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

jujugaboo

TinyPablo wrote: »

Hi Everyone, I'm new to posting on this thread but have lurked for quite a while! I was wondering if anyone could help. My husband & I have been ttc for over 3 years, I have had a 21 day progesterone done which confirmed ovulation and OH has had 2 SA done, both low count, poor morphology and motility. We have now been refered to a fertility clinic. My questions are: How long can we expect to wait for initial consultation? What happens after that? I would have expected further investigations with me but GP said no, they are treating this as male factor infertility, is this normal procedure?
Sorry for so many questions & thanks in advance for any replies!

Hi you sound very similar to me. I am fine but OH suffers from retrograde ejaculation (seamen goes into bladder) and to go with that he has poor count, morphology and motility. I was told there was a 2 year wait in my area but only ended up waiting 8 months, so it depends on the area. We have to have ICSI due to the male problems. I had no other investigations on me as they said as long as I was ovulating it was fine. The thing is if your husband has those problems the only way to treat it is by ICSI. I hope you get an appointment soon if you need any further info we are all here.

jujugaboo

Welcome I love holidays (me too), sorry I have no experience with your matter but I am sure someone else on the board can help you. Good luck.

QQuaver

Welcome I love holidays:wave:

I don't know what happens in the first appt, but usually there's just chat, but they may do an internal scan. Good idea to wear a skirt so you only have to take your knickers off.

They may book you in to check your tubes (hycosy, HSG) or something more invasive like lap & dye.

Usually they start you off with clomid, if no luck, then onto IUI then IVF depending on their diagnosis.

As for cm, do you drink enough water? One needs to be hydrated to produce cm:o
28 is perfect age to TTC. Very young:)

It's all worth it in the end, if we get our dream baby:happyhear
Good luck, we are all in it together:)

i_love_holidays_2

QQuaver wrote: »

Welcome I love holidays:wave:

I don't know what happens in the first appt, but usually there's just chat, but they may do an internal scan. Good idea to wear a skirt so you only have to take your knickers off.

They may book you in to check your tubes (hycosy, HSG) or something more invasive like lap & dye.

Usually they start you off with clomid, if no luck, then onto IUI then IVF depending on their diagnosis.

As for cm, do you drink enough water? One needs to be hydrated to produce cm:o
28 is perfect age to TTC. Very young:)

It's all worth it in the end, if we get our dream baby:happyhear
Good luck, we are all in it together:)

Thanks QQ

Yes tend to drink approx 1.5l per day but slightly less at weekend

Yes you are right we are all in this together

Thank you very much

twigpig

QQuaver wrote: »

Oh dear, may have watched too many Criminal Minds/CSI/NCIS.. No wonder it didn't work:p

A big house cleaning before 2ww is good too, as you don't want to do that in the all important 2ww. I was told not to do much during the 2ww.

Ok, I love watching all those shows QQ, but you want me do more housework :eek: I'm not sure about that one

i_love_holidays wrote: »

OH has to provide SA sample and then i have to book my appointment with the hospital. Please can someone tell me what happens on my first appointment with the hospital?

I've been referred to the fertility clinic. My appointment is on 07/06. Hubby's SA hasn't been done as yet. Both gp and me believe that the prob is with me as I have irregular cycles and not managed to see a peak on the cbfm. GP did blood tests and results suggest pcos, so they're not worried about DH yet. GP advised the clinic will arrange the SA, confirm pcos, prescribe medication and check tubes etc if necessary. Went to see GP on 12/05, bloods done on 13/05, so my wait was only about 5 weeks. This is only the first appointment, so probably a long way to go.....

Chocolate_Cookie_Monster

TinyPablo wrote: »

Hi Everyone, I'm new to posting on this thread but have lurked for quite a while! I was wondering if anyone could help. My husband & I have been ttc for over 3 years, I have had a 21 day progesterone done which confirmed ovulation and OH has had 2 SA done, both low count, poor morphology and motility. We have now been refered to a fertility clinic. My questions are: How long can we expect to wait for initial consultation? What happens after that? I would have expected further investigations with me but GP said no, they are treating this as male factor infertility, is this normal procedure?
Sorry for so many questions & thanks in advance for any replies!

Hi TinyPable,

I have started this process last September. I went to my GP beginning Sept, we had tests and I was fine, my OH had a low SA result and we were refferred to the clinic at about the end of October by GP and our appointment came through for the beginning of December. The clinic then requested more tests both from myself and my OH (HSG for me, Bloods and an another SA from OH) and we are due to start IUI at the beginning of my next cycle. We had 3 appointments at the clinic in all - first was a consultation and test requests, second to go through results and discuss next stage, third to complete forms and go into detail about dates and procedures. I had to chase the clinic for appointments at times as they weren't good at booking in or communicating.

Good luck.

Hope this helps.

Oh incidentally - my OH SA results improved ALOT between the first and second tests. Stress - improved diet and excercise was the difference between the 2 so this might have affected.

Chocolate_Cookie_Monster

i_love_holidays wrote: »

Hi i too am a newbie to this board

Been trying 12 months now and nothings happened. Booked in with doctor who took bloods and they came back fine. OH has to provide SA sample and then i have to book my appointment with the hospital. SA should be fine as OH already has a child 13 years ago so not worried on that front. Please can someone tell me what happens on my first appointment with the hospital? I am 27 / 28 this month and i have been with my OH 11 1/2 years now and feel that i have left it too late. OH just rang booked in for tuesday for SA

also can i ask when i ovulate i dont ever get EWCM is this a problem?? i also dont take anything other then folic acid

Many Thanks

ILH

Hi ILH,

I had my first appointment last December. Its basically a consultation and they go through all the tests as done by the GP and also order more tests(in our case). Be prepared for blood tests to be done (OH). OH also had to do the cough tests (ahem). We had to fill out loads of forms, family medical history - also take with you all your cycle dates going back at least 6 months as this was required. Our consulatant also included a bit of a biology lesson and told us to have lots of s£x before our next appointment. The second appointment we went through all the results of the test requests (even though they lost one of them) and they discussed our further options.

Its certainly not too late. I am 33 nearly 34.

CCMx

TinyPablo

Thank you all for your advice. I love this thread and wish you all the best of luck and hope all of our dreams come true.

Murray

Hi everyone and welcome to all the newbies!

Nichart - fab news, congratulations!
Toniq - best of luck for the 2ww.
I have everything crossed for both of you!

Good luck to all those starting new cycles soon too.

I've had my cystectomy & lap & dye - my tubes are clear, my monster cyst has gone & the ovary still seems to be in tact...phew!
I had the op around ovulation time so I'm out for this month but I'm excited about being back in the game next month. For the 1st time in about 2 years, I can't wait for AF to arrive!

liloandstitch

Great news Murray, hope it all is straightforward for you now

Welcome to the two newbies, I am afraid I have gone the extremely long, very rambling route and so am absolutely no help at all with waiting times, however, I can probably give you a critique of every gynaecologist in SE England! However, I can definately say that 28 is not old. (I am 42!!!) but I had my one and only DS at 34 so definately not old.

Chickpea, dont you dare feel mocked. We have all tried every different thing known to man (hold your hands up, how many have bicycled over your head to get it all going the right way - own up!!!!) And for what its worth, I think your approach is the best one to follow - our bodies arent supposed to be full of all the chemicals etc that we currently eat. I am following your example and swopping everything over to natural - certainly wont hurt. When I had food intolerance testing, I drank linseeds! It scours out your insides of all the toxins. To do - one spoon of linseeds in a small amount of water in a cup, leave for at least 2 hours and drink morning at night. I used to prepare the next when I drunk one, iyswim. linseeds are not expensive - its fascinating to see how long they take to come through! Do this for one month to clear everything out, and then as a follow up regularly - I will try and find the instructions and give you more info if I can find them - they are in the spare room of doom! I have also cut my latte habit to a maximum of 1 as I am lactose intolerant, and am drinking more peppermint tea rather than coffee. I am also following my diet (low carb) and am being rewarded by seeing the scales coming down. It is difficult because I cannot exercise, but I can control my eating. And I also will be watching the comedies in the 2WW!!!!!

Lilo