Long cycles and the tww

[HopefullyOpto]

Hi ksquared,

Thanks for the reply, yeah long cycles really do suck, I'm 12/13 dpo at the moment according to my chart and cd73, I think my long cycle this month has also been down to the fact that I was preparing for my wedding so stress could have been a factor. I did cave this morning and tested, a BFN of course, don't know why I expected anything else.
Might have to look into vitex, not sure you can get it over here. The NHS in the UK just doesn't really care about woman with PCOS, I got no advice whatsoever, just "yeah you have it"
Aaa well onwards and upwards I say, I hope we all get our BFP soon!

T

 

[ksquared726]

Sorry about the BFN . I know, it's heartbreaking. But congrats on your upcoming wedding! That at least should help keep your mind occupied. My TWW has been a 3 week window usually, so I feel like I'm always waiting for AF.

Vitex is just an over-the-counter vitamin, so I don't see why you wouldn't be able to order it yourself. You don't have to go through a doctor or anything. I hear it's popular in the UK. Worth looking into at least. For my 51 day cycle, that was my longest and it actually brought on AF the day after I took my first two capsules. I wasn't feeling AF coming, so I'm convinced it would have been an even longer cycle of I hadn't taken it.

Yes, onwards and upwards! FX for us all!

 

[ksquared726]

I searched the Amazon UK site, and this is the brand I ordered: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B0...SY200_QL40&dpPl=1&dpID=415fzWmtxOL&ref=plSrch

 

[HopefullyOpto]

Hi ksquared,

Yeah no BFP but equally no AF today, I think if it's not here by Thursday then I may become a tad suspicious... Not massively hopeful though.
Thanks for the link, definitely look into getting it, this month I started drinking mint tea (peppermint & spearmint) and within 3 days I got my elevated bbt which I think may have meant it triggered my ovulation. Heard lots of good things about it s

 

[HopefullyOpto]

*hit post to early
So I am going to continue drinking it for a few months and then if nothing then might try the vitex. All fun and games really, just wish I had a nice normal 28 day cycle like so many other women...

 

[ksquared726]

Wow, mint tea. I hadn't heard that but glad it seems to be helping!

I think I might be ovulating today or tomorrow. And today is only CD 12 so a week earlier than last time! Had some O pain an hour ago, and some eggwhite CM this morning. We BD yesterday morning so I hope it was enough! I'll make sure we BD tonight too just in case I haven't O'd yet.

 

[HopefullyOpto]

O pain is a good sign, it does say that the day after a +opk is still a good day for fertility so fx for you, let's hope in 2 weeks you get that BFP that you want
Good to see that your cycles are getting more regular. Hope your 2ww goes faster than mine. I'm 14DPO tomorrow and it's dragged so much!
O apparently mint tea (specifically spearmint) is good because it lowers free roaming testosterone levels which can be the reason your ovulation is delayed because the levels are too high. Read about it if you get a chance I hope the witch stays away tomorrow and for the next 9 months it would be really nice to get that BFP but I don't hold much hope just doesn't feel like I'm quite there yet...

 

[aidensxmomma]

So this just happened....

Three tests, all positive! Taking a digital in the morning!

Congrats Kburt!

Hi all,

Can I join the convo, I too have extremely long cycles because of PCOS, I'm currently cd72 and according to my bbt charting I am 10/11DPO, I'm symptom spotting like mad and I have been cramping since 4/5DPO (on and off) which means I don't hold out to much hope.

I am going to wait till Wednesday to test, if I can hold out that long (it's sooo very tempting)

Do you guys use natural remedies to help your cycles or are you guys on medication for it?

Hope I can join in with you guys, some moral support would be lovely, it can seem like such a lonely journey sometimes

T

Welcome!

I haven't tried any natural remedies yet and I'm also not on any medication. I have endometriosis and am going to my doctor tomorrow to see if there's anything that can be done about my long cycles or if I just need to tough it out.

Also sorry to hear that you feel out this month and got a bfn.

Ksquared - I'm glad your cycles seem to be getting shorter with the vitex. That's great news!

AFM - I am on cd 51 now and I had EWCM on January 17 and 18, so I'm thinking that maybe ovulated really late. I'm feeling pretty confident about it, so I'm officially in the TWW. It makes me feel a lot better knowing when I ovulated, too, because now I know when to expect AF (or a surprise BFP )

Honestly, this cycle has been hell and so, so stressful with how long it's been an the irregular bleeding that I had last week. But I'm feeling better now that I had so much ewcm which makes me pretty confident I finally ovulated (I really should start taking OPKs or charting )

 

[HopefullyOpto]

Hi aidensxmomma Hopefully you will find your doctors more helpful than mine, as they refused to give me any meds because my weight is within normal limits and I'm still relatively young I had to go to natural remedies, fingers crossed they work.
So you have other children, were they complete natural conception or with some help?
According to my chart I'm 14DPO at the end of today and currently no sign of AF... Because my cycles are so irregular I just don't know how to know if that's really what I am apart from the rise in bbt... Meh

 

[aidensxmomma]

Hi aidensxmomma Hopefully you will find your doctors more helpful than mine, as they refused to give me any meds because my weight is within normal limits and I'm still relatively young I had to go to natural remedies, fingers crossed they work.
So you have other children, were they complete natural conception or with some help?
According to my chart I'm 14DPO at the end of today and currently no sign of AF... Because my cycles are so irregular I just don't know how to know if that's really what I am apart from the rise in bbt... Meh

I'm wondering if my doctor is going to make me wait for 6 months of TTC before giving me any meds or if because my cycles are so irregular, she'll do it earlier. Fortunately, I have a good doctor who seems to take my concerns seriously, so I'm hoping for a good experience at the doctor's office today.

My other three children (and another pregnancy that ended in an early mc) were all natural conception. I actually didn't have any trouble conceiving the first three times. It did take a little over a year the fourth time, though, because my cycles were extremely long and irregular. I think it makes a difference, too, that I was quite young when I got pregnant. I was 16, 17, and 18 for the first three pregnancies and then my most recent pregnancy was when I was 20. So I feel like the more time goes on, the harder it's become to get pregnant.

Irregular cycles are really difficult to deal with, especially all the not knowing about where you are in your cycle and having to wait extra amounts of time. Sending you some

 

[HopefullyOpto]

Hi aidensxmomma Hopefully you will find your doctors more helpful than mine, as they refused to give me any meds because my weight is within normal limits and I'm still relatively young I had to go to natural remedies, fingers crossed they work.
So you have other children, were they complete natural conception or with some help?
According to my chart I'm 14DPO at the end of today and currently no sign of AF... Because my cycles are so irregular I just don't know how to know if that's really what I am apart from the rise in bbt... Meh

I'm wondering if my doctor is going to make me wait for 6 months of TTC before giving me any meds or if because my cycles are so irregular, she'll do it earlier. Fortunately, I have a good doctor who seems to take my concerns seriously, so I'm hoping for a good experience at the doctor's office today.

My other three children (and another pregnancy that ended in an early mc) were all natural conception. I actually didn't have any trouble conceiving the first three times. It did take a little over a year the fourth time, though, because my cycles were extremely long and irregular. I think it makes a difference, too, that I was quite young when I got pregnant. I was 16, 17, and 18 for the first three pregnancies and then my most recent pregnancy was when I was 20. So I feel like the more time goes on, the harder it's become to get pregnant.

Irregular cycles are really difficult to deal with, especially all the not knowing about where you are in your cycle and having to wait extra amounts of time. Sending you some

Yeah you were indeed very young when having your little ones, must have been a handful when they were all under a certain age!
Sorry to hear about your mc, I can't even begin to imagine what that is like, we are still in prime baby making age when we are in our 20's so I still hold some hope

It's nice to hear you have a good doctor who is understanding, I bet that makes all the difference I might go back in a couple of months if nothing seems to be happening and demand some more help. After all I have only had 3 cycles since August last year! Now I know that's better than some but it's not really great.
I can't wait to get my BFP, can't even imagine how that feels when you see it

 

[aidensxmomma]

Thank you

It was definitely a handful when my first two were young. They're only 16 months apart and I had my son shortly before my senior year in high school, so I was raising him and then I was pregnant on top of that the other half of my senior year. But it's been so worth all the hard times.

It definitely has made a huge difference to have an understanding doctor. The gyno I saw before my current one was absolutely horrible and basically told me that I was worrying for nothing and it couldn't be possible that I have endometriosis because I had kids. I'm so glad I switched.

It's the most amazing feeling to get that bfp! FX that you get to experience that feeling firsthand very, very soon.

 

[BabeAwait]

Hi ladies! I would like to join if that is alright with you. I am not in the 2ww yet but I am having looong cycles.

So a little background about me. I was diagnosed with PCOS very early at age 11. I started my period at 10 years old and because my mother has PCOS she had me tested. I was put on bcp at 11 to treat it. Fast forward to Nov 1 2014 at age 22 I got off the pill because my husband and I wanted to TTC in the new year. I stated charting on FF right away. My first cycle was 38 days long, I O'd on cd31 and had a very short 6 day luteal phase with lots of brown spotting

Now I am in my second cycle on CD40 still no O. My CM is all over the place, my advanced opk has said High Fertility for over a week, regular opks keep going from dark to light again and again, and once this cycle FF tried to say I O'd on CD11 but then changed it's mind after I didn't sustain the thermal shift long enough. It is all very frustrating and depressing. We have been almost every single day and I think we're about sick of each other

I've ordered Vitex and preseed off of Amazon in hopes they will help me reach that I am desperate for. FX

 

[ksquared726]

Hi BabeAwait! Welcome .

I'm sorry to hear about your PCOS and long, irregular cycles. It is soooo frustrating to be waiting all of the time. Haha, I don't think your husband is sick of you. Good luck with the Vitex! I feel like a spokesperson sometimes, but so far it's made a big difference for me. I'm not sure if I have PCOS but I do have an appointment with my OB/GYN tomorrow. Fingers crossed for us all!

 

[HopefullyOpto]

Hi BabeAwait and welcome to the thread!

Having PCOS can be soo very disheartening, it's ever so good that you were diagnosed so young and whilst being on BCP many things have advanced in understanding it more. As ksquared mentioned give vitex a go, if your as lucky as her it might start bringing your cycles more regular. It's difficult to know when first coming off the pill whether it's that or the PCOS that is causing the delayed ovulation, it can take a year before any normality returns to your cycles so don't get yourself down about it too much.
I have done massive amounts of research after I was diagnosed and there are a lot of self help remedies, try avoiding sugar as much as possible and anything high in starch (potatoes, white rice, wheat) this brings your insulin levels in check and can help dramatically!

There are plenty of other things that can help but I don't want to ramble on too much. I didn't ovulate to cd60 this month so don't worry to much at the moment, once the hormones balance you will ovulate, just a note though, because woman with PCOS have higher levels of LH it means OPK's are not always reliable because they detect an LH surge.
Fx we all get our BFPs soon!

 

[crazycatlady5]

Wow there are so many of us in the same boat here! I had no idea when I made this thread!

I'm now on 13dpo, af due this weekend. My breasts are really tender and the areola is enlarged and darkened a bit..... Which is really unusual for me. I haven't had a tonne of other symptoms and was feeling really Unhopeful until I noticed this last night. Hopefully a good sign?

I tested on Monday and bfn, it was just a grocery store cheapie though, not an early result or anything. I don't know when to test again.

 

[HopefullyOpto]

Hi crazycat, I am 14DPO so I suspect AF is round the corner, I also tested on Monday with a BFN, let's hope we don't see any AF's for a while and get the BFP's that we want
Changes to the areola sound promising though, have you been TTC for a while now?

 

[BabeAwait]

Thanks ksquared and hopefullyopto!

I know I may be impatient but it's hard. My biggest wish my entire life has been to be a mommy so now that were finally ready I can't hardly wait. I'm sure all you ladies know the feeling.

As far as the vitex goes do any of you take it during the luteal phase? I've read conflicting reports about whether it's safe or not because of potential pregnancy. Mine is still in the mail so I have time to decide before I start taking it.

 

[crazycatlady5]

I've been ttc since September. Got another bfn tonight so discouraging. It still doesn't feel like af is on it's way yet though either. I wonder if I'm still early, my app said it was due this weekend but I'm only cd41 and last cycle was 48 days. So maybe I've been early testing. I hope so anyway. Was also exhausted and nauseaus today and breasts were super tender.....

I don't know what to think!

 

[HopefullyOpto]

BabeAwait I think ksquared is the best person to ask about vitex. I think the issue is with any herbal or natural remedies is there is always going to be people it helps massively and people it doesn't help at all, so I think there will always be conflicting information. You might have to talk to a trained herbalist in order to get a more concrete answer.
Crazycat sorry to hear your still getting BFN, hopefully though it's just the case that your chart is slightly off and it's still early days as all the signs seem promising!
For me the witch reared her ugly head last night and I started spotting, my BBT also took a substantial dip this morning so I await her wrath today. Tbh I'm not too bothered about it, this is my first cycle (albeit long one) where I have temped and least I know that it was accurate and that my luteal phase was bang on 14 days.
Here's to a Valentine's baby! I'm hoping the tea will mean my cycle is not so long this time, now that the stress of the wedding has passed that might just be the case.
Fingers crossed for you crazycat, your not out until AF is here and I hear that some don't get there BFP until much later so Fx for you