alternative route?
Printed From: OHbaby!
Category: Planning Pregnancy (trying for baby)
Forum Name: Planning Pregnancy (trying for baby)
Forum Description: Trying to get pregnant? Going through fertility treatment? Just planning your first or second child? There are many people out there in the same boat to help and listen and share with
URL: https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=42058
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Topic: alternative route?
Posted By: Metis
Subject: alternative route?
Date Posted: 17 May 2012 at 8:49pm
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Hi,
I'm new to this site, so please forgive me if this topic has already been exhausted. I'm 36, healthy, been TTC since October 2010. Have had 1 "loss" as it was described (basically was one week overdue, took test, was faintly positive, had period the next day). Had the usual tests done. My eggs are good, and have a good number. Lining is ok. Hubby's sperm count ok. Had the dreaded HSG last month: no blockages, all looked fine. Still no luck. Have now been thinking, before I start on hormone therapy (for which I need to wait another month, the "let's see what happens in the 1st 3 months after the HSG" approach), if anybody here has had any luck with alternatives? More specifically acupuncture? As I said, I'm healthy, I eat healthy, get plenty of exercise, do yoga, etc.. It's just driving me crazy that there's eemingly no reason why I shouldn't get pregnant and it's starting to drive me round the bend a bit. 
Any help/feedback/stories welcome... Thanks! |
Replies:
Posted By: myfullhouse
Date Posted: 18 May 2012 at 8:04pm
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Didn't want to read and run.
I don't have any first hand knowledge but a friend had success with acupuncture. They were taking some time TTC although I think one of the probs may have been related to her cycles being inconsistent. Anyway she had acupuncture and conceived a few months later. She had acupuncture each time they were TTC and have 3 beautiful boys ------------- Lindsey 
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Posted By: Sag76
Date Posted: 19 May 2012 at 6:08am
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hi metis
i'm a similar story to you - started in Oct 2010 but a year younger...got diagnosed with mild endo after a lap dye in april but apart from that all good...we are in the 3 month wait too...looking at IVF in Oct (no option for public so paying for it)... anyway...do you chart etc? CM? I am working on increasing my CM (not good to say the least) and charting makes me feel like i am doing something...i did try a herbalist but the tonics got to me and so i am trying alternative methods (EPO and grape fruit)... going to look into acupuncture when i get home (am away at moment)... Also been thinking about iridology (where they look at your eyes to see any imbalances - think that is the right word)... |
Posted By: kelzie_rose
Date Posted: 19 May 2012 at 8:03am
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I got UTD after a mixture of Acupuncture and going to a naturopath (Motherwell.) I had a hard time TTC and with miscarriages that was in the end due to low progesterone. -------------  Started TTC Apr 2008 With PCOS and a bicornuate uterus Our angel babies Jan 2010 <3 Oct 2010 <3 Apr 2011 <3 |
Posted By: Metis
Date Posted: 19 May 2012 at 11:39pm
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Hi Sag76,
No, I don't chart or do Cm or any of that. My cycles have always been very regular, and I can kind of tel when I'm ovulating (tender breasts, and they go up a cup size, bloating, etc) But like you, I want to feel as if I'm doing something, so I thought acupuncture might be the way to go. There doesn't seem to be anything else I can do, actively, I mean. My fertility doctor wants to start me on some hormones in another couple of months, whereby they 'double the chance of me getting pregnant each month'. In the meantime I'm just waiting, and waiting and waiting. I find it quite hard to talk to anyone. Have only told my mother in law and my sister I was trying (my MIL had a few miscarriages in her day, so she doesn't ask or talk about it, and my suster lives in Europe so I hardly get to talk to her, either). Didn't want to tell anybody else as I didn't want to have to answer the questions every month, you know. My OH is the strong and silent type, he doesn't think anything can be solved by talking about it, so I'm pretty much on my own. I can get pretty sad, sometimes, but I guess most women here that are trying feel the same. The really frustrating thing is that there is absolutely nothing wrong with my bits, or my OH's bits. It's all working. Except it's not making us any babies 
Anyway, good luck, I'll let you know how I get on |
Posted By: Metis
Date Posted: 19 May 2012 at 11:43pm
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Hi Kelzie Rose,
Thanks for the positive feedback, it's great to hear. The progesterone thing: I've heard it before. One of the girlr in work was on the natural progesterone and she got pregnant within 3 months. Her levels were all askew though, and my doctor says mine are the way they should be. So I'm not too sure if that would help me. I have heard good things about Lisa Houghton (acupuncture) so I'll try and make an appointment and see if I get a good vibe.... |
Posted By: AandCsmum
Date Posted: 20 May 2012 at 9:20pm
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My last two successful pregnancies I was on stuff from the Naturopath. Prior to both pregnancies I had miscarriages. 3rd time around I got it sorted faster.
I had low potassium levels if that helps, who knows why this is what I needed to stay pregnant but it worked. I was on a prescription dose, so totally recommend going to see a naturopath & definitely don't self medicate with things like that. ------------- Kel http://lilypie.com"> 
A = 01.02.04 & C = 16.01.09 & G = 30.03.12 |
Posted By: LuckyRed
Date Posted: 21 May 2012 at 9:36am
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I would DEFINITELY recommend acupuncture to anyone, I don't know if I would have got pregnant without it! I had two sessions a week and was also given a tonic in pill form to take to regulate my hormones. Took less than three months after starting to get a positive test. -------------  
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Posted By: InthemiddleMummy
Date Posted: 21 May 2012 at 7:42pm
| google gluten free and conceiving lots of reading on that. |
Posted By: luvmylittlies
Date Posted: 24 May 2012 at 8:28pm
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Hang in there. Sound like the others have some suggestions for you. Just wanted to say we took 3 1/2 years to have our first. Everything was fine on all tests which sort of made it harder because we were told to just keep trying. Anyway in the end a holiday did the trick. Oh I was 38 when we finally had her. Then I wanted to start trying ASAP for number 2 and it only took one cycle after AF returned. I was having an alcohol and coffee free month so wonder if that helped.
Anyway, just wanted to let you know things can work out well. Hope it happens for you soon. Bloody stressful waiting. I could have coped so much better if someone could have looked into the future and said 'you will get UTD but it will be 3 years'. The uncertainty sux. ------------- Adoring Mum to Talisin 8/9/11 and Kiara 18/01/10 |
Posted By: Metis
Date Posted: 30 May 2012 at 9:55pm
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Thanks everyone for the feedback. Seems a few of you have gone the alternative route to fix something that was wrong. Problem with me is: there's nothing wrong.
I gave up caffeine when we first started trying, as I had read that that could interfere with ovulation. So no more coffe for me, just herbal teas. And alcohol is a 'every once and a while' thing for me now, I'm mostly completely dry. Still a no go. Haven't gotten around booking an appointment yet, I got myself a mortgage in the meantime and paying for driving lessons. May as well keep my mond off it.... Thanks again |
Posted By: Pepi-bebe
Date Posted: 08 June 2012 at 9:18pm
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Hey Metis,
I'd definitely recommend trying the alternative route too. I would never have known there was anything wrong with me either, I have an issue with unexplained miscarriages rather than getting pregnant. If I had not pursued a naturopath (Loula George at Motherwell), I would not have known that I had thyroid antibodies. (See my entry under Troublesome Trying if you wan to see more of my story.) A naturopath will spend time taking a full medical history, asking about things that you wouldn't even consider may affect your fertility, and send you for tests that regular doctors, and even fertility specialists don't consider. They look at you holistically. Since conceiving and carrying a baby utilises so many different parts of our body, hormones, mineral reserves etc, it's wise for them to lok at the whole picture - not just certain parts of your body or health. Acupuncture also helps. It's helped me regulate my cycles and temperatures. I have always had very regular periods, no problems, pain free etc, and so thought they were all good. When I started temping and charting that, it all looked fine too, proper length of the different parts of the cycle etc. However, when the naturopath looked at my temps she showed me how although my temps were roughly in the right places, they were really erratic, hinting at some hormone imbalances and possibly stress or similar affecting them - meaning maybe the egg was not growing properly early on in the cycle, so even though I ovulated at the right time and got Af at the right time, the egg may not have been of a great quality - even though I was getting pregnant easily enough. So all seemed fine to me on the surface, and the full lot of tests that Fertility Associates gave me came back fine. But a naturopath picked up some possible issues really quickly. I wish you luck on your journey, and speaking from the perspective of someone who put a huge amount of research, money and effort into getting pregnant (we used a donor), then has experienced 2 heart breaking 'unexplained miscarriages' before consulting a naturopath...I recommend spending the money on doing that as a first step rather than doing it later! -------------   Oct 11 & Mar 12
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Posted By: Metis
Date Posted: 17 June 2012 at 12:54pm
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Hi Pepi-Bebe,
thanks for sharing your experience. So far, I've only had 1 MC, if you can even call it that. I don;t think it's the keeping that's the trouble, it's the catching. I fired off an email to motherwell yesterday, briefly outlining our history, eating habits, lifestyle etc. I'll see what recommendations they come back with. I'd love to go for Acupuncture, but according to my dr my progesterone levels are beautiful, my cycles are really regular (apart from last month, I didn't even ovulate last month - must be the stress), lining of the womb looks good, HSG came back all clear...my OH semen was in the 85 - 90% normality range. So I'm not sure what acupuncture can do for me. They'll probably suggest a naturopath, and I had a look at the questionnaires (10 pages!!). I'd be happy anough to give that a go, maybe they'll find something obvious thatthe blood tests etc haven't shown. Back to FA next month ( if ttc doesn't work this cycle) and I think dr wants to put me on Clomid, or some such thing, to help me conceive. I have no idea how expensive that is going to be... :( Getting a bit tired of all this, and it's not even been 2 years... |
Posted By: babycrazy
Date Posted: 17 June 2012 at 8:06pm
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Hi - I've been dealing with Patient Advocates (google for their website) who do natural hormones. My progesterone levels were fine through the doc's bloods but she tested through saliva and they weren't which meant I was experiencing wicked PMS. Hormones helped with that, not UTD but just found out we have serious male factor issues hence why. I have a friend who fell preg with their programme within the first cycle and she has serious endo.
Anyway just thought I'd share my experience. Good luck. ------------- TTC since Oct 2009 4 x DI's failed IVF1 CP & MC IVF2 CP IVF3 Angel baby born 22.3wks |