9 months+ trying to conceive, still losing hope, still trying

[BritInNZ]

Continuing the earlier thread ladies before we run out of room... will tag in who I remember but feel free to tag others I may have missed. And newbies always welcome!

@Aubyone - pregnant! Adding in case she wants to keep in the loop 😊
@kmbegs
@FlyOnTheWall89
@Hopefullywaiting01234
@Tinkerbell098
@LucyAnne34
@MaryTeenOfScots

@Carla2601 ahh I’m sorry, but also glad that you have answers! I wish you the best of luck on your journey! Good luck!✨✨

@Peonies94 I was off the pill for a year with nothing happening until I had the basic blood test via GP. These showed a few bloods that were out of range (testosterone, LH and prolactin) however GP said not to worry and to come back in around another 6 months if nothing had happened. Same as you! Well, it took a few more months for me to completely stress out and do my own blood test online which showed same results (I used GRIP fertility whom I would recommend, around £100 for AMH, and basic bloods but also get advice and support). The gynaecologist consultant you get free with the test suggested I speak to GP again and ask for referral to endocrinology. So I did this. I had to push and push with the GP but in the end they agreed. Basically Because I had said we weren’t technically trying the first year (but still having unprotected sex!) the GP was like that doesn’t count as ‘trying’ which is ridiculous. So my advice would be to maybe go back to GP and keep pushing for a referral. Esp sperm analysis of this hasn’t been done? And also ultrasound which I had done to rule out PCOS. Bug the life out of the GP otherwise they just fob you off. I have no been referred to fertility consultant and am waiting on a follow up appointment after my HSG last month.

@LucyAnne34 Sece had SA, first bloods (just a random day? And then a scan. I am just concerned I’m not ovulating as cycles very so much! It’s so difficult to pinpoint ovulation, that’s if I even am ovulating, as they vary from 30-90 days! When I spoke to gynae she asked me about my last 3 cycles and I had a 90 day followed by 30 and then this one, CD20 and no sign of O, but that was 2 weeks ago and AF had just finished, so because my last one was ‘normal’ she said to wait 6 months, though you can’t really class one as normal, I would assume 3 simular cycles in a row would be normal not over a year of cycles going from 30-90 days!🤦🏻‍♀️ Thank you! I think my next week off work, I’ll go back and push for further tests, especially if I have another long cycle! I’m concerned I’m not ovulating!

@Peonies94 you need the proper day 3 and day 21 bloods. Can’t remember which one it is now that tells you if you’ve ovulated but that’s what you need! This happened with my friend - she had some Vaseline bloods but then just did them on a random day. Ask for the proper day 3 and day 21 bloods. Have you been using any ovulation sticks? Yes it definitely doesn’t sound like normal cycles to me, sounds like the sort of cycle someone with PCOS might have however if you’ve had a scan that would tend to rule that out.

Vaseline bloods 😂 baseline bloods haha

@LucyAnne34 yes I have had a scan, nothing unusual apparently! Yes I use OPKs, some months I get a peak, others I don’t! CD23 I think and no sign of peak yet! Last month had a peak at cd16! On my 90 day cycle I had no peak, but other months I have done! It’s just a bit all o Ed the place!

@Peonies94 you deffo need the day 3 and day 21 bloods to check you’re ovulating ☺️ Get those doctors called haha.

It’s day 21 for ovulation (that checks progesterone), just checked

@LucyAnne34 thank you, I’ll definitely phone and push for them! Thanks

@Peonies94 no worries dear ☺️ Let me know how you get on

@BritInNZ
I just saw your first couple of posts on this thread, I haven't read through so no idea what appointments you've had since - but I wanted to ask if you had seen anyone about your pre-menstrual spotting?

Reason being is I had that, I started spotting about 5-7DPO until AF came 11DPO, almost every month - until I saw a fertility specialist! Now I'm 23 weeks pregnant. Have you had bloods etc? Do you use ovulation kits too?

@beansprout55 yep I've had all the tests but when I had them done I wasn't spotting. What did they find wrong/how did they fix it for you?

All my tests came back good too! Yet I still was spotting.... I saw a fantastic fertility specialist called Enda McVeigh. He explained my hormones were going up and downs and all over the place in my luteal phase, and prescribed me Letrozole to stabilise them and boost my ovulation.
I ovulated just fine on my own. And I understood that only women who had unexplained fertility or had trouble ovulating took this, so naturally I was sceptical it would do anything for me.

First month I took the tablets I got pregnant with my baby boy who is due in June.

Oh, and I started spotting brown blood 10DPO the month I got pregnant. Loads. For 4 Days! Period pains started 8DPO. I thought I was out, as usual. So implantation spotting and cramps isn't a myth!
Tested positive 12DPO.
Xx
@BritInNZ

@beansprout55 oh wow that's interesting! I'm seeing a fertility nutritionist at the moment and will see if that helps. If not, I have my next fertility specialist appointment in May so will discuss options with her then 😊 thanks for sharing, gives me a bit of hope!

@Peonies94 they’ll ask for your cycle length to work out when your day 21 test should be - mine are 26/7 days so mine was day 19. It might be worth seeing how other people with long cycles did it. If you’re 30 days on your ‘normal’ (to quote your doctor not me!) months you might be slightly later 22/23 maybe. Good luck and let us know how you get on

day 1 is still first day of bleeding though, same for everyone ☺️ I have 28-34 day cycles and they said to just count day 1 as first day of full bleeding and go from there.

@Peonies94 it sounds like to me that your ovulation is sporadic. So the month you had a shorter more normal 30 day cycle. You are ovulating. And the 90 day cycles. Where you then don’t seem to get a positive opk. You perhaps are not ovulating and your period comes eventually with an anovulatory cycle.
Do you continue to do OPKs every day in that 90 day cycle? As obviously I presume eventually you’d maybe get fed up. An therefore then perhaps miss it.

As if your cycle is 90 days that month and you do ovulate. You will likely get a positive OPK day 76 ish. And so unless you tested every day for like 2 months. You’d never catch it.

Makes it very difficult. But I would push for a referral maybe as perhaps ovulation inducing drugs would help you ovulate better and more regularly? Hence increasing your chance!

Think that’s what I’d do.

Fertility is so strange isn’t it. There is so many elements to it. And how each person and couple are different on why it isn’t working.

@BritInNZ have you seen about the proov tests which you can get to assess good quality ovulation at home?

I came across them when researching stuff. It’s American I think so postage to U.K. was quite exp but might be different as your in aus. Might be worth a look.

It assesses PDG marker of progesterone in your luteal phase via strips on day 7-10 dpo which is when it says is most important it’s high. And figured as you seem to spot then. It might give you more insight. Says it’s actually better than blood work which doesn’t give a whole picture.

I saw another advert for it earlier and thought of you due to your spotting issue. Maybe worth a look whilst your wait for your May appointment?

proovtest.com/collections/fertility-support/products/proov-test-strips

@LucyAnne34 oh yep sorry if I wasn’t clear - day one is still day one and day three to five is the same for everyone but day 21 is not a set day it’s dependent on cycle length (so for me my tests had to happen and day 19 and friends with longer cycles were day 23)

@Carla2601 ah ok, they didn’t talk to me about that when I had mine. They just said 21 days after the first day of full flow. It’s strange so many places give differing advice 🤣 quite annoying really lol

@LucyAnne34 that’s really annoying! It has to be close enough to ovulation that they can measure right (that’s my understanding from my clinic) so for me day 21 would be too late so the result would be inaccurate - if your results are fine probably not worth worrying about but if anyone gets one they are worried about might be worth digging into this a bit more as it could be levels are fine but tested on wrong day, which they really should share as it could cause loads of unnecessary stress for people….and let’s face it we’re stressed enough!

@LucyAnne34 agree with @Carla2601 it needs to be about a week after ovulation to be able to measure progesterone accurately so day 21 means nothing for someone with longer/shorter cycles and needs adjusting accordingly but some GPs are clueless.

I’m having my HSG this evening. Feeling very nervous about it. Wish me luck girls!

Oooo good luck @Tinkerbell098 - hope it goes okay. X

if you don’t know if you’re ovulating how do you know when a week after ovulation is? 🤣 I think that’s why day 21 is the guideline at first.