Trying for a Baby Part 7

tea_lover

Nicki wrote: »

I've just been working out my plan of attack for the next stage of my cycle - post period to ovulation. Will post it later if anyone is interested.

Definitely. Always good to see how other people are going about this.

mogwai

Nicki wrote: »

The best resource for researching supplements that I know of is Marilyn Glenville's book "Get Pregnant faster". She has a whole chapter devoted to supplements for both men and women to promote fertility. It isn't a case of one size fitting all though. You need to look at your issues, and any issues your OH may have, and tailor the supplements to suit those. The kinds of things you would be looking at would be:

1. do you have a long/short follicular stage
2. do you have a long/short luteal phase
3. do you have any known gynae issues, eg PCOS, fibroids, etc
4. Do you have scant CM
5. Do you get PMT
6. Does your OH have any known sperm quality issues
7. Does he have any libido or erectile issues

It's also a fantastic book for things like lifestyle changes, dietary advice, etc. I know I've recommended it on this thread before but it really is one of the best I've read on the subject.

I've just been working out my plan of attack for the next stage of my cycle - post period to ovulation. Will post it later if anyone is interested.

Nicki - please do post it!

I agree, I do need to find out more about my cycle, I have relatively short cycles and periods (3 days in a 26-28 day cycle) so am looking for supplements that will increase the cycle length. I've read that B6 and royal jelly can both help to increase luteal phase so I am going to try these.

I just got my CD21 progesterone bloods back - 50! :T Which is quite good, anything over 30 means you've ovulated I think. I need to wait til next month to do my CD3/4 blood tests now. I def need to get a clearer picture of my cycle and these tests will help..


PS out of interest, what does getting/not getting PMT indicate?

Nicki

28 days is bang on normal though. So if you ovulate between CD12 and CD16 you shouldn't be trying to change that. The supplements would be for women who don't have a healthy cycle like yours to bring them into line. If you change a healthy cycle you make things more not less difficult for yourself.

PMT suggests hormone are out of balance, either way.

tea_lover

Nicki wrote: »

PMT suggests hormone are out of balance, either way.

So a good 10 days of honestly thinking I could kill is probably not a good sign?

mogwai

Thanks, I don't really have PMT thank goodness, just cramps really..

My cycle can be 28 days, but most often is 27 days, and the rest of the time 26. I wouldnt be concerned except that my period can last as few as 2-2.5 days of proper flow, with just spotting/very light flow the next 2 days, which suggests that the lining hasn't had enough time to build up? I'm concerned that this may imply a short luteal phase which could prevent implantation..

I think 2-2.5 days flow is very light, though years ago, when I spoke to my doctor, she said that this was still fine..

I guess the only way to know is to figure out how long my luteal phase really is!

dizsiebubba

Hi Ladies,

Just popping in to say... AF came along yesterday

Nicki

Have a look here:

http://www.womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/fact-sheet/menstruation.cfm

Your flow rate, length of period, and length of cycle are all bang on normal, and in themselves don't suggest anything of concern.

If you are worried, it might be worth charting a cycle to see when you ovulate. If you ovulate early in the cycle, then you may be releasing an egg which is not quite mature, and also your lining is unlikely to be thick enough to allow implantation. The lining thickens in the first half of the cycle, not the second as you seem to think. It is the oestrogen in the first half of the cycle which causes it to thicken, and it needs to be at least 8-9mm thick by implantation to sustain a pregnancy.

If you ovulate late in the cycle (ie if your period comes less than 10 days after you have confirmed ovulation) then you may have a luteal phase defect as you have been discussing. This means that you are not producing enough progesterone to maintain your lining at the correct level and it is starting to come away.

But QQ's list has this as your second month TTC. If this is correct, there is really no need to worry. Even if the sperm meets the egg at the right time, and all conditions are right in the womb, you only have about a 30% chance of conceiving in any one cycle. In an IVF cycle, where sperm and eggs are extracted and the best of both are combined, only a proportion of eggs will fertilise and grow to a point where they can be put back in the body, so the chances of it always happening inside the body are nil, however good your eggs and his sperm are. Then you have to factor in everything which can go wrong between fertilisation and implantation.

Having spent a long time at various points of my life TTC (fortunately successfully eventually but it always takes a long time), my very strong advice would be not to mess with your body too soon. Unless you know you have a problem, you really should try sensibly for at least 6 months, using nothing except folic acid, before you start trying to tweak your system. Otherwise you run the risk of taking a body which was working completely normally and would have conceived quickly and easily, and disrupting its hormones to the point where you end up trying fruitlessly for much longer.

mogwai

Nicki wrote: »

Have a look here:

http://www.womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/fact-sheet/menstruation.cfm

Your flow rate, length of period, and length of cycle are all bang on normal, and in themselves don't suggest anything of concern.

If you are worried, it might be worth charting a cycle to see when you ovulate.

Thanks Nicki, I have been told that the length of my period is fine, but it still has been worrying me since we started TTC.

We actually started TTC with timing, at OV etc the last 2 months but we havent been using contraception for exactly a year now (NTNP), so this is why I am putting more thought into TTCing now and why it hasn't happened so far..

Yeah you're right, I meant a short follicular phase ??, where the lining hasn't had time to build up? I just got back my progesterone bloods (50) which suggest that the luteal phase is fine, so B6 is perhaps not nec..

I have used OPK the last 2 months but cant seem to get a positive in the few days that i am looking, so suggests that i am maybe missing OV cos its happening a little earlier?

I think once I do my CD3/4 bloods my dr will have a clearer picture, and so will I! We officially started TTC in Jan, but I did spend a lot of last year thinking it might just happen anyway

But you're right again Nicki, I def don't want to mess up my system by taking supplements I don't need!

mrsj28

dizsiebubba wrote: »

Hi Ladies,

Just popping in to say... AF came along yesterday

Big ((hugs)) for AF. Hope this month will be your month

Rups32

Morning ladies... hope you all had a good weekend.

I am sorry that i havent been able to be on here much.:( Works been mega busy and that has just restricted me on coming here. will try to be better and be on here. have to catch up on lots of posts though so might do that at home.

i am sorry lemonmelon. mine wasnt a long time ago.. take it easy and not be hard on yourself. i am finally at that stage where im feeling positive about starting.. hugs to you..

promise to be back soon. xx