Fertibella (ConceiveEasy)

thebeefamily

This is my first time posting here. My husband and I have been TTC for over 3 years now. I've had my CD 3 blood work, done multiple rounds of Femara and Clomid, and still no take home baby. I've been under the care of 3 different RE's and a few OBGYNs.

I found the Conceive Easy website the other night and they have a TTC starter kit free trial offer that I signed up for. While searching online I could find absolutely no reviews for this product that weren't from company reps.

My question is: has anyone ever tried ConceiveEasy aka Fertibella?

The only reason I signed up for the product is because I refuse to do anymore oral medication fertility treatments unless I have an HSG first. It's ridiculous I haven't had one prior to doing all those Femara and Clomid rounds, but that's just how the IF cookie has been crumbling for us and it sucks. Thank you in advance for any answers I receive.

ErinSays

It looks like a scam to me, sorry.

Where do you live? It's nuts that you've had 3 REs and not one has done an HSG! I'd be very frustrated if I were you.

thebeefamily

I know it does look like a scam! I used a Walmart prepaid credit card so if the company tries to charge me again they won't get a single penny more.

I live in California. The problems I'm having with these doctors is my weight and my health insurance coverage keeps lapsing. Even after losing weight my second RE still spoke down to me and insisted I need gastric bypass or else there's no way on God's green Earth that any doctor would even perform an IUI on me. That was the last time I ever made an appointment with him.

I'm a large woman 5'10" and I've always weighed in the 300's lbs. I lose and gain then lose then gain. It's a yo yo. Metformin has done nothing to help the situation either and then I'm band-aided with BC pills. I had a referral for an HSG last year and the day before the test I was fired from my job which immediately revoked my medical coverage. I was devastated and I'm just now recovering. I've been back in school working towards my Teacher's Certificate so I can have some type of job security.

twistsandturnsto2

Get an HSG. Even if this supposed "fertility supplement" works, blocked tubes = no pregnancy. And I'm not trying to be rude here, but you won't do "anymore oral medication fertility treatment" under the care of a doctor but you bought into this? Looks like a scam to me.

thebeefamily

twistsandturnsto2 said:

Get an HSG. Even if this supposed "fertility supplement" works, blocked tubes = no pregnancy. And I'm not trying to be rude here, but you won't do "anymore oral medication fertility treatment" under the care of a doctor but you bought into this? Looks like a scam to me.

I don't know what the etiquette is on this site, but no need to be snippy. Let me explain further:

ConceiveEasy is running a special. You pay for shipping (I paid $5.95) and they send you the product. After 30 days you return the bottles and they won't charge you for more. I don't know how much it is to continue with the product, but I'm getting 10 ovulation tests and 10 pregnancy tests as a gift so I thought well why not? I'm a POAS-holic and I can't have too many sticks to pee on.

I paid with a prepaid credit card so they won't be taking me for a ride. I have an extra $6 to spare so the risk is low.

How easy it must be to say get an HSG. I will. I guess you didn't read that part, but I have to get health insurance or a job which will allow me to save up money for the test. OOP I'll be paying $1,100.00 which will be well worth it. The radiology lab already quoted me that much.

ETA: The pills they send contain Vitex among other things which always gives me a period and since I've had 4 periods this year without needing to induce with BC pills or Provera that was another incentive to pay the shipping cost.

ErinSays

Just be careful with managing your hopes. I'm not sure how accurate this really is, but I found a thread on another forum talking about a lot of false positives on their pregnancy tests.

I'm so sorry about your experiences, it makes me feel so angry. I really hope you can find an RE without a hidden agenda. If you were on the east coast, I'd recommend mine in a heartbeat - I'm fat and he told me I looked good when we talked about my weight.

twistsandturnsto2

I wasn't trying to be snippy at all. I know how hard it is to be completely OOP, my H and I have to pay OOP for our health insurance, our employers dont have coverage, as well as all the IF testing and procedures we have had to have over the last 2 years. It totally sucks. Everyone here, even the ladies with coverage, have had to make sacrifices to get the testing and treatment needed. I am sorry you are dealing with such an uphill battle to get insurance coverage.

All I was saying before is even if this suppliment works, if your tubes are blocked you won't be able to get pregnant. And for that matter, has your H had a SA? That's great that you can get pee sticks for $6, but taking the pills *could* be a waste if the two of you don't have a full understanding of why you have not been able to conceive in the last 3 years.

chickyclg

Be VERY careful taking supplements if your not working with a Dr., I took "fertility supplements" before and they really messed me up.  I developed 2 large cysts, and had bleeding for a little over 3 weeks.  

Were your medicated cycles with an RE or OBGYN? I have heard of OB's handing out Clomid like it's candy, without all the proper testing.  I would honestly recommend an HSG before taking any kind of medication or supplement (especially those that are not approved by the FDA).  

Have you thought of what if your tubes ARE blocked and you are just throwing money away, or even worse a partial blockage which you will carry a higher risk of an ectopic pregnancy because sperm can get in your tube and to the egg, but the egg can't get out.  

My strong opinion for having your tubes checked out is due to the fact that I myself have a blocked tube. I like most women with tubal blockage had no clue until I had proper testing done, and was completely in shock once I got that diagnosis.

Also this is at the bottom of the conceive easy website:

"These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease."

 (It is a shame how companies try to take advantage of couples who are desperate to start a family)

Good Luck OP

thebeefamily

ErinSays said:

Just be careful with managing your hopes. I'm not sure how accurate this really is, but I found a thread on another forum talking about a lot of false positives on their pregnancy tests.

I'm so sorry about your experiences, it makes me feel so angry. I really hope you can find an RE without a hidden agenda. If you were on the east coast, I'd recommend mine in a heartbeat - I'm fat and he told me I looked good when we talked about my weight.

I'm definitely more cautious about snake oil salesman when it comes to my TTC journey since we've been at it for this long. I thought something was up when I googled Conceive Easy and the name Fertibella came up because I heard of Fertibella back in 2010 when we first started trying. Seems like the company changed the name of the product because of so many scam reviews under Fertibella. If their product is so reputable why charge people full price before their free trial has expired? Hopefully if anyone else wants to try it out they use a prepaid credit card like I did.

Almost all the doctors here in California are weight obsessed and it's just sad. The RE who told me and IUI wouldn't work on me also said an HSG would be useless because they wouldn't be able to see my ovaries or fallopian tubes because of my weight. It was right then and there I realized he was a total quack. I've had transvaginal ultrasounds and each doctor has found my uterus and ovaries with no problem. We ended up going to Stanford University 3 hours from where I live and met with a wonderful RE there who is willing to help us so hope isn't lost for us. Now it's time to get the funds together.

thebeefamily

twistsandturnsto2 said:

I wasn't trying to be snippy at all. I know how hard it is to be completely OOP, my H and I have to pay OOP for our health insurance, our employers dont have coverage, as well as all the IF testing and procedures we have had to have over the last 2 years. It totally sucks. Everyone here, even the ladies with coverage, have had to make sacrifices to get the testing and treatment needed. I am sorry you are dealing with such an uphill battle to get insurance coverage. All I was saying before is even if this suppliment works, if your tubes are blocked you won't be able to get pregnant. And for that matter, has your H had a SA? That's great that you can get pee sticks for $6, but taking the pills *could* be a waste if the two of you don't have a full understanding of why you have not been able to conceive in the last 3 years.

TTC especially with infertility is a hardship for every person who walks down this road. Sorry if I came off as rude it's just I haven't posted on here much and I didn't want anyone to think I'm some nitwit hoping magic pills ordered online will be my ticket to conception (I liken that to the 'am I pregnant' threads I see on every other TTC board) especially after 3 years.

So far our only diagnosis for our infertility is my PCOS (secondary amenorrhea, insulin resistance, and anovulation). My husband hasn't had an SA yet only because he has a young child from a previous relationship and also right when we were about to get all the infertility testing done I lost my job. SA's aren't too expensive, but our budget is very tight right now.

And because of so many insurance lapses our TTC journey has been done completely out of order. Before I ever took Clomid I should've had the HSG, Cycle Day 3 blood work, and transvaginal ultrasound done and my husband should've taken a SA, but that's not how it went at because we were dealing with OBGYN's who are even more clueless about infertility than I was. I've had to educate myself on all things infertility related so I'm not pushed around any longer.

thebeefamily

clguerra88 said:

Be VERY careful taking supplements if your not working with a Dr., I took "fertility supplements" before and they really messed me up.  I developed 2 large cysts, and had bleeding for a little over 3 weeks.  

Were your medicated cycles with an RE or OBGYN? I have heard of OB's handing out Clomid like it's candy, without all the proper testing.  I would honestly recommend an HSG before taking any kind of medication or supplement (especially those that are not approved by the FDA).  

Have you thought of what if your tubes ARE blocked and you are just throwing money away, or even worse a partial blockage which you will carry a higher risk of an ectopic pregnancy because sperm can get in your tube and to the egg, but the egg can't get out.  

My strong opinion for having your tubes checked out is due to the fact that I myself have a blocked tube. I like most women with tubal blockage had no clue until I had proper testing done, and was completely in shock once I got that diagnosis.

Also this is at the bottom of the conceive easy website:

"These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease."

 (It is a shame how companies try to take advantage of couples who are desperate to start a family)

Good Luck OP

All my fertility meds have been given to me by OBGYN's and my CD 3 blood work and ultrasounds have been through RE's. Whenever I lose health insurance I go back to the GYN's who throw Clomid and Femara at me so I stop bothering them.

And yes it's true OBGYN's hand out oral fertility drugs like they're candy.

I had some luck with d-chiro-inositol and Vitex in getting periods, but I've never ovulated on those natural supplements. I do ovulate on Clomid and Femara, but still no take home baby so there could be something wrong with my tubes, maybe polyps in my uterus, and a whole host of other issues that make oral meds useless.

At this point I might skip the Fertibella pills and save the HPT's and OPK's for later. Thank you so much.

thebeefamily

DaydreamSam said:

What part of California are you in? I am in Northern Cal and go to California IVF in Sacramento. They have an office in Davis as well. They put me on a diet when I originally started, but still did the HSG and all of the other tests. They have special plans for people who pay OOP, although it is still expensive.

I'm in Sacramento (small world!). Dr. Lovely in Davis is the RE who diagnosed me with PCOS and did my first transvaginal ultrasound.

The center here in Sac told me they're willing to do an IUI on me because they were impressed with my weight loss. Now it's up to me to come up with the money portion and yes it's still expensive going OOP.

The other RE (Dr. Duleba) I saw who said the HSG and IUI wouldn't work on someone my size was practicing from UC Davis OBGYN. He's since left from there, but I remember worked from the Davis center of California IVF sometimes. Not sure if he's still with California IVF though, I hope not.

thebeefamily

DaydreamSam said:

It *is* a small world! I see Dr. Goud, he is very sweet and patient, although a little hard to understand due to his accent. I prefer the Sac office to the Davis office because I live in Grass Valley and it's such a long drive, plus the Sac office is so much nicer. Dr. Duleba is a name I will file in the back of my mind, I don't do douche bags well!

Have you decided if you are going to try the Fertibella? 

Back when I saw Dr. Lovely the Sac office was under construction so I had to drive to Davis. I was so scared we would be late because of all the traffic on I-80. Thank goodness there were no accidents because that freeway bottlenecks fast.

Has Dr. Goud been your only doctor at California IVF? When I go they want me to see Dr. Zenrigue (spelling?) and I don't know what he's like. When you call with questions regarding your cycle does the staff call you back right away? I had issues with my Metformin and it took the Davis office 3 weeks to get back to me.

I'm still on the face about taking the Fertibella especially since my periods seem to be trying to regulate themselves after having to induce with Provera for the last 5 years almost. The kit hasn't arrived yet and hopefully by then I'll make up my mind.

thebeefamily

DaydreamSam said:

Three weeks is insane! I dont think you'll have that problem at the Sac office. I've only seen Dr. Goud. He was new when I started so I was one of his first patients there. To be honest my patient coordinator isn't super friendly but my nurse is awesome. Both of them have always gotten back to me the same day (usually at the very end I the day though). I have found that if I email my patient coordinator she calls back faster than if I call and leave a message. The front office staff is still in training and they are a little slow.

Thanks for the heads up. I don't understand why the Davis office responded so slowly, but maybe they were overwhelmed with patients? Not really much of an excuse though. I guess when the time is right I'll be headed to the Sac office to get the IUI process started after I have the HSG.

Good luck to you!!!

lilmommy21

i bought those pills they gave me a two months supply. all i can say is my periods are regular again because of those pills. but no luck conceiving while being on them. i used my regular bank card and cancled before the trial was up and i never was charged anything else and i never had to send the bottles back and i was good plus i loved the tests i got to keep.

Mendy61989

Im on day 4 it does help with the AF. I have been menstruating for 3 months and finally It's gone! I really pray I get my bfp. I don't think it's a scam, you have to read the small print and understand what free trial means. I'm very satisfied with the price and customer service

VanessaVictory83

Oh no! I hear Depo can really mess up your system.. oh, the things doctors do not tell us! I was on metformin for a time, but all it gave me was headaches. Clomid was even worse - I came down with ovarian hyperstimulation and was sick as a dog. (I have pcos.) On a whim, I ordered the trial of Conceiveeasy... which is not something i would normally do b/c i'm a total skeptic. But I wanted to go the natural route and my Dr okay'ed the ingredients list, so i felt like i had nothing to lose. Other options are sooo expensive. It ended up regulating my cycle in 2 months.. after a year of trying, i was seriously shocked. I figured i'd have to try it for six months and then move onto something else. I suppose it all just depends on your individual reason for infertility.. i would have an ultrasound done to make sure it's nothing structural. Obviously no supplement or natural remedy would help with that! 

VanessaVictory83

omg!!! what kind of supplement did THAT to you????

RCOOPER08

Hi,

I know this is an old thread.. but I did want to throw my two cents in.. I tried it the first time I tried getting pregnant and I went through bottle one and half of bottle two before getting my positive on my pregnancy test. I did have a miscarriage before 3 months earlier but wasn't using Conceive Easy that first time I got pregnant, and it was a very early on miscarriage, only a week along.. so when we decided to try again I decided to try Conceive Easy the second attempt.. As I said, for me it worked.. if anything it just promotes a healthy reproductive system with the ingredients.. I also asked my doctor if it was ok too and she was fine with the ingredients.

The recipe I used to conceive our little guy was:

- Preseed lubricant

- Conceive Easy AKA Fertibella

- Clear Blue Advanced Digital Ovulation Kits 

We are now trying for our second and I'll be going the same route! Just ordered the Conceive Easy again, figured it doesn't hurt and it worked for us the first time!