TTC for 1 year +

[FlapJackered]

Does anyone want to join?

I have been TTC #1 for 15 months and had a MC at 8 weeks in February.
I am off to the GP tomorrow to try and get a referral to a reproductive endocrinologist.
Tried every trick and tip and old wives tale in the book to get a bfp!
It would be good to have a group of longer term ttcers to chat to.

@starkid so great to hear from you! Although obviously not great you're still ttc and that it is been hard recently.
It sounds like your consultant is trying to get to the bottom of it which is good news. What is the next step? I think ideally tsh should be under 2.5. GPs often have a limited knowledge of thyroid issues so it might be worth bringing up with your fertility consultant.
It is hard being on the other thread now, I feel like so many of them have just started ttc and so the conversation is more focused that way which I completely get but I don't want to bring down the tone by moaning about tests etc!

@KatBeCool 😬 good luck lovely! Can DH help?

@bunhead34 that is interesting about your tsh. Mine is 2.47 which I would ideally like to lower but I know the gp won't do anything, I am hoping our consultant will agree to up my meds a bit to reduce it down. I would feel better if it were under 2.

@PineappleC that is good news things are moving forward for you. When is your hycosy booked for? 🤞🏻af stays away for you

@FlapJackered - So next step is literally to take the results from my 21 day tests, ultrasound and DH's sperm analysis (along with details of my surgeries, I hope), and go see a fertility specialist at the end of Sept to see what they think! So I'm armed with questions etc. for the specialist once I'm there to get things moving along further! And yes, the TSH level I'll bring up :)
Yeah, feels a bit awkward saying how long you've been TTC on there now, when they reply cycle 2 to your cycle 14 or similar...

Hi ladies. Threads been busy!!

Seems like TSH is a really common for everyone. I keep worrying myself sick over it!

@KatBeCool good luck, Have you done the injection yet? I'd get my DH to do it.

@starkid I remember you from a thread I was on a long time ago! This threads amazing as everyone is on the same level. Sorry to hear your having a hard time. I get like that all time then.

@FlapJackered Can't believe your mil sent that either !

Do you think I should of had the other scan? The internal one? I haven't had anything other than blood tests.

I did it!!!! I used ice like I read somewhere and I barely even felt it, the needle is so thin and maybe 12mm long. Still a little nervous for the next time, but I'm so happy I didn't screw it up. Considering a few of you are going to see fertility specialists soon, Gonal F is very likely in your future too. So don't be scared like me!

@Mrs71 yes, you absolutely need a sonogram, not just blood tests. They measure your uterus and ovaries, they're able to see if there are cysts, they can see your eggs, they can see how thick your lining is. Don't worry, dildocam isn't painful.

Hi guys, I have just stalked you all and found this thread, I can see loads of familiar names on here from my own ttc journey and I just wanted to wish you all really good luck going forwards, I don't really come on MN anymore and left the pregnancy thread because it was too much like hard work, but I thought I'd come and have a nosey to see how people are getting on and whether I've missed any BFPs. I'm 4 days overdue now, but I could not have imagined my ttc journey without the help and support of those with me on the ttc thread the whole way through. I'm glad you've all got each other, and a longer term thread is such a better idea. I remember well the annoyance of those little fuckers coming on, saying hi, and catching on first time posting their BFP then buggering off! I'm probably just as unwelcome on here in my situation now tbf, but hey, I wanted to say hi :-) Anyway, sending you all the best, lots of love, good sex vibes, good NHS vibes, good intervention vibes, good sperm and egg vibes, and hoping that you all find something that works, however long it takes and whatever help it takes, you will all get there ❤️ xxx

@Crossfitgirl always nice to hear from you. Thank you for wishing us all those things. Wishing you a nice and short labor! You're having a girl, right?

@KatBeCool - dildocam love it! I found it quite uncomfortable to be honest, although she was in there a while spinning it all over the place...!

Also well done doing it yourself!! I don't know if I could I'm scared of needles, and my DH is even worse! Might have to visit my parents every time it needs doing if I ever need to do it hahaha

@Crossfitgirl - good to see a familar face and good luck in the next couple of days! Thanks for the well wishes too xx

@starkid I found the wand to be less uncomfortable if I relaxed. It was a bit hard to persuade myself to do so considering that my most private parts were on display with my legs wide spread but it did help not to tense up.
I'm afraid of needles too, I can't even look when something is done to me, like blood taken or vaccines. I almost cried because I didn't think I could do it because I had to look directly at it while doing it myself. That was a huge fear to get over. And icing helped so much. So you can do it too!

@KatBeCool - wow well done doubly then! :O fx I won't have to, but will remember the ice tip if so!

Hey all -
Thank you for your kind words when I had my wee melt down at the wkend!

I am looking your opinions please

So To recap, on my 1st set of 21day bloods my progesterone was low (9.8 - normal range 16-28) but it was taken 12days bedore AF landed

So I calculated the correct date this cycle and got my results this morning and progesterone is normal & 25.1

So now judging by these results and my transvaginal exam and DF SA all is fine so far

I am going to push GP next week to do Day 3 results to get AMH

Does this sound like unexplained infertility so far or what other tests do they do at the fertility clinic on ur 1st appt?

I'm kinda afraid that I'm going down the unexplained fertility route and don't they tend to just offer u IVF in this case?

Any help/advice is so so greatly appreciated!

I know it sounds weird but when I thought I had low progesterone at least I knew that was the reason I wasn't getting pregnant and so I was all geared up to be taking Clomid etc

Can I please have as much advice as you all can offer

Thanks you

Congrats on all your tests coming back good so far though (although sometimes better to know what is wrong so can go about fixing it/next steps, rather than still trying to work out what's going on...right?)

There's also the dye test to check your tubes aren't blocked?

@KatBeCool well done, hopefully you will find it easier to do as time goes on. Did you have your sonogram done privately or did the GP refer you?

@Crossfitgirl thank you for your kind words 💕 how long were you ttc for?

@Broodyaf the day 3 blood tests are one of the first things my GP did so go in and push for this test. Have you had the HSG test done? This is the one that I'm petrified of.

@starkid Totally agree with you sometimes it's easier for there to be a problem so you know what is going on, rather than not knowing at all. Have you had the dye test done too?

@Mrs71
I have a GF appt in Tuesday and I'm going to ask for the day3 blood test
What all does that show up apart from AMH?

And what is the HSG test?

I'm kinda clueless to anything past 21day bloods lol
I want to get as much done as possible before fertility clinic appt so as to speed up the process

@starkid did u have the dye test done and would it be the fertility clinic that suggest this rather than the GP?

@Broodyaf @Mrs71 - No I haven't had it done, I'm hoping that's the suggestion when I go for my appointment next month though.

I never had day 3 blood test done, hmmm

@starkid
So what all have you done?
What stage are u at?
How long have you been TTC?

@Crossfitgirl congrats, hope baby comes soon! I remember you from previous threads.

How long were to ttc etc etc (give us some
Hope!)

@Broodyaf - I gave a whole long run-down on the previous page... but cycle 14, just over a year, have had 21 day bloods, ultrasound, sperm analysis, and now waiting for our fertility specialist appointment end of next month

@Broodyaf the HSG test is the dye test where they put a cannula into your cervix I think? And inject dye in to see if flows through the Fallopian tubes. I've heard it's painful! @KatBeCool and @RosettaR have had it done.

Day 3 tests show lots of stuff. Ovarian reserve, TSH levels etc etc I have print outs of all my blood tests and day 3 was 2 pages long for me!

@starkid my GP won't refer me till November time to the fertility specialist! He said I need to wait 2 years but by the end of the year it'll be year half so he said to come back and get the ball rolling as there can be a wait. He has done all the blood tests etc and my DH has had a sperm analysis done which was all fine. He has also referred me to an endocrinologist who I've seen as he wasn't sure about my TSH levels which is all on going.

Thanks everyone for their replies - sorry to be a pain, I'm just so bloody frustrated!!

@Mrs71 - ah harsh how some places have it at 2 years before referral :( good that some tests have already been done though! Yes my wait time for an appointment was 3 months, which has been torture

@starkid the thought of IVF etc really scares me. I'm such a wimp so I much rather I get my BFP before all of that but I keep thinking it hasn't happened in all this time I doubt it will now!

@Broodyaf that's what this thread is for! I'm so glad everyone understands each other and it's so easy to vent your feelings on here. It can be so lonely at times.

@Broodyaf unexplained infertility is diagnosed when literally everything has been tried with no success, sometimes including the ivf. So you're nowhere near that path. You barely even had any tests done. Day 3 tests are pretty standard, amh, fsh, TSH, and Estradiol. And if you've never had the standard test, they also test for stds, rubella immunity, blood type, hemoglobin, and a couple others. HSG is when a tube is inserted all the way into your uterus and they inject iodine dye and watch as it passes through your tubes.

@Mrs71 why are you scared of ivf? I'm not doing ivf, but I thought the worst were the abdomen injections, well I don't think that anymore. And you aren't even awake for the egg retrieval. Sonogram is private, so is everything else. I'm 40, so there's little help otherwise.

Sorry @KatBeCool
I just said I'm afraid that's the road I am going down. But thank you for pointing out that I have loads of tests left to do before I wold be diagnosed with unexplained fertility. Please God some test will show up a problem and they can treat it.