New here, TTC with endo and think I may be mad!

[TigerseyeMum]

Hi!

I have been cruising Mumsnet for a while as I am hoping to conceive my first baby some time soon....I finally broached the subject with my other half and he is very excited about it!

I do think I might just be crazy though - not only am I over 35 (just!) but I have stage 4 endometriosis, my bits and bobs are a bit glued together as a result of adhesions, and I've been back to backing the Pill for about, oooh, 10 years now! I also have 2 prolapsed discs in my back just where my spine supports my uterus, so I am not looking forward to that if I get pregnant!

I can't see that my body is really designed for having babies but I am going to give it a go.

If anyone has a similar experience and any advice or support please let me know, I don't really know anyone else in my situation and I am not really the 'motherly' type so it's all a bit alien to me. Darn bodyclock ticking loudly!

I am seeing my GP this week and hopefully will see my endo specialist soon.

Love Mumsnet, hope I can become a fully-fledged member soon!

I was diagnosed with endometreosis at 15 (they think I may have got it as early as 12 after starting periods 2 months before my 9th birthday!). It got so bad that after 5 months in hospital aged 18 they wanted to give me a hysterectomy as 'there was no chance of me having a baby'. I refused as I hadn't even TTC at that age and didn't want to accept I'd never have children. To cut a long story short my DH and I decided to try for a baby even though I had lots of other health problems Inc bad back. We went to dr's and discovered I was already pregnant (don't know how as we were using condoms and none ever split). Unfortunately I lost that baby but a week later fell on with DS who is now 20 months old. We are currently TTC DC2 but have had 4 more MCs since DS, although don't think that's anything to do with endometreosis. I too am classed as an older mum and was nearly 32 when DS was born.
My endometreosis has been lots better since DS was conceived (symptoms all but gone).
I had a bit of trouble with my back in 3rd trimester and was also diagnosed with SPD but he was certainly worth it!
The dr's said I'd NEVER have a baby and thought I was mad not to have the hysterectomy - just goes to show dr's aren't always right!
Good look with TTC and I hope you're like me, one of the lucky ones x

Sorry for being so naive: with endo do you you still get regular periods? And are they problem free? How do you know you have this? What was the first indication?we have been trying for a baby for ages and I am worried I may also have something that has gone undiagnosed. What are signs and symptoms? Hope I've not annyed you too much! Sorry to hijack your thread!

Hi Thanks for your encouragement, it is certainly helpful to hear positive stories as so much about endo is doom and gloom!

Fedup - the symptoms of endo are variable, some women have no symptoms or pain, others (like myself) have extremely painful periods, IBS, at time I am unable to stand up straight. I have also had mahoossive ovarian cysts too.

You can have 'normal' regular periods with endo, but there could be a small amount of it somewhere that could only be found by laparoscopy. Sometimes women are diagnosed after a lap if they have had difficulties ttc and there are no other obvious problems.

I hope you don't have it though, it's a horrible disease

It truely is horrific! My symptoms were really really heavy (couldn't use tampons, not even super, because of the volume so used 2 night time thick towels) and often lasted over 15 days.

My cycle was 6-7 days ridiculousy heavy (literally flooding over 2 night time towels within half an hour - sorry for TMI but by flooding I mean after half an hour my clothes, bed sheets etc were red), 3-4 very heavy (2 night time towels lasting upto an hour), 3-4 heavy (1 night time towel lasting an hour or two) and 1-2 days normal (1 night time or if lucky/brave super towel lasting until I went for a wee!). Then I had a luxurious 14-15 days to build up my strength again and live normally. Then it would all start again.

The pain that came with the endometreosis was unbearably horrific. I can honestly say that these period pains were worse much worse than the beginning of labour, hands down beat my labour pains.

Bearing in mind these symptoms started at 12 and wasn't diagnosed until I had a burst ovarian cyst at 15! I honestly thought I was dying of something horrific. What a relief to receive that diagnosis and be told it wasn't life threatening!

I really hope you are both successful soon. Nothing beats motherhood, it's certainly very hard work but oh so worth it! I can't wait for DC2 (TTC for a few months now - for some reason it's harder than DS!).

You're so right, it is horrendous! You sound like me - I had emergency surgery due to a very large ovarian cyst which they removed and found traces of another one that had burst a week or so before. That pain was unbelievable, I passed out cold the morning the cyst burst, and came round face down in cat food!

I had agonising periods from early teens and had to take 2 days of school each month. My mother said she had always had 'heavy periods' and you just had to get on with it. Thank goodness for the pill, it kept symptoms under some control for almost 20years but now I am off it so far no sign of a period...hope I have not left it too late.

Childbirth terrifies me as I have endo very - ahem - low down and it cases pain anyway without pushing a baby through a birth canal! But if endo pains are worse maybe I can manage it! I've lived through them!

Wish there was a cure...if men had this type of pain it'd be eradicated by now!

I have fabulously amazingly encouraging new for you Tigerseyemum - my endo is almost gone (symptom wise) after having my DS!! It really is true that pregnancy helps with endo, although flipside is endo can cause infertility! But I'm proof that even when there's absolutely no hope of ever having a baby (according to the drs) it can still happen, and very quickly too.

It often takes time for non-endo women's periods to return after a lengthy run on the pill so don't worry to much about this. Mine were non existent for quite a while. Funnily enough when my DH and I were ready to make love for the first time I said it was up to him whether or not we used condoms as there was no chance of me having a baby as firstly I was infertile and secondly I haven't had periods for a year or more (after prostap injections that mimic the menopause - dreadful hot flushes etc!! Lol). Thankfully we chose to still use them 'just incase' as just 2 weeks later I started my first period in ages! That probably meant I was ovulating around that time! Sooooooo pleased we used condoms as I may have fallen pregnant and DH, only having known/dated me for a few months, may have thought I was lying in order to get pregnant and trap him!!

The thing to remember, and I know it's easier said than done, is to relax. If you're stressed and uptight yours periods will stay away (mine only restarted when I was very happy and relaxed.......and madly in love!!).

The good thing is that as a known endo lady if you don't conceive in 6 months you can go onto the IVF waiting list. Normally women have to wait 2 years. Also you can have IVF on the NHS upto 39 years old (assuming all hospitals are the same - I was told this at St James's in Leeds).

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you and hope your periods restart soon (bet you never thought you'd be praying for their return, I certainly never thought I'd be glad they were back!).

Another thing you can try to do is eat healthily (your DH included), relax and when you start TTC take folic acid tablets, preferably something like Pregnacare (3for2 at Boots at the moment)).

Good luck x

off out so a quick post, but i have endo.

was told v small chance of concieving naturally and fell preg with ds1 on first month of TTC, then fell preg with ds2 3 months after ds1 was born.

it can and does happen

good luck xx

Sorry for all the spelling mistakes. Am currently fighting very hard, and losing, to keep my eyes open (where are those darn matchsticks when you need them?). I was up most of them night with my bad back so am now soooooooo tired.

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Thanks for all your good wishes and encouraging thoughts

I have folic acid on prescription and my DP has some zinc tablets sitting in the kitchen that I forced him to buy earlier! He is also off the booze and on the healthy veggies!

I always said I wanted to never have a period again, I managed it for a long time but you're right, it's hard to believe I want it to return!

The good thing is that once your pregnant, you won't have a period for ages, especially if you breastfeed too! I had endo before having ds, was on the pill for years too, but conceived 2 months after coming off the pill (apparently some women are super fertile just after they stop the pill). Since my periods returning (about 18 months), I've had a couple of painful periods, but really only one day of pain! Amazing. So so so much better since having a baby. Good luck!