fingers crossed for you too that all goes well
xx
I'll be thinking of you next Friday. Hope all goes well. my surgery isn't big so ill probably just get an examination n have to go to hospital for scans. Get my results in 2 weeks. Hubby hopefully next week. Have to admit I'm expecting the problem to be with me, my luteal phase is shorter than average, so expecting results to reflect that. Good luck with everything xx
Did you get your OH results back? Did the wellman tablets help? My DHs came back as normal, so as suspected problem lies with me! xx
Hi Faith we got our results on Friday gone. OH sperm count has doubled since last results it was 20 last time now it's 40 so we were both feeling really positive that it's increased. The problem seems to be motility again that has gone up compared to last time but still not great. The vitamins are doing there job which is good. The consultant advised to double the vitamin c to 1000mg and also mentioned to take coenzyme q10. He also prescribed tamoxifen for my partner. We have to go back in November for follow up, he also need to have 2 further SA and a blood test in October/November.
They also said my bmi needs to be 29 and not 30 as I previously was informed. So it means I need to lose a further 18lbs. So all I've done since Friday is eat chocolate as I was feeling down. Plus it was TOTM on the day of the appointment which really upset me.
Thats good news about your hubbys results. When do you get your results? Xx
Hi pinkglitter3 sorry to hear your being out under more pressure to lose weight and I know what you mean about hitting the chocolate. I think I've put on 4-5lbs over the past month with stressing and being upset about one thing or another. I'm sure it's just a blip though and you'll refocus and get to your target.
Its good news that your OH results have improved and that he's been prescribed medication to help further, fingers crossed you won't need to lose weight or go to your next appointment before you're bfp!
I got my bloods back yesterday and they all came back normal too. She also did an internal exam and said everything looked/felt normal. She has referred me for a pelvic ultrasound but she says is unexplained at the moment. From looking at both our results she can't see why we can't get pregnant. She's said to keep doing as we are and I've got to go back after the ultrasound.Im pleased everything seems ok but also frustrated that everything is ok and we're doing everything right, yet 16 months and nothing! After this I've got to wait until 2years to be referred to specialists, so just keeping everything crossed.
Got everything crossed for you too, good luck xx
Hi!
I can't be much help as I'm going through similar in terms of trying forever and nothing happening, but I can offer insight into scans.
The abdominal scans are usually first port of call where they check to see if you have any cysts on your ovaries. If your cervical smear isn't up to date, they often get you to do that. Next stage is to check your tubes are fully open (although because your cycles are quite regular, they might miss this out). The internal scans are just to get a closer look at your ovaries, womb and surrounding area. They're waaaaaaaaaaaay more comfortable than a smear (thank goodness!!!!).
It was the internals that really got to the bottom of my issues - yes, I have polycystic ovaries, but I don't present any of the main symptoms, like overweight or excess hair. However, this was essentially stopping me ovulating. Yet, even when ovulating (prescribed Clomid), my womb lining wasn't thick enough for an egg to burrow into, so even if I had have had an egg fertilised, it couldn't have attached and grown.
With a friend of mine, she was similar to you, all unexplained as to why they weren't conceiving and it turned out to be the quality of her eggs; they were ovulating but were still very small and not as mature as they needed to be. She also had low progesterone levels - they gave her trigger shots of HCG to help mature they follicles and she took progesterone tablets and she was pregnant within 3 months - with twins, no less
All diagnosed with the help of an internal scan at different times of the month 
Anyways, it might not be any use but hopefully it helps a little.
Good luck to you
x
Hi WooH,
thank you so much for your reply. It is nice to hear the scans can help detect a variety of problems. Sorry to hear you've been trying without luck too. Have the doctors been able to do anything to help with your womb lining? I was interested to hear pelvic scans are the first port of call and that there may be the option to have further tests to check my tubes. From what my doctor said, it sounded like this was the last option until she can refer me on at the 2 year mark. i did think it was strange that if everything came back ok, that there is no test to check my tubes. Think I'll be asking for this depending on how my scan goes. I'm assuming this is something my gp can arrange, rather than waiting until were refered to a specialist?
Thanks again and good luck to you xxx
Yes, I've had loads of help with my problems, including womb lining
I'm ridiculously lucky to be with the clinic I am. Just NHS one but they are outstanding.
Basically, I'm hyper-sensitive to one of the hormones in Clomid which caused iant cysts and didn't help mature my eggs or thicken my lining. It made follicles, huge ones, but then they never matured, turning to cysts. After 2 tries, they started me on injections and because I was getting scanned every few days, they were able to adjust the dose to make sure my follicles were big enough AND mature, rather than just growing astronomically big with no maturity. It's also a different hormone within the injections, which seems to work much better for me. My womb lining this time was 1.3mm thick - on Clomid, the maximum it reached was 6mm, not enough to sustain life. I'm now 10dpo on myfirst cycle of injections and everything has gone perfectly... just hoping the conclusion to the month will be a bfp rather than af... agh.
For my tubes, it came as a 'package' of loads of tests, including an infections test, tubes, kidneys and ovaries, including my husband's sperm analysis. This all came through the Consultant though, our specialist. I think it seems very strange that they'll only refer you after 2 years of trying - on the NHS website (and according to my GP and Consultant), you should be referred after a year (or 6 months if you're 35+). I was lucky and referred after 6 months because they already knew I had polycystic ovaries, so basically made it pointless to try have children because I cannot ovulate on my own.
It's definitely worth a visit to your GP and ask about referral; why is it not a year for referral, like it is everywhere else, but definitely ask if they can get you an HSG test. (PS. DON'T read reviews of the test online - there are some horror stories! Most people report it as a tightening in your womb, like mild period cramps, mine was even less.)
Let me know how you get on! x
Hi WooH, congratulations again I really am genuinely happy for you after being through so much. It really gives me hope too. I've had infection tests, blood tests, internal exam and hubby's SA With my doctors. I've not got an appointment yet for my ultrasound, however if it doesn't show anything I'll definitely ask for a hsg. After reading your post I read the NICE guidance on infertility and found that a hsg should be offered for unexplained infertility so I'll be sure to mention that. Also I'm not sure now if my gp meant 2 years before the referral can be done or 2 years before ivf. As the guidance says 2 years for ivf! Also she did mention that we'd have to go private for ivf if that's what it came to. I'll have to get clarification next time I go. I'm just hoping the ultra sound finds something they can fix. A happy and healthy 8 months to you xxx
Thanks, Faithryan
If it's 2 years before ivf it makes more sense, why would you have to go private? I always find the regulations between different NHS trusts so confusing and massively unfair. Will you let me know how you get on??
Yeah I will do. I would have to pay private as I live in the only nhs ccg area that doesn't fund any ivf
it could also be a reason i might have to wait 2 years to be referred, if it turns out I do have to wait for 2 years. It does make more sense if it was about the ivf, but as we have to pay anyway, I don't see what difference the time scale makes xx
Well I had my pelvic ultra sound, both external and internal ones. She said everything looked fine from what she can see, so still no answers. I'm back at my GP in a couple of weeks so will ask for a hsg. How are you doing? xx
Hi hun haven't been online for few months as re located back to my hometown with my partner so havent had chance to get on here.
I was trying to find you to get in touch how are you? X
Hi pinkglitter lovely to hear from you. I'm a bit mixed at the moment. I'm really good as we have finally got our bfp and I'm 11+3 but I've been having really bad nausea and sickness. I've lost about 9lbs since I found out. I just can't face food or liquids which I know is bad but if I force myself i end up retching! Plus it's making my tiredness so much worse as I have no energy and feel constantly dehydrated. it's really putting a downer on being pregnant, I'm just hoping when I have my scan next week all is ok and I'll start to feel more excited.
Anyway how's things with you? Are you any further forward with being refered for ivf or has moving delayed things? Hope youre well xxx