Infertility and Getting Checked Out by a Doctor

Updated on July 12, 2010
J.B. asks from South Saint Paul, MN
5 answers

What is the process for infertility check ups at the doc?

My hubby and I have been trying almost a year now. We were successful this spring, but miscarried. Once it's been a full year I plan to get in to the doctor for some testing. When I miscarried my OB went ahead and checked my progesterone levels and said that it was fine. What else will they do to make sure me and hubby are "operating" correctly? Please share. I'm not afraid to hear all the gory details. Go ahead and tell me what you went through to get preggers too. I need to hear other people success stories right now, so I would love to hear about it.

Also, any other suggestions to try for our last month of trying?? So far I track CM and both of us are on daily vitamins. I'm taking a prenatal and hubby is taking a regular once a day vitamins. I also will try to start tracking my BBT again too, but with a 3 yr old getting me up in the mornings it's been near impossible.

Please if you're going to post to say, "Just relax and it will happen", then don't bother. Education has taught me that while tension/stress can delay ovulation, it has little effect on the actual fertilization of the egg.

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So What Happened?

I really appreciate all the warm thoughts, sound advice, success stories and the sympathy for the loss. Loosing a baby is so hard. I was very fortunate to be VERY early in pregnancy and to have a loving God that sustained me and comforted me. I still feel the loss, but I know I will see him/her again someday. Keep the posts coming!!

More Answers

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J.P.

answers from Boise on

Talk to your doctor about your concerns. Some docs won't do anything themselves and will send you to a specialist, some will just give you some Clomid. The specialists do a bit more testing to determine what it is that isn't working (sometimes it can't be determined), but they are in a better position to to TI, IUI's, or IVF if necessary. It took 6 months of trying on our own, 4 months of Clomid with a OB/GYN that didn't seem to care, then I went to a specialist. 4 months later I was pregnant.

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P.K.

answers from Milwaukee on

I hear ya on the "Just relax, it will happen". I find it to be a crock of poo! :0) Anyways, my husband & I, after a year of trying had a m/c as well. After that, we went through 8 IUI's & 3 IVF's. Finally on the 3rd IVF (and 4yrs. of trying), we conceived our now 4yr. old son. I would first have your hubby checked, men have less invasive procedures then anything you might have to go through. If that's normal, then on to you. We had unexplained infertility. Both of us checked out fine. Just hang in there & be patient, that's all you can do. I too had the HSG (hysterosalpingogram) & it was a piece of cake for me. Take 600mg Ibuprofen 1hr. before, try to relax & should be fine. Everyone is different & has different pain tolerance.
The relax part while you go through these ups & downs, that's hard to do. Especially when you know when you're ovulating, you know when your period is due. We've had unprotected sex since our son & we aren't even trying so I'm not stressed & it still hasn't happened.
Sounds like you're doing everything you should. If you smoke or drink, I would cut that out if you can as that of course plays a role in infertility.
I say hang in there, take it day by day. It's in God's hands if it will happen. I hate to say it but if it doesn't, you do have one happy, healthy (I hope) 3yr. so just be grateful for that. At least that's how I cope with it. We are truly blessed for our little miracle!!!!!!!

Good luck!
P.

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M.R.

answers from Kansas City on

anyway you could schedule a little getaway during your fertile time? Go have some romantic dinners and time together? Stayover at a nice hotel and sleep in?

I tried for 9 months. got preggo, miscarried around 6 weeks. Waited a few months, tried again, nothing. Finally saw a reproductive endrocrinologist, had dye test, no blockages. husband was great, I was diagnosed with PCOS, started taking Metformin, baby aspirin, Letrozol, progesterone suppositories, and then a shot to make the egg release. Got preggo with first IUI. Healthy pregnancy resulted in the birth of my beautiful little girl.

Started trying when she was about 18 months for a second. Got pregnant without any help after 2 months of trying. Miscarried at 8 weeks. OB had checked progesterone levels and said they were fine, but my primary care said he has heard higher levels of progesterone have been known to help maintain a pregnancy.

It is a rocky road. Hang in there. It really is worth all the stress and anxiety when you look into the little eyes and your heart swells with love, as you already know since you have a 3 yo. I would definitely try the baby aspirin. Good luck!

Do people say oh, you should be happy b.c you already have 1? A gf of mine had secondary infertility and everyone kept saying that to her and she would get really frustrated. She did IVF and had twins!

S.P.

answers from Houston on

I am sorry you are going through all of this! I understand.

My husband and I tried for 8 years. During that time I had 4 miscarriages at around 7-11 weeks. It was truly miserable. During this 8 year period I was diagnosed with hypothryoidism, PCOS and my husband was told he had low motility.

I started taking meds for both of my conditions and my husband had surgery to help with his problem. I then did 2 rounds of Clomid. That was miserable. I never even ovulated and it kicked my hormone levels over the roof...I was truly ready to physically harm my husband. So we stopped that real quick.

At this point I gave up for awhile. Then we went to a new doctor. I had all kinds of test including a hystogram (which was just blah). I had no blockage of the tubes and my cysts on my ovaries were confirmed. There was still no reason we could figure for the miscarriage. We decided to do injections and IVF. However, the more and more I thought about it, the less and less this is what I wanted to do.

Soooo...another doctor. He reviewed everything. He sent me to have more bloodwork. He told me he thought I might have thrombophilia...opposite of hemophilia. That is that my blood was clotting too thick and therefore the embryo could not attach to the siding of my uterus (which typically happens between the 5-8 weeks...or so he told me). He told me this would explain me getting pregnant but not keeping it.

I though oh great another procedure or more medication. No, he told me to start taking an aspirin a day (blood thinner). Not a month later I was pregnant again. However, I was not excited...had not made it past the implantation phase yet.

Well, just to tell you, my beautiful miracle of a son just had his 2nd birthday.

I share this with several of my friends that have had problems getting and staying pregnant. It does not hurt to try...heck an aspirin a day is actually recommended after a certain age for heart health!!!

Good luck!

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E.M.

answers from Johnstown on

We haven't been trying per se, but we haven't not been trying either...for the last 5+ years. When I finally saw someone about the issue, he told me alot of my problem is stemming from the fact that I have PCOS, which is causing weight issues, which are causing infertility issues, etc., etc., etc. Good luck!

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