Doctors sometimes use follicle tracking to allow them to assess how well your follicles develop during a cycle, and to monitor ovulation. It may be particularly useful if you are taking a fertility drug, as this will give an indication of how effectively it is working. Follicle tracking involves a series of scans during the first half of the menstrual cycle.
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| Plan B Infertility |
Follicles can be measured to see how well they are growing, as we know that when they reach a certain size the egg is usually mature and ready to burst out of the follicle.
Hysterosalpingogram
A hysterosalpingogram, known as an HSG, is a procedure that uses X-ray pictures to look at the condition of the womb and fallopian tubes. It can be carried out in an outpatient clinic and you don't need an anesthetic. During an HSG, dye is injected into a tube, which is passed into the womb through the vagina and cervix. A series of X-rays are taken as the dye travels through the womb and tubes. The pictures will show up any blockages, kinks in the tubes, adhesions, fibroids or any other growths. Some women find the HSG very uncomfortable, and experience considerable pain and cramping. Others don't have any problems with it at all.
'The HSG was a terrible experience. I know it varies from person to person, but I found it very uncomfortable. They got the fluid in, and they took the pictures, but it was just very painful.' Emma, 33
'The HSG was not as bad as they'd told me it would be. Uncomfortable, very undignified, but not actually painful.' Corinne, 36
Hysterosalpingo contrast sonography
HyCoSy, or hysterosalpingo-contrast sonography, is very similar to the HSG and also allows an assessment of the condition of the tubes, but it uses ultrasound rather than X-ray. A tube is put through the cervix and a 'contrast medium' (a liquid that will show up brightly on the scan) is injected into the womb. A transvaginal ultrasound scan is used to look at the inside of the womb and rule out any fibroids or polyps. As the contrast medium flows along the fallopian tubes it will highlight any blockages or adhesions. The HyCoSy is carried out in an outpatient clinic, and usually takes half an hour at the most. Some women experience period-type pains with the HyCoSy, and are advised to take painkillers.
'I'd heard lots of awful things about the HyCoSy - that it was really uncomfortable and painful and things, and that you feel pretty awful afterwards. You get a bit worried, but actually it was not as bad as I thought. I had a bit of pain while they were doing it, but it was just like having stomach cramps, and I had cramps afterwards.' Paula, 34
Post-coital tests
Although post-coital tests were once offered routinely to women who weren't getting pregnant, they are rarely carried out now. The test involves having sex at home with your partner and then going to the clinic for an internal examination some hours later. A sample of cervical mucus is taken and examined under a microscope to see how well the sperm are surviving. The test should be carried out around the time of ovulation when the cervical mucus is copious and watery, allowing sperm to move freely. Immediately after ovulation, the cervical mucus becomes thick and sticky and it is hard for sperm to get through it, and a test carried out at the wrong time can produce a false negative, wrongly suggesting that there may be problems.
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'It was the most embarrassing test of all. The first thing the doctor asked me was how many hours it was since we'd had sex. I just wanted to curl up and disappear. He had a medical student with him, so he was explaining everything as he did it, which made it all a million times worse. They sat there peering at my husband's sperm swimming about, and discussing what they looked like, and what they should look like, but I wasn't even interested in the result - all I could think of was how much I wanted to get out of there" Carol, 45. To find out more, you can check out Plan B Infertility.
