CD21 blood test - anyone else had this?

[Nappyhead]

Hi all - finally, I plucked up the courage to see my GP and explained that I'm 35 and been ttc #2 for a year. She did as I expected and suggested blood tests on days 1-3 and then day 21.

Day 21 is this saturday. I called the blood place at the local hospital and they are shut on a sat - and all Easter weekend. They suggested I call my GP. My GP said "oh well, you'll just have to wait another 4 weeks." She said the test has to be on day 21 or it isn't an use. Thing is, my cycle is regular, so day 21 will probably be another Saturday!!!! She said "there's not a lot we can do about that."

ARGGGGGHHHHH. I've waited a year - and now I've finally bitten the bullet to get tests done, I can't even get that sorted! Any ideas anyone???? xxxx

I am having day 21 bloods next Weds. She said it can be done a few days after day 21 but the nurse can only do mine on Weds (which is day 21) but my cycle is 28-35 days long..not sure how any of this works to be honest so will be watching this thread.

they can do the test up to 3d after CD21 for a reasonable accurate result. when my CD test has fallen on a weekend they have just taken the blood on the monday. hth

The day 21 can be done according to calendar days i.e the 21st of the month. It can be done a day or so after the day 21 date, it will make little difference to the overall result. You need to see a level of 30 or over to indicate ovulation.

Day 21 is only part of the story anyway; a blood test should also be done earlier in the cycle (around day 3) to compare LH and FSH levels.

Thank yo uso much for your replies. Because of Easter, I wouldn't be able to get a blood test done until next Tuesday - that will be CD24. Do you think that is too late?

My GP said it absolutely had to be CD21 - clearly not!

x

i had my cd21 done last tues, and my gyna said has to be absolutely on the day for the results to be a good indication. do you have option to go private? they might be open, as sat is not really a public holiday.

good luck!

Atilla can I just ask you something (since you seem extremely knowledgeable!).

When I went to see my gynae this month he said I should have this blood test. When I went to see him it was CD23 and he said it would be OK to do it that day even though it was normally meant to be CD 21.

I haven't got the results yet but what my concern is is that I only got a positive OPK the day before on CD20. I appreciate what you've said before about the reliability of OPKs but if it was correct I may have only ovulated on the day of the blood test or the day after - would this make the blood test useless because it has been taken too eaarly (I asume it is looking for something that happens in your blood AFTER ovulation?)??

Many thanks

the dy21 test is based on the assumption that the woman has a 28-29 day cycle and ovulated at around dy14-15. it looks for the amount of progesterone and based on it, the gynae can tell whether you have actually ovulated or not.

so it really depends on how long your cycle is.

also, the amount of progesterone determines whether the lining of your womb is thick enough to sustain a successful implantation.

so good luck!

my dy21 results came yesterday and my progesterone was high! 33, unfortunately that number alone cannot tell me whether i am pregnant or not, have to wait another 5-7 days! grrrrrr, driving me nuts all this waiting

Thanks Heron

My cycles have varied the last few months. Last one was only 26 days (got positive OPK on CD12) but one before that was 34 days.

I'm now on day 32 and as got positive OPK on CD22 am expecting about a 36 day cycle. So it may have been too early to do the blood test if I ovulated later than someone would with a 28/29 day cycle?

Thanks

I know the waiting is awful isn't it. Unfortunately I have got that pre AF heavy abdomen feeling today so I'm pretty sure I'm out of the running again this month.

Fingers crossed for you, hope it's good news

Hi Eleveld

In answer to your earlier question it won't make any difference at all. What the OPK picked up the day before was a surge but you can easily have more than one of those in each month and such a surge is not automatically followed by ovulation.

I had no cycle at all to speak of so the day 21 in my case was done according to calendar days.

It does not always follow either that a period will arrive two weeks post a positive surge on an OPK. Ovulation is not an exact science and it can occur earlier, later or not at all in any given cycle. With your last couple of cycles being 26 days and 34 days it would be seen as an irregular cycle because there are also more than 4 days of variation from month to month.

Have they measured your LH and FSH levels at all - this is usually done a lot earlier in a cycle around day 3.

thanks Atilla

Not done any of the other tests yet, have only just started testing. I expect the tests you mention will be the next step.

Am still a bit confused on the CD21 test. If you ovulate later than CD21 then the test presumably won't pick ovulation up if done on CD21? so there's a chance it could say you haven't ovulated that month but, in fact you have, just later??

Many thanks for your help

an ultrasound scan on your ovaries can tell if you are about to ovulate or have ovulated already. this might be helpful since your cycles are not regular.

the cd21 test will be useless if you ovulate later than the "normal" mid cycle, which is around dy14-15. and not many women have that kind of cycle anyway.

since you are now on cd32 and you got +ve ovulation on cd22, i would expect it is now too late to do the cd21 test. the cd21 test looks to determine the level of progesterone, which should be at its highest at cd21 (based on a regular 28-29 day cycle).

since you are already on cd32 and you are expecting a 36 day cycle, it would be best to wait for the next cycle (more waiting, groan!), keep tracking of your ovulation, use kits, cervical mucus, temp, and be ready to go to get your bloods done 5-6 days after you have ovulated.

hope this helps!

Thansk Heron it does certainly help and confirm what I thought.

I did actually have an ulatrsound done (endo check up) on CD16 and there was a follicle that, at that time was 1.75cm, which they said is probably the follicle that will burst soon causing ovulation - got the positive OPK 6 days later.

Think I should just wait to see what he says about the results rather than trying to guess! Tried to ring for them yesterday but all the nurse said is yes they were back but it had to be the consultant that tells me about them so am now just waiting for a letter from him. She did say that there was no 'mark' against them which normally means they are 'within the normal range.' Whatever that means!

Thanks for your help

you're welcome and hope it all works out in the end!

just curious, how long have you been trying?
for me, this is my first month, already have a DS who is nearly 4. i never thought i would be ready for another one, ever

you're welcome and hope it all works out in the end!

just curious, how long have you been trying?
for me, this is my first month, already have a DS who is nearly 4. i never thought i would be ready for another one, ever

Not been trying long at all. This next month will be 4th month of TTC #1 so not long at all.

The reason he is starting tests early is because I have endometriosis (have had few operations in last couple of years) and am also the grand old age of 39 in October!

He is also getting DP sperm tested too to make sure everything is OK there (if fact I think DP has to produce the necessary goods this afternoon!)

I know I've really only just started trying so I really shouldn't moan but I just can't imagine ever getting that BFP!

all the best of luck to you! TTC really tests my patience. i have none to speak of!
a good doc makes all the difference.

i bet your DP is getting a bit nervous!

i am taking zitawest vitamins and DH is taking vits as well. are you taking any?

Have been taking folic acid vitamins but that's all. I keep hearing about these zitawest vitamins on this site - are they the best things to take? Can you get them anywhere?

Yes being a typical man, DP has come out with a few crude comments about producing the necessary sample in a pot (in fact I don't know why I'm bothering to try and produce a child - I already have one!)

And I know what you mean about patience. The thought of waiting another whole month all the time drives me insane! Although I am better now - the first month it was literally all I thought about but I'm much better now (I think it would have been mentally impossible to keep up that level of obsessiveness!)

Good luck to you too

do you mind me asking how old you are? (or is the clue in your name?!)

Also, how long it took you to conceive the first time?

i just turned 42, wish i was 23, well, 23 yr old ovaries anyway

i have got wellwoman as well as zita west vits. i compared the ingredients and zita west vits have more, not sure whether it makes so much difference. but considering my age, i thought it would be good to have more than less

you can get zita west vits from her website.

this is my first month and i cannot focus on anything, i spend all my time in front of this pc...

for DS, it took us 1 month and voila!, but i was 37 yrs old.

how old is your DC?

I haven't got any DC yet, first month of trying for number 1. You have encouraged me in that your first was at 37.

I was thinking I had left it too late to have first at 38 1/2 but what can you do when you only meet the right man later in life?

If you spend you life on this site then I am bound to bump into you fairly often! I am trying to obsess less - like my consultant said last week one of the biggest things is for me to relax and not mess my hormones up by getting stressed by it all (easy for him to say!)

will go on the zita west site now!

yes check out zita west site, there are also lots of other useful info.

important thing is that you got that special someone in your life right now. try ignore reading all the scary stories about older moms, i find them to be unhelpful and just get me all worked up

so check this thread often and let us keep in touch.

i am not sure how i am going to get through this easter break, all i can think of is getting to mon/tues so that i can do the test !

i am supposed to be planning our family hols to france this summer - have not done much yet tho.

off to pick up DS from nursery and then we are off to his swim class.