2 and 21 day tests?

[jerzygurl]

Doctors sent me for these blood tests had one done yesterday and goin back at day 21..she also wants hubby to give a sample..ahem.
anyone been through these..what are they looking for?she didnt say alot at the time just that we needed the tests done asap with my age etc
shes away now till end of August so cant contact her

Hi Jerzy,

I had a lot of blood tests done in Costa Rica, so the procedure is different, but I did learn a bit about what they are looking for.

I found this site quite helpful but only once you have a copy of your results in your hand so you can compare.
www.fertilityplus.org/faq/hormonelevels.html#female

Basically if your FHS and LH hormone levels fluctuate correctly throughout the month they can tell if and when you have ovulated and how long it has taken from ovulation to the beginning of your next cycle.

I am not a doctor, so please get this verified elsewhere in case I am wrong, but I believe that the beginning part of your cycle can be any length but it is important that after ovulation there are at least 12 days before the next cycle. If there are less, you may be diagnosed with "luteal phase defect" which can be treated with progesterone tablets.

From what I can gather this is one of the few identifiable treatable causes of miscarriage (another is thyroid problems) Please be prepared though to come away with "normal" results and be put in the category of the vast majority of women whose miscarriages are unexplained. (especially if it is a first miscarriage) I like to look at this as a WIN/WIN situation. I they identify something treatable, you have a cure, if they dont then in all probability there is nothing wrong with you, it was just bad luck and you will be fine next time.

Hopefully another MNer who has had the tests in the UK will be along soon and can check if I have understood it correctly.

good luck to you, I hope they can help you

xxx

Hey jerzy. I've just had these tests done myself. Results day tomorrow! Eeeek!

Tests done between days 1 and 3 of your cycle are to check LH, FSH and Estradiol. LH is the surge of hormone which leads to ovulation, FSH is the hormone which stimulates the ripening of follicles which release your eggs - and this test also tells them if you have a good quantity of eggs in reserve, and estradiol shows them the amount of oestrogen your body produces as well as providing an indication of how many eggs you have in reserve. They test them at this point in your cycle to check the levels are as they should be in your follicular phase (the first half of your cycle) and use them as a baseline against one another to check that there is nothing wrong with your pituitary gland (where FSH and LH are produced) or thyroid, and also that there are no other irregularities at the start of your cycle which might affect ovulation.

The day 21 test is done ideally 7 days after ovulation (as not everyone has a 28 day cycle, or ovulates on day 21 even if they do) to check your progesterone levels. This test lets them know whether or not you have ovulated - as progesterone peaks after ovulation in order to sustain a pregnancy should you get lucky. It also tells them whether you have a dominance of either oestrogen or progesterone in your cycle, which can cause problems with conception.

The sperm test is pretty self-explanatory! Men are much less complicated than women.

Hopefully, your results will come back normal but there are things they can do if you have issues like me! Good luck.

Blimey ..i had no idea!! its making my head spin thinking about it but now i understand..thankyou so much ladies!!
Well i just had day 2 done so couple weeks to the next and then we shall see whats goin on with this body of mine..and his..and yes men always have a less complicated easier time..
thankyou again ladies for explaining and the support its made me feel better knowing :) xx
Brokenbits..lets me know how u get on!! :) x

This is interesting, I'm being referred to a recurrent MC clinic in Sept and have asked them to send me info on what tests they will do. I've had 2 MMCs in the last 7 months, discovered at 12 and 8 weeks. In both cases we saw a heartbeat at 7 weeks but babies were small and stopped growing shortly after.

I've noticed a problem with my luteal phase, which was generally 12 days long but in the 2 cycles before the last MC had shortened to 11 and 10 days. I had wondered myself if progesterone was causing a problem and impacting on the pregnancies so this post has helped me out too. Good luck to everyone getting tests!

Hey jerzy. Just to let you know that my day 1-3 hormone results were normal, but my 21 day test shows low progesterone. I was hoping they'd give me some treatment now, but I've been told I'm just in line for the next test. It goes on and on! Good luck for your results. Let me know how you get on.

I have my follow up appointment for my tests on Friday but I didn't get referred for day 21 tests. I had tests for chromosome problems and various blood clotting/sticky blood conditions and then again during my period. The consultant referred to it as the Day 2 test but they told me to come in between day 3-5. Now I'm confused! Has everyone else had tests on day 21? I do fall pregnant very easily (just don't stay that way), could that be why? Hmmm, must remember to ask about this!

Havingkittens the day 21 test can be done at your GP's surgery. It's a simple blood test and mine came back in a couple of days. Fertility specialists don't seem overly interested in progesterone for some reason, which strikes me as a bit weird considering it's what you need to get and stay pregnant! They only seem bothered about the first bit of your cycle. I don't know your history, but I'm assuming you're having tests for recurrent mc, which is slightly different to fertility tests, although there is some crossover. If you fall pregnant quite easily, it's unlikely that your problem is a lack of progesterone unless it drops in the very early days of pg, but you could always request that your GP do it for you to put your mind at ease.

hey ladies...

well heres so far...they lost one of my blood for one test.sighs and rolls eyes..it always happens!i swear they are cloning me somewhere with all the blood they take n loose dammit!
it was for a ...thromblosis test???but Doctor said the day 2 was fine...think he said lx 6.4??
Hubby did his ...errm buisness yesterday and had to take that to pathology..and i have to go friday for test day 21..n thats it so far.

@Broken ..at least youve had them done now hun and it can go from there eh?this testing is all new to me so im wondering what the next step is..if your progesterone is low etc? whats happening next broken? x

@Moo wow our lives are almost indentical..ive had 2 mmcs last august and 9 weeks ago baby one we found out had died at the 12 week scan a few weeks prior .baby 2 just stopped growing and .after the last one they told me to wait till mcs was over and one monthly and go see doc which we did and shes sent me for these tests..ive no idea what my luteral phase is im awful arnt i.good luck hun keep us posted how its goin :) x

@Having..do u think your having diff tests? the day 2 would be the same as us having that one im thinking but why not the 21 i dont know?maybe the day 3-5 test is for something different?
Im going for my day 21 test this friday so we shall see..i think the chromosome/blood clotting tests are a good thing to have as i think they can prob be the reason for alot of mcs..tho im no doc
Im wondring if they will send me for these..what was your day 2 results like having? was they okay? x

ahh i just read your second post hun...and yep we are falling but not keeping our lil ones so why they are doing these tests then i dunno..procedure? i have to go all the way to the hospital to have them tho GPs wont do it..im going to ask about this chromo/clotting thing tho
Am i right in thinking i read that alot of women have gone on to have successful pregnancies after being prescribed asprin?

Hmm, I'm guessing my consultant has a reason for not sending me for day 21 tests. He did say "we might as well be as throrough as we can" when referring to all the tests he was suggesting. I will ask him on Friday when I have my follow up appointment. I am really hoping that it does turn out to be a simple blood clotting issue that can be solved with asprin and/or heparin and not a case of one or other of us having a chromosome problem. As well as having 3 miscarriages we have also had to terminate two pregnancies for chromosome/feotal abnormalities so that's what I am most nervous of.

I have also read of women having miscarriages due to some sort of immunity issues (NK Cells?). ie. the body rejecting the foetus thinking it is harmful. Has anyone been tested for this? I don't remember any of my tests being anything to do with immunity.

They only took a blood test from my partner, not a sperm sample. I did wonder why not. Although, when I went to the genetic counsellor a couple of years ago they said it's hard to test the sperm for any abnormalities because each batch is different and that the batch they would have tested would not then be involved in fertilization.

Ah well, only 2 days now 'til my appointment so I guess I will find out what he thinks then and ask about anything that hasn't come up.

Jerzy, I can't believe they lost your test. How infuriating! Still, at least it was one that can be taken at any time. Would've been even more irritating if it had been your day 2 test. Fingers crossed it won't delay your results too much.

hey Having :)

Yeah lost my test AGAIN every single time they loose it ..but im going tomorrow for day 21 tests and they are retaking the one they lost ..lets hope they dont loose it again !..and the results are okay

I hope yours is just a clotting issue hun..youve been through so much already ..wouldnt it be great if a simple asprin was the answer.am also worried its some chromosonal issue..my age etc :/..How old are you if you dont mind me asking?

Never heard of the testing for immunity but then im new to all this testing lark and they seem to have tests for everything..have they mentioned if/how they would know if thats the problem?

Hubby did his sample but they havent asked him for blood yet which im sure they need to..i mean we are getting pregnant as ive said just not keeping the babies ..so im thinking they should really finding out why..or are these tests for that? theyre not right?

well day 21 is tomorrow im at the hospital before 8 am ..so by next week will know the outcomes of mine and hubbys tests..and will go from there..goo dluck tomorrow hun//let me know how u got on x

Next step for me is a hysterosalpingogram - that nasty test where they inject dye into your bits to check for blockages and scarring. Can't wait! My tests are slightly different though because they're more fertility based. If you've had no trouble conceinving in the past, it's unlikely they'd do that.

jerzy I feel your pain about the loss of tests, particualrly as they can only take them at certain times of the month. It means waiting for yet another cycle to complete before you get anywhere. Nightmare.

Exactly! its so frustratingg...i just want to know whats goin on ...and they cant even keep hold of my blood i mean where the hells it goin?

Gosh that test sounds abit urghh Broken..when you having that done?

I dunno what they will do after this or anything at all ..i dunno i just have this feeling its my fault bad eggs etc because of my age...hubby thinks my blood to think n thats the problem..

I guess being up on the problems and telling and asking the docs to to all the tests is the best thing..i just wana know...just wana know if i can be a mum :(

bloods to thick i meant *..

Brokenbits - I suspect you've been told this before but quite a lot of people fall pregnant after the dye test. I guess maybe it clears the passages if there's only a slight blockage (that's obviously my expert medical opinion ). I'll keep my fingers crossed you're one of those people! I did have a scan to make sure there was no scarring and adhesions due to the various surgical invasions of my poor old womb but all was ok in that respect.

Jerzy, I don't know if the chromosome blood tests for both of us were because of our history or just commonplace. I'm 40 so there's always the chance that it could be nothing more than my age that is causing the problems. Well, hopefully this time tomorrow I will have more of a clue. Being in limbo is driving me nuts!

age prob here also..41..let me know how u get on tomorrow..im at hosp at 7.40 am for bloods...so shall see whats goin on..know how u feel in limbo u imagine allsorts!
i did just do a ov test and double lines ..so tapping fingers here for hubby to get home!! blushes

haha, yes, I saw your post about that on the conception thread!

The timing is always so tricky with TTC. Next week is supposed to be my fertile week and I will be working 10-12 hour days all week. My fertile time the following week will be when I am staying with my mum in France and even at my ripe old age I still feel weird about having sex at my mum's house!

I have quite a bad back at the moment and my physio said I need a few weeks worth of treatment so I may hold off this month anyway as you can't really have the kind of treatment I'm having when you are pregnant.

Anyway, I will let you know how I get on. Good luck tomorrow, I hope they don't loose them this time!

MummyAbroad, well done on getting tests organised in Costa Rica. My dad and stepmum live there and they say it's pretty hard work making progress with anything over there. I think my dad only managed to properly organise my stepmum's chemo by going to the hospital in person on a pretty regular basis and stirring things up.

Well, I'm back now. I have posted the results so far on another thread I am on so I will just copy and paste the same thing here.... (not very brief, I warn you!)

No chromosome issues with OH or myself (phew!) apart from the standard old age/bad luck scenario.

FSH slightly lower than ideal, again, due to my age, which slightly increases the risk of miscarriage.

Antithrombin III deficiency which is a blood clotting disorder. There hasn't been much in the way of clinical trials with this one so I have been referred to a blood specialist to see what should be done but from what I've read on the internet (didn't take me long!) so far this could be the problem.

I am still waiting for results for the MTHFR test, which is the most common blood problem that seems to crop up in pregnancy and has had the most clinical trials results and has been proven to be something that can quite successfully be overcome with asprin and heparin. The results of this test seem to have been pending for a lot of patients over the last couple of weeks apparently so they are just waiting for those to come back. MTHFR I find the easiest to remember because rather appropriately the initials in that order when filled in with the relevant other letters spell out the word (excuse my language) Motherf*er!

The consultant, who was not the 'miracle man', but his registrar seemed to think that taking asprin through my next pregnancy was a good idea on the basis that it can't do any harm and my help. More specific treatment will be discussed at my blood appointment on 5 September.

I will hold off on TTC 'til next cycle so that I can make sure the pregnancy is treated right from the offset and also because I have a bad back at the moment and can't do any shagging erm, I mean, I need a few weeks of physio treatment which I would have to stop if I were pregnant.

@having kittens aww bless u hun lol
well i did the ov test ( double lines) and was sposed to be ov on sat according to dates etc so ...it was the ole..okay hes up for it 2 days and whoo hoo his lucks in then he was like hes dying and his bits hurt..umm yeah whateva u faker i was thinking just wait till u want it again lol!!
oh btw when he go thome that day ..i was here arms folded and tapping foot waiting lmao ..
your so right hun the ttc even if u have the dates nailed down 100% u can betcha something comes !!
so are u starting the back treament right away?what did u do hun?
so all your tests came out okay and no nearer to knowing whats goin on ..is that right?lol@mother f**er ..i will remember that one ..so it could well be the ole asprin trick?

on my notes from last mc it said huge haemorrage ...that worries me..im sure my problem is my thick blood.

well friday i went for blood test..for some reason couldnt go through with it n nearly passed out..so had to go monday morning..and OMGGG they tool 9 tubes...i was sitting there thinking wth they are draining me dry and ...nearly passed out again ! i have no clue wth all that was for i mean i know its day 21 test to check progesterone after ovulation and for the blood they lost but wth 9 tubes?

well ..im waiting the results on those tests..tomorrow im guessing so will let u know..oh and hun ..with a bad back theres umm always ..on top :D lol xx

Hi jurzy. Yes, I had 9 vials of blood taken for the clotting tests too. Couldn't help but laugh a my OH for complaining of feeling wobbly after his one bottle!

I'm quite pleased to hold off ttc until all tests are back. All this week I am leaving for work at 6.45am and getting home around 9pm so I'm not good for much when I get in, let alone any hanky panky!

I had physio on my back last week and will go back for the next couple of weeks after this job is finished. My job gives me back problems as I do a lot of standing up, awkward bending and carrying a lot of heavy kit.

wow u do a long day hun?im suprised you even have enough energy to think hanky panky heh

well i called today n was told they tested my blood clotting profile.( had no idea they was doing that) and all is okay..so now..what?

should hubbys blood been tested at all for anything? im not sure i want him to be ..cos the palava n performance will be horriffic!

I Don't always do such long days. It depends on the job and I don't work everyday. I'm freelance so it varies.

If you had the blood clotting tests on Monday that was a very quick result! Do u not get a follow up appointment to discuss the results? It may just be a case of age/lower fsh levels/bad luck then? But I'd wait for their verdict rather than second guessing. They may test hubby fir chromosome probs but I don't know for sure. They don't seem to do any other testing on the men folk as the problem is usually down to the female from what I gather.

Sorry you don't have any proper answers yet. I hope you get an appointment so you can have a conversation about it rather than just having to decipher the results for yourself.

hey Kitt

so made an appointment with Doc..he said all mine are fine though somehow they lost another test ( good god!)and need to redo but its all fine..

But then he gave us hubbys results..and didnt say alot..as it wasnt his field..but im sure they dont look good..we have an appointment at the fertility Clinic..in Oct so until then we are in the dark :/

How are you Hun?

Sorry, been away due to illness as a result of the bloody HSG test. It never rains but it pours.

Kittens I have heard that the HSG can occasionally create heightened fertility for 3 months after, purely because it gives your tubes a good clear out. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you choose to look at it) my pipes are absolutely clear already. My problem is purely hormonal so, if I'm not ovulating, there isn't a chance in hell of me conceiving even with the cleanest plumbing in the world. The procedure was horrible, but at least I now know everything is normal, even if I suspected that before I went.

jerzy it never ceases to amaze me about all those lost tests. I can only assume 'lost' actually translates as 'some lab technician messed up the results'. I can't imagine vials of blood and semen are all that easy to lose as often as they seem to! I agree with Kittens. Your hubby probably won't have to have any further tests done unless his swimmers aren't behaving as they should. Even then, it's more likely that you'll be the one who is prodded and poked. Women get the raw end of this conception, pregnancy and birth deal.

I went to see the hematologist last week. Very frustrating! She first told me that the Antithrombin deficiency was quite negligible, the minimum level should be 8 and mine was 7.7 so apparently shouldn't make much difference. But, she also said that as the tests were taken quite soon after my m/c that they aren't really valid anyway so had to take them all again - 2 months after they were originally done and then wait another month for the results/appointment. [where's a rolling eyes emoticon when you need one?!]

She did suggest asprin anyway but the blood tests will give her a better idea if anything else is required. Which is pretty much back to square one. I was going to hold off until the next appointment but to be honest, even if I did get pregnant straight away next ov cycle I would get my +ve test around the same time the results showed up anyway so might as well get on with it.

Sounds pretty much like I'm back in the lottery. I was hoping the clotting thing that showed up would mean I could have an injection that would improve my chances by 70% or whatever the statistic is supposed to be with heparin etc. Ho Hum... Shitting myself again now!