HyCoSy and not got pregnant?

[TigerLily04]

It’s been 12 months since our MC and we haven’t fell pregnant again so I’m booked in for a HyCoSy next week. I’ve read loads of positive stories about having the procedure and getting pregnant within a couple of cycles but has anyone had this procedure and still struggled to conceive?
I feel like I’m giving myself false hope that I’ll have it done and immediately be pregnant which I know might not happen and I’ll be like “why is everyone else having this done and pregnant”?! So I suppose I’m not necessarily looking for negative stories but just other stories to balance expectations out.

obviously I don’t know what the HyCoSy will show and whether there will be issues with my tubes etc but at the moment both of us appear completely fine medically in terms of sperm and eggs from the tests we’ve had so far.

I'm sorry about your MC. I had it done about a year ago and didn't get pregnant. We are also unexplained. I heard that any potential increase in conception after is mainly if they use foam not dye (apparently there are two different types, HyCoSy and HyFoSy so it might be worth asking which one is being used or switching to one that uses foam, I think loads use foam nowadays). That is based on a doctor on a podcast years ago but that's what I seem to remember. I hope it happens for you soon!

Also unexplained, 36 and have been TTC since Jan 2024.
I had a HyCoSy (foam-based) in May, and have not got pregnant since. The doctor said my tubes were VERY clear and he didn't need to use all the foam, so perhaps I didn't have any debris to clear.
We also didn't managed to 'do the deed' that month due to a family emergency so I won't know if it would have worked anyway, but I kind of doubt it. We haven't had a pregnancy in all the time we have been of trying. Starting IVF next month so on to next stage.
As you have had a pregnancy, I think it would be worth having the HyCoSy anyway to see that everything is open as expected.

Good luck @CoolSummer89! We have just done a round of IVF (freeze all) and are waiting for a first attempt at embryo transfer in October or November. There are some very useful threads each month for others starting IVF at the same time 😊

It did nothing for me. It showed my tubes were clear and everything looked normal. Our issue has ended up being at least partly if not solely male factor. He had a large varicocele he has recently had embolised. This had been causing high sperm dna fragmentation despite a normal semen analysis. First round of ivf before his embolisation gave us 4 embryos and I am currently 6 weeks pregnant from the 3rd but crippled with anxiety about miscarriage or abnormalities - especially due to his dna frag. Good luck with your journey. Infertility sucks and unexplained means uninvestigated! It is not a diagnosis. Hopefully the HyCoSy will explain something for you.

Thank you everyone for your replies!
My MC was initially ectopic which “resolved itself” at 9 weeks so a part of me is wondering if a blockage is the cause. At least this will answer that question.

@magpie234it’s funny you say that as my partner also has a large varicocele but when we told the fertility doctor he wasn’t concerned with it and same with the semen analysis, all come back as normal. So that’s definitely something I will push for to be checked again.
Congratulations on your pregnancy!! It’s such a stressful time when you’ve gone through so much TTC. Just think how strong that little embryo is to get this far, wishing you so much luck 🤞🏼

@TigerLily04 Is there a male fertility specialist in your clinic? Because at mine they are all gynaes and also dismissed the varicocele! I strongly recommend going to see Jonathan Ramsay if you can possibly afford it. He immediately told us that the varicocele was definitely relevant and he believed it to explain our unexplained infertility. I would absolutely check for dna frag and consider an embolisation if it comes back high before going down the ivf route (if you would consider that) if time is on your side. Give Toby Trice a google too and listen to the Testhim podcast. He had his embolised and his wife was pregnant three months later. I am obviously so grateful to be pregnant from ivf but would have much preferred the actual root cause (not even in my body!) to be treated first! Best of luck to you and your partner. Happy to answer any more qs as I feel very passionately about male fertility being properly investigated too.

Thanks so much for your kind words too. Been so anxious it has been hard to feel any excitement so that cheered me up to read :).

I had a HyCoSy whilst TTC#1 and got pregnant the cycle after. I had a repeat HyCoSy this time round whilst TTC#2 and didn't get pregnant after (had it in December 2024 so feel confident saying it did nothing!)

It is definitely worth doing for diagnostic purposes, not least because if you do move on to ART a lot of clinics will require you to have had your tubes checked, but like everything in this TTC game, whether it makes a difference to your chances of conceiving is a bit of a crapshoot.

We did a HyCoSy in October 2023 and I also expected it to magically resolve our issues, especially as one of the tubes was a bit slow to fill (though both we classed as clear). We did end up having a natural pregnancy that sadly ended in miscarriage 14 months later, but I don't put that down to the HyCoSy, as it was so long after (and following 2 rounds of IUI 6 months prior).

I totally understand clinging to hope like this, as infertility is such a horrid, lengthy, unforgiving beast. But I think it's best to focus on the HyCoSy as a diagnostic tool helping to rule out/find your answers.