TTC - What should I be monitoring before seeing a Dr?

[mammymac]

Been ttc for second child for 8 months now. I'm starting to think I will see Dr soon and just want to make sure there's nothing I should be monitoring that he'll ask for. So far I'm using the digital ovulation kits. Should I be taking taking my temperature or anything else over the next couple of months?
When do you think is a reasonable time to see the Dr?
Further info - I'm 34. DS1 is nearly 2 - I got pregnant in the first month with him and had him by CS. Periods have been a bit irregular - 22 days to 29 days. I often have an early bleed (which I always think might be implantation) but then AF comes between 2 and 7 days later.
Any thoughts or advice would be much appreciated. Trying to stay positive but each month passing is frustrating especially when all my antenatal pals are due this month!

If your periods are irregular (and if there is more than 4 days of variation from month to month this would also be seen as an irregular cycle) then I would seek medical advice sooner rather than later.

Many GPs and gynaes do not take much notice of temp charts and opk's primarily because they are so unreliable particularly when cycles are irregular. OPK's are beset with problems at the best of times; these measure LH and if you are one of many women who are producing higher than normal levels of this the kit just reads that excess.

Any bleeding between periods should be investigated further to ascertain the underlying cause - its often not serious but it should be checked out.

A blood test can be done to see what your hormone levels are like - a test done early in the cycle is a day 3 test and this measures your levels of LH (luteinising hormone) and FSH (follicle stimulation hormone). Normally these two levels should be the same - the GP would though need to COMPARE the level of LH against that of FSH.
If your LH and FSH levels are awry then ovulation will be affected.

The general consensus seems to be that gynaes like to see women under the age of 35 after 12 months of ttc without success; in women over 35 then its six months. I would tell the GP you've been trying for nearly 12 months now without success and see what transpires from that. I would have thought that a blood test (with the levels being compared) could be done anyway.

Do not be fobbed off; you will need to be persistant in order to get answers.

Thanks Attila - I think it will go soon. Sometimes it's only by writing out the problem that you see it properly.

I am quite worried about the extra bleeding - I've been thinking that either it is failed implantation, or some other underlying problem. No idea what that could be.

Does anyone know whether having a c-section is likely to be affecting me?

Went to Dr this week so we've started the testing process - Thyroid, anaemia and Day 21 Progesterone. We'll see how that first round goes and she'll decide whether to refer me after that. Thanks for advice Attila.