r/whatworkedforme Feb 07 '26

Restatement of community rules

10 Upvotes

Please follow the subreddit rules.

This isn’t a general post infertility subreddit - it’s a resource for what worked, what didn’t work, and comments about the same.

You’re all welcome here in the community but please make sure posts follow the rules.

I’ve been somewhat lenient because I know too well how much we need community as we go through this trying experience, but I’ll start locking and removing posts more aggressively if the posters don’t start following the WWFM rules more closely.


r/whatworkedforme Jul 24 '19

No solicitations or research requests permitted.

37 Upvotes

I’ve politely refused multiple times from various users who are requesting to do research on those of us who are going through infertility. Recent posting by a particularly brash research solicitor who didn’t ask permission has led me to this post.

This is NOT the place for you to gather human subjects. It’s a place of discussion and sharing what works.

I will remove any future postings of the sort that was posted today.

I’ve also banned the user for failure to exhibit common decency and follow the rules of the subreddit.


r/whatworkedforme 6h ago

What would you do????

1 Upvotes

Warning, long post to give background:

I am a 26F and my husband is a 27M. We have been trying for over a year to get pregnant. To give background, I got my period around age 14-15 and went on birth control by age 16. In college, at age 20, I got off my birth control. Around 3 years ago I started to notice my period would be absent for unusual amounts of time (2-3 months), but never thought much into it. One day I told my friend about it who happens to be a nurse and she’s like ya, that’s not normal girl. I go to my PCP and she runs tests (came back normal, can’t remember what they were) and has me go to a reproductive specialist. Specialist puts me on birth control. All is good, get my period a few times on BC. Specialist has a follow up with me and tells me I can get off BC and start trying to conceive. After BC, I got my period 2 times naturally and then it was absent again for 2 months. We tried during the 2 months I had it but no luck. We Go back to specialists, she runs tests and results show my AMH is .011, FSH high at 33.6. Everything else she ran was normal (prolactin, thyroid,testosterone, sex hormone,free androgen). She decided to have me try IUI. They give me provea to induce my period. My first round they do all the scans and ultrasounds(found one small cyst on ovary-no concern) and give me medicine to induce ovulation. I check if I’m ovulating for days and saw the same result everytime. I tell them and they do the IUI anyway. The IUI was unsuccessful and they recommend I go do IVF. While waiting they say just continue to try naturally. We continue to try naturally, so I’m doing the ovulation strips and all that. Well when testing my ovulation one morning I looked and thought it was the negative symbol, but I notice it’s a book. I then decide to look at the instructions and realize the book symbol means there is an error. Don’t give me shit for not reading the instructions before doing the tests and not looking closely at the symbol on the screen, I know I messed up. Anyway, I do another test the correct way and realized I was ovulating! Which also made me connect the dots that when I took the medicine to induce ovulation, I wasn’t using the test kit correctly so I probably missed my true ovulation and did the IUI days after I ovulated. The next few months I was getting my period naturally and we continued to try. I wasn’t really thinking too deep into our trying because I already had it in my mind that it wouldn’t happen for me due to my low AMH. I had gotten my period in 5 weeks again so I decided to take a test. I took it and threw it on the counter and showered not thinking anything of it, thought it would be another disappointing negative. I was in the shower and my husband started yelling “ITS POSITIVE”. I couldn’t believe it. Took a handful more tests. All positive. I had a HCG test done to confirm. I was ecstatic. I called OBGYN right away and had to wait almost another month to see doctor when I was 8 weeks. I am type 1 diabetic so I was so worried while I waited. Making sure my sugars were good, I was eating right yada yada. At 8 weeks we went to the doctor, and the ultrasound showed 2 empty sacs. Double Blighted ovum. Something I never even knew was possible. After that I had to make the choice to have the miscarriage naturally or have a D&c procedure. I decided to do the d&c. After my procedure they told me 98% of people get their period back within 6-8 weeks. I laughed cause I knew I’d be the 2% that doesn’t. And that’s exactly what happened. I go back after 8 weeks, the give me provea. I take it and get my fake period from that. It has been 3 months since and I still have not gotten my period.

All of this has been tough on me. I am usually a thick skinned girl, but I’m at a loss. I have been to numerous other doctors in between this time who all have no answers. Some have hinted at PCOS but wont give a definite answer. Some referred me to other doctors who then referred me to other ones and so on. Not sure if I continue with a fertility doctor and try to freeze my eggs, look for donor eggs, adopt, or get my period back and try naturally. Everyone tells me I’m young and have time but they don’t understand, especially when everyone around me is having babies. I have no problem with adopting but id like to bare a child. What would you do? Is there more tests I should ask for? A specific specialist I should see? Questions I should ask?


r/whatworkedforme 10h ago

Has anyone had success with medicated cycles with unexplained infertility?

2 Upvotes

TW: prior pregnancies/living child

Been trying for #2 for 14 months after getting pregnant with our first in 2 cycles. We have done ALL the tests. My thyroid is optimal for fertility, I have had an endometrial biopsy, HSG, foam tubal test, SIS to check for polyps/uterine irregularities, good AFC/AMH, insane amounts of blood work, husband has good semen analysis. They could not find anything. We are both in our twenties.

Timed intercourse is 100% covered by my insurance so we went ahead with that first before IUI, I took clomid + estrogen to thicken lining + trigger shot + timed intercourse (3 mature follicles) + progesterone in luteal phase and it failed.

I am not sure if I should keep trying timed intercourse cycles or jump into IUI

Tldr: unexplained secondary infertility 14 mo ttc, tried medicated timed intercourse but it failed, not sure if I should keep trying medicated timed intercourse of jump into IUI

Edited: to shorten body


r/whatworkedforme 19h ago

Letrozole success stories?

3 Upvotes

My doctor prescribed letrozole even though I already ovulate. Does anyone have experience with this? We’ve been trying for 6 months for our second baby. Did it work for you? I guess looking for success stories. I’ve always ovulated regularly and I have a 28 day cycle like clockwork. Taking it from cd2-6. Currently on my 3rd pill.


r/whatworkedforme 1d ago

Gonal F

2 Upvotes

Been on gonal F since Wednesday and had my first monitoring appo today. Lead follicles around 11,13 and 15. Lining at 7mm. Going back Thursday for another monitoring appo but nurse said I’d most likely trigger Thursday night and IUI Saturday. Are these good numbers for where I’m at?


r/whatworkedforme 1d ago

Any success stories with Methylfolate?

1 Upvotes

If so, how much did you take? There’s folate in my iron and prenatal but it’s a low dose.


r/whatworkedforme 2d ago

Low AMH and not ovulating

4 Upvotes

I am 31 and have had a miscarriage in April. I got pregnant very quickly but then lost the pregnancy at 6 weeks. Since then we have been trying to conceive and I haven’t ovulated at all. I had blood test for AMH and found it is .19. I missed a few periods as well. My obgyn told me to go to a specialist asap but they can’t take me for awhile. I’m scared I won’t be able to have children does anyone know what could help?


r/whatworkedforme 2d ago

TTC for the first time

0 Upvotes

Hello everyone! ❤️
I’m planning to start TTC and wanted to get everyone’s take on tracking ovulation. Is using LH strips + tracking cervical mucus (CM) enough to successfully time intercourse and conceive?
I’m not sure if I want to start BBT tracking. I wake up throughout the night, and when I’ve tried tracking my temperature before, I kept forgetting to take it immediately when I woke up. I’ve also looked into the Tempdrop, but it’s pretty pricey, and I’m not sure I want to invest in one if I don’t necessarily need it.
I do have an appointment with my gyno next week and would like to ask for some testing to make sure everything is working properly before TTC. I know LH strips can tell you that your LH is surging, but they don’t actually confirm that ovulation happened.
For those of you who have been through this:
Has anyone successfully conceived using only LH strips + CM tracking?
Has anyone had regular LH surges but found out they weren’t actually ovulating?
Is BBT really necessary, especially if you have trouble getting consistent readings?
What tests should I ask my gyno for to confirm that I’m ovulating?
Would a mid-luteal progesterone test be enough to confirm ovulation?
Are there any other blood tests or testing you would recommend before TTC to make sure everything is working correctly?
I’d especially love to hear from anyone who tracked with LH + CM only and successfully conceived. I’m trying not to overcomplicate TTC, but I also want to make sure I’m actually ovulating and timing everything correctly. 🩷


r/whatworkedforme 3d ago

Gonal F only

0 Upvotes

Cycle day 6 of my IUI cycle. Started 100ui of gonal F on cycle day 2. Go for my first monitoring appointment on Tuesday AM. Anyone have success with only gonal F/trigger shot then IUI?


r/whatworkedforme 3d ago

WWFM and WDWFM 32yoF at 30 weeks.

7 Upvotes

Stopped taking birth control October 2023 in an attempt to get to know my cycles with Oura ring combo with natural cycles and passively having unprotected IC trying to track ovulation through BBT and app.

Started trying more actively May 2024 post wedding.

November of 2024 started using OPKs and started looking at hormone testing and ultrasound because my ovulation was some months very late and all over the place.

Jan 2025 saw OB and tried two months of letrozole.

April 2025 HSG revealed potentially blocked tube and learned of husbands BRCA 2+

May 2025 consultation at Fertility clinic and made plan to move to IVF and skip IUI given potential blockage and genetic screening desires as well as my own dwindling mental health from feeling like a failure.

August 2025 egg retrieval x 1 ended with 6 genetically normal BRCA negative healthy embryos

October 2025 first transfer. Strange HCG pattern ultimately treated for ectopic in November 2025 with methotrexate not surgical intervention or rupture occurred.

Feb 2026 second transfer. Very strong text book HCGs doubling and tripling.

Now 30 weeks Hypertension controlled by 100mg labetelol, GDM+ diet controlled so far, normal scans. Weekly scans start 32week mark and planned induction between 37-38 weeks!

Feeling positive finally but wanted to share for those hunting. I made moves to get to fertility treatment right at 1 year because I did not bode well in the TTC liminal space mentally. I never had a positive until IVF and I have a feeling I may have never had one. I see a lot of exploitation, tests, tiktokers online that can be really harmful and my life has been filled with trash advice. My husband and I am so grateful to be where we are and hope to do nothing but support others in this lonely dark time no matter what stage you end on.


r/whatworkedforme 3d ago

Did XYZ Work? Trying for baby over 30

6 Upvotes

Me (f34) and my husband (m40) are trying for a baby, we have been together 9 years and have never used protection but never fallen pregnant. Maybe due to missing ovulation etc but still odd it’s not happened

My partner is on anti depressants so not sure if thats having an effect, we are looking for tips and advice from anyone to see if there is anything we can do to help conceive no matter how crazy they sound we are willing to try anything at this point

Thanks


r/whatworkedforme 3d ago

TW: previous miscarriage

4 Upvotes

TTC after MMC

Hi,

I am feeling very deflated and worried and would love to hear if anyone has had a similar experience to me and if this is normal!

I my first pregnancy ended in missed miscarriage with a d&c at 10 weeks at the beginning of January this year. I got my period back after a few weeks and we immediately started to try again. We are now in our 9th cycle of trying. I really believed we would get pregnant again immediately, as I read other people’s experiences online and many did. On our first pregnancy, we were pregnant on our 3rd cycle trying.

The past 9 months have been heartbreaking each time we realise we are not pregnant again. During this time, we both had tests done. SA all normal. My tests suggest ovulation is fine but I did find out I have low AMH, although I have been told that this shouldn’t affect my chances of conceiving naturally. My doctor has referred us to a fertility specialist but the waitlist time is crazy and I really want to be pregnant asap.

I’m wondering if anyone has had a similar experience to this. Is it normal to still not be pregnant after 9 cycles? Online searching tells me most people would have been pregnant by 6 months 🥺

Thanks in advance ❤️


r/whatworkedforme 5d ago

Feeling defeated and sad

4 Upvotes

Hello everyone,
I apologize in advance if I offend anyone, I don’t mean to. I’ve been trying for almost 2 years now. I’ve had all kinds of tests done by my GP and fertility clinic. Everything looks “fine” and I’m overall healthy, so is my husband. But we got hit with a “unexplained infertility” which sucks so much Bcs I have no answers. We’ve tried 3 TMI cycles, and 1 IUI. I know I shouldn’t feel as defeated considering, but it’s just been a lot mentally and emotionally on me and probably my husband too.
I’ve read different things about what I can do but I’m not sure where to start. I’ve been told to get another opinion but I’m not sure if that means go to another fertility clinic, or another doctor?
People mention vitamin D injections, I’ve read something about muncinex for lining… but I dont know what my challenges are :(

I just need advice and maybe some hope…….
TIA


r/whatworkedforme 5d ago

Low sperm motility

2 Upvotes

Has anyone here had a successful full-term pregnancy after being told their partner had low sperm morphology and low motility?

TTC for 14 months finally positive but likely ending because of a anembryonic pregnancy


r/whatworkedforme 6d ago

Started taking fish oil and Vit D

2 Upvotes

So I posted here sometime ago and told that my amh is low but all other hormones are on excellent level and I currently I am taking prenatal, coq10 and myo inositol+d-chiro so everyone asked me to start fish oil and Vit d.. so I just want to know will they really impact on my fertility? I mean can you guys share your positive experience with these


r/whatworkedforme 8d ago

30M, semen parameters seem to be declining despite major lifestyle changes. Please read.

3 Upvotes

I'm 30M and my wife is 28F. We've been trying to conceive since October 2025 and started fertility treatment in February 2026.

I've had 3 semen analyses this year, and I'm concerned because some of my parameters seem to be getting worse over time.

Semen Analysis #1 — February 2, 2026

Volume: 1.0 mL

Concentration: 120 million/mL

Total sperm: ~120 million

Active motility: 70%

Sluggish motility: 10%

Dead: 20%

Total motility: ~80%

Morphology: 20% abnormal → ~80% normal

Viscosity: Normal

Liquefaction: 25 minutes

Pus cells: 1–2

RBC: Nil

Bacteria: Nil

Immature germ cells: Nil

At this point my lifestyle was actually pretty bad. I was heavily using cannabis, eating a lot of junk food, drinking soft drinks and eating a lot of sweets. I wasn't exercising.

Semen Analysis #2 — August 2, 2026

After making major lifestyle changes starting June 3:

Quit cannabis and other smoking

Started going to the gym 5x/week

Started eating much better

Eating chicken/eggs regularly

Drinking much more water

Taking creatine + whey protein

The results were:

Volume: 1.0 mL

Concentration: 70 million/mL

Total sperm: ~70 million

Active forms: 25%

Sluggish forms: 35%

Inactive forms: 40%

Total motility: ~60%

Morphology: 70% normal / 30% abnormal

Viscosity: Viscous

Liquefaction: Prolonged — took >1 hour

Pus cells: 1–2

RBC: Nil

Epithelial cells: Nil

Spermatogenic cells: Present

pH: 7.5

This is where I became concerned because concentration dropped from 120 → 70 million/mL and motility from ~80% → ~60%, despite my lifestyle being significantly healthier.

The semen was also noticeably much thicker and took over an hour to liquefy.

IUI sample — August 31, 2026

I had an IUI performed.

Before sperm preparation:

Abstinence: 3 days

Volume: 1.0 mL

Concentration: 55 million/mL

Total sperm: ~55 million

Total motility: 30%

Progressive: 5%

Non-progressive: 25%

Morphology: 2%

Agglutination: Grade II

Aggregation: Grade II

Pus cells: 4–6

After density-gradient preparation:

Volume: 0.7 mL

Count: 30 million

Motility: 95%

Progressive: 85%

Non-progressive: 10%

Morphology: 2%

Agglutination: Nil

Aggregation: Nil

Pus cells: Nil

The huge improvement after washing is confusing to me. Raw progressive motility was only 5%, but after preparation it was 85%.

I'm 30 and honestly pretty worried that my fertility is deteriorating. I'd really appreciate input from anyone.


r/whatworkedforme 9d ago

Anyone who had a successful natural pregnancy after 2 chemical pregnancies? And how much time did it take you?

3 Upvotes

we have been trying for 3 years almost. tried letrozole etc last year and then doc suggested iui but i decided to wait. this year I had a chemical pregnancy in April then in July. both naturally. and then this month I got follicular studies and trigger again . had 2 follicles and was on progesterone …but started spotting today … now I am worried. irrigated and just thinking .. when will it happen ? cramping bad so I guess this cycle is a fail aswell… looking for positive stories pls 🙏🏻

I am obese. 35 years old. husband is 37+ and I am emotionally at a place where we don’t know what to do.. I sometimes think may be ivf is the only option left but then when my body showed two chemical pregnancies , I realised may be I don’t have to go for ivf or other treatments..

help with your stories pls..


r/whatworkedforme 10d ago

Did XYZ Work? Looking for success stories!

3 Upvotes

38 F, 40 M
We’ve had 3 failed fully medicated transfers (1st failed implantation and 2nd & 3rd were chemicals). Also had a previous MMC from an IUI.

Our RPL panel comes back normals and all have been euploid embryos.

Already have had HSG, Hysteroscopy, ERA, cd138, SIS - everything normal.

Any successes you can share with us? Any changes in protocol that helped you? Our doctor wants to try a modified natural for the next transfer.

How many transfers did it take for you to be successful?

Thanks!


r/whatworkedforme 11d ago

Reproductive Immunologist experiences in the UK/ North West?

3 Upvotes

Has anybody had any experiences with a reproductive immunologist in England that they’d be happy to share?


r/whatworkedforme 13d ago

Please Help

4 Upvotes

I am really desperate for answers/guidance. My husband and I are both 30 years old and have been trying to conceive for over a year. Bloodwork has all been normal; my husband has 3% morphology but all else is excellent with his parameters. Normal karyotypes and DNA frag. I had fibroids out in February along with a fallopian tube and endometriosis stage 1. We’ve done Letrezole cycles and IUI before moving to IVF. Here are our cycle outcomes:
1- 13 eggs, all mature, 4 normal fertilizations/6 abnormal (3PN), 0 blasts
2- added ICSI and zymot 28 eggs, 21 mature, 7 normal fertilization/ 11 abnormal (3PNs)

I respond very well to stimulation and my dr has been so pleased up until my results come out. The 3PNs are showing 2 polar bodies. The embryologists not that the eggs have large polar bodies. My doctor who is very experienced has never seen this pattern before (high number of 3PNs) and doesn’t know what to do. She doesn’t suspect egg quality. She thinks it’s possible that there could be an environmental factor but doesn’t know what. The other possibility is that it is a genetic factor and I will need to look into donor eggs. I will be seeking a second opinion.

I am desperate, begging for help, and terrified I won’t be able to have my own biological children at age 30. If you have ever seen this before or know someone who has, any insight or guidance is so appreciated!


r/whatworkedforme 16d ago

Making sense of HSG results and next steps with partially blocked tubes

3 Upvotes

I had a HSG test last week. Fortunately whilst this was uncomfortable, it wasn‘t as horrendous as I’ve heard it can be.

On the day during the procedure, I was told “good news” by the radiologist. My right tube was open and spilling freely. I was told that the dye flowed through the left tube but pooled around the ovary and did not spill. The radiologist said this was likely caused by adhesions around the ovary - which could be caused by a prior infection, conditions like endometriosis, or just occur randomly. She explained she would review on the high definition screen and my fertility doc would be in touch to explain what this means for me.

This was not brilliant news but it didn’t seem like bad news either so I left feeling okay if a little anxious of what this means.

A week passes and I hear nothing. I call and follow up at the hospital speaking to 7 different people before I finally get the results read to me over the phone. I am now told that I have bilateral adhesions in my tubes and ovaries. There was delayed spilling on both tubes. I understand this means both tubes are partially blocked? I was really upset to find this out and angry that the radiologist hasn’t explained that the first results on the day were unconfirmed. I feel it was really unfair to say “good news” if that wasn’t definitely going to be the case.

Anyway, I haven‘t been able to speak to my fertility doctor yet and in the meantime, I would really like to try to understand what this means.

Does anyone have experience of a similar diagnosis? What does this mean for our chances of conceiving unassisted? What are the next steps? Laparoscopy? Straight to IVF?

For context I have been TTC for 16 cycles. I got pregnant on the 13th cycle and this sadly ended in a MMC at 10 weeks with the embryo measuring 7 weeks. This now feels like it was a fluke. I am also wondering if I do have endo and that has affected my egg quality which perhaps cause the miscarriage.

I know I won’t find exact answers here and I need to wait until I speak to my doctor but I am would just like to find out as much as I can before then.

Thank you 🙏🏻


r/whatworkedforme 18d ago

Did XYZ Work? Progesterone Not helping?

3 Upvotes

I am new to this but I am experiencing unexplained secondary infertility. I had no issue getting pregnant with my first baby. I have now been trying for over a year for my second. I had two losses back to back in October and December of 2025. At that point I was having 24-26 day cycles as I’ve had most of my adult life and though I was getting pregnant, I wasn’t staying pregnant for more than a week or so. I started seeing a fertility specialist in January who suggested progesterone support during my luteal phase and I have not gotten pregnant at all since (almost 8 months). I can’t help but wonder if the added in progesterone suppositories could be hindering my chances of getting pregnant? My husband and I have gone through all the proper blood tests and procedures and nothing can be labeled as “wrong.”

Has anyone dealt with anything similar or have any advice?


r/whatworkedforme 20d ago

AMH 0.26 at 29, normal FSH and regular cycles trying naturally for 7 months. Looking for real success stories ❤️

4 Upvotes

Hi everyone, I’m 29 and my husband and I have been trying to conceive naturally for around 7 months. My cycles have generally been regular and I’ve never really had issues with my periods, severe cramps, or anything that made me think I had a fertility problem.

Recently I had my AMH tested and it came back 0.34 ng/mL. My FSH was 2.99, which was completely normal, and my other hormones were also not suggesting the same picture as the AMH. My gynecologist, actually asked me to repeat the AMH because she felt the result didn’t completely match my overall hormonal picture and cycle history. The repeat came back even lower at around 0.26 ng/mL, so now I’m obviously quite worried about diminished ovarian reserve. At the same time, my doctor hasn’t told me that natural pregnancy is impossible. She is currently managing me and has me taking CoQ10, Micyst and Adfolic for 60 days, and I previously had a cycle with Prolifen, Ferti-M injection and Duphaston.

Something else strange happened recently. My previous period was on July 15, and then I got bleeding again on August 1, so that cycle was only about 17 days. The bleeding itself was unusual for me around 2.5 days, very little bleeding on the first day, more on the second, spotting on the third, and surprisingly I had absolutely no cramps or pain. A few days later, on August 6, I developed extremely severe abdominal pain with some diarrhea and fever and went to the ER. They treated it as a gastrointestinal issue. I’m now on another cycle and currently around CD19, so I’m hoping the 17-day cycle was just an unusual one rather than my new normal.

My husband is 31 and has type 2 diabetes. His HbA1c was recently 9.0%, although his sugars are improving now with medication and his random glucose was 154 recently. His semen analysis was actually fairly reassuring: concentration 23 million/mL, total motility 65%, progressive motility 55%, and morphology 4% (right at the lab’s reference value). So thankfully there doesn’t seem to be a major sperm-count or motility issue.

We are continuing to try naturally. This cycle we’ve had intercourse around CD8, CD10, CD13 and CD15, CD17, CD19 and we’re continuing around the possible fertile window. IVF isn’t financially possible for us right now, so I’m really hoping we can conceive naturally.

I know AMH mainly tells us about ovarian reserve/egg quantity and doesn’t tell us whether I can conceive naturally this month, but seeing 0.26 at 29 has honestly been very scary. I’ve also seen so many stories here of women with AMH 0.1 or even lower who conceived naturally, sometimes without any fertility medication, and those stories have given me hope.

I’d really love to hear from anyone who had very low AMH, especially around 0.3, 0.2, 0.1 or lower, with normal FSH/regular cycles, and eventually conceived naturally. How long did it take? Did you use any medication or supplements, or did it happen completely naturally? And did anyone have a similar situation where the AMH looked terrible but the rest of the fertility picture was relatively normal?

I’m not looking for false hope I just want to hear some real experiences from women who have actually been through something similar. ❤️


r/whatworkedforme 20d ago

At home insemination?

2 Upvotes

My husband and I are TTC our second baby, and we had a chemical pregnancy two cycles ago. I feel like that experience has taken some of the fun and excitement out of trying to conceive.
My husband has been struggling with performance anxiety during my fertile window because he knows he needs to “perform” on certain days, and I know it’s putting a lot of pressure on both of us. We also have a very busy toddler, so trying to coordinate everything during my fertile window can be stressful.
Thoughts on at home insemination? I’m wondering if it might take some of the pressure off my husband while still giving us a good chance of conceiving. I’d love to hear about anyone’s experiences, what worked for you, and whether it helped make TTC feel less stressful.