To ask for success stories TTC with no/irregular periods?

[bee123p]

We're waiting for test results. Having periods every 2-3 months, if at all. I'm only in my mid to late twenties, and hadn't thought there was a rush to TTC, but now it's all I can think about. My mental health is suffering, as I didn't think we'd be in this position at this point in my life. Sat downstairs in tears.

Any success stories for people in a similar position?

You sound exactly like me, about five years ago. I've only ever had periods around every few months, with a 60ish-day cycle being the most "regular". Have you been on birth control? I had a coil and then found the first couple of months after having it removed, I actually had a couple of periods within 2 months, so it was like my body was kick-started with regard to reproducing! I also took evening primrose oil and we conceived on month 4. When I had the coil removed, I spoke to the doctors and they basically agreed that it may be hard to conceive but obviously I needed to try for a certain period of time before they would officially investigate. Over the years it's always been acknowledged that there were problems with my periods but a hormone imbalance was the only thing that they could diagnose, everything else came back normal, just really irregular periods being the only symptom! Please try and stay positive - time is on your side xx

Yes! I was lucky if I had one every 6 months. Turns out I had pcos. I now have 4 children! The first took a couple years on fertility drugs and an operation (ovarian drilling) but the next 3 I fell pregnant naturally.

That's encouraging AmIReading, thank you for replying. I'm so pleased that you managed to conceive in the end. I might be worrying over nothing at this stage.

I've always been on a regular, albeit fairly short, cycle. Only had one two-month stint on hormonal contraception in 2010. My periods just stopped in February, with one horrible 53 day bleed from the end of April and another 8-day at the end of June. Nothing since. I have horrible, horrible mood swings - hormones are tricky things!

Yes, me! Only I was in my 30s before I started trying (only met DH at 29). I managed to regulate my periods a bit by losing 2 stone (I have PCOS) and that, combined with sex every couple of days, mean that I got pregnant twice within a year despite having large cysts (we sadly lost the first baby but am now 20 weeks with the second pregnancy).

You have tons of time OP - over a decade! - and you've already started the process of fertility testing etc which can take some couples a year or two to get to. So you're doing all the right things! Plus there's so much that can be done for irregular periods - if my weight loss hasn't helped they would have looked at metformin, Clomid, ovarian drilling etc - lots of options. How long have you been trying?

Me! Average of 90ish day cycles, two years of trying. PCOS. Lost 10% of my body weight and had a HSG. The radiographer performing it advised having sex ten days after my period. I asked my GP to prescribe the tablets that bring on a period (I'm so sorry I can't remember the name!) as I wasn't risking yet ANOTHER 90 cycle after the HSG.

That was February last year and tonight I'm currently watching my nine month old DD sleeping in her cot on the baby monitor.

It's completely shit and isolating and all consuming when TTC isn't working. Stay strong and keep busy. The infertility boards here were a wealth of support for me.

Thank you Alpaca and Peachgreen! It's good to know that there are treatments out there. Congrats on your pregnancy Peachgreen!

I have one 6cm cyst, but I've been told that it's just the one, so not likely to be PCOS? They don't seem vastly concerned by it, but my symptoms are being treated as unexplained at the moment.

We haven't actually been trying, but weren't being terribly careful either. We've been together for ten years and have been talking about having a baby for a long time. I'm just getting my head round the idea of ditching everything to TTC properly now. They originally thought my issue was a polyp, which they have now removed, but the consultant said that the symptoms don't add up. It all came as a bit of a shock.

I'm very conscious of the fact that what we're going through is nothing in comparison to people that have been trying for months and getting nowhere. I just hadn't expected this to happen to us - I suppose nobody does! The consultant started describing ovarian failure when I brought up the issue of future fertility after the polyp removal. It had been fairly jovial up until that point, but then their faces went really serious and sympathetic.

Have they advised that you don't try while you're waiting for test results? My main takeaway from TTC (we tried for 2 years in total) was that you can never have enough sex. That sounds ridiculous but I think a lot of women expect - like me - that you stop using contraception and boom, pregnant. It comes from years of having the FEAR of not using contraception and unwanted pregnancy! Actually, we had sex pretty much every other day for 2 years and that's what it took to get us to where we are. I'd say unless the GP has advised you not to, start having a lot of sex at least as an interim measure! I really hope they get to the bottom of whatever's delaying your periods. Best of luck!

Thank you Coco - I've found Mumsnet to be a huge comfort through all this. Glad to hear you got your baby in the end.

PeachGreen - I think we might give it until the end of the month, when the results are due in. I'm having some job uncertainty at the moment, which doesn't help. You've described it well! It's strange to get your head round after years of consciously avoiding conceiving. I don't want to wait any longer, so will ask my consultant explicitly next time I meet with them. The wait is going to be horrible though!

Well I'd say try not to panic, in that case. It takes lots of women a year or more, and it can be hard work! So you haven't really started yet (I don't mean that in an unkind way at all, just that you don't need to think of yourself as having had trouble conceiving just yet). I hope the test results come back with good, easily fixable news.

I know what you mean, thank you. We could be at the beginning of a long journey, so I need to try and stay strong. Or it could be something easily remedied. Not a lot of point in getting worked up when it could be nothing. It's just hard to stop my mind running away with me!

Thank you again :)

I have always had irregular difficult periods due to a combination of factors including PCOS and endometriosis.
I came off the pill to TTC and my periods didn't start. It took 6 months on metformin and weight loss to get them restarted. I conceived within 6 months of them restarting. With DS2 I conceived without help after 9 months (I have just been referred to the infertility clinic and had to cancel the appointment . I know in my case stress does affect my periods so the referral might have helped me relax)

Thank you Chaz - congrats on your pregnancy! I know stress can be a huge factor. Hoping to sort out my job to help!

Sorry my post was a bit unclear I am not pg now. It should have said "I had been referred" not I have.
(Unless it was a Freudian slip and I am about to get a huge surprise )

I have PCOS and also DP had fertility issues, to put it mildly, multiple issues with his sperm) We were told that we had no chance without IVF, also that DP was fortuitous to have DSS. Today my five year old had a good day at school. That five year old that we had without IVF. Sod's law dictated that we conceived virtually right at the point I decided I couldn't stand DP and wanted no more to do with him. I don't advise that as a method for conception though!

Whoops, sorry Chaz, not meaning to congratulate you on children you haven't conceived!

Thanks Lesmcqueen. Hope your five year old has a good week back at school. We'll try not to get sick of each other through all the stress!

I have PCOS. As a teenager I had very heavy periods every 2 to 3 weeks. After several years on the pill my periods became irregular, like every 60-90 days and quite light.

Came off the pill 6 years ago. After 3 months I was put on metformin, and started exercising several times a week, to help the PCOS. I fell pregnant 3 months after starting that. In the 6 months of trying I only had 2 periods.

Started ttc again in April 2015. Finally fell pregnant again last Christmas. For the first year of trying my periods were every 60-90 days again. Then I started having them more like every 34 days. Interestingly enough I had an ultrasound scan in December that showed I had no cysts on my ovaries - scans previously had shown I had multiple on each side.

I have read a lot on PCOS. You don't actually have to have multiple cysts to have the syndrome. Although I have never visited this clinic, I have found this website very helpful:
www.thesurreyparkclinic.co.uk/conditions/polycystic-ovaries/

I first had a scan that showed cysts on one side when I was 20. I was basically dismissed by Dr's who said it wasn't PCOS but bilateral polycystic ovarian disease (same thing I think!!). They were not interested in hearing about or treating my other symptoms. It wasn't until I went to a new GP 5 years later when we were ttc that I was taken seriously. GP took a detailed history, asked for another scan and confirmed I had PCOS.

I don't have any experience but I've been seeing a lot of stuff on the internet about an app called Natural Cycles? It basically tells you whether or not you're fertile based on your body temperature that you take every morning. I don't know much about it but I think you have to pay. Here's a link. I'm not sure if this is helpful to your situation or not but your post made me think about it! www.naturalcycles.com/en/contraception

Thank you ColdFeet, that's really interesting. I suspected it was PCOS when I first started being investigated for this, but when the doctor found the polyp, she seemed to think that was that. The consultant disagrees, and says the symptoms don't add up. A doctor that treats you seriously is so important. You must be due any day now? Congratulations :)

Thanks beanie, that may end up being really useful. Very much appreciate you taking the time to share, thanks again.

I've had periods every 2-4 months since I was about 17, was eventually confirmed as having PCOS when pregnant with DD1 during ultrasound. When we decided to try for DD1 and then 2 years later DD2, both times it happened on the first try. Don't dispair!

Pcos with irregular periods. Nothing happened for 2 years and I then conceived during investigations, possibly just before starting metformin. 2 further pregnancies since then, although one ending in miscarriage. 2 children now.

What you've written op could have been me several years ago. I'm sorry that you're going through this.
Ever since I started my periods at 13 I never had a regular cycle. They would be anywhere between 6 weeks and 9 months apart. We started TTC when I was 31 and after a year and half I went to the doctor. To cut a very long story short, the one thing that got me into a regular cycle was acupuncture. Within 2 sessions she had worked out that my natural cycle is 45 days long. That way it was easier for me and the doctors to know when I was ovulating.
For various other reasons I still had to have ivf with my first but then went on to conceive naturally the second time and now have 2 beautiful kids.
Youve still got youth on your side! So keep positive and good luck.

PCOS and irregular periods here, sometimes 80 day cycles sometimes 20. Metformin and weight loss didn't work for me unfortunately and I still wasn't ovulating. 7 cycles of Clomid later (4 of which prompted ovulation and 3 didn't) and I'm 28 weeks pregnant.

It's quite daunting when you're at the beginning of the process, but if lack of ovulation does turn out to be your issue then there are lots of strategies the doctors can deploy to help. Good luck

I've never had a 'normal' cycle. Irregular periods for years , 6 weeks to 6 months apart. Settled down in my 30s to every 6-8 weeks. I was diagnosed with Pcos while ttc. Lovely gp who had an interest in fertility, previous drs had just told me my periods were irregular because I was skinny. I now have two children thanks to clomid.

It's such a reassurance to me to read all your stories, thank you so much. It feels very daunting, but knowing there can be light at the end of the tunnel makes all the difference.