When my husband and I began trying to conceive, it was April of 2014. I never expected to have a problem with fertility. I was from a large family and two of my siblings who had already had kids got pregnant very quickly. I still remember my sister saying to me after my wedding: “Don’t even think about getting pregnant or it will happen!”
There was no indication there would be a problem. I had always had a regular cycle and was pretty aware of the signs that indicated ovulation. Ten months into trying I was fairly certain something was wrong, and the grief I experienced as the 12-month mark passed was deep.
I felt I was falling down a deep well and there was no way out. Contemplating the possibility of never having children was terrifying. Some days I would get home from work and go into the bathroom and kick and scream and yell and cry before my husband got home from work.
From time to time it occurred to me that I was acting very much like a toddler throwing a tantrum. What right had I to demand a child after all? It was a gift, not a right. It was a blessing, not a give-in.
And yet I couldn’t help but feel slighted and looked over when I went to church and saw happy families with many children, or pregnant women waddling through the grocery store rubbing their stomachs. Why is she able to conceive and not me? Why am I cursed with infertility and yet so many other people get what they want?
I did some initial tests with my gynecologist, but after a few months getting nowhere, I decided to go ahead and book an appointment with a reproductive endocrinologist at a fertility clinic nearby.
By the time we finally met with the reproductive specialist, it was September of 2015 and we had been trying for almost a year and a half. I was eager to get some answers.
They did their standard battery of tests for both me and my husband. I was excited to finally get answers, but also nervous about what they might find. So it was actually with some disappointment when they came back and told us they didn’t have a diagnosis for us. We fell under the category of idiopathic, or unexplained infertility.
This was an extremely frustrating diagnosis to receive. Especially for someone like me who loved to research and get to the bottom of things.
Low AMH
Although they didn’t have a definitive answer as to why we couldn’t get pregnant, there was one abnormal test result. My AMH levels (Anti-Mullerian Hormone) were very low.
AMH is a hormone secreted by the ovarian follicles, and is a predictor of the quantity of eggs available. The hormone level decreases in age as one’s ovarian reserve dwindles.
I had levels of 0.32. For context, someone my age should have levels between 2.1 and 6.8.
I was 31 and have the ovarian reserve of someone over 40.
IUI for Unexplained Infertility
Due to the low AMH, the doctors convinced me it would be a good idea for me to start fertility treatments right away, as my tests seemed to indicate I may not have a lot of time to get pregnant. And so we began our IUI journey.
Statistically, the chances of getting pregnant with IUI and unexplained fertility are about 8% each cycle, with 80-90% of the successes happening in the first three tries. (source: https://www.cnyfertility.com/iui-success-rates/) .
If an 8% chance of conceiving per cycle doesn’t seem very high, it’s because it’s not. A typical, healthy 30-year-old has a 20% chance of conceiving every month. (source: https://www.asrm.org/resources/patient-resources/google-adwords-landing-pages/waiting-to-have-a-baby/)
However, we felt like we didn’t have a lot of options and time was of the essence. We jumped in.
The IUI involved me taking shots to stimulate my ovaries, as well as a trigger shot to stimulate ovulation and progesterone after the procedure.
The procedure itself was uncomfortable and awkward, but bearable. The nurses were very kind and helpful and really make you believe you will get pregnant. So it was with great disappointment that we discovered our first IUI had failed.
We knew it may take more than one try so we went ahead and geared up for our second, which also failed. Then our third. Failed again.
My insurance covered six rounds of IUI, but it didn’t cover the drugs, so we ended up spending about $2,000 out of pocket for the medication.
We knew IUI was most likely to work in the first three tries, but we had enough drugs leftover for one more so we decided to give it a go. Sadly, our fourth and final IUI also failed.
An IUI / IVF Alternative
We decided to meet with our doctor one more time before we did anything else. At this point I was extremely frustrated with the entire process.
He said he thought we had made the right decisions so far, but he thought we would have more success with IVF.
Our insurance did not cover IVF, and I knew IVF would cost thousands more than what we already spent, with no guarantee it would work. I just couldn’t imagine paying all that money for a procedure that wasn’t guaranteed to work, when our doctor didn’t even know why we couldn’t get pregnant in the first place. We decided to part ways.
Now I know IVF can be a great solution for some people and I personally know several people who have had success with it. I just know it wasn’t right for me, and I’m glad I listened to my gut instinct.
At this point, it was March of 2016 and we’d been trying for nearly two years. My husband and I took a break for the summer. I thought maybe I’d magically get pregnant while on break, but that didn’t happen.
One night while I was up with insomnia, I began googling my symptoms again, wondering if there was some doctor out there who could help me.
Although neither my gynecologist or the reproductive endocrinologist seemed to care, I couldn’t help thinking there was something wrong with my cycle. I had terrible PMS, insomnia, and cramps. I figured even if I couldn’t get pregnant, maybe I could at least find someone who could help with those other symptoms and make my life more enjoyable.
I found a doctor’s website who was located near us who claimed she could help with PMS, period problems and infertility with a specialized treatment plan personalized to you. As I read through the website I marveled at how long it had taken me to find them. It seemed like everything I was looking for, so I booked an appointment as soon as I could.
NaproTECHNOLOGY
I had never heard of NaproTECHNOLOGY before, but wish I knew about it sooner.
NaproTechnology stands for Natural Procreative Technology. NaproTechnology is a holistic method of fertility care and infertility treatment that works cooperatively with a women’s natural cycle. A Napro trained doctor will closely monitor your symptoms, order tests to get a diagnosis, and then offer treatments.
A Napro doctor is trained on how to read Creighton charts. This is a charting symptom the patient completes by tracking their cervical mucus. Close observation of cervical mucus can help you pinpoint ovulation, but it can also give indications of any underlying health problems that could be interfering with conception.
NaproTechnology is different than IVF in many ways. One significant difference is this method is more time-consuming. Our doctor told us to commit to the program for at least two years.
Finally: A Diagnosis
The process with our new doctor did take time, but every month I felt like we were making progress and my health was improving. Our doctor did a very detailed hormone panel, something they didn’t do at the fertility clinic. This involved getting blood drawn five times over the course of ten days in order to see how my progesterone and estrogen behave during the luteal phase (12-14 days after ovulation).
Through this process, it was revealed I had low progesterone. I was prescribed progesterone supplements and was amazed by how quickly they worked. It turned out my PMS and insomnia had been caused by low progesterone. I was suddenly sleeping better than I had in years. I couldn’t believe there was something that actually worked!
After a few more months of charting and testing, my doctor wanted me to undergo surgery to remove a uterine polyp she thought might be interfering with me getting pregnant. At the same time the polyp was removed they would do a biopsy of my uterine lining to rule out any other issues.
I was happy to have the polyp removed, and shocked to find my biopsy came back with a diagnosis. A condition called endometritis.
Endometritis is an inflammatory condition of the uterus that can be caused by an infection. The solution was a simple course of antibiotics. My doctor recommended a strong probiotic to go along with it.
I finally had an answer, and I was relieved, but also still filled with doubt. I had a hard time believing the solution could be so simple. When I returned for the post-surgery biopsy it showed that the endometritis had cleared up, yet I was still not pregnant. Hope started to wane, and then…
Unexplained Infertility: Success Story
The day after Thanksgiving in 2017, six months after the surgery, I finally got my first positive pregnancy test.
We were thrilled to welcome our baby boy to the world in July 2018.
We had been trying for a total of three and a half years. I am convinced that our son would not be here without the help of our doctor, and I’m so grateful I sought out her help.
I know depending on where you are in your fertility journey, hearing of someone else’s success can sometimes be painful, not encouraging. That’s ok too! I want to let you know I’ve been there, and things will get better.
If you’re facing a similar situation with an unexplained infertility diagnosis, I encourage you to not give up. If you want a diagnosis, keep seeking until you find one. I highly recommend finding a NaproTECHNOLOGY doctor. You can read a more thorough review of our experience with Napro here.
Part two of our story:
Part three of our story:
My Ectopic Pregnancy Experience
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