Any other irregular gals out there?? Let's stick together! (TTC#1 FORUM))

[MEPride]

Congrats Inkedlady88! Crossing my fingers for an anniversary baby! Happy anniversary!

 

[2ducks]

Inkedlady88, yay! My lp was 9 days last cycle. It is said that 10-14 days for an LP is normal. I am glad you are starting progesterone. Good luck!

CanadianLady- 26 days is a short cycle but that seems that your body is starting to regulate. Some women naturally have really short cycles, the benefit is that they ovulate more often. Good news about a strong period is that you had a strong ovulation and have a good uterine lining. Hopefully next cycle things will be more predictable for you with your meds.

MEPride, did you end up calling your doc?

 

[2ducks]

Positive OPK this morning, we are in business!!!!

 

[Ursaula]

Yay inked lady and 2ducks!

Sorry I haven't updated in a bit. I'm assuming my blood test was negative as the doctor never phoned me. On the other hand, I took a test as well as an opk. The pregnancy test came back negative, but the opk was almost positive. So I'm assuming I'm ovulating soon instead of on cd14.

 

[Inkedlady88]

Day two of progesterone (100mg vaginally twice a day). I feel like I'm going to lose my mind. I feel more emotionally and mentally unstable on this than I do on just Clomid. Really hoping this works this month. I'd really hate to see how far off the deep end I'll go if it doesn't...... My poor, poor husband.

 

[k8nz]

Hi ladies, jumping in with my irregular cycle experience.

I was on BCP (Yasmin) for 11 years. Prior to BCP my periods were heavy, but regular. Approx. 4 years ago I took a break from BCP while hubby was working in Hong Kong and everything resumed normally. I'm now on CD80 (approx. - I lost count) and still nothing.

I know my body well enough to know when something's not right. I saw two doctors and had blood tests done that came back normal. Overall the doctors were pretty unhelpful, saying because I'm reasonably young (28) I don't need to worry. I don't know about you ladies, but that annoyed me so much! I don't want to have to wait around just because I'm still considered young.

Anyway, I booked in with a fertility obgyn and saw him yesterday. He was fantastic and he did an internal scan. It turns out I have PCOS. So, I'm on day 2 of provera, which will be followed by a round of letrozole. I'm nervous but excited to be doing something more proactive, it's a step in the right direction I think.

I said to the doctor yesterday, you spend your teens and early 20s trying to avoid pregnancy, then when you want to get pregnant you realise how difficult it can be!

 

[2ducks]

k8nz- seriously, if i knew how hard it would be to get knocked up I wouldn't have panicked every time I was late taking a pill! I am so happy that you are starting a plan. All of my blood work is normal, I am a healthy weight but I don't ovulate or have periods on my own so obviously something wasn't right. I also have PCOS. I am on my second round of Clomid.

InkedLady- I am so sorry that you are having such bad side effects. I wonder if next cycle trying a natural progesterone cream versus what you are taking now would be more helpful. Hopefully you will get a BFP and wont have to worry about this again!

Positive OPK yesterday, negative this morning. I suspect today is ovulation. Timing should be really good this cycle. I think with all my extra efforts (fertility massage, acupuncture, herbs, supplements for LP, castor oil packs) we have a good shot this cycle. I also am taking an expectorant pill every four hours, last cycle I only took one a day but I think I need the extra boost for my CM.

Ursala- I'm glad your OPK is almost positive, hopefully it turns positive today or tomorrow!

 

[CanadianLady]

So we start the next phase. I got my fx for 2.5mg Letrozole and start today. Af started last Thursday but had bloods and ultrasound this morning and they want me to count today as cd 3. So 5 days of meds and back on the 23rd to check on my progress. Fingers crossed!

 

[MEPride]

Good luck ladies!!

2ducks
I'm interested in hearing your experience with acupuncture. How often did you go and has it helped? I have an appointment with an acupuncturist in July but my insurance isn't the best with coverage. It'll cover some but not all.


I'm feeling rather discouraged tonight. CD53 and no sign of O or AF. I called my OB/GYN who gave me 2 options I hate: take a pack of Ortho tricyclin or wait it out. I refuse to go back on BCP unless absolutely necessary. I spent 10 years on them and suffered through heart palpitations, increased heart rate, migraines, insomnia, an constant irritability. It was like being reborn in a new body when I stopped BCP and realized I didn't constantly feel like crud anymore. I am calling her back tomorrow to see if there is anything else to take.

I think more than anything I am feeling utterly helpless. No caffeine. No alcohol. Low dairy. Low gluten. No yummy desserts. So many veges I feel part rabbit. I run between 15-30 miles a week. Healthy body weight.

And I still can't ovulate. This lack of control over my body is maddening and depressing.

I do everything right so why can't I ovulate and get pregnant when a woman who does everything wrong can?

Definitely experiencing my first really low moment in a long while tonight. 😢

 

[joy8751]

Hi Everyone!

MePride, I so much understand your frustration in this wait day after day, I have now been ttc for 1 year and a half, and my cycles are getting shorter (120days at the begining and now, about 35-55 days which is better). I strongly advise you to look at mint tea, I am sure it helped me regulating my hormones...

Joy, I am so happy that Clomid is working for you! I hope this 2ww ends up for the best for you!

On my side, as all possible tests showed that physically, everything is ok for me and my husband, the only thing wrong are my hormones messing everything up with looooong cycles but very short lp, my OBGyn finally decided to start Clomid.
I just had a positive opk yesterday so I should have my period in the next 8-9 days, and then, I will be starting Clomid! I am excited and scared too.

My ObGyn wants to monitor thecycle so I have to see her in between cd10 and cd 14 though.. Joy do you alse have to see your doc on cd10-14?

I wish you all the best!

 

[2ducks]

CanadianLady- Fingers crossed that these meds are what you need!

MEPride- I am not sure if acupuncture is helping or not to be honest. I think it probably is helping, I know that acupuncture alone did not restart my cycles. I think it will help support what the Clomid is doing. Look up and see if there are community acupuncture clinics in your area. You pay on a sliding scale and have your session in a room with other people. Of course you would review the fertility stuff behind closed doors! Another question, you are running 15-30 miles a week (that is amazing btw), I wonder if you have enough body fat? Try increasing healthy fats like avacado and olive oil to help with your period. Also, ask your doc to do a progesterone withdrawal versus the birth control pack. Its 10 days of pills and then your period usually starts 2-14 days after the last pill. Although, there may be a reason your doc wants to do the Ortho, like you might need the estrogen?

Joy- I am happy you are starting Clomid! It is the only thing that has worked in starting ovulation for me thus far. Good luck!

 

[MEPride]

Joy- thanks 😄 I've been drinking mint tea but not religiously enough to make a difference. I may just try that and see. Diet has made the biggest difference for me. Before I went on BCP I had NO clue as to when or if I ever O'd. AF was a mystery. 3 months, 2 months, 6 months.... Never the same. I stopped BCP last October and immediately started my new diet regimen and in Dec I'm 90% sure I had a CP. that was the only month I knew I had a strong O with EWCM. Timing was perfect. Early symptoms. But I never took a HPT to confirm. Cycles since then varied 27-48 days. Then I went to Ireland and my diet fell apart for a month. And now we are on CD 60 something and no sign of O. I now know that my diet affects my cycle HUGELY. And I won't be making that mistake again. I can't take this never ending wait.

2ducks- thanks for the input. I figure it can't hurt to try acupuncture. Especially now knowing insurance covers it. I did ask my OB/GYN's nurse about provera, stating my concerns about taking MORE birth control. My OB/GYN is out of town until Wednesday so I have to wait until then. The nurse didn't think it would be an issue. When it comes to body fat, I should have plenty. My BMI as of now is 21, within the healthy range. I eat plenty of healthy fats every day as part of my morning smoothies and meals. I eat very healthy. For example, my morning breakfast was a smoothie with kale, Swiss chard, blueberries, almonds, raspberries, and almond milk. Lunch was a salad with chicken, cucumbers, peppers, broccoli, and dinner was blackened salmon with a quinoa salad. I take my prenatals. I take my metformin daily. This is why it frustrates me so much. I can't be much more perfect than that..... Thanks for telling me about the progesterone withdraw. I'd much prefer that than BCP

 

[2ducks]

MEPride- Hopefully your doc will be ok with the progesterone withdrawal. Your meals yesterday sounded awesome, I got hungry just reading your menu! I have been slacking on my diet a little. I am not eating gluten or sugar but I am not eating as many veggies as I had been. The problem is I am home for a month on FMLA and I have been being lazy. When I pack my lunches for work I am super healthy but I have been a little lazy at home, like having brown rice pasta for lunch and thats it. I go back to work in another week and a half so that will work itself out. I admire you runners, I have never liked running. I like doing exercise classes and DVDs but I could never get into running. Every time I go for a jog I swear I have been gone for 30 minutes and I check my watch and I have been only running for like 8 minutes!


I am 8dpo, tested early this morning BFN but it is obviously a little early to be testing!

 

[Inkedlady88]

So I'm 12 dpo with stark white bfn's. I'm still taking the progesterone twice daily, just on the off chance that I'm just a late implanter. Reality is setting in though that this second Clomid cycle probably didn't work either. Starting to feel depressed and defeated. I'm fairly certain at this point, IUI with a wash or IVF are going to be the only possible options for us to actually conceive. With OH's mediocre sperm and my PCOS, I think we're just spinning our wheels at this point. Might contact the clinic today or tomorrow and ask if I should continue the progesterone or stop so I have a withdrawal bleed. After this month, I'm not sure where we'll go from here. I'm potentially leaving my current job, which would mean I would lose the infertility coverage, but could possibly have fertility coverage with the new job as it would be working for a hospital. I have an interview tomorrow, so we shall see. I'm trying not trying to get my hopes up with anything anymore.

 

[2ducks]

Inkedlady I am so sorry that things aren't working out for you....I'm glad that you are looking ahead and coming up with some new ideas. Again, so sorry for everything. Good luck with your interview. i hope that the insurance is better and the job is better!

 

[ILoveme29]

hello ladies, and I have to say but sadly thank god I finally found a thread with others who have the same issues conceiving as me. Its unfortunate and again im sorry we have this hard journey.

I will go back in the thread to catch up. but was hoping I would be able to join in?and then I can briefly tell you all about my situation

 

[MEPride]

Welcome ILoveme29! We love greeting newcomers to share in our experiences with one another! In my short time here I've come to rely on this thread. It's not only been a wealth of information and the ladies here are terrific. We should never feel alone in our tough journey and I've never felt alone while being a part of this thread. What's your story?

InkedLady- I'm sorry to hear this cycle might not work out for you. How incredibly frustrating. It's good to hear you're thinking ahead and I wish you the best of luck on your interview! I'm quite jealous that your insurance covers fertility treatments. Neither my husband nor my insurance covers it. It is literally a nightmare of mine thinking about what would happen if it came down to some of those pricey options. I'm not sure my husband and I could do it financially. It might come down to the decision whether or not to have children at that point and it terrifies me.

2Ducks- my OB/gyn prescribed me the progesterone withdrawal. I started it today. I take it for 10 days but does the withdrawal bleed happen right after I stop the pills or does it take a few days? Also, should I be expected horrible PMS like symptoms? Haha, I told my DH right before taking the first pill, "honey, I will apologize ahead of time if this turns me into a raging b***h." I hope that's not the case. Supplemental hormones and me don't get along very well.

 

[Inkedlady88]

Thanks 2Ducks & MePride. If it weren't for my insurance covering any of this fertility journey, I can assure you, having children by way of IUI or IVF would not be an option for us due to financial reasons. I'm hoping and praying we won't have to go all the way though.


So today was rough. I had a good crying jag in the shower while trying to get ready for work. Then once I was at work, I made it 15 minutes into my shift before a customer (who happens to be a friend.) inadvertently made me cry, by asking how we were doing and if we had any luck yet. It wasn't his fault. He immediately regretting saying anything and apologized profusely. I did my best to hold back tears while I finished waiting on him and then quickly made my way to the back room where I lost it and cried. I called my fertility clinic and talked to my nurse for a bit. I asked how long I should continue to take the progesterone and whether we should keep medicating next cycle and trying naturally or if we should just advance to IUI. I told her that today was a bfn, but she said they want me to continue the progesterone until 16 dpo and test then. If it is still a bfn, then I discontinue the progesterone and wait for the withdrawal bleed. This is so exhausting. Poor OH made the mistake of asking why I seemed down today and have seemed down every day lately. He didn't realize he was poking the bear and got an earful.

On an interesting note: I experienced a very light amount of light brown spotting. It was barely anything, and I don't know if it's just due to the progesterone, so.... Who knows. Trying not to get my hopes up that it could be IB. Going to try to give up testing until Sunday.

 

[2ducks]

Iloveme29 welcome! I read your signature, looks like you have had a tough ttc road.

MEPride- I had zero side effects from progesterone pills except tender breasts which I get in my LP due to high progesterone. If you get severe PMS than in your LP than you may get side effects, plus it sounds like you are sensitive to meds anyway. It can take anywhere from 2-14 days for the withdrawal bleed to start. I have done three withdrawals, my first time it started in a couple days. This last one took like 10 or 11 days, I was very impatient.

INkedLady88 Did the nurse have an opinion on changing to IUI or is this something you have to discuss with your doc?

 

[ILoveme29]

@MePride thank you so much, yes and others who can relate and understand exactly how I feel.

@2Ducks thanks for the welcome, im hoping my journey as well as other ladies experiencing the same, will end sooner than later it is very tough

AFM I had a MMC in August and the started TTC again in OCT-Jan with iui's no success.
This month is my first AF since Jan 22nd thanks to provera. I feel I missed out on so many months due to no AF it is so stressful. Today is CD7 for me and decided I will try naturally this month. I go to see a new specialist (my fourth in two years) hoping she can help me. In the past I was told my follies do not grow past 11mm (immature) I don't know what I can take naturally to help me with that any suggestions? or has anyone have had the same experience? I still surge on my own but no official O. its very confusing for me