What I'm doing differently, looking for suggestions.

[hayleigh451]

I tried for two years with my ex husband and while I try to convince myself 'things happen for a reason' it doesn't really take away from the fact that it made me really depressed and hate my body. After I left my husband I got together with the most amazing man ever. He has a son from a previous relationship and while I love him like he's my own, I really want to hold my own little wiggling mini me.

When I was with my ex I tried ALL sorts of things, up to and including Clomid. I had my ex on all kinds of supplements, I was taking a ton but looking back I realized I wasn't take any prenatals. We would BD every day or every other day and I would do the whole 'leg in the air' thing.

I've recently changed my approach. I've declined doing another few cycles of clomid and instead started taking Evening Primrose Oil (1,000mg once at night), and prenatals. I have also purchased some Pre-Seed because I have never been one to have EWCM. I also purchased some of the 'soft cups' to use after sex to help keep his little swimmers in the pool. I ordered some OPKs from ebay and I'm waiting for them to come in.

What are some of your routines and tips? I'm trying to just 'let it happen', but after 24+ months of trying in a previous relationship, and after being off birth control for 6 months and not having any success I'm getting frustrated again. I've been trying really to not be stressed out at work and even though I got a BFN I was two weeks late and got my period this morning (7-7) but it was the biggest relief ever. I was so happy because it meant I was just looking at another chance.

 

[Mrshopful]

Hi hayleigh451

I'm sorry to here it's taking you so long, I'm on cycle 13 atm so can't imagine what 24+ feels like.
Have you spoken to a gp about any tests they could do? I'm currently getting blood tests done to make sure I'm ovulating and also had a internal ultrasound done to check my ovaries and uterus.

As for routine I just make sure my OH and I take our vitamins, I take seven seas and he takes wellman. I would defiantly say to use OPKs, they are brilliant for me as my cycles can vary. I use cheap eBay ones that seem to work. I was recommended to get two different brands and use both in the same month to make sure the readings come out the same as some OPKs don't work for some people. I used the cheap eBay ones and some clear blue ones, just a little tip.
My OH and I BD every two days and then when we get a positive OPK try and do it for 3 solid days. I also lay with my legs in the air.
I haven't tried soft cups but I know they have worked for some ladies so worth giving them a go.

I know how difficult it is not to get stressed out about the whole ttc think and most of the time I fail badly. Currently 6 days late and not pregnant and I think it's because iv been very stressed about it this month which is the worst thing as it's now messed up my cycle even more. For once I can't wait for a period lol.

I really hope one of the new things you are trying helps, fx you get a BFP soon.

 

[TTC First]

I understand where you are coming from, we tried for years also.

After a lot of trial an error, I discovered what I need in order to get PG. In my case I need an IUI...then progesterone...and aspirin. IUI gets the swimmers in there....progesterone gets me my BFP....and aspirin prevents a MMC.

I need to have all three in order to get PG and stay PG. In the fist cycle of doing all three I got my BFP and I am now 31 weeks.

 

[hayleigh451]

I had an ultrasound in November and a lap in December which showed that everything was completely normal and the surgeon even commented that I had a 'very healthy looking uterus and ovaries'. I had some blood work done in March/April and all of my hormone levels came back normal. My gyno thinks it may be stress related, and even though she's referred me to a fertility specialist and I have just been to nervous to actually make an appointment. I'm still waiting for my OPKs to come in, but I finally got my period! Haha. I've never been so excited to get my period but I knew it was late because I was stressed and I just wanted to get it over with and start my next cycle.

 

[Renaendel]

Moving to my reproductive endocrinologist from my OB was the best thing I ever did. It ended up helping rather than causing more stress. My OB had done my laparoscopy and several ultrasounds. She said there was no reason why I could not get pregnant. Fast forward to my RE. My first saline sonohystogram with her and we find out my uterus is completely full of polyps and no way could I support a pregnancy. Laparoscopies simply can not see inside your uterus. It can be really tricky to spot polyps and fibroids on an ultrasound if you have a thick uterine lining. I never should have listened to the OB when they declared my uterus ok, without being actually able to see inside of it, but I didn't know any better.

I would ask yourself what would cause more stress, seeing the fertility specialist or spending another year trying. Set a deadline for yourself. If I am not pregnant in X cycles then I will make an appointment. My RE booked two months out. I decided to try three cycles on my own without the OB and just set up my appointment for my goal date. Every period was a little easier because it meant I was one month closer to help. I wish I had gone sooner, this September marks 48 months for me.

Like the others the time was a signal I needed more than natural help. We look great for ivf and removed the polyps, my tubes don't work so no iui, I am on a gluten free diet for my autoimmune, for the first time in years there is a chance.

Also if stress caused that many birth failures then why aren't there more miscarriages and infertility problems in war torn countries? The just relax and it will happen is meant for those fertile people who can blink at someone and get pregnant. (A great comment from my RE)

 

[lisap2008]

Fertility friend says I am starting cycle 50 of actively TTC sence my first miscarriage, just got AF today,
we found out back in 2009 that my husband had a slightly low sperm count so we know thats whats making it so difficult to conceive , we were advised to start IVF but we had already got pregnant once naturally so we were hopeful it could happen again. but now I am getting older and I realize it may not happen naturally again.

Trying anyway against the odds, what I am doing different :
losing weight at the moment while I wait for my husbands sperm count to increase ,
he is on many natural supplements to help raise sperm count , and I have been taking NatureWise Ubiquinol with Clinically Tested Kaneka QH, the Active Form of CoQ10, 200 mg a day and PQQ 20 mg a day for egg health plus prenatal vitamins and extra folate for 7 months now, weird thing is I have been responding very well to clomid but having no 2ww symptoms anymore not for the past 3 cycles. I am taking a break from clomid too as I know its not good for uterine lining and I am mostly focusing on weight loss .

Our Plan A is wait for 3 months for his count to increase meanwhile I am getting to a healthy weight then we will try injectables with IUI .

Our plan B is if I am not pregnant by spring or summer 2016 try IVF with donor eggs or donor embryo's.

 

[2have4kids]

I was diagnosed with DOR in 2012 with less than 5% chance of conceiving with my own eggs and since then have got pregnant naturally twice while losing weight. The first time wound up in mc and this second is good but only possibly because I'm being treated for immune issues. We tried iui 3 times, DH has great swimmers, then IVF 3 times, I failed to respond to the drugs even tho I'd lost 60 lbs to ensure being over weight didn't interfere with me being able to respond to gonadotropins (fat blocks hormones & drugs from working properly). Then we tried 2 DE ivf's and when I mc twins the second time I sent bloodwork to a reproductive immunology clinic (Dr. Alan Beers clinic in California) where I was diagnosed with 3 different issues. I was treated, tried DE IVF twice after that and got pregnant naturally 6 months after the last immune treatment for IVF -> we had just jumped through all the hoops for adoption and actively on the list and gearing up for our last ever IVF. I was waiting forAF to one and it never did. I was so angry that my body was so broken and decided to 'waste another test'. I didn't even remember that month! Usually we use the cbefm, soft cups, pre-seed, everything you mentioned. This time I was trying to lose weight before our next trip to Europe forDE IVF.

As soon as I got the surprise bfp I called up the immunologist - I was not about to mc this one if I could do anything to help it! I got on prednisone, progesterone, baby aspirin, and lovenox/Celexane blood thinners. When we saw the baby kicking at 12 weeks we both broke into tears. We'd never made it this far. Keep trying ladies, and when something doesn't feel right, try something different. During my weight loss times where Igot pregnant I was doing cardio & weights and a low carb, high protein diet. I will try this again for #2 as soon as I'm healed up and can get back to the gym and get the BMI down to a low healthy zone. But I have no doubts that even if I do get lucky with a second, if I want to carry to term I'll need to treat for immune issues. Immune issues can cause failure to implant, repeat mc, and late term losses. They are really quite common and rarely ever spoken about amongst ltttc ladies. Testing & diagnosis can be expensive but totally worth it if you think there may be something else going on. Red flags for immune issues are arthritis in the family, unknown IF, recurrent mc, Chrones disease or IBS in the family, stroke, family history of aneurism or cardiac events (strong indicator for Thrombophelia or AntiPhospholipid antibodies (both of which I tested positive for as well as out of range LAD scores.