to be frightened that I won't be able to have a baby?

[fuschiagroan]

I know I am.

There is no physical reason that I know of why I wouldn't be able to. Periods have always been totally normal and regular, I haven't had any major medical treatments that might make it unlikely. But I still worry that I might not be able to have them, as I won't know for sure until I start ttc.

Also, I have a coil in and the other day there was something on the radio about how they didn't used to put coils in women who hadn't had children, in case it damaged them or something and made them infertile. I have never had an infection with mine, but still worry about this!

I think it's just because I really want them, and I am a natural pessimist! Can't imagine life being any good without them.

It?s such an emotive issue isn?t it? It?s not unreasonable for you to worry about it, but as you say, you can?t possibly know until you start TTC. Is that something that you?re thinking of doing soon? If not, you could drive yourself potty thinking about something that just may not be the case. There?s no need to be frightened by anything, and you?re probably putting pressure on yourself for no good reason.
If ( and it is a big ?if?) you struggle to conceive, it still doesn?t mean that your future is over - there is so much available to help you, and so many good things to look forward to, and if you constantly worry about a ?what-if? like this, you?re going to be missing out on stuff that?s already going on.
If you?re not TTC yet, and you are still this concerned, why not go and see your GP and ask for tests? At least it should put your mind at rest? You sound a bit fraught, so maybe it will do you good to get a bit of reassurance from someone? Good luck

YANBU.

I convinced myself that I would struggle to conceive. Thank God I was wrong. But, like another poster said, it's not a foregone conclusion that one can. Would knowing more about your cycle help you; I know when I started charting I felt as if I had tapped into a wealth of knowledge that really empowered me!

YANBU i think this is perfectly natural. If you are starting to think about TTC why don't you get your coil taken out now and use other methods until you are ready if you are worrying about this. You could also see your GP for tests like someone else suggested and why not start taking your folic acid etc if you are thinking about starting soon. Good luck.

Why don't you buy an ovulation predictor test and just check yourself for a month? It will work even though you are using the coil.

But opks don't necessarily predict ovulation, something to bear in mind.

YANBU to be concerned - especially in this day and age when there is so much press coverage about infertility.

However, I totally disagree with those posters who have said to go and ask for tests before you TTC. That would be a complete waste of time and money IMO - you may fall pg the first or second month you try! The NHS has precious few resources for those who are genuinely facing infertility without spending it on the "worried well".

Good luck with ttc when you start .

You are fertile practically straight away after having your coil taken out.

The problems that coils can cause tend to be at or soon after you have them put in - the infection they can cause will be apparent soon after insertion - its the putting the coil up there that puts the infection up there, if present, which is why they tend to do swabs now before having a coil fitted. So if you didn't get the infection when you got the coil (and you'd know), then you wont get it now - well, if you do have an infection, its not because of the coil. The risk has been and gone and bypassed you. I am not aware of any other increase of risk of infection once the coil is in place, though someone else please correct me if you know I am wrong.

The other thing is perforation of the womb - but you'd know by now if that had happened, apart from obvious pain, your strings wouldn't be in place.

I dont think perforation of the womb even causes infertility (!) - they can sew it up and it heals from what I've heard.

You are at a slightly increased risk of eptopic pregnancy with a coil - which certainly would bode well for your current fertility (!) but in the process you could lose a tube.

That's from what I know of the coil - I'm not a medical person - it is scary to think about infertility if having children is important to you.

Fact is, you wont know till you try

I felt exactly like that before I had ds, I think it was because I always really wanted children and theres no way of knowing for sure until you start ttc. I got pg in the 1st month of trying though!

I was exactly the same. I spent YEARS terrified that I would never be able to have a baby, then was pregnant within 6 weeks of coming off the pill despite only having sex a total of twice that entire month.

But if you are really worried, I believe you can buy a home fertility testing kit from Boots for about £60. Have no feedback or opinion on it as I didn't ever buy it (seriously considered it but decided to just TTC first) but it might either put your mind at rest or give you a head start in resolving any issue that might be there. And I'm not saying there will be an issue - chances are you'll be totally fine - but if this is really causing you stress then it would be better to face it head on perhaps?

I convinced myself I was infertile as I'd had chlamydia years ago, and have never had an "accident" unlike so many people I know.

I conceived within 3 months of trying and am now 36 weeks :)

I don't think you are being unreasonable, I felt like this from the time I wanted a child until I had one.
It wasn't helped by the fact that we were careless with contraception for about 3 years (we didn't want to admit we were trying) and still nothing. I gave up coffee in favour of green tea and cut out salt in preparation for trying to ttc 'properly' and got pg right away!
Since then I've become pg right away a second time, and accidentally a third when I had an implant fitted , so my fears were groundless.
I bet yours are too. But you won't know for sure until you try. But try not to worry too much, the coil has changed and I've been told is now smaller, hence it can be used if you've not had kids before (your cervix remains slightly open after your first child, used to be this was the only way a coil would fit properly was if you had this space).

Good luck when you do try, it is wonderful to have kids they do make life good!

YANBU. I always had a feeling that I wouldn't be able to get pregnant and it was the one thing I wanted most in the world. Not what you want to hear but we did have problems TTC and after a few years and tests we found out that I had endometriosis and DH had some problems with his swimmers too. After I had laser surgery, my feeling went away and I was pregannt 5 months later.

This time I thought (and my doctor) that it would take ages again after last time and from my symptoms, my endo is back. We conceived after the first try!!! I was very shocked that it went so well.

Your feelings are normal and the majority of people have no problems at all but it can take on average up to a year to conceive and doctors won't test before you have been trying for that long.

That's normal I think. I was bracing myself for the heartache of infertility when I got pregnant.

Thanks everyone for not going 'ffs '

It is a bit irrational to worry in advance, but having children is such an important deal if you want them, and it's so unpredictable as to whether you will be able to.

Nattiecake, I have never had an 'accident' either (although to be fair I have always been very careful with contraception, never missed a pill when I was on it) but so many people do have accidents even when being careful that it did cross my mind that maybe there was something wrong!

I won't go to the doctors about it, it's a bit silly to have tests when for all I know I could be perfectly fertile!

It's nice to know that even if you do have some problems it isn't always the end of babies.

YANBU.

Do you mind if I ask your age? Even more YANBU if you are slightly more advanced in age.

If you are, then I'd recommend getting checked out if you can - in fact whatever age you are.

At forty two, after an ectopic, I discovered I have a blocked tube. Prognosis is not terrible - I can still get preggers, and I have good hormone levels and am not peri menopausal yet.

Jealous of emsy [insert green eyed monster here!]

talking about peri-meno. you can stall that by avoiding processed food, bread, biscuits, anything with hydrogenated fats in it.

Not by years obviously, but if you are at that cut off age, then would be worth it.

I am 24 I don't think much need to worry on the age front. But I work with kids (hence being on here) so the possibility of not being able to have them comes to the front of my mind a fair bit. As I said, I'm a natural pessimist!

Can you afford to have a few private tests done? It might be worth knowing for sure, to stop you stressing about things!

What kind of tests can you have? Hormones and such?

When I was 24 all of a suden it happened, when I was on one of those 'drink until the morning' binges that if I stayed up past 3am I'd cry that I might be 'barren'.

I think it's normal (but I would say that).

I started TTC at 27 and got pg after 6 weeks off the pill. This time round it took a lot longer though, and it's just accepting that even 'normal fertility' doesn't mean instantaneous.

Thing is, if you aren?t TTC yet, and are very keen to have a family, it really is worth finding out sooner rather than later, as fertility treatment, etc, can take a very long time. I completely understand the concept of not using NHS resources ?just to find out?, particularly as, as you say, you (in all probability) won?t have anything to worry about, but IF you did find out that there is a problem, then infertility prognosis and treatments can take a very long time (during which time fertility naturally declines anyway) so the younger you discover any issues, the better chance you give yourself of dealing with them. Most people really don?t have fertility issues, though, so please try not to worry so much. Being pro-active might help you out (and if you can afford for private testing as another poster suggested, even better!)