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

bigmomma051204

time2deal wrote: »

31! You are so young, you've got plenty of time. Just relax and it will happen. Have you considered waggling your legs in the air after BD?

JOKING!!

Take the relevant sections with you, and say 'I don't want to waste this 5 minutes, so can you please give me a referral to a specialist.' I hate that GP's are like the guardians of access to specialists.

I think your young age makes it even more obvious that you should be referred. After 3 years two young people, having regular sex, should have had some luck. The fact you haven't means SOMETHING must be wrong. Good luck!

My plan was to go in and ask for referral to be honest GP's seem to just be a waste of time and energy when it comes to fertility!! They aren't specialists (hence the GENERAL bit lol!) so why do they seem so reluctant to simply refer when its so obviously necessary!? Thanks for the advice

Of course, DH is now walking around looking like c*ck of the walk because his sperm are okay - I did point out that actually the GP said that he has around 7.5million per ml so yes, okay but actually NOT 100% LOL :cool: But he is now happy again that its back to probably being MY fault. A far more comfortable place for a bloke to be, I am sure :mad:

time2deal

hmm 7.5m isn't exactly brilliant. My DH is around that and we were referred for ICSI. He did one test where it was reported at 15m, and even that was considered as 'male factor' infertility.

From http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003627.htm
A few of the common normal values are listed below.

The normal volume varies from 1.5 to 5.0 milliliter per ejaculation.
The sperm count varies from 20 to 150 million sperm per milliliter.
At least 60% of the sperm should have a normal shape and show normal forward movement (motility).

The GP may have meant there isn't anyone to refer to for male factor issues, and that might be right. If there is some sperm, but not much, I don't know what they can really do.

As an aside... I do like on the page I linked to it has a section 'how the test will feel'. I suspect most men have a idea.

MrsDavo

Big momma - definitely asked to be referred!

I'm 25, OH is 35 and we both have a child each ( no issues conceiving either of those ) with other people! Yet we have 3 years TTC with only 1 MMC 2 years ago to show for it which I know can't be normal!!

My GP initially Oct 2012 ( 6 months after MMC ) told me to go away and come back in 18 months if I'd still not conceived because I was so young. I refused, and asked for blood test. That blood test showed abnormal FSH/LH and possible ovulation. Then she told me referred me for a scan of my ovaries, which showed an enlarged/ with polyps right ovary but normal left one. Her answer then was everything was ok and she wouldn't refer me!

So I changed and saw another GP In the same surgery, he was fab! Did OH's sperm test, but then he told us that it was low in everything. So that's when we got the referral to the fertility specialist. I waited 5 months from OH's results for that appointment, at that they ordered a second sperm test and an HSG for me.

HSG showed clear tubes for me, so we then started on 3 months clomid in July last year.

Anyway after seeing the FS herself and not a junior doc of hers she explained that OH's results were in fact ok! The morphology wasn't great but the numbers made up for that.

What I'm trying to say is, you SHOULD get a referral! If we can get one with our results ( I've now been diagnosed with PCOS ) then you should definitely.
Trying for more than 2 years, when otherwise a healthy young couple is not normal.

Part_Mouse

Bm you should really push for a referral, gp can be really rubbish at fertility stuff. Ttc for such a long time usually means something isn't right.

tea_lover

'Friend' has just posted on fb about how annoying her child is and that she isn't fussed about being a Mum anymore. A one off would be bad enough but it's been constant posts like that since the poor little boy was born a year ago. Have honestly never seen her post anything nice about him.

Did block her when she was pg as she whined the whole time, definitely time to block her again before I say something I might regret.

vesper

Sorry I have been AWOL for a while, just taking some time out from the forums as had a rough time over xmas. Hubby lost his job just before xmas and he is the main breadwinner as I'm self employed.
So it was a horrible xmas, but he has now got another job. We are on less pay now, so there is no chance we will ever be able to afford private help. NHS or nothing now.


Just to keep you updated but have had my day 2 bloods and have an appointment for a scan on the 8th February. Hubby has to have another SA on Tuesday as they said he didn't leave a big enough sample last time.
Can't say I am doing too well at the weight loss bit, chocolate was my only friend over xmas. Although have been carrying on with the fitness regime so at least I feel fitter.


I am so sorry for your news Code.

Peonie

Hi BM,

There is a thing called unexplained infertility. This is where both partners look like, on paper, they should be able to get pregnant as there are no apparent problems but can't. I have a friend, and her OH, who have unexplained infertility.

I do think we're still in the early stages of fertility science and there's still a lot to learn.

bigmomma051204

Peonie wrote: »

Hi BM,

There is a thing called unexplained infertility. This is where both partners look like, on paper, they should be able to get pregnant as there are no apparent problems but can't. I have a friend, and her OH, who have unexplained infertility.

I do think we're still in the early stages of fertility science and there's still a lot to learn.

Thats the scariest one! Not knowing why :cool:

time2deal

I know this will sound strange with my medical history, but I'm actually unexplained infertility too. We had tried for over 2 years when I went to IVF and they found cancer.

When we did eventually see a FS they said the cancer would have had nothing to do with the failure to conceive. DH has moderate to severe low sperm, and I have low AMH. The doc said that neither was a showstopper, and we may have got there eventually. She did say if one partner had been super fertile it could have overcome the other, but we were both a bit sub-normal!

Now I don't have a cervix it's much harder. Mainly due to the lack of EWCM, which makes the sperm problem much worse. Plus I think most of this year my cervix has been at least partially blocked, plus I was retaining blood, so there are at least clear problems now!

But failure to conceive even when I was pregnant makes me nervous about implantation. That may have been a problem before, I guess we may find out soon.

Part_Mouse

Vesper sorry to hear you've been having a difficult time, hugs to you.