Where do I start to test myself for Infertility?

[wannabeprego]

Hi ladies,

Where do I start to test myself for Infertility? Can I just go to a gynecologist to start out for testing? My DH has a low sperm count after his vasectomy reversal which took place about 14 years ago. The reversal was in October 2009, so it is going on over a year for us TTC.

I am thinking of going to get some fertility testing done to see if anything is going on with me that could be preventing me from getting pregnant. I had a routine gyno exam about a year ago and everything was normal from what the gyno said and they tested for STD's which were negative. I dont even know where to start though. I was thinking about calling a gyno in the new state I recently moved to recently over the summer, to see if they could do one of those sonograms to look at my ovaries and everything else to make sure everything looks normal. I know that I ovulate regularly every month because I do OPK's and get a positive one like clock work on or around the 13th day of my cycle. I also have taken those pee tests from first response that test for normal FSH levels and it shows that I am normal. i am just worried that my tubes are blocked or that there is something else going on that i dont know about which is preventing me from getting pregnant.

I want to find out about maybe taking a fertility drug if it would help increase my chances of getting pregnant since DH has a low count after his vasectomy reversal. I am assuming that a gyno could prescribe something to me. It has been over a year since DH had his reversal and I am so tired of waiting for it to happen 4 us, i want to be proactive and do something to help this process along!!! My health insurance only covers the diagnosis of infertility and not the treatment, so the testing to find out what is wrong should be covered by my insurance at a minimum... I hate not knowing what is going on, i need some piece of mind so i can know that even though DH has a low sperm count that it is not actually me causing the problem.

How did you ladies that are facing infertility problems find out what was wrong, and how and where did you start the testing for it?

 

[Amb434]

Hi there!

I can tell you from my experience, I started out with my OB. She never did any testing or anything, she just started me out on Clomid. I did 3 cycles of Clomid with her, which all failed. She then referred me to a Fertility Specialist, which did all kinds of testing - Sperm Analysis on hubby, HSG for me to see if I had blocked tubes, etc. He then tried one more cycle of Clomid with me before moving me on to injectables + IUI.

Just talk to your OB, they usually won't take you too far before referring you to an FS. But, if you don't want to wait, I'm sure you can go straight to an FS. They're just hella expensive!

Good luck and feel free to ask more questions!

 

[wannabeprego]

Thanks for the advice Amb!!! I think I will start out with an OBGYN and see what they suggest regarding my fertility testing options for myself. Good luck and baby dust to you hun. I hope you get your soon hun!!!

 

[Amb434]

No problem! Here's hoping you won't have to wait long for your BFP!

 

[seoj]

I would start with your OB- for CD3 blood work etc... you'll want to have them check your FSH, LH, Estrodial and thyroid (to rule anything out on your end).

If you do go on Clomid- see if they can at least do the mid-cycle scan to make sure your follicles respond well and you don't develop any cysts. My FS highly recommends this and it's a must at their clinic. It might be a good idea to talk with a FS as well- I'm taking Clomid in conjunction with doing IUI (intrauterine Insemination) to give us the best odds. My hubbies motility/morphology are a bit low after his VR and I have higher FSH levels.

Best of luck to you hun! Hope this is the path that leads you to that BFP!!!!!

 

[JaniceT]

Wishing you all the best. My OH also had a reversal done but it was after more than 20 years. Do try to BD as much as possible after reversal because apparently the longer it gets, scaring will occur and may block his tubes again.

My FS is also an OBGYN so he did all the fertility tests for me which included bloods, hormone levels and an internal check. He asked me a lot of my history too. I also learned that any previous history of STDs will decrease the chances of fertility. For my OH, he had a blood test and sperm assay.

All the best to you on your journey

 

[PR&TR13]

Hey wannabeprego,

Like you said I think you should start out with your OB. I had talked to mine before we even started he told me to only try for 6 months and if no positive that to be proactive and we could get started on the process so we didn't wait to long. During those 6 months I did do some OPK test to make sure I was ovulating and was able to tell my OB exactly when I was, which was a few days later than what he would have wanted me to so after the 6 months he ordered an SA on DH and clomid for me. When it was time to check my follicles we got our SA results and it showed DH had low count and motility (only 10% good none excellent) so he refered us to a FS. The FS told us that before he gave me more clomid or anything he wanted to do an HSG test to make sure that my tubes were clear cause he didn't want us to waist $$. I never thought that the problem was me cause I at least O'd but he said that you can have your tubes blocked and still o. My insurance doesn't cover so it was about $300 and I remember that day that I found out that both my tubes were blocked, I cryed the whole way home (thank God DH was with me). Not only did we have to deal with his fertility issues but mine as well. So the chances of us having a baby just kept decreasing.

Then the FS had us schedule a Lap & Hystorasocpy to open my tubes a few weeks later, he found that I had a cyst on my left side and both of the fingers of my fallopian tubes were "sticking together" and not letting the egg go down the tube so he opened them but said that we needed to work fast cause they can close again. I read online that those fingers are not easy to unstick and that surgery is usually unsucessful. But he said he did it and wanted us to try IUI (artificial insemination) the following month because of all the fertility problems. And thanks to the good Lord above we got our prayers answered. IUI worked the first try!!!!!!

All of this happened in exactly 1 year. We were on our 1 year aniversary of ttc when we got our BFP.

So don't be afraid to be proactive and definitley start with your OB. But be sure to tell him/her that you've done the OPK test and how long you've been ttc. A lot of OB's won't look at you till you've gone a whole year.

Best of luck and let us know how it goes!!!!!

 

[wannabeprego]

Thanks for all of the great advice and for sharing your stories with me girls. they are all very helpful!!!

 

[wannabeprego]

Wishing you all the best. My OH also had a reversal done but it was after more than 20 years. Do try to BD as much as possible after reversal because apparently the longer it gets, scaring will occur and may block his tubes again.

My FS is also an OBGYN so he did all the fertility tests for me which included bloods, hormone levels and an internal check. He asked me a lot of my history too. I also learned that any previous history of STDs will decrease the chances of fertility. For my OH, he had a blood test and sperm assay.

All the best to you on your journey

https://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh126/izzybee22/24294.gif

 

[wannabeprego]

Hey wannabeprego,

Like you said I think you should start out with your OB. I had talked to mine before we even started he told me to only try for 6 months and if no positive that to be proactive and we could get started on the process so we didn't wait to long. During those 6 months I did do some OPK test to make sure I was ovulating and was able to tell my OB exactly when I was, which was a few days later than what he would have wanted me to so after the 6 months he ordered an SA on DH and clomid for me. When it was time to check my follicles we got our SA results and it showed DH had low count and motility (only 10% good none excellent) so he refered us to a FS. The FS told us that before he gave me more clomid or anything he wanted to do an HSG test to make sure that my tubes were clear cause he didn't want us to waist $$. I never thought that the problem was me cause I at least O'd but he said that you can have your tubes blocked and still o. My insurance doesn't cover so it was about $300 and I remember that day that I found out that both my tubes were blocked, I cryed the whole way home (thank God DH was with me). Not only did we have to deal with his fertility issues but mine as well. So the chances of us having a baby just kept decreasing.

Then the FS had us schedule a Lap & Hystorasocpy to open my tubes a few weeks later, he found that I had a cyst on my left side and both of the fingers of my fallopian tubes were "sticking together" and not letting the egg go down the tube so he opened them but said that we needed to work fast cause they can close again. I read online that those fingers are not easy to unstick and that surgery is usually unsucessful. But he said he did it and wanted us to try IUI (artificial insemination) the following month because of all the fertility problems. And thanks to the good Lord above we got our prayers answered. IUI worked the first try!!!!!!

All of this happened in exactly 1 year. We were on our 1 year aniversary of ttc when we got our BFP.

So don't be afraid to be proactive and definitley start with your OB. But be sure to tell him/her that you've done the OPK test and how long you've been ttc. A lot of OB's won't look at you till you've gone a whole year.

Best of luck and let us know how it goes!!!!!

https://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh126/izzybee22/congratsonthepregnancy.gif