The Trials and Tribulations of Trying to Conceive when its just not happening (12m+)

pebbles88

Hello,

I posted this on the TTC thread, but they suggested I may get more help here as i may be a complicated one?

pebbles88 wrote: »

hello ladies,


im not currently ttc, but following severe illness and subsequent surgery last year i lost one fallopian tube and the other is only 70& viable.

i have extensive scar tissue thoughout my abdomen, to cut a long story short, from my bikini line to where my underwires sits im 'fused' together.

the surgeons said it isnt a 100% no to being able to have a baby, but that it might be a long road, one for conceiving, the other seeing if my insides will actually stretch to carry to full term.

having children never really worried me before, i assumed i had all the time in the world, but my surgery, and everything else that happened around it has really changed me. its as though i can hear my clock ticking.

so, what i am wondering is, is there any way that i can test to see if im actually ovulating? my cycle has been all over the place, from 19 days, up to 42!

i have been reading about the cbfm, but that is very pricey to me, and if poss i would like to try a cheaper option first.

i have seen some of you discussing poas ovulation tests. how do they work, have people found them helpful?

i appreciate my question isnt exactly on thread, but would apreciate any pointers on the subject. if it makes any diff, the surgeons did say i would qualify for fast track fertility help, whatever that means?

its all new to me. I have got a application for helping me track my periods, but i struggle to understand it. my 'fluid' doesnt seem to match up with what it says it should be for my cycle??

thank you in advance. xx

ginvzt

pebbles, I am sure someone will be able to answer some of your questions soon. I tried poas ovulation tests, but they didn't really work for me, although I as ovulating (as confirmed by BBT - taking temperature every morning).

Well, it is a week after ovulation, and I am ill again. It is becoming a normal occurrence. Last night suddenly my nose got blocked and I was burning. Woke this morning with a bit of fever, even more blocked nose, headache, and breathing as I have just done half an hour running!

What worries me, is that this seems to happen about a week after ovulation (or a week before period, depends which way you look). It gets me wondering if my eggs are actually getting fertilised, but then body is fighting off the implantation?... If it fights enough, I guess I would never get to being late for period to get positive test. I am fed up of being ill!!!!

QQuaver

ginvzt wrote: »

If it fights enough, I guess I would never get to being late for period to get positive test. I am fed up of being ill!!!!

But being ill means your immune system is failing a bit? So the baby have more chance?

QQuaver

Been to the fertility specialist today.
I went for CD21 blood tests, but since I haven't ov'd he didn't bother:o

I'm CD22, the follicle was 7mm. I usually ov somewhere between CD30-40, so right on schedule:p

He gave me Norethisterone to induce AF, and Clomid for CD2-6.
Hope it works though, only 1 tablet so probably something like 50mg. Soy didn't work at 120mg...

DH's sperm analysis came back. Dr wasn't too concerned, and gave him Vitamin E tablets and herbal thing called Exsativa.

I Googled 'asthenoteratozoospermia' (was written on the analysis) when I came home to find it's pretty serious_pale_ His morphology at 1% is really bad. I wonder why the dr didn't make a fuss about this?

Anyway, better not let DH know about the severity, he's sensitive about that area:o Will just show him the sheet, and file it away asap;)

jiblets1

pebbles88 wrote: »

Hello,

I posted this on the TTC thread, but they suggested I may get more help here as i may be a complicated one?

Hi pebbles. You can buy ovulation tests more cheaply from online places like accessdiagnostics.com. I've never really used them, as my cycle is too odd to tie my ovulation down to a few weeks, let alone to a day... You need to poas every day from about CD10 till you ovulate in a typical 28 day cycle I think. Lots of people do find the ov test useful.

Another option is to get a basal thermometer (I think it has to have 2 decimal places) and you take your temperature up your whoopsy. Again this isn't something I'm done myself, but I think your temperature is meant to rise throughout your cycle till ovulation where it peaks. Then it drops again just before AF arrives (or doesn't if you're pregnant).

The medical option is to have your bloods tested on day 21, they look for a hormone that will be there if you have ovulated. They wouldn't normally send you for this until you've been trying for a year, but what they'd do in your situation I'm not sure.

I've had a fallopian tube removed due to scarring from an appendectomy when I was young. I don't have any of your other problems though... Good luck with your journey, I wish you all the best.

Grimbal

Hi Pebbles,

I'd suggest that as a first step, you start to track your temperatures. Google access diagnosis & buy a digital thermometer that reads to 2 decimal places (very important). Otherwise, you can buy them in Boots. Then, every day at the same time, and as soon as you get out of bed, you take your temperature. You can either take it per vaginal or oral - up to you, pv is thought to be more accurate. Note this temperature - either manually on a bit of graph paper or use fertility friend - it's free for basic membership. By doing a couple of cycles like this, it should give you an idea of when to start POAS to to check for the LH surge - otherwise it'll be expensive ! Remember that the temperature rise occurs after ovulation has happened, so no good for indicating when you should get down to business. Some lucky ladies have regular cycles and a little dip prior to ovulation and will know when ovulation is about to happen from taking their temperatures, but not many have that!


To answer a couple of your other points:
-ovulation sticks work on picking up LH (luteinising hormone) - the hormone that surges just prior to ovulation. Once you get a +ve ovulation test, ovulation is thought to occur 24 to 48 hrs later.
-your cervical mucus (CM) usually reflects changes in your fertility state. watery or egg white like cm is thought to indicate increased fertility & usually should start to turn up a few days prior to ovulation
- by tracking your temperatures & noting other fertility signs like cm, things should start to become a little clearer. Remember that the follicular phase (first half) of your cycle can vary quite a bit from woman to woman (this is the reason for different cycle lengths mainly), but that the luteal phase (last half, post ovulation) is usually the same for one woman - about 14 days. So, unless your cycles are often 28 days, you won't be ovulating on day 14 - hence the need to track your temps to find out a little more what's going on!

Liz
x

nichart20

Hi pebbles,
Sorry to hear of your surgery. I have never really followed my OV with sticks as my AF is regular I just make sure we bed every other day and keep an eye on my CM.
The fast tracking you have mentioned may just mean that you will have an appointment with fertility specialists quicker, they usually will refere you after 12 months of trying to conceive but they may feel it would be better for you to see them sooner due to your surgery, if you have any other questions were here for you x x

pebbles88

Thank you very much for all your help,

I have a BBT Thermometer, (bought before I fell ill)

so if i go the PV way :eek: when you say take it when you get up... i wake up every few hours and go to the loo or have to move around to ease my tummy pain.... how long should i have been in bed for before i can take it? i think 3 hours is my max before i wake up with pins n needles!

spaghetti_monster

it should give you an idea of when to start POAS to to check for the LH surge - otherwise it'll be expensive

I ovulate at all sorts of different times, so these are my friends.
For example this cycle I started testing on day 17 as I've ovulated as early as day 19 before. But this time I didn't ovulate until day 27. I like these cheap tests so I can test a lot and be sure I don't miss it.

Grimbal

In general, if you take the temps orally, it's recommended that you have at least 3 hours sleep before taking the reading. pv may be a lot more resiliant to changes in BBT if you keep waking up though, so just give it a go !

what you're looking for are lower temps in the first half of your cycle, followed by a sharp rise and sustained higher temperatures for the second half. The last day of your cycle should be where your temps drop down to like those in the first half again. To summarise:

CD1 to peri-ovulation: low, possibly erratic, temps
(CD1 is first day of full red flow)

peri-ovulation: maybe a dip, followed by a sharp rise in temps. means that ovulation now has happened

post ovulation: higher , and usually less erratic temps.

near to period: temps start to drop to take you round to cd1 again

remember that temping only usually gives you information about ovulation after the fact though!

Liz
x