Unexplained infertility - how long to keep trying naturally

[Daisychain333]

If you were told your infertility was unexplained (12 months since both stopping pill and TTC), how long would you keep trying before looking at IUI or IVF?

Not sure what to do next. I am 30 and partner is 35.

Have never had a positive pregnancy test

Unless you've already had extensive testing your fertility isn't unexplained. It can be normal for couples to not conceive for 12 ish months,m. If you're in the UK the NHS won't start tests/referrals until at least 12 months TTC, sometimes longer. Either way, unexplained infertility isn't a diagnosis, it just means you haven't been fully investigated yet. Have you had any tests done?

We are currently ‘unexplained’ too ie. They haven’t managed to find what’s going wrong 🫣 for NHS treatment you need to be TTC for 2 years to then be added to ivf waiting list. At 12 mths they can do some additional testing though ie scan/HSG/bloods/semen analysis.

we got told 50% of people will conceive between 12-24 months of trying hence the extra wait as ivf doesn’t have high success rates and usually involves multiple cycles etc

Hi i was in a smilar position last year and am much older then you, i conceived approx 12 months after trying which sadly ended in miscarriage
i would suggest reading the book it starts with an egg, and focus on some of the lifestyle changes in there and take some good quality supplements, omega 3, eat clean, drink filtered water, exercise yoga etc as i feel these helped me conceive
and like others say have an uss done and some basic blood tests, semen analysis x

We are unexplained. We started investigations from 6m after trying (I was off the pill for a year before that to get cycles regular). More than 3 years on and still no answer, everything in the normal ranges and 1 miscarriage from ivf and another failed ivf transfer. Eggs and sperm were great and we got great numbers of high quality embryos.

Everyone is different and you cannot base your experience on theirs. Looking back there is nothing I could change. I don't want to have to do ivf and they keep telling me that normally unexplained infertiles will conceive within 5 years of trying but it is not really enough for me. We will continue with ivf then go private ivf. I'd definitely jump at any treatment you can to help.

Hi @Daisychain333 I’m in the same boat - 30 years old, been ttc for a year, all scans and bloods have come back normal so far (I haven’t had a HSG/Hycosy yet to check my tubes, but will look to have that soon). The doc thinks I am ovulating so says it’s just a question of time and to keep trying until we feel ready for IVF, which just feels like such a huge jump! I’m wondering whether to push for Clomid/Letrozole in order to give my ovulation a ‘boost’? I know that a year isn’t that long so thinking about IVF is mad, but I always thought I would want multiple kids and my eggs aren’t getting any younger, and it’s so hard when you don’t have a diagnosis so don’t know if it will happen naturally next month next year or never! So you have my sympathies…