Advice - long cycle lengths and new to TTC

[AROSE9]

Hi, I’m looking for some guidance and advice. I came off my pill (after more than 10 years) in August and TTC. I have only had 2 periods since then my cycle lengths are irregular - 48 days and currently on CD56 and no AF or BFP.

I have been using Clear Blue Digital Ovulation tests which have showed positive ovulation around CD35. I am worried that this is too late and I’m either not ovulating or I have fertility issues (PCOS etc.) is it too early to think this way?

From what I have read your luteal phase should be 14 days and so if no AF or BFP after that should I assume I did not ovulate?

Just purchased a thermometer to track BBT and booked in for blood tests at the doctors but not until the end of the month. Starting to think the worst and wondered if anyone had experienced anything similar? or had any advice? am I other thinking?

Sorry for the long post and thank you in advance!

It just means the egg wasn't released, maybe because of stress and so the body tries again... It happened me once when I was tracking..
Also, I think you can get surges for other reasons like just before your period comes but don't know for sure and that never happened to me but I did have a second ovulation surge once

@Rowen32 so I potentially still ovulated but just later? I find this all so confusing! Thank you for your help

Yes, I wouldn't know only for it happened to me and my period was later that month too which confirmed it!

I think the only way to know for sure that you've ovulated is with temperature check but there's so many things to get right with that I never bothered..

Hi @AROSE9 I haven’t read the full thread but will share my experience of long and irregular cycles.

the clear blue digital tests are set off when your hormones peak - they’ll start to show flashy smiley face, but it your hormones drop down again then the flashy smiley face doesn’t change - it stays like that until your ovulation hormones peak or after 10 days - which ever is first. Then it breaks.

if you have long cycles and you might not be ovulating with everyone I would recommend using the cheapie dip tests - you can watch your hormone levels rise and fall on them and see that you might have two peaks and only after the second you ovulate.

no urine test can tell you if you ovulate - only by monitoring your temperature will you know if you ovulate. It’s possible to have lots of hormone peaks and your body doesn’t ovulate - only when your temp goes up have you ovulated.

so get some cheapy tests and a monitoring app and a thermometer and use them to track your symptoms, hormone levels and temp. You’ll start to see patterns.

You are right that once you’ve ovulated then it is always around 9-14 days and then your period will come.

I read a book called period power which explains all this hormone stuff in great detail and was incredibly helpful in grappling with my long and irregular cycles.

@pennysays thank you for that it’s really helpful. I will get some cheepie tests and use them in future. Not sure whether to track now or just wait for a fresh cycle when AF eventually appears!

Hoping that maybe I ovulated at second surge - but did not DTD as often due to cold/flu.

I have been tracking temp this week but the app will not let me see a graph until a new cycle starts. Just counting the days!

Thanks for all your messages everyone - it’s nice knowing it isn’t just me feeling this way and that there is still hope. 😊

Update - CD75 and still no AF. Blood tests have come back this morning and they are all fine. Really lost on what to do next!

Hi @AROSE9 jumping on board if you don't mind! I came off my pill December 2021 only had my first period a year later at the start of this month which has been a loooong wait. I had bloods done in April which were normal but my Dr sent me for an ultrasound anyway just to double check and my ovaries do present as being mildly polycystic so worth pushing for a scan too maybe?

I'm waiting to see if this cycle turns out to be a normal length but haven't had a peak on an opk yet and it's cycle day 23 so looking unlikely.

My doctor has been great though and I've been referred to the fertility clinic (I had heard horror stories about referral wait times but I got in very quickly!) They are starting my on letrozole next month assuming all ok with my husband's sperm analysis which should help regulate everything.

@Apat10 hi - that’s great for you. Fingers crossed all is good and you get your BFP soon. Keep me updated!

I need to phone doctors tomorrow to get an appointment and I’m going to push for a scan as I am fairly sure I have PCOS. I have given up tracking ovulation as I got a smiley face on CD34 but now no AF I assume I didn’t ovulate and not sure when it will happen - going to wait for a new cycle whenever that may be!

@AROSE9 good idea to ask about a scan if you feel in your gut that something is off - knowledge is very much power on this and getting a diagnosis can open up doors to getting help with medication etc and can speed up referrals too!

I've also heard that PCOS can give false positives on ovulation tests as your body tries to ovulate multiple times hence the LH peak but might not always result in successful ovulation.

I have spent the past year looking every time I wipe for signs of AF and wishing I'd come off my pill earlier so I could be further along by now!

@AROSE9 I know it has been ages since this thread, but i was just wondering if you wouldn't mind sharing the outcome of your PCOS investigations/ TTC journey since?
I am in a similar situation to you and don't really know where to go from here.