What do you believe gave you a BFP?

[HopeForARainbow]

I don't know why I am writing this; hoping for some miracle maybe.

I am 36, DH 37. We have been TTC for over 7 years now. I have had two natural MCs, 1 failed IVF last year, and one IVF resulting in MC this year. The MC took 2 months to resolve which has messed up my cycles. Hopefully, it comes back to normal soon.

All my coagulation tests came back within range. AMH was 17 when measured last year. On the lower side for my age but not too bad (that's what the doc said). FSH, LH, progesterone all come back as normal. Waiting for results for karyotyping for us. Awaiting a form for some more tests.

When my GP sent me to a fertility clinic they put me straight on IVF. The gynaec there said that as I have been pregnant before they don't think anything else will help like clomid or HSG or Hysteroscopy etc.

I have hypothyroid but i take thyroid medication every morning. So it's in control. I take pre-natals and eat good (at least as much as i can). I have reduced caffeine to 1-2 cups of tea (black) a day and 1 decaff. Have coffee only once in a while. Alcohol once in a while and don't smoke. I am a vegetarian.

I know so many of you out here have been through a similar or worse journey than mine. So I wanted to see if there's anything I can do to help me get pregnant or anything you recommend to prepare for my next IVF.

Please share your story to give me some hope.

It would be worth asking your IVF consultant to prescribe you some additional meds empirically, @HopeForARainbow. My consultant was amazing and put me on prednisone and Inhixa (anti-coags) as well as the usual oestrogen/progesterone. He said it was "just in case" there are some underlying autoimmune and/or clotting issues, and said they wouldn't do any harm, but there was a chance they could do some good. This was my fourth IVF cycle . . . and the only one that carried to term.

I have just got my first BFP after 5 months TTC!
Last month I roughly followed the SMEP plan (basically every other day till peak OPK then every day for 3 days) - I was a bit more relaxed this month thinking of Xmas - I definitely drank more! Apart from that I have been taking folic acid, COQ10, evening primrose tablets and vitamin D.
I'm not sure if it was the combo or just luck!

Hey Ladies, so sorry for not responding / updating.. Just been away taking a break during Christmas

I am in the 1st week of 2ww and works been really stressful past 3 days :( :(

I tried the following this cycle, but also messed up a lot -
Good
--
Pregnacare pre-conception
Ubiquinol - 400 mg
Starflower / EPO - i bought from tescos a combined one
Probiotic supplement - I went for a fertility massage & the woman said my digestive system felt swollen to her and she suggested a supplement
Inositol supplement
Iron supplement as my haemoglobin is slight low from my past MC
Sleeping for hours and hours like almost 9-10 every day ... lol
lots of almonds & walnuts

Bad
----
drinking :( i had hardly drunk last year. But around Christmas just broke down :(
No reduction in caffeine
Hot chocolate
Lots of eating out

it's just wait and see for me now :)

@CountessSaberhagen - did you do all this in 2ww period or before ovulation? The juice and keeping feet warm

@RedPandaFluff - Will do that. Will check with a consultant if she would be keen. She is very - follow the rules / go by the books type though.

I gave up vaping just after ovulation the month I got my BFP.
Also used clearblue advanced/cervical mucous and DTD every day / 2 days during fertile week.
Used pre conceive lube

During the 2ww other than vaping, I ate and drank whatever I wanted including loooooads of coffee. I dont drink alcohol these days anyway but don't beat yourself up for indulging over xmas - if alcohol prevented pregnancy there would be a lot less pregnant people in the world!

@HopeForARainbow
I think I focussed on keeping feet warm both during fertile window and TWW.

Pomegranate juice during fertile window, and pineapple during implantation week (although I read earlier you're meant to do pineapple 4 days before + including ovulation?).

I also saw today that it might help to have 2-3 Brazil nuts on ovulation day and up to 10 days after, so I may give that a go! Sadly I don't think know if chocolate covered Just Brazils have the same effect ...

Wishing us all luck

Possibly pomegranate juice in TWW too, come to think of it

Late to this thread but wanted to add I just conceived in cycle 8 and the two things I did differently the weeks running up to it was stated eating Brazil nuts as the PP mentioned, and increased how many OPKs I did around the peak time. I tested 3-4 times per day instead of 2 and was surprised how many more positives it picked up by testing across the day, which led to us DTD at different points than usual.

Hi OP - don't beat yourself up about drinking - for all you know it's what you needed to conceive lol, just letting things go for a night or two

@ame88 - congratulations :)

@DaffodilLilly - How are you doing?

@CountessSaberhagen - Thanks for the info... And oh, I am eating brazil nuts

@Clove76 - I do test twice a day (within few hours) when I get my first peak.. But may be no harm testing more often than that during those 1-2 days

@Juno231 - I stopped taking EPO 1-2 days before i had peak on opk.. The only reason i took EPO is since MC i have had no EWCM... I am planning to go down the IVF route again yes. Was waiting for Karyotype test results. They arrived on Friday. All good . So will start looking at other clinics & book consultation. I have heard a lot about it starts with the egg. May order it .. I think (but I think, not 100% sure) as we have been through 2 IVF rounds, his sperm was tested for motility, fragmentation etc. But I may be wrong. I may look up old notes to see if i can find anything. But I just told him that we should get his test done just in case

I lay on the floor up against a wall after dtd (at a right angle with legs against wall and hips raised, like a tilted " L " shape) sounds silly now but if you think about it, gravity.... makes sense lol, I also ate a square of dark chocolate every day, apparently it helps the circulation to uterus and ovaries needed to conceive, it helps mens sperm quality too. Worth reading up on it.
I also did the brazils too. Not sure if any/which worked but at least you get to eat some chocolate while ttc 🙂

Also I'm so sorry how long you have been going through this, and for everything you have went through with the MC, I can only imagine how difficult it has been and I really hope that things change for you very very soon! 🌼💐🌼

HSG for me definately. I paid about £300 to have it done privately. Turns out I had 1 blocked tube and the other might have been blocked but the HSG dye may have pushed it out. Fell pregnant month after that.

I have been pregnant twice since April 2019 1 ended in TFMR and I have a 3 month old DD! I took OPK's and though for DD we got pregnant 1st month of trying for the pregnancy before it took 5 cycles - both timesI got the BFP's I didn't have a positive OPK that month so I think we just DTD when we had the strongest line even tho that wasn't positive I also put a pillow under my bum after and laid down for a while!!

Hey @HopeForARainbow, thanks for asking! Nearly 9weeks now and have scan booked in soon so keeping fingers crossed.

Reading through all the newer comments, and I was also eating Brazil Nuts (4ish a day) as well. As well as using Hot Water bottles / Keeping feet warm / eating Sunflower & Pumpkin seeds everyday / Flaxseed in juice or water everyday / Spinach everyday in the month I conceived...just to add to the list! 😂 Wishing you all the luck in the world X

Do you have any potential symptoms of endometriosis?

I would consider getting regular thyroid checks via a company like Medichecks - much more in-depth than what GPs do sadly.

I have a very good friend with endometriosis and had multiple failed IVFs and now has two beautiful children following donor egg IVF. Worked first time both times.

I know it sounds ridiculous but I swear by the depo provera contraceptive injection,was with a previous partner and actively trying to get pregnant for 18 months(he already had 2 children) not even a sniff in the whole 18 months.Went on the depo injection for a few years and within a month of stopping I was pregnant with dd1,when trying for dd2 6 years later I went on depo for 6 months and caught 2 months after stopping again.Good luck in whatever else you try op xx

I only had two injections of depo provera and my cycle went awol for 15 months afterwards!

Hi,
So I am 38 and on cycle 16 of ttc.

I have suffered 4 mc in the past year and after the third was referred for tests with a fertility consultant.

All blood tests, scans and semen analysis were normal. No further help was offered as I have children from a previous relationship.

Over the course of ttc I have always dove the basics of taking folic acid and vit d and occasionally thrown in the odd extra like trying preseed etc.

I got my bfp yesterday at 8dpo with what I truly hope will turn into my sticky bean.

The things I did differently this cycle, were, along with my high dose of folic acid, high dose of vit d, 200mg ubiquinol, I also did the following:

Took soy isoflavones on cd2-6

Used conceive plus lubricant every time we dtd

Dtd for 8 days in a row over the fertile window including the day of ovulation, last time being the day after ovulation.

Stayed laying down for half an hour after dtd

From 1dpo I have been taking a low dose of aspirin

From 6dpo I have been drinking a glass of pomegranate juice as it’s said it can aid implantation.

No guarantee that this will be my bfp though, but I’m hoping 🤞🏻

@DaffodilLilly - Hope everything is ok with you!

@Moominmiss - How are you getting on?

Thank you all for your supportive comments & tips. Just wanted to update - no luck for me yet. I have tried many things from everything you have said. But nothing has worked so far. Hopefully soon :)

In my recent blood tests it came up that i have Coeliac disease. So going on gluten free diet. And low vit D, so ordered some supplements.

Hope all you guys and your loved ones are well!

@HopeForARainbow thank you for asking, I’m doing well so far.

Currently 8+3 and have my next scan tomorrow. I’ve already had scans at 5+4 and 6+2 and 7 weeks and all were great and we saw heartbeats at all. Just hoping tomorrow’s is ok too.

Sorry to hear things haven’t happened yet for you, but it’s great that you’re getting on top of the things that have been highlighted.

Fingers crossed it won’t be much longer for you! X

@Moominmiss - so glad to hear :)
thank you :) :)

@HopeForARainbow I am suspected coeliac and read so much about it effecting fertility. I saw someone else on here had multi rounds of ivf before finding out she had it years later.

It’s not going to fix things right away but persevere with it! I was TTC since July 2019 and had an ectopic in October 2020, got a bfp in January and am 9 weeks atm.

The month I conceived I kept my feet warm, kept laying down after DTD for 20-30 mins using a fertility cup, DTD every day for a week (Xmas holidays) and it was also my first cycle of taking myova insitol tablets. I had been doing acupuncture twice a month since November.

I also used an ava bracelet for temp tracking alongside opks. Have you used anything like ovusense before?

@Chica1990 - congratulations so happy for you

Are you on gluten free diet? I haven't tried ovusense. But may give cup idea a try

So sorry for being crude here but I have a ‘strangely’ angled cervix. Its always hiding whenever I have a smear and they’re bloody agony... randomly my two pregnancies have been standing up, from behind, bang on my ovulation day as far as I can tell from my dates! I was told in my early 20 I had unexplained infertility. And as a PP also said I finished afterwards and was lying down straight afterwards. I’m wishing you tonnes of luck OP xx

@HopeForARainbow thank you. Yes been gluten free for nearly 2 years now, I was lucky I was into it before ttc. I don’t know what your symptoms were but I had got to the end of my tether with my energy levels (every weekend day I needed a nap), constant bad toilet visits (tmi sorry) and looking like a drug addict, as in no matter how healthy I ate I looked like I may as well have been eating cardboard. I didn’t notice changes for a while but remember gluten is deforming part of your stomach and after years of this happening it needs some time to repair on a gluten free diet. I compared how I felt a year later and that’s when I really realised i had a lot more energy and don’t look grey anymore, with normal toilet visits! My sister had a friend who’s father collapsed because his stomach had basically given up as he was undiagnosed, he has to be fed through a tube now. That’s probably quite an extreme case but as soon as I read more about it I didn’t wait for another test to confirm, I just cut it out right away.

I’ve heard people rave about ovusense but you get to a point where you feel like what’s the point in spending more money on when to have sex, it’s so frustrating. You really are a soldier and I have everything crossed for you!

@Wantthistobedone done all this :) thanks for the luck

@Chica1990 - you are so right :) with all the supplements, sticks, tests... I feel like I have already spent a fortune.. lol
Thank you for taking the time to provide details. Recently, since my last MC in Sept/Oct, I have had a pulling sensation in my stomach as if someone is in there pulling my intestines and other organs. Tried a few things and it got better after stopping dairy. But I still had tummy aches, so got the coeliac test done.
So at the moment, I am off dairy & gluten. Milk was my main source of calcium, Vit D & protein as I am vegetarian. It's annoying I have to take more supplements