After some personal stories of infertility...

[Michyloulou]

Another friend of a friend is pregnant (IVF) after many years of trying naturally. This couple mentioned to my friend obviously how blessed they feel, but that they’ll just have the one child and be grateful with their 1 baby. My friend sat them down and said “well, don’t be so sure - have I got a story for you!” ;-)

[arielrocks]

We were ‘diagnosed’ with unexplained infertility in 2016. We had been trying for 4 years with no luck. Went to GP but because my husband had a son (who was 22 at the time) already we weren’t entitled to any nhs help, not even testing. So we went to a private clinic and paid £3k to be told that there was nothing wrong with either of us and they clinic recommended IVF. We went away to mull it over and decided that we didn’t want to go through the heartache and emotional stress of IVF so reigned ourselves to a childless future. DH didn’t want to adopt, I did so that was never going to work.

Anyway. We went to Alaska, had an amazing time and when we were in Vancouver following the cruise I did a test and George (now 14 months) was setting up camp!

We really had given up before we were blessed.

[MrsB87]

Myself and my husband don't have infertility issues but we are going to be having IVF due to a genetic condition my husband has. The embryos will be tested so that one without the condition is transferred. Would this be of interest to your research or not?

[Beaker89]

We've been trying for 11 months now. I've had a couple of blood tests (due other 'woman' issues)before Christmas and they both came back with low progesterone, which would indicate that I'm not ovulating. Unfortunately we have to try for at least a year until we can get any further tests done. I know we haven't been trying very long, but its been really hard knowing there might be an issue. I am keeping positive and hoping it will happen soon, whilst also being aware that this may be the start of a long journey.

[soooexcited!]

Bit of a family story really. My Aunt & Uncle tried for years to have children. Went for IVF at Bourne Hall years ago. That failed but she fell pregnant naturally which resulted in a ruptured ectopic. They never had children. My sister tried a long time for a second child. Got pregnant naturally and that ended in a ruptured ectopic. Her daughter has been trying 4 years. I tried for a year got pregnant and that ended in a ruptured ectopic. I then went on to have 2 children.

[JillyEd]

I was diagnosed with endometriosis early 20's. Lots of operations, treatment, injections to help but I was covered in it. Tubes blocked and it was on every organ possible. Then I developed fibroids and also ore cancerous cells. Ended up with the last option of hysterectomy. Absolute no chance of me conceiving or carrying a child. Heartbreaking journey but I always try to think that there are people a lot worse off than me so I should just be blessed with my life and loved ones.

[Floridafour]

We tried for a baby as soon as we were married 17 years ago. After a year of no success we went to GP, turns out my DH had a low sperm count & poor motility. We were referred straightaway for one free cycle of IVF on NHS. This was straightforward and to be honest not as traumatic as I thought it would be, egg collection was good & 2 were put back in but no pregnancy. It’s funny because my thoughts has already started to turn to adoption and for me there was a clear switching point away from wanting a baby and to be pregnant to wanting a family and to be a mum. For us there was no more IVF, it was not a road we wanted to go down and it still scares me how it can easily dominate every part of who you are as a person and as a couple. It didn’t want that to define us as a couple and fast forward 3 very difficult years later we had adopted beautiful twin girls. It was the best decision we ever made, they are now 13 yrs old and I feel so lucky that we were given the chance to be part of something so special. Out of our infertility came an life changing experience.
IVF does offer hope where there is none for some people and I am not passing judgement, it just wasn’t for us x

[wikkle jan]

Originally Posted by JillyEd

I was diagnosed with endometriosis early 20's. Lots of operations, treatment, injections to help but I was covered in it. Tubes blocked and it was on every organ possible. Then I developed fibroids and also ore cancerous cells. Ended up with the last option of hysterectomy. Absolute no chance of me conceiving or carrying a child. Heartbreaking journey but I always try to think that there are people a lot worse off than me so I should just be blessed with my life and loved ones.

See more...

My son and step daughter (they are married but I'm not married to her dad yet) anyway she has just found out she has endometriosis stage 2.. She has had an op and they managed to unblock 1 tube, but the consultant has refured them to have IVF...

My son is 36 and was adamant they were going to get married and have a house before children (do it the right way he always said).. She always said to him he had better be able to have them as she always wanted them earlier (she is 30 this month)... As you will know she is in pain quite a few weeks at a time and being pregnant would help lots... Fingers crossed they can get there before IVF (if one tube is now unblocked )... They have only been trying 2 years but to them as you will know seems a lot longer...

[holidaysaver75]

I discovered I had PCOS about 10 years after we got married. I went through all the tests and scans, was given a range of cycles of medication to increase fertility but we felt quite strongly that, despite pushing, the hospital deliberately dragged their feet offering any IVF until they could class me as too old. We didn’t have the money to pursue private treatment and weren’t sure we could go through the heartache. Instead, we went down the adoption route and had our 3 boys when they were 3, 5 and 8. Though I would never have thought it, I can only be grateful now because otherwise we would never have met our boys, who are amazing and the light of our lives (now 8, 11 and 13).

[On a mouse hunt]

2004 - my DH and I stopped using birth control although we were not officially trying until we got married in 2006.
2006 - came and went and not a sniff of a pregnancy. Went to the doctors to be told I have PCOS and that I needed to loose weight.
2007 - Slowly started to loose weight and spent a year having bleeding (varied in flow)
2008 - Got my bleeding under control and prescribed 50mg of Clomid (not monitored), with no luck and we felt we should just try and relax about it as was starting to take a real toll on the marriage.
2010 - Decided to start trying officially again but nothing, asked for help but refused due to weight again so continued to just work on the weight and let nature takes it course.
2012 - Started looking at adoption, surrogacy and fostering, none of which felt right to my DH.
2015 - DH was diagnosed with Vasculitis and put on medication which meant it could have bought abnormalities to a child conceived whilst taking it (cleft palate/deaf/born with no ears etc) so we had to give up.
2017 - Husband was taken off the tablets and advised to wait 3 months before trying again
2018 - Prescribed clomid again for 6 months and just finished my first cycle of 50mg but it looks like I failed to Ovulate. If things don't pan out with the clomid we are saving to have IVF abroad where it is cheaper and have less restrictions on weight (although back to trying to get a BMI under 30 for best results) but with better success rates.

I hate it, 14 years I have eagerly awaited a positive pregnancy test and I feel drained, the only good thing to come from this is my marriage is solid. We know we can tackle anything and who our support network is.

Time is getting on I am 35 in May and I feel like I am running out of time rapidly!