r/TTC_UK

2 years into this and so heartbroken

I just had to cancel my FET which was just 2 days away💔

I took my progesterone in oil shots for 3 days. 1st shot was in evening @ 7 PM. 2nd shot was 12 hours later (7am). 3rd shot following day at 7 am.

I began to develop fever/chills the same time everyday, for the same amount of time. From 12-7 PM.

I was also unable to move and in debilitating pain in my
butt. I couldn’t climb stairs, bend down, sit , get out of car ect.

My dr. said I probably am sick but I just don’t think I am. I stopped taking the shots yesterday AM and have been fever free since. My butt is still sore but the flu/like symptoms are gone.

We are not able to do natural cycles due to Lupron suppression , so the PIO shots are inevitable. However I feel strongly about the dangers of fevers or tylenol daily for 12 weeks into a pregnancy ( if I made it that far).

Please help me. Any advice or if you can relate please join the thread or we can message privately

Thank you.

Husband and I (both 32) expecting to start our first IVF (+ ICSI) cycle in August. We’re very fortunate we can fund this privately and looking at clinics but my head has been spiralling a bit since then.

Anyone who has gone through it, what advice do you have for someone about to begin preparing? How did you prepare yourself physically and mentally? How did you protect your relationship? What do you wish you’d known at the start?

I feel very clueless and helpless as I don’t know anyone personally who has gone through it. Any advice is very welcome!!

CW: Miscarriage

I need to vent a little bit, and also get some perspective if anyone else has had a similar experience.

I'm 35 and my husband and I have been TTC for a year now. I did become pregnant in January (cycle 12 of trying) but unfortunately miscarried at 5.5 weeks. We kept trying and I've had two more unsuccessful cycles since then.

My husband saw a GP last week and has been referred to a fertility clinic for a semen analysis.

I went to the GP today (same practice, different doctor). My experience was very different to my husband's.

To begin with, the Dr fixated on my miscarriage, reassuring me that these things can happen, that is unlikely I'll have another etc. Which is fine, but I had to remind him that this appointment wasn't about the miscarriage, I wanted to discuss fertility testing.

He then started telling me that, as I have technically conceived, fertility testing would be unnecessary. This goes against what I've read online, that you should start fertility testing after a year without a successful pregnancy.

He told me to keep on trying and was all set to end the appointment there, until I told him my husband had already been referred to a fertility clinic. He seemed quite annoyed to hear this, and then said he would book me in for a routine blood test "to check your hormones, since your husband is being checked anyway".

The blood test is booked for this Saturday. The Dr didn't tell me exactly which hormones they would be testing (I should have asked, but it felt like he just wanted me out of there). I checked the appointment notes on the NHS app afterwards and apparently it's to check LH and FSH. I ovulated last week, period due next week, so checking these things must be completely pointless?

I'm feeling really deflated tonight. Before the appointment getting the ball rolling on testing felt like a scary but positive step forward, now it feels like I need to battle to be taken seriously. Not to mention the double standard that my husband has been offered testing and I haven't!

Hey all,

My partner and I were TTC naturally but that unfortunately, due to endometriosis, I had my fallopian tubes removed so IVF is now our only option. When I was TTC naturally, I had a huge box of ovulation sticks and some pregnancy tests too. Now I don't know what I do with them? Do I give them away in a charity haul or throw them away? Vinted won't accept and our TTC journey has been a secret from friends and family so I'm really not sure what to do with them. It just feels like such a waste.

I have 77 Easy @ Home ovulation sticks and 6 Easy @ Home pregnancy tests all in date I told 2028.

Any suggestions on what I could do with them?

Hey, I understand my BMI needs to be under 30, I’m right now 30.5 so have 20 days to get it as far under as I can before my referral.

This might sound like a silly question but do they weigh you with your full outfit on, just take off shoes or do they actually put us in a hospital smock?

My appointment is in the late afternoon and my weight can really fluctuate by that time of day so that’s why I’m looking to know what to expect. Do they factor that in or should I expect it to be very strict?

It seems from what I’ve seen online some trusts are a little more flexible with borderline bmi’s when it comes to the referral but my letter doesn’t lead me to think this.

I’m just trying to mentally prepare myself, I have my first appointment at the end of the month. I just realised my doctor didn’t get my referral requested until after my recent birthday so it seems I might be more limited when it comes to whether I could get 3 rounds or 1.

I have focal adenomyosis, a consistently very short luteal phrase (6-8days) which 400mg progesterone suppositories (vaginal pessaries) did nothing EXCEPT give me a fibroid. (I got them privately by an OBGYN)

From some tests I have had done I also have higher estrogen. I was told my thyroid is good and my AMH. My partners sperm and health are all great according to some tests we did.

I kinda hoped I could just need clomid to bring on my ovulation earlier and maybe more progesterone to help it stick. Obviously no one wants to do IVF but I’m trying to prepare myself because I read on Instagram that often times the nhs push IVF in some cases. I know no one can tell for sure but should I be prepared for that given my circumstances?

I’ve just seen that the hospital I was reviewed to has the worst reviews out of this side of London.

I’ve been trying to temp this cycle but my mornings are… not consistent at all.

Some days I wake up around 6:30, other days it’s closer to 7, 8 depending on work and how late I slept. I know you’re supposed to take your temp at the same time every day, but that just isn’t happening for me.

I still take it as soon as I wake up, but now I’m second guessing whether the data even means anything if the timing keeps changing.

I don’t want to give up on temping because I do want that confirmation piece, but I’m not sure if I’m just collecting random numbers at this point.

Has anyone made this work with inconsistent wake-up times?

Hello everyone,

Do you have any good fertility recommendations in Warwickshire/ Leicestershire area? We are thinking of getting some tests done privately. I have read very good things about Dr Jeve in Birmingham at P4 fertility.

I have stopped BC last June and was suffering from hypothalamic amenorrhoea until end of November. Had 4 cycles so far which are still quite long, but with a short luteal phase (between 5-8 days). Progesterone tests have been low twice 7 DPO as expected. PCOS has been ruled out and vaginal ultrasound scan showed minor adenomyosis. I am still not sure if my body is still just adjusting from BC and hypothalamic amenorrhoea or if there is something else underlying. I also feel we are loosing time.

Any help or advice would be really appreciated!

Hi guys,

Just over a year ago, I made a post here about my TTC struggles, and I still genuinely think about the kindness and support I received from so many of you. It helped more than I can properly explain, especially during a time that felt really lonely.

Since then, I’ve finally been referred to a fertility clinic, and I’m currently on round 3 of letrozole. I’ve moved up to 5mg because I still wasn’t ovulating — but this month I finally got a positive ovulation test, which honestly felt huge for me. After so long of feeling like my body just wasn’t doing what it was supposed to, seeing that positive gave me a little bit of hope again.

At the same time, I’m struggling emotionally with the fact I’m still not pregnant yet, even though logically I know it’s still early days and this process takes time. I think every cycle just carries so much hope and pressure that it’s hard not to feel disappointed.

I’d really love any advice, success stories, or honestly just reassurance from people who’ve been through this. How did you cope with the waiting and the emotional ups and downs while on letrozole?

Thank you again for being such a supportive community 🤍

Hello! I’m hoping somebody may be able to help me here.

My average cycle length is 26 days. I got a positive OPK on Friday and tested daily from Saturday which lightened each day. Fast forward to today (Tuesday) and the 2nd line is almost non-existent.

I’ve been tracking my BBT and have not seen a surge, despite my positive OPK being 4 days ago. I know ovulation can be up to 36 hours after the positive OPK, but surely that would not explain the lighter OPK tests. This is my 3rd cycle TTC and I’m concerned that this may be a cycle with no ovulation :( any help would be greatly appreciated!

What dose of CoQ10 does everyone take please and your partners? Just purchased Folic acid and vit D tablets for myself today and got some 100mg CoQ10 ones aswell for me and my partner to start taking but I've seen so many different dosages and now I'm confused. The bottle says 1 x 100mg tablet per day but now I'm reading women take 600mg and men take 200mg 🤷‍♀️

We've stopped taking our 'conception tablets' as the dose of certain things per tablet seemed very low so I wanted to take different ones with a higher dose for a better chance of helping

Hi everyone,

I just got my referral letter for a telephone appointment in a month's time having been referred at the start of the year.

My problem is that my BMI was 33 (had loat over 40lb to get there) when I was referred. I have had the most stressful few months, managing two uncovered maternity leaves within my team, and my BMI is almost 35 having gained 12lb back. I'm so distressed because I have just really struggled to manage my weight through this stress and I am so consumed by guilt and self-loathing.

I am so afraid that having this appointment with my current BMI will send me to the back of the waiting list again. Does anyone have any experience with this? Will they give me a time period to get under BMI 30? Or will it be a case of seeking re-referral?

Hi, can anyone help me understand what happens once you have an NHS referral and when/if you can choose where to go?

We’ve been trying for a year and have had initial tests which indicate low progesterone and low motility. My GP has referred us to a fertility centre in our trust (we’re based in Cheshire, but very close to Manchester and Stockport) and I’ve got an initial nurse appointment in a few weeks.

I assume there’ll be more tests at first, but I’m a bit worried about some of the negative reviews of the centre they’ve referred us to and I’m not sure it’s where I’d want to be long term if we did eventually need IVF, but I am keen to get some investigations done beyond the basic tests we’ve had already.

Do we get a choice, and if so when do I need to make it? Also how would I go about being referred elsewhere? Thank you!

Hi all,

I need some advice. Me (35F) and my partner (37M) have been ttc for 2.5 years with no luck whatsoever.

We finally got a referral to be seen by NHS fertility specialist last July but was on the waiting list until March of this year when we finally got seen.

I got the good news last Friday that we have got approval for IVF funding...and in typical fashion, less than a week later, I got my first ever positive pregnancy test. Very faint when I took first one at 5pm yesterday and possibly a fainter one this morning! I am now 14dpo. I have luteal phase defect so when my spotting started 8dpo I thought 'here we go again' but my period never started and spotting stopped after 3/4 days.

So I now don't know what to do. I'm scared the line is going to get fainter or disappear next time I test and if I am pregnant, when do I tell the fertility specialists? They're meant to call me this week to go over next steps for starting IVF process but it's still so early that I almost don't want to tell them until I feel like it's all okay.

Has anyone been in this position before? I don't want to lose my funding if things go wrong!

32m here. Recently got seamen test results back and was diagnosed with OATs was shocked as I didn’t think I’d be that bad an was distraught as my wife and I really want to start a family and we can’t afford IVF. Even IUI is expensive where we are.

These were my results:
Vol - 1.2
Sperm concentration - 12
Total sperm count - 14.4
Total motility - 43%
Progressive motility - 23%
Fast - 2%
Slow - 21
Non progressive - 20%
Not moving - 57%
Normal morphology - 2%
Round cells - 0.2
Cell debris - ++

Does anyone have any advice for me?

I’m planning on taking more supplements to deal with oxdivate stress and start slow jogging 45 mins 5 days a week and using a standing desk from now on as well as cutting out all snacks and sugars and processed food as much as I can.

Im seeing my GP to confirm jts nothing else but i have a strong feeling its tied to lifestyle as i dont tend to move much - pretty much spend 8 hours a day sitting at my desk either working or gaming and never was consistent enough in working out tho i did use the bike which i know now was not a good idea

I stopped drinking in jan and never smoked. Im a good weight and otherwise totally healthy.

Can I actually improve my results or am i screwed?

hihi! has anybody ever gotten pregnant by using coq10 their cycle and using a menstrual cup after having sex to keep the sperm in?

First, thank you all; we’ve been silently reading this subreddit for months, and it’s been of great support.

We’re going through the stages of getting referred by the NHS for IVF treatment in London; we’re waiting for some results, but according to the fertility consultant at North Middlesex, we could be referred next week, and they mentioned we should pick a clinic by then. They mentioned that private clinics (with NHS funding have shorter waiting lists, but we’d like some certainty before committing to any. 

Do you know if there’s a way we can figure out their waiting lists before we commit?

Any recommendation or advice is more than welcomed

Hi all!

My husband and I have been ttc for over 2 years now and I’m 22.

After a year we went to the gp for a fertility referral (which took absolute ages!). We went through all the tests, scans, sperm, hycosy the lot. everything was fine except for borderline pcos, and all they have told us is unexplained infertility.

Our BMI is in a great range, we stay fit, we try our best to lead a healthy diet, we don’t smoke, vape or take any kind of drugs, and we both don’t deal with a lot of stress. I’ve never been on any kind of birth control so haven’t had anything mess up my hormones.

My cycles are regular, however they are on the longer side of 35-38 days. I used to not ovulate at all until I started taking inositol. I take ovulation tests, take my temp, look at cm, everything and from all that I do ovulate some months but not all, and haven’t ovulated for the past 2 months.

NHS have been no help at all, they recently rejected me from an IVF referral as in our area you have to be a minimum of 23 years old.

It’s really frustrating as we’ve already been trying for 2 years and they’re making us wait another one with no other suggestions. We really do not have the funds to go private.

I had a disappointing phone call with the fertility clinic today, who just suggested taking clear blue ovulations tests which are much more expensive than others, for the next two months, and they’ll contact me in 7-8 weeks to confirm if im ovulating. And if im not ovulating then they’ll give me letrozole.

I’ve already told them I do ovulate sometimes and sometimes I do not, I know the LH rise is a small window, but I work from home so I do test religiously it’s impossible for me to miss it. I take Premom easy at home tests and scan them with Premom app to know the exact LH number.
It feels so frustrating that they don’t listen at all!
Why can’t they just give me the letrozole now instead of making me wait for everything so long!

We were considering on getting a private appointment just to get letrozole prescribed, not get any further tests or anything but they require all our nhs scan results and everything. We’ve requested these from the nhs in March and from what they’re saying we’ll probably get these back in June or July. It’s a ridiculous time frame for an email with an attachment of our results of the tests that we had done over the past year.

Sorry for the rant, long story short, does anyone know where one would be able to get some letrozole?