Unexplained infertility

[Ashley90210]

Hi Ladies

Just wondering if anyone has unexplained infertility and how many embryo transfers it took to get pregnant. Losing the will with IVF

We have unexplained, been trying 2 years, had two 5 day IVF transfers totalling three good quality embryos (nothing to freeze) and still no BFP.

I'm asking for further tests when we have our review meeting at the end of the month. Want to throw everything at it. Can't face going through another BFN cycle and not knowing if there's an issue that we can resolve.

Just keep thinking there must be something not quite working to not achieve implantation.

Would love to hear some success stories from the unexplained camp!

How many cycles/transfers have you had @Ashley90210?

Hi Ladies,

Thanks for the responses. We are currently in the 2ww of our 2nd fet. The first failed although it was a top grade embryo. I didn’t get a fresh transfer as it was a freeze all.
It’s just so frustrating when you have no proper diagnosis.
Fingersxssd83 - does your lining get above 9mm for transfer? With this fet I got a different protocol which was menopur injections and then Hcg trigger so they could control ovulation so implantion timing was ideal, kinda more similar to a fresh cycle. Have they tried this with you?
Missmarry - i have heard a few people mention acupuncture, it might be worth a try as I don’t feel my circulation is the best, I always feel cold which I don’t think is good for your fertility so I might give this a try, can’t do any harm x

I have unexplained infertility and I am 22 weeks pregnant from my first round of ICSI where we only got one 5 day blastocyst. I still can’t believe it has worked first time and I feel extremely lucky.
Wishing you the best of luck xxx

Sorry you're going through this.

Unexplained infertility isn't a condition. It's the point where fertility professionals stop investigating (and it really pisses me off when it's presented as an actual thing). So any cycles under this banner are basically shooting in the dark. They might work... But there's always a reason, it's just not always easy to find.

I did 10 rounds of IVF and it was only when I got out of being a passive recipient of other people's decisions that I got my baby. In my case, I had undiagnosed underactive thyroid. It would never have been found by any of the 3 private fertility clinics I used in the UK. I did my research and went abroad.

I would suggest becoming your own expert, using the information on Fertility Friends, and getting your own assessments and additional support treatments alongside the ivf.

Good luck!

Hi @OneMoreForExtra Would the standard tests not pick up that you had an underachieve thyroid? Did you have specialist tests that you couldn't get domestically and what were they?

I'm keen to know as I'm going to my consultant with a list of further tests that I want at our review meeting.

Hi Fingersxssd, that sounds like a really good plan.

For thyroid, yes... and no! The standard tests are partial, and the guidelines are to only treat for hypothyroid when your TSH is over 10. For optimum fertility it needs to be 2. Most labs will call anything up to 4 a normal level, and even above that the NHS guidelines are not to intervene till levels reach 10. If you're concerned about this one the ThyroidUK (Not British Thyroid Association) and Stop The Thyroid Madness websites are great resources.

I'd suggest you should speak to your doc about being put on prednisolone for the next cycle, which is what the majority of successful clinics abroad do as routine and goes some way towards stopping your immune system beating up the embyros.

Good luck to everyone going through it!

Thanks for letting me know @OneMoreForExtra I've heard of that drug in passing but I'll have more of a read up about it now.

Sounds like you have been through hell and back with 10 cycles. Really pleased to hear that you finally got your dream. Fills me with hope x x x

It was a crazy time. It's left me with a gutful of rage against clinics playing the odds with people's hopes (not to mention finances). I really hope you get your good outcome!

Unexplained here. Has all the tests and they said I should get preg - esp the amount of sex I had lol - but I didn’t

10trs ttc

And took 5 cycles - 3 fresh and 2 fet to get my one ever bfp

That little blue line is 2 next Month

Many say you should ballpark 3 cycles

3 people I know got preg first time vi ivf

A few 2 attempts

Think one sucessfuk on 3rd

I seem to be the only one who took 5 out of my friends and family

Tho know there are posters on here who have failed 4:5:6 times

It took us 4 cycles to get a live birth. I did get pregnant from the first cycle but miscarried.

Unexplained here, 2 rounds of IVF resulted in DS after 6 years of trying, then 3 years later natural birth, had been seeing a chiropractor 6 mths before natural pregnancy, not to get pregnant but I had back issues, and Chiro picked up my pelvis was out of alignment, also I had bad time giving birth to DS possibly because of pelvis issues. im sure if I hadn't had chiro treatment DD wouldn't be here.

We were very lucky to have our first round of ICSI work after 3 years of trying and unexplained infertility

I haven't posted in a while. We've been TTC for three years with no success. Been having IVF for just over a year. Four cycles: 1st – no fertilisation; 2nd – ICSI, BFN; 3rd – ICSI, BFN; 4th – FET, BFN.

Ours is unexplained, but supposing it's an implantation problem based on our results. But no one knows for sure, or why, which is so, so frustrating.

Unexplained sucks – I feel for you. It's so agonising thinking you're stabbing in the dark not knowing if it's ever going to work, spending all this time, pain, emotional stress and money for potentially nothing.

Sorry, that's all a bit negative but I'm so jaded about the whole thing these days!

That's interesting @OneMoreForExtra. It sounds like you've had one hell of a time – I'm glad it worked out for you. I do get paranoid that it's something they're just not picking up on, or testing in the first place. Especially since we've been messed around sooooo much – they're admin is absolutely diabolical but we stay with them because they're supposed to be one of the best in the country (NHS-wise, anyway).

But at the same time I know it's a bit of a numbers game, and three full cycles isn't that many (especially with mid-grade embryos).

@Meownow9

Have you had an era? It’s badicslly a mock fet cycle which you then have a like a smear and cervix /womb scraping and from that they tell if the lining is receptive and if need more days of homonee for imonatatuin to taken
Mine said I needed few more days

5th cycle /fet I took progynova for longer and as said below the only bfp I’ve ever had

Did the extra drugs help ? Is that why the previous 4 failed / esp as had execellent grade embryos

Maybe look into it if you haven’t

Think clinic advise if had 3 failed ivf

era

Hi @Blondeshavemorefun

I haven't heard of that, no. I'll mention it next time we see the consultant. I do wonder though if they haven't suggested it because our embryos have been pretty mid-range.

This cycle they're trying to improve the quality with a higher dose of Gonal F (I'll know if it's helping when I go for my next scan I guess).

Thanks for the advice, it's good to get other ideas we can ask them about :)

He did mention upping my progesterone but then realised I'm on quite a high dose anyway (3 x Utrogestan a day). But I hadn't thought about taking it for longer.

3 x2g so 6 is normal daily dose - it’s what I took

But Instead of taking for think 19 days then et - I took for least a week longer - then scanned. Lining was perfect1.1 and triple later and 6/7 days later had the fet

Def ask them about a fet

I had mine done by the company I linked - was a fairly new thing 3.5yrs ago when had

My UK clinic had never heard of it

345 cycles I had abroad

But that was with a frozen embryo right? I don't think they could delay putting a fresh one back by a week unless I've misunderstood.

Or do you mean you took progesterone for an extra week for the mock one?

They would freeze the fresh cycle and then a fet following month or two

I would told many fresh fail due to the transfer window being the wrong day and a fet later gives the womb a chance to recover from ec

That’s if era is showing you need more progynova

Is that what you mean?

Oh I seeeee. Yep, thanks for explaining - that actually makes a lot of sense. I'm going to raise that with the consultant if this current cycle fails and see what they say.

I know all clinics are different and there may be reasons why they haven't discussed things like this with us before, but I'm really starting to consider going private. I also find it odd that they don't do any blood tests leading up to EC (especially on a short cycle). Seems everywhere else does.

Hi girls,

It’s comforting to hear that there are a lot of success stories with unexplained and that it can happen. I think I have had every test possible other than a laparoscopy, apparently a lot of people with unexplained have endometriosis although can’t be properly diagnosed without laparoscopy. IVF will bypass this so this is usually recommended rather than surgery. It’s about the only thing I can’t think of that I haven’t had checked although I don’t have particularly painful periods so who knows! The info re thyroid issues is interesting, I had this tested a few years ago and was told I was borderline hypothyroidism. Does anyone get really cold feet, my feet are permanently cold and I’ve often thought this along with persistent fatigue was something to do with my infertility

I always have cold feet. Wear slippers even in summer