How Long Did You Wait Before Seeing A Fertility Specialist?

Aiden'sMom

I have been pregnant twice, both times I got pregnant very easily. The first baby was stillborn and the second one was miscarried. My body has not been regular since my second loss in April. We have been trying for quite awhile and I believe I am not ovulating. The doctor wants to wait 1 year past the second loss before trying to regulate my body.

Anyone out there have infertility problems after being pregnant without fertility treatments?

How long did you wait before seeing a fertility specialist?

Thank you for your input.

schoolsoutbride

So sorry for your losses

When TTC#1, I got pg cycle 2 (m/c) and cycle 5 (my son.)  This time I waited 8 months before seeking help.  We had perfect timing each of those 8 months, but the reason I went in was that I had become pretty sure I had endo.  The OB/GYN wanted to treat it with bcp, which obviously wasn't in my plan, so I went to the RE.  We're on cycle #23 now (I think.) I had one more m/c the cycle after my IVF.

jehnm

We waited a year before seeing someone, but we never had a pregnancy. 

I'm so sorry for your losses.  I would actually recommend seeing a fertility specialist now since you have experienced more than one loss.  As a word of hope, I have one friend who experienced 3 miscarriages and then when she got pregnant with treatment, she has just delivered her little girl.   Another friend, actually had 8 miscarriages before she sought treatment and had her son.   I actually wish I'd gone to a specialist sooner!!

I wish you all the best!

footsie

I'm so sorry for your losses.  I have been pregnant twice also and miscarried early on twice.  After my second miscarriage in June my first cycle was normal and then very light to the point that I was not sure it was a period, just brown spotting.  Then I stopped having periods altogether.  My OB told me at that point since I was no ovulating it was an infertility issue and I needed to see an RE.  After the second loss I thought something was wrong with me so we TTA so in total only TTC probably six months. 

I believe that ovulation issues means you need to see a specialist.  I was also diagnosed as secondary infertility even though I obviously have no living children.

I strongly believe the earlier you see someone the better.  It couldn't hurt to ask for a referral.  I actually got a second opinion after I was referred to a specialist because I did not like the treatment plan or bedside manner of my first RE and I'm glad I did because the second RE is the only one who like me, believed that the septum I had removed might possibly still be there and could have contributed to the second miscarriage as well.  He ordered an HSG which revealed it was in fact still there.  My OB and the first RE insisted I did not need this test.  Now my TTC are on hold until I have the surgery to remove the residual septum. 

Long story short if you think something is wrong act on your intuition and keep at it until someone will listen.  In the last year and half I've become saddened to learn that medicine is not a science but an art.  Best of luck to you.  I hope you get some answers soon.
 

 

bridebahama

I am so sorry for your losses. I have had a few m/c and with a fertility doc actually discovered the cause. I would go ahead and book yourself in with someone as they may be able to find out if there is a reason. best of luck.

Dragonfly1226

I am so sorry for your losses.

My fertility troubles started after my first loss. I was able to get pregnant naturally, but after the miscarriage my cycles were all messed up. (I should say that I had complications after my first D&E. I had a horrible infection in my uterus that landed me in the hospital for three days.) At first I only got a very light AF for the first three cycles. I was still seeing the OBGYN for follow ups because of the infection but he said he wasn't worried that I wasn't really getting my period. I was told it could take up to three or four months for my cycles to regulate so I waited.

Once AF started coming with a more regular flow, I started spotting throughout my luteal phase and my LP was short - about 10 days. I just knew something was wrong. After about 6 months of spotting during my LP (9 months after m/c) I went back to the OBGYN who was little help. He said not to worry about the spotting and to just keep trying. I did that for a few more months, but when the spotting didn't get better I went to a different doctor. She did a few tests but said they were inconclusive. She consulted a fertility specialist she has worked with who suggested Clomid. So I did two cycles of Clomid. When those didn't work she referred me to an RE. By that time it had been a year since our m/c but about 10 months TTC since we had to take a break after the m/c. The RE ran a bunch of tests which were all normal. (He doesn't really believe in going after a LPD diagnosis so none of his tests were for this even though that's what the other doctor's tests pointed to.) So he diagnosed me unexplained. By the time all this had happened it had been about a year anyway so I was able to start fertility treatments. (You can see how those have gone in my siggy.)

So I know this is a really long response, but I guess my point is to be your own advocate. One year is a very long time to wait for your cycles to regulate. I assume you have been charting and that's why you think you might not be ovulating. If you suspect that you are not ovulating and you have evidence, there is a very easy blood test they can do to confirm that. There is no reason for you to wait a year for help if you are not ovulating. If you are ovulating, you are really close to the year mark anyway. 

Good luck with everything  

ohiostategal

I am so sorry for your losses.  I started received fertility treatments at six months because after going off bcp in December 2009, I did not have a period after that.  I did rounds of clomid with an OB, but after my m/c I switched to an RE.  It had been around 10 months by that point.  I am so glad that I did not have to wait a year for someone to run the necessary tests on my and dx me with PCOS.  If I had been made to wait I would just be starting treatment now.  If you have been charting or have another reason for thinking you are not ovulating, maybe your OB will give you a referral to an RE now.  Good luck.  

MichelleL1118

I haven't been pg, but I sought out an RE after less than 3 months of TTC.  I had my annual exam with the OB/GYN after we'd tried for 2 months, and I was on CD35 of the 3rd cycle.  Due to very irregular cycles, I've always thought I had some sort of ovulation issue, so I asked the OB/GYN to run some tests.  She did a blood test (just to shut me up) and when she called with the results, she said, "It doesn't look like you're ovulating, but I want you to keep trying until you hit at least the 9-month mark, and if you're not pg by then, I'll start you on Clomid." 

Since my ins. doesn't require a referral, I made an appt with an RE within a few days, and saw her on CD 51 of that 3rd cycle.  I was dx with PCOS/anovulation, and we've now done two Clomid cycles.  If we didn't get lucky this month (unlikely since I don't usually ovulate on my own) or next month w/ Clomid cycle #3, we're going to be doing further testing.

Like others have said, you have to be your own advocate and fight for what you want.

QuiltingBee

I'm so sorry for your losses. 

We waited about 8-9 months, but I had really irregular periods (as in,no period for over 5 months).  I was charting and could tell I was not ovulating.  I also had some breast discharge (TMI, sorry), so I was hoping it would be a simple prolactinoma and I'd take some parlodel and be done with it.  Not so much.  So, we spent some time making sure that my breasts were okay.  No cause for the discharge, but no problems found.  My midwife recommended that I could keep "trying" but that it wouldn't hurt to see an RE sooner as it was obvious that something was up.  Dx with PCOS/anovulation. 

 As others have said, it couldn't hurt to see an RE sooner.  If you are diagnosed with a problem, then the one year rule goes out the window.  I was worried that the RE would think I came in too early, but he felt that it was completely appropriate.  

 

Shelley-Bean

I'm so sorry for your losses.

It depends on different factors.  Age, history, etc.  If you are over 35 - don't wait.  Just go to the RE because fertility declines drastically after 35.  Waiting a year is the standard if you ovulate regularly with no other known problems.  I don't ovulate, and I realized it a few months after I got off OCPs, so I started on Clomid in May (got off OCPs in Feb).  If you have had irregular periods since April, you may want to consider RE.  If you have insurance, check with your insurance carrier.  Some insurances say you have to have unprotected sex for 1 year with no pregnancies, but with your history of a stillborn, that may be the exception. 

Good luck!

Sue&Pasquale

I would say go see one. I am so sorry for your losses.

we started TTC in feb of 2008. we got pregnant right away too. miscarried, I waited one cycle and then had a missed miscarried at almost 12 weeks. that was in June. I couldnt get pregnant after that. feb 2009 I went to see an RE. at that time my insurance considered my pregnancies "success" so I couldnt have any treaments. But I did have them test me for why I miscarried. I scared with my last one. that is why I wasnt getting pregnant. I had a hysterscopy and they put a tube with a camera in the end to see your uterus. they had to break through scarring.

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