Despair: 18 day cycles - presumably I'm not ovulating??

[kitstwins]

Brief history: Twins conceived through IVF (ICSI) due to male factor issues. Got pregnant when twins were four months old only to miscarry at around 7 weeks. Half-hearted contraception for the rest of the year ('withdrawal' method) and then used nothing. Twins are now 2 1/2 and we are actually trying to get me knocked up. Tracking my ovulation (not hard as I'm pretty good at recognising the signs now and I use Persona) and having regular sex.

So far, nada. Husband has made noises about going to have his sperm tested again but doesn't seem keen and I don't want to push it. However, I've recently started getting cycles that only last 18 days before I get my period. This has happened twice in the last five months so not every month or disastrous but it's a bit annoying. Does this mean I'm not ovulating on these months? I'm not getting my usual signs (increased EWCM, giant spots on my chin, etc., etc.) so it would seem to imply this.

If so, why? Never had this before and surely it can't be my age. I'm 36! I don't think it would bother me unduly if it was only a one off but twice in the last five months is odd. I've never had this before in my whole ovulatory 'life' and yet now I've had it twice in five months.

Any thoughts? I watched the 'Great Sperm Race' last night and found it totally demoralising. Husband's sperm doomed to failure and I'm not even producing a f*cking egg!

God, it's boring. Back trying to have a baby and failing at it. More ashes in the mouth. Sometimes I'd just love to know what it's like to decide to have a baby with your lovely husband and three or four months later get a positive pregnancy test.

Any thoughts on these short cycles and what I can do to remedy them would help. Toying with the idea of starting acupuncture again but it's TIME (work, children, etc.) - a commodity in short supply at the moment.

Thanks in advance.

[Zil131]

I'm no expert in this - now in 4th month of TTC....
Have you used your Persona / temperature chart? This should tell you how your cycle splits pre and post ovulation. Having decided Persona sticks are too expensive, I can now spot the fall and rise of body temp which suggests to me I am ovulating. It also tells me my second half is 10 days, so I am taking Vit B6 and Agnus castus to try to lengthen this, to give any fertised egg a better chance at sticking.