Talk to me about ovulation kits please...

[OhBling]

Right, background is that I went on the pill 14 years ago to manage my PCOS. I came off it three months ago and have just started my first AF since coming off.

For me, this seems like a very positive thing as before going on the pill I didn't come on more than about once every 4 - 6 months.

Clearly however I'm not exactly ovulating on a 25 - 45 day cycle so it seems that ovulation kits will at least help a little. I'm also now going to start taking my temperature religiously every morning.

The issue of course is that as far as I know most of these things work best if you already have at least a vague idea of when you might ovulate especially as they announce you're ovulating at the point at which you only have about 8 hours to get busy...

Thoughts, advice etc welcome. TIA

Hi

Would actually suggest you not use either method as both are not without their problems, particularly if PCOS is an issue. Temp charting and PCOS are uneasy bedfellows as the chart can be extremely difficult to interpret with any degree of accuracy. At best these charts are not without their problems and can cause stress to arise. Also if your periods are irregular because of PCOS, ovulation may not be happening regularly, if at all.

OPK's are also not without their problems as these measure LH. The kits work on the misleading principles that there is one rise in LH every month and that such a rise is immediately followed by ovulation. Both of these are simply not true. As many PCOSers have an excess of LH to start with the kit will read this excess, thus ending up with multiple positive results. Therefore such kits are useless when it comes to PCOS.

I would instead have blood tests done to see what your LH and FSH levels are like (day 3 is often done in that regard and blood tests too can be done according to calendar days) and ask for a referral to a gynae at a subfertility unit as a matter of course. PCOS is not a condition that should be messed around with by GPs as they do not have the expertise or time to manage your PCOS properly.

www.verity-pcos.org.uk is a useful website.

Thanks. My doctor will refer me in due course, but not immediately which I understand - i was originally diagnosed so long ago that the theory seems to be that we have to see what happens after all this time before getting involved with specialists. Which I can understand. But it doesn't help with the frustration of wanting to get pregnant now and not later.

What do you mean by Day 3? Day three of a cycle? In which case, that would be tomorrow and might not turn up again for three or four months.

Oh, and I'm also doing Weightwatchers to lose the weight I've gained over the years which I know can help a lot with PCOS and so far am making progress - if slowly.

Hi OB,

Day 3 can be day 3 of a menstrual cycle AND also the third day of a calendar month. These blood tests don't necessarily have to be done according to cycle days - they can also be done monthly according to calendar days as well.

As you've been previously diagnosed with PCOS I would look into getting a referral via your GP sooner rather than later. I say this too as it can also take some considerable time to get an appointment following referral.

WW may be beneficial but its not for all PCOSers. Some PCOS patients have found a low GI eating plan helpful and it is also sustainable in the longer term as well. Collette Harris (herself a PCOSer) has written several books on the subject as well as recipes.

Sadly, I find a very low GI diet can be bad as I have some minor digestive problems. I'm finding the WW thing is working so far, but will see in a few weeks/months. So far I've lost 4lbs and have definitely found that the week I do the "right" things I lose weight but when I am "bad" I don't so it seems to work if you look at it that way.

My doctor and I have agreed that if I either have longer than 3 months between AF OR if it continues at this level more than twice, he'll refer me. So at worst, I've got another three months before I can be referred. And I am okay with that as I do think it's worth giving my body some time to see what it's doing.