Clearblue Fertility Monitor Support Group Buddies Vol 3!!

Thank you so much for your support, it really means a lot (you guessed quite right justshaggy) and yes everyone I know in real has conceived in just a few months and has children. I have tried not being stressed for more than 2yrs now, and it is hard to stay relaxed when I know i have a high prolactin level when not stressed which is not high enough to treat but can stop me conceiving and low progesterone which makes ttc even more frustrating.

No, I have received no treatment at all, just 6mths of tests, and still they haven't tested to see if I have blocked fallopian tubes (hsg test) so I am sure I will get told they cannot give me anything until done that, so another 3mth wait.

Babyhoping - how did your dr's work out what you had problems with if you don't mind me asking? Glad you have possible solution for that.

All the best for those in 2ww right now. x

Justshaggy I do not have any of the docs in this computer but if you do a search with cortisol and porgesterone you will find something for shure. The deal is that to produce cortisol, the body used progesterone. There are several studies implying that stress can delay and prevent ovulation. To lead to a miscarriage, what doctors have been told me is that either you already have low progesterone (and stress exarcebates the situation) or it has to be a really stressful and continues situation. For instance, doctors agree that you can have a miscarriage if you have a death in your family which is a very high stress and transtorning situations. Normal work stress they do not think to be enough... at least that´s what they say. Another example, if you have stree when you are breatsfeeding you loose your milk... this is again due to a change in your hormone balance so yes stress has to affect it!

In my first miscarriage, I was working like crazy and I remember a few days before having it that I slept only 2 hours in one night... I could swear it was becuase of how much I was working but than doctors found out that I have this coagulation problem... What I´m sure is that it can not be good for sure...

justshaggy did you ever did any exams on coagulation problems? If you do a search for instance on baby aspirin, there are lots of woman who swear by it as having been fulcral to their healthy pregnancy. If by any chance you suspect of this, I would speak with my doctor and take baby aspirin as a prevention. Actually, they are now starting a study trying to relate it to avoid miscarriages and stimulate fertility (my doctor says that in my case it might also help on building up the uterus as there is an higher flow of blood.

BabyHoping, I'm the same as you and probably just like a lot of others in this thread too (which is why I say its a bit rich for me to give the 'relax' advice). I get very very very low about TTC. I managed to get PG twice last year, and had HUGE work stress etc etc, and miscarried both times. Plus my age being against me, plus ALL my friend now having their second babies, plus plus plus.... It's hard.

Like you, I went looking for papers and found one where a link between high cortisol (stress) and very early miscarriage was found. Do you have links to the stuff you found...?

However, my consultant told me stress didn't cause MC, but when I asked him if he thought acupuncture would help me with TTC he said 'There is no evidence but some of my patients swear by it, but the success is more likely to be because it helps them relax' and then told me I should spend my money on going on holiday instead. But he didn't realise, he effectively told me stress and not being relaxed DOES have an impact.

So I'm on a big stress reducation drive - I can't stop myself worrying so my head is still busy, but I can do all the things people say you should do and HOPE that doing that will have a positive impact that might make me worry less without me realising IYSWIM.

I think there IS a natural positive spin-off effect, for me anyway. So I would recommend anyone here feeling stressed or worried to go for it and give it a shot. I tell myself that even if I never ever conceive, at least I can look forward to being healthier and fitter

Very good advice justshaggy. Stress can really afect fertility and I was so puzzled abou iyt thta I looked for it in scientific papers a few months ago and whta I found out is that one of the stress hormones is built from progesterone, so when you are in stress, in order to produce one of the stress hormones, your body consumes the progesterone you have so this is one of the main reasons why it can delay or prevent ovulation, or even cause miscarriages in extreme situations. Also, I´ve read in lots of places that the food you eat is really important... for instance too many soya products can interfere with fertility or even eating meat which as we all know is treated with lots of hormones and can interfere with ours...

I´ve been looking to all of this things, and the thing I´m much troubled with is stress... I work a lot (12 to 16 hours a day) and we deal with a lot of stress. Also, TTC is really being hard on me and I think about it everyday, have dreams about it and really get a bit desperate...

Keziah, I feel quite worried about you, you sound so low. I really hope the consultant can help you with answers. It's GOOD news you don't have PCOS - that's really good - and the fact that your progesterone levels are low might be due to something else entirely other than the worst case scenario that your eggs are finished.

It's easy to tell you to not stress about this, and possily feels like a slap to hear it (at least, I find it difficult being told not to stress). But that's one of the best advice to be given, and I know the hardest to implement.

But when it comes to TTC stress can have a negative impact on hormone levels because, if I remember correctly (not sure I do!), the stress hormone cortisol can impact on your hypothalamus and the hypothalamus is responsible for regulating your hormone levels. (I'm not a doctor, but fairly sure if you google stress and ovulation you'll find stuff on the ins and outs of how stress hormones can impact on other hormones which in turn impact on ovulation).

As a matter of interest, I went to see a nutritionist recently and learned again how hormones can be affected negatively by bad eating - because again, the hypothalamus is the centre of regulating hunger hormones and if these are out of kilter they knock onto other hormones etc etc etc.

I haven't come close to learning the secret of 'not being stressed' myself, but I am so much better now than I was a couple of months ago. I got a real boost from someone I know who was 'infertile' and heading for IVF after more than 3yrs trying to conceive, and after radical lifestyle changes, including stress reduction, she conceived within three months. I'm now on that journey myself and it is helping me feel more positive about things.

I really hope all this doesn't come across as patronising to you, but I want you to know you have a lot to hope for. Also, I haven't yet met one medical expert or homeopath or anything who thinks my days are numbered with TTC - and hun, you're much younger than me: you have time to do this.

x

Morning, found you all again - I'm pretty rubbish with the whole search thing!

I like your new home - fingers crossed for a whole host of BFP's on volume 3!!

Boba - really pleased you can finally start a new cycle. Sending you all my best wishes xx

Today's stats:

Eggsovereasy TTC#1, Cycle 14, CBFM cycle 6, age 36, UCL 27-29, CD48
Willow1218 TTC#1, Cycle ? CBFM cycle 1, age 24, UCL 30, CD 46
Taytotayto TTC#2, cycle 1, cd 36
BabyHoping TTC#1, CBFM cycle 3, age 32, ucl 31-38, CD 34
Missyraines TTC1, Cycle 8, CBFM cycle 2, age 33, UCL 32, CD29
Pamsie ttc#1, cycle 12, CBFM cycle 1, age 32, UCL 28-32 CD26
Lychees TTC #2, Cycle 7, CBFM cycle 2, Aged 36, UCL 30-35, CD24
Shaggy TTC#1, cycle 3, CBFM cycle 3, age 38, UCL29, CD20
FlyingCat TTC#1, cycle 25, CBFM cycle 1, age 30, UCL 32+, CD19
vnewmummy TTC#2, CBFM cycle 3, age 41, UCL 26 -28days. CD 8
Nanny01 TTC#5 cycle 6 UCL 28 age 37 CD 8
Keziah TTC#1, cycle21, CBFM cycle 9, age 34, ucl 28-31, cd 3
Boba82 TTC#1 cycle 13, CBFM cycle 2, age 28, UCL 35, CD2
LorLa TTC#2, Cycle 7, CBFM cycle 1, age 29, ucl 26-28, CD?

Graduates:

Cyncan BFP 09/05/10
Cupc4kes BFP 08/05/10
Angelgirl BFP 08/04/10
Salander
Vikks

Sorry about your results, Keziah. Hope the four weeks pass very quickly. Try not to worry too much or to think the worse.

Saw gp tonight for results of 2nd round of blood tests - my progesterone level was even lower showing it was equivocal for ovulation, ie likely I am not ovulating. Scan showed I don't have PCOS - a long 4 weeks now till see consultant to see if they can do anything, am stressed I have no eggs left!

Ooh! Our new home ! Looks nice in here .

Glad AF finally turned up for you Boba. Good luck for this cycle!

And hoping that we get more BFPs on here soon.

Hi - welcome to all the people from vol 2 (and vol 1, but I wasn't on that one) and new people.
Some exciting bfp's at end of vol 2 - here is for positive start to vol 3

Well done you x