Are there any private tests we should have before moving on to IVF?

[jacki81]

Hey, so I've just tested today, two weeks after our second IUI and got another negative. I realise there's still a chance of a positive in the next few days but I'm not feeling i. I had some symptoms with the progesterone, but although I'm still taking it, the symptoms have all gone, so I think my natural progesterone has dropped off.

Anyway, onwards and upwards. We have been diagnosed with unexplained infertility but I feel like there must be a reason. It's been three years and I've never conceived. Hubs has good count, motility and morphology (which was low but he managed to get it up from 1-6%).

I have good egg reserve, open tubes, no endometriosis, fibroids, pcos or abnormalities, I ovualate every month but we can't seem to catch the egg. I've had an HSG, MRI and a laparoscopy to look into it.

At my last IUI I was told there was an abundance of cm, so that's not the issue either, though we've been using concieve plus anyway just in case. My iron, B12 and Vit 12 are good (even on the higher side, but not dangerously so).

The only thing that could be the problem is that my LH and FH are the wrong way around - at my last test LH was 7.5 and FSH 6.2. Though I wouldn't have thought this would be a problem on a medicated cycle.

I get that there's only an X % chance every month, and at 37 and 40 we aren't the springiest of chickens, but I still feel like there must be something we can do!

We have 1 IUI left until we try IVF, but if anyone can think of anything I could try and rule out in the meantime to be more prepared that might be helpful

Thanks x

[Hidden]

I could almost be reading about our situation here! Unexplained and 37 - me too!

We never tried IUI, went straight to IVF. Waiting for a frozen transfer.

Best of Luck! Hopefully IUI works for you!

Xxx

[jacki81 in reply to Hidden]

It’s just so frustrating isn’t it?! Best of luck for you too with your frozen cycle x

[Hidden in reply to jacki81]

Yes I am following this post as I have similar questions.

We will get there!

Xxx

[Lizzielizzielizzie]

Depends what money you want to spend. We had every test our clinic offered, they were called “level one and level two tests” and not all are recognised by the nhs, eg natural killer cells. It cost £3000. Ours came back showing hubbie has a chromosome problem which gave us a diagnosis from previously being unexplained. This was found through karyotyping which is an nhs recognised test but is only offered after three miscarriages. I had only had one miscarriage at that point. I’m now pregnant after some specialised ivf to treat the problem.

At 37 they really should have moved you to ivf rather than trying iui as it does not have great success rates after 35, so I would probably recommend just getting on with ivf. And if that fails, then consider further tests. Good luck 💜

[Lizzielizzielizzie in reply to Lizzielizzielizzie]

Ps you don’t mention your thyroid, just make sure this has been thoroughly tested, it has to be below 2.5 for conception which is lower than the level that’s ok for normal life. I imagine they’ve tested this though.

[jacki81 in reply to Lizzielizzielizzie]

Crikey, thanks. I hadn’t really considered the costs involved but it might be worth us speaking to our clinic to see what else they can do. They did test my thyroid and that was good, though almost bordering on hyperthyroid at 1.14 but I’m told again that’s nothing to worry about. I wondered about the IUI thing too as I don’t know anyone else that has done it. We started last July but there have just been huge gaps between each appointment. I think at the time it seemed like a good suggestion as I wasn’t ready for IVF and it seemed like we’d get more chances. That’s what puts me off skipping the last go, but what you’ve said has mad me think and I’ve got my head around IVF now, so I’ll raise it with them when I speak to the clinic.

I’m really sorry to hear about your miscarriage but glad you were able to get some answers afterwards and it led to a successful cycle. I wish you a happy and healthy pregnancy! Xx