TTC for two years...

Hi Ladies. Just thought I'd update too to hopefully give others some encouraging news - I continued treatment (ovulation induction) with Dr Munira for a few more cycles after my last update & I'm now 22 weeks pregnant. I can really recommend her if you aren't sure whether you need to have IVF but still want to see a proper fertility specialist. Also her nurse, Lourdes, is lovely! Good look to all those still trying xx Hi. Hannah33. Many congratulations. r u talking about Dr. Munira in Conceive fertility center? i am a patient of Dr. Punkaj there and due for ovulation treatment starting in a week hopefully. Really need some support. we are doing ICSI treatment becasue of male factor. and i have also little cyst in my overies. but i really hope everything will b ok. Is there anyone from ras al khaimah there.

Hi che731! I also got pregnant on my first IVF with Enjab Hospital in Sharjah, Got implanted with 4 embryos and 2 stuck. I also got pregnant with twin boys. Everything went well and gave birth on my 36th week , one is weighing 2.08 kg and other is 2.21 kg, they are both well now on their 7 weeks and gained so much weight as well. I remember we were in the same thread with that IVF thing, glad to know that you had also twin boys and sad that one was not able to make it. Yes, I remember seeing you on that thread as well and I am so happy all went well for you and for the babies! Glad that they are doing well. I can only imagine you juggling 2 babies, twice as hard and twice as joyful I presume!

Hi Ladies. Just thought I'd update too to hopefully give others some encouraging news - I continued treatment (ovulation induction) with Dr Munira for a few more cycles after my last update & I'm now 22 weeks pregnant. I can really recommend her if you aren't sure whether you need to have IVF but still want to see a proper fertility specialist. Also her nurse, Lourdes, is lovely! Good look to all those still trying xx

Hi che731! I also got pregnant on my first IVF with Enjab Hospital in Sharjah, Got implanted with 4 embryos and 2 stuck. I also got pregnant with twin boys. Everything went well and gave birth on my 36th week , one is weighing 2.08 kg and other is 2.21 kg, they are both well now on their 7 weeks and gained so much weight as well. I remember we were in the same thread with that IVF thing, glad to know that you had also twin boys and sad that one was not able to make it.

Hello everyone, I forgot I was on this thread. Just an update. Got pregnant on my first IVF with New Hope. Got implanted with 2 embyos and 2 stuck. I was pregnant with twin boys. All was well until 26th week. On the 27th week, it was found that one baby had no heartbeat. I was devastated. Still am. But other baby was doing well. Days after we found out we were scrambling on what to do. After tons of test and UTZ from different hospitals, clinics and doctors, it was established that they have separate sacs and placenta, I can carry the other baby til term or at least 34 weeks. Baby came at 34 weeks 4 days. He is now a healthy 2 month old. I do not know how to end this. I am happy and sad at the same time. I hope everyone is doing well with their TTC. Best of Luck!

Hi Dallydoo So lovely to hear about ur lil princess and thx for sharing all ur advice! I am also booked to see dr Mohmd. Does he do the scans himself and the procedure? Haven't had a male gynae before so just wondering how u found it all. I look forward to hearing any updates from u ladies xx

Hi Tess123, Sorry to hear you are going through this. I understand how hard it can be. Our LO was born at the end of 2012 and she is just amazing, thanks. Hang in there and get a 2nd, 3rd, 4th opinion if you are not happy with your doctor. I am so glad we did - just sorry we left it so long. Like I said before, I cannot recommend Dr. Mohd enough but it really is a personal choice. Good luck ladies and stay strong. You WILL all get your BFP's! Its the waiting thats the hardest part! x

Hi Hannah Thanks for your reply. So sorry to hear about ur MC must have been heart wrenching after all you have been thru :( Yes, I was zollied up for 6 mths, I hear u was a horrible experience. Also had endo cysts removed along with adhesions that were binding everything together. It's just scary to think how soon this can reform to be honest. On a positive note your dr does seem lovely and very thorough which is what we need....glad u are in good hands. I will def fix an appt with her and let u knw progress. Are u currently on clomid cycles or using another drug if u don't mind my asking? I've done 2 clomid cycles and not responded too well to this....wonder if there's an alternative.

Hi Tess123, welcome! I'm still TTC'ing, and still seeing Dr Munira - I see her at Dubai Mall clinic as it's much more convenient for me than Sharjah. We aren't having IVF / IUI yet so we can do all the treatment at Dubai Mall clinic. At the moment I'm having ovulation induction treatment with ultrasound monitoring and then "doing the deed" on the days the Dr tells me! We'll give that a few more cycles and then see, we have had some success with it but unfortunately ended in early MC. Your history sounds similar to mine - I also had a lap and was found to have a huge endo cyst, which was removed, and then was put on meds to put me in temporary menopause for 6 months, which I hated! Although my cycles started up again fine & I was ovulating, seems like actually one ovary may have been damaged by the lap and my eggs may not be very good quality. So just waiting to see how our next few cycles of treatment go and then we might move onto IUI or IVF I guess. Anyway I hope you have some luck soon - it's such a stressful process xx

Hello ladies, Hope you are all doing well, I'm new to EW and this thread struck a chord (or 2 / or 3!!) with me! DallyDoo, pls update us with your news with your newborn would love to hear. Homesick, DubaiCat, Hannah & Che731 how are you getting on? My story is also similar, TTC just over 2 years now - after the first yr had a lap that diagnosed pretty extensive endo, so bad I had to be 'shut down' for a few months for a follow up op, after that was told should be ok and to try naturally for 6 mths. Well I'm coming on to the 6 mth mark now and no good news. Trying to stay positive but easier said....it hasn't been a walk in the park but I have a feeling the worst of it's yet to come!! I'm also looking for some IVF advice, just reached 35 and don't particularly want to waste more time. During the lap they tested tubes and only one is ok. Hubby's sperm are good to go. Hannah, how are you finding advice with ur new Dr at Conceive and is a big trek to Sharjah? Have to say agree with sakn, if it's going to happen naturally, a year should do it or I'd do every check up available!!! I was very hesistant to go down the surgery route, but with the pain I was experiencing I had no choice. A friend of mine also had a lap and within 6 mths fell pg (on monitored clomid), seemed it was a small issue causing a bit of obstruction... Homesick & Che731, I hope this helps and if the test was inconclusive, the only definite check is the lap. Wish you all well and look forward to your updates!!

Hi DubaiCat - Bought myself a thermometer and signed up to Fertility Friend today. It's good to feel I'm doing something positive. Fingers crossed it helps! At least it will be useful information to show to the doctor, if nothing else! :-) Good for you! I'm so sorry I didn't see this before, I barely get time to check EW on my phone these days, never mind get onto the computer so I can type a response! I hope your charting is going well. sakn, with all due respect, that simply isn't true. I conceived naturally after four years of no contraception and I have friends with similar stories. Not everybody with sub-fertility issues will need treatment and not everybody who doesn't conceive within a year has issues.

Hi everyone, Just wanted to drop a piece of advise.I tried for 6 years naturally.If it happens,it take place in one year.After that go for a treatment.Better you go for a serious treatment./Fertility decreases with increasing age n stress that is obvious when you ttc. I would strongly recommend Dr.Pankaj at conceive center Sharjah.Dr.Fakih may be very good too.But i couldn't afford him.But i had positive experience with Dr.Pankaj.n recommended alot others. Wish you all all the very best of luck.Feel free to ask if you have any queries.

Hi Dallydoo FX for your positive very soon. Just wanted to say I am on same both as you been traying for 2 years wothout success, after 4 rounds of clomid taking my temperature and using ovulation test I did and HSG exam 2 weeks ago I found out both of my tubes were closed, Dr. managed to get one open and say I should be able to get pregnat with only one tube open I am decided to go for IVF since will take me longer with only one tube I already booked an apointement at Dr. Fahik clinic have read lots of positive replies on this Dr. so if nothing happens till the end of April I will go for it.

Hi HS, I would strongly recommend buying the Clearblue Fertility Monitor. I found it excellent and reassuring to see that I was actually ovulating every month. You cannot get the sticks here but you can buy them online and have them delivered here. Please shout if I can help or answer any further questions!

I found the HSG unbelievably painful too - it was a hop off the bed yelling kind of thing for me :(. But to say she could see one clear tube doesn't sound too confidence-inspiring! Either the dye went through or it didn't! I'm so sorry you're having to put up with all of this :(. Did you try charting yet? I'm typing on my phone after a few wines but drop me an email on harpersdxb at gmail dot com and I can talk you through that if it's something you want to try. And I can recommend my doctor, Dr Elsa, and also Dr Sant who was very helpful with a friend of mine who was ttc for many years.

Hi H1978. Do you chart temperatures to confirm ovulation? DS took us four years from when I stopped taking the pill, and it was only when I started charting I really felt like I was as 'in control' of the situation as I could possibly be. When I was looking into possible reasons why it wasn't working for us, I read that unless you're actually not ovulating, Clomid doesn't usually make any difference (and a doctor at home in the UK told me many doctors hand it out like sweeties just to make patients think they're 'trying' something!). Charting your temperatures will help you see whether you're ovulating and whether you may have any issues with other aspects of your cycle, such as a too-short luteal phase. You can also have a hysterosalpingiogram to check your Fallopian tubes are clear. There's a great book you can read; Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler. I did have a copy but sadly I lent it to a fellow EWer and - a couple of years on - I have yet to get it back. I got it in Borders at MOE but apparently you can also get it in Kinokuniya at Dubai Mall. You can also get a membership at www.fertilityfriend.com, where you can track your cycles using charting. It's a great resource and very user-friendly. Good luck, and fire away with any more questions. I know it's the most frustrating situation :(.

Che731 - interestingly the gynae I was seeing previously who I was disappointed in was also a "Dr N" - wonder if it was the same one! Hello Hanna33, I am residing in RAK (Ras Al Khaimah) so I am doubtful it will be the same doctor. :) Best of luck to your baby quest!

Hi Homesick, The Dr I am seeing now is Dr Munira who works out of Dubai Mall Medical Centre and she also works at Conceive in Sharjah (one of the fertility centres Dallydoo mentioned below). I really like her - she explains what all my test results mean, what she thinks the problem is and what the different treatment options are. I went to her after reading about her on some of the IVF threads on this board and it suits me because DH and I aren't totally sure if we're ready to go for IVF so didn't want to go straight to one of the IVF-type clinics, but the good thing is I know she can take us through that if it turns out that's what we need through her work with Conceive. Che731 - interestingly the gynae I was seeing previously who I was disappointed in was also a "Dr N" - wonder if it was the same one!

Hi Homesick, I just want to share my story to you as well. We had been TTC for 3 years and went through the same course as you. My first doctor, Dr. N, initially asked for some lab test, SA, etc. Results went back okay and I was started on clomid, etc. Every time, she tells me I'm ovulating "beautifully" and I will get pregnant this month. So whenever AF come, I am a basket case. Between treatments, she did an HSG (this was done in her clinic with just the ultrasound) and told me both tubes are patent. The treatment continued for 6 months. Then she went on vacation and I went on my annual leave, so I stopped for 6 months. I came back to Dr. N for another 5 rounds of (almost) the same treatment and still nothing happened. At my friends egging, I decided to go to another Doctor, Dr. A. After 2 treatments and BFNs, she asked me to go for diagnostic HSG (this involves an x-ray of the tubes while the dye is injected). It was found out that both of my tubes were blocked. I was devastated even though this was my suspicion all along. The next step is IVF. The reason I stayed so long with Dr. N is because she keeps reassuring me that there is nothing wrong and that [i'>"You will get pregnant this month!"[/i'> I guess I was scared of finding a new doctor that will tell me that THERE IS something wrong. But after months of emotional roller coaster, I got fed up. I was glad I sought another opinion and take an appropriate step for resolution. Dallydoo is correct, do your research and if time and resources will allow, visit several doctors before making your decision. Peace of mind is a valuable commodity for us that are going through this. You are so brave to ask and hopefully you will have your answer soon. All the best! :)

Hi Homesick, Apologies but I havent been online all weekend. If you run a couple of searches here, you will find mixed reviews on all of the fertility specialists. It really is a personal choice as to who you feel comfortable with. The general consensus is to make an appointment with a few different doctors to get a few different opinions and then, if you do decide to go down the fertility route, then at that stage you will know who you are most comfortable with. There are 3 main clinics here which have been here for some time - DGFC (Healthcare City), Concieve (Sharjah) and Dr. Fakih (Jumeirah). There are also a couple of newer clinics which have opened up very recently here but I havent heard much about them - maybe someone else on the forum could help you with that. We decided to see a couple of different Drs in the beginning just to see what their opinion on our situation was and if they considered fertility treatment necessary for our case. The first clinic I managed to get an appointment with was DGFC, Dr. Mohammad. I had done some research on here with regards to this Dr - it can sometimes be very difficult to get through to this clinic initially to make the appointment but I fortunately got through straight away; some ladies liked Dr. Mohd, some felt rushed by him, some felt him to blunt but we decided to go with an open mind. I had also planned to meet with Dr. Fakih. The first day I met with Dr. Mohd, I liked him immediately. He was very 'to the point', direct and immediately suggested further tests to clarify what would be the best route to take. I was in a situation where I was sick of waiting so I very much appreciated his direct approach - not for everyone perhaps but it was exactly what I needed at the time. I then cancelled the appointment with Dr. Fakih and decided, as I was so comfortable with Dr. Mohd, to go ahead with him. It was then that we realised that my husband's results were low (when we had been assured by the previous Obgyn that his results were very good up to this point). Dr. Mohd recommended going down the IVF route, which we did and after 1.5 cycles, we got our positive result. Throughout both cycles, there were times where decisions had to be made - I trusted him implicitly when asking for advice and he always seemed to be genuine in his responses. We consider ourselves extremely lucky. At the same time, we are very happy that we decided to go for another opinion rather than trusting the information that was provided to us by the 2 previous Drs at the time. Different clinics charge different rates and it depends very much on the amount of medication required for your cycle should you go for IVF. Concieve seems to charge less than the other 2 clinics, then DGFC, then Dr. Fakih who is apparently the most expensive of the 3. Our 1st cycle, had we completed it (we only did half a cycle due to hormone issues) would have cost us 28k. The 2nd full cycle cost in the region of 24k, all inclusive but again, like I mentioned, this depends on the amount of medication you need throughout. I would highly recommend meeting with a couple of these Drs Homesick even if just for peace of mind. It also made me feel like I was taking control of the situation and doing something about it rather than just waiting month after month. It gave me a very positive feeling and as you can imagine, we were and still are so so please that we decided to take that route. If you have any other questions, please feel free to get in touch. Otherwise, if you want to email me, feel free to put up your details and I will get in touch. Its a tough road but you will get there in the end. The waiting bit is the hardest part! Good luck and as I said, feel free to ask, ask, ask! x

Hi Homesick, I have been TTCIng for a few years now too and would also recommend getting a second opinion if you have doubts about the treatment you're getting, but would make sure that the dr you see for a second opinion is a fertility specialist. My regular gynae is very very good for ordinary gynae-type things, I have felt a bit let down by her in relation to my TTC issues. I know I ovulate from using ovulation tests and temp charting but we were having no luck. I raised this a few times and was told not to worry, I was still young etc (this was when I was 31). That's not much consolation when you've been trying for AGES! In the end I insisted on having fertility tests done. I've had a pretty full set of tests done and she told me everything was fine with me, nothing to worry about etc. DH had his test done and we were told he had a low count. Anyway, long story short, I recently got copies of all the test results sent to me and very plainly written on my AMH test result is "low fertility". I then did a bit of internet research and found that my FSH test also shows low fertility. I took all the tests off to another dr and was told I have the problems and DH's test result is a little low but still in the normal range. So basically the complete opposite of what we were told by my first dr! It's so difficult going through TTCing, so heartbreaking when yet another month goes by and especially if you have nagging doubts about whether there might be a medical issue you don't know about. I would echo what Dallydoo has said and question everything, make sure you receive copies of all your test results and ask your dr to explain what they mean. I think often drs who aren't fertility specialists hold off doing the full range of tests because they think it might add to the stress, but for me I found it more stressful not having tests and wondering if I should be having them! Good luck with everything xxx

Hi Homesick, I was about to log off and I saw your post and had to reply. I was in a similar situation to you and it really is very frustrating and upsetting to have to deal with such a situation. Its not something I had even considered would happen to me so when we got married, I just presumed it would 'happen' without any issues. It got more and more frustrating the more the months passed and AF reared her ugly head! I was with a Dr that had a good reputation in the UAE who, even after 1 year of TTC and with no result, still refused to do any tests on me as "I had lots of time"! This was obviously not what I wanted to hear so I changed my Dr. I then started to see another Dr who prescribed tests for both myself and my husband immediately. I came out with extremely elevated prolactin levels which needed to be treated immediately and my husbands sperm results were "excellent"! I went to see an Endo who carried out all tests possible, MRI etc to confirm there was no tumour and I was then treated for high prolactin. The medication he put me on was supposed to take immediate effect. Funnily enough I fell pregnant 2 months later which unfortunately ended in early MC. My Dr assured me that it would happen again immediately as apparently you are at your most fertile straight after MC and several months later, nothing had happened. At this stage, we were both clueless so I suggested we go to see a fertility specialist just to be 100% sure that nothing was worng - couldnt hurt to get a 2nd opinion in my head! We went to see a fertility specialist who carried out further tests including tests on my husband. When the specialist suggested this, I informed him that there was no need, that my husbands results were "excellent". It turned out, my previous Dr had only carried out the basic tests (although she had told me that all tests had been performed) and that his results were actually quite poor! We were referred for fertility treatment and our baby is due before the end of this year - we are very excited! All of that long drawn out story to say - go for a 2nd opinion.... and even a 3rd if you wish! If we had waited, we would still be on the rollercoaster of TTC and would have known no better. Question everything until you get to the bottom of it! Im not saying that you may need fertility treatment but it cannot hurt to go see a specialist.... even if its just for peace of mind. Perhaps other people may not be of the same opinion but personally, I am kicking myself that we did not go to see a specialist beforehand.... we were too trusting of the Dr I was seeing at the time and believed everything she had told us! The very best of luck with what you decide - if you have any other questions, please feel free to ask. You will find a lot of threads on this forum on similar topics so run some searches but also feel free to ask! Wishing you all the very best x