Hellobee Boards

• How long have you been/were you TTC?
-- 2.5 years

• What interventions have you done/are doing?
-- We've done pretty much all testing available, two Clomid cycles, three Femara cycles, one cycle with Gonal F/Femara & IUI. To elaborate on the testing, we've done the "basic" infertility workup three times, karotype testing, hysteroscopy with polyp removal, cycle monitoring with natural and medicated cycles and probably other things I'm forgetting. I've wanted to do just injectables with IUI but my doctor refuses since I'm 26.

• Reason for intervention?
-- Unexplained infertility and PCOS. I have mild PCOS so it's more unexplained especially with the three losses.

• Any successes?
-- No success with fertility meds. My three losses were all from natural cycles.

• Current # of Children - 1 who is turning 4 in April

• The most difficult part of the process?
-- Besides the obvious emotional factor, I hate throwing money away on stuff that never seems to work.

I am mainly here to offer my support to you ladies who are still going through the process of TTC because I know how much it sucks. I am currently pregnant with my first and being induced Monday morning (February 4th) but want you all to know that I am here to listen/vent along with you because I had to go through similar things and know how much of a toll it can take on a person.

• How long have you been/were you TTC?
DH and I had been trying for about a year when we finally went to see an RE.

• What interventions have you done/are doing?
I did three rounds of Femara, two of which were combined with a trigger shot, but all three were unsuccessful and the fourth round of Femara with trigger shot we did an IUI and it was successful.

• Reason for intervention?
Unexplained Infertility.

• Any successes?
Yes, the fourth round was successful but ultimately ended in a T21 diagnosis which resulted in a TFMR. I ended up getting pregnant on my own after the TFMR without fertility intervention.

• Current # of Children
I will have my first child in a few days!

• The most difficult part of the process?
Not sure I could really pick the most difficult as I think everything about it is difficult and sucks in general. The hope and anticipation, the stress we put ourselves through with testing, symptom spotting and thinking every little thing means we are or aren't pregnant. It is just awful and unfair, not to mention the costs that we incur in doing the interventions! Even though it took DH and I 1.5 years to conceive with fertility treatments, I know we were lucky in a way because obviously there are other ladies on here who have been trying for much longer than that and/or have had to have way worse interventions and/or pay out the ass for things that shouldn't be so damn expensive! I really feel for anyone that reaches out on this board and hope you all know we are all in this together and to help each other.

I'm interested in this thread because we're just about to start the process. I have a Drs appointment set up to ask questions in a few weeks. I'm particularly interested in knowing how you all came to your decisions about how much intervention to pursue. Did you follow all the doctors suggestions? did you push for more? hold back on some for medical/financial/other reasons?

• How long have you been TTC? 12 cycles

• What interventions have you done/are doing? none yet, I have an appointment with an OB to discuss first steps coming up

• Reason for intervention? (so far) unexplained infertility

• Any successes? no problems with first child, but no luck this go round

• Current # of Children - 1, just turned 2

• The most difficult part of the process? the uncertainty

• How long have you been/were you TTC? 25 Cycles

• What interventions have you done/are doing? I have done 4 rounds of Clomid, 1 round of Femara, and 1 round of Femara + Progesterone support.

• Reason for intervention? Unexplained secondary infertility. Our son was an oops baby. After 3 1/2 years of calendar/symptothermal/pull and pray birth control I found out I was 6 weeks pregnant 3 months into our marriage 🤷‍♀️ from one miscalculated night.

• Any successes? Not a single repeatable positive (had a couple cycles where A test gave me hope, but the following 10 never confirmed anything.

• Current # of Children - 1, my son is coming up on 3

• The most difficult part of the process? The most difficult part is knowing you're doing what you're supposed to be doing; yet nothing is working out. The feeling like you're a failure when your body is failing you. Knowing that you have room in your heart, life, house to have a baby... Yet it doesn't happen. That's what sucks...

O and the ever ignorant people that tell you to quit trying and it will happen... Those people suck

• How long have you been/were you TTC?
5yrs, 3 months until my sticky baby

• What interventions have you done/are doing?
Clomidx3, Femerax1, IUIx3, IVFx8, ovarian drilling, 3 month lupron depot. (Full details on my blog linked from my profile)

• Reason for intervention?
Mild PCOS/unexplained, crappy egg quality

• Any successes? Yes

• Current # of Children - 1

• The most difficult part of the process? Not knowing if it was ever going to work and how long it all took.

Joining you all in support and a resource if I can be
It took a year for E and that was b/c I knew at 17 that I would likely need fertility treatments and I very luckily had doctors who listened to me and were proactive and I responded well to treatment.
I did all of the assorted infertility testing which confirmed PCOS and hypothyroidism. I did clomid once but it was starting to decrease my lining even after that so no more clomid for me. I did a femera cycle (5mg) and had 4 follicles which made both my doctor and I very nervous and she almost canceled the cycle. Then I had cysts and had to take a cycle off from meds so we tried naturally which did not result in a pregnancy but at least I ovulated in a reasonable time. I have had many annovulatory cycles in my life the longest being 90 days. My RE lowered my femera dose to 2.5mg and I had 1 really great looking follicle. My husband and I decided to convert that cycle to and IUI instead of just TI. It was successful and we now have 15 month old E. All of my cycles successful and not included a trigger shot, progesterone suppository support after O, metformin for the PCOS, synthroid for the hypothyroidism, and a handful supplements including vitamin D and CoQ10.
The hardest part for me was not having many people in real life who understood what infertility was like and how uncertain and frustrating it was.

@Kaohinani: I never knew how to respond to people who suggested I just let nature take its course or whatever and I really hated people who offered advice like just relax and have sex with your husband it will happen.

@Kaohinani: so frustrating and makes the whole thing even more isolating. Now its another person I can't even try to share this journey with. Thank goodness for HB.

@Spinny: I feel you on the moving forward as a family of 3. Like I know we won't only ever be a family of 3, because we want to pursue adoption of some sort (embryo or from the state, since they can be a little more certain than standard adoption)... But I can't seem to find that peace, even though I do feel like some parts are definitely on standstill.

I'm starting our second medicated cycle and the RE wants me to start on estradiol before the trigger and continue for 14 days. And that's in addition to starting progesterone at 3dpo. So I just went to pick up the estradiol from Walgreens and the pharmacist was like, I just have to ask if you're pregnant. Which just made me feel crappy - i said, nope, definitely not pregnant. That's why I'm getting this stuff. But I did think about saying, yes but I thought shoving more stuff up my vagina for no reason sounded like a good idea.

@Chuckles: Ha, my pharmacist asked me the very same thing. "I have to ask if you're pregnant to give you this." Me: "Uh no. I'm taking it TO get pregnant." Pharmacist: "Oh." I felt so weird. I agree, I kinda wish you'd said your other idea!

@bhbee: I'm sort of in the same boat as you....so happy to lend support and love and answer questions. I'm done having kids but have been through a LOT to get to this place so I have all the sympathy in the world for all of you going through infertility and will be your #1 cheerleader!

• How long have you been/were you TTC?
3 years before conceiving DD1

• What interventions have you done/are doing?
We went straight to IVF, though we tried "natural IVF" twice, i.e., no stimulating drugs, just monitor the cycle, then retrieve the mature egg and peform ICSI with DH's sperm sample. I got pregnant but had a blighted ovum, and no heartbeat was found at the 6 week check up. I had a D&C, the moved on to traditional, stimulated IVF and was able to do one retrieval that produced both of my amazing girls! We still have 4 PGS-normal embryos on ice and are desperately trying to find a non-religious organization to help us facilitate adoption.

• Reason for intervention?
DH has low motility and morphology, and count. He is on immunosupressant drugs due to a kidney transplant and we think one of the drugs caused this.

• Any successes? Yes

• Current # of Children - 2: DD1 is 4 and DD2 is 20 months

• The most difficult part of the process?
SO much damn time for everything to happen when I was more than ready! Feeling like it was all my responsibility for the appointments, nonstop prodding of my lady parts, emotional exhaustion/pressure, constant scrutiny when the IF diagnosis was on the male side (rarely talked about and it made me resentful that everyone assumes IF is always the "fault" of the woman--when it's nobody's fault at all)