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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.

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Original poster

TTC for over 2 years please help

12 replies

anoli22 · 15/06/2012 09:47

Hiya,
2 years ago I came off the combined pill in order to conceive....still no luck. Despite regular sex with my boyfriend. Have had hormone tests and are fine except the progesterone levels.... The doctor told me these were very low but thinks they may have been taken on the wrong day. I followed the instructions to go on day 21 of my cycle. My cycles are very irregular and follow no pattern so have no idea when to go. eg. 49days, 31 days, 25 days and 34 days. Have had shoddy service at my G.P's and phoned nhs direct only to be told someone will call me back in 8 hours so I thought someone may know something here. I'm exhausted by the doctors and am getting impatient and distressed.

Thanks for any advice x

OP posts:

WhenSheWasBadSheWasHorrid · 15/06/2012 10:10

Oh bless you. I have no advice at all. Just didn't want to read and run. Have you tried opks or is that too tricky with your long cycles?

Hope the wait for the phone to ring doesn't take too long.

Pinkie29 · 15/06/2012 10:54

I had very irregular cycles after stopping the pill similar to yours op, I took vitex and ov'd on day 16 (two weeks earlier than previous cycle) and now I'm almost 6 weeks pg worth a shot

AttilaTheMeerkat · 15/06/2012 17:18

anoli,

You should have already been referred by now to a subfertility unit at hospital for further evaluation. Gynaes generally like to see people after a year of ttc without success. GP should have referred you on, I would change GP practice as you have been messed about, do not put up with shoddy service from a GP practice.

You need a diagnosis first and foremost along with a referral.

Irregular periods are often caused by hormonal imbalances; in this regard a condition called polycystic ovaries or its related syndrone PCOS are possibilities here. Another possible cause that should be investigated is potential thyroid imbalance.

Blood tests as well can be done according to calendar days so the 21st of each month or thereabouts would have been fine. Also you should have had a day 2 test done to check and compare your LH level against that of your FSH level. LH and FSH are two very important hormones as they kickstart the ovulation process, if these are awry then ovulation will be affected. As you have not mentioned a day 2 this has probably not been done. With your cycles being as irregular as they are I would think that PCO or PCOS are possibilities here. This can and does cause irregular periods to arise and interfere with ovulation.

OPKs are of no use at all if your cycles are irregular; I would now focus your energies on primarily getting a referral to the subfertility unit at your local or city hospital.

HaveALittleFaith · 16/06/2012 17:58

Not a lot to add other than I would be pushing for a referral to specialist in your position.

Fwiw I had an irregular cycles and trouble with getting my progesterone levels accurate. The endocrinology specialist gave me several blood test forms and took them several days apart so they finally got a level that indicated ovulation.

thekrakenwakes · 16/06/2012 18:08

Hello! Exactly the same boat - as irregular as you and ttc 2.5 years now and nowt to show :(
Been referred by GP for fertility investigations (try to get a referral asap OP, it's a long and tedious process). We had one meeting with nurse and some blood/semen tests but nothing has cropped up as a big problem so far. Our appt. with the specialist is in October (we signed up for it a couple of months ago - so even this wait is doing my head in).

Original poster

anoli22 · 16/06/2012 19:26

Thankyou so much for all this brilliant advice. More helpful than the gp I can tell you! I had a thyroid test done and Aparantly its all normal. I have asked about PCOS and told that the bloods showed no sign of this. I have been told that it can only be diagnosed through a sonogram scan. Is this right? I have had the bloods taken on day 2 of my period- I get very confused with all the names it's all so new to me. and these are normal. They never provide me with actual numbers/levels like many of people on other boards know.- not that I would understand what they mean. I just don't think they take me as serious as other women as I am under 25. But I think they should be more concerened as I should be more fertile.

OP posts:

eurochick · 16/06/2012 19:34

To add to the other posts, the progesterone test is really the key one as, taken at the right time, it should tell you whether or not you are ovulating. If you are not this might explain why ttc is not working!

Do you have signs of ovulation (EWCM, ov pains, etc)? Have you tried opks or temping to see if these signs of ovulation are there? If nothing else, these might help you time your "day 21" test (it should be 7 days after you think you ov). If you try temping or opks and don't see signs of ovulation, then you really should push for a referral.

Best of luck.

Original poster

anoli22 · 16/06/2012 19:51

I have tried the temperature thing it did seem to go up so I suppose thats a sign. Also I have noticed a change in cervical mucus (the whole egg white shabang) I don't notice any pains around the time you expect to ovulate. I do get really bad stomach cramps on the first 2 days of my period.... Also I have really bad skin- I don't know whether that has any significance but perhaps it's linked to hormones?

OP posts:

Original poster

anoli22 · 16/06/2012 19:55

Also I am not over weight and never have been I have recently been told I have lost weight despite no change to my diet or excercise routine. I was a size 8 but looking more like a 6. Im sure many people would be envious but I find it a bit worrying as I'm told it so regularly x

OP posts:

MrsHuxtable · 17/06/2012 15:23

Sorry to hear you're having trouble.

I might be stating the obvious but if you're that young, seem to healthy and have been trying that long, has your boyfriend been checked out? He might be the one that has a problem...

Original poster

anoli22 · 17/06/2012 21:18

It is on the doctors list of next steps.. when we ever get past the bloods. He's very supportive and willing to do whatever he can.

OP posts:

newyearsday · 22/06/2012 09:55

Hi anoli, I had a similar feeling about my body and my gp didn't take it seriously. I had irregular cycles (30-40), mid-cycle bleeding not linked to ov and long, heavy, painful periods. I told the gp these symptoms had appeared in the last few years but various times was told it was all normal. I know it wasn't normal so after we'd ttc for 12mths we were referred. At the fertility clinic I did feel listened to and I had a scan, hcg, etc. My problem was small uterine fibroids (and also found one blocked tube) but knowing there was a reason for the changes in my body was such a relief. I was given a date for keyhole surgery for further investigation but I got pg the month after the hsg. I had begun temping the month we were referred. For those of us with irregular cycles it is a godsend, gave me back some sanity! I could see I was ov'ing and we could time dtd, I also learnt how long my luteal phase was so no more stressing about late periods. It was the 5th mth of temping I got pg. Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler is a fascinating read. Good luck!

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