Ttc for what feels like an eternity? Then you've found your bus! No fertile unicorns here, only infertile donkeys!

[notyetamumbuttrying]

Buckling up our are usual riders...and their stats on the fertility/infertility train 🚂
@Annny27 29, no1 since June 19
@RobinRose 27, no1 since Oct 2019
@kerrym87 34 no1 since sept19

@Motherofkittens28 39 no 1 since aug19
@Yutes 34 no1 since aug19
@Crazydoglady123 32 no2 jan19, ivf in April21!
@Marvellouslymadmum 41 no3 since April 18
@Tofu35 35 no1 since sep19
@Hayley19835 38 no1 oct18
@Narwhal88 32, no1 since jun19
@Dogmum13 29 no1 since dec19
@SlothMamaToBe
@Theawkwardblonde no1 for 18 months
@CreativeThinkerTequilaDrinker 15 months ttc ivf in June, ov 8th April
@2020mission 33 no1 14 months ttc
@Sjhigs 37 no1 since sep18 ivf consult mid April
@crazycatlady1981 39 no1 since Oct18, ivf in May
@PeanutButterBrownies
@Juno231 33 no1 since jan20
@clolo 31 no1 since jun19
@Aimzie 28 no1 4 years NTNP 22 months ttc
And me 😊 35 in a matter of hours no1 since sep19, ivf may/June

@2020mission I've had a large loop excision for an ectropian on my cervix that was bleeding when "bumped" I can't really say what it was like as they did it at the same time as my lap 13 years ago so not sure what pain was from what! It wasn't a big deal and they didn't find anything worrisome

My hawksmoor steak dinner tonight 😋

@RobinRose she didn't say much about iui. Basically said because I ovulate strongly and OH has good swimmers then iui won't be any better than regular BD. She also mentioned thelow success rates of iuis (around 10% per cycle i think?) so said it wouldn't be worth the cost. Having said that, if they offered it on the NHS like they did for @paintfairy then I'd take it as clearly BD isn't working for us and I've def read that it can help just by bypassing the acidity of the food!

@notyetamumbuttrying I'm so sorry AF showed up :( what a hag. At least you're one step closer to being able to action things medically and get your baba quicker that way ❤️

@clolo you're so right! I'm hoping ivf would be straight forward with out stats - here's to hoping 🤞

@Narwhal88 12 eggs is fantastic!! Can't wait to hear how they progress xx

@Juno231 acidity of food or foof? 😂

@2020mission are you trying to tell me I'm the only one to store food up my foof? 🤣

@2020mission is it all the time? Mine bleeds when I have a smear and has done on the last few. I went to the GP in 2019 with my LP spotting. The GP did a pelvic scan and blood tests. Found nothing. Nurse peered up there and said it looked OK. I was referred to gynae but it was like a clinic in the community as opposed to the hospital. I went and it was a waste of time. She said they wouldn't do any more than the gp has. She peered up and said I had an erosion (the nurse that did my smear since that never noticed it, just like the one before didn't 🙄) but that wouldn't be why I spotted like i do. But if it bothered me or I bled after sex (never have) then they could freeze the cells. This was 2 weeks before my wedding so no way was i letting them do it then. So she said its likely just hormonal and dismissed it. Told me to go on the pill. But any further issues then go back to my gp. I do wonder if my cervix is more sensitive during my lp and I have read that this can happen. The progesterone pessaries stopped it though so I bloody well have no idea. But my last smear was August and I bled then too. I actually expected to bleed a lot after the hsg but it really wasn't that bad?
Apparently @Juno231 a lot of sperm get trapped in the cervix. And yes there's other factors with the environment. So if your issue is one of those, then IUI would bypass it. I guess though its such a finger in the air thing as to whether it'll help or not? Its not that expensive privately so if it would work its obviously more accessible. But for some people it'll be pointless. 🤷‍♀️

@paintfairy I spot almost every month 2-5 days before AF. Was no more than 1 day of spotting before TTC. Sometimes get a tiny bit of spotting mid cycle around ovulation... other than that no spotting during my cycle and none after sex. No pain either. Fingers crossed they will just look and say it's fine and don't need to do anything to it. I just don't want anything done that will delay conceiving 🤞 I sometimes bleed a tiny bit after smears but again just spotting nothing major.

@2020mission sounds exactly like mine to be honest. Its happened every month since I came off the pill in June 2018. Apart from last month when I used the progesterone. The fertility clinic don't seem worried by it either. It slightly worries me no one seemed to care but then I've had more tests since going to fertility and still they've found nothing abnormal? So try not to worry too much.

Thanks @paintfairy you have made me feel a lot better. I think the GP has to refer anything that doesn't look normal just to be safe. Hopefully it's the community gynaecology clinic like you went to that's walking distance from me, rather than one of the hospitals as it will be so much easier for me to get to there and not have to book time off work! Jealous of men not having all this hassle 😅

@2020mission oh I know. I was less bothered about the fertility checks though because I'd already had a lot of peering with the other stuff. 🤣 Who hasn't bloody looked. I used to be really self conscious, but it's become normal! 🙄 But yes they do have to check it out in case it's something sinister. I'm sure I'd be dead by now if it was though. 🤷‍♀️ It's been happening 3 years almost.

Hello everyone

I've had a pretty horrific 2 weeks which is why I've been quiet recently topped off by the latest TTC news.

@2020mission definitely ask for your results -

I've just found out that a blood test I had taken back in September 2020 show I have elevated FSH of 13.9 and normal range is 4-8 and they won't don't IVF, even privately, with levels above 10. This basically means I have diminished ovarian reserve aka, early menopause! I am so, so angry and devastated as I was reassured by GP & fertility consultants my levels were normal!!! And I told them about my family history of early menopause!

And to add insult to injury I've also discovered my progesterone levels have been less than 30 several times and I was actually advised NOT to take Clomid as my levels were all normal and reassuring!!! I real can not understand why this hasn't been picked up sooner and why I have been so misinformed through this entire process!

@2020mission @paintfairy I also spot 2-5 days before AF. I've brought this up with my consultant and they don't seem worried. Weirdly only seemed to start after TTC 🤷🏼‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️

Hope all is fine with everyone. Still lurking and reading comments but having a bit of a family/personal crisis ongoing which is taking up a lot of my time. Needless to say stress levels through the roof! It was highlighted in my appointment this week that I need to chill a lot more and de stress as it's not good whilst TTC. Good trying not to stress with GAD 😂
I'm not being sent for one of the dye tests. Consultant says I don't need one as I can get pregnant. I'm being sent for ultrasound/X-ray (can't remember which) in may to check uterus etc.

This chat is really challe ging to keep up with Fingers! Lol.

Fingers crossed for you @Narwhal88

Lol @Annny27 surgical scalpel!

Hope everything is well @notyetamumbuttrying

@2020mission I used to spot/bleed quite a bit between cycles, and after sex so I was referred to gyne because of this and a red cervix. They sent me to have a colposcopy, the consultant said there was a small area that looked red so took a biopsy (just felt like a pinch) and sent it off. Came back with weather CIN1 cell changes so then had a LLETZ procedure (large loop excision of the transformation zone) which basically burns the area of dodgy cells. The area was so small it took about 10 seconds. The worst bit for me was the feeling the anesthetic gave me! I was 21/22 at the time so hadn't had a smear. Have you had a letter though from gyne? Try not to worry, it's just a process they have to follow. if you do need a biopsy I found it pretty painless, just bled a bit after. Happy to give more detail if you need it!

@MIW01 thats awful, sounds like you have really been messed around and missinformed! What does this all mean for you now? My FSH level taken june/July 2020 was 13.2 and have been stressing this is causing/going to cause a problem.

@MIW01 that's awful! When was your fsh tested in the month? I have all the levels for the different times on my docs report if it helps any? I do know that they say clomid isn't recommended if you have low ovarian reserve though. Is there any way to get a second opinion on ivf?

Sorry to hear that @RobinRose - I've basically now been told that as you can't get AMH on the NHS they use FSH to determine your ovarian reserve (how many good eggs you have left) and if it's depleted it significantly reduces the success of IVF with your own eggs. So if your FSH is above 10 the NHS won't fund you and even privately most clinics won't do IVF with your own eggs as success rates are so low.

@Marvellouslymadmum on CD4 which is when it's sposed to be between 4-8. So definitely significantly elevated! I didn't know that about Clomid though - again, why has no1 explained that to me! We were basically relying on NHS funding for IVF as no money or borrowing capacity for it private so absolutely devastated is an understatement!

@MIW01 I would question that if I were you as these are the levels on my nhs form with multiple results - it says follicular phase it should be between 3.5-12.5 so yours really isn't that high! There are some fertility clinics that offer a free consultation so it may be worth looking into that just so you can ask about this

Forgot to add the pic!

@Marvellouslymadmum that is interesting! Though I've checked and unfortunately our area won't fund anything above ten. The GP has requested another 1 in a ditch attempt that by some miracle it's dropped!

@MIW01 lots of people have said AMH is a more accurate indication of things than FSH, could you get a test done for AMH privately or ask the NHS to repeat the FSH? I'm hoping to get AMH done privately, nhs won't help us due to our situation. Just jumping on what @Marvellouslymadmum said, isn't clomid avoided if you gave high FSH as it can put you into early menopause? I read something about it today

@MIW01 that's good! At least they're still doing something for you. But I'd definitely try and get a second opinion somewhere!

@RobinRose yes that's right, clomid can have a detrimental effect if your ovarian reserve is low

Sorry to hear that @RobinRose the NHS have really let us down! I've jist ordered an at home AMH kit and the GP has requested another FSH test in ditch attempt it may change.

@Marvellouslymadmum ahh thanks for confirming!

@MIW01 hope your second test comes back a smidge lower for you! Do you have to send the AMH kit off tiger the results?

@MIW01 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻 everything crossed for you! I really don't think they should completely rule you out on one blood test!