We're about 6 mos into seriously TTC. But, have been off any BC for almost 2 yrs. My periods have always been so irregular, that I've always known that it would be difficult to judge when I was ovulating. Anyone else in the same situation? Or, have you been through this? I just want to know what others are doing.

Here's what we're doing:

-Having sex every other day.
-I had a HSG, and it came back tubes all clear, but I have a bicornuate uterus.
-DH is looking into getting a semen analysis (we just don't exactly know where to go for this, or if it can be covered by insurance- does anyone have any advice for us on this?)
-I'm taking prenatal vits.

Is there anything else that we should be doing? I'm tired of shelling out $$ for pregnancy tests and ovulation kits that all come out NEGATIVE!!

Thanks for any advice/comments!!

Falk:wave:
Have you follow up with a RE? You may not be O'ing every month? I would also get DH tested because if he has low SA then it might never happen on its own. I would def. go and see an RE, they could run your DH SA. Taking the prenatal vit is a good start too. I think you came to the right place, we have all been thru so much and all have ideas. Welcome to the boards
Pennie:angel:

Hi Faulk,

I would also recommend seeing an RE if you haven't already. I was in a similar situation: always had irregular periods but my hsg and other test came back okay. I'm now off bc for 2 years and we have been seriously ttc for 1.5 years. My gyn never suggested I see a RE and said I should just keep trying because I was young and these things just take time.

I finally decided to go on my own to a RE earlier this month and found out I had a mild case of PCOS, which my RE said could be making the second phase of my cycle too weak to concieve (caused by my irregular periods). My husband also found out he had a slight issue with his SA. Neither of these are considered major problems but together our chances to concieve naturally were low. I'm glad we finally found this out and I just had my first IUI with Clomid on 10/25 which I am hopeful about. I'm just frustrated my gyn never suggested I see a fertility specialist earlier given my history. Hopefully you won't have any other issues but if you do it is better to find out sooner rather than later so you can decide what you and DH want to do.

Best of luck!

Lori

Thanks Pennie & Lori- I have not talked to a RE, just my regular gyn. He wants dh tested, but didn't really tell us where to go for this.

So, Dh called his primary and they said we should keep trying for another year before we take the next step. And I'm like "HELLO... I'm not ovulating! I go months w/o periods! Chances are- it's not him, it's me!! But we need to rule any other possibilities out first!!" That kinda made me a little irritated. I'm 32 and he's 36. Not much time for casual TTC!!

My Gyn did say that if he came back all clear, then Clomid would be the next step. This sounds about right, right?

So, how do I get a hold of a RE? Are they at the gyn's office? Or somewhere else completely different?

thank you, Liz

I asked around to friends/relatives that I knew had other friends/family that had concieved with an RE and kept hearing the same place recomended over and over again. So I made an appointment there.

I was lucky though, because I did not need a referral for my insurance. If you do need one, I would talk to your gyn so he/she can give you the referral for the insurance. Let us know how it goes.

Hi Falk,

Before I started seeing my RE, my OBGYN ordered an SA for my BF (Wow, that's a lot of abbr :p ). His employer at the time didn't offer insurance, so he had to pay out of pocket. We called around to the local hospitals and determined who performed them (most did) and how much it would cost. He was able to give a sample at home, and we drove it to the lab at a hospital a few minutes from the house (the semen has to be at the lab within a certain amount of time from collection - 30 minutes, I think). If you don't know where your DH should go, I would recommend calling some of your area hospitals. It only cost us $60 without insurance. If you have insurance, even better.

On another note, I would definitely recommend seeing an RE. Since you have irregular cycles, your OBGYN should give you a referral before a year of TTC has passed. If he/she won't, maybe you can try your family dr? RE's are so much more proactive than OBGYN's, and if you think you are running out of time, then an RE would be your best move. They are also more knowledgable and experienced dealing with IF - after all, this is their specialty.

Best of luck to you as your journey continues. Please let us know how it goes.

Holly~

Hi there Liz,
I would definitely see an RE, especially since you have a history of irregular cycles. I went for yrs without a diagnosis, and on my first day at the RE's they did an ultrasound and told me I had pcos. Not exactly the news I wanted to hear, but getting a diagnosis is the 1st step towards treating IF, and at least then I was able to feel like I was finally on the right track. My regular gyn treated me with clomid, but after that failed then he referred me to an re. My regular dr also gave me a referral when I mentioned it to him. My regular gyn was able to test dh, but the re wanted to retest so he ended up having to be tested twice (which I'm sure he just loved, lol). The re also asked me alot of detailed questions, then talked through a step by step treatment plan, so I felt like I had a timeline and alot of options and hope. Please stick around and keep posting, let us know how you're doing :) Best of luck!

I have known for as long as it has mattered (ie, since i have been married). She knew going into the mairrage that there was a chance we would need outside help, and that is well underway.

Definately find a good RE. My DW was regular as clockwork... no issues there. It is all my fault. :) Finally got the verdict after a testicular biopsy. yowza. :dizzy:

I am not sure if anyone has heard about FertilAid or not. I have had issues with Irregular periods. But I have been taking this for a few weeks now and I am back on track. It may be something to look into :)

Hi,
Whatever you do, do not wait to get on with testing. My DH and I were TTC for a year, when I took matters into my own hands. we did initial testing for me and when I came out good it was time to test DH. His SA showed no semen. We were then referred to a urologist because it is very uncommon to have no sperm, where he found a tumor in the testicle. Upon further testing we also found a kidney tumor. After having them removed we found they were both malignent. Had we waited like everyone was telling us to, "oh be patient it will happen when it's time", who knows how far the cancer would have spread. We were very lucky to find it so soon, both were stage one and he only needs observation for the next seven years.
Moral of the story is move on because it could be a bigger issue at hand. As far as the SAs we went to fertility clinics for that and our insurance did not cover it. Here in Colorado it is about 110 a test for counts and motility etc. If they look for retrograde ejacluation it was 160. Not cheap, but at least it will give you peace of mind.
Good luck!

my sister found out she had pcos after me bugging her to go to an re. bc no periods. she went on metformin for about 3-4 months and is now pg "naturally"!

I was always suspicious I might have trouble TTC. I have had irregular cycles where I spot for 6-8 days prior to my actual period, which I knew was weird, and I always wondered. I wish my DH and I would've TTC sooner, but one can't turn back time. And it may not have mattered anyway.

Anyway, I would go through your OBGYN, get a referral to an RE. I know you've said you were off BCP for 2 years...were you having unprotected sex during this time? B/c if you were, an RE would likely take you now. If not, and you've been TTC 6 months, they may not yet. I'd still try if I were you. With my cycles the way they are, my OBGYN said if I didn't conceive after only 3 months, she'd refer me, which she did. So you never know.

Good luck and welcome to the boards! :)

Hey Falk,

I was told I had a bicornuate uterus, too. Even after a HSG, the diagnosis was still that. It was only after I went for a lap for stage IV endo and multiple cysts, my RE was wrong. (doesn't happen too often) Anyways, I ended up having a HUGE septate, but not bicornuate. He was able to remove it surgically. I thought you might want to know in case you haven't had a lap. Best of luck sweetie.

Oh, and by the way, I never thought I would have any trouble conceiving. I always thought I would be able to have children whenever I was ready. So, my hubby and I didn't try for awhile, and now we've been married 10 years, and still no children. (2 miscarriages) I forgot to post this on my last one. :angel: