HI and Some Questions...

Hi everyone! I am new here so thought I'd take a moment to say HELLO! My hubby & I are planning to start TTC this spring/summer. I am really clueless about some terms and a lot of what I've read on here has me but hopefully I'll learn.

I know so many of you are super knowledgeable. My friends are even more clueless than me about this stuff so I don't really have anyone to ask...hoping you ladies can help me!

First, is it a good idea to go see your OB/GYN before starting TTC? I am not due for my annual until late summer and we want to start trying before that. Maybe I should add that my last two annual PAPs were abnormal due to "inflammation"...HPV and everything else was all negative so my Dr. said it's nothing serious. She never told me to come back for another checkup or anything. I sometimes have pain during intercourse and when inserting a tampon (sorry TMI!) This brings me to my next question...

I need a new Dr. My current Dr. is very nice and I have been seeing her for years but the office is a nightmare (I've seen negative reviews on here about them as well). We also just recently moved further east to mid-Suffolk so I'd like to find a female Dr. that delivers at Stony Brook. Can anyone recommend one? I know there are plenty of great male Drs. but I've only ever seen female OB/GYNs so that's what I'm comfortable with at the moment. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Also, I went on BCPs at 17 and was on them for 10 years so I always had 28 day cycles. I went off them for a few months in 2011 and had 33 day cycles, like clockwork. I then went back on them for a year and finally finished taking them last spring. When I went off them this last time, I had 33 day cycles for the first few months. Then, in July, I had a cyst on my ovary (found out when DH took me to the ER). Since then, my cycles haven't been as regular. I had two 29 day cycles, then two 32 day cycles, then a 13 day cycle (got my period Dec. 23 and then again Jan. 5). I am currently on day 16 of this cycle so I feel like I have no idea when to expect my period. I don't know when or if I even ovulate

One last thought...I have a pretty moderate fear of not being able to conceive naturally. I dunno if it's irrational or what but it's something I've been feeling for years, since my early 20's probably...DH and I are both 28 now. Having the abnormal PAPs, pain, and now the irregular cycles are just feeding my fear, which is why I feel like I should start seeing a new Dr. ASAP. I know it's not uncommon for women to have this fear but I feel like mine is getting worse and worse


Sorry this became such a long post...thanks for reading if you made it this far! Any insight is welcome and appreciated

HI and Some Questions...

Welcome! Good luck with TTC. I don't really know much about abnormal paps but I assume as long as you have your yearly one done its ok. I didn't go in to my gyn when first starting TTC. I just spoke to her about it at my yearly and she said after a year of trying you can see a RE. There was nothing special I did with my Gyn when I told her I was TTC. SO really its up to you. I don't know if your insurance would cover a pre-conception app. I can't recommend any doctors since mine is in Nassau. As for your cycles if you want to figure them out I would suggest OPKs and Charting with Fertility Friend (its free). I have been charting for about a year and using OPKs for 5 months. I know exactly what to expect from my cycle and when I O every month. As for your fear about not being able to conceive naturally, I have always had the same fear, so its not irrational. Many women worry about this. Now that I've been off BC for over a year I feel like my fear was true and it sucks but it is what it is. I have friends who got pregnant on their first time trying or friends who don't try and get preg. Then theres me who is trying and nothing. Basically you will never know until you start trying. I would definitely address all of your concerns with your GYN at your annual and see what she suggests with the problems you been having. If you have any questions FM me. Best of luck to you!

Re: HI and Some Questions...

Thank you for your response! I know what you mean about friends...only one of my close friends has a baby--she got pregnant right away--my other close friends aren't trying yet, but I feel like everybody I went to HS with or see on FB is pregnant or has babies, whether it was planned or not. Thanks for the reccos on charting and OPKs and good luck to you, wishing you all the best

HI and Some Questions...

First I want to say WELCOME! I am in Nassau county so I don't know of any ob/gyn in Suffolk. I would start prenatala and folic acid right away though if you haven't already. Despite your abnormal paps doesn't mean you will have trouble conceiving. If I were you evn though you are not due for an annual yet schedule an "all clear appointment" to discuss your fears and get the ok to TTC. Good Luck

Re: HI and Some Questions...

Message edited 1/20/2013 4:33:51 PM.

Re: HI and Some Questions...

Re: HI and Some Questions...

Thanks!!

HI and Some Questions...

Hi! I just wanted to add something, but I'm not sure how necessary it really is to TTCing, but I think it's a good idea.

A few months ago I went to my GP for a few shots i needed before a trip overseas. She mentioned it was a good idea for women of childbearing age to get a whooping cough vaccine booster.

Not sure if that's something they just do here, but it thought I'd throw that out there :)

HI and Some Questions...

Not sure if you are set on an OB, but I would like to recommend Stony Brook Midwives. They are part of University Associates in OB/GYN. They are a group of ~10 female midwives who deliver at Stony Brook Hospital. They are all wonderful, knowledgable, and caring ladies. It is nice that they are part of the larger OB/GYN practice so that if something happens, they can just refer you to someone else in the same office (OBs, high risk, nutritionist, etc).

They also have Reproductive Endocrinologists so they could refer you to them if you do have trouble TTC. Hopefully all your worries will be unfounded and you will get pregnant soon enough.

I go to a different REs office, and then just call up the midwives when i am pregnant.

www.stonybrookmidwives.com

Re: HI and Some Questions...

Posted by TTC-in-2013

Thank you for your response! I know what you mean about friends...only one of my close friends has a baby--she got pregnant right away--my other close friends aren't trying yet, but I feel like everybody I went to HS with or see on FB is pregnant or has babies, whether it was planned or not. Thanks for the reccos on charting and OPKs and good luck to you, wishing you all the best

Re: HI and Some Questions...

I am SO glad that I scheduled an appt. with my OB/GYN when we were starting to talk about TTC. He sent me for an internal sono, and discovered some issues that would have prevented us from conceiving. I was able to take care of the issue before we started, which prevented us from unsuccessfully trying (which it would have been, definitely). I would go and tell him/her your TTC plans and get a script for prenatals. Mine automatically ordered an internal sono, which ended up being what caught my issue.

I know most Drs don't send people for sonos just for expressing interest in TTC, but I am so glad mine did. Good luck!!

Re: HI and Some Questions...

Re: HI and Some Questions...

Re: HI and Some Questions...

Re: HI and Some Questions...

2nd-ing Stony Brook Midwives. I have been using them for all my well woman care and am not using them for my pregnancy stuff.

They are AWESOME.