Conception with Endometriosis?

[Neda]

Hi BB ladies!
Just wondering how long it took those of you with confirmed endo to conceive? I've been trying over a year now, but only 10 months since my endometriosis was confirmed and removed during a lap D&C. I've read that endo can make it difficult to conceive, as my OH says it makes for a 'hostile work environment'.

So I guess I'd like to know if you conceived naturally, with IUI or IVF, how long it took. And if you had any miscarriages (if you're ok with sharing that anyway).

I really don't want to have to face spending the extra money for IUI or IVF if it really is possible to fall pregnant naturally, but sometimes I think it might be worth it just to not have all the pain and discomfort of having to try each month.

[*Nikki*]

Hi Neda - I had severe endo where my organs were stuck together... We tried Ivf twice and got bfn's both times (1 embie transferred then 2 embies) I then had an operation in Sept '2010' to remove it.. They got most of it but I still had endo on my bowel ... After 5.5 years of ttc I fell pregnant naturally in August of this year :-) so 11 months after my op .... Tho in June this year I had my gallbladder removed which I think helped us

Goodluck :-) ttc is such a hard road to travel at times

[Trillian]

I didn't have severe endo, but I conceived about 7 months after my first lap surgery. I was taking duphaston for 6 months after the op, came off it and accidentally fell pg the following month. We weren't planning on TTC at all so it was quite a surprise. I was very fortunate that it never gave me any trouble getting pregnant.

[Neda]

Thanks Nikki, and congrats!
my gyn that did the surgery said he got all of it, said there was a lot and it was old too, but I feel like he may have missed some in the bowels since I get a lot of my pain there. Knowing you got pregnant naturally makes it a little easier to deal with, I just want it over and done with. Three years ago I was hoping to have 2 or 3 kids eventually, now it feels like I might get lucky if I have 1 after a spending a bazillion on treatments

[JLeigh29]

We ttc for 18 months before our natural BFP, but DH was the one with the issues. I had 'severe' endo on the vagina and bowel and was told it has a lot to do with where it is i.e. the fallopian tubes and ovaries are likely to make it harder to ttc whereas where I had it isn't likely to affect your chances of ttc at all. My lap (and follow up lap) were about 6 years before we fell pregnant.
Has your DH been checked? And have you had tests to make sure you're Oing etc?

[Neda]

Yes DH has been checked and results came back "normal" My FSH and thyroid ect have been checked, they also came back "normal". I've been doing OPK's for the past three months, had two of them show a clear LH surge on day 17 then day 19 second month, third didn't show but it could have been user erorro.

I do wish I had been given the numbers exactly on both his test and mine, after all if he is on the low end of normal for something and I'm at the low end of normal for something besides having the 'hostile work environment' it might be an explanation.

PS. my verification image was "rodants dialogue" I just thought that funny.

[JLeigh29]

Sounds like all is good with you both, at least on the surface. Keep trying, taking your pre-c vitamins, POAS and :cross fingers:. Oh, and try not to go insane with all the worry, uncertainty, emotions and obsession that ttc brings! Easier said than done, I know!

[Neda]

try not to go insane with all the worry, uncertainty, emotions and obsession that ttc brings!

too late! I am taking my vits, even had sis in law give me her leftover blackmores pre-c, back to the cheaper preg and breastfeeding ones now though, and after a year and a half I want to write blackmores and tell them that 'I keep taking their pills but I'm not pregnant yet, do I need to drink baby formula with it to make the baby?'

Yep, only just barely hanging on here.

[*Nikki*]

it's tough hey... After years of ttc I stopped taking the vitamins because it got way to expensive and seen I was having so much trouble falling preg it was just such a waste of money etc

Xox

[Laranna]

I was diagnosed with severe endo including blocked tubes and therefore told I wouldn't be able to conceive naturally.....2 and a half years later, I conceived naturally! My second and this third pregnancy also conceived naturally.

[Neda]

Nikki, thanks needed that! I stock up when they're on sale, and sometimes when I know I'm not preggers I'll take a regular one but only early in my cycle.

Laranna, that's really encouraging to hear, though I feel like I don't have 2 years of trying left
You never had surgery? Did your doc ever have additional concerns in the early months of the pregnancies once you were pregnant? (I hope that makes sense, somehow the wording just seems wrong to me)

[Laranna]

Yer I had a laparasocopy and hysteroscopy to diagnose and remove my endo. They said it was severe/stage 4. When I fell pregnant, I never went back to the same gyno who did my endo surgery. I found a new ob/gyn who didn't think there would be any issues with my pregnancies. She was much the opposite really and very happy to hear I had fallen pregnant naturally. So no concerns LTTC takes it out of you for sure. My diagnose of endo and not being able to have children was a big factor in a relationship breakdown at the time. That kinda helped me take the thinking away from it all.

Also, my endo didn't appear to return after my first and second pregnancies. I only had cycles for 5 months each time though before I fell pregnant. This pregnancy is my last so it will be interesting to see how it all pans out in the future.

Don't give up hope yet, it can be a long road but definitely worth it in the end

[faye*]

It's encouraging reading these posts of those of you who have been able to conceive naturally after endo surgery. I was just diagnosed on Friday with severe endo and have lap surgery coming up. I'm absolutely dreading it but if it helps to be able to eventually conceive it will be worth it.

[Bubble147]

Hi Neda,
I have mild endo and it took me about 10 months to concieve my son (born in Oct 2010). I fell pregnant in a month that we weren't 'trying' (we were in the middle of an interstate move and thought we had missed the window so were discounting anything happening that month!). Due to us living in different states for most of the month - there was only one date that it could have been - but it was much later in my cycle than i had thought my TTC window was. I have very irregular periods (30-35 day cycle) - but I had accounted for that in what i thought was my prime ovulation days - but obviosuly not enough! So all I can reccomend is trying at lots of different times of the month!
I have been pleasantly suprised (tuoch wood), that since my period has returned I have had relatively pain free periods (where as I had crippling pain before I fell pregnant). So I am hoping this continues.
We have just started TTC again this month - so we'll see what happens this time.
Stay positive and strong and I hope something happens for you soon.

[juniper76]

Hi Neda,
I have stage III endo. We spent 2.75 years TTC before we got our first BFP. That was a natural conception between IVF#3 and #4, but unfortunately it ended as an early m/c. At the time I was doing acupuncture and TCM and my endo hadn't been diagnosed or treated.

I had a lap several months later (after changing to a new FS) and that's when my endo was diagnosed and removed. We did IVF#5 with him 2 months later and that gave us DD. We had spent 3.5 years TTC#1. All up, we had done 6 IUI, 5 IVF and 1 FET.

We started TTC#2 as soon as AF returned and got another natural BFP after only 3 months of well-timed TTC. Again, I was going to acupuncture (but no TCM). Unfortunately it also ended in m/c.

GL with your TTC journey.