The Hopeful Hearts Circle 1 - December 2025🎄💖

@Fullofconfusion You don't bring the thread down, this is a safe space where we share the ups and down of our journeys. I am so sorry for what you are going through. You have the right to feel let down. They should check for an ectopic pregnancy and do the scan. I hope your GP wilm listen to you tomorrow.

Thank you @Taysonic, I think you’re probably right, it puts me in the grey area 🙄 which is hard to accept! They have agreed to test again next cycle (we’ll be in New York for this one so just hoping to enjoy the holiday and see what happens!) - so we’ll see what next cycle holds.. they said if the result is the same again next time they’d refer us on for IVF (if my partner’s semen analyse is normal).. not really a process I’m looking forward to but trying to come round to accepting it might be the route for us!

Apologies @J1644 I'm not particularly knowledgeable on progesterone levels, but in my experience, doctors can often misrepresent what they mean... if they're saying 16nmol doesn't prove ovulation, it doesn't necessarily mean it proves you haven't ovulated. It could just mean it's inconclusive. Perhaps you fall in the grey area where the result isn't conclusive either way? Would they consider doing a second progesterone test on your next cycle? What have they said are the next steps, if any?

I think I would feel a bit disappointed with that care as well @Fullofconfusion - and I would be worried about the pain up your back too. I was lucky with mine as the private scan rang straight through to EPAU who agreed to see me the next day for their own scan, and then did repeat bloods as standard, and continued to do them even though the levels were obviously dropping. I think I needed that reassurance at the time.

What do you need to help you process what's happening? (I ask that because at different times, I have needed different things... I obviously had the experience as detailed above and at the time, I think I was so confused and uncertain about what was happening that I wanted answers, whereas, in my loss over Christmas, I didn't need answers - I knew what was happening, and chose not to go down a medical route to make it less 'traumatic').

Whichever side of the fence you fall on, if you want to advocate for the care you want, I have found that asking ChatGPT to 'script' me something to say in those circumstances is quite helpful!

Ladies I need help :(

I had my fertility bloods the last 2 weeks.. my 7 DPO progesterone came back as 23nmol. The doctor says this doesn’t prove ovulation… but everything online says above 16nmol proves ovulation, and that progesterone is pulsatile so changes throughout the day. I have completely regular 28 day cycles and track my ovulation using LH strips, digital LH tests and BBT and have clearly ovulated using these for the last 6 months, including the month I had the bloods. Could the doctor be wrong? I wish I’d seen a fertility specialist and not just my GP now! I’ve been holding onto the fact that regular cycles mean I must ovulate but now I’m freaking out?!

@TaysonicI don’t want to have a dig at our health service as I feel they are so so important and I was looked after incredibly well with both my previous miscarriage and TFMR but I’ll be honest, I do feel disheartened with the care I’ve received at the moment. No offer of blood tests. The scan was performed at a private clinic as EPAU refused to scan before 8 weeks. Private clinic sent a report stating pregnancy of unknown location and advised that EPAU would want to scan to confirm it wasn’t ectopic…but they haven’t. I’ve got a GP appointment tomorrow. I’m bleeding but not as much as I’d have expected and my pain today is mostly on one side and up my back which I didn’t experience last time. It’s such a heartbreaking time and the added frustration of not feeling you’re being listened to just tops it off.

Sorry for bringing the thread down. I hope that you’re all ok and that I’ll get some positivity back again soon. Still very raw at the moment

I am absolutely devastated for you @Fullofconfusion - I am so incredibly sorry. As it's currently a PUL (pregnancy of unknown location), have they offered to do some regular blood tests to check hcg levels? That's what they did with me, it initially confirmed the hcg levels were dropping, but then I had a weird uplift which is when they began to treat it as ectopic. I don't think it actually was ectopic - it was more likely to be a weird lab issue and the hcg rise being within a margin of error but...

It might be worth seeing if they'll do that just for a bit of peace of mind? Difficult though as it involves more medical appointments.

I really wish this has turned out differently for you.

@Fullofconfusion I’m so so sorry 💔 there are no words!

@Fullofconfusion I am so sorry to read that 😪. Life is not fiar sometimes.

@Fullofconfusionabsolutely heart broken for you 😢 you have suffered so much loss. Im truly so sorry this is happening xxx

Oh I'm so sorry to read this @Fullofconfusion🥺 sending you lots of love. So awful and unfair that EPAU wouldn't give you a scan. I'm so sorry 💔 xx

Hi again ladies.

I managed to get a BFP last month and couldn’t believe my luck. Unfortunately I started to bleed midweek. EPAU refused to scan me until I was 8 weeks (I should have been 7) so paid for a private scan to be told that it was a pregnancy of unknown location. They found a small sac only. I’ve continued to bleed and cramp heavier and know I’ve had a miscarriage. I have a scan booked with EPAU in a couple of weeks to confirm if everything has passed. I’m devastated to have had another loss and thinking that it’s just not going to happen for us.

At the moment I’m just resting and getting my head around things and will look to try again once we’re able to.

Hi all. CD9 today. Going to start OPKing tomorrow I think. I usually ovulate around CD15-16.

Hope you're all okay. ❤️

@Iris2024 Oh god yes the celebrity (and non celeb) announcements can be a killer, especially if it was the same month you conceived 😔

not sure where you are in your cycle, but hope you’re doing ok 🙏🏻

Progesterone is so uncomfortable. I am about to start mine tonight.

I did my IUI yesterday so I have started my 2 WW.

@ChaE05 Thanks for your words of reassurance, also would never want to come across as ungrateful either but need to take it a day at a time and try and not panic 😫 I’m booked for a scan at 6 weeks which would be the 19th Feb, im 4 weeks today so still ridiculously early.

Hmm it’s a shame the progesterone has not helped with your spotting, I have always spotted before mine too. I feel like the progesterone is such a big commitment early on too, only been doing mine 4 days and I don’t like it already. Not quite sure how you’re meant to time sex around it, I feel so irritated in that region already. Hopefully your period arrives soon (if it is on its way) and you can start a fresh. I’m sure it’s been extra heavy with you having the letrozole and trigger shot this cycle, so be kind to yourself xx

@Blondepeachunfortunately you probably aren't going to be able to fully relax for a while yet. But its so reassuring your tests are darkening! And your chance of this baby sticking is highter than it not, just keep telling yourself that. The odds are in your favour! Xx

So lovely to hear about your friend and CRP!

My period still hasn't fully started yet. Had that spotting yesterday morning and nothing since! No cramping or anything. Seems exactly the same as previous months, so progesterone hasn't done anything for me! Think it would make more sense to take it from a positive test rather than go through the side effects each month and not get any real benefit xx

@ttcnumerodos yep same, I must think about it every few minutes - not making work very easy. I haven’t had spotting (yet) but I am also on progesterone and read it can cause spotting, so I’m keeping an eye out for that. I’ve been having a weeeeny bit of a crampy discomfort feeling, almost like 5% of a normal period cramp. I wish I was just having no sensations down there to be honest 😅

I'm sorry AF has arrived @ChaE05, I hope you're ok, sending hugs. I try and allow myself a day to really feel sorry for myself then try and get a good kip and fresh start the next day.

I'm exactly the same @Blondepeachcant relax at all. I've wiped pink a few times and I'm just like 'oh well, that's it then 🙄' . Can't concentrate on work at all, I'm so on edge. x

@ChaE05 Oh I’m sorry 😔 big hugs, the months feel x10 longer when ttc, so the marathon of waiting to test and then AF arrive is just horrendous.

Good that your Daye test came back overall very good. I’ve been taking the Zita West Femceive tablets in relation to the vaginal microbiome, think they are pretty much the same as the Optibac ones. I’ve suffered with frequent thrush in the past so always felt my micro biome must be not quite right.

interesting you mentioned the CRP clinic, I live around an hour from there and one of my mums friends had been there after a few chemicals and an ectopic and she now has a baby - so she actually recommended it to me. Financially at the moment it’s not something we could afford so hence why I went down the recurrent miscarriage clinic route for now.

Im 12dpo today and my tests are darkening but I just can’t shake this horrible black cloud of doubt and anxiety over me, any sensation down below I just feel sick and so on edge. I can’t imagine ever feeling ‘safe’ even with a positive test now x

@Blondepeachi have also just got my period too. Same day I normally do. I do usually spot for 1 - 2 days. Will see if this is spotting or if the progesterone has helped with that.

I did the daye test! Everything came back negative apart from my lactobacilli (the good vaginal bacteria) was reduced. And told me this can be improved with probiotics so im taking optibac for women! Definitely worth doing. It really seems a process of elimination.

I dont bbt. I have considered it at times but also felt it was just another added stress and thing to obsess over!

Not sure if I mentioned i got my NK cells tested at the CRP Clinic. We spent nearly 3k on testing. To be honest I didnt go there thinking they would want to test them I just went there looking for some extra help to fall pregnant and we kind of got swept away with it.
Anyway results for natural killer cells being activated in implanting and pregnancy were completely normal. My total natural killer cells were slightly over there normal threshold- so classed them as high. But chat gpt says its within normal range but Immunology clinics usually have their own "norm"
They would want to put me on a number of medication including steroids. It seems to be the same protocol for everyone and not particularly tailored to your individual results. The steroid dosage is quite high. Im in such 2 minds. Im really not convinced this is my issue but at the same time im thinking what if it is? Should I be following through with it. Just so confusing xx

@ChaE05 I’m so sorry today was not the outcome you had hoped, the heartbreak does not get any easier. Looking back on your messages it looks like you’re 11dpo today, could still be just a day or two too early as always reading that late implantation can occur? If it turns out not to be the case, I hope once you’ve had a good cry, that a new month can eventually bring you a little glimmer of hope ❤️ Do you track your BBT as well as opk?

Also, with your fertility investigations did they test for Ureaplasma? I’ve been seeing a lot pop up about this and have not been tested for it, so I ordered myself an online test to send off as have read it can cause implantation and issues with conceiving generally.

If anybody on this thread knows anything more or has been tested, would be interested to know X

First round of superovulation....test day today. As expected, not pregnant 💔 we move on and push through because we're strong and we have to. But my god doesn't it hurt?

@Blondepeachyes have always tracked with opks. My body is also a very good indicator. Get alot of ewcm and can feel ovulation.

Just get to this point. Going into cycle 12 since my loss and just think there must be something else going on x

@ttcnumerodos 19 months. Yes let’s be tentative together 💕

@Allmywishcometrue Wishing you all the luck in the world for the outcome you hope for at your follicle scan today x