Is it time for the GP?

[Justagirlwholovesredpandas]

Hello everyone!

I have been TTC for the first time and currently in cycle 8 which I know isn’t long. I am 33 and my husband 37. The reason I’m questioning whether to see a GP is because my periods seem to do what they want! They have varied between 28 days and now I am currently on day 34 of my cycle with plenty of negative tests. Before this month I have done ovulation strips and have usually managed to find a peak. This month we decided to stop as it just got in my head a bit.

What do you think? Will they send me away? Has anyone got experience with cycles varying so much?

I was told to try for 12 months, even though I wasn’t having periods. I conceived in the 9th month. Just keep going.

Took 13 months for me and my cycles range from 28-37 days or so. Keep trying.

I went to the GP before 1 year, because I was worried my periods weren’t normal (short and scant), they ran hormonal blood tests and sent me for an ultrasound, so it’s definitely worth going. This was I think justified because of concerns about period not directly because of TTC, however both are linked

Yeah, 28-34 days is within the realms of normal cycle length variation, and 8 months is also a standard amount of time. If you've managed to get an OPK peak each cycle that's a good sign. I can completely understand why you might want to ditch the OPKs, but with a variable cycle they can be really useful for knowing when to expect AF (and the best days to dtd). BBT can also help with that reassurance.

DD1 was conceived on cycle 10 (over 16 months - my first 6 cycles after stopping the pill were super irregular - I eventually went to the doctor around 10 months in when I'd hit over 100 days and was diagnosed with an underactive thyroid). DD2 took 12 months and I've just had a BFP last week after 39 cycles or so!

Hertility is good if you have a spare 120 quid. They do the blood hormone tests a gp would do and give you an analysis. All done via posting a blood sample. You can then follow up with the GP after 12 months (or before if they aren't normal) and they will look at the results and maybe redo the tests.

Also get your partner to do a sperm analysis as ours was male factor and lifestyle change and supplements helped us conceive. Again he can do privately now if he wants to and it's about 150 quid.

It could be just a numbers game but after 8 months I think no harm in starting the ball rolling if you can afford it.

I went to the GP about 3 months after my ectopic/miscarriage because I was so terrified of getting pregnant and it happening again. They were really understanding and sent me for blood tests to check I was ovulating. I didn't have any scans as I'd had these done during the hospital visits. We had only been trying 9 months at this point so I was told the blood tests would be initial but she couldn't do anything further for me until April when it would be 1 year or TTC.

My GP also works in Liverpool Women's hospital so she had a lot more knowledge of female reproductive issues then let's say your average GP.

I think if your concerned your not ovulating or may have underlying conditions like PCOS it could be worth going before 1 year for some initial tests but I think the NHS are so strapped at the moment they just won't unless there's a cause for concern. My local private facility charges £200 for initial tests but you could also try something like Hertility. I used this too and it helped put my mind at ease. We are in 10 months in and it's hard work TTC, it's not as easy as it appears sadly so keep going 🤞🏼

I had highly irregular cycles. Conceived my first after just over a year and my second on the second cycle of trying. I was older than you both times. I found tracking my temperature was way more informative than opks, fwiw. Now that we're done having kids (husband has had a vasectomy), my cycles are regular almost to the day. Of course!

I think it’s good to get checked at six months, especially if you’re over 30. The way I see it, if there was a problem that made pregnancy unlikely and you don’t pick it up until over a year after starting ttc, you may feel you’ve wasted a year of valuable time when it was never going to happen.
I’m nearly 33, DH nearly 30. We had a sperm check after six months and it came back showing poor sperm morphology. I’m now in the process of booking tests for myself. Obviously we are lucky we can afford to go private. If you can possibly afford to, it can help get the ball rolling sooner if there are any issues. Hopefully they will show nothing wrong and it’s just taking you a bit longer, which is perfectly healthy. The NHS say to come for checks after a year because they know it can take a bit longer, but I think it’s good to be empowered with information. Good luck. 💕

Seconding/thirding Hertility too! It does cost but I think it’s worth it if you can.

I also used Hertility and would highly recommend

They will only help if you've been trying for a year OP. However... why don't you just say you have been trying for a year, as there's no way they'll know that it's actually a little less? Our friends did just that! x

That was my plan when I went but it was in my medical notes that I'd had the coil out 😂 absolutely gutted I couldn't lie then 🙈

Not necessarily though, as I said above I had tests and an ultrasound way before a year (at about 6 months). She just needs to approach it more from the perspective of issues and concerns around periods. Mine were scant and a bit irregular, so they thought could have been PCOS. I did say in the consultation about TTC. They were quite happy to do testing and investigate.

Thank you for replying everyone! I could say I have been trying for longer and I haven’t been on birth control for almost 9 years but I always worry so much about bothering the GP which I know is super silly! I took the plunge and ordered the Hertility test to reassure me. I wanted to but I wasn’t sure about the reliability of the results but saw that some of you recommended it! Hopefully it all comes back okay!