Secondary infertility but not looking to do IVF

[Mummysparrow]

Hey, I have loved being part of other TTC chats and getting to know others I have been struggling to participate in these other chat recently since I have struggled to conceive after my TFMR last year and now struggling with secondary infertility. I am also 35 so age is not on my side. Just had an operation to fix my
C section defect and stage 4 endometriosis and on a doctor's ordered break from TTC until end of April but I am missing having a tribe of a ladies I can natter with. I have tried the infertility groups but didn't feel like I belonged as I hadn't been TTC for years and already had a child and I am not looking to do IVF. I just wanted to offer a space for ladies struggling with secondary infertility to chat but not currently looking at IVF.

Hi lovely, this is me. I'm 37 and have one nearly 4 year old. Been TTC my second 2 years. Can't afford IVF. I'm in the TWW now after my first medicated cycle with Letrozole so we'll see how that goes. I'm sorry to hear about your TMFR. That must have been really hard. Always happy to chat if you fancy. x

@Mummysparrow would love to join! Ttc but know I’m not ovulating, so hoping I can have the help of ovulation medication as not really wanting to go the ivf route, at least not at the moment!

I will join too! @secondtimelucky87 we've chatted on another threat too.

I'm 36, been TTC number 2 for 18 months, unexplained. On my first cycle of letrozole. I also won't be doing IVF, more so for the mental strain of it!

I'm on a waiting list for laproscopy to check for c section scaring (DC1 was concieved first cycle, almost 4 years old).

41, DS4 is my first try IVF. The next 4-5 attempts were duds. Can't afford anymore. Total of 11 years of infertility other than the one that worked.

@secondtimelucky87 my daughter is approaching 4 as well. It's a fun age isn't it 😂 how come you have had to have a medicated cycle? Long cycles or not ovulating? I think what I find the hardest to get my head around is that it only took me 3 cycles to conceive George and having to TFMR for fatal abdominalities was horrible, but at the time what kept me going was that I naively thought it wouldn't take me long to conceive again. I thought the worst thing I had to consider was another chromosome abnormality, it never occurred to me that I would then go on to struggle to conceive. I am really hoping that the the removal of the old scar and endometriosis was all that was holding me back from conceiving.
@Peonies94 how long have you been trying? Fingers crossed ovulation medication helps. I am assuming you have tried everything like maca root and inositol? It's a horrible community to be a part of but hopefully we will feel a little less alone together

Oh wow! Yes it's a fab age - so much sass and personality! 😂. I have pretty low AMH but I ovulate alone and have regular cycles. My consultant was really encouraging though about trying 'naturally' but giving things a boost with a medicated cycle as it's happened once before (albeit after a few years). He said IVF a waste of money and that likelihood would be very few eggs at retrieval. I'm just trying my very best to stay calm as I'm sure not being stressed was a major reason it finally happened with my first. I'm a teacher and it was lockdown so I was WFH and only doing a few hours of online teaching a day! I really hope you get your wish to give your little girl a sibling soon. I'd definitely investigate medicated cycles as it's so much more affordable and less invasive than IVF. Happy to answer any questions about it x

Hello again! Hope you're doing ok? I'm 3dpo and feeling so crampy already! X

@Fairy0708 welcome 🤗 a number of us with kids around the same age then. Hopefully the c section scar is the reason for the unexplained fertility. I feel optimistic since having my c section scar repaired. My spotting that I was getting after my period (because blood was pooling in the defect) seems to have gone (I am on cd7 and normally still spotting but not had anything in 2 days). I don't want to be too optimistic and then get disappointed if I don't conceive when I start TTC again but the hope is there.
I can recommend a good surgeon x

@HairOfFineStraw that sounds tough. I can't even comprehend how you must feel. Are there any other avenues that you are looking down now?
@secondtimelucky87 yep so much sass. She even has a little miss sassy pants jumper which is very fitting. Some of the stuff she comes out with amazes me and I have no idea where she gets it from. Though hubby says the grunts and eye rolls come from me 😂😂
I actually had high AMH levels, on the verge of being in the slightly concerning side but when I had my ovaries checked one is border PCOS as it produces 24 follicles and the other produces 10. I am wondering if the endometriosis may have affected the hormones and whether this will change now it has been removed. I plan on getting another scan with ultrasound direct in April so I can check that then. I may get another blood test with Hertility to check my AMH again. Just wondering how a medicated cycle helps?

Hi, can I join please? 34 and TTC baby no 2. I have irregular ovulation though and just found out my AMH is a little low for my age. Really want to avoid IVF for several reasons, but desperate for DD to have a sibling.

It’s so tough! Xx

Hey!

I'm also 3-4dpo, had a few cramps too but usual for me!

I decided not to start the cyclogest, I feel like the letrozole has already caused havoc with my skin (not acne just flared up some spots) that I didn't fancy putting it into the mix. Maybe next month!

How are you feeling?

Hi there - for what it’s worth, I’m 40 with a 7 year old.. had 2 miscarriages and a chemical about 2 years ago and didn’t want to consider ivf. The miscarriages really messed up my hormones and I went to a homeopath, who gave me a load of supplements which I will list below. I also did seed cycling and worked a lot on my state of mind. It all sounds a bit woo woo but two years later and I’m 30 weeks pregnant with a healthy baby. I don’t know what was causing the miscarriages and I never had it investigated, I was starting to think I was heading into the menopause. The homeopathic stuff really made a difference to me - lost weight, looked healthier, stopped losing my mind once a month… helped my sleep… I do believe it sorted out whatever hormone issue I was having.
I was on;
Thyroid complex
Milk thistle
Dong quai (hormones)
Angus castus (hormones)
Magnesium (sleep)
Ashwagandha (stress)
Multi vitamin
Vitamin d
Evening primrose (hormones)
B complex
the brands were either solgar, biotin or wild nutrition… the quality of the supplement does matter. They take about three months to start working at least.
there is a good podcast called “mind your hormones” which was really interesting.

@QQA hey this is interesting to know. I am actually taking wild nutrition multivitamin, magnesium glycinate (I have ADHD and helps with my sleep) and an iron supplement (as I have up and down iron levels since my c section). I am also starting to take a low dose of inositol on top of the small amount in the wild nutrition. I have tried maca root but that made me spot for the last 5 days of my cycle. I will have a look at if it is worth me adding anything else in.

@Janey3090 sorry to find you here with us. Hopefully we will get out BFP soon. How long have you been TTC number 2?

Thank you, and thank you for starting this thread. It's felt quite lonely so it's really nice to connect with others in a similar situation 💛Been TTC for a year now with no hint of a BFP, hopefully soon (and for you too!) x

Oh wow, I've only ever had my AFC checked once during my HyCoSy and it was only 4 so very low. I guess the medicated cycles help your eggs mature and mean that you really can't miss the most important days as you're literally triggering ovulation yourself with the trigger shot. Also you can potentially produce multiple eggs (I had 3 follicles) so more chances than just the one. For me after 2 years of trying it just feels really good to be doing something and it's pretty affordable. I'm using a Harley Street clinic too. Yeah I've wondered about checking my AMH again as it's been 6 months but truthfully I'm a bit scared it's dropped even lower! That's something I'll maybe do if I get to 3 unsuccessful cycles.

That sounds wise! I think often they start cyclogest in subsequent cycles anyway as your progesterone test should indicate if it was actually needed. Yeah I'm ok thank you - grateful for work ATM to stop me thinking about it all obsessively! I'm just finding that once the working day is over it's all I can think about and I'm only 3dpo so there's a while to go yet. 😂. My cramps have eased up now. No other symptoms but obviously it's early days. Hope you're doing ok too?

@Janey3090 I was feeling quite lonely too which is odd as I know a lot of women suffer with secondary infertility but yet I didn't feel like I fit in with some conversations. Plus being on general TTC chats i was getting to the stage where I felt low when I saw a new person join the chat then get pregnant within a month or two of TTC. I feel like a hypocrite saying that when I got pregnant with my daughter in 2 cycles in 2020 and then my little boy who I lost nearly a year ago I got pregnant within 3 months. I had loads of enthusiasm up until recently.
@secondtimelucky87 do you have loads of injections or just the trigger shot? I am terrible with injecting myself, had to get my husband to do the blood thinning injections after my c section 🤣 finger crossed that this is your cycle. When do you plan on testing or are you waiting to see if you have a missed period?

Great thread idea. I have 2 children (DS12 and DS7) I'm 39 and have been TTC since I was 20 to a greater or lesser degree. I know I'm lucky to have the two I have and it may never happen again. I would like to have more but I'm not looking at IVF.

I have long/irregular cycles probably due to my weight - both pregnancies were conceived after losing weight and having more normal length cycles. I struggle with my weight but it is something tangible to focus on. Both times, I did manage to conceive within a few months of having a regular cycle length so that's something hopeful, but obviously, we are both older now too.

I have symptoms of PCOS but the new GP I saw recently said it could be my thyroid, which I'm a little frustrated by as I'm diagnosed and treated for an underactive thyroid and have repeatedly told the previous GP that I thought my medication might need increased because I have symptoms and I felt better post natally before my thyroid meds were put back down to pre-pregnancy dose (it is upped in pregnancy). But she was really dismissive. They are going to doing my thyroid bloods when I'm having some other tests for digestive issues. So we'll see.

Otherwise it's just trying to get myself fitter and healthier and trying.

@secondtimelucky87 Accupunctute and herbs- to slightly raise progesterone. Supplements. Cycles regular, confirminf ovulation w temp tracking. Doing a few more cycles and then will get my tubes flushed and that's the end as we ride out my fertile years.

I'd add I have never been pregnant naturally. Did a blood test (Hertility) levels all normal although some lower end of normal range which is expected at 40. It's always been unexplained.

I had a dual trigger shot but 3 actual injections into my stomach. I was a tiny bit shaky so managed to cut myself on the little glass vial I had to mix 🙈. Only one of the triggers was pre-mixed. The rest I had to mix myself. Honestly though it was absolutely fine. I did have the 9 days of Clexane injections after my c section though so had some experience. That was just a bit easier as it was into my thighs that are chunkier! 😂 Please don't worry if you end up needing to. It'll be fine. I genuinely prefer the injections to all the internal scans with two nurses looking up your bits haha.

I never test after trying for so long. I also don't know how long it'll take for the HCG to be fully out of my system. So will wait and see. I've got a progesterone test Monday to check I definitely ovulated and then I'll know either way by next weekend. Not too much longer now. Hope you're doing ok? X

@Mummysparrow 19 months we’ve been trying now! Tried so much, but still no sign of ovulation! I think maybe I’ve had 3 potential ovulations with really short luteal phases but most months are annovulatory!