My husband and I want to start trying in the next couple of months so I've been tracking my periods and have a calendar going but I must admit I have been fearful of not concieving. I've been with Casey my husband for over 11 years, we were teenage sweethearts. Anyways I get severe migraines and tried birth control for a few months only to find it increased the headaches so basically I've never been on birth control and in 11 years we've only had one "accident" and I misscarried. So it's kind of alarming to me and makes me wonder what if I can't. So I'm very thankful for this thread to share and learn.
How do one's tubes become blocked? Is it a disease or does something happen or are you just born with them that way and how do you find out if you have blocked ones?

As I understand it tubes can be blocked for a number of reasons; the gynae said it could be that the tubes were just in 'spasm' or they could be filled with thick mucus at the time of the test. They could have scarring from endometriosis or pelvic inflammatory or even from chylamidia - I haven't had any of these though. It could be a polyp or lumps of some sort filling the tubes - any number of things.

They diagnosed it by having me under general anaesthetic and squirting dye into my womb which filled up and spills out into the tubes - in turn the dye shoul go down the tubes and into the ovaries. My ovaries showed no dye coming through which means something was stopping the dye getting to the ovaries. My next medical procedure would be a similar procedure except I'd be awake and they'd be x-raying me to see more information about what the blockages could be.

I should think if you have already conceived once that your tubes aren't blocked. There are only three/five days a month when you can conceive anyway so you may just have missed these days. There's so many reasons why you might not have got pregnant previously, don't worry just yet!

If we all keep posting here sooner or later one of us will have some good news to share and maybe it will be contagious - fingers crossed!

Don't give it up! I too had falopian tubes full of scar tissue but was able to have a beautiful Son after a procedure to clear them. My first pregnancy was ectopic and that is what prompted the investigation of my tubes. My right was almost completely occluded and my left was pretty cruddy as well. I'd share my whole story but I don't want to be seen as discouraging. It was a helluva journey but I am grateful!

Elle

Good luck to all of you trying for babies. Can't wait to hear some good news from you!

emmascakes: HTH = "Hope That Helps"

Thanks for starting this topic...it came at the right time! Reading all of your posts are so encouraging.
I'm 26...and have been trying for the last 14 months to conceive baby number one! My Dr assures nothing is wrong with me & refuses to put me on any meds because of my age...she says I'm too young.
Right now I'm on the search for a new doctor...I've been tracking my ovualtion, DH tested his little guys, and on paper everything seems fine.
I also recently quit my STRESSFUL job, and I think that I'll probably conceive in the next few months. I know how much stress can interfere with your body & my job wasn't worth it. Plus, my lil sister gave birth to a stillborn baby a couple months ago, and she had a wonderful pregnancy and conception, no probs at all....and my cousin had a miscarriage earlier this year.... (Can you feel the stress)
Hopefully, I'll have a success story for you guys.

Hi Girls,
I wanted to share that I went throught 2ndary infertility myself. Which means I concieved my 1st child naturally. Then it took just over 3 yrs with pretty much evey test and procedure including hsg, laporoscopy, hysteroscopy, blood work, ultra sounds, oral, vaginal and injectable drugs and three IUI's to concieve again.

I can't tell you how important and helpful it is to have support from people who understand and who are going through or have "been there". I joined an online support group years ago when I was trying to get pregnant and felt so strongly about it that even though my family is complete now, I started my own after I had my children.

I manage an online support group for women going through any form of fertility problems too so if anyone would like to check it out, please feel free. It's called Fertility Sisters.
http://groups.msn.com/FertilitySisters/fertilitysisters.msnw

I really encourage everyone to find some kind of support whether it be in real life, online or through your Dr's office. Just knowing that someone cares and won't judge you really helps. Not to mention that you can get a lot of questions answered and feel comfortable doing so. I can tell you from my personal experiences that I learned far more after I was done ttc ( trying to concieve) through the internet support groups that any Dr ever told me.
Hope that helps someone!
KimAZ

I've decided to go to the doctors again. The gynae told me years ago that I 'might' be able to conceive naturally but that it would be unlikely, she said I should try for a year when I was ready and then seek help. We haven't actualy been trying that long, but it seems a bit futile since I know my tubes ARE blocked, so I think I'll go and start the ball rolling for treatment - it can take months and months for anything to get booked, so at least I'll feel proactive if I do something now.
Fingers crossed (but not legs!) for us all!

that is really sad...... so they must still not know the actual cause huh? (like it wasn't umbillical cord around the neck, placental abruption etc)........when my girlfriend had her stillbirth, they did an autopsy even though her doctor warned her that often times they cannot find a cause.....it just sometimes happens. In her case they did find out, but it was only because the baby had some strange findings (ie the damage caused by her immune system attacking it)

Its such a miracle when everything works the way it should!

Emma & the rest of you great posters,
I'm thinking of you and hoping for the best. I tried to get pregnant for several years during my late 20s and early 30s with no luck. Every test known to man was done on both my husband and me and the results said that nothing that would prevent pregnancy was evident. Eventually our marriage ended (although there were many reasons, the monthly disappointment didn't help.)

Four years ago I married my second husband, after strongly advising him that more children (he had one) were unlikely. To my surprise I fell pregnant four months later. My son was born and seven months later I was pregnant again with my beautiful daughter, who was born just a few days after my 38th birthday. Every day I think about how lucky I am and I know that there are so many people out there who are struggling.

I guess I just want to say that I hope you can each hold on to your hope. You're terrific people and I hope terrific things happen for you.

I think I'm going to give up taking my temperature - it's taking ages in the morning and it doesn't show any pattern - I'm up at least twice in the night. I'm going to be brave and go with just the cervical mucus. Anyone else fed up with having to constantly monitor yourself?!

I also gave up with temping...I always wake up during the night and therefore the temps were never accurate. I am tired of looking for all the signs...whether taking temperatures, ovulation predictors, cm, etc. so I only do OPK's now. I had an IUI on Thursday so we are hoping like crazy that it worked...the 2 week wait seems much longer! I wish there was some kind of sign, you know, so that we would know right away. It's just so easy to get your hopes up during the 2 weeks and then they come crashing down. I'm trying not to think about it but it's hard. I can't even express how much I want this to work. I've got my fingers crossed (and toes LOL).

Good luck good luck good luck - I can fully imagine how desperate you are for this to work and will keep my fingers crossed for you too. Please keep us posted!

I truly truly wish you the best of luck to all of you!
I tried everything for years and then give up... we were running out of money and I was out of hope I remember praying as my last resource.
One month later I was pregnant (I don't know how nor does the doctor) but now I do pray, I am very thankful for my baby (Sofia).
So I will keep every one of you in my prayers, it cannot hurt.

I have heard all the things someone (I think Emma) listed as reasons for blocked tubes. I'd had none of the diseases either. It's hard to know why tubes are blocked. I too had an HSG, but no anesthesia. It hurt, but I got through it. At that point, we knew that IVF was our only option. The only positive thing is that we knew-- didn't have to go through the years of uncertainty and the roller coaster. I am just grateful it worked.

I'm trying for a baby...been trying for about 3 years now. Very discouraged!!!