Talk to me about TTC if you are irregular

[BabyBearsMom]

If you are irregular, what did you do to TTC (besides the obvious ;), I understand where babies come from...at least I think I do:rotflmao:)?

To get preggo with DD, DH and I just DTD every other night until I got PG (it took 10 months of trying...DH was secretly happy every time we had a negative test). Since DD was born, I've only had 2 cycles and they are very irregular, much worse than before. I saw my OB and she did a bunch of blood tests and said everything was fine and it was just my body settling down from all the pregnancy and nursing hormones and that things would regulate in a few months. DD is 11 months and I haven't nursed her since she was 6 months. DH and I are TTC, but only in that we don't use any form of protection. We aren't up to DTD every other night yet, and with an active 11 mo in my life, I don't really see that as a possibility this time around. Any advice or BTDT? TIA!

[WolfpackMom]

We did BBT charting and used a clearblue easy fertility monitor (http://www.clearblueeasy.com/clearblue-easy-fertility-monitor.php), the fertility monitor made all the difference in the world I think. I know of 4 people who got pregnant using it, 3 of us with irregular cycles due to PCOS (me) or other issues. You do not have to buy it new since its the test strips that are disposable, not the monitor and you can resell it when done. I got mine on craigslist for $30.

[alirebco]

Have you ever looked at the book Taking Charge of Your Fertility? She goes over charting your basal body temperature and other fertility signs. I have very irregular cycles both before having DS and after and it did help me. I also did acupuncture after having a miscarriage last year and completely changed my diet and that helped regulate my cycles as well.

[brittone2]

PCOS here. I used BBT when ttc DS1 and tried the clear blue fertility monitor, but I wasn't cycling at all once I went off bcp, so it was expensive to go through all of those sticks with "high" fertility but no peak (I wasn't ovulating). I didn't ovulate until I did injectables/IUI.

DD was a surprise.

DS2 I used opks and looked for fertile CM, gave up for a while, and then took an opk mid cycle that was very, very positive. Which made me wonder as I had heard opks can be + when you are pg. I was pg.

I cycle/ovulate best on lower carb and with the use of metformin XR.

[BabyBearsMom]

We did BBT charting and used a clearblue easy fertility monitor (http://www.clearblueeasy.com/clearblue-easy-fertility-monitor.php), the fertility monitor made all the difference in the world I think. I know of 4 people who got pregnant using it, 3 of us with irregular cycles due to PCOS (me) or other issues. You do not have to buy it new since its the test strips that are disposable, not the monitor and you can resell it when done. I got mine on craigslist for $30.

Can you tell me more about how this works? Do you pee on it somehow? Sorry to be so naive and I hope I'm not prying for TMI. I am very intrigued by this.

[gobadgers]

Have you ever looked at the book Taking Charge of Your Fertility? She goes over charting your basal body temperature and other fertility signs. I have very irregular cycles both before having DS and after and it did help me.

This book was a big eye-opener for me, I think it was really helpful. I read it before TTC and it at least gave me confidence that we didn't miss any windows, KWIM?

[BabyBearsMom]

Have you ever looked at the book Taking Charge of Your Fertility? She goes over charting your basal body temperature and other fertility signs. I have very irregular cycles both before having DS and after and it did help me. I also did acupuncture after having a miscarriage last year and completely changed my diet and that helped regulate my cycles as well.

What kind of dietary changes did you make? I'm on WW right now and eat a really healthy diet (lots of fruit and veggies, lean meats, whole grains almost exclusively) and was hoping that would help. Is there something special I should be eating/avoiding?

I tried charting my BBT when we were trying to get PG with DD and it was all over the place. I literally got pregnant the month before my doctor was going to start me on Clomid.

[WolfpackMom]

Can you tell me more about how this works? Do you pee on it somehow? Sorry to be so naive and I hope I'm not prying for TMI. I am very intrigued by this.

You're not prying. Its just test strips (think like a diabetes glucose meter) that you pee on and then stick the little cover back on and snap into the machine (very sanitary hence not being weird to reuse with others). For the first month or two you test every morning and it measures as your hormone levels fluctuate so it can tell you your most fertile days and the levels change. Then in subsequent months you test for like 10 or 15 days I think, I didnt get that far in having to test. If there is an issue where you aren't ovulating this is also a good way to tell because your hormone levels wont fluctuate and the machine will show that. Its shows low, med, high, and ovulation levels to indicate when you should start dtd.

[american_mama]

I have always been irregular and didn't understand ovulation predictor kits either, especially since it seemed I'd have to take them for 2, 3 or even 4 months straight before I'd ovulate. Then again, despite the predictions of every obgyn I've seen, I've gotten pregnant pretty easily. DD1 was a surprise while using pretty unreliable birth control. DD2 was conceived after about 3 months of sex 3ish times a week. DS was conceived similarly, but I think it took 4 or maybe 5 months.

For DS, we had a shrinking window to get pregnant. I had read in "Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom" that daylight directly striking the retina (no contacts or eyeglasses) helped spur ovulation, and I figured it certainly couldn't hurt. So for 1-2 months until I got pregnant, I started walking outside with bare eyes for 15ish minutes every morning. If DH had to leave and the kids were asleep, I took a baby monitor and walked laps around and around my short cul de sac. I figured if it helped me lose any weight, that in and of itself might help with ovulation.

But what I wish I'd done was think things through a little. In retrospect, I was due for a period since I hadn't had one in pushing 3 months. I could have stepped up the TTCing just on the assumption that I was due to ovulate after that amount of time, and that probably would have worked.

Also, DH stopped biking around that time, which may have improved his sperm count. I dont think he changed his laptop use, but I am suspicious that men holding warm laptops in their laps decreases sperm counts, so think if that might be an issue in your relationship. Maybe use a lapdesk or put the laptop on a table.

[malphy]

ov watch worked for me and others I know. check it out

[fortato]

Have you ever looked at the book Taking Charge of Your Fertility? She goes over charting your basal body temperature and other fertility signs. I have very irregular cycles both before having DS and after and it did help me. I also did acupuncture after having a miscarriage last year and completely changed my diet and that helped regulate my cycles as well.

The book helped me understand my cycles and other signs of ovulation... and I barely had time to chart before I got pregnant with Jack- so I thought it would be just as easy the second time around... WRONG...
I charted for 2 years before buying a "Fertiliscope" - little microscope that detects ferning in your saliva which points out when you are ovulating- I used it twice and FINALLY got pregnant.

[SnuggleBuggles]

With ds1 I wound up going on Clomid (took 2 cycles) because I was only ovulating/ getting a period 4 times/ year. The Clomid induced ovulation.

With ds2 things had started being more regular though not totally perfect (4-6w). I knew signs of ovulation though and paid attention to those.

Beth

[MSWR0319]

I charted and used ovulation predictor strips to get pregnant. I didn't ovulated until day 30 the cycle we got pregnant. Had I not charted or used OPK's I'm pretty sure we wouldn't have gotten pregnant as easily because I would have been waiting for my period. You can get cheap strips at baby wishes.org.

[Indianamom2]

I highly recommend the "Taking Charge of Your Fertility" book as well. It taught me a lot that I honestly didn't know about my body.

When we were trying to get pregnant with DD#1, I stopped taking BCP's and suddenly had absolutely no more periods. Turns out, I wasn't ovulating at all, and despite everything we tried, I ended up needing to take Clomid to help me ovulate.

I certainly don't advocate Clomid as a first step, but if you're not ovulating regularly or at all, it's a good thing to discuss with your doctor.

[alirebco]

What kind of dietary changes did you make? I'm on WW right now and eat a really healthy diet (lots of fruit and veggies, lean meats, whole grains almost exclusively) and was hoping that would help. Is there something special I should be eating/avoiding?

I tried charting my BBT when we were trying to get PG with DD and it was all over the place. I literally got pregnant the month before my doctor was going to start me on Clomid.

I was doing WW after DS was born and my cycles were really wacky. I now follow the Primal Blueprint aka caveman, primal, or paleo diet. It's actually higher in fat, low in carbs (from sugar, grains) and no dairy. My luteal phase was only 8 days after my miscarriage and between eating well and acupuncture, I finally got pregnant.

[Serepta]

I have always been extremely irregular, and tried virtually everything to get pregnant - dietary changes, fertility charting, etc. Finally I talked to my OB who diagnosed me with PCOS. I then tried 5 cycles with the use of clomid, which did absolutely nothing to help me, but just made me mentally very crazy! At that point my OB told me that I simply wasn't ovulating - my ovaries had shut down. I was referred to a fertility clinic, and after doing a series of tests they confirmed that my ovaries had stopped working due to a massive number of cysts growing on my ovaries. I did a cycle of injectable fertility medications with an intra-uterine insemination, and got pregnant! Unfortunnately I had a very early miscarriage and was completely devistated. I did the second round of injectables, and found out that the injectable meds were no longer working. Finally my Dr. suggested surgery as sort of a last resort. I went in for ovarian drilling, which was actually a relatively easy procedure, even though I was terrified because I had never had surgery before. Basically they just poked holes in my ovaries to drain all of the cysts. After that we tried naturally for a month with no success, and then tried another round of injectables. During that cycle, nothing seemed to be working, and I became incredibly depressed. I more or less gave up on the whole having a child idea, and began researching adoption agencies. But, somehow, things finally started working! I went in for monitoring on day after taking injectables for 2 months, and the Dr. found a mature follicle! We did an intrautierine insemination the very next day, and I got pregnant! I am not 8 1/2 months, and feel great. Anyhow, I wanted to post this to let people know to not give up! Amazing things can happen. Having a baby was a three year journey for us, with many telling me I wasn't ever going to be able to have a child. Somehow, I managed to prove everyone wrong. There are options out there - don't give up hope!