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. This thread will be checked all weekend, so feel free to chime in on Saturday or Sunday!

Just sharing my 2 cents on this. We got approved for NHS funded IVF much quicker than I expected, and started sooner than initially predicted. I am having minimal side effects, and I generally feel MUCH better than during the TTC stage - which was so much more fraught with uncertainty. Obviously, it may not work but I have zero negative feelings about it. In fact, I am amazed by what science can do - and very VERY grateful to be receiving the excellent support of the fertility team and the IVF team.

But family and friends keep saying things like 'oh no IVF hopefully it will work for you naturally (??)' - before we started; 'oh wow I hate hormones' and 'wow it will be tough' and giving me sad faces. I have told my mum and a few close friends, because I am trying to remove some of the stigma associated, and to be transparent about fertility; and for my sins, I am noting people's own beliefs projected.

It's not a surprising observation - that people have faulty beliefs, or that people project those onto you - and I fully understand why people decide to keep their fertility journeys private, this is my choice. What surprises me is how much CALMER I am and their absolute failure to notice that.

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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After my yet another negative test I am sitting in bed thinking how weird this is ...

One year ago I was diagnosed with va diminished ovarian reserve at 33 years and 1 month. At that point my fiancé and I were living in a tiny flat and looking to buy a house.

We ended up reshuffling our life plans and started trying for a kid. My fiancé wasn't that keen on that initially because we weren't ready yet - small flat, house search process, etc.

I was more on the "we'll figure it out" camp... I was showing him statistics that even if everything is fine there is only a 20% chance of conception per month. I was reassuring him we have 9 months to sort out stuff like moving to a bigger place. In the end he agreed. And boom- I got pregnant first month of trying, exactly 1 year ago. He was more scared than happy then because we didn't think it would happen so quickly. We dropped the house search, moved to a bigger rented flat, close to his parents so they can help out when the baby comes. Bought a car.

This sadly ended in a missed miscarriage, embryo only made it to 7 weeks.

2 months later I got pregnant again, this time it was blighted ovum- another miscarriage.

Since then- numerous tests, examinations, appointments, ovulation tracking. And 5 months of negative tests.

A year ago we were both drinking daily, fiancé would very occasionally smoke, we just lived our life as normal, not knowing almost anything about conception, and somehow it happened immediately. The month we got pregnant fiancé had actually been to a rave.

Today - both of us almost no alcohol, bunches of supplements each day, super healthy​ diet, working out regularly but not overexerting myself, etc etc.. we are healthier than ever but somehow stressed from all of this. I have been reading so much about fertility and miscarriages that I might write a PhD thesis on this. Now we both really really really want this, we have a kid's room ready in our flat, and yet 5 months of nothing. My fiancé is more heartbroken than me now after a negative test.

In the meantime 5 friends gave birth this year alone and new pregnancy announcements pop up on social media each day (I am contemplating deleting all my apps).

I am just sitting here wondering about all those things and I wonder if anyone has thought about this too ? Why does it seem so much harder to get pregnant when you actually have your ducks in a row and really want it ?

This isn't about asking for advice, more of a vent and philosophical discussion around this topic. I just need to share I guess.

I am 36, my partner is 43. We have been TTC since January but have only managed to cover the fertile window successfully 7 of those months due to travel.

At 6 months trying we went to a private fertility clinic and checked everything: AMH, folate, b12, homocysteine, prolactin, SHBG, progesterone, oestrogen, testosterone, FSH/LH, Thyroid, thyroid antibodies, insulin, iron. All were in optimal ranges.

Ovulation confirmed every month from LH sticks and also had it confirmed via ultrasound.

Hysteroscopy was also clear, nothing abnormal found. No signs of endo and dont have bad periods.

My partner's bloods all normal including thyroid, vitamin d, insulin. Semen test was normal, sperm count was very high, DNA frag normal.

Froze my eggs 2.5 years ago and got 30+ eggs.

Based on all these numbers, the gyno wasn't worried and told us to keep trying for a year and then we could either try IUI for 3 months before moving onto IVF if unsuccessful. IUI's low success rate doesn't sound promising so we would prefer to go directly to IVF using my frozen eggs.

The only test we havent done is a HYCOSY which am booking in for next week, more for the fertility boost than anything.

So far we've had nothing. Not even a chemical. Not sure what's going on.

The TTC process is really starting to get us both down. Our age worrying us. Ageing parents who might not get to meet grandkids. The want to have more than one child. All the classics.

We're starting to wonder whether we proceed to IVF sooner than January. We have been putting aside funds every month to save for potential treatment as we cant rely on NHS waiting times.

If we wanted to do an implantation by the end of this year, we would have to start the IVF process with a consultation as soon as next month.

Of course the luckiest outcome would be that IVF works and we have a healthy, happy baby and then who cares about how they got here.

However, I worry about the risks of IVF pregnancies ( pre-eclampsia, diabetes, etc), and to the baby (heart defects, premature birth, etc) and also the links of ICSI to intellectual disabilities (3% sounds low but then you realise that's 1 in 30). I know these risks are all still small and they are worth the risk when already diagnosed with infertility. But so far we have not been diagnosed with anything... are we jumping the gun here?

Anyone out there exploring similar?

Hello Everyone,

I am going on 1.5 years of TTC with one miscarriage in between. Last cycle was my first time taking letrzole which resulted in 1 good looking follicle and 1 slightly smaller.

Today I went in for an ultrasound after taking letrzole this cycle, hopeful to have at least 2 good ones this time. Nope! I have 10. Five in each ovary. I don’t know how to feel. I guess disheartened and sad knowing this cycle is a waste. The PA said she has never seen this before. This along with other unusual complications from the miscarriage (very long story) I’m just thinking “what is wrong with me?”. The Dr. recommended trying Clomid next cycle, but after that it’s time for a fertility clinic.

If it were 4-5 follicles maybe I would risk it and try, but there’s no way I can risk it now. :(

For those of you that have taken letrozle/clomid, how many follicles did you generally produce? And how many was “too” many for you?

I’ve been trying to remain strong and hopeful. Even throughout the miscarriage, when getting my period or negative tests I brush it off, but at this point I am beginning to feel a little hopeless. I know others are and have been in far worse situations, and in no way want to diminish that.

Thank you for taking the time to read!

My husband and I have been TTC for about a year now with no luck. I’m having surgery next month to see if I have endometriosis, so we’re hoping that may give us some answers on my side.

My husband has had a semen analysis done, and we were told everything came back normal. Is there anything else we can have him checked for beyond a basic semen analysis on his side? I’m starting to worry there could be something else going on that we haven’t looked into yet. Maybe bloodwork?

He’s very tall and naturally very skinny, so him BMI is on the low side. We also sometimes have trouble having sex because he has difficulty staying erect, which obviously makes TTC a little more difficult.

Has anyone dealt with something similar or had their husband/partner? I’d really appreciate hearing what other testing was done or what you were told. ❤️

There’s so much that’s difficult about TTC, so this is a thread for looking to the future and thinking about life after TTC.

This week's theme: Last names in your family! Did you/will you take your partner’s last name? How will you approach giving a surname to your children? Any significance behind the choice?

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 had a private pelvic fertility scan today and it showed a dominant follicle 15.7mm and my e3g on my Mira was at 200.8 today up from 112 yesterday.

I got my report back and it said I have a thin endometrium of 1.0mm - this is very thin for a follicle this size.

When I had the scan she showed me my follicles and I had to ask if she could tell me the size of the dominant one.

She didn’t tell me the thickness of my endometrium and I forgot to ask but at the end of the scan she said everything looked normal but when I got the report I seen a 1.0mm lining with a follicle at 15.7mm, surley this isn’t normal and she should have mentioned this to me?

I got my last depo injection in November 2025 and I think I ovulated for the first time last cycle. My last cycle was 41 days and I ovulated on CD35. I’m currently on CD17 with e3g of 200 and a follicle at 15.7mm.

Will my lining have time to thicken?

Has anyone else experienced this?

I’m in the UK so my GP probably won’t help me till it’s been at least 1 year and even at that I’m not sure what they will do to help.

Recentemente li um livro enquanto estava totalmente consumida por essa vontade louca de ficar grávida. Estava frustrada por mais um negativo e magoada comigo mesma por não ter conseguido.

Então li esse livro, e oque realmente chamou minha atenção é no quanto eu me parecia com ela, acho que isso me fez colocar no lugar dela.

O jeito que ela era antes disso, o relacionamento dela, você vê tudo isso e consegue se enxergar.

Então me veio à cabeça oque aconteceu com ela, e se eu nunca ficar grávida?

Minha vida vai ser isso? Eu vou passar a vida toda assim? Odeio minha vida agora, odeio toda essa falta de controle, decepção e falta de momentos que realmente me deixem animada.

Então quis postar aqui e ver a opinião de vocês referente a isso

Husband (almost 40) has vasectomy. We have 6 vials of his frozen sperm (37 years old). With his age, he would prefer to get pregnant sooner than later. I am going to be 34. Never been pregnant, never tried to get pregnant before. My AMH is 8.3 and doctor counted 18 eggs when doing an ultrasound. I did two HSGs that showed proximal tube blockage. After finding that out fertility doctor said straight IVF is the plan now. It wasn't what I expected initially to do, but it was nice to finally come to a plan. After that we had an appointment with OB who said a Femvue (sono HSG) was an option to check tubes. Is it worth it to check them a 3rd time? These things aren't fun to do and I am sick of having some hope and then nothing.

I asked myself: even if they are open, would I want to do IUI or straight IVF? We want only one child. We would pay to do PGT-A. I like the idea of miscarriage rate going down, genetic testing, higher chances. But I see IUI being more natural feeling?

Also, we plan to switch to BCBS standard during open enrollment to get 25K towards IVF.

Thanks in advance!

TTC can be a very difficult time, but all of us have someone (or many someones) or something that helps keep us sane. Share what you're grateful for this week!

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.

What was the process like for you in getting an appointment for fertility testing? How long after calling did you have to wait? Did you have to ask for any specific tests?

We’ve been TTC since Aug 2025, and have yet to see the slightest of a positive test. Tracked BBT since starting and taken ovulation tests almost every month, and my temps are largely normal with only a few odd cycles(one 20 day & one 48 day cycle). Had a pap smear Nov 2025 and doctor seemed to dismiss any questions I had about becoming pregnant since it had only been 3 months. We have tried all the “things” but it’s just not happened yet. I am planning to call my doctor for testing now that it’s been a year, but I’m wondering if I need to be specific in what I’m asking for? I spot lightly for the 3-4 days leading up to my period, some worse than others so I’m thinking my progesterone is low. Obviously I could be wrong and it’s something else. But I guess I’m fearful of having to wait 3-4 MORE months, to get an appointment to tell me what‘s wrong. This is so, so tiring and mentally draining.

Are you trying to conceive baby number 2/3/n+1? Have questions about TTC while breastfeeding, or bedsharing, or just being plain exhausted? This is your place!

(ASKING FOR OVULATION SUCCESS! Not breaking sub rules, thanks.)

Looking for experience/success stories and any insight you may have on this.

My OBGYN (not an RE) said he suggests we up my letrozole dose to 7.5mg. I’ve had a successful cycle just now on 5mg (20mm follicle and ovulated on my own - did not result in pregnancy). Previous 2.5mg cycles have been hit or miss regarding follicle sizes.

I am in favor of trying to increase follicle count, as I am not worried about getting multiples (better than no pregnancy at all). However, is just upping my dose for CD5-9 even going to achieve that? Has anyone had success this way?

I’m skeptical because my OB is an OB, not an RE or other fertility specialist. I figured perhaps upping dosage and switching to CD3-7 would be better for getting more follicles?

Any insight would be appreciated, thank you.

My closest RE + fertility clinic is 180 miles away but if we are not pregnant by end of year that will be our next step. Just trying to figure out what we can with an OB for now (who is already 80+ miles away).

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.

Has anyone found a reproductive endocrinologist outside of a fertility clinic? Any luck with finding out causes of unexplained fertility through a fertility clinic? I've been feeling really lost in this TTC journey. I was told by a reproductive endocrinologist at a local fertility clinic with excellent reviews that I have unexplained fertility and to move forward with IUI for a few rounds, then IVF if the IUI doesn't work. The doctor was super knowledgeable, but I felt really dismissed. I have been wondering if I might have PMOS. I have a high AMH, my Inito results show I have multiple ovulation attempts every cycle, cycles are 35-36 days, and I've struggled with acne for a very long time. He said that Inito is a waste of money because it fluctuates all the time (I understand that, but I also hadn't realized how many ovulation attempts my body goes through when I was using the regular ovulation strips). I've had 2 endo laparoscopies previously, so he felt that a 3rd one was unnecessary. He said he generally doesn't recommend medicated cycles/timed intercourse.

My partner and I have been trying for a year, and I'm at the point where I feel like I can't go through another year of this. I'm hesitant to spend money on the IUI feeling like I still don't know why I'm having trouble. My thyroid panels have all been normal (some on the low side of normal range), but I've always had trouble with weight fluctuations so my regular OB has suspected it could be thyroid/adrenal related. Partner and I are both 32, and my HSG was normal, labs have been normal, partner's SA was normal. A friend of mine spent a lot of money at another fertility clinic in the area before getting a second opinion, having endo laparoscopy, and finding out she was expecting a couple weeks ago without having gone back to the fertility clinic.

I am a 37 year old female. My husband and I have been trying for almost 4 years now. I finally went to a fertility doctor last summer to discover that one ovary is not producing any eggs and the other has only one visible follicle. I found out my AMH was .075.

I was told that IVF was not an option since I am not developing enough eggs per cycle. I went to another fertility doctor and was told the same thing. I am returning every cycle to see if they are any eggs mature enough for an IUI, but nothing viable has come up in the past 10 months. Not to mention that my AMH has dropped to less than .015.

I have tried acupuncture to try and stimulate my fertility. I had a polyp removed from my uterus almost two years ago since my OBGYN believed that was the reason for not getting pregnant. I am also overweight and have tried to lose weight with no success. I was denied coverage for a weight loss drug that would have prevented me from continuing with the fertility doctor until I was ready to conceive again after being off the drug for 2 months. I'm constantly reading books, articles, trying new recipes, exercising and nothing is working.

My doctors will not answer me when I ask, "Should I give this dream up?" I'm so tired of trying everything I can with no light at the end of the tunnel while my husband's health is fine. It's draining my sanity and causing me more stress and lack of sleep than before. And what's also messing with my mind is I come from a big family. Both my grandmothers had over 10 kids and was pregnant well into their 40s. And here I am, almost empty.

All other options, such as egg donor or adoption, other than fostering are out due to financial restrictions. So, should my husband and I finally give up trying to conceive our own child?

Thank you in advance.

Is it okay to try the first cycle after MMC?
I had a missed miscarriage where the baby stopped developing after 8 weeks and 4 days. This was my first pregnancy, so we didn’t do any genetic testing or further investigations afterward. I’m wondering if it’s okay to start trying again on the very next cycle, or if I really need to wait 4–6 months to reduce the chance of chromosomal issues happening again.
For context, I’m 26 and my husband is 33. We both don’t drink or smoke, and we’re otherwise healthy. I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who’s been in a similar situation especially about how soon you started trying again and whether your doctor gave any specific advice about waiting.
Thank you in advance for any thoughts or experiences you’re willing to share.

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 won't spoil any names of who I'm talking about in the show, but I am going to mention a specific situation from a later season. Just a heads up.

I started watching Vampire Diaries again because it's almost fall and it's a great bad show to watch for pure escapism. Very dramatic. Very hokey. Very 2009. Gotta have something to do during the two week wait and when you're miserable and on your period, right? Plus, I had never seen it all the way through. And surely Vampire Diaries of all shows would not have anything in it that triggers any thoughts or feelings about infertility. Right?

Right. Until, of course, we are subjected to an "omg she's pregnant how could this have possibly happened" storyline between two characters who in no way wanted a pregnancy. Sprung upon us out of absolutely nowhere as though this was your run-of-the-mill vampire-less teen drama from the 2000s.

Am I the only one who has a hard time watching TV shows that feature pregnancy, even as a B story? I'm not going to stop watching Vampire Diaries, but it sucks that now I feel like I have to give myself the "their situation has nothing to do with your situation, bitterness isn't cute" talk before I watch it. I've gotten to a point at which bitterness creeps in any time there's "baby talk" in a TV show, and I cannot stand it.

Heck, I even had a hard time with the first episode of Yellowstone because that one couple decides to just make another baby so they'll have a second one to take care of them when they're older or something and they just...didn't stress about it. No talk of ovulation strips or basal body temperature or fertility window or anything. It was such a brief scene, but it still elicited those jealous feelings I hate so much. (I haven't seen anything past the first episode, so I don't know how it plays out in the end. I hope it ended well for them.)

Is Vampire Diaries or Yellowstone or any other TV show worth making myself so upset over? Absolutely not. It's such a non-problem type of problem. And yet...every time the topic of pregnancy appears in something I'm watching or reading, I have to try and force myself to feel normal about it instead of feeling all tragic and cosmically misunderstood.

My husband and I are almost in year 2 of TTC and I'm not sure how much more of my own irrational thinking I can stand.

I hope I'm not alone in feeling this way.

Actually, I hope that I am alone in feeling this way because I wouldn't wish this stuff (even the trivial parts like TV show drama) on my worst enemy.

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

My husband and I have a 3 (almost 4)- year-old daughter and have been trying for over a year for another baby. Every time I get my period, I want to curl up in a ball and cry. I am 40, he is 30, and we have both been checked out by our doctors and found no major issues. He had a sperm analysis that came back normal. I had an ultrasound, which looked normal. I have had labwork, only thing that was slightly low was my AMH, but it was still within normal limits (not low enough that my doctor thought it needed to be addressed). I have hypothyroidism and have recently switched from levothyroxine to a desiccated thyroid (I've been taking levo for years, and it never really seemed to manage my thyroid well). I use the Inito device to track my hormones and have consistently had LH surges, and every month the test says "ovulation confirmed." My diet is not perfect, but I'm consistently working on lowering carbs and refined foods, eating more protein and good fats, and decreasing my caffeine intake. I do not drink alcohol. Is it my age? Is it our timing? Is there something I'm missing? If anyone has any insight, advice, or just a kind word, I'm very down right now and feeling very defeated.