First Fertility Clinic Appointment Tomorrow

@Flutterby8 I'm 38 this month. Been actively ttc for just over a year now. If contraception since June 2018. This would be our first.

Thanks for your reply @paintfairy and confirming the result ranges are the same as @Juno231 mentioned.

I've been temping for a while now and while I know it isn't 100% accurate as I am a shift worker so it isn't taken the same time every day, it does give me an outline of what's happening. I started using the Clear Blue Advance OPK's 2 months ago and I think they really helped me know when the right time to DTD is. As you mentioned @Juno231, trying to get DH to DTD every 2-3 days throughout the month would be near impossible so this does help.
But they do stress me to some extent as I've had high readings which then return to low and then back to high before a peak. It isn't as straight forward as I hoped it would be!
If people don't mind me asking, how long have you been TTC for and how old are you?
I'm 36, off contraception for almlst 3 years now, not actively trying all that time but not taking precautions. Been trying properly for a while but not a sign of a positive so far.

@Flutterby8 tbh I'm not sure how to increase progesterone with supplements. Might be worth reading it starts with the egg? I do both opks and bbt and don't find it stressful at all. In fact I think not tracking would stress me out more as I'd always be wondering if I'd ovulated and second guessing myself. Tbf that's because OH would never be able to DTD 3-4 times a week so I rely on my tracking to make sure we hit the right days 😅.

@Flutterby8 I've just checked my results. It was 47. And the ranges noted as being needed on it, are the same as what @Juno231 posted above. So no idea what you GP is on about.
I don't bother with opks or temping any more. The temping particularly stresses me. But my cycle is pretty regular. So it depends whether it stresses you or not? If it doesn't then I think it's fine to do.

@Flutterby8 I think I read a study that showed high doses of vitamin c throughout the cycle helped with progesterone. But it may be that you would be helped to get a stronger ovulation by something like clomid.

Thanks @dogmam - for now I’m staying private. The dr said I should be eligible to have the polyp removed on the NHS because of the small cancer risk and because I have family history on the maternal line. However she also said that pretty much nothing is happening on the NHS at the moment, so it would likely be a long wait. So I’m just paying for the hysteroscopy. If it comes to IVF I’ll probably try to get on the NHS list, but again it depends on the wait. I’m just not willing to wait that long if it can be avoided.

@Juno231 thank you for the ranges, they confirm what I thought they should be from extensive google searches!

If my progesterone levels are too low, is there anyyhing I can do before the referral to help this at all?
I'm taking Folic Acid, but just a cheap supermarket own brand as I heard some brands can really mess with your cycles?
Any honest reviews on supplements that have helped and not expended your cycles?

Is anyone else here taking their BBT daily or using OPK's?
Do you think it is still worth doing or does it just add additional stress?
I'm currently doing both. I do find it helpful but I dont want to become that person who becomes obsessed with it all!

@Flutterby8 Your GP sounds like an idiot. Mine told me it needed doing 7 days before I thought my period was due. My cycles are slightly short so it meant mine was before day 21. But at least she knew that! 🙄 My result was 40 something on my first one. No idea on the next as I lost interest after the nurses needed to do 100 of the bloody things.

@Kitekat81 I'm not 39 yet (only just 38 this month) but I will be if they drag their feet and make me wait a year. IYSWIM. We've been trying just over a year.

@Flutterby8 I've attached the NICE guidelines you can use if anyone pushes back on your concerns. 6 DPO won't have changed much I don't think, although perhaps you would have been just over the 30 threshold. It's good to have it looked at now anyway in case 30 is high enough to indicate ovulation but too low to sustain a pregnancy? From memory a day 21 test should be fine as long as it's taken between 6-9dpo. Mine wasn't bang on 7dpo either as that fell on a Sunday unfortunately.

@Juno231 I honestly don't think the GP really understood. As it was a 21 day progesterone, she insisted on 21 days. I see where she is coming from but its not useful if your cycles are longer than 28 days!
Even going later than day 21 I still had a low result which I am frustrated about.
On the report though it says that for mid luteal timing the range is 12-49mmol/l.
So in theory, I am bang in the middle. But not high enough to suggest ovulation definitely happened.
If I had the bloods 8 days before my period is due (I misjudged by 1 day), would it still be lower than normal even if I ovulated?
I don't know how quick progesterone rises and when it falls back.

@Flutterby8 silly of the gp not to let you move the test to a more appropriate day! Mine was on CD26 to accommodate for an ovulation that wasnt on CD14 - which most aren't! Mine was 62 at that point though. 24 isn't within the normal range I was given I don't think - I was told it had to be over 30 so definitely push for further investigations as you might need clomid potentially?

@Flutterby8 I think generally they look for it to be over 30, so 24 sounds borderline. I initially had mine on the wrong day and it came back as 9! It sounds like a lot of GPs don’t have a good understanding of fertility tests. And I might be wrong but I think the ranges they give are mostly just averages, not what’s optimal for fertility.

Hi @dogmam we crossed paths on one of the other threads. I’m glad to hear that investigations are progressing for you. I’m interested to hear how things continue for you.

I’ve been pushing things through privately (applied for a new credit card...) and also chose a female specialist. DP SA was normal, although morphology right on the bottom end of normal. He’s taking a supplement now.

I’ve had the day 21 test (normal) and the delightful “wand” scan, which showed things were mostly normal but picked up a polyp and that my lining is a bit thin (she said that might be due to interference from the polyp). Interestingly I have felt almost from the start that it was implantation that was the issue for us. Of course that is yet to be fully proven but it is the only abnormality picked up so far.

She referred me for a hycosy earlier this month. Tubes clear but confirmed the polyp right in the best location for an embryo to implant. Typical. Interestingly following other comments in this thread, the doctor who did the hycosy specifically said that I did not need to abstain afterwards and we could continue to ttc as normal. Perhaps it depends on the fluid they use. Mine was just saline. I was worried after reading lots of bad experiences but for me it was fine. A little bit uncomfortable but that’s all. I didn’t even have bleeding afterwards.

Now I am trying to get a hysteroscopy to remove the polyp and have an initial consultation next week. Unfortunately that one is with a male doctor, which will make it harder for me, although I know some people don’t mind. But he comes highly recommended so that is something.

@Juno231 My first result on day 21 was 16. The GP called me about this and asked me to have another test done the next month.
As I don't have 28 day cycles, I asked if I could have it on day 23/24 and was told no.
So I had it done 7 DPO (which was CD23), even though the GP didn't agree but figured it wouldn't be accurate in day 21.
My result was 24.
I had to chase the GP for this as nobody contacted me.
When they emailed the results (after being told its all fine), I realised it was low.
From speaking to the GP she really wasn't bothered/worried but is referring us anyway.
What we're your results like?
I assume 24 is too low? Despite actually being classed as normal in the ranges given.

@Juno231 thanks, I think I'll do a bit of research on soya milk and whether it might affect fertility!

@Kitekat81 I'm not sure what quantities he'd be needing to drink/eat soy but it's recommended to cut down as it messes with testosterone production. Then again we have entire countries eating things like tofu, seitan etc regularly without fertility problems so... If it worries you though there's no harm in switching it to oat milk though!

@Flutterby8 Can I ask how low it was when you pointed it out? I always wonder if GPs just follow the tick box "oh it's over 30 so you ovulated" but don't pay attention to it perhaps being too low to sustain a pregnancy...

This has been really helpful! Spoken to the GP and we are being referred to a fertility clinic too. No idea on time frame or anything but at least the ball is rolling.
Im so apprehensive about being referred, not sure why, just hope it happens naturally between now and then! The only thing that has come back for either of us is a low progesterone for me. Even then the GP didnt pick up on it in my 2nd set of bloods so I had to call to speak to them and point it out.
Im crossing fingers for everyone!

@dogmam thank you! Ours is next Thursday, 🤞 it will go ahead, it's a face-to-face appointment. I think I will try and prepare answers in advance as much as possible, and take a list of questions with me so I don't miss anything. I always get really nervous in the moment and forget everything I want to say, and then regret it later!! 🤦‍♀️

@paintfairy I'm 39 too! How long have you been trying?

@Juno231 this might be a stupid question but is soya milk bad for testosterone? My partner has it on his porridge every morning 🤔 Lol he also loves jacuzzis and would usually be in one 3 or 4 times per week as he has a swim membership! It's been a relief that it's been closed since March so it's not had to be me telling him not to go. He keeps saying that he can't wait until they re-open again, I'm like noooo remember we had that discussion about how you can't go in jacuzzis if you want us to get pregnant!! 🤦‍♀️ He has a really short memory for these things 😂 On a more serious note, do you know if your mum had any warning that early menopause was coming, like perimenopause symptoms, or did it happen quite suddenly?

@dogmam mine is on the 3rd of Feb unless it changes due to Covid. I'm glad you had yours over the phone but I've seen others on here already have theirs cancelled. There's nothing wrong with us so far - SA was really good and all my tests are fine. My TSH is slightly elevated which could be affecting my fertility a little bit. But it's still within the normal range as per the NHS so the GP said it will be up to the fertility clinic to decide whether to do anything about it. Perhaps I just need more time... I'm not keen on letting things take their course though as I have a family history of early menopause and don't want to be caught out by that (mum at 31 and her granny at 30)

@dogmam ha tell me about it! I saw a post on reddit the other day where a guy realised that his TTC had probably not been going well because he'd been using their hot tub regularly all winter lol!

@dogmam my referral took forever because my gp kept doing my blood tests wrong! But it's finally gone through now, I'm waiting to hear from them.

@Juno231 thanks

@dogmam can I ask how old you are? I don't think I have the luxury of waiting until we've been trying 2 years. I'll be 39!

@dogmam btw I think the protein shakes might be due to the high soy content? Can mess with testosterone production i think.