Struggling to reason, please help me?

[LetsGoFly]

I'm not sure I have much right to be posting here, since I'm not diagnosed with anything, but I thought this section would have the best information.

I have been TTC baby no.1 since November 2015. I lost a baby at 10 weeks in the early October. I'm 21 now.

It's been over a year, is it time to see a Dr/GP?

I have regular periods (every 31-35 days). They are never painful, nothing heavy. Since about January 2016 I stopped getting ewcm completely. I've tried evening primrose, tried herbal remedies for months, and it hasn't improved it at all.

I've also tried Preseed/Conceive plus. None are working as of yet.

I'm wondering what my GP etc will suggest? I'm sorry to sound rude here but if he tries telling me to relax, I will explode. I have tried, tried tried

We DTD pretty much every day anyway, so timing intercourse isn't a problem. Don't think we've ever gone more than a day without shagging

What do you think the first medical step will be? Will he screen me for PCOS even though I have no symptoms (weight gain, absent periods, hair excess etc)?

P.S, we did get DP's sperm count checked privately after about 6 months of feeling fed up, all completely fine and very healthy.

Always worth talking to your GP. However worth looking up funding criteria for your area as where I live no fertility treatment offered until age 23. But they may do tests for you. The GP would not order tests for us as we already had one child which was a different situation.

Thanks SummerRains. I dread to think of another two years of no real progress before something is offered to us.

I'm surprised fertility treatments in certain areas have age an age criteria. Surely the number of ladies seeking help would be minimal under 23 etc? Not nonexistent but still. How dreadful

I'm wondering what tests my GP would go for, I'm almost certain I don't have PCOS/Endometriosis

I am sorry about your loss. I lost my first at 11+3, but found out at 10 weeks he had died. He could check your thyroid levels, check your hormones at day 2 and day 21 (or 7 days after ovulation if that isn't likely to be day 14) and they could send you for a lap and dye to check your tubes aren't blocked (although if you have conceived once that would be unlikely). Thyroid problems are assosciated both with difficulties in conceiving and in recurent miscarriage, so that is well worth getting done. Be prepared that in many cases nothing is found and you will get an 'unexplained' diagnosis. I am in that situation and it is pretty hard to take, knowing you can do nothing different and just have to rely on hope (especially since I am 39 next month).

Good luck.

LetsGoFly

I would go to the GP and ask to be referred to the subfertility unit. You both need to be further tested.

Do not go down the timed intercourse route; that can and does put great pressure on relationships. Make love when you both feel like it. There is no real evidence to suggest that timing of intercourse actually works well.

Any test results done over 6 months ago should be discounted, both of you need up to date test results. Also semen analysis should be done more than once.

Brenn Really sorry to hear that, you poor flower

When you said my tubes probably won't be blocked because I've conceived before, couldn't they now be blocked after 13 months since losing that baby?

Thyroid is an interesting one. Is it overactive or underactive that would cause recurrent miscarriage/trouble TTC?

Would the hormone levels be about the thyroid or a separate issue?

Attila how can you not time intercourse for pregnancy? Spontaneous sex won't get you very far if you've already ovulated by the time you do it/do it too soon before you ovulate. We are really active anyway but I was just wondering.

Thanks. My tests are slightly different as I have had 3 losses so far, so getting pregnant isn't the issue for me.

from what I know though, in your case.

I think underactive is worse, but overactive could be a problem too. Your thyroid hormone levels do have some bearing on how your body produces other hormones.

The day 2 and day 21 bloods are different though. I think at day 2 they test for Follicle Stimulating hormone (FSH), Lutenising Hormone (LH) and Oestradiol, which checks how well you are preparing the egg and the Day 21 checks your progestone levels, which should be elevated after ovulation. That tests for whether you have ovulated. They can be wrong seperate from the thyroid issue.

In 13 months your tubes could have got blocked too.

Best of luck. I hope everything works out for you.

"Attila how can you not time intercourse for pregnancy? Spontaneous sex won't get you very far if you've already ovulated by the time you do it/do it too soon before you ovulate. We are really active anyway but I was just wondering".

Unfortunately ovulation is not an exact science at all and signs showing this can be misleading. Even normally fertile women have the occasional cycle in which they do not ovulate.

The biggest problem with timed intercourse is by far the relationship pressure it can put on couples particularly if one or the other does not feel like having sex.

I think you should go to your GP and get the tests started - FSH/LH/oestrogen/progesterone tests definitely (the day 2, day 21 tests that Brenna described) and an ultrasound of the uterus. You might not have PCOS or endometriosis (why do you focus on those?) but fibroids/ cysts / polyps are not unusual.
It could be any number of things, some of which are easier to address than others, so best to get the initial tests started and see where they take you. Also repeat the sperm analysis to ensure that the results are consistent.

Thank you Blue,

If my LH/FSH levels aren't normal, what does that suggest?

Hi, it's a while since I went through this so I'm afraid I can't remember the specifics of the different tests, but wanted to reiterate what Brenna said above about the timing.

My cycle length is similar to yours and I had to tell the GP that I would need the 'day 21' test on more like day 28. If you just let them book you in, you might find it's a wasted test.

Best of luck, and don't panic. Time is on your side and there's a lot they can do x

Thank you Claire x

The LH/FSH tests will tell you whether your hormones are doing the right thing at the right time to be able to support conception. My tests were day 3, day 21 and then every 7 days until AF so I had a day 28 blood test as well.

If they're not, what problem/condition does that indicate?

That for whatever reason you aren't ovulating - day 21 (or which ever day si 7 days after ovulation) test for progesterone.

Or that you have a low stimulus to ripen produce and ripen eggs - day 2 test - can be a sign of low ovarian reserve, which normally happens to older women but can in rare cases can happen to younger women. Can also be a sign of hormone disturbances for other reasons.

both of the above can be treated with a dose of pills called clomid which will stimulate your body to ripen eggs and ovulate and helps a lot of people. Side effects being hormonal and cranky and nauseous an added bonus.

Don't worry too much about what exactly the tests mean - go and get them and the doctors will talk you through possible treatments and what they think they mean for you. It is impossible to guess over the internet the cause of things like that as so many factors are involved.