Post Pill Party - Pool Party

[TheDaydreamBelievers]

In the shimmering summer heat, we need to head for the water to cool down and relax. Bring your inflatable flamingo, your romcom read and your sunscreen, cause it's time for a pool party!

Welcome to the 12th post pill party thread. We are here for women who have recently come off the pill... and women like me who not-so-recently came off the pill! Share and get support with the highs and lows of TTC.

I can see these people rockin' up with their cossies on:

Ladies already at the soiree:

@ChinChilly
@Juno231
@CharWils
@Moocher90
@MissM94
@MissC07
@Kay00
@TheDaydreamBelievers
@pineapple2021
@Theosmommy2011
@Lovebug06
@WhirlingD
@Carolinesturn
@Tillybabs
@redclueless
@Cams50
@sunshinedaisybuttermellow

@Carolinesturn congratulations!! Lovely lines ☺️

@Kay00 @Juno231 thank you for the diet advice. I'm definitely going to start lowering my carbs, sugar and GI (even though I had an amazing afternoon tea yesterday 🙈) Funnily enough my mum had gestational diabetes when she was pregnant with both me and my brother so I really should be mindful of it!

@TheDaydreamBelievers 9 weeks?!?! Gosh, was that just for the hormones to leave your body, no retained tissue or anything?

I think my body is upto something I've had 2 days of ewcm but af style cramps 🤔

@Carolinesturn huge congratulations that's fabulous!

Thanks everyone, I certainly thought I was out when I got some bright red blood at 10dpo! The body is mysterious

@ChinChilly yeah I had a scan at 6 weeks after surgery sand nothing left over. Just pain in the ass body being a pain in the ass

@Carolinesturn that's amazing news! Especially after you were so worried about that peri menopause test you took. Just goes to show it was inaccurate!

Congratulations @Carolinesturn

I'm looking forward to my appointment with the specialist on Thursday. Since my abnormally normal blood results a couple of weeks ago, I've miraculously had a (very heavy) period. So since coming off the pill that's a 101 day cycle followed by an 81 day cycle!! All anovulatory it seems, and consistent with premature menopause. I'll keep you all updated.

On the plus side, since I know my body is messed up, I've given up on POAS and Temping. Also having a glass of wine whenever I want. It's liberating. :)

@WhirlingD Thank you
I'm glad you've got an appointment with the specialist, hopefully they'll cast some light on your tests. Good luck with it and let us know how you get on

@Carolinesturn congratulations!

Morning ladies, hope everyone is doing ok. I had a phone call with the GP yesterday who said my blood results show signs of PCOS. Although given they were take on CD74 I'm not sure how they would tell from that day. Anyway my FSH was 5.8 and my LH was 17 whatever that means?! Also my internal scan shows follicles on both ovaries.
She then said the dreaded 'so it's usually solved by going back on the pill to kick start a period' - to which I replied a) no way am I going back on the pill and b) it's a withdrawal bleed not a period.... feeling really frustrated with it all. Even though we now aren't going to try until the end of this year I might give it until Nov when I've been off the pill for a year and go privately! Sorry for the war and peace account. Just feeling fed up 😔

@MissC07 hello! Ah, sorry to hear about the PCOS , but it might explain a lot. It sounds as though your FSH is within normal range (which is good, as it shows you don't have diminishing ovarian reserve), mine was 4.3.

I think LH levels can be high throughout the cycle in women with PCOS which is why the OPK sticks are a bit useless for us. My LH (when tested) was 4.8.

Did they test your testosterone?

I'm sure there are other meds you can take to induce a period, other then the pill, but i'm not sure what they would be, perhaps a little research is needed.

@MissC07 a PCOS indicator is when your LH is in a 3:1 ratio with FSH which is what you've got there. Admittedly this is meant to be tested on cd2 as LH goes up during the cycle anyway but it does sound like PCOS would explain this.

Doesn't norehisterone kick start a period? And then what is she planning on doing? No mention of referrals, clomid, metformin or anything?

@MissC07 Sorry to hear you are experiencing similar issues to me! A GP that says "yeah... all this is weird but we still wont do anything until one year TTC". Your scan came through a lot faster than mine has though!

@Kay00 thank you! I don't think they did test testosterone, but I'll check again when I get back home again later. I know this sounds absolutely ridiculous but I'm just so anxious of when my AF will eventually start and how bad it'll be that I'm stressing myself out which obviously doesn't help either.

@Juno231 so she said that if I'm actively trying for 6 months she'd refer me. I've been trying for 9 but apparently because I stupidly said we are putting things on hold for a few months whilst I start my new job she said to contact them again in a few months for a referral. I'm hoping my private medical cover from work will kick it by then too for tests so I guess that's a very small upside. Didn't mention clomid or metformin at all.

@TheDaydreamBelievers it's so frustrating isn't it!!!

I just called to chase referral for the scan - was told that they have 'only just restarted clinics' and I have 'only just passed the 12 week minimum wait time so it'll be a while. Arghhhh.

Just re-posting my hormone results in case anyone has any insight, as I know that many people on this thread have had investigations now. Both taken at random points later in cycle (CD 91 and CD 27 respectively).

FSH 1st time - 5.7 2nd time – 6.9 U/L
LH 1st time - 4.5 2nd time – 4.1 U/L
Prolactin 77; 2nd time 105 mU/L
Progesterone 2nd time

Sorry, another Q - do any of you have any dietary advice links for PCOS?

@TheDaydreamBelievers your results look fairly similar to mine (although I never had Progesterone or Androstenedion tests) and don't rule in or our PCOS. The test that really indicated PCOS for me was the AMH test (and then the scan of my ovaries of course).

For PCOS diet I have been doing a lot of research into that recently, and it seems to be a low carb/low sugar diet as carbs/sugars can effect your hormones, and this is exaggerated if you are PCOS with insulin resistance. I'm going to follow a low GI diet but it seems some women go full Keto. Like without carbs (I'm on day 3) isn't too bad so far... and on the low GI you can still eat chocolate (in moderation). I have ordered this book: www.worldofbooks.com/en-gb/books/professor-jennie-brand-miller/low-gi-guide-to-managing-pcos/9780340896013?msclkid=7c87ce0e1dab11eac39daf0cb829d222&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=S%20-%20PLA%20-%20Books%20-%20All%20Devices%20-%20%C2%A38.99%20-%20Bing&utm_term=4574724287622263&utm_content=%C2%A38.00%20-%20%C2%A38.99

*don't rule in or out
*life without carbs

Urgh sorry! Typing too fast!

Thanks @Kay00! Feeling a bit hopeless again so hoping this will help me channel it into something I can do, y'know?

Hi Ladies! Just wanted to check in and say hello and happy pre-weekend to you all! I'm still lurking in the shadows like a creep waiting on AF to show up! Cycle Day 88 for me and not a peep of a period or withdrawal...Spoke to the GP on Monday and she says I now have to wait another 3 months before they can do anything to assess what's going on...I don't think they understand the negative mental state that TTC/fertility issues can lead you down...just keep hearing you're young, it will definitely happen 🙄 Love and baby dust to you all and congratulations @Carolinesturn! What a lovely surprise 🥰

@JoeMalon3y It certainly is stressful, and unfortunately very common! Just try to focus on positive things and try not to let TTC take over you life (I should know, I have been to some very dark places on this journey)!

@TheDaydreamBelievers Yes, haha, that's exactly what I am doing. This new diet is giving me something to plan and focus on whilst I wait for my body to ovulate some mature eggs . My appointment with the fertility clinic is on Tuesday next week, and I'm really hoping she will prescribe me some Clomid.

I'm on CD16 and I'm pretty sure I haven't ovulated yet (which is good because we haven't had sex yet this cycle lol!) I'm pretty sure the two high temps I had were down to my body recovering from the trauma of endurance exercise. I will probably exclude these temps. No other signs of ovulation yet...

All this talk of test results has me looking back at me although they were done at any day of my cycle so not sure how accurate they are,
FSH 3.7
LH 5.0
Testosterone 1.6
Not sure if they are where they should be 🤷🏼‍♀️

I found these from the internet that might help.

www.contemporaryobgyn.net/view/hormone-levels-and-pcos

Thanks @Kay00

The other bit I find so stressful is that its in a million different types of units.