Aa
What age is too young?
Im 33 have been having trouble getting pregnant for years, but "fertility specialists" aren't covered under my stupid insurance so I havent seen anyone other than my general practice doctor for a checkup that my co-pay covers - she referred me to a fertility specialist that I cannot afford right now... but before I go without for several months and save up several thousand hard earned dollars, I wanted to know if 33 is too young to be having fertility problems?
My 24 year old sister in law said I likely have problems since Im already over 30 and a heavy smoker, but I dont know how reliable her experience is since she's completely paranoid about herself being infertile - even though she's only been off BC and trying to get pregnant for 3 months.
Are there any AFFORDABLE fertility tests that I may be able to request that I might be able to get at a normal womans health clinic or that could be covered under a bare bones insurance plan?
My 24 year old sister in law said I likely have problems since Im already over 30 and a heavy smoker, but I dont know how reliable her experience is since she's completely paranoid about herself being infertile - even though she's only been off BC and trying to get pregnant for 3 months.
Are there any AFFORDABLE fertility tests that I may be able to request that I might be able to get at a normal womans health clinic or that could be covered under a bare bones insurance plan?
Good luck! I know the frustration of timing with work travel. I have had the same situation, because my hubby and I both travel regularly for work. At least if you pinpoint ovulation, you can make sure to catch the right nights during the months when it is possible. A great book that describes temp charting and interpreting what the charts mean is called Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler.
That is very helpful advice. So you more or less would suggest that I start taking my basal temperature and keeping records of this for 3 months, as well as taking those ovulation tests so that I will have a better idea of when it was - that makes sense - I had always thought Id been able to tell when Im ovulating, just by the types of cramps and such, but maybe I've just been wrong, or perhaps just misreading it.
The thing thats been hard about timing the intercourse is that my current husband can sometime have an erratic work/travel schedule and frequently has to travel out of town for a day or two at a time for his job, often with little notice - so it almost seems like murphys law that every other month he would have to go out of town right before I thought I might be ovulating, or right in the middle of when I thought it might be. Dont know what could be a fix that, even if I did know my temperature charts or horomone levels.
The thing thats been hard about timing the intercourse is that my current husband can sometime have an erratic work/travel schedule and frequently has to travel out of town for a day or two at a time for his job, often with little notice - so it almost seems like murphys law that every other month he would have to go out of town right before I thought I might be ovulating, or right in the middle of when I thought it might be. Dont know what could be a fix that, even if I did know my temperature charts or horomone levels.
There are lots of reasons for infertility that have nothing to do with age. But it is also true that fertility decreases with age so the older you are, the more age can become an issue.
There should be some basic blood tests tests that your regular doctor can order to test your hormone levels. The first step is usually to make sure you are ovulating and that your hormone levels are not out of whack. Sometimes if they don't put down that it is for fertility issues it might be covered. If those come back normal then often the next step before doing more expensive tests on you would be to rule out male issues. That can be done with a sperm test that is not too expensive. If all of those come back normal, the next step is usually to do an hsg. That's the xray test to see if your tubes are blocked, and that one costs more. I think mine was around $600.
You might know these things already, but here are some things I learned after ttc for a while. If you are not already charting your basal body temperature, that is a good place to start. The thermometer only costs about $10 at the drugstore. Usually when you go to a fertility specialist they tell you to chart your temps for 3 months and then come back, so you save yourself from an extra appointment (and save some $$) by charting in advance. Temp charts can also help you make sure that you are ovulating, and that you have been timing intercourse correctly. When I first started ttc, my gp told me there is no need to chart temps - she had 5 kids and I guess she never needed to! That was bad advice, I wish I had started charting sooner, because I figured out a lot of things about my cycle and also that I was not ovulating when I had thought I was.
Timing intercourse can also be a big issue. Although sperm can live up to 5 days, my RE told me that you shouldn't count on them living more than 24 hours. That was news to me. He said to use an ovulation predictor kit - you can buy them at the drugstore, usually on the shelf near the pregnancy tests. It will be positive 1-2 days before you ovulate. My RE said you should have sex on the day that you get a positive surge, and then every day for the next 3 days. Also, be careful about lubricants, because many of them kill sperm. Saliva is also bad, so you should avoid oral on the days around ovulation.
Good luck!
There should be some basic blood tests tests that your regular doctor can order to test your hormone levels. The first step is usually to make sure you are ovulating and that your hormone levels are not out of whack. Sometimes if they don't put down that it is for fertility issues it might be covered. If those come back normal then often the next step before doing more expensive tests on you would be to rule out male issues. That can be done with a sperm test that is not too expensive. If all of those come back normal, the next step is usually to do an hsg. That's the xray test to see if your tubes are blocked, and that one costs more. I think mine was around $600.
You might know these things already, but here are some things I learned after ttc for a while. If you are not already charting your basal body temperature, that is a good place to start. The thermometer only costs about $10 at the drugstore. Usually when you go to a fertility specialist they tell you to chart your temps for 3 months and then come back, so you save yourself from an extra appointment (and save some $$) by charting in advance. Temp charts can also help you make sure that you are ovulating, and that you have been timing intercourse correctly. When I first started ttc, my gp told me there is no need to chart temps - she had 5 kids and I guess she never needed to! That was bad advice, I wish I had started charting sooner, because I figured out a lot of things about my cycle and also that I was not ovulating when I had thought I was.
Timing intercourse can also be a big issue. Although sperm can live up to 5 days, my RE told me that you shouldn't count on them living more than 24 hours. That was news to me. He said to use an ovulation predictor kit - you can buy them at the drugstore, usually on the shelf near the pregnancy tests. It will be positive 1-2 days before you ovulate. My RE said you should have sex on the day that you get a positive surge, and then every day for the next 3 days. Also, be careful about lubricants, because many of them kill sperm. Saliva is also bad, so you should avoid oral on the days around ovulation.
Good luck!
33 is definitely not to young to have fertility issues. Many of the ladies on here are in their early 20's. Anytime you have been trying for a year and unable to get pregnant you can see a specialist. Your Dr can do many of the tests but an RE is great because this is their specialty. If you are referred your ins may cover your visits but not your tests. I would look into this. Most RE's are really good at finding a way for ins to cover some of your testing and appointments. After 35 your chances of getting pregnant decrease normally so you may want to look into this as well. Good luck to you.
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