Day 3 blood tests and vitex question

[RoseIvy]

Hi

I’ve been TTC for 7/8 months and have had some blood tests done because I was concerned about a short luteal phase (it has now lengthened to about 13 days but I spot from about day 10/11). I was also concerned because my periods only last two days. A few women on here have told me they have the same!

In terms of blood tests, I’ve had my day 3 done on two consecutive months (once private and once GP) my testosterone came back marginally high (1.7 - top reference range is 1.6).

My LH was 3.5/4 and my FSH was 7.3/10.

My GP has ruled out PCOS because my LH isn’t higher than my FSH, although I don’t think that’s the only determining factor and I don’t know why else my testosterone would be high.

I’ve read that FSH and LH should be roughly equal, so it seems that my body is struggling to ovulate every month and having to produce a lot of FSH do so!

My prolactin was also raised (470 - upper reference range was 500 odd)

Has anyone else had similar blood tests? Or any idea what/if anything is wrong?

I’ve also read that Vitex (Chasteberry) can increase LH and lower FSH and prolactin so I might try that. Anyone any experiences of vitex on their cycle?

I’m waiting for an ultrasound appointment. My day 21 progesterone showed that I was ovulating (42)

Thanks!

@RoseIvy - I genuinely believe it’s the bVits that have done this (the only change) and if you can learn from my mistake, do!
You want the fertility specialist to assess your base levels in your body naturally, so it’s best to not self-medicate (in my humble opinion!)

My cycles are super regular, and I’ve never been on birth control (didn’t agree with me) so I wish I’d been a bit more chilled. I’m sure they’ll get back to normal, and I’m sure we’ll both get there very soon!

I test with CB in the morning and then use ICs throughout the day when I’m trying to catch the surge; otherwise it just gets too expensive!
I’m still borderline high today, so hopefully I’ll get a clear answer by the end of the week.

It sounds like you’re doing a great job of tracking your cycles though, so even if they are still taking a little time to get back into a rhythm, you’ve got a good grasp on them :)

Finally got the static smiley!

@ELW85 excellent! Maybe you were just gearing up to it after all and the peak is just slightly later this month? Also means you’ve given yourself a great chance with hitting the most fertile days in the run up too!

I am hoping my luteal phase stays at 13 days now (and hopefully with less spotting beforehand.) If it does get to 13 days I think I’ll ditch the vitamin B complex and see if that makes a difference!

Yes, @RoseIvy - I think you’re right. And it’s a great way to look at it, that we’ve covered the run up to Ov well :)

Did your bVits increase your luteal phase? That’s exactly what I was wanting them to do, so I might compromise and only take them after Ov and until CD1 🤔

How are you feeling?

@ELW85 I’m not sure about the B vitamins really. I came off the pill in November and started charting in January - my luteal phase was 10 days (9 clear days and spotting on day 10). So I started the vitamin B complex back then and since then they’ve gradually increased to 13 days although I now spot on days 11 and 12! So I always get a warning that AF is coming!

Not sure if my cycles/luteal phase would have lengthened regardless or whether vitamin B has helped.

I had thought the spotting might be low progesterone but my day 21 test (done 7dpo) was absolutely fine. So not sure what the spotting is. I also only have two proper days of bleeding so it could be something else which is a problem.

I might now just stick to pregnacare (and vitamin C which I’ve always taken) and see what happens! I’ve also seen online loads of higher strength conception multi vitamins but no idea if they’re any better.

Not feeling positive this month - am now so used to getting AF before I even test! How about you?

@RoseIvy - ah I totally understand what you mean about getting AF before you get a chance to test.
Mine was a day early last cycle after I’d felt particularly upbeat, so it was awful.

It sounds like you’re still just adjusting to coming off the pill, but if your progesterone has been tested, I’d take that as some reassurance :)

@ELW85 I find that’s the worst part of the TWW - the final few days and when AF just appears out of nowhere! It’s a really disheartening process and I think the lack of ‘progress’ is really hard, knowing you’re back at square 1 again and the last cycle counts for nothing!

You should definitely take comfort in the fact that you’re still in the first few months which means you have every chance! The fact you know your cycles already and your bloods are all massive positives too.

I did consider not tracking my cycles for a bit (on the advice of just ‘relaxing’) but I think identifying any issues/problems and also just assuring myself that I’ve covered the right time of the month etc is important so I know I can rule out any suggestion that perhaps we’ve got timing wrong/haven’t ovulated every month etc.

I was honestly so naive before we started ttc - I had envisaged falling pregnant in the first month or two! Have had so many friends tell me they got pregnant without even trying/first month. Really can feel like everyone else is getting pregnant except you!

@RoseIvy - we’re definitely in the same boat, so I totally understand how you feel.
We toyed with not tracking but there’s too much value in it (this month being a classic example!)

I read an article from the American Pregnancy Advice service (or something like that) and they compared the chances of conceiving to flipping a coin, in that if it takes you 4 attempts to get ‘heads’ it would actually take 8 months to get pregnant.
It kind of made me feel better?

@ELW85 - that’s exactly it, I started temping because I thought it was another thing that could reassure me that I was ovulating and now I do it because it has value to know that every month. Temperatures still on the rise today so that is reassuring. Have yours started rising yet? Mine can take a couple of days after ovulation

There does seem to be something in the fact that a large proportion of people get ‘lucky’ very quickly within 3-4 months and for others it can be a long time - I guess some people are just less fertile than others but doesn’t mean it won’t happen!

DH is always talking about just needing some luck!

@RoseIvy Great news that your temps are still on the up!
I’ve still got a peak this morning, so expecting to have Ov at some point today.
My temps take a couple of days to go up anyway, so will DTD tonight and then watch for the rise tomorrow or Saturday!
How many DPO are you?

@ELW85 you’ve definitely caught the few days before ovulation so fingers crossed for this month!

I’m 3dpo today. Hopefully the next 9/10 days go quickly! I find that when spotting and then AF comes that’s the worst part, disappointed for a day or two, and then time to pick myself up and try again!

Have been given an ultrasound appointment for a months time so hopefully that helps give me some answers too!

@RoseIvy - fantastic that your ultrasound appointment has come through!
Let’s just keep everything crossed that you don’t actually need it by then.

I don’t have the spotting to contend with, but can imagine it’s an awful way to be ‘told’ that it’s not been your month.

I was reflecting the other day and started thinking that if any other tests come back as normal (such as a scan) that it might make sense for us to start ART from December. I’m 35 in February and don’t want to take that chance.
Even December might be leaving it late?!

@ELW85 what has your GP said about tests beyond the bloods and DH’s SA?

Your blood levels are really good so I think you have time on your side, but I know what you mean about wanting to get a move on! I would say wait 12 months from the date you started ttc and then look at other options. I really think you’ll be pregnant by then so hopefully you won’t need to worry about this stuff!

Definitely worth pushing on the NHS as much as you can though I think as they just have no sense of urgency! That’s why I wanted to get tests done before the year mark as everything takes so long!

@RoseIvy - the GP said they’d refer us to a fertility clinic once DH has his SA done.

The 12 month thing is interesting; it’s meant to be for couples who don’t track their cycles. For couples who do, it’s 6 months.
I’m trying to stay positive but it’s hard sometimes!

There’s a great clinic near us so if we aren’t PG by September, I think we’ll be headed there and looking at ART.
I wish it could all happen naturally and quickly but it doesn’t feel like that’s how it’ll go.

Maybe I need to visualise it!!

@ELW85 I agree that 12 months when you’re tracking is too long to wait and 6 months is when you should get things moving!

I’m hoping the fertility clinic gives us a much better idea of what can be done/what can work for us and moves things quite quickly. But I’m also mindful that funding for anything on the NHS is pretty much non existent! I think the SA and ultrasound are both good steps to ruling things out though and trying to work out what might work for you.

It’s such a frustrating process isn’t it! Want to be positive but the bfn’s every month really fly in the face of that!

@RoseIvy - totally agree with everything you’ve said.
It’s really nice to have someone in pretty much an identical position!

My OPKs have gone back down again, so one more night of DTD and then joining you on the TWW 😳

@ELW85 how are you getting on in the TWW? I was doing fine until a friend today found out she was pregnant (accidentally whilst on the pill). I was trying to point out to her all the positives as she was feeling a bit shocked/negative (she was going to start trying soon anyway) and it just makes me realise it’s so shit for those of us who really do want it and can’t make it happen!

Can’t wait for some well needed holidays coming up in the next couple of months to try and take my mind off it all!!

@RoseIvy - hiya! I’m not too bad thanks; my temps aren’t up as much as last month, but my temp as a whole is lower, so I’m not that worried.
Today was the first time I’ve had to think about how many DPO I am in the sense of trying to forget about it this cycle. Kind of proud, but kind of gutted that I’ve not got any symptoms to spot.

Are you ok? I’ve never understood when people accidentally get pregnant on the pill.
It’s really hard to beat when you’re putting every effort into tracking and for others it just happens against all odds.
How are you feeling in general?

@RoseIvy and where are your holidays? My next weekend away isn’t until the end of next month and holiday in December, but I could really do with it right now!

@ELW85 I think as long as you have a temperature shift that’s all that matters rather than how high it is overall. It’s good to be able to not think about how many Dpo you are and I’ve also been taking my mind off it until today!

It’s really hard because it’s not that you’re not happy for the other person, more that it reminds you of what you don’t have. It also kind of panicked me in thinking that it should be that easy for me and just isn’t?! If that makes sense?

I’m really not expecting to be pregnant without assistance, but that just makes me really impatient that I want answers and everything takes so long!

Have a few days in Italy in a couple of weeks time and then off to Cyprus at the beginning of September. Definitely need to recharge the batteries. Can you fit any nice minibreaks in or even just the odd night somewhere for a change of scenery?

@RoseIvy - that’s exactly how I feel! I’m always happy for other people but it seems like it’s actually really easy for everyone else and so on that basis, I feel like we’ll need help. And I don’t want to wait to be told that or turn 35...

Ooh! Where in Italy? I’ve not been for years!

I totally agree! I feel like how it is for everyone else is how it’s supposed to be and 6 months + shows something isn’t clicking!

Lake Garda - can’t wait! It’s so hard to just ‘relax’ and forget about ttc as people always suggest! But I think with a holiday actually you can just switch off for once!

My luteal phase is 10/11 days, I ovulate late (usually CD17-20) and I only have 2 day periods too

I do now have a 10 month old DS so it's not necessarily a major issue when TTC although it did take us 12 cycles to conceive

It's very stressful though. I was totally obsessed with my LH/FSH/AMH levels and temping/OPKs/vitamins/reflexology/PreSeed etc

Good luck 😊

My temps have gone up again this morning which I’m happy with!
There’s a great book called Taking Charge of Your Fertility and it calls out temps that hover around the cover line as indicative of low progesterone which is what concerned me, but it also dispels a lot of myths!

@polkadotpixie - thank you for sharing that! It’s great to hear success stories, and congratulations on having your DS :)
Out of curiosity, did you get referred to a clinic or just have your bloods done, and if so, what was the process like?

@RoseIvy - Lake Garda sounds amazing! I’ve not been there before but it’s certainly on the list.
Honestly, I keep flip-flopping between feeling as you are now about something not clicking and getting anxious and then remembering the coin flip analogy.
I’m feeling good at the moment but I bet when/if AF turns up in a week I’ll be back to feeling hopeless.

@polkadotpixie thank you so much for your response. It’s very reassuring to hear that someone has gotten pregnant with a short luteal phase and a short period. Do you have any idea why your period is short/was hour GP concerned? I can’t really seem to find anything on what might cause it other than perhaps low Estrogen levels causing the lining not to build up very well.

It’s also reassuring that you did fall pregnant naturally after 12 months! Congratulations!

@ELW85 you’re absolutely right that sometimes it all doesn’t feel so bad and other times it feels hopeless! I know everyone says to stay positive (and that worrying doesn’t help) but it’s very hard to do sometimes.

I have read some of taking charge of your fertility. The stuff on bbt is very useful and I’m encouraged that mine looks ok, except maybe on the short side with the luteal phase!
I couldn’t see much in there on blood tests and have never found anything to answer why my testosterone levels are high (other than pointing to pcos) - I guess my ultrasound in a month may help me find out some more on that!