TTC 13 months - losing hope

October 19, 2016 at 10:49 amI don't really have any personal experience in this area, but I just wanted to offer my support and encouragement.  Lots of hugs!

 

I have to say, though - I'm surprised that your doctor didn't consider IUI (intrauterine insemination) if she feels that your cervix may be a cause for concern...  Clomid would induce ovulation, but she has concerns about the sperm getting through your cervix, IUI might be the next step instead of IVF.

 

I hope there will be others who have gone through similar experiences who are able to respond and offer you more advice and guidance.  Good luck!!

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October 22, 2016 at 7:14 amHi there

This might not be up your street but I've had a miracle change of cycle this month following 'mizan therapy' and fertilaid -- my uterus seems to have moved into a better alignment, I can now feel my cervix properly because it isn't tilted left, and my temperatures have been even and I've ovulated about four days early.  Sometimes I don't think doctors consider/put enough weight on the position of the uterus and it's ability to replenish itself every month.  It may be that you've tried this or something similar.  I'm beginning to think the old ways of doing things are worth a good go before going drastic with ivf etc. 

Feel free to join us on the group TTC chat on the general TTC board. x

 

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October 22, 2016 at 2:07 pmWe have been trying now for the same amount of time and I feel your pain.  I also had the HSG but at that time we were not trying - it was just to make sure I could get pregnant.  I also get regular scans each month to try and see if that can help us.  Currently on day 23 and my cycles range from 29 - 36 days, however, according to ovulation tests this time i have ovulated early - than i ever have.  Really hope this is our cycle and that I get to meet our baby in July :).  It is a stressful time but I suppose the more we worry the longer it will take.  Baby dust to us all. xxx

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October 25, 2016 at 7:00 amWell, as my username suggests, I prefer more natural ways of doing things and wanted to throw this out there. If its not your cup of tea, feel free to ignore!

Ever since I started my own health journey several years ago, I've heard lots of stories of women who have been trying to get pregnant for a long time, done a cleanse, and were able to get pregnant within a couple months. Many times we would be shocked to know the kinds of chemicals and pollutants our bodies hang on to because they don't know what to do with them. I encourage you to focus on optimum health for yourself so that 1. You will have a healthy pregnancy and 2. You will be a healthy mommy! Now, we have been TTA for the entire 5 years of our marriage and have been using FAM for over 3 of those years (I had a health crisis/epiphany in early 2013). This month is the first month I feel like we had a solid "oops" and that pregnancy might actually happen. And by "we had an oops" I mean my husband had an oops. He had fair warning! Lol. And yes, I know my chart only goes back two other months and last month was so wonky. A 10 day vacation will do that. I've been using FAM but not charting for these three years.

So anyways, I just wanted to plant that bug in your ear, see if its something that piques your interest. I always feel like its worth starting with the safest and easiest fertility method and working up to the most complicated and expensive. YMMV. Hope you have a good week! Try and take some time for yourself to release some stress too!

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October 30, 2016 at 3:33 amI think it would be good to have a thread on here about healthy eating and exercise to see if that will help. I have decided I am going to try and do a 2 week detox and begin running 3 times a week starting next week. I am on day 3 of my cycle and we have been trying since last September but I do feel my OH job has a lot to do with our timing as he works away. Fingers crossed for a new cycle. I think the most upsetting part is all the waiting - it is not as if you can start trying straight away :(.

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October 30, 2016 at 3:54 am"Hurry up & wait" is the phrase I always think of.

There is a board for overcoming infertility naturally but I don't think there are any recent posts there. But I bet there's some info to be found in the older posts.

I feel you on the timing thing with your partner (sorry, I forget half the acronyms on here, what does OH stand for??). My hubs worked 2nd/3rd shift for 2.5 years which worked awesome when you're TTA. A month on first shift and I'm buying hpt's. YOU WILL GET THERE TOO!

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October 30, 2016 at 11:47 amIt really is so difficult when you meet with friends and they are all occupied with a little one and then you get the question - Do you not fancy having one?.  If only they knew eh. 

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November 2, 2016 at 7:57 pmI have been the fertility doctor route! I would recommend finding a good doctor and before doing expensive procedures like iui or ivf I would have one cycle of full monitoring. Starting cd 3 go get an ultra sound they should measure ur lining of ur uterus, ur follicles, and test ur blood to see if ur hormones have reset. Then start u on Clomid or fermara. I preferred fermara because it didn't thin out my lining. Around ovulation they can measure ur follicles, ur lining, and hormone levels. After ovulation go back and have them confirm ovulation and ur lining. If u have a lining deficiency (anything less than 8mm) then u can take baby aspirin to help with blood flow! If you have low progesterone u can try vitamin B as well as progesterone supplements. And they can check ur cervix opening at ovulation to see if it's opening. Hsg is usually done around day 3 and ur cervix may not be open then but that doesn't mean it isn't open. You can also have a test done with ur fertile mucus and hubbys sperm to see if they're compatible. That might shed more light on what's going on with ur body. Its rare but some people have low progesterone but have regular literal phase and some women have thin lining or hostile mucus. This one cycle would give you a better idea of what's going on with ur body and was the best part of seeing an RE.

In my experience, I didn't have a thorough doctor. He showed no concern when my lining was at a 4 during ovulation or that I had a cyst during one cycle that they called a follicle and then triggered me before my body was ready to ovulate. It measured at 30mm then and is not considered a viable egg in the medical community so I don't know what they were thinking. Anything between 15mm and 24mm is considered good. If I had known this before hand I would have realized sooner that my attempts were wasted and I feel they were pushing me to ivf. I don't think I need it and its not a cure all especially if you have progesterone issues or lining issues. 

Another thing to consider is ur TSH levels for ur thyroid. U might be in the "normal" range according to the test but experienced doctors know that for pregnancy ur levels should be between around 1 and 2.5 not the 0 to 5 range the test says. Are ur cycles normal? Mine were slightly elongated and showed pcos. I was ovulating but not able to time correctly until I got on metformin and my thyroid medicine.

I would just highly recommend having one cycle fully monitored before going to iui or ivf. I would pick a doctor u really trust to give u a good answer as opposed to one that's looking to make more money off u! U have options and it could be something very simple. Even if u still have to do iui or ivf it might give u a better understanding of how u and ur hubbys sperm interact and what's going to be ur best option. I wish I had done that first. I didn't know the medical standards and trusted my doctor. I was upset when I found out my lining was too thin and the cyst. They basically took my money and didn't take the time to slow down and give me the best shot because they wanted me to go to ivf. After all that I learned my body is working fine. We needed a donor not ivf and that the meds messed me up but fermara worked good. So I think it would give u more info to make ur decision!

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November 2, 2016 at 8:01 pmSorry for the typos. I got a new phone and it likes to auto correct incorrectly. Hopefully u understand what I was talking about!

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November 7, 2016 at 6:57 pmIt is very hard to deal with. I totally understand. I hope things go well at your appointment and you feel comfortable with your doctor! Good luck and don't give up yet. There could be something out there that's an easyish fix and will get u to ur baby. I almost lost hope when I got a double whammy of pcos and hypothyroidism. 3 years later and failed iuis I now have a regular cycle and am on day 14 past my ovulation waiting to see if maybe this is my month. I feel a thousand times better this go around with timing and our donor being known and my health! If this is my month then I wouldn't trade all those heartbreaking years for anything because I feel this is right if that makes any sense.

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November 9, 2016 at 2:39 pmHi kminnick - thank you for sharing! My husband and I have been ttc since March this year, perhaps we haven't been doing it right, but I've started seeing specialists and pushing my OB to refer me to an RE, whom I've seen, and had my blood work done. I go in for an HSG tomorrow, and my husband is working on getting his results sorted (looking forward to finding out). I agree on cleanse/reset - although I have not done so myself, and can barely find time to work out, glad we have a dog so I can take walks at least. I've started accupuncture, for a few reason's, one is because I've done accupuncture for other health issues before (sinus infections, threw out my back, IBS). Perhaps it's all in my head and I find the holistic approach soothing and helpful, but studies show it may help. If you decide to seek accupuncture, someone with a fertility certification is best to look for. I've had 4 sessions so far, I'm approaching my ovulation - I think, I've started taking my BBT this month and am learning to chart, perhaps we've been doing it all wrong. I'm sending support and baby dust your way. I know it's hard and frustrating, and not having a positive mind doesn't help. 

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