Anyone LTTTC unexplained infertility?

[ZekeyMylo2010]

I'm sure there's many of you but I thought I start a thred anyway Ive gone past the 3 years now gutted never did I dream that I'd end here.. But anyway must stay positive.. So yeah no reason why I shouldn't get pregnant according to fertility specialist.. But something not working.. Last month on clomid I begged my doc to give it a shot as if IVF ends up being only way I can have a baby well I have to pay for it myself.. Partner has two kids previously.. So apart from the fact I'm over weight but that's about to change, something clicked and I've said I've got to rule the fact that I'm over weight could be the reason why we aren't catching.. Before I venture down another route I need to rule this out.. And at the moment I can't face IVF I don't feel ready to give up on mother nature just yet.. But every month is such heartache but I've shed soo many tears I can't even cry anymore I just get on with it.. Soo anyone in the same situation then please post it's unfortunate but nice to know we are not alone and can share experiences with each other.. So feel free to say want you want. Good luck to you all I completely understand and feel what you are feeling..

 

[StephieB]

Me

Month 30 or 31 for us (lost count) so coming up to 3 years and apparently we are the perfect example of reproductive health according to all the doctors and fertility specialists. Yeah right!!

I'm currently taking clomid, despite the fact that I already ovulate on my own, although my last 3 rounds haven't really done anything. We did get one BFP almost exactly a year ago (we conceived exactly a year ago today!) but sadly little bean only hung around for 7 weeks. Nothing since then, not even a little hint of a BFP. We've tried absolutely everything, vitamins, horrible herb teas, special diets, stopping EVERYTHING, every lotion and potion imaginable, soft cups, pressed, conceive plus, standing on my head, rubbing a black cat on the stroke of midnight on the day of ovulation and nada!

The month we did get our BFP I was so fed up of being 'fertile friendly' that we drank, ate crap food, did no exercise what so ever, I smoked, pretty much everything in the bad Mum handbook, and we still got a BFP, so I don't do so much religious textbook baby making stuff any more.

I too think my weight might be something to do with it, I'm slightly overweight with a BMI of 27, so am currently trying to loose a stone and a half to get it down. But then when I'm sat eating a stupid salad starving myself to death and DHs morbidly obese cousin (I'm not being dramatic, 5"1 and 19 stone) announces she's expecting her second, I want to bang my head against the table!! So my weight loss is not going so well!

But you are definitely not alone my lovely, we're waiting for a new referral to a FS after moving PCTs, and desperately hoping they find a problem, at this stage I don't even care what it is, I just want to know!

 

[ZekeyMylo2010]

Yeah same here I would rather there be something wrong then nothing.. But I have regular periods and again ovulate on my own.. Clomid was just something I thought might work but no luck yet.. It gets you mad when they say weight affect you but then you see lots of bigger people getting pregnant.. But I'm just frustrated I don't know what else to do?? I'm just pissed off now as everyone bar me Is up the duff or got kids even my younger brother is expecting his first in a couple of months time.. That hit me hard and now I just don't acknowledge other people getting pregnant because I just blank it out.. I do hold out hope that one day It will happen.. I can't get depressed about it or upset anymore I have to carry on.. sometimes I try to cry and I can't.. I'm trying this sperm meets egg plan for another couple of months i think.. and I hope to loose a good 2stone.. X

 

[kristen16]

We have been actively trying for 2 years, for the previous 5 we were ntnp. FS has said that there is nothing wrong with either of us. Lap and Dye came back fine, sperm analysis is fine, ect. Ive been put on Femara to "super ovulate". My weight is normal. I have a feeling IVF may be our only chance

 

[momwannabe81]

Hi there, i am also in the same boat, long story short i've tried with ex 10 years or so ago for about a year, we split and then tried with current husband for a year (9years ago) and found out he's infertile so now we've been trying again for 19 months (i think lol) with fresh sperm donor and still nothing, i've done bw, hsg, clomid 3 months, epo, soy, pre seed rasberry tea and idk what else lol and nothing, i ovulate like clock work and af is like clock work and i've never had a hint of a bfp. Try to stay positive and i still keep trying every month but it's more of a routine now as always leads to bfn, ik it will happen but just wish was sooner rather then later and later. Wish there was something wrong at least we would know how to fix it but when there is nothing wrong it drives me insane with why's!?!??!

 

[MalaMae]

Hi!
I'm new on the forum, but not new to TTC.
It's nice to see that I'm not alone on one hand, but on the other hand- not nice to see how many women are here dealing with the same issues.

I'm 36, TTC for 2 years, regular periods (you can set the clock by them )

Hubby has super-sperm (according to all the doctors we saw!), so he's fine.

All my tests are fine except for low AMH (Anti-Mullerian hormone). For the ones not introduced to this test- it shows the ovarian reserve. Apparently mine is low, but I'm still ovulating on my own normally and it says that I would be bad responder to IVF. When I asked what it means for natural conceiving- they told me they don't know, it's a new test and don't have all the answers. So, why the hell I did it???? And also, why is she giving me clomid or push me towards injections, when she already said I have low ovarian reserve?? I know women that conceived naturally with low AMH. Also, received a compliment from the doctor that I have beautiful uterus (weirdest compliment ever) LOL

BTW, never had positive pregnancy test in my life, which kind of sucks. It would have been nice to know that I'm able to conceive.

I think the medical term "unexplained" needs to be changed to "undiagnosed" There is always an explanation to everything, just fertility specialists have set one path of conducting certain medical procedures and not go beyond that (do monthly cycle monitoring, take clomid, take progesterone, if that doesn't work let's do IUI and again take now injections and progesterone. Oh, that's not working!- let's do IVF!). It's great business for money making. I didn't do IUI or IFV, just once took the clomid pills and obviously didn't work).
So I'm sick of it.

So, here's what I'm doing now. Have a break from doctors for 6 months (and switching to another one for sure). I'm working on increasing the egg quality by taking Maca, Royall Jelly, Omega, B-complex as an addition to the prenatal vitamins. My luteal phase from 12-13 days just increased to 14-15 days! Before I started this in April, my periods were getting shorter from 29 to 26 days. Now they are back to 28-30 days! Any change is good!

Sorry for this long post, but I have nobody to vent to that can actually understand me. And let's not start on people around me announcing pregnancies!

 

[Chatnoir]

Hey all can I jump in this boat too?!
Been ttc for 21 months now, all our tests came back ok and we are considered unexplained. Been prescribed clomid for four months which I will start taking next month. I've heard it doesnt really do much for women who already o on their own, but anything is worth a try! Our FS told us we have to be trying for three years befor we can get nhs funding for ivf and they won't pay for an iui. So all our hopes are with clomid working for us.
It does suck being classed as unexplained, I mean there must be a reason!!!!
I'm not overweight, we don't drink or smoke, generally we are pretty healthy! And both in our 20's!!! It is so frustrating!

 

[StephieB]

I think the medical term "unexplained" needs to be changed to "undiagnosed" There is always an explanation to everything, just fertility specialists have set one path of conducting certain medical procedures and not go beyond that (do monthly cycle monitoring, take clomid, take progesterone, if that doesn't work let's do IUI and again take now injections and progesterone. Oh, that's not working!- let's do IVF!). It's great business for money making. I didn't do IUI or IFV, just once took the clomid pills and obviously didn't work).
So I'm sick of it.

I agree with this whole heartedly!

Been ttc for 21 months now, all our tests came back ok and we are considered unexplained. Been prescribed clomid for four months which I will start taking next month. I've heard it doesnt really do much for women who already o on their own, but anything is worth a try! Our FS told us we have to be trying for three years befor we can get nhs funding for ivf and they won't pay for an iui. So all our hopes are with clomid working for us.
It does suck being classed as unexplained, I mean there must be a reason!!!!
I'm not overweight, we don't drink or smoke, generally we are pretty healthy! And both in our 20's!!! It is so frustrating!

Wow, I could have written that myself! We were TTC for 26 months when we were prescribed 4 months of clomid, like you said, don't know why as it doesn't really do anything for woman who already ovulate, surprise surprise that hasnt worked, and we can't do anything further until we've been TTC for 3 years. Luckily for us thats (or unlucky as teh case may be) thats now 6 months away, but its just stupid!

We've actually made the decision to do egg-sharing. I know it's not for everyone, but I'm really passionate about giving it a go, and with a cycle of IVF only costing £750 at the fertility clinic as an egg sharer, we're now going down that route. As much as I appreciate the NHS, my hatred of them grows with every passing month!

 

[Feisty Fidget]

Not sure if I can join you lovelies as we have fallen twice (carried both to exactly 6+1 until MMC) But we took a long, long, long time to conceive between each pregnancy despite being the picture of fertile health

Have had 12 rounds of clomid, going to move onto injectables (ovarian cancer risk increases after 12 clomid cycles) and then plan for our next miscarriage so we can finally get tested to see if there is a reason we lose at 6+1. We too are approaching 3 years and I have always feared that we would have fertility issues, but it sucks that I was right

 

[StephieB]

Not sure if I can join you lovelies as we have fallen twice (carried both to exactly 6+1 until MMC) But we took a long, long, long time to conceive between each pregnancy despite being the picture of fertile health

Have had 12 rounds of clomid, going to move onto injectables (ovarian cancer risk increases after 12 clomid cycles) and then plan for our next miscarriage so we can finally get tested to see if there is a reason we lose at 6+1. We too are approaching 3 years and I have always feared that we would have fertility issues, but it sucks that I was right

So sorry to hear of your losses of corse you can join us! I too have gotten pregnant once, a year ago, but nothing since.

12 rounds of clomid sound like a large amount, I assume you ovulate normally?

 

[Sizzles]

I think the medical term "unexplained" needs to be changed to "undiagnosed" There is always an explanation to everything, just fertility specialists have set one path of conducting certain medical procedures and not go beyond that.

Here Here!

We're just coming up to 2.5 years of ttc. 'Unexplained' as all mine and OH's tests have come back fine. Seeing a FS next month when I'm told they'll probably refer me for IVF, which I'm soooo hoping to avoid by falling naturally! So much so that I'm currently receiving acupuncture treatment for fertility and I've restarted a thread in the chatty area of b&b (can't remember what the location is called!) to do with TCM (traditional chinese medicine) if anyone else is also going down that route, it'd be great to chat over there.
Any way, I'm 34, hubby is 41 (only just, on both counts! It's important!) and I've never seen that elusive second line, despite many a test!

 

[Chatnoir]

Think we will pay out for an iui privately if clomid doesn't work for us as our nhs trust doesn't cover iui's.
It's strange cos we knew we would have trouble conceiving, there was no reason for us to think that but we did. And hear we nearly two years later still trying.... I hate being right sometimes!

 

[MalaMae]

Hi Ladies!

Sizzles, I'm planning to start acupuncture and TCM in the fall. Please keep us posted how is it for you, if you notice any change, improvement and most important if you get pregnant.

Feisty Fidget, sorry to hear about the MC. It's horrible thing to happen after so much struggle to get pregnant. But if it's any consolation, at least you know you can get pregnant. Not like some of us that have never seen positive line.
StehieB is right, 12 rounds of clomid sounds a lot. I was reading that 6 months would be the max.

 

[Feisty Fidget]

Feisty Fidget, sorry to hear about the MC. It's horrible thing to happen after so much struggle to get pregnant. But if it's any consolation, at least you know you can get pregnant. Not like some of us that have never seen positive line.
StehieB is right, 12 rounds of clomid sounds a lot. I was reading that 6 months would be the max.

I used to think that it would always be better to know we could fall pregnant, but now we are facing the reality that something within my body is stopping the pregnancy from progressing, I am not so sure Infertility is hard enough, but now we are getting to grips with the possibility that I may never be able to carry to viable stage too.

Sizzles, accupuncture and TCM is also my next port of call

 

[Sizzles]

MalaMae and Feisty - join me in the TCM chat when you get there! For now I shall update on that forum (is it still called a forum if it's a chat thread??) If the unthinkable happens, I'll defo put it on there (assuming I continue it, which I shall only do if others join me) but will try to remember this thread too, but I often forget which threads I've posted on and where they were etc. etc.!

Re the acupuncture, so far I've noticed that she brought on my period straight away; I usually come on in the morning and had said I thought I was due the next day or the day after, and af had arrived by bedtime. Also, my ov day tended to be cd11 or 12, and she's pushed it back to cd13 (aiming for 14 as she said that's more healthy.) So I'm already seeing results of sorts.

Would love to have company over there!

 

[MalaMae]

Re the acupuncture, so far I've noticed that she brought on my period straight away; I usually come on in the morning and had said I thought I was due the next day or the day after, and af had arrived by bedtime. Also, my ov day tended to be cd11 or 12, and she's pushed it back to cd13 (aiming for 14 as she said that's more healthy.) So I'm already seeing results of sorts.

So as I understood, your acupuncturist said if ovulation happens later is better? Well, in that case I managed to push my ovulation by myself from 12-13 to 14-15 day with ALL the supplements I'm taking (Maca, Royall Jelly etc...).
Here is what one FS from Toronto wrote: "Ideally ovulation will occur days 11 or 12. Delayed ovulation -day 13 or later- is not a sign of egg quality concerns; in fact, it is more commonly a sign of an excess ovarian reserve, generally a good thing. But early ovulation -days 8,9, or 10 of the cycle- implies lower quality eggs."
Well, I don't know about "excess ovarian reserve" since I have low AMH, but sounds reassuring
Also he says: "Long cycles are ok, but short cycles are not. If previously-28-day-cycles are now 26 days, it suggests egg quality is failing. Cycles are shorter because of the early ovulation and shortened luteal phases described above." This is exactly what happened to me and with the superfoods I managed to go back to 28-30 days period. Yay!! I hope I succeeded to improve the quality.

 

[StephieB]

Hi Ladies!

Sizzles, I'm planning to start acupuncture and TCM in the fall. Please keep us posted how is it for you, if you notice any change, improvement and most important if you get pregnant.

Feisty Fidget, sorry to hear about the MC. It's horrible thing to happen after so much struggle to get pregnant. But if it's any consolation, at least you know you can get pregnant. Not like some of us that have never seen positive line.
StehieB is right, 12 rounds of clomid sounds a lot. I was reading that 6 months would be the max.

Having experiences a loss and having to try for 2 years before that, and now we're a year after, I can personally say that they are both terrible and I don't think seeing a BFP and having it snatched away is any consolation. Clomid, IUI and IVF can help to achieve a pregnancy, but it doesn't gaurentee a viable pregnancy. I think its like a never ending vicious cycle this will definitely not go for everyone, but I honestly think I wish I'd never conceived at all than see that BFP, experience the sheer euphoria after 2 years of TTC, only for it to be taken away 2 weeks later

I hope I don't come across as a big cow bag in that message, I don't mean to.

 

[Feisty Fidget]

Malamae it really is amazing how much supplements can help! This is why I am keen to try the TCM

Stephie, I completely understand where you are coming from both are horrid experiences. When you don't fall it is the worry of what is wrong and if you will ever manage, but when you lose a baby it is the worry that the vicious cycle will never result in anything but heartache.

 

[MalaMae]

Having experiences a loss and having to try for 2 years before that, and now we're a year after, I can personally say that they are both terrible and I don't think seeing a BFP and having it snatched away is any consolation. Clomid, IUI and IVF can help to achieve a pregnancy, but it doesn't gaurentee a viable pregnancy. I think its like a never ending vicious cycle this will definitely not go for everyone, but I honestly think I wish I'd never conceived at all than see that BFP, experience the sheer euphoria after 2 years of TTC, only for it to be taken away 2 weeks later

I hope I don't come across as a big cow bag in that message, I don't mean to.

StephieB, I understand you. I don't know what's worse- not ever getting pregnant or getting and then miscarrying. Just sucks!!!

 

[StephieB]

I think pretty much all infertility can just jog on!!