TTC #1, cycle 13 and fed up! Whose with me?

[Theawkwardblonde]

Hello. So AF arrived yesterday which means I'm officially on cycle 13 of TTC. I'm a healthy 28 year old with husband whose 33. We've had 2 chemical pregnancies in the time we've been actively trying. We are just waiting on our dates for blood tests and SA for husband.

Needless to say I'm bloody fed up! Had 3 friends announce pregnancy news in the last week, and one friend is due in 4 weeks. TTC is definitely starting to take its toll on both of us and the realisation that something may be wrong is starting to sink in.
Who else is having similar? Please feel free to share/rant!

@notyetamumbuttrying He was 14% but with a 180mil count but this doctor still thought this was an issue and told him to get on the supplements and retest.

I think we would likely both be at the same hospital if I was as far along the nhs route. That’s so long, I just don’t have time for that when I’m already 37 going on 38. I would kind of like the nhs to do my hycosy though but again, if the wait is too long I’ll pay for it.

I’m glad it’s fast, are you using CARE too? I know it was you that mentioned them to me before. If so they were really good when I went for the AFC scan. They said I’d have to be on short protocol if we go ahead in the spring because of my high follicle count.

@thislittlebird so interesting! Our drs were so blasé with his results even tho they were pretty shocking!!
Ooh good to know they were good! Yeah I'm using them and will have my afc scan on the 8th. I reckon I'll be short protocol too as my ovulation was 60 when they did the day 21 bloods. I would imagine there's some correlation there.
So when will you hear from the nhs again about hycosy etc?

@notyetamumbuttrying Yeah the blasé reactions are frustrating. whoever did his SA put “normal” and it clearly wasn’t quite normal. I’m glad we know though, rather than keep trying naturally without luck.

My day 21 tests are a mess, can’t hit the right day and the doc today told me to do it Friday. Once I’ve got this set of results the GP will refer us/me. But it feels like I’ve been waiting for these tests to be redone forever, my messed up period in December delayed everything further. Once I know how long the wait is I can decide whether to go to CARE or nhs for hycosy. Have you had yours? I’m a bit nervous about that one.

I’m kinda excited having seen you share that CARE post. I’d been interested in packages at other places but didn’t think I’d be eligible. I possibly won’t be still because of my age but I’m still keen to see what they’re going to offer.

@Rosie189 I've had counselling many a time before. One thing I'll say is it's no for everyone. It may be right for you which is great, and I've had friends who have had great successes with it. It personally wasn't for me, I found myself feeling more down when I'd had a session, but that's just me. I'm struggling with my MH at the moment. I was on medication years ago. Don't want to be back on that so I try a bit diversion therapy. When I feel low, I get up, and exercise. When you feel low try and do an activity to ease stress and worry. It's hard getting up to do it, but once you do you feel miles better. Or invest in a good punching bag 😂😂 I've done that and it's working wonders!
Here for you though if you need support ☺️

@thislittlebird very frustrating! They just said it could happen naturally for us, I was like how when all the parameters are below par?! I had to insist on the referral! Luckily he was referred to urology as well and the urologist was great! Far more practical in the referring us for ivf with icsi. It's just a shame the nhs wait times are just so long at guys hospital!
Not had a hycosy, don't think I'll get one as we know it's Dh with the issue. I've never had an Sti or UTI or been pregnant before so there's no reason to suspect my tubes are blocked.
Register with care and they'll send you the price list, it's pricey but their live birth stats are really good so at least you should get the end result that we all want!

@Theawkwardblonde I agree with you about counselling. I had EMDR for anxiety which was great, as it really honed in on specifics and felt like a solution. Before EMDR I had counselling, but felt like I was just talking without a resolution. Though that could have been down to the counsellor!

@notyetamumbuttrying good that you did push because they seem to want to claim every result is “fine”

Did the urologist give him any useful advice?

Hmmm hasn’t thought about it that way. I just sort of assumed I’d have to have one, I’ve never had those things either, is that what blocks tubes normally?

I’m already registered so I should be able to ask them via email I guess? Will try tomorrow

Hi ladies, I probably haven't written on here before but have been lurking since the start I reckon. TTC#1, cycle 14. Been referred for a fertility assessment with the NHS which should have taken place today but got rescheduled only an hour before the appointment. Hopefully will have it on the 11th of Feb now instead.

@notyetamumbuttrying omg I don't know why but I never thought about why some people might have blocked tubes/scarring... guess who's had chronic UTI for 3 years and even had to have a urology investigation and cystoscopy done waves

All the more reason to have that hycosy scheduled in for me I guess...

@thislittlebird hmm just the usual lifestyle things, no hot baths, saunas (which he doesn't do anyway), no protein shakes (which he doesn't use), take proxceed plus, eat well etc, don't smoke or drink! Yeah ask and let me know as it's not been recommended to me before. Although I've been thinking I could do with a laparoscopy to check for endo as been having a look at the symptoms and I get a fair few...painful periods, pain after sex.
@Juno231 oh hey 👋🏾 didn't know you lurked on here! Ah well there you go mate, I learnt that off another lady that I speak to. What was the outcome of your investigations then?

Hi @junoI’m wondering if they’ll let me go ahead for assisted without a hycosy. I certainly don’t want one and I’m a very anxious patient so not convinced it we go very well.

@notyetamumbuttrying he doesn’t have baths very often as is and lockdown means no saunas etc for us but it would only be something he would have done 1-2 times per year anyway normally. Does anyone hear know the protein shake issue with men’s sperm? He did have them at one time and I’m wondering now if he was drinking them in the summer. I’ll have to look it up.

I don’t know the difference between proxeed and impryl but she recommended impryl so we thought we’d start with that. I guess I should investigate ubiquinol for him too and maybe both of us rather than get to the point of needing IVF a few months from now and having to start taking it after that.

I was trying to add in a hi to @Juno231 and managed to hit post instead, a good start to the morning but the rest makes sense.

Ugh so many typos from me today, what a start

@thislittlebird with protein shakes I think it's due to them often being soy based and that can mess with testosterone production (due to oestrogen dominance I think?). Swimmers take 3 months to produce from start to finish though so if he hasn't been drinking protein shakes since the summer I'm sure you're fine.

@notyetamumbuttrying inconclusive but their guess was a too tight urethra. Ironically doing the cystoscopy (ie putting a camera up the urethra) damages/loosens the urethra so the procedure itself seems to have sorted me out and it got a lot better after that. Combined with a 6 month course of antibiotics lol.

Slightly concerned about the protein shakes 😳 husband consumes a LOT as we are both gym buffs!

I asked my husband and he said he wasn’t using protein shakes this summer but I’m glad I know in case he gets any ideas about using them again. I’d already stopped shakes some time ago because of the high Vitamin A content.

Just spent £120 on vitamins ugh, they’re so expensive but it’s better for us to start on them all now. On the plus side I managed to find vegan ubiquinol from a U.K. company which was good, most of them are gelatin capsules and DH is veggie. Also got some for myself because I’d rather get some good eggs the first time we do this if we get that far, and if we don’t maybe it’ll help us conceive naturally. He’s hunting for his impryl as we speak.

Doctor told husband he’d refer us and then asked to speak to me. Spoke to me and then said “oh yeah we still need your bloods redone” (!!!!!)

Yes, yes, I know this, I’m going on Friday ugh.

@thislittlebird def both take ubiquinol. I'm sure impryl probably has it in anyway. I know wellman conception did. Can't remember about the proxceed but I'm sure it has it in it too. I was getting Dh to take more of it as it's meant to be so good but I couldn't get him to keep it up. He is taking vit D though which is just all round a good supplement, esp in winter!
@Juno231 ah that's something then! Sounds bloody painful, glad you survived it! So will the hycosy get booked in after your call on the 11th?
@Theawkwardblonde definitely one to consider knocking on the head if he has bad sperm!

I think she told him he can take Wellman as well as impryl, it’s not such an all round supplement to my understanding and more about antioxidants specifically. I found this post where this guy used both too www.mumsnet.com/Talk/infertility/3885333-Addressing-Male-Fertility-Issues-specifically-poor-motility-and-DNA-fragmentation

Did your DH not like it because it’s a sachet? I think impryl is a tablet and not sachets so mine should stick to it but I have just realised it won’t be vegetarian which is annoying, so he won’t be happy about that. Hopefully it will work and he can stop after a few months. Women can take it too apparently but I’m just going to stick to the ones I’m already taking + the ubiquinol. Already taking açai for antiboxidant purposes which I read about in a book.

I forgot to say earlier, sorry your appointment was delayed @Juno231 and hopefully they’ll stick to the next one.

@thislittlebird sorry I wasn't clear. He's fine with the proxceed. It's the ubiquinol that he stopped taking, size of them I think put him off. Plus I do think proxceed has it in anyway, just less than 100mg.
Ooh thanks for the post link, will have a read of that in a sec.

We're both taking Zita West ubiquinol on advice of the fertility clinic. We're also taking Zita West vitamin and antioxidant, Vitamin D spray, and I'm taking DHEA. Trying not to think how long we'll have to keep paying out for these 😬

Oh I see, well if ubiquinol is a hefty pill we can both complain together I guess . I already complain about the size of the Omega 369 I’m taking lol. Yeah makes sense if it’s already in the proxeed anyway.

They’re so expensive @CurbsideProphet and I can only imagine ZW ones are pricier still.

Speaking of Zita West I saw CARE have some live q and a stream with her on Thursday, I noticed when I checked their insta earlier about those packages they’re offering.

@thislittlebird we had 2 private appointments with Professor Kingsland from Care Fertility as we were actually waiting to see him on the NHS (until recently he was covering our nearest NHS fertility service). We're going to Care Fertility for IVF as our CCG refers to them - no NHS clinics where we live. I dread to look at the private costs, as I fully expect that we'll need to pay to try again after our NHS round 😬

The one thing to be said about the Zita West supplements is that you can 100% guarantee the ingredients, that's why they were recommended to us. But yes the cost 😬

Where is your nearest Care @CurbsideProphet? I went to the London one for my tests and then had a call with a consultant there this week. They have been good so far. I remember seeing my local trust uses them (amongst a couple of others I think) and it’s good that you’ll be able to see them for one nhs round. I would go that route too but I think I’m older than you and I don’t really want to wait as long as the nhs would like so we’re saving as much as we can. Lockdown is helping in that regard, less expenditure on travel etc.

On the plus side they’ve just launched these packages which are still expensive I’m sure, but you might get 50% back or something if not successful.

@thislittlebird I went to Liverpool for the private appointment and I'm going to Chester on the NHS. Care at Chester have been capped on monthly NHS numbers by the Countess of Chester hospital where they are based. They asked me to complain to PALS so I'm waiting to hear the result... Otherwise we're looking at starting in May. I'm 35 with low AMH and DH has slightly low sperm due to childhood surgery on a cyst. The wait really isn't ideal.

@CurbsideProphet The cap feels really unfair. I don’t know how ours works in terms of caps but I know they’ll want me to be trying until September 2021 at least and that doesn’t fill me with confidence because I’m not getting any younger . I think the plan to start in three months privately and save in the meantime if no BFP is the best option we have. DH can take his supplements in that time and get a couple more SAs.

Yeah the wait is tough, especially with anything working against you. What was your AMH?

@thislittlebird AMH was 6.8 so every period is very stressful as I keep thinking "that's another egg gone" 😬 I've signed myself off work while I wait for this to be resolved which is helping. I listen to people's problems on the phone and I don't have the energy for that right now!