Problem w/ Period - Trying to Get Pregnant**Update pg 2**

[7beasley]

a

 

[chris1gill]

Well, the first thing I will say, is that you absolutely MUST stop worrying about not getting pregnant! Do you know, it's a very high percentage of women that can't get pregnant because they are so over-stressed about getting pregnant! Please stop worrying.... you are only 32.... I have a friend whose 47 right now & she is pregnant.... so you are still young! No worries there...

About the rest of it, I think you do need to see the doctor & I am sure they will explain everything they are thinking about and what they may suspect... eleven years on the pill is a long time, so maybe your body is just being a bit odd right now Think on the bright side... stay positive....

 

[AllyandJack]

I was in your shoes last year. I was stubborn and terrified to see a doctor. I waited months and months knowing something wasn't right. Check out www.fertilityfriend.com. I think they have a new rule about being a member to go into the message boards, but it's cheap. They have been a GODSEND to me.

It wasn't easy hearing the word "infertility". I went through a battery of tests, some of which were unpleasant. We also discovered DH has problems, so we've been hit twice. Clomid worked for me, but because of DH's problems it was useless. I've had 2 IUIs - they both failed.

I just knew something was wrong. The doctor pretty much just confirmed it for me. I don't know how I knew, but I did.

I also never wanted kids.....then I woke up one day and something in me was different. I can't believe I'm going to these lengths to have kids.

The ultrasound isn't bad. I've had them pretty much daily for the last 5 months. There is a lot of blood involved. Your doctor might have you do a Glucose Tolerance Test. The worst test for me was the HSG to check my tubes and uterus. That wasn't fun at all....but, it was fast.

Good luck and feel free to PM me if you want.

 

[SEAlla]

Just wanted to say "HI"

I wish I had an answer for you. My DH and I are also 32. We have been trying for #1 for 3 years now with 2 miscarriages (Endo). I can understand how hard it is.

I recommend www.ovusoft.com. They are so helpful there.

Good luck and hang in there.

 

[Christine]

I probably don't know the right words to make you feel better but I just wanted to say that 11 years on the pill is a VERY LONG TIME. Not saying that in a bad way. Your body has to figure out now how to ovulate on it's own AND do it regularly. For some women, this can actually take up to a year. The effects of the hormones in your body linger for several months. Not that they are in there working or anything--they just have effects.

I agree that it is ALWAYS the right thing to see your doctor, but don't be surprised if they find "nothing." It may just take awhile to regulate.

 

[diznygirl]

3 1/2 months is not infertility. So stop worrying. And relax until you've had a chance to talk to your dr. Your body prob just hasn't had a chance to get back to normal yet.

 

[mtblujeans]

I feel as though you are going thru exactly what I did when I remarried. I got a basal thermometer and charted myself every morning. I also got a measles vacination update and waited for 3 months after that before trying/starting because measles was going around at the time and I was terrified of catching measles while pregnant. I am a very thorough trip planner but I think I planned that first pregnancy more thoroughly than I have ever planned anything as I was really eager to get that second family started since we had both hit our 30's!

I kept that basal thermometer for both of my last pregnancies. I had had 2 girls my first marriage and wanted at least one boy.....we ended up with 2 sons!

 

[KimR]

After going off the pill to try to conceive my 2nd DD it was a full year before I ovulated again, and I had always been very regular before. Sometimes it just takes a while for your body to get back in sync. Based on your irregular cycles it does sound as if you are not ovulating but the good news is that failure to ovulate is very easy to fix. Also, there is a drug called letrizole that is now being used for ovulation induction that is easier to tolerate than clomid...I have used both and much prefer letrizole. Good luck to you.

 

[pjpoohbear]

I have really odd length periods/cycles, but if I am reading right you've been counting form the last day of your period to the start of your next one, right?

If so then you might be counting wrong and providing your doctor with sckewed information, a cycle is from the first day of your period until the day before your next period starts, you should then be testing for ovulation 9 to 15 days from the start of your period, not from the end of your period. By 9 days after your period, you should just be about past ovulation.

I have PCOS and have to keep a calendar of my cycle, for cancer, cysts, etc. So have been doing the cycle tracking for years, I dread the time when I think about having a baby, There has been no rhyme or reason to my cycle for 8 years now, I can go from a 15 days cycle to a three month cycle. I have to take the pill if I what to be on a set schedule, but it makes me sick.

Good luck and joyful thoughts
Penny

 

[Pea-n-Me]

It sounds like your body is trying to get back in the swing of things. I agree to try not get too worked up about it at this point; odds are on your side that you'll be able to get pregnant on your own.

Here are some articles which may be helpful to read before your appointment.

Normal Menstrual Cycle http://www.webmd.com/hw/healthy_women/tn9931.asp

Getting Pregnant Faster http://www.webmd.com/content/article/76/90086.htm

Remember, you ovulate appx 14 days before the onset of your period. Sperm should be present before ovulation, but not too far before. (This is why the ovulation kits are preferable to the thermometer - temperature rises after ovulation). Without the kit, you can "guesstimate" when you ovulate by looking at your cycle history average.

Remember, try to keep it fun and not clinical as best you can. BTW, my twins are IVF babies. Good luck.

 

[Jennifer S]

I agree - you need to relax. Your body is going through a big change by going off the pill after so long.

We tried for DS #2 for two years. Iwas 32 at the time. The older you get (for some) it gets harder to get pregnant. For DS #1 it was 4 months- when I was in my 20's.

Most likely you will get pregnant but it takes time and it;s hard but you need to be patient. Getting upset isn't going to help you.

Go to your appt. tom. and you'll get some answers. Good luck!!

 

[puffkin]

After I went off the pill in Feb, I started charting. I got a period in May, but it was extremely light. It took me 60+ days, and I am pretty sure I didn't even ovulate. I continued charting, and due to various factors, I believe I ovulated at about 50 days and we therefore knew when to try. It worked, and here I am almost 23 weeks pregnant. I never got a real period from February until I got pregnant.

Now, I am younger than you (25) and was on the pill a shorter time so that might have made a slight difference. I wouldn't worry too much yet. The pill really messes up your system when you go off of it. If I wouldn't have been charting, I would have been freaking out.

I would recommend reading the book "Taking Charge of Your Fertility". Someone on here recommended it to me and I am glad I read it. It really provided some good information, and apparently worked for us since it appears I got pregnant the first time I ovulated after the pill.

 

[puffkin]

oops, double post.

 

[mookie]

One of the things you might want to discuss with your doctor is your luteal phase. This is the time between when you ovulate and when you expect your period. In order to sustain a pregnancy, you shoud have a minimum of 11 days in between that time. If you don't, your likelyhood of miscarraige is greater. This could also be what's happening, and causing your period to start sooner. Obviously, there are so many factors, it's really hard to speculate.

I would recommend going to see your dr. They can do a 21 day (or 7dpo) blood test to determine if you've ovulated. You might be ovulating, but your ovulation window might be so short, that if you are only testing once a day you might miss it. This test will at least tell you if that's the case.

Hang in there. It's really tough to say that someone is going to go off the pill and have miraculous regular cycles. It takes time for that to happen. You might just need to be patient. I know that's so hard to hear, and trust me, I didn't want to hear that, either, but your body does need a chance to work itself out. I'm finally pregnant with my 2nd, after months and months of testing for several fertility issues, so I know how hard it is. Hopefully you have a supportive and aggressive OB that will help you and not make you wait the standard "year" that most do before they'll start to aggressivly look into why you aren't getting pregnant.

All of these girls here have great advice, and Fertility Friend and Taking Charge of Your Fertility is awesome. I also check in to fertilethoughts.com, and idreamofbaby.com....they also seem to have some active boards.

Either way, good luck to you, and hang in there. I'd be also happy to help if you have any questions, feel free to PM me anytime. Keep us posted on what the dr. says!

 

[JenDaveBrendan]

I just went through pretty much the same thing. I came off my BCP after being on it for about 5 years, when we decided we wanted another child. Well, my periods were really messed up, some months being a really long cycle, and others being really short. I was convinced that there was something wrong with me and I wasn't ovulating. But, lo and behold I did get pregnant about 6 months after coming off BCP (sadly, it recently ended in miscarriage). The dating for the pregnancy was way off from what it "should" have been (according to the 28-day cycle, ovulating on day 14) I actually ovulated when I "should" have started my period, so my ovulation was about 2 weeks off.
Definatly do the ovulation kits, and keep track of when you have sex. (It would help in dating a pregnancy) Also remember you have only been off BCP for 3 1/2 months - after being on them for a long time. It could take your body awhile to regulate. So, don't get discouraged!!
So back to trying for us too! At this point though, I don't even know when to expect my period (I just finished bleeding from the miscarriage)
good luck!

Jen

 

[7beasley]

Thank you so much for all of your wonderful replies and advice and good thoughts

 

[Disney Doll]

OK, first of all...chill!!!!!!!!!

For 11 years your hormones were being controlled by an "outside" entity (the BCP). Now your body has to figure out what the heck to do again!!!! I am not surprised that things have been irregular. Give yourself some time. I mean, go see oyur doctor because it will make you feel better, but stop all the ovulaiton predictors, basal temps etc. until you have been off the BCP for at least a year.

When DH & I started trying to get pregnant, they wouldn't really even entertain the idea of infertility until we had been trying for one year.

Relax...I know you hate to hear that, but you must relax about it. If it is meant to be it will be, and if it's not, you'll deal with it. So relax.

 

[Buckalew11]

To make you feel better (maybe) my oldest sister was on the pill 13 years before getting pregnant. It takes the body awhile to get regulated.
I was on the pill for 7 yrs. before deciding I thought I wanted a baby. I was still scared to death of the idea when I went off the pill! I went back on the pill after having DD and was on for several more years beofre I went off again about 2 years ago. My ovulation time is never the same, never 1/2 through or anything. When I went off to get pregnant my periods were about 33 days apart. Ovulation at the time I got pregnant was on day 11! Had I waited too long to try, it would have taken me forever to get pregnant. Since I have always been able to tell when I ovulate, it made it much easier (first try). I think getting the ovualtion predictor thing will really help you out. Best wishes to you. I hope your wishes come true!

 

[AllyandJack]

I agree with the poster who said not to let some doctor tell you to wait a year. My family doctor told me to relax....that it takes normal, healthy couples 6 months to conceive and not being pregnant for a year was normal (he's great, but he's not a GYN). I went to my GYN and he did the blood work based on the irregularity. If I had listened to my family doc, I would have sat on my hands for a year. Chances are, nothing is wrong. But, if it is, you don't want to wait a year to find out when you could have the knowledge and be working toward a solution within that year. Simple bloodwork can be done on Day 3 of your cycle that gives a TON of information.

I found the Clear Blue Easy Fertility Monitor REALLY helpful during my IUI cycles. It's expensive, but it was really accurate with me and that's no easy task!

 

[Microcell]

I probably don't know the right words to make you feel better but I just wanted to say that 11 years on the pill is a VERY LONG TIME. Not saying that in a bad way. Your body has to figure out now how to ovulate on it's own AND do it regularly. For some women, this can actually take up to a year. The effects of the hormones in your body linger for several months. Not that they are in there working or anything--they just have effects.

I agree that it is ALWAYS the right thing to see your doctor, but don't be surprised if they find "nothing." It may just take awhile to regulate.

I was thinking the same thing, and as far as irregularity, I was irregular always, unless I was on the pill. It is hard to get pregnant, but not impossible when you are irregular. DH and I got to thinking of the conception as a chore. All I can tell you is I usually started trying about fifteen days after the start of my period ( mine have always lasted 7 days) and tried every other day until day 20 or 22. I was on the pill about four years and it took us 8 months after I went off to conceive.

Hopefully you will be like me, ever since I had DD I can feel it when I ovulate, like a cramping around 8 days after the end of my cycle.

Good luck, and trust that your body is trying to self regulate.