Fertility Tests Didn’t Give Me Any Answers
When I began my journey of trying to conceive and was having difficulty, I began to turn to other sources at the request of my midwife. She first suggested a book “Taking Charge Of Your Fertility” by Toni Weschler. This book was helpful because it covered the various topics of reproductive health that weren’t taught, but should have been in school. So I began with charting my temperature manually (these days there are apps for that!). When I exhausted this method, I moved onto the next and then the next and so on. The tests were all inconclusive and left me with an Infertile diagnosis.
Below is a list of some of the tests I endured that didn’t give me any answers. I am telling you this so you are prepared to hear inconclusive results. I am not saying these tests are ineffective or not necessary. What I am saying is these tests do not necessarily determine your outcome.
You Are So Much More Than These Tests Could Ever Begin To Know. If you are looking for another way, I can offer you the various techniques that I tried and eventually found success with.
BBT charting. If you haven't already been doing it, your doctor may recommend that you begin charting your basal body temperature as a way of checking ovulation. However, while BBT charting is a technique that has been used for ages, experts don't believe that it is as accurate as other ovulation tests.
Postcoital test. This test requires that you have intercourse several hours in advance and then visit your doctor to have a sample of cervical mucus taken for microscopic examination. It's a way of testing both the viability of the sperm and their interaction with the cervical mucus.
Transvaginal (pelvic) ultrasound exam. Your doctor might recommend an ultrasound to check the condition of the uterus and ovaries. Often the doctor can determine whether the follicles in the ovaries are working normally. Thus, the ultrasound is often performed 15 days before a woman's expected menstrual period.
Hysterosalpinogram. Your doctor may also suggest a hysterosalpinogram, also known as an HSG or "tubogram." In this procedure, a series of X-rays is taken of your fallopian tubes after a liquid dye has been injected into your uterus through your cervix and vagina. The HSG can help diagnose fallopian tube blockages and defects of the uterus. If one of the tubes is blocked, the obstruction should be apparent on the X-ray since the liquid dye won't get past it. An HSG is usually scheduled between days six and 13 of your cycle.
Hysteroscopy. If a problem is found in the HSG, your doctor might order a hysteroscopy. In this procedure, a thin telescope-like instrument is inserted through the cervix into the uterus to allow the doctor to see and photograph the area to look for problems.
Laparoscopy. After the above tests have been done, your doctor may want to do a laparoscopy. In this, a laparoscope is inserted into the abdomen through a small incision to look for endometriosis, scarring, and other conditions. This procedure is a little more invasive than an HSG and requires that you go under general anesthesia.
Endometrial biopsy. Your doctor may want to take a biopsy of your uterine lining to see if it's normal, so an embryo could implant in it. During an endometrial biopsy, a doctor removes a sample of tissue from the endometrium with a catheter that is inserted into the uterus through the vagina and cervix. The sample is analyzed in the lab. The procedure is somewhat uncomfortable; therefore, a painkiller is given beforehand.
Be Well! Carry On, Goddesses!