Question for Atilla or anyone else with GP/specialist knowledge

[yellowflowers]

Hi,

Having been ttc for 18 months (as in not using contraception) but 9 months temping and a lot of sex esp in middle 2 weeks of cycle, I have booked doctors appt. Am going to get tested for any stds and ask for referral. I have a specialist endocrinologist because I have pcos but he has done blood tests which show I ovulate and he thinks because I have monthly cycles (of either 30 days or 38 days) that I should be fine to conceive naturally. Given I am on his books, is it worth me asking to see a specialist fertility doctor (not an endocrinolgist) too?
What else should I ask - I know my dh needs to get sperm tested too.

Thanks so much.
x

If you have been ttc without success for 18 months there is likely to be a problem anyway. You also have a PCOS diagnosis.
Even if you have monthly cycles, with PCOS ovulation does not always happen. It is quite possible to have periods without ovulating.

BTW make love when you both feel like it and don't just stick to middle of cycle. Any notion of timing of intercourse can put pressure on yourselves.

I would refrain from temp charting in your circumstances as such charts are nigh on impossible to determine with any degree of accuracy. A PCOSers chart can be akin to the Rocky Mountains and it won't help you be any the wiser. You're better off with the blood tests as these will be more accurate. When were the blood tests last performed?. Any result over 6 months old should be discounted.

If periods are irregular too blood tests can be done according to calendar days. Day 3 will check LH and FSH and a day 21 measures progesterone.

I would be looking to see a gynae specialist also as a matter of course. Your GP should refer you. Both of you should be tested in tandem at the specialist unit i.e your tests are done alongside his.

You may also want to look at www.verity-pcos.org.uk.

HTH

Thank you so much for responding. Hugely appreciated. Will ask for all that then. Have had at least one cp but I think probably three since last October.

Blood tests (day 3 & 21) were Done last July and showed ovulation and good hormone levels and temp charts seem to follow pretty standard non pcos pattern.

Thanks again

Hi yellowflowers,

Would not take any notice of those previous blood test results as they are now out of date. You need up to date day 3 and day 21 results from the gynae.

LH and FSH need to be compared against one another as they can look okay if only looked at separately. If those two levels are not compared the test result is meaningless. Normally with PCOS the level of LH is higher than that of FSH.

Day 21 measures progesterone, they normally like to see a level of 30 or above.

Thanks.really appreciate all the advice x

Hi Yellowflowers, do your most recent charts clearly indicate ovulation?

Hope you can get your bloods redone and sperm analysis asap.

Some positive news for you: I took 13 months to conceive and my neighbour took 18 months to get pregnant. Both natural conceptions, not sure why it took so long...it just did. Very frustrating when all around us falling pregnant at the drop of a hat.

Thanks annasbananas - many of my friends have conceived quickly and I guess it's normal to take a while just so happens in my friendship group it's not so I am getting impatient. But have recently been speaking to some people I know who took between 1 and 2 years and has given me much hope. Since I've been temping (5 months0 all charts show clear ovulation except funnily eough this month where I am on cd 8 and chart all over the place. But previous months they have been text book charts.

That is great that you have ovulatory charts; it's a very a positive sign.