Any success stories and ideas for secondary infertility?

[Annabellaboo]

Hello ladies.
I am hoping to get some ideas and support on here.
I am 35 years old, very healthy with a 3 year DS. We have been trying to conceive our second child for 2 years now. I became pregnant very easily with my first and had an easy pregnancy.
This time nothing.
I have had all the tests the nhs provides. Progesterone normal, I ovulate, DH sperm count is normal, no blockages etc etc. I have tried charting, ov sticks, changed my already pretty healthy diet (cut out refined sugars and have lots more greens etc, and alkalised my body). I take advised supplements and have even tried acupuncture.
I do however have short cycles, sometimes as short as 21 days but averaging 24. This is a little shorter than I had before my DS.
We cannot afford IVF and I am not sure I can face that anyway.
My consultant last month has prescribed me a half dose (25mg) of clomid, which a scan showed on the first round it definitely boosted things even more with a good few mature follicles. I already ovulate but she thought as my cycles are quite short and a little irregular it may give me a boost.
I have been convinced several times I was pregnant (oh how cruel our bodies and brains can be!) but AF always turns up.
I guess what I am asking is does anyone have any other suggestions of things I could try or why I can't conceive time. I am open to theories and alternative methods.
Any experience in this subject and success stories please share.
I try not to stress about it all, but some months it just really gets you down as there is no real 'reason'. The hard thing is watching other mums around get pregnant multiple times so easily.
Thank you for listening!
Anna

So not only are we cursed with infertility we are all cursed with small boobs too! Perhaps there's a link here :)

Tested again this morning and bfn - 11dpo today so I think if the spotting had related to implantation it would have shown up by now :( I really hope I haven't screwed up my progesterone levels by taking something I may not actually have needed?! I think I'll write this cycle off, see what happens after AF and if the spotting is still there then I'll go to the docs.

How is everyone else getting on? X

Oh my god... Just took a Lloyd's pharmacy own brand test on a whim... This came up within the time.... What do we think?!?!? Gah!!! I don't trust pregnancy tests anymore. It was a first response I used this morning. Could see the evap line again so decided to test with this other brand. Looks positive doesn't it????

Oh for goodness sake, finding reviews saying they give false positives :(

Oh goodness closephine what torture!!!! Don't know what to say on that one. Looks and sounds like a positive to me but if you found reviews about them prone to false positives then there is room for doubt. Do you have a superdrug near you? If so go and buy their own brand 10mlu test that is supposed to be the most reliable and very sensitive. Keep us posted! Eeeek!!

Also, you could try something to check if it's an Evap line. I read an article about if you rinse the test strip with water it should wash away the Evap line and if it's actually detecting hcg then it won't wash away at all. Not sure this is accurate but just something I read and of course tested out myself! It didn't wash that annoying first response one I had though but I just don't trust those tests at all now!

I think I'm so doubtful because of the negative first response. I don't see how this one could be quite such a strong positive compared to the other. I experimented with the other one in the pack by dipping it in water to activate it, it came out totally negative. Who knows!?! I'm not going to do anything tomorrow, I'm going to test again on Thursday using the other first response. Surely if this was one was real then by Thursday the first response should be accurate too?

Unfortunately no Superdrug where I live which is annoying as l keep reading they are the best.

I'm actually surprisingly calm about the whole thing as I don't think I believe it could be real.

These are the reviews www.lloydspharmacy.com/en/lloydspharmacy-pregnancy-test-two-tests

Sorry, I only just saw these messages. Gosh, Closephine- I don't know what to think! Normally I would have said this definitely means you're pregnant. But as you know I wasn't really aware about evap lines until recently. Saying that, this was within the allowed time. As for the reviews, they are annoying, but at the same time, I think it would mainly be people who are really pissed off who would go to the effort of writing a review, so that may be quite an inaccurate representation?!!
Hoping and praying for you and I'm not religious !!!!!!
Have you had any more spotting btw?

Thanks Rose (not that I'm watching this page for replies or anything :) I've not told anyone in real life, not even DH as don't want to get his hopes up).

I don't think it is an evap as I watched it appear well within the time and it actually got a bit darker than the pic I posted - I'll post another. I'm just not sure whether to believe these reviews or not about it possibly being just totally false?! I'm just going to have to wait it out I guess.

Yes, the spotting has continued at the same barely there rate it began. It's definitely very out of the ordinary for me, but as Anna said, could well be down to the progesterone affecting my system.

I felt like a crazy woman this morning doing a pregnancy test with water!

Sorry forgot to post. This is how it ended up. It's now hidden in the bathroom cabinet!

Looks pretty positive to me! Surely this can't be another Evap line especially in the time frame?! You must be getting secretly v excited. Really hoping and praying for you (not religious either!)
Do you have any more tests to do one again in the morn? I wouldn't be able to hold out!

I have one more first response and the clear blue digi I'm weirdly hoarding :) the first response this morning was definitely negative so I feel like I should wait until at least Thursday to try another as I'm not sure I'll get a chance to buy any more tomorrow.

I can't get excited. Especially after reading those reviews it really would be just my luck for it to turn out to be false! I can't even bring myself to mention it to DH.

Yes I just had a proper look at those reviews. Wow that seems like a lot of awful experiences! Didn't know a test could be that wrong?! Hoping this is not the case for you, that would be so cruel and terribly bad luck.

Do you have any other potential pregnancy symptoms??

I know! They must be right some of the time surely or wouldn't be on the market!?

Not really. Just the spotting. Boobs are tender but not excruciating which is about normal for this time of the month. DH and I have not had our usual row about him helping me out more tho.. Not sure if that counts :) and the odd bit of cramping from time to time which is neither normal or not really.

I'm just going to do my best to put it at the back of my mind and test again in a few days.

How are you doing?

Yep, the reviews are quite shocking. That would be truly awful if it often gave false negatives, I find it a bit hard to believe actually.
This must be torture for you, Closephine. Hope you're managing to adequately distract yourself today. Thursday morning can't come son enough I'm sure!

I'm on 20 now. So spotting should start this coming Sunday/Monday. My friend (who is also TTC number 2) have started a ritual of getting together for an (alcoholic) drink the week our periods come- we are currently in sync- gives us something to look forward to when AF comes!

day 20 I meant

Just took first response - negative :( feeling pretty shit right now. Even though I'd read the reviews it was hard not to get my hopes up. Glad I didn't tell DH. Ffs. I've said it before but I literally feel like someone is playing games with me.

Sounds like a great ritual Rose. I feel like going out and getting trolled right now.

Hi ladies, sorry closephine that really sucks and is just not ok for a test to do that in the time frame!
I am really cross for you.
I am also in a bit of a grump today. On day 24 and stupidly took a test which was of course negative. I didn't really have a reason to think I'm pregnant this month but couldn't resist. I know it's a few days early but I am very doubtful of anything positive as I ovulated early this month I think.
Might be joining you both with a few stiff drinks this weekend!

Oh so sorry to hear that, Closephine, I am also so angry for you, I think that's absolutely awful and you should definitely add a bad review. Shocking really.
Yes just as well you didn't tell DH, I would have probably given in and told, so I'm quite impressed you managed to stay so calm.

Sorry you had a BFN too, Anna- hopefully it is just too early to spot a positive, We've got to live in hope. I've realised it impossible not to get your hopes up in days leading up to AF, no matter how hard you try.

Sorry to hear that Anna out of interest what tests do you use? I don't trust any anymore! Might have to try and see if Superdrug deliver to where I live.

I told DH - I ended up going to the Drs this afternoon and needed him to look after ds. The dr basically told me just to write it off as a bad month and go back in a few weeks if spotting is still here after AF. She seemed pretty clueless to be honest. I was hoping for a blood test but she said there was no point. Possibly should have pushed a bit harder but I was feeling too low to argue.

When I get past sad and I turns to anger I will be in contact with Lloyd's!! Utterly ridiculous. False positives are supposedly unheard of yet I managed to find the brand that do them. Yay for me!

I now just buy Internet cheapies as I seem to have the odd crazy spell of pee on a stick everyday at least once for the few days leading up to AF! In the past I have also used first response but not since the Evap lines. To be fair to the Internet cheapies they have never given any other line than a very clear control. Sad times but at least it's not false hope.
My sporting started today so I expect AF to show up any day.
Not a surprise.
Bit numb this month now. I have a terrible cold and DS has an ear infection so has been awake all hours. Plus the time of the month mood is just the icing on the cake.
How you feeling closephine? AF turned up fully yet?

Meant spotting of course not sporting!