Hi there! I just turned 32 and have had 3 pregnancies through IVF (2 kids + currently pregnant). My surgeries were when I was a teenager- emergency colectomy was laparoscopic and then j-pouch was done open.
Back in 2015/2016, we tried naturally for about 6 months before pursuing fertility services. My doctor was able to order a few tests to get a better understanding of what was going on physically. I believe it was an HSG that showed that my tubes were open, but pulled up and away from where they would normally lie (probably due to scar tissue). Then on ultrasound, we saw that my ovaries were also not in a "normal" position. My doctor said that it was possible that my ovaries and tubes were not close enough together for an egg to be able to get into the tube and be fertilized. (The only way to know would be to keep trying.) We decided not to wait and went straight to IVF. Luckily, since my issues were only with the positioning of my organs, the egg retrieval was very successful and we ended up with all the embryos we wanted in one try. Fast forward to this past fall, I ended up needing an ovary removed, which had to be done via laparotomy. My surgeon said that there were so many adhesions around my tubes and ovaries, she couldn't imagine I would've ever been able to conceive naturally. So, I'm glad we didn't keep trying!
All this to say, while I don't think I could have gotten pregnant without IVF, that doesn't mean that would be the case for you! It could be worth meeting with a fertility specialist to talk about your options and see what tests can be done to get a better sense of what's going on inside. Wishing you the best of luck, and I'm happy to answer any questions!