Have you had unexplained infertility?

I don't really find it offensive if you've been diagnosed with unexplained infertility yourself. Do you have issues with bcp or being overweight?

You do have points that those issues can contribute to conception issues, but you have over simplified the issue tremendously.

I don't suffer from the issues I mentioned, I just noticed some trends and thought there wasn't much research/ answers for women who were being 'diagnosed' with the very much vague/ unhelpful unknown fertility explanation.

Yes I was diagnoised with it. Ultimiately my doc was just honest with me and told me to loose weight and i will conceive naturally. So that is what i did and was determined to conceive naturally...i conceived with no drugs, vitamins or special potions. It just happened. I'm so grateful he was honest with me. It saved me a lot of money and heartache. Im 5'4 and weighed 165lbs but it was kind of solid and not fat per sa. I am thick but every lost pound helps.

Good luck ladies and take your health serious if your trying to conceive. sometimes the things that are out there just prolong your journey to conceive. Take it back to the basics and get your health in order. Eat the right foods that will help you conceive get healthier eating habits

Have you ever been diagnosed though? Or even seen by an RE?

I ask, because it doesn't sound like you have even been to an RE. Otherwise, you'd know that those are issues that are taken into consideration.

My bmi was taken even prior to getting into my reproductive endocrinologist's office.
And the question of when I last had hormonal birth control was asked in the first 4 questions they threw at me (which included the basics of age, previous pregnancies, etc).

Neither obesity nor bcp applied to me, but the doctors are very proactive about looking into those issues.

There is a ton of research stating that obesity can cause difficulty in conceiving for some women. Any ob/gyn will also tell their patients this. If you're looking for research, maybe try medical journals.

I know that you didn't mean any harm with your post, but it is rubbing me the wrong way. Maybe if you were unexplained infertility yourself and could relate, it would have come out differently. I just don't really see anyone that has gone through the diagnosis, asking the questions that you have.

I know ladies hate being told to stop stressing but there is a small truth in it.
Rabbits were tested and those which were stressed didn't reproduce as well, also rabbits which had less space reproduced less.
Read about it in my psych course.
So basically if you are highly stressed your brain is sending signals to your body that you are not in a safe place to get pregnant and have young.

I highly doubt it's the leading cause in unexplained fertility but I do think it shouldn't be brushed off either.
I just think me personally if I wanted something really bad and was peeing on sticks, symptom spotting everything, getting up 5 times a night to check my temperature, timing sex etc I'd be a very stressed individual!
xx

Congrats on the pregnancy.

I'm not trying to be rude here, but how long did you take to conceive?

I don't want to sound heartless but if this thread is upsetting you so much then maybe you should leave. It really wasn't my intention to upset or offend anyone.

I may not have been affected by the issues but was dissappointed with how I feel a lot of women have been let down by health professionals and the lack of useful knowledge that is out there. And although I'm not in the slightest revered in this field its just something I wanted to bring attention to; based on just what I have been commonly seeing/hearing about. Although it doesn't affect me personally I would appreciate any efforts, ideas and suggestions from anyone that may be able to help in the struggles I face myself.

Despite medical interventions there is still too many cases of 'unexplained/unknown infertility' and I just thought it be useful to look into some of the potential 'ignored' explanations.

I am only in my 2nd cycle ttc, but I do have something to add to the conversation. About a year after the birth of my daughter in 2003 I began taking Ortho Tri-Cyclen Lo, and took it for 7 years straight. I went off of it in April this year and my first two cycles were 51 and 54 days long, with random mid-cycle bleeding during both. I also developed ovarian cysts for the first time in my life shortly after quitting bc pills. Thankfully my 3rd cycle off them (first cycle ttc) was ovulatory, 28 days long, and I haven't had any more cysts that I know of. I definitely believe that such long-term bc useage, be it pill or whatnot, has the ability to throw off our bodies to a point that's questionable. I just wonder what long-term damage if any it has done to my organs. I believe more research on this topic is a must. After countless days of stress, nights of crying my eyes out, sure that I had ruined my chances of having any more children, and a large amount of $ spent on out of pocket expenses for testing and ultrasounds, I have come to the conclusion that condoms or abstinence would have been a better option. I will never go on the pill again.

No, you didn't sound heartless. And I'm not even upset. It's just that you have NO idea how much effort goes into being diagnosed and treated for unexplained infertility. It's not a diagnosis a doctor is going to give you easily. There is a LOT of testing and work involved, and saying that it can be fixed with weight loss and patience after stopping bcp is not at all helpful. In fact, to even get the diagnosis, you have to have had well-timed intercourse for a minimum of 1 year. For most women (certaintly not all) that were on the pill prior to the start of the year, it's out of their system by the end of the year.

I agree that a lot of women have been let down by their doctors.
But, to be honest, EVERY doctor under the sun talks about weight. I REALLY don't think that's the issue. If you are overweight, your doc will tell you. Look at one of the previous posts. She even mentioned that her doc told her to get healthier and loose weight. This, is not taken lightly at all. If a woman was very overweight, she probably wouldn't even be classified as unexplained anyway, b/c there is a probable explanation in her weight.

If you really want to promote eduction to women that are struggling and unexplained, you might want to try looking into thyroid disease, or autoimmune issues. Most docs will check for thyroid troubles while undergoing a battery of tests to determine why they are infertile, but not all will treat appropriately.
And immune issues can be a huge factor. Women may not even know that they have these issues and sadly, most docs don't even test for them, or know to test for them.
I can give you the name of a great book about immune issues in pregnancies if you're intersted. It's quite medical, but very interesting.