missed periods or hot flushes first - baby then menopause! confused

[Andcake]

Ok so I hate the fact I'm writing in this section as I would really like another baby but a few years ago I was diagnosed with low ovarian reserve (FSH 12) when ttc at the age of 37 - periods were generally 21 days apart Finally had miracle baby last year at the age of 40. Since i stopped breast feeding in February my periods have been a mess. I had 2x24 days apart then they were about 2 months apart than another 24 day one Aug/sept now nothing since early September. I have no clue if this is peri-menopause or post pregnancy hiccups (and neither does my dr - she says wait and see) I don't think I'm having hot flushes but occasionally feel a bit warm - for the first time in my life I have no acne! I generally feel well.
Dp tried to fish about trying for a 2nd baby on Sunday and I just couldn't bring myself to even mention to him that my periods have stopped. I am not pregnant. I don't know who to talk to really and part of me thinks I should be glad for ds and just accept this is an early menopause for me.

i've also heard of people having late babies and their periods never returning - has anyone else? or had something similar happen to them!

Hi there, i'm 38 and have been trying to conceive for 15 months with no success. My recent FSH came back at 11.2. The nurse at the NHS infertility clinic said that this result was 'reasonable'. I have children from a previous relationship whom i conceived quickly and easily, one of them while on the Mini-Pill!! I was very fertile! Sadly not anymore though. My doctor thinks i may be going through an early menopause. For about 18 months now i have been having similar symptoms to you, my periods have been irregular, sometimes 2 months apart and others just 21 days. Also my periods are shorter and lighter than they used to be. I'm desperate to have another baby as my husband has no children of his own and i would love to give him a child and for us to have a baby between us. You say you had fairly high FSH a few years ago, although i wouldn't consider 12 to be all that high and then you conceived and had your baby at 40 last year. Can i ask if you conceived naturally or with some help with fertility treatment ? If you conceived naturally then that would really give me some hope! I'm hoping to start Clomid in the next couple of months to hopefully kick-start ovulation as i don't ovulate, at least not every cycyle anyway. Maybe your haywire periods are something to do with having a baby recently. I don't see why you can't get pregnant again as you must still be quite fertile having given birth last year. I'd say it's looking quite hopeful for you. In my case though it was 7 seven years since i gave birth so a long while ago. I'm so scared i'm in early menopause and can't have another baby! You are very lucky to have had your Son with your partner, i would give anything to be able to have a child with my husband. I understand your longing to have another baby though, it's an urge that never goes away when you want it so badly. If i'm fortunate to have one then i would probably like a second. I think your periods will return and i think you will conceive again. The nurse at the infertility clinic told me last week that us 'older' ladies have to be patient as pregnancy can take longer to happen. It might be worse going to your doctor and having your FSH checked but ideally it needs to be done on day 3 of your period. I'd give your period another few weeks and if it still hasn't arrived book in with your doctor and they will probably do the FSH anyway. That would be able to tell you if you are starting menopause or not.

I like your optimism but it took 3 hard years (and 2 mc) to conceive ds so know I am not v fertile. I spoke to many clinic drs etc at that time who gave me a 1% chance with ivf and 1% naturally! So yes I'm mad to think I could conceive again. I was actually treated as a high risk pregnancy because of mc and as one dr said its a miracle. I suppose really I am just confused by my symptoms a bit.

I did conceive all naturally but I basically put my body on a strict regime no booze, no caffeine yoga 3x a week and took a lot of supplements dhea, co enzyme, b complex, wheatgrass shots , zinc ( basically tried everything that ones up if you research diminished ovarian reserve) it was hard and v miserable at times!
Have you sought another opinion and had your afc or amh done! I know the nhs in my area were v keen on afc.

Also nhs told me there cut off for ivf was fsh 11? And definitely not if you had previous children.

We did research adoption and donor egg - we were told by on many occasions that was our only chance of success. As you already have dc but your dh hasn't donor eggs could be a route for you. But If I was you I would keep trying and take dhea?

Actually reading this back I have to just realise I am v v v lucky but also maybe a bit of yoga might help balance things. Ds is still a bad sleeper so that could be messing with hormones too!

Have you ad hot flushes do they star after your periods become further apart?

I have been having hot flushes yes, at least i think they are. for about 3 years now for about a week before my period is due i get very hot in bed at night. My husband said my skin feels really hot to the touch and i have to open the window! I haven't had any flushes in the daytime though. I have palpitations at night also, which can be a symptom of the dreaded menopause and i also have vaginal dryness (sorry too much info!) I'm sure i must be going through an early menopause, although i'm hoping to god that i'm not. I have already been told at the infertility clinic that i won't be entitled to IVF as i already have children. I can be given the fertility drug Clomid but only as long as my FSH doesn't go above 15. I haven't had my AMH done as it costs £180 private. I couldn't use a donor egg, that's just not for me. Yes, it would be my husband's child but it wouldn't be mine. I wanted us to have a child of our own together. I have actually been thinking of booking a yoga class. I don't drink and i don't smoke although my diet isn't that great, i eat far too much chocolate!! Eating lots of chocolate never stopped me getting pregnant in the past though. I don't take any vitamins or supplements. What is Dhea ? You may well be right when you say that your son's sleeping patterns could be messing with your hormones, no doubt it is quite stressful for you. Stress can affect your periods, my doctor told me that just last week.

Apparently dark chocolate s full of anti oxidants!
Read up a bit on low ovarian reserve
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poor_ovarian_reserve is a good place to start as is highfshinfo.com/

Dhea is a supplement which in some studies has been proven to help - available online
biovea.net/results.aspx?ag=dhea&ti=g-dhea&gclid=CMu8nNi4xLoCFSXItAodIFAA0g
I think most people take 3x25mg a day but I ended up taking less as I got horrible acne!

I think now days with so much information available one really needs to research and go informed to the drs.

In the end I was taking so many supplements I rattled

My symptoms - I feel a bit warm occasionally but I can't tell f they are flashes. Compared to dryness I don't feel bad and definitely not as bad as when I was bf when we had to use lube. I also had hot flashes when bf ( and after a few mc) and I'm not having those yet!