Fertility Doctor

At what point is it necessary to see a specialist?

I never had a regular cycle. I was on Birth control pills for 11 years to be regulated. I went off the pill a few months ago. The first 2 months I had regular periods. Now they really aren't coming.

We just started trying. The last time we BD was last week. I took an ovulation test for the first time (around the time we BD) and it said I was ovulating. I took another one last night for fun just to see, and it said I was ovulating again. Is that possible?

Can my obgyn, tell me when/if I am ovulating?
Should I see a specialist since I have always been irregular?
Or is this too soon to even start thinking like this?

I am soo confused. I don't know my body or cycles at all. I am very new to this.

Re: Fertility Doctor

Ovulation tests don't show that you're actually ovulating, they show that your LH is elevated indicating that you SHOULD be ovulating within the next day or so. it is possible to get a positive result on a OPK but never actually ovulate. It is odd to get positves so far apart though.

You doctor would be able to determine ovulation by bloodwork and sono's.

Do you chart/temp? Temping is the only way you can determine yourself if indeed you're ovulating. The day AFTER Oing you temp will rise. Temps will stay elevated until AF shows or throughout a pregnancy.

Since you said you don't know much about your body/cycles I would suggest reading Taking Charge of Your Fertilty. It's a great resource and will teach you how to chart and temp.

As for seeing a specialist (it would be a RE, they are who handles fertility/reproductive issues) it can never hurt. Even if it's just to do a workup to get a clean bill of reproductive health!

Good luck!

Re: Fertility Doctor

Thank you so much!!

What do you mean by charting/temping?

When can I start that? Do I have to wait to have a period? Because who knows when that would happen!

Re: Fertility Doctor

If your insurance allows it, I'd go straight to the RE.
You could have PCOS - which would explain the irregular periods and + OPKs. Charting isn't going to work either.
What happened to you sounds exactly like the way it was for me -irregular since my teens, went on BC for many years. Came of to TTC, had a few regular periods and then stopped coming. I wasted a year with the regular gyno.
If your insurance requires a referral, go to the gyno and ask for him/her to test your hormone levels on CD 3. You should get a prescription for provera to bring on your period and then they should do the test on CD3.

Re: Fertility Doctor

No problem!

Check out fertilityfriend.com That's one of the websites a lot of girls use to log their info. Charting is keeping track of your cycles, cervical mucus, for some cervical positiion and other reproductive related things. Temping can be part of charting. You take your resting temperature every morning as soon as you wake up. Before you do ANYTHING, even get out of bed. And it should be taken at the same time everyday. Usually you start on the first day after your period ends. The website I mentioned will be able to explain it far better than I can lol.

Good luck!

Re: Fertility Doctor

if i were you i would go straight to an RE.

your symptoms seem very similar to mine and I have PCOS. I have high LH which is very treatable, but if its not treated it can/will prevent regular ovulation.

when i went off the pill i never got AF. my ob/gyn gave me provera to get it. the next cycle i charted and ovulated but not til CD32. i havent ovulated on my own since then and that was in august. i wasted a lot of time with my ob/gyn when in the end i was never going to ovulate regularly on my own. in the end i decided to go to an RE based on this board - i knew something was wrong because i also got several +OPKs several days and weeks apart - and they never resulted in ovulation.

if you continue to see +OPKs with no AF, you can almost assume that your LH is elevated because thats what the OPKs test for. its not normal to have high LH on a regular basis, so I would def see a dr. if you see that happening frequently.

Re: Fertility Doctor

I just took another OPK. And now it says I am not ovulating.

I suppose, I *might* have had my period last month for a few days . It was basically spotting. I had heard it takes awhile for your body to regulate after the pill.

Is it possible to ovulate without AF?

I don't know. I am scared to have PCOS. What is that exactly? Will I be able to conceive??

I have an appointment with my obgyn next month. I guess I will discuss then.

I am trying not to worry, we really just started trying last month.

Re: Fertility Doctor

Posted by peekaboo

I just took another OPK. And now it says I am not ovulating.

I suppose, I *might* have had my period last month for a few days . It was basically spotting. I had heard it takes awhile for your body to regulate after the pill.

Is it possible to ovulate without AF?

I don't know. I am scared to have PCOS. What is that exactly? Will I be able to conceive??

I have an appointment with my obgyn next month. I guess I will discuss then.

I am trying not to worry, we really just started trying last month.

Re: Fertility Doctor

thank you. I will be seeing my obgyn soon.

Re: Fertility Doctor

I am sorry if I scared you. When did you come off the pill?
<---- you can definitely conceive with PCOS.

Re: Fertility Doctor

I have been off the pill for about 5 months.. had AF regularly for 2 months, later the the following month, skipped the next month, and spotted slightly last month.

I took another OPK test last night, to see, and it said I was not ovulating. Should I be taking those daily to see when I will be ovualting?

I also took a pregnancy test. I am not pregnant.

Re: Fertility Doctor

Re: Fertility Doctor

I was using the dollar tree ones. Maybe they aren't accurate.

I will call my doctor tomorrow.

Re: Fertility Doctor

This exact same thing happened to me. I was on BCP for 12 years before TTC. I went off of them and everything seemed to go back to normal, but then it totally shut down. I went to see my OBGYN because I was having odd symptoms and thought I was either PG or there was a problem. Turned out that I wasn't PG, but he had a few suggestions for getting my body back on track. I waited a couple more months, but then went back for help. He prescribed provera to jump start my system. Three weeks later, I finally saw signs of ovulation. DH and I BD for three nights in a row. Two weeks later...BFP!

Re: Fertility Doctor

THANK YOU!!!

I am so hopeful, that is just what I need, a jump start!!!

Do you have PCOS???

Re: Fertility Doctor