Trying to conceive first child with PCO/PCOS or irregular long cycles

[Catconfusion]

Hi there,

I'm currently on my 3rd cycle ttc my first child and I suffer with irregular cycles due to PCO. I conceived first cycle but it was a missed miscarriage at 10 weeks. My second cycle was a chemical pregnancy. I'm now on my 3rd and it's day 34 with no ovulation yet. I'm using Ovusense to temp which helps to show when I've ovulated. I can't help but worry it was a fluke to fall quickly like I did. Just wondering if there's anyone else in a similar situation struggling with long cycles as I'm finding it really frustrating. Looking forward to chatting to some of you! x

Thank you @@CatConfusion sorry for my breakdown.

I have been mega emotional today and I decided to do POAS even though I am probably only 7dpo at the most... and I swear I see a line.

Can you see it?

I'm not getting my hopes up because I think my eyes and mind are playing tricks on me...

Hi! I can't really see anything but it is super early yet so maybe hold off and try again in 24 or 48 hours? I had a very faint line at 8DPO and a clearer one the day after so you never know.....
I'm crossing my fingers for you though c

@EssJayyCee i can see a very faint line! Fingers crossed 🤞🏼

Hi @Avocuddles Yea I'm not sure if it could be an evap line to be honest. And the more I look at it the more I can't see it. But I can in the pictures.
I am thinking of testing with FMU or SMU tomorrow morning but I doubt it will show anything.

How are you feeling?

I am not expecting it to be positive to be honest.

Thank you @Diamond94 🤞🏻🤞🏻

I’m by no means a POAS expert, but for what it’s worth I couldn’t see anything at first but when I turned the brightness up on my phone I think I can see it on the first one. 🤞 so much this is it for you @EssJayyCee x

@Catconfusion congratulations! How exciting and not all that long left for you now! Do you know what you’re having?

Thanks so much for the advice ☺️ I will maybe try and get bloods done to check hormones. I’m totally scared of my gp though 😂 last time I saw her (initially asking for PCOS tests) she kinda brushed me off and told me that ‘it’s very common’ and ‘if you do have it there’s really not much you can do about it’.

@Catconfusion sorry just remembered you said a boy. How lovely 😊 my best friend had a little boy (Isaac) last week and he is gorgeous 💙

@Orange7 Thank you! I hope so hard it's not an evap but I have a strong feeling it will be!

Sorry I had sort of by-passed your messages because of my mega stress meltdown.

I second what @Catconfusion has said. Definitely request blood tests. They could hopefully show something and give you some answers.
I know exactly how you feel with the long cycles although I've never gone quite as long as 100 days! I have very irregular cycles ranging from 15-72 days... in the last 20 months of TTC anyway.

I hope your get your answers soon! X

Oh wow @EssJayyCee I think I can see a bit of a shadow. It’s so early to get a line on a IC though. Really hoping it develops into one. I think the earliest I had a line was 9dpo on a frer but the next day at 10dpo it was there on an ic. With my first pregnancy there was nothing until 14 dpo.

@OrangeJ no problem. It annoys me d sad I much when doctors say pcos is very common. It’s about 10% of women but there is such a range of symptoms and degrees at which it affects fertility and everyday life. Saying it’s common minimises the impact as saying miscarriages are common does.

Definitely find a gp you’re confident seeing about it. General doctors often don’t know much about it. That’s fine but they should be referring you on through the correct channels.

The blood tests are key. If your hormones are unstable you may be insulin resistant. If so following a diabetic type diet may help to regulate your cycles. Ladies with normal hormones often find adjusting diet doesn’t really help. People kept saying lose weight and it’ll get better. I was normalish bmi and my cycles were worse at lower weights. When I got pregnant my bmi was 27 and I feel in my case a bit of extra weight helped my fertility. Obviously over 30 is bad and I wouldn’t have wanted to put on any more weight. You could definitely try a low gi diet and see if it helps you.

Anyway keep us posted on how you’re getting on with the doctor. Xx

Just and update: I took another test with FMU and it's negative so its confirmed my worries that it was just an evap...

Now. I just want AF to come.

Sorry to hear that @EssJayyCee still early though. Hoping the next week goes quickly so you’ll know either way. Xx

@CatConfusion It is still early and I still am not 100% when I ovulated. FF still has me at only ovulating 6 days ago which I can sort of agree with but I don't have as much knowledge on it as you.

My higher temps are the sort of temps I got when I was pregnant so it's giving me hope but I've had 0 longstanding symptoms so I don't think I am or will be pregnant.

Wow so still up @EssJayyCee

I think I’d put it as last Thursday as it looks like a fallback rise pattern. Seems common with pco/pcos to get inconsistent temps after O as hormones fluctuate but once those hormones stabilise it should be more consistently up. Good news there’s no spotting or bleeding so likely O did happen. Just hang in there and have a nice weekend.

How are you doing @Avocuddles? When is your 12 week scan? Hope you’re managing the anxiety ok. Xx

Yea, still really high@Catconfusion.
They probably won't stay up knowing my luck.

I will try and have a nice weekend, you too :)

Today I asked my DH to look at my neck as there was a tiny pimple that’s been there for weeks and I can’t see it (I know it sounds gross but there’s not much we don’t share!). He says ‘I think it’s an ingrown hair’ 😳 and asked if he could get it out for me. The joys of having PCOS and a lovely husband! 😅

@EssJayyCee are they the early response tests you’re taking?

I set an alarm to ring my GP first thing but chickened out. I don’t know why I’m so scared to ask for blood tests! I’m going to really try and not become obsessed with TTC as I’m usually such an easygoing person. So decided that I’m just going to temp until my next AF and if I get a high temp check OPK too. We’ll see what happens but if no AF appears before April 1st (at the moment my app says it will be 31st March) then I’ll take a test. Figured it would be funny telling my OH on April fools it it turned out to be positive 😆

@OrangeJ no I'm only using IC's I don't want to spend loads of money on tests until I get a line on the cheapies.
Bless you for chickening out! It is a nerve wrecking process but once you have done it you will feel so much better.
You need to be taking opks daily really because if you only do it when you get a temp spike you will have missed O.
Opks become positive before O and temp spikes come after O.
I know everyone is probably fed up with me on this thread but I need some opinions or something.

I don't know if I am clinging onto strings of hope and just symptom spotting to make myself feel better because of all the BFN's but...

My temp is 37.07° this morning. I have only ever had temps above 37° When I was pregnant.

I swear my boobs have been getting bigger and pointier lately. But there isn't any pain like I had with them when I was pregnant other than senstive/sore nipples which is have had since O day.
Do boobs get bigger between O and AF as well? 🤔

I am still getting short of breath which I had noticed when I was pregnant before as well but that could also be that I'm really unfit at the moment.

What do you all think?

@EssJayyCee have you tested again? Don't forget plenty of women don't get any symptoms at all until well after the date of their missed period so it's very hard to know for sure until you either get AF or a BFP.

I really hope you have a positive this month but also try not to put too much pressure on it, the journey might take a while but the end result will be worth it no matter when it comes. Can you maybe plan something nice for you and your partner to do soon so you have something to look forward to either way?

@OrangeJ as @EssJayyCee whilst temping can indicate if you have ovulated, opks are more useful for indicating when it might be about to happen. I recommend the really cheap easy@home ones from amazon along with the (free) premom app to track them. These were all I was using when I conceived in January, temping never really worked out for me but these helped to pinpoint possible surges. My lines were never definitively strong but we DTD when I had a possible strong one (rating around 0.7 on the premom app) and it did the trick.....

@Avocuddles I tested again this morning but BFN again. I am only 9dpo so it's still way to early for anything anyway but I've just really started noticing my boobs the last couple of says.

I'm trying not to put pressure on myself but everytime I see myself in the mirror I can't help but notice my boobs. 🤣

I hope I get a BFP soon but like I keep saying I probably won't.

We booked a holiday but that's not until october but I think we definitely need something closer to look forward to.

@EssJayyCee it can take much longer to get a bfp on an IC depending on when baby implanted. I think I said this time round it was 10dpo but with my first pregnancy 14dpo. I would give it a couple of days and try again if frers are getting expensive. I really hope you have good news soon! The waiting is enough to drive anyone crazy! Xx

@Catconfusion I know, just seeing that stupid evap line the other day has made me want to test every morning. Even if I am pregnant it will have only just implanted so it won't even come up on an FRER for a few days anyway! I'm just being silly testing!

I am on 10dpo now, my temp is still high but came down a bit this morning to 36.9.

Yesterday I had a little mild cramping and my cheeks went really flushed and hot even though I felt cold. Which was one of my symptoms before.. so... fingers are crossed but Hope's aren't too high just in case.

I hope you are doing okay and having a good weekend? Xxx

@EssJayyCee the FRERs are really sensitive and often can pick up a line at 9/10 dpo. I got one at 8dpo with my first pregnancy. It’s the Ics that can take the time depending on the sensitivity. TBAh every pregnancy is different and will implant on its own time scale but obviously the more sensitive the test, the earlier you’ll pick it up.

Your temp will flusters still albeit at the higher level. Some people even get a drop just as implantation happens, then it shoots up again. It’s just still annoyingly early to know for sure.

If testing every day helps your mental health then do it. I hope it’s good news soon and it’ll be a relief to be able to start afresh on a new cycle! Xx

@Catconfusion I don't want to buy an FRER until at least 12dpo or when I get a faint line on an IC because they are just so expensive.

It's hard to know when to test as well with my body because on bbt charts the ones I can see I've
Ovulated I seem to have a long-ish luteal phase of around 15-18 days (I don't know if that is an issue?) So not sure when the best time to test is.

I am looking forward to either BFP or AF.
If it is AF I will be more annoyed than i would be upset because I had every sign of ovulation and we BD'd at every opportunity that would give us a BFP so will be a bit annoying.

I am feeling okay. I'm going to try not to test until Tuesday now which will be 12dpo. I will take every day as it comes.

My boobs are massive and I have been having mild cramping and slight back ache today so who knows what is on the way. 🤞🏻

That’s understandable @EssJayyCee and I got to that point as well after wasting money it just will take a bit longer to get a line if you are.

My luteal phase is 17 days too and I think a longer one can be a bit more common with irregular cycles. It’s actually a good thing because the embryo has plenty of time to implant. My understanding is the luteal phase doesn’t impact when the embryo implants. Once it reaches the uterus it will find a nice juicy spot to burrow down in. This is when you will get a surge of hcg. It usually takes about 8 to 10 days to implant and then a couple of days to show up on a test so not uncommon for 12-14 dpo to be when a line appears.

Hopefully the symptoms are a good sign. Of course you cc will be gutted if you don’t get a line but it’s just horrible being in limbo and not knowing, reading into everything. If you can wait until Tuesday that will be good because you should know by then. I think most people would get a faint line at that point. Xx

Hello lovelies,

I have not posted in a while, was feeling down with the ttc journey. My period actually came back so I am C2 CD6 today. I do not expect to have any ovulation before CD20.
@EssJayyCee keeping my fingers crossed for you !

@Avocuddles when is your scan ?

@OrangeJ welcome to the thread !

I would like to lenghthen my luteal period and have about Vitamin b complex. Did any of you use it ? Do you know if it is to be taken through the cycle or only after ovulation ?