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Conception

When's the best time to get pregnant? Use our interactive ovulation calculator to work out when you're most fertile and most likely to conceive.

Original poster

PCOS, regular periods but not ovulating...don't want clomid yet!

66 replies

monkey2010 · 08/08/2011 11:09

Hi all,
After two years without periods I now have regular bleeding but I never ovulate. I have successfully conceived using clomid with my first son but would like to try and OVULATE using other methods (due to cost of follicle tracking and the side effects). Has anyone SUCCESSFULLY ovulated using any more natural methods???? Would love to hear other people's experiences....

OP posts:
Spananah · 12/08/2011 12:36

"okayed" not "played"....

Aworryingtrend · 18/08/2011 12:51

Hi
Bumping this thread as I'm on Day 2 now so will be taking my first Soy Isoflavone tablets tonight! Wish me luck...

LIG1979 · 18/08/2011 13:16

Good luck! I am 9 dpo so if I get my AF this month - I may well give it a go. Tempted to go and fork out for some anyway just to see if my body gives me a BFP just to spite me. (When I got pregnant, I had just invested in a thermometer, agnes castus, opk tests and they arrived the day after my BFP.)

Keep us posted on what happens and whether you get any side effects etc.

TartyMcFarty · 18/08/2011 13:24

Yes, I was the same. After two failed cycles of IVF, we conceived naturally. We'd split for a while, partly due to the strain on our relationship, hadn't long got back together and were organising our wedding. In other words we weren't trying.

It may be coincidence but I also felt that regular strenuous exercise helped. Are you carrying much extra weight? If so, getting down to a healthy BMI is thought to help.

Aworryingtrend · 18/08/2011 13:42

LIG, i think the ones i bought were £8 or so on Amazon, so nothing compared to the £100s I have spent on TTC paraphenalia already not a huge amount and money well spent if it gets you the BFP before you even take any!

Tarty, my bmi is 26, and my Dr hinted not so subtly yesterday that I could stand to lose a few pounds so I am now officially Healthy Eating. Dr also said to cut out alcohol completely! Which I was a bit Shock about but she was really adamant about it. I'm quite Blush at just how difficult that is going to be...

Aworryingtrend · 22/08/2011 08:31

Hi all, ive been taking the soy isoflavones for 4 nights now and feel, er, absolutely no different. The first night I took them I slept very lighlty and woke up a couple of times but im not sure if thats because I was worried about taking them, iyswim.

taking the last one tonight and crossing my fingers that I ovulate later this month!

LIG1979 · 22/08/2011 16:24

Oooh! Good luck - may be on them soon. Got a BFP on Friday night but it isn't getting any darker so think it may be a chemical pregnancy. Not too upset except for the fact that it could be another 40+ days till I ovulate again so keen to try something to bring that forward!!

Aworryingtrend · 23/08/2011 14:36

oh my goodness congratulations LIG!!!! Oh I really hope it sticks for you, I've got everything crossed. keep us posted.

LIG1979 · 25/08/2011 08:52

Unfortunately it was a chemical pregnancy. However, on a good note, at least I definitely released an egg and my body decided to reject it early rather than leaving me thinking I am pregnant when I wasn't. May have to give those iso-flavones ago just to try and bring my ovulation forward. Worrying, how is it going for you? Will you being doing opk sticks to try and predict ovulation?

TartyMcFarty · 25/08/2011 09:36

Oh dear, I'd better forego the wine from.next month too. And the fertility clinic advised no caffeine (but I drew the line at chocolate and switched from dark to milk Grin) A girl's gotta have some fun! I didn't bother with the GI thing but I went spinning and running loads!

TartyMcFarty · 25/08/2011 09:39

Just saw LIG's posts. Sorry for your.disappointment but sounds like you've got a really positive way of loooking at it. Good luck for next time!

LIG1979 · 26/08/2011 09:22

Cheers Tarty,

Feel surprisingly upbeat about it all. I think because I expected the worst I never really got to the point of properly thinking I was pregnant and all the planning and expectation that goes with it.

Not sure about the diet/caffeine/alcohol thing. I read that moderate alcohol intake helps to lower the GI of a meal and balance the blood sugar. However, the alcohol shouldn't be beer or sugary cocktails or mixers. (That is what I am believing anyway.) I cut down to just one glass maximum during the 2ww only been in two 2ww so it isn't too painful yet!

Fairygodmother1 · 26/08/2011 22:20

Hi ya,

Thought I'd gatecrash as ben on these threads for 2 years, not conceived & have been diagnosed with PCOS for 4 years. I have periods (now regular due to metformin) but I don't ovulate.
I'm a bit confused as I was told that OPKs don't work for people with PCOS as our hormones are out of sync!
I am over-weight (which is also why I'm on metformin) but my dietitian has said that my diet is very healthy & acceptable. I now overy exercise but it still only comes off slowly.
I'm very interested in how the is-flavones experient goes. I have had clomid (about 1 1/2 years ago) but it didn't work at 50 but cons wouldn't up the dose. I have a hosp app next month to see if clomid might be an option again.

good luck to you all

LIG1979 · 27/08/2011 13:25

Hello Fairy,
Sorry you are also suffering from this dammned condition. I think the opks sometimes don't work if your pcos means that you LH levels are raised. The opks measure LH and if you already have raised LH then you will get false positives. I find they work for me when I do ovulate although it is frustrating to do day after day with nothing.

Got my soy isoflavones today along with maca powder so I am now rattling from all my supllements - hoping something works. On a good note, my skin is looking really good so I am hoping that is indicating that my ovaries are sorting themselves out!

Fairygodmother1 · 27/08/2011 15:25

It's been so long since my LH levels were looked at I can't remember what they were!!! I just want a baby - thats my goal!!!

Aworryingtrend · 30/08/2011 09:08

Hi all, and so sorry to hear of your disappointing news LIG.

I'm on day 11 now and temping/ checking for EWCM to try and pinpoint if/when I ovulate. My feeling is that perhaps I was too low with the dosage- apparently when you are prescribed Clomid, the recommended dosage they start you on is 50mg. Soy Isoflavones are supposed to be half as effective as Clomid ie you take twice the amount. The most I took was 80mg for the first 3 days, so not sure if it will be effective, but we will see. I will definitely take it again next month (assuming I don't ovulate and conceive!) and increase the dosage.

LIG1979 · 31/08/2011 10:41

Fairy I like your goal...I am setting mine into mini goals - 1) Ovulate 2) SWI at the right time 3) Get pregnant 4) Stay pregnant to 12 weeks 5) Get to full term. Not got past goal number 3 yet....

Worrying, Have you had any side effects from it? I have been waking up in the night and my abdomen area is almost burning but not sure if that is in my head. I am now onto my last night of taking it tonight so we will see what happens. Trying to improve on ovulating on CD42 last month so there is alot of room for improvement. Been on 120 mg of soy isoflavones so that plus all my vitamins, maca powder etc. means I have been rattling all week!

On a good note, my skin is looking better than it has been for a while and I am hoping that is reflected in my ovaries. It had really improved over the last few years but I got really bad pregnancy skin (in march) that has taken till now to improve. The fertility nurse said it may just be the pill wearing off and that I would have bad skin from the PCOS had I not been on the pill. Stupid stupid stupid condition!!!

Aworryingtrend · 31/08/2011 10:57

LIG like you i was waking during the night a bit, but I'm not sure if that was because I was worried about taking it. I didn't have any pains/burning sensation but then my highest dose was 80mg. I'm upping it to 120mg this month. Good luck!

Fairygodmother1 · 31/08/2011 13:51

LIG Not sure about #1 - have done it when on Clomid but have no idea any other time, #2 - We are pretty good at SWI, #3 - apparently this happened last summer but it didn't stick & I ended up bleeding for 6 weeks after! so 1, 2, & 3 are def goals. Also bring down my weight is also a major goal. Also a long cycle again, had got it down to 30/32 - but this month was 40, but less painful (still painful though!)

My skin is the worst it's been, I'm like a greasy teen with major spots around my chin!

LIG1979 · 31/08/2011 15:36

Fairy have you tried taking your temperature? I find it helps me to know when I have ovulated and then I can link other symptoms to find out when I will ovulate. Only done it properly for a bit on fertilityfriend.com but been doing it since June and it looks like my temperature at 7am is around 36.3 pre-ov and then 36.7 post ov although last month it did hit 36.9 but that was a chemical one. It is however very depressing taking the temperature everyday and not getting an O as it really brings your attention to how late you O (last month was day 42) but at least I knew it did happen Grin and I know when to test for pg or expect my AF.

I am a bit of a geek about this all but it does make me feel better to be doing something to monitor what my body is doing. Although I am sure it is not healthy with a day of taking my temperature, vitamins, supplements etc. in the futile attempt to get a baby one day!

Fairygodmother1 · 31/08/2011 17:21

No not done the temperature thing yet (about the only one I haven't done lol). To be honest I think my consultant should be monitoring me more! Got another app in Sept to will be putting my foot down for more monitoring & checking for OV.

I do watch my CM but I find that I get EWCM for a bout 2 weeks of my cycle! yes I take a ton of vitamins & not feeling any healthier for it TBH! lol

LIG1979 · 05/09/2011 13:30

Worrying - any ovulation signs yet? I am on CD12 now and started testing with the OPKs but not sure how long I will be waiting as it was CD42/43 last cycle. Wierdly got some watery cm which I have never had before, either that or I have lost bladder control (which I am hoping I haven't as that would be yuk!). Just hoping it doesn't happen this weekend as DH is away and that would be very frustrating!!

Aworryingtrend · 05/09/2011 13:36

Thanks for asking LIG but nope, CD 17 and nothing. Although I havent been taking my temp as religiously as we've had a few days off work and i've been busy, but def no sign of EWCM. I have a 40 day cycle so i won't give up hope just yet. Good luck!

LIG1979 · 05/09/2011 14:56

Sad There is still a long way to go and any improvement in day would be good - sort of depressing to think I could be POAS for another 30 or more days but keeping my fingers crossed my body does something a little sooner this month.

Wierdly, my temperature has been higher this month but I think that may be due to the maca I was reccomended by the accupuncturist.

LIG1979 · 06/09/2011 10:52

Ok - now I've got EWCM but the opk sticks say NO still very odd. CD13 so not really expecting it to happen yet (as that would make my cycle like a normal persons) but usually the EWCM goes hand in hand with a postive opk. Luckily the maca is making me very randy so no problem with SWI just incase although the DH isn't home till midnight so need to convince him....

Trying to not get my hopes up......