Please direct me to another place if there are other discussions of this.

I had a miscarriage in March, but the hospital's pregnancy test was negative when I first found out I was pregnant and they told me to come back in two weeks. Well a week later I was miscarrying.

This was my second miscarriage, but I was told that since the hospital hasn't confirmed either miscarriage, I can't have any testing done until they have 3 confirmed miscarriages or we've been trying for a year.

I guess we're not that far away from one year of TTC. We'll be at one year TTC in 3 months. So I guess I should just wait it out and keep trying, but it's beginning to feel like forever.

Any ideas? Even for where I should start asking questions when I go to the doc after it's been 1 year?

Hope for some help and prayers
Thanks 

I can relate to having issues getting pregnant.
There is no way around their policies, you just have to follow their protocol. After you've been trying for a year, you get a referral from your General Practitioner to see an OBGYN. (I did this a month before it had been a year, since it would take about a month to get my first visit in with the OBGYN anyway.)
They will put you on Clomid for 3 months. It's a medication that helps stimulate ovulation. You will have to get blood drawn for them to check that you did ovulate. If you still haven't gotten pregnant after 3 months of Clomid, they will then have you go in for a test where they insert dye into your uterus and x-ray it to make sure there isn't anything structurally wrong. After that, then you have the choice of going back on the Clomid for 3 months, but this time it will include hormone shots. After that, if it still doesn't work, then you can talk IVF. Tricare will cover the meds of IVF, but not the cost of the procedure, so you will probably end up paying $3-7K or so out of pocket

I hit the point of just giving up after the dye test. They can't find anything wrong with me, and think that I'm just too stressed to get pregnant. I've accepted that I probably will never get pregnant naturally, and we don't have the money for IVF. So childless I shall be. 

they will then have you go in for a test where they insert dye into your uterus and x-ray it to make sure there isn't anything structurally wrong

I'm getting that done next week, its an "HSG" test. My left tube is blocked from the endometriosis but they want to check my right tube if there's any scaring from my miscarriages and appendectomy. If my right tube is scared I will go into surgery to clear both of my tubes. Either way, whether both or only one of my tubes is blocked/scarred, my OB/GYN highly suggested IVF.

IDK, my case may be different as I already have 2 kids, so I didn't have to see my Primary Physician (i dont even know who it is, LoL) for a year before seeing the OB/GYN for fertility help. 

Thanks so much for the quick responses! It helps to not feel like we're going through this alone. Every month starts to feel like an eternity. I don't think we're going to have the money for IVF either if it comes to that so I really hope we're not headed down that path. I'm hoping its just something simple like a hormone level that's off. But of course it's possible that it's not. All of my cousins have PCOS so I'm hoping thats not it because I hear that can be very difficult.

Bluebettas: Thanks for all that info! I'm feeling the same way about the stress. I had an ultra sound when I was younger because they thought I had a cyst, but everything looked fine they said so as of 4 or so years ago I was okay? One hears so many stories though about people stopping trying and they get pregnant. Maybe you will! I'm trying to destress my brain, but things are never as simple as they seem.

Do I need to bring in my charts for temping or anything to show how long we've been trying?

Rainbow Dancer: Thanks so much for the test name. I hope everything turns out well in your test. hopefully they aren't both blocked! I didn't know miscarriage could cause scarring. Scary stuff.

I always thought it'd be easy to get pregnant. I've had so many friends get pregnant on accident or right away. 

I always thought it'd be easy to get pregnant. I've had so many friends get pregnant on accident or right away. 


Yea, I know the feeling. My 2 daughters were conceived from my ex-husband. My 2nd daughter wasn't planned or even expected at all. That was a one-time "Welcome Home" from deployment and then lets go visit California to announce that we are getting a divorce. Instead of announcing a divorce we announced another pregnancy. So when I re-married and my husband and I decided we were ready to have kids of our own I never thought having a baby would be difficult for me.

I didn't know miscarriage could cause scarring.

I had ectopic pregnancy which can scar the tube as the baby attaches to your tube as oppose the uterus. 

Oh my that must have been a confusing time when you were expecting to announce a divorce. I'm sorry to hear that it's difficult now. Terrible how things turn like that.

Has your husband went for testing? My husband told me they've been talking at work about men coming back with low sperm/infertile (is that the right word for men?) after being in the vehicle with the signal jammer (chameleon?) because the jammer gives off high levels of radiation or something.

Ah... sorry I wasn't thinking ectopic. Well then it probably isn't your husband's count then if you've gotten pregnant before, huh.

Any advice if I want my husband to go get tested? What does he ask for when he goes to the Doc?

We're getting out in just under 2 years, so I'm hoping we can get pregnant before that for obvious reasons. 

Oh my that must have been a confusing time when you were expecting to announce a divorce.

I married when I was 17, a senior in HS, and this happened when I was 22 years old. I was still learning lessons in life.

Surprisingly, he hasn't gotten his sperm tested, yet. IDK if possibly bc we've been pregnant before, i'm really unsure. Maybe once we get to a fertility specialist he will then, i'm not sure, sorry. 

Do I need to bring in my charts for temping or anything to show how long we've been trying?

I didn't have to have any proof for how long we were trying. My GP asked how long, I said a year in March. She also asked if deployment time was included in that year, which was no, he came home from deployment starting in March. So she just went with what I said. Since it was a month shy, she said it was close enough to being a year to go ahead with the referral to an OBGYN about fertility issues.

The first step was a blood test for me, and a sperm count sample for my hubby. 

Any advice if I want my husband to go get tested? What does he ask for when he goes to the Doc?

Most OB's wont start testing on you until he is tested. It is called a sperm analysis, he will need to go to his medical and ask to do a sperm analysis. It is done at the lab at the hospital, but he will need to get the paper because there is quite a few things he has to do before, they also only do it on certain days. 

NTC (naval training center) doesn't IVF for $5500. Hopefully you don't have to wait that long (year waiting list after you get seen) and you are able to get pregnant from iui or the clomid. I just wanted to tell you ivf can be affordable. You obgyn will refer you to NTC if the above doesn't work. Hang in there and good luck to you! 

you are able to get pregnant from iui or the clomid

One of my co-workers was about to do IUI but she in turn ended up getting pregnant after her HSG test. My OB/GYN said that getting pregnant after doing an HSG isn't uncommon that sometimes your tubes just need a good "flushing" (LoL) 

I've heard that too. Hopefully that is the case for you! 

I hope so too!! I mean we are financially prepared for an IVF procedure but if we can get pregnant after a "flushing" that would be awesome!! 

Actually we just like a month or so ago just went through IVF through NTC and it was not $5500 it was $2950! 

Thank you all for the information! I have one more question if anyone has an opinion to share:

(well it might be an expanded question)

Is it better to stay on base or go off base if I'm going to have fertility testing done. I have the tricare where I do everything on base right now, but the main part of that choice is because we didn't know what kind of medical bills we'd have to pay if I went out in town.

Have any of you done the fertility testing/treatment out in town for Clomid and the dye test?

How much are the bills for dr. apptments if I go out in town. I remember them telling me I can only switch over once a year. Any advice? 

Although my experience with off base doctors was for my heart, and not fertility issues, I would think the rules still apply...

So, I had issues with my heart, so my GP who was a doc on base had referred me to a cardiologist off base. That cardiologist ended up referring me to another off base cardiologist who specialized in the issue my heart was having. The second cardiologist ended up having to perform an ablation therapy to correct the issue. Throughout everything I had done, I didn't have to pay a cent. As long as the procedures were covered by Tricare, it didn't matter if it was on base or off base. As long as you go through the proper hoops, (military doc referring you to a civilian doc) you should be fine. 

I did ivf with a civilian doctor. (dr. Mickey coffler). I didn't pay for my visits with him, the ultra sounds, or the surgery I had because I had polyps in my cervix. I did pay $5500 for the egg retrieval since insurance doesn't cover it. I also paid $700 to freeze my embryos for 1 year. Medicine was covered and I paid a copay and they were shipped to my door. There is one med that isn't covered by insurance. Gonal f. It cost A LOT. I qualified for a one time use program that paid the whole cost of it. Dr. Coffler gave me the info.

Perk of doing ivf civilian, no one year wait. 

There is one med that isn't covered by insurance. Gonal f

Even if you go out in town, you can get it at the pharmacy at the NH (they do carry it). I had it prescribed and was able to pick it up at the hospital. The only thing they didn't carry that I had to go out in town for was progesterone suppositories. I was on 3 other meds and all were carried at the NH. 

Really vod? Good to know they changed that. My son is 9m now. So about a year ago I couldn't get it at NH or even balboa. When I was being seen the first ivf cycle at NTC it was covered. I didn't understand how that worked. Lol 

I hope I didn't skip my answer, but is there any reason you have a concern about fertility issues? I don't have any and it still took me 17 months to get pregnant. (One miscarriage before.) Of course, it ironically happened after I asked my husband to cut down on his weekend drinking (that can affect sperm levels) so I blame it on him. ;)

I would make sure you are looking at everything you can do naturally to make both of you healthier, and do charting etc.. before jumping into fertility treatments. Of course, if you have already, disregard everything I've said. 

Momma2Fur,

I've been doing bbt for 10 months, I have the Ovacue fertility monitor so I know when I ovulate. I'm taking prenatals, vitex, maca, and evening primrose oil. I got pregnant the first month on vitex.

My husband and I have had drinks 5 times in the last 9 months. I've changed how we eat so it's healthier. I'm making sure he's taking a multi-vitamin. I'm not working so I'm less stressed.

We've used pre-seed and I'm sure there are more things I'm forgetting at the moment. I think I'm probably too stressed still. Idk.

Please don't take this as a snippy response. Just found out again this morning we're not pregnant. I don't know how you went 17 months. This will be month 10 and I feel jaded. 

Please don't take this as a snippy response. Just found out again this morning we're not pregnant

Didn't take it snippy at all. I'm sorry. :( I know the battle is rough. Month and after of disappointment. I hope for the best for you. When I was TTC, I sort of "gave up" the last 2 months and stopped testing and anticipating it. That's when I ended up pregnant. Could have been my stress levels too. Of course, we don't have a magic button to turn that off. :/ 

I'm sorry to hear about the miscarriages!!! Thats so sad. =( My girlfriend had 2 while we were stationed together, and her heart break was tremendous, so I can only imagine what you're feeling. =(

I don't mean to sound crass, but I'd consider getting off-base care for something as sensitive as this, my care and the bedside manner of the doctors was ruthless and left me frightened and paranoid about future appointments. To the point where I had sleepless nights, and I've even refused future necessary Gyno/OB service from on base doctors because of their lack of character. (Anyway, I'm rambling.)

When I originally went to my doctor to ask about being seen, we'd been having unprotected sex for 7+ years and not trying NOT to get pregnant ...
Still nothing.

So when I went to the Dr. I told her about the 7 years and she told me to leave and actively TRY for a year AND THEN come back to her and get a referral for a doctor. **ck her ...
Anyway, I was confused thinking 7 years was long enough, so I waited a month and went back, she was annoyed so she just sent me through.

So, I'd say go to your Primary Care Dr tell them you've been trying actively for a year (or more if you want to stretch the story) you can mention your miscarriages, or not -

Once I got a shoe in, they sent me to have an HSG, which came back very abnormal, and by the time I could get in for an MRI (with the fertility guy on base two months later) my husband and I would have PCSd by then ...
Thats as far as I got with the military doctors. (thank god)
When my husband and I moved out to where we are its taken me almost a year to get back to the same place that we were in before we were moved . (UGH)
I am seeing a man about getting my defect of a self fixed. (Which is covered by Tricare)
Then after all of this, I'm on estrogen for a month, then progesterone and then we'll be encouraged to try to get pregnant on our own.

Anyway, thats my story, there could be so many different ways and reasons that you're not getting pregnant... I'd try to keep a journal of your cycles, and the flow and maybe even the pain during. (endometreosis)
I would say you've been actively trying longer then you really have (but say at least a year) so they'll push you through to the Dr. and not daudle... if they had with me, I'd just NOW be starting the process and still be no where. =/
Mentally prepare yourself for bad news, and discuss with your husband how you feel. Don't keep it bottled up inside.
If there is a structural abnormality they'll see it during the HSG (google it, it'll answer all of your questions.) and get you started on what to do next.

My best advice about what might be covered and what might not is to contact Tricare directly, and your doctor directly. Ask a lot of questions, and don't get something done unless its already approved by Tri-care. =)

Good luck with your ventures, Its a long road no matter. . . 

I'm only 21 and I have been dealing with Tricare and this issue for about a year and half. When i first went to my PC doctor she tried to talk me out it and put me on BC until we really thought it through. which pissed me off. Then 4 months later I went back to see her and said that I wanted a referral to the OBGYN because something was wrong. i never took the pills and i had been off of the pill for 3 years and i never even had a miscarriage. She then told me that she understood my concerns but she personally was not ready to send me to the OB because of my age.. Well I raised Hell at that point And called the hospital CO and Tricare and both gave me what i wanted and that was a referral to the OBGYN. I had my first Appointment with my first Ob doctor and she schulded me for the HSG. only to find out that she never did and she also said that she didnt feel comfortable with a 20 year old doing this. So i raised hell again and called the CO again.

I then got pushed right into the next HSG appointment with the hospital CO making my appointment. And they found that my left tube is completely blocked. Which i knew all along that something was wrong. and they also did the blood work and found that im not ovulating too.

I have had to switch my PC doctor 3 times and switch 2 OB doctors but i finally have an amazing doctor who is willing to work with me even tho my age. I will be going in next month to get my left tube removed and I started clomid just today. My doctor has given me her direct phone number and personal email if we have any question.

My advice is to never give up if its something you really want. and dont let Tricare tell you what you can or cannot do. All you have to do is fight a little and go that extra step to get what they provide. Tricare is just pushing back and dont want to have to pay for something that they really dont think is needed

My dad is really sick and on the heart transplan list and i am an only child. One thing I promised him is I will have a baby before he passes and my child will know their amazing Grandpa. I willing to fight for that even if i do have to raise a little bit of hell 

I hope I didn't skip my answer, but is there any reason you have a concern about fertility issues?
I would make sure you are looking at everything you can do naturally to make both of you healthier, and do charting etc.. before jumping into fertility treatments

I know I'm a fertile Mertile, or at least was, when I was younger. As stated before I was pregnant twice, and twice given birth to my two daughters with my ex-husband. I was so fertile that my second child was conceived unexpectedly from a "one-time" welcome home from deployment when we were about to announce our (what was suppose to be)decision to get divorced (which eventualy happened a year later).

After my divorce, I later remarried and within that time I had been dealing with consistent pain associated with cysts. Shortly after my husband and I got married we decided to try to conceive as he may be younger than me I'm at that age where complications are more highly to occur during a pregnancy. I made an appt with a DR to get prenatal pills to prepare my body. Which was not a problem whatsoever. After a year of trying/charting every month my period would come and I eventually gave up. Then one month we thought I was pregnant (period was late) and was having really bad pains so we went to the ER expecting them to confirm that I was pregnant and that's why I was having pains. BOY WERE WE WRONG!! Turned out I had an appendicitis so they rushed me into surgery. Bc I had 2 strangulated abdominal hernias removed the year before they had to do a laparoscopic surgery for my appendectomy. During the surgery they found I had endometriosis, my surgeon brought in an OB/GYN Dr to confirm his findings.

While in post-op the OB/GYN came in to check on me to schedule an appt to talk about the endometriosis. My appointment was scheduled for the following week. From there, they happen to take a picture of my tubes and the endo while I was in surgery and we discussed what endo is and informed her that we were trying to conceive. She gave us many options but at that time I was soaking in all the cons and complications of endo and could only think that we may never get pregnant "naturally". She gave us her direct contact info in case we changed our minds and wanted to do surgery.

But a month later I was pregnant!! I requested a blood test to confirm pregnancy for my at-home pregnancy test were not all consistent and for that reason I didn't want to rely on their urine test. A week before my OB registration appt I went back to the ER bc I was bleeding for more than 2 days. Turned out, I was carrying an ectopic pregnancy so we had to terminate that pregnancy.

We continued charting for over a year, but still no luck. My husband informed me that he has come to the terms of accepting the fact that he may not have a child of his own. That he was perfectly fine with that and that he loves my daughters (his step-daughters) as if they were his own to where he'd adopt them in a heart beat. Hearing that broke my heart. I called the OB/GYN Dept and was able to easily schedule an appt with the OB/GYN Dr I had seen in regards to proceeding to do surgery that was offered a while ago. Both my husband and I went to the appt and she told us that IVF would be the best route for us but that she would like to do the HSG to see if my other tube (the one not blocked from the endo) is even open. She informed us of the wait-list through Balboa; suggested I look into possibly getting my works health insurance if it even covers part of IVF if I want to go out in town; and the possible costs if done through Balboa vs out in town. So now here we about to do the HSG test. 

Any recommendations for a Dr. at the Naval hosp that's understanding about fertility issues? I didn't mind my Dr. when I was there in January, but Id on't know if she'll be too helpful when it comes to forwarding me for fertility issues.

I'm only 25 so people seem to like to tell me I'm too young to have fertility issues, which is stupid. 

I did not read through all the responses..sorry if I repeat anyone. lol I had 5 MCs in 2 years...I understand. While at Quantico, I would test and the clinic just confirmed. The OBgyn ordered Quantitative (HCG blood tests for me)this way they KNOW you were pregnant. Her words..."We know you CAN get pregnant, but why do you misscarry?" So she ordered an anti phospholipid panel and discovered I have a clotting disorder. Mind you I had two children in my twenties without a problem.
I am due any moment with my third baby, thanks to Dr. Asato in Ft. Belvior.
Stress does play a factor, try to relax and remember that the tests now detect pregnancy very early. Many women miscarry without ever knowing they were pregnant.. a late period, longer than normal period.
The infertility treatments can be very stressful too. And I agree with a previous poster, HSG exam itself often clears the way for pregnancy! Good luck to you. 

Mom25,

That was part of what frustrated me when I went in to try to confirm my pregnancy. I requested a blood test (which I've heard of other marine wives doing there) and they told me they don't do hcg blood tests. Apparently they only do urine tests.

You actually hit the nail on the head. I think we might be getting pregnant but it's not staying. So idk. I guess my husband said we can switch to off base for me but he said we can't if it's going to cost as our budget doesn't have room for anything else at the moment.

I have a Dr. appt tomorrow morning so I'm going to request being sent to an OBgyn if I'm not pregnant after this month (even tho this is our 11th month I want the appts set up already so if we need them they're there.) At least someone else may listen to me instead of telling me I'm young and I have plenty of time or that I have to have 3 confirmed miscarriages (again impossible to detect if they aren't doing hcg and I'm miscarrying right away). 

My Obgyn at Ft Belvior placed the order for the quantitative tests. I would go to Quantico's clinic they did the draw then sent it to Bethesda. If I went to Ft Bevior, they did the draw and had results by that afternoon. Is it the facility or the doctor telling you they do not do quants...Perhaps they draw and Balboa does the labwork? My doctor ordered the test for twice weekly to watch my numbers rise, or fall, as sometimes was the case. I also did not need a referral to Obgyn, once I had a positive home test, I went directly to the clinic(no appt) and took their urine test. They then try to make you wait for an ObGyn coordinator, but I bypassed all that called a triage nurse at Ft. Belvior women's clinic, explained I was having trouble staying pregnant, but had a positive home test and she got the ball rolling. The system is set up for ladies without medical issues, not for the rest of us. BTW you can have a false negative result, but not a false positive. I always use the 99 cent test from commissary and test every couple of days with the first urine of the day. Never has failed me. This pregnancy, my civilian PCM insisted my test was wrong, did her own urine test and said I was not pregnant...she learned her lesson. I am due today! She is a young PCM...experience is everything! 

Maybe somebody on here has contact with the local ObGyn triage nurse and could help you...My contact is awesome but the wrong Coast! Good luck,I'll try to keep up with your posts.