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I wonder if those ridiculing suggestion of the TCOYF book have ever read it? It was recommended to me by both my OB-GYN and two reproductive endocrinologists. For heaven's sake, it is not "snake oil".
It is basically an "owners manual" for women about their reproductive system. Sure, we all know the basics but there is much contained in the books that women usually do not learn about their bodies until they are having difficulty trying to conceive. Those who have never charted their basal temps., their cervical mucus, breast tenderness, etc.. are often not aware of certain monthly patterns with their bodies outside of "Aunt Flo". Learning what to look for and when, one does learn these signs and what they mean in regard to ovulation, or the failure to ovulate in a given month.
To the OP, if you drink much caffiene this is something you want to begin scaling back to the point of elimination ASAP while ttc. Caffiene in the diet seems to work against women ttc; but, helps men by giving their little swimmers more motility.
Who says I'm ridiculing it? It's fine to supplement your understanding what's going on in your body. At the same time, it's just that--a supplement to a doctor's informed care. And relying on the advice contained in a book to the detriment of seeing a doctor right away is counterproductive (Excuse the pun).
As somebody who has had to write a ton of information on this very subject, spending a lot of time with some of the world's foremost experts and attending their annual scientific meetings, I can tell you that there's a great deal of misinformation out there from a lot of kooky sources, not to mention a healthy dose of wishful thinking. What's more simply measuring one's basal temperature means waiting a couple of cycles to hand the doctor the empirical data--even if you take the information correctly--when the OP needs help today. After all, there could be any number of factors in a woman's health where basal temperatures have little diagnostic usefulness. For all we know, the husband's sperm count is non-existent.
Again, a healthy couple should, at the outside, conceive after a year of regular sex. Waiting five years for your first doctor's visit could narrow your window of conceiving considerably.
Talk to your doctor. If you've been trying for so long - they can do tests and make sure everything is ok. And then advise you of your options.
Also, I would stop worrying and thinking about it. It will consume you to no end.
I, myself, was on fertility pills with my first Hubby. We never did have kids(thank goodness). I was consumed with having children. We both were tested and everything seemed ok. I just wasn't getting pregnant. Even on the fertility pills, it was no go for us.
Married my second husband and got pregnant right away. I stopped worrying about having children and just let nature take its course. We now have 3 children.
The easiest and cheapest first step would be to chart your cycles and basal body temperature. The "Taking Charge of Your Fertility" book will help you use this info to your advantage.
I was able to conceive my first and second child within two and three months using these guidelines.
The general advice is to consult with a doctor if you are under 30 and have been trying for a year or over 30 and have been trying for six months.
Infertility can be a male problem as well as a female one so it's important for both partners to be checked out. My sister's husband had a problem where half of his sperm were misshapen and unable to penetrate her eggs. They had to isolate the good sperm and use them to create embryos in a laboratory. She conceived twins during her second round of IVF.
My husband and I have been together for 5 years and really want children. So far we have not been able to conceive. I do plan on bringing this up to my doctor. In the mean time I was wondering if anyone else had this problem and what did they do to get pregnant. Are there any at home methods I could try before going on medication? Is there something my husband could do?
Thank you in advance for any helpful answers!
5 years is a long time to go w/o a successful conception.
At the opposite end of the scale would be well....me and my wife. I'd offer to help but I had my...ehem...issues taken care of because apparently I was carrying a very....very....effective weapon if you get my meaning.
You both should probably get checked out by a qualified dr. Kind of surprised you hadn't already done that after you didn't get knocked up in the first year. I would have probably assumed I was shooting blanks at that point and been to have my sperm count looked at.
That "tightie whitie" thing somebody mentioned earlier is still one of the funniest ones I've ever heard and been hearing it for many years. My (at that time) wife had 3 miscarriages before Dr ran some tests and found out she was diabetic. Once her blood sugar was regulated things happened pretty quick after that.
I knew of one couple who tried like crazy and couldn't get pregnant. Doctor told them to have sex just to be having sex. Get your mind off getting pregnant and get your mind on having fun.
That worked 3 times for them.
I'm not a doctor but there are a few things I have heard of. I read somewhere a man needs zinc for good sperm count so have your man eat a lot of carrots and eggs. (both have zinc).
Also, medically, sometimes the doctors will put you on provera to regulate your cycle but you MUST NOT get pregnant while taking it. (dangerous). You have to wait a cycle or two after (I believe) to start trying.
Definitely go to a doctor or fertility specialist so both of you can be tested to maybe find the cause, and then do research on your own into whatever they may find, so you can ask questions and make a more informed decision on where to go from there.
I definitely recommend the TCOYF book as well, especially if you don't want to use medications outright. I was told that I was infertile, and had diagnoses of possible insulin resistance and PCOS a few years after I was married, but did not seek treatment at the time because I could not afford it and later on we were not in a big hurry and were considering fostering and/or adopting instead.
It ended up taking 8 years, but I ended up getting pregnant naturally after losing about 60 pounds, getting more rest, and eating a healthier diet. I know that's rare, but I think it either helped resolve some of the underlying medical problems or just helped my body overall by being in better shape and under less strain. A lot of the books and fertility advice sites will help you do the same thing, which is great even combined with medications and other treatments.
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