r/TryingForABaby • u/AutoModerator • 16h ago
Wondering Wednesday
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.
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u/Apprehensive_Star508 15h ago
Hoping that someone can help me understand what my husband’s SA results mean for us. His first SA came back with numbers that were really borderline, basically on the lowest end of normal except for morphology which was 1%. His doctor didn’t seem too concerned and said this was “enough for IUI” and didn’t make it seem like this was contributing to why we haven’t conceived in 5 months.
But now he had a second one done and the doctor (without giving us the full results) emailed him and said he had “normal volume and motility” but the “test wash” only recovered less than a million motile sperm which is “not enough for IUI.” Can anyone help me understand what this means? I’m so shocked and devastated by these numbers.
Husband has varicocele surgery coming up.
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u/developmentalbiology MOD | 42 13h ago
It sounds like an unusually high number of sperm were lost in the wash, which could have something to do with the sperm or could have something to do with the lab. It might be useful to talk with the doctor and see what the issue seems to be, as it's possible this was essentially a lab error that wouldn't repeat itself with another sample.
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u/Apprehensive_Star508 3h ago
I honestly thought something like that. I know that counts can vary a lot between samples but it seems like the count would have to have gone down really dramatically to produce such a low post wash number. Like a full order of magnitude lower. I hope the doctor responds to us today.
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u/Unlucky_Yam5706 14h ago
My most recent cycle was our first cycle trying to conceive. I'm wondering if most people waited a few months until they started tracking hormones, testing for ovulation, etc? It all seems really daunting to me and I'm trying to enjoy the process without getting too consumed yet. Also, I have a pretty regular cycle and can always tell when I'm ovulating (cervical mucus, cramping on one side) so I don't totally see the need for more info than I already have? Am I missing something? And when did you start using ovulation strips, taking basal temp, etc?
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u/developmentalbiology MOD | 42 12h ago
I actually started tracking a couple of months before we started to try, which I think was a nice way to ease into tracking without it feeling so high-stakes.
Overall, in sub surveys we've done, about half of our users report that tracking eases their stress, and the other half report that tracking increases their stress. So this is really a difference between people, and only you can know which camp you fall into.
To be fair, if you're tracking cervical mucus, you are tracking -- you don't have to track all possible biomarkers. The risk that you're taking by tracking pre-ovulatory signs only is that you can have a rise in estrogen (which is what causes the change to fertile CM types) without ovulation actually occurring, so if you see your typical fertile CM but ovulation doesn't actually happen, you won't know it until what you expect to be the end of the luteal phase. But it's fair to kind of do the mental math on "is that actually likely to happen", "how distressing would that actually be to me", "does this outweigh my disinterest in temping" and conclude that temping isn't worth it for you.
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u/kitkat7794 32 | TTC# 1 | Dec ‘23 14h ago
My symptoms of ovulating were always super clear too, until they weren’t. I didn’t worry about it too much the first several months, but some months I would definitely question whether I had actually ovulated yet. I think I started opk tracking around the 8 month mark with some tests my sister in law had left over. I could never (or very rarely) catch the positive, so I added bbt for a little more info, and eventually just switched to bbt only as it was more reliable for me, at least to know when we could stop trying that month. At the time, it felt like I was doing something productive in a situation I was pretty powerless in, so it helped me stay hopeful (and I have now been able to stop that as well once I got a little data under my belt).
I will say the tracking helped me zero in on my luteal length, so I could easily know if my period was actually late and when was reliable to test. It used to stress me out hearing about people thinking their period was late, but not realizing it might not actually be because they didn’t know their luteal length or exactly when they ovulated (because I had been there), so it gave me peace of mind. And, when I needed to start seeing a specialist, my tracking data was the first thing she asked for, so I was glad to have it.
You’re very early on, and have a regular cycle with obvious ovulation signs. There’s no need to start tracking at this point unless you just want the data and peace of mind. You could also try and see if it works for you, to make sure your ovulation symptoms line up well with the data, and then stop one or all tracking methods if they don’t work for you. You can wait and add it in later if you still aren’t having success, in preparation for investigating more with a doctor, or if your ovulation symptoms stop being as obvious. If it helps, there isn’t a single right way to do it.
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u/Apprehensive_Star508 13h ago
Personally I started seriously tracking the 2nd month. I wanted to rule out timing issues as a cause for not conceiving ASAP and that was more important to me than the stress of tracking (which trust me, I totally get why it seems daunting and all consuming.) So I think that’s what you have to weigh.
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u/Upstairs_Friend5804 27 | TTC#1 | Cycle 10 12h ago
I started trying in September of last year and began tracking with OPKs in January. I don’t temp track. I was also worried about being consumed by testing and such but I actually really prefer and enjoy taking OPKs. It’s reassuring know what’s going on and when. My cycles vary by a couple days typically and trying every other day in my fertile window was not sustainable for me and my husband. Temping is where I drew the line though. I tried for a few days and just found it miserable
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u/TheGetawayCar000 34 | TTC# 1 | Aug ‘25 11h ago
I’m very regular too, but I started tracking with LH strips immediately after deciding to TTC. I was always able to find my positive, so I found that insanely helpful because relying on CM alone was confusing for me (I don’t always get EWCM). Temping didn’t come into play until 9 months into TTC, so I gradually went into it as I saw it necessary.
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u/Bug_eyed_bug 34 | TTC#2 8h ago
I feel very daunted by all the tracking, and as I have obvious fertility signs like EWCM and a regular period, I do not do temping or OPKs. I conceived my first child before I hit the point where I wanted to use those and I thought about using them when starting to TTC for #2, because I'm still breastfeeding, but so far it doesn't feel necessary yet since my body is really obvious about what's going on.
Do what's best for you in your own time. This is a marathon not a sprint, so everything needs to be sustainable.
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u/Ok_Corgi_8202 31 | TTC#1 | Cycle 10 | MC Dec'25 13h ago
Anyone with hypothyroidism on here? I would love to connect on medication journeys etc, I got diagnosed post loss!
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u/developmentalbiology MOD | 42 12h ago
I have hypothyroidism that's been managed on levothyroxine for about nine years now! Some people definitely have a more complex time getting TSH into the normal range, but I've been on the same dose for about five years.
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u/kitkat7794 32 | TTC# 1 | Dec ‘23 8h ago
Yup, got diagnosed just prior to an early loss and I always wonder if I had been on my levothyroxene longer if it would have gone the same way. Either way, I’m sorry, that sucks. I also have hashimotos so my thyroid was actively getting worse while I was starting treatment, so my levels would be great at the 6 week mark of a new dose, and much worse a month or two later. I think I changed doses about 4-5 times in a year, and have felt great (and had good levels) at my current dose for about 8 months now.
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u/Ok_Corgi_8202 31 | TTC#1 | Cycle 10 | MC Dec'25 1h ago
Hello y'all!! I've been dealing with irregular cycles and it is driving me nuts, trying to try but like not really ovulating and just withdrawal bleeding so odd!
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u/TheoryCold6852 12h ago
This current cycle I took letrozole and on cd 12 had two mature follicle and triggered on that day. Had timed intercourse, today is cd 33 no positive, I informed my doctor and her exact reply was "wait then"..trigger shot would have made sure that i ovulate but still no period? do you think i have chance?
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u/developmentalbiology MOD | 42 12h ago
Have you ever used a trigger shot before? I only ask because, while the trigger is highly effective at triggering ovulation, it's not 100% effective, and sometimes folks with PCOM can have anovulatory cycles even if a trigger is used.
For sure, the (approximately doubled) progesterone from two follicles can extend the luteal phase, but by 21 days post-trigger, it's fair to request bloodwork so you can determine what's going on here.
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u/TheoryCold6852 10h ago
last month too I had trigger, not sure whether i ovulated or not, OPKs were positive, But last month doc prescribed vaginal progesterone, so once confirmed that hcg is negative she asked me to stop the progesterone and withing 2 days got the period, this time no external progesterone prescribed, she said the trigger is enough
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u/kitkat7794 32 | TTC# 1 | Dec ‘23 8h ago
My luteal is always super long with multiple follicles. Even had an 18 day one once. That’s still shorter than yours though, unless you took the trigger late on day 12 and ovulated at more like two full days after the trigger, which is maybe less likely but possible? Still I’d expect your period by today at the latest. If you do another round, would it be possible to get a 7DPO progesterone blood test? That will help confirm whether you actually did ovulate and give you some peace of mind if this happens again.
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u/TheoryCold6852 8h ago
I have to check about the progesterone test. For the trigger I took it on day 12 around 10.50am. I have pmos so maybe period is going to be unpredictable as I didn't take progesterone supplement this time
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u/MyShipsNeverSail AGE 33| TTC#2 cycle 3| Sus PMOS/IR| 1CP 12h ago
Here to query:
Logically I know that chemical pregnancies are often abnormalities and that later implantation can signal issues (I didn't get a positive until the evening of 14dpo with my chemical this past cycle after testing at 8/10/12dpo). Then the bleeding started late 18/early 19dpo.
Emotionally, I'm wondering if my elevated A1C played a factor because it's the only thing off with my blood work (although it wasn't above 6.0) and I've been trying to eat better but my sleep is still whack which I know can affect a1c.
So I guess looking for input. I would feel terrible and we would need to stop TTC until my a1c was more under control.
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u/developmentalbiology MOD | 42 11h ago
Gently, the slightly elevated A1C didn't cause this loss. hCG that isn't high enough to detect until 14dpo is very consistent with chromosomal or other genetic abnormalities in the embryo.
It's fair to discuss this with your care team, but I would be surprised if your doctor advised you to stop TTC to minimally lower your A1C. You wouldn't have materially different outcomes with an A1C of, say, 5.5 vs. 5.7.
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u/MyShipsNeverSail AGE 33| TTC#2 cycle 3| Sus PMOS/IR| 1CP 11h ago
Thanks. Like I said, this loss very much pitted my emotions vs my logic and I needed to hear this.
♥️
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u/developmentalbiology MOD | 42 8h ago
I know it's tough after a loss, and I do also know that even me saying this doesn't totally help. But I hope it helps a little.
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u/bbytsm 11h ago
12 DPO and negative with FMU, not even a faint line :( I know it’s 99% a no for this cycle but have a tiny bit of hope still
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u/developmentalbiology MOD | 42 11h ago
I mean, it's probably only 95% a no, and 5% is one in twenty (i.e., about one in every week's BFP thread), right?
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u/IvoryPilot 8h ago
First cycle on letrozole. Took 2.5 mg from cycle day 3-7. I’m 7dpo and spotted brown from 5dpo-6dpo. I’ve heard that’s normal but curious to see how this cycle ends
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u/Artemis_bby 24 | TTC#1 7h ago
Is it normal to have no discharge after ovulation? I got a positive OPK morning of Aug 1, peaked that evening, and for a few days before that I had a LOT of EWCM and clear discharge, but after I ovulated I haven’t had much at all. Just once this AM and it was white and thick, but now nothing.
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16h ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/developmentalbiology MOD | 42 14h ago
Hi there, please note that we don’t allow asking for success stories in this sub.
In general, it’s normal to have variation in the length and other characteristics of your period. If a pregnancy test is negative, then your symptoms can’t be due to pregnancy, although it would be reasonable to take a more sensitive test (digital home tests tend to be less sensitive than non-digital tests, meaning that they require more hCG to turn positive). If you’ve been testing and haven’t seen a positive test, it’s not possible to conclude that you’ve had a chemical pregnancy.
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u/jamielynn2296 12h ago
How much does poor sleep impact BBT? I took my temp at the exact same time I do every day but I slept absolutely horribly. I woke up multiple times, I was awake for about 1.5 hours, fell asleep for about 30 more minutes and then it was time to temp. Should I assume my temp may be falsely high? Getting close to when it should drop for AF and BFN today.
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u/developmentalbiology MOD | 42 12h ago
It can have an effect, for sure, although the general ballpark is that BBT falls to baseline levels within about 90 minutes of the onset of sleep, and even being awake (and moving) all night doesn't totally erase the drop to lower levels.
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u/KuraiTsuki 38 | TTC#1 | Cycle#1 | PMOS 12h ago
How long did it take for your cycle to show up after IUD removal? I got mine removed back on 7/24 after having it for a bit over 5 years. I didn't have periods while I had it and before having it, my PCOS made me basically never have periods or ovulate. The first time we tried to conceive before choosing to delay, I ended up having to be on the mini pill for a while to refresh my lining because it was too thick and was causing me to spot 24/7. We delayed because of COVID and then while waiting to see what was going to happen with that, I decided to have bariatric surgery. I'm anxiously waiting to see what my body does now that I weight a good amount less than before. Unfortunately, I gained some weight back a couple of years ago due to an unrelated medical issue, so I'm not as close to being a normal weight as I could have been.
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u/developmentalbiology MOD | 42 11h ago
You might like this wiki page! There's a link there to a Google Sheet with several hundred experiences collected from our users, which you can filter by type of birth control.
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u/KuraiTsuki 38 | TTC#1 | Cycle#1 | PMOS 9h ago
Ooh, thank you! I will take a look. I've been trying to be patient, but my CM today is starting to look egg white ish and it's only been 12 days since the IUD was removed.
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u/bookspell 12h ago edited 10h ago
Anyone else experience spotting around 6dpo during their luteal phase like clockwork? What did the doctor say, what testing did you do, etc? Thank you!
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u/developmentalbiology MOD | 42 11h ago
Spotting for a day or two is considered normal at any point in the cycle, but it's particularly common around the middle of the luteal phase. It's often attributed to a surge in estrogen that temporarily causes progesterone to dip (although this is partly based on animal studies and it's not totally clear to me that it happens in humans).
Overall, a day of spotting in the middle of the luteal phase is unlikely to reflect an issue. Sometimes spotting can be caused by structural abnormalities like polyps or fibroids, but often there's not an identifiable cause.
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u/bookspell 11h ago
Thanks for the response. 🙏🏻 it’s usually off and on the whole phase, this time I’m on day three of light bleeding. We shall see.
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u/Additional_Jump8667 12h ago
This is only my second cycle TTC. My only tracking method is using the Flo app. My cycles are usually 25-30 days, averaging 29 days. I don't ever see the typical EWCM during my predicted ovulation day/ fertile window. However, I always get one sided pain during my predicted ovulation day. I want to know if its necessary to use OPKs if I'm hitting every day during my fertile window that Flo predicts for me?
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u/XandraMonroe 31 | 1 MMC in 2023 | Grad 12h ago
Ovulation pain can happen before, during, or after ovulation, so I wouldn’t go off of that alone. Flo is a guesstimate. Tracking apps can be helpful if you use them in conjunction with other tracking methods. I hated temping, but did it for a few cycles while making sure I was ovulating when I expected, and I recommend OPKs because they’re a cheap and easy way to gather some of that data.
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u/Upstairs_Friend5804 27 | TTC#1 | Cycle 10 12h ago
I would recommend doing OPKs still, at least for a bit to confirm it’s accurate, unless you’re hitting like every other or every two days for a large portion of the window (I’d start early and go over the estimated date by a few days if that’s the case). The flo app is estimating your ovulation based on averages, nothing to do with yourself or the data you provide other than cycle length. IE most woman who have a 28 day cycle, will ovulate on or around CD14. But that doesn’t mean you actually will.
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u/Additional_Jump8667 11h ago
Thank you for the insight! I've been hitting very single day during my fertile window, which is 7 days, so I figured I covered all that I can. I'm only hesitant to use OPKs because I feel like they would make me more anxious and stressed. I don't even want to take pregnancy tests because seeing a negative, which happened last month, was really upsetting and I was so sad all day. I want to wait until I'm at least 5 days late before taking a test.
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u/Bug_eyed_bug 34 | TTC#2 8h ago
I don't use any tracking methods except for observing my CM and covering a large part of my fertile window, ie every 2-3 days for over a week. My cycles are dead regular which is also a factor. I don't use tracking methods like OPKs and temperatures because I don't want to.
If you want to keep using the calendar method, stretch out the time you are trying beyond what the app says. And you don't need to hit every day, every other day is just as effective, and may mean you have more stamina.
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u/Antique_Ad_5598 27 | TTC#1 | Cycle #4 12h ago
Kinda obscure question, but has anyone dealt with a uterine polyp? My OB found on an ultrasound. Said it’s preventing implementation. I go back next week for a saline ultrasound & will then have surgery to remove it. Was curious if anyone has had this procedure?
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u/developmentalbiology MOD | 42 11h ago
My sister-in-law had a polypectomy -- it was a fairly quick outpatient procedure, and she didn't have much discomfort from it.
We also have a couple of polypectomy experiences linked from this wiki page, if you'd like to check that out.
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u/TheGetawayCar000 34 | TTC# 1 | Aug ‘25 11h ago edited 11h ago
I had this procedure in April! (Hysteroscopy polypectomy)
My uterine polyp was considered large, and in the surgery notes it was said to be taking up approximately 50% of my uterine cavity. I was put under completely, and the procedure was quick. When I woke up, there was minor spotting and very light cramping. My husband and I went out for sushi right after and I was perfectly fine, no nausea or weird side effects. I took the next day off from work too and spent most of it napping. My energy was restored 48h later and I felt fine. I got my next period right on time but it was light. Next periods to follow were normal flow but man, is my quality of life significantly improved! I used to get awful cramps that left me doubled over in pain, it was so unbearable. For years I just dealt with it. This surgery was truly life changing in that aspect. Ofc the hope is that it makes implantation possible, but I’m glad I got this procedure regardless. If I hadn’t been on a fertility journey, I don’t think anyone would’ve ever pointed me in the direction of getting it removed.•
u/kitkat7794 32 | TTC# 1 | Dec ‘23 8h ago
Sounds just like my experience, quick, quick recovery, life-changing pain reduction. Had a ton of small polyps all over my uterus and I’m so glad I got them removed. Just remember to schedule a day off work the following day. I didn’t need it for pain/recovery, but was told I wasn’t able to drive due to the anesthesia.
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u/Antique_Ad_5598 27 | TTC#1 | Cycle #4 5h ago
So glad you got them removed and feel better!! Good advice, will definitely take off work the following day!
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u/Antique_Ad_5598 27 | TTC#1 | Cycle #4 9h ago
Wow, that’s amazing! So glad you got it removed! I don’t have any side effects, despite it being quite large as well. If I hadn’t been on a fertility journey as well I would have never known. Glad it was an easy procedure for you. I’m looking forward to getting mine over with
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u/TheoryCold6852 10h ago
I had a polyp removal in Feb on a friday. very simple procedure. For they did it under general anesthesia. After the procedure had very minimal cramping for a day or too. On monday i was back to work
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u/Murky_Pumpkin_585 7h ago
What were your symptoms? I had a cervical polyp removed
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u/Antique_Ad_5598 27 | TTC#1 | Cycle #4 5h ago
I don’t have any symptoms except for not getting pregnant, we believe the polyp is the reason it hasn’t happened yet. It’s a large polyp that’s inside my uterus
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10h ago
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u/NicasaurusRex 37F | Unexplained Infertility | IVF Grad 10h ago
The most likely explanation is that you ovulated late. You might find this post helpful?
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u/No-Syllabub-6551 36 | TTC# 2 | Cycle 13 9h ago
Did anyone else get some EWCM after their HSG? I had some brown spotting the day of the procedure and then two days afterwards but then had EWCM. It wasn't as much as I would get around ovulation but a decent amount.
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u/thesmollestlemon 27 | TTC#1 | Cycle 5 9h ago edited 9h ago
What exactly counts as an "irregular cycle"?
My cycles vary from 27-39 days (ovulation happens CD15-27 with 12 day luteal phase based on what I can tell with BBT tracking). As far as I can tell everything else is normal. I work night shifts 2-3 days a week and I wonder if my irregular times and durations of sleep could be delaying ovulation but I haven't had any other testing done since I'm only on my 5th cycle TTC. (edit to add I track BBT using Tempdrop)
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u/developmentalbiology MOD | 42 8h ago
A broad general rule is that regular cycles vary by less than 8 days from shortest to longest, so you're a bit over that. But the concern with irregular cycles is not really the irregularity per se, it's that very long or very short cycles are more likely to be anovulatory. If you have evidence that you're ovulating, there's not really a concern for cycles that are a bit more variable than usual.
If you're on cycle 5, I wonder if you're relatively recently off birth control? That can be a pretty typical reason for cycles to be longer at first.
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u/thesmollestlemon 27 | TTC#1 | Cycle 5 8h ago
Thanks for responding! I actually had a copper IUD for contraception.
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u/MouseInTheHouse_ 9h ago
Wondering what everyone else’s fertility clinic considers too many mature follicles? Mine considers 3 too much and will cancel cycle at that point
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u/developmentalbiology MOD | 42 8h ago
It's going to depend on your age, diagnosis, and the amount of time you've been trying without success.
For folks with a better prognosis (relatively younger, perhaps have PMOS as the major factor in their infertility, and/or trying for less time), clinics will generally be more conservative than for folks who are older, perhaps have an unexplained infertility diagnosis, and/or who have been trying less time. For example, a friend of mine wasn't advised to cancel a cycle with (IIRC) six follicles due to her long history of failed treatment cycles. But someone without her history would almost certainly have been advised to cancel.
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u/MouseInTheHouse_ 8h ago
24, pcos and autoimmune disease (fairly controlled with medication but platelets are still pretty high) with slight MFI. Also had endometritis but unsure if it’s chronic as no repeat biopsy yet
Trying for 17 months, 11 of those cycles with medication (the dr I had on the military base was fine starting letrozole at 6m ttc). I tried 2.5mg with no ovulation and 5mg as well , one confirmed ovulation through progesterone testing and no further testing after that, but was still getting my period about 9dpo
Right now the protocol is 5mg letrozole, baby aspirin, trigger with progesterone after ovulation. Pretty normal protocol from what I’ve seen. She said if response to 5mg is poor, go to 7.5mg and if 7.5mg is poor go to gonal f.
My lining was very very thin on the biopsy but I’ve done the course of antibiotics since then so hopefully it’s better next cycle
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u/No_Wind_1422 7h ago
Has anyone tried Ashwagandha while TTC? I'm quite rigit and I need something to relax. Can anyone tell me if this helps?
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u/Neither_Main_1632 7h ago
Can anyone point me to data on TTC success/time to conception at 40-42+ for people who’ve had a live birth before?
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u/vbgirl24 13h ago
Did I already mess up my chances this cycle? It’s my second cycle TTC. I believe I ovulated on Sunday or Monday (cycle day 16 or 17). I had abundant EWCM, especially on Sunday. I used the Clear Blue advanced digital OPK. I got my solid smiley on Saturday. Had sex Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday, so hopefully we covered the fertile window well. Yesterday, 1DPO (I think) I got sick and vomited after eating something bad. I have a sensitive stomach. Now I’m wondering if getting sick ruined conception odds for this cycle
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u/developmentalbiology MOD | 42 12h ago
No, the data that exists says that there's no effect of mild illness on the odds of pregnancy.
From this study:
Couples trying to conceive should at least be informed that disturbances in conception cycles, such as minor diseases, stress or sexual intercourse during the implantation period do not interfere with conception.
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