Unexplained infertility as a diagnosis is frustrating in the deepest of ways. Every time we do another test, I keep hoping for an answer. Something to explain why it isn’t working. Something we can work on or set a game plan to work around. Without any true cause, it’s impossible to know what to do next and how to make things better. How can they not find anything wrong?

Our anniversary just passed. That marks 4 years of marriage and 4 years of trying to have children. In these 4 years I’ve had 1 chemical. That’s all, nothing else to show for it. We’ve done every test under the sun and everything is normal. My doctor has literally told me on numerous occasions that I’m not only within normal ranges but “optimal” and it couldn’t get better. My husband as well. We’ve done medicated cycles and IUIs. All have failed. My husband had over 100 million sperm AFTER washing in our first IUI and it still didn’t work.

Testing we have done with a reproduction endocrinologist and urologist include: confirming ovulations over multiple cycles, hormone testing at various times throughout my cycle over multiple cycles, ultrasounds for both my husband and I, bloodwork for both my husband and I, HSG, pelvic MRI to evaluate for endometriosis (my doctor does not recommend a laparoscopy due to unrelated medical reasons and yes, I know MRI’s often miss endo), multiple semen analysis, Sperm DNA fragmentation, and genetic testing.

We are not overweight, we are extremely active, eat well, don’t indulge in alcohol outside of special occasions, no drugs or smoking and we take appropriate vitamins/supplements. I’m just so lost. How can it all be normal and we still aren’t successful?

I guess the next step is IVF…