TTC for 6 months - what should I change?

[NinaT]

Does anyone have any advice? I've been on the LE diet since mid-October. I added in 1 serving of salmon and 6 eggs a week in February, and last month I was on holidays and cheated a lot (pizza etc). I kept within the calorie limits but was often a bit over in fat and protein. I have 2 -3 cups of coffee per day and 2 -3 glasses of wine per night (none in 2 week wait). I've lost 20 kgs on the diet, but had plenty to spare - my bmi is now 28. I walk for 50 minutes 6-7 days per week.

I've been TTC since November (didn't wait for 12 week period before starting because I had a miscarriage in October). 1 attempt at positive OPK until last cycle, when I switched to every 4 days (72 hour version). We are using self-insemination with a sperm donor because we have to, and we have to travel to see the donor, so E4 days is quite difficult for us and we don't want to keep doing it for cycle after cycle! We're not doing J&D or anything else like that.

AF arrived this morning. I'm feeling like I will never get pregnant. My willpower with the diet is getting worse and worse. It is a significant lifestyle change for me. I have not had trouble getting pregnant in the past for my 2 miscarriages and one healthy toddler. How can I increase my chances of getting pregnant without completely wrecking my sway?

[atomic sagebrush]

Nothing you're doing with diet and exercise should be hampering odds of conception given that you do have some weight to spare. Just do your best to stick with it as much as you can. Great job on that too BTW!!

I'm sorry but your best bet really will be more attempts - I know it's difficult but I suspect that so far it just has been an issue of not having the attempt at quite the right time and/or the right sperm not meeting the right egg. It does take fully fertile couples doing nothing to sway and everything to conceive, 3-6 months average to get pregnant and if it's happened faster in the past, that's just good luck and not a guarantee of future time to conception. As you already know self-insem with donors is a little harder to conceive with to start out with.

Is this a proven donor? Are they doing anything that could be hindering chances of conception (such as jogging or biking, taking herbs or other medications like antidepressants, etc?)

I understand you're not doing J and D but is there anything else like douching or frequency happening (this may require an embarrasing convo with the donor, LOL) We have had a couple instances with donors where we found out that they were...donating a lot, if you catch my drift...and when we corrected for that the inseminatees got preggo right away.

Cycle staying regular??

What we could do, and I'm not necessarily recommending this but just tossing it out there as a possibility, is to do a modified e4d plus one where you aim at the week you expect to O and be in with 3 or 4 attempts in that week. Like, Monday, Wednesday, Saturday, OR Monday/Friday plus one more attempt at positive OPK whenever that falls. There is no magic to the pattern; the point is regular attempts spaced out just enough so that there will always be some sperm on hand to meet the egg.

How long are you laying flat after insemination?

[NinaT]

Thanks Atomic. I have used this donor for three pregnancies (2 miscarriages, one healthy child) in the past 5 years and got pregnant in 1-3 months each time, so the donor is proven in that sense. He is taking valium and pain-killers, but he was taking these when I got pregnant in the past. He is also now taking dexamphetamine, and has been very stressed this year. He is 29, rarely exercises, is a healthy weight and doesn't smoke or drink. It sounds like frequency isn't the problem. Do you think I should be looking for a new donor?

My cycle has been 25-27 days since the miscarriage, with a 10 day luteal phase. I started having the salmon and eggs because I was worried about my luteal phase, but it's not getting any shorter.

I was lying down for 10 minutes after each try for the first few months, but I have been lying down for 20 minutes each try for the last 2 months.

Thanks for the advice about a modified E4 days + plus 1. Adding attempts feels like a big step, especially when I have gotten pregnant from one try in the past, but I'm losing heart so I will definitely consider it...

[atomic sagebrush]

It is totally up to you, just wanted to float the idea that sometimes the donor is the problem too. Personally I'd prefer having my kids be full siblings so I'd be looking for ways to keep the same donor, but that may just be me.

Adderall (dexamphetamine) does not seem to lower sperm count. Valium and pain killers can, but as you already know lower sperm count does not always equate to no chance of pregnancy.

We could instead consider using guaifenesin or Preseed to boost chances of conception. These things may sway blue but then again so may adding attempts.