Irregular periods TTC

[KittensMittens]

Hi, Last year was quite a difficult one for one reason or a few others and towards the back end of the year my periods became irregular. I was expecting a period on October 1st and did not get one until December 12th. The next one after that (and consequently my most recent period) was on February 26th, 2009. I am due to see the doctor again (my previous meeting about 3 months ago was to see how I went and to come back after a few months) next week but wondered if there was anyone else out there who has experienced the same as my husband and I have been ttc for about 6 months now and nada.

I am in my early 30s and the pressure is on from family and there seems to be (and this is all in my head) a silent race amongst friends. I am trying to be zen about it all but have a niggling worry about my irregular periods and not being able to conceive.

Hi. Not sure I'll be much help but didn't want to leave you unanswered. Have you tried reflexology or accupuncture. Haven't tried it myself but have read of a few people finding it useful. Good luck.

KittensMittens,

Irregular periods is quite a common fertility problem. These are often caused by hormonal imbalances; in this regard a condition called polycystic ovaries is a common culprit. PCO is very common; around one in five women has PCO. Another possible one is thyroid imbalance.

You should have blood tests done to determine if one or either of these are present. You may be asked to go for an internal ultrasound scan as well to assess the state of your ovaries (to see if they are polycystic) and uterine cavity.

Blood tests can be done according to calendar days (usually the 3rd and 21st of the month) so you don't have to wait for your next period to show up.

If GP is at all unhelpful or tells you to come back in six months time I would then ask for a referral to a gynae at a subfertility unit, both of you should be tested further. You have good reason to ask for a referral now.

Hard as it is, ignore any outside pressure from your family and friends. Do not tell them you are actively ttc.

Thank you Neeko and Attila. I have been looking into some relaxing therapies and will be seeing the GP next week so hopefully I will be getting tests.

All very good advise and thank you both very much

Hi, I was TTC #1 about 3 years ago now and my cycle was (and still is) all over the place. They ranged from 30 days to 67 days which, as you can imagine, was a nightmare.

We did conceive though (after about 12months)but I really believe that taking my temperature in the mornings and taking a preg multivitamin every day helped us finally get our son.

I had all the blood tests to check my hormones and they all came back fine - sometimes there isn't a reason. We're thinking about number 2 now & we're going to start with all the temps & OPKs straight away to save any unnecessary heartache. I hope you get some answers and I wish you lots of luck! xxx

Thank you very much for your message decagirl. I shall do just that tomorrow. Good luck to you with number 2 xx

Hi, I have a hormonal imbalance and so irregular periods and so was advised by my Docs to take a different approach to ttc. Do not go for the 'window' method that most people try - apparently, a lot of women get the window wrong and so it only further reduces their chances. Instead, I was told to just DTD every three days regardless of the time of the month, upping it to every 2 days when I thought I might be close to ovulating but doing it no more frequently than that. It worked for us, so might be worth a try?

Would also agree with the PP who said to get a referral now for a fertility clinic.

Good luck.

I was in your situation a couple of years ago and I had always had irregular periods. When I eventually had an ultrasound it was confirmed that one of my ovaries showed lots of'cyst' like follicles, and the other one much less. But after diagnosis all she told me was it will just take you a bit longer to get pregnant. Not prepared to hang about I wanted to do a bit more to help my chances so this is what helped me regulate my cycles and get pregnant:
*Saw a Naturopath who was also a foresight practitioner; she taught me about charting and looking for fertile signs (change in cervix, fertile mucous etc)recommended taking Agnus Castus (Chasteberry) which is said to regulate hormones, and generally got me feeling positive and most of all informed - much more so than GP - Also got me onto a fantastic book, Taking Charge of your Fertility by Toni Weschler, I highly recommend it.
*Also started seeing a relexologist weekly to work on my hormone balance and the effect was really powerful. Within 2 months I had established a regular 28 day cycle followed by a 10-12 day anovulatory one, which made sense based on my ultrasound.
BTW my DH was in another country doing military service while all this was going on and I was trying to turn myself into prime condition for his return, in the end we conceived our DS the week he got back, 8 weeks after I'd started my treatment.

Even if you don't have PCOS as it sounds by what you wrote in the OP that there might be other reasons why you're not having regular cycles, the treaments I've mentioned still may be able to help you get your rhythm back. I nothing else, get that book. It's a mine of inormation. Good luck

Sorry, 'If' nothing else... x

Hi Kittens, I have always had irregular cycles, sometimes upto 6 months between periods. A long delay always seems to coincide with stress and other things going on in my life. I have had various tests at the GP but no particular reason found.

I had acupuncture and have found it really useful in regulating my periods and have at times even had a 28 day cycle, it has also reduced the amount of bleeding/pain/PMT so all round has been well worth doing.

Good luck

Hey kitten, I have always had irregular cycles, sometimes up to 4 months apart. I didn't want to go down the route of charting, or doing "it" on certain days, or medical interventions straight away.I did read Zita West's book and took advice re nutrition etc. I did go for acupuncture though and fell pregnant immediately. I grind my teeth when people say "relax it will happen" but in my case it did. (BTW, I'm not a hippy type at all) Good luck, get all the info you can and mull it over with your DP

Thank you so much Karam, RubiMama, greenbeanie and sobloodystupid. All excellent advice. I shall be purchasing the book immediately and look into the therapies etc. Your advice is very, very much appreciated.

Wow, just joined, I have the same concerns over irregular periods. They can run anything from 2 a month, to none for 4 months. My hubby and I are really wanting to start trying, but didnt know whether we should address my period problem first. Great tips already though just reading this thread. thank you

Hey Ladylou83, I have had a couple within the last 7 months and will be going to see the doctor next week again. It would not do any harm going to see your GP to have a chat. Good luck

sobloodystupid - which Zita West book was it that helped you. There are quite a few and just wondering which one would be best.

I have very irregular periods, my last cycle was about 49 days and the one before that was 29 days. So I don't really know whether I'm coming or going with regards to my cycle and when I'm ovulating.

I've had a scan to see if I've got PCOS but I was told my ovaries 'weren't typically polycystic'.

Hi KittensMittens, I had irregular periods too. I had tests (scans and blood tests) and they turned out to be due to PCOS.
You might conceive even if you have PCOS, irregular periods don't mean you're not ovulating. PCOS is very treatable, with drugs and/or an operation called ovarian drilling. I had that as I had a very severe case of PCOS (didn't ovulate at all) and it worked. Once my periods became regular again, I used ovulation tests to pinpoint the correct time to try.
I am a firm believer in modern medicine and haivng sex at the right time... I was 35 when we started trying, am now 37 (38 in August) and finally had my son last April... You are still quite young, time is on your side. Don't let pressure get to you - it's not worth it.

Hi Mouette, thank you very much for your message. I will see my GP next week and hopefully start the testing road. I did an ovulation test a couple of weeks ago and it was positive. I am obviously now symptom spotting like crazy and I am going to do the dreaded testing which will result in the disappointing but I hope that the GP will help. Congratulations on your son, that is wonderful news and great to hear that it happens

Hi KittensMittens

It's very good that your test came back positive - mine never did because I never ovulated before the operation. My sister in law had PCOS too and VERY irregular periods, but she conceived at 34 without even trying.
You will probably feel better once you've seen your GP and got some medical support. Don't worry - and don't let it take over your life. The good thing is, you've really got plenty of time. I only discovered I had a problem when I was 35. And still it worked...

Hi Mouette

Thank you so much again. I was a little disheartened as on another post someone mentioned that the Ovulation kit was not of much use when my periods are so irregular and that it was very unlikely that I was ovulating. I shall see the doctor next week and as you say, with some medical support we can start working things out Your messages are great and keep our hopes up and minds focused without trying to go into ttc crazy mode

Thanks KittensMittens! It's always good to talk to people who've been through the same thing. Ovulation kits are useful once you have regular periods, to pinpoint when you should have sex for the maximum chances of conceiving. I agree they're not that much use if the periods are very irregular. I don't agree that "it's very unlikely you're ovulating", you can't tell until you've done blood tests. Most women with PCOS do ovulate, just not every month. Even if you didn't ovulate at all (like me) it can be sorted out with a drug called Clomid or failing that a minor operation. It really is a fixable problem, and many women do conceive without treatment like my sister in law. Do you live in London by any chance? If yes, I could recommend my gynaecologist, the one who treated me, he's very good. But speak to your GP first. Good luck and let me know how it goes.

KittensMittens: Another thing: you mention you had a difficult time last year. It is possible that your irregular periods are simply caused by stress, and that you don't actually have PCOS or any specific medical problem. I would always advise to try and exercise, and eat healthily, and relax as much as possible (a nice holiday, perhaps?) to maximise chances - and enjoy life in the meantime... You don't mention any other medical pbs apart from the irregular periods: PCOS usually comes with other symptoms, like being overweight, excess body hair, acne... Again your GP will be the best person to speak to.

mampam, I can't remember, it was the only Zita West book in the library (I suspect that they are snapped up the moment they are returned!). Wish I could remember as we are ttcing again. Good luck everyone...

Thanks again Mouette. It is funny you say go on a holiday. We went to Mauritius in May (my last period had been February) and a couple of weeks upon our return I had a period which was great but that was the last one. Hmm........how nice it would be to have a beachy holiday once a month on doctors orders I shall definitely keep you updated, there may be a moan and whine though I am afraid .

Dear KM,
It will always be a pleasure to hear from you, let me know how it goes. I know how stressful it can get, especially once you start doing tests and stuff, but it's very important to try not to let it take over everything. You can moan and whine all you like, it's what this is for - to preserve the husbands' sanity... xx

Hi Mouette
I went to the GP today and ironically enough AF arrived last night! The GP said that it was a good time to start blood tests so I am going back in tomorrow and then seeing her after a couple of weeks as she is away. She mentioned a drug that may help AF more regular. I am afraid I forgot the name of it but it began with 'm'. Anyway, just thought I would let you know that the ball has started rolling. The GP was really nice and seemed to want to get everything underway swiftly. It is nice to relax a bit about it all, it is surprising how you feel as if you are not that obsessed with ttc but in actual fact when you take time to breathe and relax a bit you feel a bit better. Thank you again for your support Mouette xx

Hope my story will give you some hope!

I came off the pill at age 29, after being on various types since age 16 (for irregular/painful periods). I already suspected I had PCOS and it was finally confirmed with an ultrasound (though they were looking for fibroids).

I started temping and charting my cycles. Some will say it's of no use to people with PCOS, but I completely disagree. I found it very useful in determining whether I was ovulating and how often. Also could see improvement in decreasing cycle length (used to average 50 days, but sometimes as long as 70, once as long as 116 days!).

I had fertility investigations, including the 3 and 21 day blood tests mentioned in another post. Those tests showed I wasn't ovulating, but I knew from charting that I did ovulate, just not every cycle.

I took metformin which helps with the insulin resistance many get with PCOS. I also took Agnus Castus and a few other things I found from the PCOS Diet Book by Collette Harris. I also tried reflexology.

I got pregnant just after my 32nd birthday, but sadly miscarried. Then got pregnant again 3 months later and am due in August 2009 (I will be 33 when he arrives).

It seems like a long time, but for the first 1.5 years I was with ExH who never wanted to have sex, so between him and my PCOS, it was never going to happen. DH2 and I didn't use birth control for a year before I got pregnant the first time, and I didn't need anything like clomid, so we were quite pleased.