So when we stopped using birth control last March because it was making me crazy with mood swings, we figured we had a decent chance of an "oopsie baby" before our September wedding, though we tried to avoid my most fertile time (as dictated by a downloaded period tracking app - which I've since learned is nonsense, but is oddly accurate for my clockwork cycles). We even had a pregnancy scare in July when I thought my period was late, which turned out that I was simply completely unaware that my cycles could go from 28 days one month to 31 days the next and still be totally normal.
When we decided to actively start trying on our honeymoon, we were sure it would happen right away. I research everything extensively by nature (a blessing and a curse) so I knew that we had about a 20% chance of getting pregnant each cycle, with 60% of people being pregnant by the end of 6 months. So when 6 months came and went, I started getting a little nervous, but still... of those who hadn't gotten pregnant yet, about 50% of them would get pregnant in the following 6 months. Surely we'd be one of those! We're healthy and young - both under 30 years old, active, we eat healthy, my cycles are clockwork. He's a Marine, for gosh sakes! Aren't they incredibly fertile?
Well, those 6 months have come and gone. We're staring down a week before our first anniversary and no pregnancy. Several friends have gotten pregnant and given birth, or are just about to, since we started trying. I've had 12 cycles of actively trying to get pregnant, with no luck.
I started getting nervous around cycle 9. My husband was convinced it was just bad luck. He did acquiesce to fertility testing during our 12th cycle, especially as we had had 5 unprotected cycles prior to actually starting to aim for good timing.
My testing all came back normal - they took blood work on Day 3 of my cycle (Day 1 - also called Cycle Day 1, abbreviated as CD 1 - is the first day of a period). They use that blood work to test several hormones which indicate if my body is responding normally to ovulation. All normal. They also do a transvaginal ultrasound at that time - yep, a dildo-cam. I had 15 antral follicles - a fancy term for the eggs that have started to form. Every cycle, a bunch of follicles start to form, and then a few become dominant and grow bigger while the rest die off. Then one (or sometimes two) reach full maturity, and your body lets off a surge of LH (a hormone responsible for triggering ovulation) and your body releases the egg. That's called ovulation. They would like to see 8-16 antral follicles, so my number was good. I don't know exact numbers, but all my blood work was in the normal range.
In addition, they do a test between CD 7-12 (I did it on CD 7) called an HSG. This is when they insert a catheter into the uterus, fill it with dye, and see via ultrasound if it drips out the ends of the fallopian tubes. They can see the shape of the uterus, if there's any blockages in the tubes, and often clear the tube of a slight blockage. Everything appeared normal for me. I was petrified of this test, as I had heard it was very painful, but it was no worse than a normal pap smear - not something I'd volunteer for, but certainly not worth all the nerves I had leading up to it!
My husband had an easier test compared to the multiple visits, blood tests, dildo-cam, and pumping dye into my uterus - he just had to jerk off into a cup. They test to see the semen volume per milliliter (count), the movement of the sperm (motility), and the number of sperm that are shaped normally (morphology). They're also supposed to test to see the pH level and if there are antibodies present that could indicate an infection or an immune response that kills off his own sperm. His test came back not great - they like to see >20 million for count, and his was 56.4 million. Not bad, but not rock star quality. For motility, they like to see 50% forward moving, and his were at 25%. Not good, but since he's got a normal count, it's not terrible. Then he's got only 4% normal shaped sperm - under strict guidelines, they like to see 4% at a minimum, so technically he's normal. And experts debate the importance of morphology in fertility at all. But it's not good, especially when combined with the sub-par motility. I don't know the pH or the antibodies, but at this point, there's enough reason to focus on improving what we're working with, especially before we invest more money and time and heartache into fertility treatments.
So this is what it has come to...
While my husband finishes up 6 months of intense military training, we will be putting further medical treatment on hold. It's too hard to schedule (read: impossible) and now that we know the issue is likely my husband's swimmers, we'd like a chance to improve them naturally. We weren't exactly surprised by the results - he's working out in extreme heat at least 5 days a week, he's under extreme stress, he isn't eating well, he's been sick, he's drinking frequently, he's exercising excessively. All things that can result in lower count. And I likewise have been stressed (4 moves in 12 months isn't exactly easy, as well as getting married, finding a job each place we move, and keeping a positive outlook during the frustrations of trying - and failing - to get pregnant month after month).
So we'll be self-medicating until February. Did I mention that I research things to death? Well, I do! I unleashed my powers on clinical research trials related to vitamins to improve fertility. I cross-referenced my information with my sister-in-law, who is a pharmacist, to make sure we weren't risking bodily harm from any of these supplements taken together, and my brother's girlfriend, who has extensive experience with homeopathic treatments and works as a medical assistant at an osteopathic center that likes homeopathic remedies.
Our recipe for the next 6 months:
Me:
- Every day:
- NatureMade Prenatal Multi +DHA
- Baby aspirin
- CoQ10 (ubiquinol - 200 mg)
- Royal jelly (500 mg)
- Pre-ovulation:
- Evening Primrose Oil
My Husband:
- Every day:
- Equate Complete Multivitamin
- Daily Wellness Fertility Blend for Men (2 capsules)
- CoQ10 (ubiquinol - 200 mg)
- Centrum ProNutrients Omega 3 (EPA/DHA Supplement)
- L-Arginine (1000 mg)
So the plan is to do that, try to cut back on alcohol, I'm focusing on exercising a minimum of 4x per week, and if we're not pregnant by February, go back and see the Reproductive Endocrinologist about having my husband's sperm analysis repeated to see if the numbers are better, and testing for hostile cervical mucus.
Fingers crossed this handful of pills every day is all that we need! I feel like an old lady with her pill box, but I'm excited to see if it works!
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