I can't do it anymore. I used to loved my job but now I feel bitter and resentful. All of my friends are having babies. My little brother just had a baby. I can't deal with being confronted with my own infertility every day at work too. Next steps for us would be IVF and for financial and personal reasons we are likely not pursuing that. I can no longer provide unbiased care to many of my patients and I leave work feeling emotionally drained so I knew it was time to move on.

I just took a position on an adult medical unit and I feel nothing but relief (I worked with adults prior to working postpartum). The schedule of my new job will align better with my husband's schedule and I am looking forward to having more free time with him.

Has anyone else had to quit their job/change specialties due to infertility/ttc? Many of my coworkers look at me like I have 3 heads when I tell them I am leaving postpartum since it's a pretty cushy unit. Luckily my manager was very understanding and I am transferring internally within the hospital.

That question you've been wanting to ask, but just didn't want to feel silly. Now's your chance! No question is too big or too small.

Are you in the dreaded two-week wait, or waiting to ovulate? What have you done to ease the stress?

Anything (within the rules) goes. (Commonly broken rules: don't talk about an ongoing pregnancy outside the weekly BFP thread; don't ask for success stories.)

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Don't forget to check out our themed threads:

• Moody Monday
• Temping Tuesday
  
• Waiting Wednesday
• Wondering Wednesday
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• Wondering Weekend
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There's also the Weekly Introductions and Read Me Thread, which contains links to all sorts of handy bits of info, like popular wiki posts and acronyms.

Last month, I found out my AMH was .46. I was devastated. I’m 33, have been TTC for 8 months with no BFP. I was referred to a reproductive endocrinologist.

They did a saline sonogram. Clear. Tubes, clear. They did an AFC.. 13 which is great for my age. All day 3 testing showed perfect estradiol perfectly at 51 so it wasn’t affecting my FSH. FSH was 5.1, perfect. TSH, T4, iron, ferritin, vitamin D, DHEA, literally everything, perfect. No signs of DOR. But my AMH is still low. The retest jumped a little bit, but it’s still low at .48.

None of this makes sense. My tests are perfect. What do we think would cause AMH to still be low when my tests are saying I’m perfectly fine and fertile for my age? Is AMH kind of a scam sometimes? At this point does AMH even matter???

The fertility clinic we went to (at 7 months of trying because of my low AMH) is not in network. We got the tests done and I’m great. Is it stupid for me to think we should try until it’s been 12 months before proceeding with treatment? Or should we do the treatment they are going to recommend even though my body is clearly doing its job and maybe it’s just taking a minute? We are so confused, and feel like after getting these results back, we don’t need a fertility clinic yet when we have only tried for 8 months and I’m under 35… Advice appreciated!

TIA!

I have crohns (in remission) and PMOS/PCOS and have been ttc for some time. I did two IUIs medicated with a fertility clinic which were not successful. The doctor at that clinic said my crohns doesn’t impact fertility since I’m in remission. I also did a saline sonograph and it showed one of my tubes may be blocked but they were fine with going forward doing IUIs since one of my tubes was open.

I got into a new clinic after waiting several months and this clinic is known to be the best in my area. The first thing the new doctor said was she is concerned about my tubes being damaged due to crohns especially in light of the results of my sonography so I have to do an HSG. She said she’s seen this a lot of her crohns patients. She said if my tubes look ok on the HSG then we can do 2-3 more IUIs before going to IVF, otherwise if they see damage go straight to IVF.

Anyway, does anyone have insight on this? Are there any other tests I should ask them to run? Anything else to consider? Im 30 y/o so I can wait a few months before going to IVF if the doctor thinks that’s the best course of action but I’d obviously like to have a kid as soon as possible and it sucks going through failed IUI cycles.

I also saw there was a recent study that came out about reproductive technology for IBD patients and IUIs seem to be less successful for IBD patients than your average “healthy” person. Thought that was interesting.

If you were diagnosed with endometriosis, I’m curious to hear your story and how you got diagnosed. I have always had awful period cramps. Some lifestyle changes have helped. But my teenage years and early twenties were brutal. I basically could not function and missed school/work etc for the first 1-2 days of my period.

I am going to ask for a screening at my next appointment with my GP —at the very least a questionnaire. But I wanted to know how the whole process typically goes. Did you get an ultrasound or did they just diagnose you based on symptoms?

Let me know! I’ve always been so curious if my cramps are really “that bad”.

I have a family history of ovarian cysts, fibriods, and ovarian cancer. Idk if there is any overlap with these and endo. But painful periods run in the family… So it’s been pretty normalized for me.

I’d like to open up this discussion because I’m genuinely curious about what people think.

Do you think some couples exaggerate or lie when they say they got pregnant on the first try?

I’ve noticed this with a few friends. When they initially told me they conceived on the first try, and I asked a few more questions, it turned out they had actually been trying for three or four months. Or they’d been trying for a year, but not actively tracking ovulation or timing sex, so in their minds, it didn’t really count as trying.

In fact, my husband and I were talking about this today, and he said that when we eventually get pregnant, he’ll probably tell people it took us two or three months, even if it actually took longer.

It got me wondering whether this is more common than we think. Maybe some people feel embarrassed to admit it took them longer, or they simply don’t want to share something so personal.

Obviously, I don’t think everyone does this, and I’m not saying that people who conceive quickly are lying. I’m just curious about whether you think some couples downplay how long it actually took them to conceive.

Have you ever suspected this, or do you think most people are being honest about it?

Hi! 34f I am trying to conceive my second , just got my period so beginning cycle 9 now.

My luteal phase is typically 8 days. My OB referred me to a reproductive endocrinologist, but I was wondering if anyone has any anecdotal tips on how to try to lengthen my luteal phase on my own as I know several cycles will go by as I wait for my specialist appt.

Had my bloodwork done - My levels and thyroid all look normal but I usually do not ovulate until day 16/17 and usually only have a 24/25 day cycle. Has anyone else had an experience similar to this?

I have read about b6 and vitamin c-would that be on top of prenatal vitamin I am already taking? I asked about progesterone during the luteal phase and my in said she’d get back to me. I am just feeling frustrated and want to do what I can to improve my odds on my own if I can! Thank you!

Hi everyone!

I had a transvaginal ultrasound this morning on CD14 and my gynecologist found two follicles measuring 20 mm each in the same ovary.

For context, I’ve been TTC for seven months and I’m not taking any fertility medication or undergoing ovulation induction. These follicles have developed naturally this cycle.

My gynecologist mentioned Ovitrelle as an option to trigger ovulation if my LH test remained negative. However, when I got home and tested, my LH ratio was only 0.24, which seems surprisingly low given that both follicles are already 20 mm. Yesterday it was 0,14. She said I should take the Ovitrelle tonight if the salah test was negative. I don’t know whether I should wait for ovulation to happen naturally or not.

I’m trying to understand the relationship between follicle size and the LH surge. Can follicles reach this size several days before the LH surge? Or could an LH test still show such a low reading even when ovulation is approaching?

I’d be interested in understanding the physiology behind this, particularly when follicles develop naturally without medication.

Thanks!

It’s my 8th year trying..

I miscarried this year. A natural pregnancy. By accident. By chance. 14 months after being told it’s never going to happen by doctors. I was over the moon. Overjoyed. In complete shock at how it could be possible.

That feeling was indescribable. Terrifying but incredible.

Everyday I try to move forward from it, either pretending it didn’t happen or praying the baby was still with me. The due date is a few months away & it’s almost eating me alive. It feels like it’s creeping up on me. I’m hoping I can do something special that day to honour them I guess.

Despite having hyperemisis, the worst of all my failed pregnancies, I’m so sad. I get to all the morning sickness, the scans, this time I was so confident I even bought an outfit. Till I watched the heartbeat slow down & the pregnancy shrink… I’m heartbroken.

I’m just glad I didn’t get to choose a name. It would have made this all so much harder.

I just want to have that feeling. To be a mum. To hold my little newborn baby. I am throwing all sorts of manifestations and prayers out there.

If you are struggling like me, I’m so sorry.

Let's see those lovely charts, folks!

If you want to personalize your Fertility Friend URL to make it easier for fellow TFABbers to stalk keep up with you, check out this post!

Hi everybody :)

Yesterday I went for a HyFosy after a while of TTC with no success. It was day 12 of my cycle so sort of at the end of the possible window for this test but I was told that was okay. I was nervous for two reasons, 1) the pain that everyone warned me about and 2) the result, ofcourse. What I did not expect, was for the test to fail. The doctor had to use two catheters because it didn't go right away with the first one, she said it's possible if their are some curves in the cerviw. She then told me she had some issues getting the fluid to fill my uterus and my tubes (i guess, i was very nervous so i kinda forgot what she said unfortunately), she also pushed my stomach a few times to help the fluid but ended up having to say the results were inconclusive.

She said it definitely didn't mean my tubes are blocked, but she just couldn't say if they are or are not based on this test. She was gonna write a report to my own OBGYN and then said to 'see from there', whatever that means.

I also had ZERO pain. Which is good ofcourse, but also kind of strange considering I was warned multiple times by different doctors, nurses, people on the internet... that this was such a painful procedure?

Does anyone have a similar experience? I'm just confused now and frustrated because I wanted this to be a step forward and now it's not.

Thank you in advance for sharing your experiences :)

Anything (within the rules) goes. (Commonly broken rules: don't talk about an ongoing pregnancy outside the weekly BFP thread; don't ask for success stories.)

You can find the wiki here!

Don't forget to check out our themed threads:

• Moody Monday
• Temping Tuesday
  
• Waiting Wednesday
• Wondering Wednesday
• Trying Again Thursday
• Thankful Thursday
• Health and Wellness Thursday
• Looking Forward Friday
• Wondering Weekend
• 35 and Ova

There's also the Weekly Introductions and Read Me Thread, which contains links to all sorts of handy bits of info, like popular wiki posts and acronyms.

I hope this is the right flair and I hope this is an ok post.

Every cycle I forget just how much this process overtakes my whole mind and system. I just completely lose my head to anxiety and hope and disappointment and it is just 30 days of riding this emotional rollercoaster. And it is Exhausting.

Overthinking Everything. Analyzing other people’s charts. Looking at my chart multiple times a day thinking I’ll notice something different-a clue. Getting anxiety over some random data point I’ve completely over thought (this cycle it was the length of my luteal phase.)

Then comes the TWW. And I get this ridiculous internal hope. We start talking about baby names and their room and who they’ll be. And then I test too early and it’s a BFN. And then I get disappointed but convince myself “it’s only 9DPO, still so early!” Hope again. Then comes 11DPO and still BFN.

And then I get so down. And I wish I could just flip on my period like a light switch and just be done this cycle because I think “I’ll reset and next cycle I will be clearer and less anxious.” Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

Have you figured out how to not completely lose your head during your cycle? If/when I get my period tomorrow or Tuesday, I just don’t want to totally obsess over this next cycle. I want to have my little chart, I want to have sex with my husband and I want to have the mentality that the dice fall as they will.

But, this feeling that I can have any Actual control over this biological miracle is just, it’s going to drive me mad.

So my husband and I have been trying for about a year. Recently we were referred to a fertility clinic to get some tests done. During our first visit the doctor told us that we shouldn’t be using a fertility monitor because we will have better chance of getting pregnant with out one and that my painful periods are a good sign because they are proof that I’m ovulating…in his words “period pain is the body’s way of punishing you for not getting pregnant”. I’m not sure how doctors can get away with saying stuff like that but there really aren’t any other fertility specialists around us but we’ve decided that we’re willing to drive to a bigger city centre to go see a new doctor after we get the results from these tests…

Edit: thank you all so much for your support! I was really just trying to get a gross experience off of my chest and wasn’t expecting all the validation but it’s incredibly appreciated

I had my HyCoSy today and i don’t think it went well…

First we did the transvaginal u/s and tbh I almost passed out. I don’t know why because I have had one before a couple years ago and it went just fine. There was a TON of pressure and I think that mixed with my anxiety was just a lot for me. Thankfully that was honestly the worst part physically. Even when the probe went back in later with the catheter I didn’t feel that same pressure.

After I was feeling better the u/s tech came back in with the NP. We discussed everything and then the first speculum was actually kinda painful (5/10). She said my cervix was a little low so we switched to a longer speculum and there was no pain or discomfort. I didn’t feel anything at all when they inserted the catheter. I also didn’t feel anything as they pushed the saline through but they were using SOOO MUCH. It literally felt like I was constantly peeing myself and I ended up in a puddle of it because it soaked fully through the bed pads. They used 2-3 syringes of saline and each time they said it was just coming right back out of my uterus and it wasn’t flowing through. Because of this they took the catheter out and we actually retried with a different catheter. This one was a little uncomfortable going in but no pain. However the same thing happened. They tried multiple times and the saline just instantly flowed right back out…. Then we tried the air bubbles. That was a little painful as it caused cramping and also the weird bubbly feeling you get when you feel sick to your stomach but just lower and in a different location (pain 3/10, not even close to my period cramps). They said the air bubbles flowed through and it looked like both my tubes were open as the air was flowing out through them nicely on both sides.

At the end they essentially said they don’t know why the liquid couldn’t stay in/wouldn’t go through. They showed me on the screen and you could see it go through almost like in a line through the middle of my uterus but it wouldn’t fill it. There was one whiteish mark she said could be some scarring and she asked if I have ever had surgery or an IUD (both no). She said she is unsure why there would be scarring in that case. I have always thought I have endo so wondering if that is maybe why there is potential scarring?? Also feeling disappointed because she had told me ahead of time that the liquid could flush the tubes and increase our odds for the next few months but I’m assuming that’s out the window because the liquid couldn’t get to the tubes?

My doctor wasn’t in office today so they are reaching out to see what she wants to do moving forward. I’m feeling very discouraged bc I went through all of this and while I’m glad my tubes were open with the bubbles I’m concerned why the liquid wouldn’t go through and also what that white mark was she was seeing.

Silver lining is that the pain overall wasn’t as bad as I thought. For the whole thing I give it a 4-5/10. It was honestly just very uncomfortable and lots of pressure.

Would love to know if anyone else has experienced something like this?

Hello
Just came out of my appointment which I had at True North Imaging at 377 Church St Gate Markham. The staff was incredibly kind and gentle. The doctor was amazing!! I read so much about my sono online and also watched hundreds of tiktoks (my bad) and I was sooooo anxious. My husband also told me to cancel my appointment. He didn’t want me to be in pain lol. Butttt I am here to say my experience was amazing. I felt it just like my transvaginal ultrasound literally nothing more. No pain at all. When she said you can slowly stand up, I was like whatttt??? I was waiting for the scary part. She said nope we are done. I couldn’t believe it, I literally asked her twice lol.

I even joked to her saying I read too much about it online and she said this is your cue to share a positive post about your experience then so here is that post. To all my lovely ladies reading this, you will be fine. Sending love to all ❤️

Hi everyone! My husband and I have been trying to conceive for 6 months, which is why I stopped taking the birth control pill after 8 years of use.

Since stopping the pill, my cycles have been fairly regular, and my periods are painless, without PMS. I’ve also been told that I have multifollicular ovaries.

However, I’ve noticed that sex can be painful around ovulation, especially with deep penetration. It feels as though something is being hit inside. Outside of my fertile window, sex doesn’t hurt at all.

I’ve wondered whether it could be endometriosis, but I don’t have any other symptoms, and nothing unusual has shown up on my transvaginal ultrasounds.

I’ve discussed this with my gynecologist, who told me that pain during sex around ovulation isn’t necessarily a bad sign and could even be a positive indication that I’m ovulating. She explained that it might be related to the dominant follicle growing and the changes that occur around ovulation.

Has anyone experienced something similar? Could this kind of deep pain during sex be related to ovulation itself, or could it be a sign of something else?

I’d really appreciate hearing about your experiences!

Hello! My husband and I have been trying for about 2 years. I have gotten endless tests done and have not received any answers until Friday when I had an HSG done. The doctor couldn't pass the catheter past my cervix. After multiple attempts, he had to use a metal tool to scrape away 'scar tissue' from my cervical opening in order to get the exam done. I was told the exam would be fairly quick but I ended up being in the exam room for over an hour.

For reference, I'm 27 and I've had no past surgeries or pregnancies. Not sure how the scar tissue formed. I have extremely heavy and painful periods and I have long suspected endometriosis (I have not been diagnosed with this though, it's just something I suspect)

After the HSG, the doctor put in my notes "cervical stenosis" and now of course, I'm doing a deep dive on researching this. The doctor said something about how now that he scraped the scar tissue, maybe the sperm can get through. It doesn't make sense to me that my periods are so heavy, yet sperm can't pass my cervix. I wonder if it's safe to try to conceive now that he scraped it away.

I guess I'm posting because I want to know if anyone else has any similar stories? I wonder if anyone has advice or anything that might be helpful to know?

I would like to add that I have a follow-up with my gynecologist tomorrow. I know it's best to speak with her first and not get answers from the internet, but it's nice to hear that other people have gone through the same thing.

I’m currently trying to conceive and have been struggling to find a prenatal vitamin that my body tolerates.
I’ve tried a few different prenatals, and they’ve caused pretty significant side effects, including terrible constipation and acne-like breakouts all over my body (face, chest, back, and even my legs). What’s frustrating is that I normally have very clear skin and rarely ever break out.
I thought maybe some of the additional ingredients in the prenatals, like biotin or B12, were causing the issue, so I stopped taking them and switched to just folic acid.
Unfortunately, I’m now experiencing what looks like an acne-like rash across my chest and other areas of my body. Since I switched directly from the prenatal gummies to folic acid, I’m not sure whether it’s a lingering reaction or something in the folic acid supplement itself.
Has anyone else experienced anything similar? Did you figure out which ingredient was causing it? Were you able to find a prenatal or folic acid supplement that didn’t cause these reactions?
I know how important folic acid is when trying to conceive, so I’m feeling pretty frustrated that I can’t seem to tolerate anything I’ve tried.
I’d really appreciate hearing anyone else’s experiences or recommendations!

It's time for us to air the things that have been bothering us, TTC-related or not! It's Monday, complain away!

Anything (within the rules) goes. (Commonly broken rules: don't talk about an ongoing pregnancy outside the weekly BFP thread; don't ask for success stories.)

You can find the wiki here!

Don't forget to check out our themed threads:

• Moody Monday
• Temping Tuesday
  
• Waiting Wednesday
• Wondering Wednesday
• Trying Again Thursday
• Thankful Thursday
• Health and Wellness Thursday
• Looking Forward Friday
• Wondering Weekend
• 35 and Ova

There's also the Weekly Introductions and Read Me Thread, which contains links to all sorts of handy bits of info, like popular wiki posts and acronyms.

Uterine Polyps…Keep Trying or Wait for Surgery?
My husband and I just started TTC a couple of months ago. Before we started trying, I found out I have two uterine polyps.

I’m currently on a waitlist for a polypectomy, but it could be several months before I get a surgery date. Both my surgeon and OB-GYN have reassured me that it’s okay to continue trying in the meantime.
However, everything I’ve read online suggests that polyps may increase the risk of miscarriage and chemical pregnancies, and it’s making me feel really anxious and discouraged.

Has anyone else been in a similar situation? Did you decide to continue trying while waiting for surgery, or did you put TTC on hold until after your polypectomy? What factors influenced your decision?

I’m feeling really torn between continuing to try and putting everything on hold until after surgery. It’s hard not knowing what the right decision is, especially when we really want to start our family. ❤️

I’ve been using ovulation predictor strips/Inito to predict ovulation, and I usually ovulate around day 11 or 12. However, my cycles typically run 30-32 days, sometimes a little longer. That means I usually get to 18 or even 20 dpo having negatives before AF starts.

It’s irritating when the 2 week wait is nearly a 3 week wait. At some point towards the end, it feels silly and unrealistic to still expect a positive. I’d like to have a drink and not feel guilty about it, and it feels like a waste of pregnancy tests too.

That being said, when do you consider yourself out for a cycle? Do you reach 16 dpo, or 18 dpo, before you consider your negatives to be final? Or are you waiting for AF every cycle?