Anovulatory cycles - where do I begin?

[MrsMerryHenry]

I have a feeling that I've started having these recently, perhaps more due to stress than anything else. So gutting as conceiving my first DC was really easy.

So what do I need to know that I can't find out on google?

I know I need to check my BBT and cervical fluid (already checked the latter 3 months in a row - not good ). Anything else? Any symptoms I should be aware of? Healthy ways to combat it (i.e. non-medical solutions)? Is it worth going to my GP this early (will start ttc within the next 6 months)?

bump

I haven't suffered from annovulatory cycles myself but I have had a few tests done to investigate subfertility, and it depends on your GP and how happy they are to order some bloods. For me that was the first step, a cd 2 and cd 21 blood test to check I was ovulating.

I can tell you that cervical fluid or lack thereof won't necessarily tell you much, I used to have tons before I had ds, and after I had almost none, but I still managed to get pg. Having said that, grapefruit juice did help a bit (when I could be bothered) but I used to drink about a litre carton a day of the freshly squeezed stuff (not concentrate)

If you feel you're not oving because of stress, is it worth dealing with the stress at the same time? Can you eliminate the cause of the stress, can you find complementary treatments to help (acupuncture, hynotherapy etc) to help you relax?

If you are charting and checking cervical fluid, I guess those are the main ones. I usually get ov pain - less pronounced now I've lost weight, but noticeable discomfort at around the time EWCM peaks. My libido is also noticeably higher at that point

What is your AF like ? If it is just breakthrough bleeding from an anovulatory cycle, I think it would be far lighter.

How long are your cycles ?

I've heard good things about taking Agnus Castus - may be worth googling...

What makes you think you're having anovulatory cycles?

Hmm...I have been tracking cervical fluid. A couple of months ago I noticed there was no egg white, nor ovulation pain (which I always have due to fibroids). My period was then late and thought I was pg. Then I finally had a late bleed a couple of weeks later. I spoke to my GP, who suggested it could have been an anovulatory cyc. Since then I've had 2 more identical cycles - no egg white, no ov pain.

My periods themselves have also completely changed during these three cycles - light for 2 days, then 1 heavy and 1 light. Used to be heavier at the start and then last for 5 days.

What's AF?

I always thought cervical fluid was a reliable gauge of these things...it seems not, then, HeadFairy? Certainly stress would have been the cause of the first unusual cycle - I was under massive, massive stress for about a month. Then moved house - again stressful! Circumstances are better now but still unsettled - however I'm actually very good at handling stress (unless I'm calm on the surface and my body takes all the hits?!).

sorry, af = your period.

No I don't think cervical fluid on it's own is a reliable indicator of ovulation. I certainly didn't have much on my last cycle at all and I'm now 17 weeks pg. I used to get absolutely tons. For me I think it's an age thing as I'm 39.

You might think you're handling stress pretty well, I'm usually very good at that sort of thing too, but you can probably show the stress internally if you see what I mean. Outwardly coping, but inwardly holding on to lots of tension.

Oh, poo. Periods are definitely lighter. Poo, poo poo.

What's the deal with grapefruit juice? I'm currently taking a high-powered green veg food supplement (wheat grass, spirulina, etc) to balance out excess oestrogen, which causes fibroids in my womb. Could grapepfruit juice interfere with the grassy vits?

Also I'm now wondering whether I might have overdone it on the 'balancing oestrogen' front and perhaps that's swung the balance in the other direction? Though tbh I've not been very good about taking them regularly...think I need to see a GP about this. Actually, thumbwitch knows loads about complementary health stuff, I'll give her a shout.