why can't I conceive?

[inamaymaybewrong]

I have ' mild ' PCOS - polycystic ovaries and slight LH / FSH imbalance. I ovulate regularly as proved by day 21 bloods and have 30 day-ish cycles. I have no other 'typical' PCOS symptoms.
A lap and dye & hysteroscopy a few years back ruled out endo, tubal issues etc. And DH is all fine sperm wise. Clomid boosted my ovulation pre-order but after 4 months of it I still hadn't conceived.
We have one child from ivf. Was a textbook cycle and we were lucky to
conceive with it.
We've been trying naturally since AN FET cycle emcee in miscarriage at the end of last year and have even had one cycle with Clomid and metformin, but no joy.
I'm so frustrated! People with PCOS and other fertility issues seem to manage to conceive without IVF. Why can't I? What is the issue that IVF is solving that we can't resolve without it? Any ideas?

Possibly insufficient or hostile cervical mucus? (I think that Clomid has been known to exacerbate the problem.)

Interesting! Can that be tested for? And would IUI be an alternative to IVF?

Possibly fertilisation. In a dish is going to be much less distance than all the way.
Or egg quality ivf creates lots of embryos whereas naturally with clomid 1-2 etc

Our "unexplained" infertility was caused by my undiagnosed coeliac disease. They did pin it down to immune problems in the end and I conceived with IVF and steroids but it was only after 9 rounds of IVF and 3 IUI did we finally find out what was causing the problem. It was a very frustrating time.
My antibody tests were all negative and I was only diagnosed after biopsy and genetic test.
Good luck. X

smiley please could you tell me more? I am gluten intolerant but as have been on a totally gluten-free diet for years I didn't think it would make a difference?

I don't really know much about it - something I've heard of rather than experienced. There is a test for it described in detail on www.drdaiter.com/37.html

My understanding is that IUI can be used in cases of cervical mucus issues, assuming there are no probs with the man's sperm. There are also various lifestyle changes and medications that can be used to improve cervical mucus, which you should be able to find with a quick google.

Coeliac can be linked to other autoimmune issue eg thyroid, which can affect fertility. But also the absorption of vitamins

That's a really interesting article guin, thanks. And naty, I hadn't thought of that, i know my thyroid tests were normal but the vitamins one is one to bear in mind.

Its also worth knowing gps can let tsh get quite high without treatment whereas the fertility clinic wanted it below 2.5 for ivf. So it may be worth checking what your actual result was.