A heads up for anyone TTC and taking Valerian root.

[dondon33]

I'm TTC admittedly half-arsedly at the moment until I visit the Gynae Dr to check me over and test my immunity to Rubella/hepatitis etc....
Anyway,I've been keeping an eye on my cycles so that I can show them to the Dr (I'm not an every 28 day gal) but my December period really worried me it was on day 22 -I started panicking that something was wrong but then my next period came on day 27= quite normal
I realised that at the time of my short cycle, for 2 weeks before I'd been taking Valerian root to help me sleep, thinking as it was natural it could do me no harm but I've since found (from american sites) that it can mess up cycles and induce earlier bleeding.

Thanks for the tip! It's amazing how some things you assume are harmless can really mess stuff up.

For instance I took some ibuprofen a few cycles ago around ovulation time and found out afterwards that it can prevent ovulation even though you still get a progesterone surge.. which I'm pretty sure it did that cycle from my rocky temps and shorter LP. It's called LUF (Luteinizing Unruptured Follicle or something) and the anti-inflammatory properties of any NSAID in sufficient quantities (i.e. not baby aspirin, but a regular ibuprofen dose could be enough) prevent the follicle from rupturing and releasing the egg.

Oh I didn't know that about ibuprofen, so thanks for that.
What's supposed to be the most natural thing in the world is not so blooming easy is it.....how did our great/great grandparents ever manage to reproduce :)

Sometimes I think the only way to get pregnant is to do it by accident.. at least that's how it feels given the numbers of "whoops" I keep hearing about

I'm a mother of 3 DC's and I've never planned until now (technically not all accidents, pill failed with 2 but I didn't know at the time I shouldn't take it anyway) I honestly didn't realise before starting to read up just what a minefield it all is.

I've got an appointment with gynae/obstetrics tomorrow to get my full MOT :) I'm trying to do everything by the book this time, I had my DC when I was very young and while I'm still fit and relatively healthy I'm worried about my age (I'll be 35 this year) sick of hearing about what happens/can happen after 35

I have three DCs too - I was utterly blessed in that they were all conceived within a month or two of trying, although I have several miscarriages and two of the pregnancies were very high risk and I nearly lost them. Those were my issues.. not conception, so this has come as a bit of a surprise. Now I'm almost 37 and have been trying seriously hard - charting, supplements, Conceive Plus, the lot - for 8 months (and no contraception since DC3 a few years ago) and nothing is happening. I know there's a drop off at 35 but this is taking the piss!!

Yet on one of my former due date groups of around 50 women, at least 2-3 have got pregnant EVERY CYCLE I've been trying (usually just as my period arrives..) and 90% of them have been by accident. Hence my cynicism!!

I need to see a gynae but at the current speed the NHS are dealing with me I suspect it won't be this side of next Christmas

Oh I'm sorry Murder it must be so difficult to try and try for so long.
You're right! it does take the piss - almost 37 is not too old to absolutely not be able to conceive, I really hope NHS move their arse to help you. Is it normal to wait so long?
I'm not in the UK at the moment (Eastern Europe) but last year we were trying for a while and nothing and we used the NHS for fertility tests which came back normal for us both - then life got in the way and we stopped consciously trying on fertile days.
My periods have since changed from every 28 days without fail to every 25-27, which hopefully isn't too bad except I think I'm going to need the hormone tests done again here (it's so different here, when you go to the gynae about TTC they do the full works as standard - hormones, womb scan, immunity tests etc...) I have a problem with the CD21 progesterone test as it should be done 7 days before your period arrives - How do I know if it will arrive on day 25,26 or 27??? the LH and FSH tests are fine as they're done when AF arrives and I think can be done between CD2 - CD5.
It's so bloody stressful!