Ovulation testing

[squirrelnutkins1]

Just been thinking about things... I won't bore you with all the history as I've done that on other threads but I had a day 21 blood test which showed I didn't ovulate, this was back last year sometime but my cycles vary in length between 24-33 days so gp said maybe I got the blood test done on the wrong day with it being a long cycle, or maybe my cycles are all over the place because I don't ovulate.

Fast forward to now. I've had my lap and HSG done.

Surgeon said to try for 3-4 months and if nothing happens then IVF.

Just wondering really whether I should push a bit more about testing if I ovulate. I really don't want IVF if I can help it. Obv the ideal would be for it to happen naturally but I've read a bit on here about Clomide that helps ovulation.

I have an appointment next week for my post op check. Wonder if that's something I should ask about?

Ttc 18 months btw and not a sniff of a BFP.

[mariethecat]

Heya have you tried having monthly scans to track follicle growth and release of an egg?? If you're not certain on IVF I would try that first - if the results show that you're not ovulating then at least you can go back to the doctors with the information and then they'll probably try you on medication which makes you ovulate?
Monthly follicle scans only available privately though I think - I had a few and they were around £200 a time x

[squirrelnutkins1]

Thanks for your reply. If your cycles arent regular how would you know when to have the scan? @mariethecat
It's all so complicated isn't it 🙈

[mariethecat]

If you are ovulating then around 8 days from the start of your period you should see a follicle which is larger and more dominant than the others - I would then have a scan 2 days after and then 2 days after that again to monitor its growth - it should grow around 2mm per day and then is usually released when it's around 20mm plus - once it's been released you can usually see on the ultrasound like an empty circle and this would show that ovulation has been competed. I know sooo complicated and I know more than I every really wanted to about my own reproductive processes! 🤣

[physicskate]

I had an ovulation tracking cycle. Cycles were 28-39 days. It was my first clomid cycle. Scans started cd 10 and were every other day until the dominant follicle had gone (which indicated ovulation) I think I had 4 or 5 scans... I then had bloods 7 days later which confirmed ovulation.

Be warned: clomid is serious. It caused me to grow a fibroid from nothing to 3 cm in 6 months (and I m still not happy about that). We too were unexpected pained but ivf worked for us.

[squirrelnutkins1]

Ah ok. Thanks for the biology lesson 😂Have you had any joy? @mariethecat

I've seen you @physicskate around these boards, always offering good advice 😊 glad you got a positive result. How long were you ttc before BFP?

I think, the same as every other woman, I want it to happen as naturally as possible.

I've got some pain in my left ovary today and I'm cycle day 8, but me being me I'm just thinking urgh the cysts come back or my tubes have reattached themselves to the bowel, the endo has had a super fast re growth etc etc 🙈 it's so hard to remain positive.

Also when you don't fully understand the process of everything it's hard to wrap your head around it. I get the basics of IVF but I don't know the intricates and all about the hormone injections etc etc and how you manage with being at work and all the appointments, esp if like me only one friend in the whole world knows what we're going through.

Someone randomly asked me today if I feel sad when I see people with babies!!

Sorry, I've had a bit of a ramble there haven't I!!!!!

Xx

[physicskate]

Had two chemicals in the first year. Then ivf worked for us (miraculously) first cycle at about the two and a half year point.

And thanks!! I do try to give facts as much as I can!! It's such a minefield and there's so much to learn (and a lot that science doesn't know!!).

[mariethecat]

@squirrelnutkins1 I had follicle tracking after a ruptured ectopic last year and due the risk of another we had tracking to establish which side was ovulating but after 9 months of ovulating but no luck we have moved onto ivf and had a freeze all cycle last month and will hopefully do a frozen transfer in a couple of weeks x

[mariethecat]

@squirrelnutkins1 with regards the ivf process I elected to go for mild ivf as after several miscarriages and an ectopic in the last 18 months I felt like my body had gone through enough and I was also wary of doing full ivf and taking the drugs which effectively put you in menopause (and make you feel awful!) before you then taking the stimulating drugs to make the eggs grow.

With mild ivf (we are with Create) you only start stimulating injections (stims) on day 2 of your cycle and then have a scan every other day from cycle day 6 with the eggs being collected around day 14 so only 12 days of injections compared to up to 6 weeks! You usually grow less eggs but they tend to be better quality and actually when I have compared my cycle to those that had full ivf I had the same number of eggs collected. I didn't find fitting it in with work hard as Create do scans at 730 in the morning so I could get in and done and then get to work without anyone noticing! I also didn't feel Unwell at all - no flushes sickness headaches etc - although I did get OHSS but that was just my bodies reaction.
I took one day off for egg collection but really I could have taken 1/2 day if I really wanted to

[Anaesthetist83]

Have you tried testing for your LH surge?

I’ve had 3 months of clomid and now moved onto letrozole as it was making my (previously ok) endometrial thickness really poor. I wasn’t ovulating prior to clomid. My first 2 cycles were with follicle tracking. Initially started at day 12 but didn’t ovulate until about day 20 so started later in the 2nd cycle. Both times, I got LH surges using both the clinic Clearblue ovulation tests and internet cheapies (Onestep). Both times, I had a good progesterone level 7 days post ovulation, and timing of this could be guided by the surge. For the 3rd month I decided to just use the LH surge guided by onestep tests. Whilst not successful, this has enabled me to work out when I ovulate. I’ve now switched to letrozole and month , had a surge on day 20 - I was scanned at day 12 which showed a 16mm follicle and a more reassuring endometrium but not scanned repeatedly.

Maybe try a similar approach?

[squirrelnutkins1]

@physicskate so true!!

[squirrelnutkins1]

@mariethecat thanks for the info. Sounds really interesting. I've no idea on the different levels of IVF. sounds kinder on your body. Did you have any cycles on the nhs or straight to private?

[squirrelnutkins1]

@Anaesthetist83 I've not tried that, no. I did try the clear blue ovulation thing where you get a smiley face but i got too discouraged because it was never smiley.

There's something called an Ava tracker that you wear at night, I don't know if it's worth buying one. They're about £200 though. It's an American thing but you get the odd used one on eBay.

[physicskate]

@squirrelnutkins1 - some people don't work with opks, or they don't work with a certain brand. I can't believe you haven't given this more of a go!!! I liked the cheap one step opks from eBay/ amazon. This, along with tracking bbt, and other ovulation symptoms like egg white cervical mucus and cervical position/ texture is where you should start!! Cervix should be soft and high around ovulation.

[squirrelnutkins1]

I feel like I've been told off we dtd pretty much every other day. I just couldn't cope with the extra disappointment, but I didn't think about one brand not working for me.
I've got a bbt thermometer so I'll start tracking that again.

[physicskate]

No no no!!! I'm not telling you off at all!!! I'm saying oh yay! There's another way for you to obsess about ovulation! Yippee!!!

Oh wait, maybe that's not so healthy - but just how I was! If you Dtd every other day any way, it doesn't matter when you ovulate... but it will tell you when to expect af??

[squirrelnutkins1]

😂

I need to know if I do ovulate tho so I should try using them again.

Everyone who's never had a problem says "just relax and it'll happen" but trying to track it all and dtd when you really don't want to and you have a crazy busy life, doesn't lend itself to relaxing 🙈

Will keep going 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

[Anaesthetist83]

I would say buy some of the cheapies and then check twice a day - from day 12 and carry on, at least for the first month. I was gobsmacked to have a positive at day 20 something the first time round, so it was worth persevering.

[MummyBearBoo]

Of you're having period you would usually have ovulated 2 weeks before you bleed my cycles are long and by using OPKs I found out that I usually ovulate CD 25/26 I wouldn't have known this so maybe try OPKs? X