Million dollar question!

[fedupttcnosuccess]

Ok ladies, the REAL reason we're all hear ( apart from 'a problem shared is a problem halved' ) is to find the secret to achieving pregnancy. Please share what worked for you on your ttc journey. I've personally been tempted to take Agnus Castus, progesterone cream and goodness knows what else. However, as I have a regular 28 day cycle and ovulate without fail around 14/15th cycle day-I've heard herbs can derail your cycle. So, with that in mind let's have some insider tips which led to successful pregnancies...

Come on ladies! All/any suggestions appreciated: exhausted all other avenues: unexplained infertility. All the tests under the sun conducted on both of us: result: text book style normal, resulted in zero pregnancy. Prognosis not good. Considering private ivf in new year as a last resort: which should be sought after all other avenues exhausted. We feel there may be other alternatives out there we are unaware of, so we are happy to try anything. He is 43, I'm 40 years young! Please share successful tips, we'd like some good news to cheer us up if nothing else, need some optimism, especially as on cd 4 ...

Green tea was effective in one study.

Pre seed for me.

really,withorwithoutyou, do spill:which brand and anything else...how long had you been ttc for?

Well my feeling is that accupuncture may have helped me,I was having it anyway,not to conceive,but I did tell the practitioner I wanted to get pregnant and with both babies I was pregant right afterwards! (at 40 and 42,41/43 when I gave birth) so give it a go I say.

That would be pregnant not pregant.

Is it a specialist accupuncturist or an all rounder? How do I find out about getting hold of a good experienced practitioner? do they have to be foreign? As you can see I want to get it right pretty fast

Well I just saw an all rounder,he was treating me for my back in fact,but you could go to a specialist,there is one in London who has a great success rate but I can't remember her name.She is chinese,maybe googling would throw something up? About 18 months-2 years ago ther was a piece in I think the Observer (could have been the Sunday Times)on her,it was the cover story,which may narrow it down a bit.The Zita West clinic also has accupuncturists,and they are trained with fertility in mind.Where do you live?

Oxford. Normally wouldn't ever entertain herbs or alternative therapies, but now open to suggestion. Hey if it works then who am I to quibble!

At 35 I got a BFP after 361 days TTC! I was just about to go private IVF...

What was different that month? Well, somehow I managed to conceive the day(s) we moved house ourselves (loading lorries/carrying wardrobes etc.), living on a diet of fags, diet coke & petrol station food.

I think the real reason it happened though was that we moved in to a 1-bed flat as I was so convinced I'd never get pregnant. Yep, exactly 14 days later I got the BFP!

Unfortunately there are no guarantees to any of this - 'tis all a mystery as to why our bodies work when they do.

I just wanted to say though that it's a bit "daft" that we as women take on all the onus for unexplained infertility. After I'd had my son my cycles returned at exactly 6 weeks after birth, and were exactly 28 days in length. For this reason I'm taking a long, hard look at my boyfriend's shoddy sperm! You can bet your life your husband isn't fretting to his friends about taking herbs & supplements and considering getting acupuncture, hypnotherapy and fertility massage!

Best of luck with it all!

Using a mooncup after sex to keep the sperm up near the neck of the cervix for as long as possible.

Hypnotherapy worked for me.

Alpinepony:you're so right! I feel more 'responsible' than he does, and I am the one who can't seem to focus on anything. He, although very supportive, is just as he always has been:happy go lucky! I definitelt feel like a failure, he doesn't agree, but in no way does he feel that he has failed. He feels that if it happens then good, if not then we never knew any different, so we should just continue to enjoy our freedom! Easier said than done methinks.
Having kittens: Really? Just ordered some from Amazon, thanks. Keep your FX for me, babe.
Marrow and Hellymelly, I'll definitely look into both acupuncture and hypnotherapy.
Thanks so much ladies. I am so fed up now, especially as babies are popping up everywhere!Either that or I am a bit paranoid now!

Oh Fedup! With a cycle like yours you'd be mad to try the things you were suggesting in you OP. They are for girls with a short luteal phase (9 days or less from ovulation to period). I was looking at them for next month if I was unsuccesful this month, but it's looking like my licorice tea may have done the trick

I have found that a serious amount of shagging does the trick [hgrin][hwink]

Nomorechocbiscuits: we have been at it like rabbits: 'no' success. IMHO I think we're a bit long in the tooth now...

can i ask a (silly) question NoMoreChocBiscuits. why does it matter how long your luteal phase is? i thought implantation either happens or it doesn't regardless of your luteal phase length

It's all to do with hormones, Anna - I think if your luteal phase is too short, it means the next bit of your cycle is starting too soon. So the implantation bit gets cut too short and it doesn't happen properly. Kind of like a washing machine on the wrong cycle ... draining out the water before the rinse cycle has finished! At least, that's how my doc explained it!!

I would recommend that you try alternative methods such as reflexology. Reflexology is so relaxing and both yourself and your partner should book treatments as both of you need to be in sync with each other or at least that is one school of thought!!

There are reflexologist registers so you can find one local to yourself or if you are in england you could try getting in contact with a reflexologist called Beverley Crane she is amazing and is based in the UK, near london I think, she could recommend one to you locally. Her philosophy includes no abstinence, but every day of the week and twice on sundays and to enjoy yourselves .
I studied reflexology myself and find it really helps with fertility issues. Best luck!!

tweeky: Really?!? where would we find the energy? with work and poorly elderly parents! Willcertainly email her and take it from there. Thankyou. Do you have personal experience of successful pregnancy as a result of reflexology?

AnnaM, Miffles washing machine analogy is pretty good. If you have a short luteal phase implantation can still occur, but there won't be enough progesterone produced to and you'll lose the baby within a couple of weeks. I had it happen twice
However this cycle for some reason I ovulated at 11 days before period due and am just coming to terms with the fact I appear to have a sticky bean on board [hgrin]!

NOMORECHOCBICCIES:I am so pleased for- you FX that it sticks like superglue. When and how much licorice tea did you drink? was it palatable? more importantly would you recommend it for me, or is it likely to mess with me cycles? x

Thank you Fedup. You're cycle is perfect so I would not recommend the licorice tea to you. It is supposed to help balancing hormones, but you don't appear to have a problem with that. I had a luteal phase of only 9 days. And to be honest I have no idea if the tea helped or if it was a coincedence!

How long have you been trying for? If it's been more than a year have you spoken to a Dr?

I imagine that anything tht helps you to relax could help (ie the acupuncture and reflexology etc others have mentioned)

Married for 5 years: 'no' contraception since wedding day. Actively seriously ttc for 2 years. All manner of really thorough tests conducted on both of us came back perfect. No children on both sides. Contemplating ivf privately in new year, but hoping that we fall pregnant naturally. Cervical mucus is nonexistent. Am taking eve prim to 'no' avail. Maybe that is where the problem is? Used preseed last cycle for first time, on cd 6 today. Surprising what we talk about here. Can't imagine confiding in such depth to most of my closest family/ friends!

You could have a look at this page

If you do like the look of something though I suggest researching it thoroughly first though. I've found these sites never back themselves up with any scientific evidence.

No wonder you've named yourself Fedup!! I would be too in your shoes (you can even shoot dagger eyes in my direction, I won't be offended )

hi fedup

i dont have any tips that have worked to get a sticky bean but... i have been TTC for 3 years for number 2 (DD took 10 months to get our BFP and we had literally 2 weeks before moved into our new house)... in the 3 years i have had 6 MC (7 altogether) each BFP was following something that either helped me to relax (reflexology, spa day etc) or took my mind off TTC (bereavement, changes at work etc) i do have health issues which cause the MCs so i have an 'answer' but i am getting tested for coeliac disease which can cause depleted vitamin/mineral levels causing unexplained infertility and MCs..

a friend of mine has a similar story to you and decided to get her hair roots tested- this is a private specialist test though so not done by your GP. she did, however get results which meant she needed suppliments as she had low level of essential vitamins and quite a high level of zinc and possiblysomething else which meant that despite her cycle appearing 'normal' and she was ovulating every month etc, her body was not in sync with the cycles and she wasnt getting pregnant because of this. she had to make changes to her diet and avoid doing certain things (hairdresser so did alot of dyes and that was the cause of the zinc i think) and within 3 cycles she was pregnant and had a baby girl might be worth looking into?