TTC #1, cycle 13 and fed up! Whose with me?

@lucyrp I may look into again. I did briefly but it looked like a bit of a pain and I’m sure I’d forget to do it half the time.

@Rosie189 temping is really the only way of actually confirming bbt. Its better than using OPKs. I'm also with you on the standstill as il waiting for a fertility referral/ gynae referral and it could take ages. The doctor said 6 weeks normally but could take longer because of Covid so I'm ringing this week to check up on it. Been ttc since august last year and getting fed up of it. I was on the depo injection until June and the shot wore off in august and my periods returned in December. I'm normally 30 day cycles and they were like that for 3/4 cycles then I got pregnant but it was a chemical pregnancy and that was in may. Since then I've had ridiculous long cycles they were 72, 47, 59 days and I thought I was ovulating on CD15 because that's when I picked up a peak on my CB ovulation sticks but I clearly wasn't as they were such long cycles.

@CurbsideProphet sorry to hear that. Sounds so stressful and emotionally upsetting. Hopefully you’ll get some answers at the specialist appointment. Considering going private for some tests. Haven’t spoken to DH about it yet. For me this is an abnormal cycle and in general cycles have been good all year so a bit frustrating.

@lucyrp I haven’t ever really looked at temping. I came off the pill 2.5 years ago and for other health reasons. Initially periods all over the place. Since the start of the year cycles have been between 25-35 days and Past 6 months I’ve used ovulation sticks to confirm ovulation, often start around day 8 but sometimes dip in and out and may use just when I have change in CM. This month no peak ovulation stick and no sign of ovulation so knew the test would say that but just feel rubbish. Also just feel we’re now at a bit of a standstill. Can’t get SA done till jan as no appointments before then and who knows if the jan one will happen. If I have to wait 3 weeks after my next cycle then probably looking at another 10 weeks till I get day 21 bloods again judging on how my cycles have been when this happened before. So 10 weeks to then maybe get referred for who knows how long a waiting list to see gynae. My dr said would refer to gynaecologist and then from there would refer to fertility specialist so feels like it could take a while.

@Rosie189 just a thought, have you ever tried temping ?? I thought I wasn't ovulating and felt really defeated when I got my day 21 bloods back. The levels were supposed to be over 30 and mine were like 0.3 or something. I've tried temping in cycles before but got so fed up after CD30 but this time I powered through and I managed to pin point ovulation on CD45 with temping and I got AF 14 days later. Might be something to consider for you as I have up OPKs a while back as I'd never know when to start using them. I think I also had a 20 day cycle as I had some spotting for 6/7 days but can't confirm it so just taking this as a 59 day cycle

@Rosie189 it's all just rubbish isn't it 😔
I'm not ovulating and we've found out today DH has low morphology. We have an appointment at a private fertility clinic on Tuesday so we'll see what they say. We had originally assumed the problem was all me, so this is a spanner in the works. I'm trying not to panic google infertility and fees for IVF 😔

No. I think it was a nurse or receptionist who called today. Just said was to repeat bloods next cycle. I guess I go as if this is cycle day 3 and just book the bloods again for around 28days. Given that this isn’t a normal period I think I’ll probably end up with no sign of ovulation again. If I wait till I have a normal period that could be another 6 weeks and then 3-4 weeks after that for the bloods just feels like such a delay. I’m so certain I do have issues as my cycles are irregular and periods so heavy I would like referred to a gynaecologist and that’s been discussed for over a year as a next step in investigations. Just frustrating when I know any waiting lists will be so long especially due to covid.

Also don’t know why I’m so upset I knew it would come back saying I hadn’t ovulated but it makes it feel so real. Like no matter what this might not work for us.

I went for my day 21 bloods on Tuesday. I had some spotting on Sunday/Monday but stopped Mon evening. By Tuesday evening my period started. Although it’s been so light and almost stopped so not a normal period (normally very heavy and at least 7 days).

I knew I hadn’t ovulated this month with the short cycle and no peak on ovulation strips but got a call from the dr today to say bloods showed no evidence of ovulation. I’m crushed. I haven’t had a short cycle in a year (had a few days before) but basically ended up having a 20 day cycle this time.

Previously when this has happened I’ve then had a really long cycle last time it was 6 weeks.

All they’ve said is I’ve to book in for day 21 to 28 of my next cycle. Not sure if I should go with this “period” as the start of my cycle or wait until I have a more normal one. I was really hoping for a referral to gynaecologist due to irregular and heavy periods which is what the dr suggested if my bloods weren’t normal during my phone appointment.

DH got sent everything out for sperm analysis tried to book appointment and it’s not till January cause they’re not doing them just now.

Feeling pretty miserable about it all. Feel so broken.

@BeachPeach how awful that they didn't explain properly the arrangements for providing SA. My DH was so stressed about the whole thing I literally had to leave the house to leave him to it. I can well imagine he would have felt exactly the same as your DP if that had happened to him.

@BeachPeach that’s sounds frustrating but I think having a bit of time off can be refreshing in some ways.

I’m meant to be doing for my day 21 bloods on Tuesday. I have irregular cycles and so far no peak on ovulation tests and some spotting today. Worried I’m about to start my period and haven’t ovulated this month. Even more frustrating as DH been home for 2 weeks (works away) so should have been good timing wise for this cycle. Feeling a bit defeated. Also had to have a covid test luckily negative was sure with my luck would be positive and wouldn’t be able to go for bloods or get sperm analysis sorted for DH.

Hi All, just checking in again really, not been on here for a while. Thanks so much @CurbsideProphet for sharing the info from your specialist, really appreciate the info. @Theawkwardblonde are you feeling a bit better? I hope so.
We’ve fallen off the wagon a bit, AF arrived Thursday and DP had a fuck up with his SA last week, as @CurbsideProphet said, the ridiculous rush to get the sample to the hospital was really stressful for him. He got there and the receptionist refused to take the sample because he apparently needs to book an appointment for SA - something the GP never mentioned and knew nothing about when we called 🙄 DP is having a tough time with his mental health atm and this was sort of the final straw for him and really stressed him out, so we’re sort of “parking” TTC for now as it’s one of the things adding to his anxiety that he can control.
Obviously I don’t want to add to his anxiety, but not knowing why we’re not able to conceive is making me increasingly anxious 🙃 Can’t bloody win 😉
Hope you’re all doing ok x

@Theawkwardblonde I felt something wasn't right with my cycles changing, but I didn't know what. I get EWCM and assumed that meant I was ovulating. But apparently not. Very confusing! I'm really glad I asked another GP for a 2nd opinion and she did more bloods. There's a possibility that I haven't ovulated since last December and I wouldn't have even known.

@CurbsideProphet I've had a lot of problem with my GP so much so that I've put a formal complaint in and had to write an email etc. They've ran over the results with me a couple of times and mentioned the testosterone levels and something else being fine. Im fed up of ringing them to be honest they're probbalt like "oh no it's her thag complained AGAIN"

@Theawkwardblonde I was really surprised by what he said, as my original GP and a gynaecologist did not ask me about my weight or say anything about it. Their focus was on telling me I need to relax.

I put weight after my miscarriage in January, which was the crucial point apparently. I had gotten pregnant very quickly, but then my body just stopped ovulating.

If I was 30 I would spend 3 months losing weight to see if that worked before my NHS appointment in January. But as I'm 35 very soon and it's not guaranteed that losing weight would make me suddenly start ovulating again I'm going for the option of medication.

I don't want anyone reading this to really worry about their weight go on a crash diet.
I just thought it could be helpful to share that, as if you're waiting for a referral it would be better to know that this could be said to you and you'll be better prepared 💐

@lucyrp my bloods were apparently fine in May, but I asked another GP for a second opinion in September and when she ordered more bloods she included testosterone and androgen. So my other bloods looked fine, but the fertility specialist said that the raised testosterone shows that I'm not ovulating. Maybe it's worth checking which bloods were ordered? My original GP kept telling me everything is normal but it's now clear that isn't the case.

@CurbsideProphet that’s really interesting to know and something I never would have thought of. Thank you for sharing your appointment - fingers crossed for you in your next step now 😘 it’s nice to know we aren’t alone on this journey!!

@Rosie189 it won't the case for all women, but I just wanted to share what the specialist had told me. I hadn't realised that my fertility could reduce so much for the sake of "just" an extra stone. If you're waiting for an appointment at least it's something to focus on in the meantime?

Hi @Brightspark12 🙂
I just wanted to share what the fertility specialist has said to me. Obviously every woman is different. I had signs of ovulation (ie EWCM), but my bloods showed that my testosterone and androgen are raised which means I can't possibly be ovulating. That was a big shock after a GP and gynaecologist telling me that I just need to relax.
I'm 35 very soon which is why this is quite crucial now for me. I know it's easy for me to say, but if I was 29 I would definitely feel impatient yet time is on your side.

@CurbsideProphet that’s definitely interesting I probably have another half a stone to loose to have a healthy bmi I have lost half a stone during lockdown (not really on purpose) my cycles have been more regular this year. Maybe I need to focus a bit more on weight loss. I don’t look massively overweight but I’m probably a stone and a bit heavier than I was when I got married!

@CurbsideProphet all my hormones seemed to be fine on my bloods I had done ☹️ I did lose weight. I was a stone heavier and I lost that but I seem to have plateaud. Tried a different diet and that isn't working either. I just had a shock aswell I looked up my bmi which I knew was overweight already but not by much but it says the bottom end of the scale that is classed as a healthy weight is 7 stone 6 for my height and I was 8 stone 8 when I was 16 before I had my DS and I looked like a stick then and make myself feel ill when I look at pics but yet the nhs expect me to be a whole stone lighter than that even!