What now?

[Heaven]

I hate TTC

It took us 11 months and a miscarriage to conceive DD1. DD2 was conceived first try just after I got AF back after DD1. We have now been TTC number 3 for 9 months. Now, that would be fine because I know it can take up to a year when everything is normal. But it's not normal. I ovulate a bit late and my LP is all over the place but always too short. The shortest it has been is 8 days, and the longest (1 cycle) is 14 days. Usually it's around 10 or 11 days. Too short, and varies way too much. That's not normal! I have been going to acupuncture and last cycle it increased to 13 days so I was hopeful we were getting on track and I would have a chance now but I'm 10dpo now and have spotting So I just feel like it's never going to happen, I don't have a chance.

I'm not really sure what to do now? Should I go to the Dr? Will they even care? Any Dr I've been too didn't seem to trust my charting too much or think it was important, and it hasn't been a year yet. I'm not really sure if I should do anything yet, as I haven't had this issue before so just looking for advice? No point in keeping on TTC and doing nothing if it's not going to work anyway though.

TIA.

[~Gee_Whizzy~]

you could always get the ball rolling with your GP and ask for full blood works (fsh, tsh, day 21 bloods, iron, vit D etc) just to make sure everything is as it should be?

[Kazzo]

I have heard people say to take vitamin b6 to help make their Luteal phase longer.

[Heaven]

you could always get the ball rolling with your GP and ask for full blood works (fsh, tsh, day 21 bloods, iron, vit D etc) just to make sure everything is as it should be?

I have no idea what that means but thank you, sounds like something simple enough I can do that may give me some answers!!

I have heard people say to take vitamin b6 to help make their Luteal phase longer.

Yep, tried that. Also on vitex at the moment from the acupuncturist. Seemed to work last cycle but not this one

[~Gee_Whizzy~]

I have no idea what that means but thank you, sounds like something simple enough I can do that may give me some answers!!

Lol sorry! - Fsh is your follicle stimulating hormone and tsh is Thyroid stim hormone - both these impact/affect conception. Day 21 bloods check to see if you have in fact ovulated! The other two are just vitamin D and iron levels. Not sure how/if they impact conception but my specialist ordered them all together

[juniper76]

The other two are just vitamin D and iron levels. Not sure how/if they impact conception but my specialist ordered them all together

Not sure about iron, but vitamin D deficiency has a negative impact on fertility.

Are you BF? I'm surprised your acu gave you vitex?! Mine refused to give it to me while I was BF...

I had a short LP while BF (10 days) and got a BFP in our 3rd month of good timing (plus 2 months of bad timing). Unfortunately, it was a mm/c, but that had nothing to do with the BF or LP. My LP has been 13 days ever since DD weaned (was 14 days when TTC#1, so didn't quite go back to "normal").

[Heaven]

Are you BF? I'm surprised your acu gave you vitex?! Mine refused to give it to me while I was BF...

Really? She said it was ok, especially because I am only feeding 1-2 times a day. I usually take it after her night time feed and then her next feed is not until at least midday the next day.

Thanks for sharing your experience too! Hopefully I can actually get pregnant with a short LP.

[Heaven]

My acupuncturist has been wanting me to get my iron tested, which I finally did. Just called up to get the results and my Iron was 8 :/ and also something about my thyroid which is not urgent but I should make an appointment to talk about. Maybe this is my problem.

[Junipear]

Thyroid stim hormone - both these impact/affect conception. Day 21 bloods check to see if you have in fact ovulated! The other two are just vitamin D and iron levels. Not sure how/if they impact conception but my specialist ordered them all together

I'd be looking at whats going on with your Thyroid too. My sister had dramas and it was her Thyroid. Shes had 3 pregnancies.

I have been put on ostilin because I was D deficient. Vitamin D is also needed for Calcium and Follate retention, as well as being linked to your blood sugar levels. I was also an ex smoker that seriously depleted my nutrients. I've heard some say cut the Coffee, but I really don't think the Coffee would make much dif. Women fall pregnant on much more servere recreationals (IUKWIM) than Coffee??? Cant hurt though.

Let us know if your thyroid is out of whack.

Cheers
June

[Heaven]

Thought I should update. So, obviously I did TTC that month, and got pregnant Was the first month I'd started taking Iron tablets to sort that out and also the Thyroxine.

[juniper76]

Congrats!

[Joeve]

Would be interesting for you to know your progrestrone levels post ov as sometimes lower progesterone links to shorter LP. I know for me this was the case. So first stop blood work good luck!

[~Gee_Whizzy~]

Would be interesting for you to know your progrestrone levels post ov as sometimes lower progesterone links to shorter LP. I know for me this was the case. So first stop blood work good luck!

Ooo yes, this too! - Knew there was one i was forgetting

[LimeSlice]

My LP was always 11 or 12 days. I never realised that was a problem!

What doe you acupuncturist say about it?

I don't have anything. Just want to offer some of these

[Heaven]

Lol sorry! - Fsh is your follicle stimulating hormone and tsh is Thyroid stim hormone - both these impact/affect conception. Day 21 bloods check to see if you have in fact ovulated! The other two are just vitamin D and iron levels. Not sure how/if they impact conception but my specialist ordered them all together

hehe, thank you!! Ok, I'm on it.

Would be interesting for you to know your progrestrone levels post ov as sometimes lower progesterone links to shorter LP. I know for me this was the case. So first stop blood work good luck!

Yeah, that's what my acupunturist said. I am on vitex to try and increase progesterone but obviously not helping much :/

My LP was always 11 or 12 days. I never realised that was a problem!

What doe you acupuncturist say about it?

I don't have anything. Just want to offer some of these

Thanks LS, it makes me feel better you conceived with a short LP anyway! I was a bit concerned about it, and the fact that it varies from one cycle to the next (thought it was meant to be the same) so that's why I started acupuncture in the first place. She definitely thinks it's a problem and would like it to be at least 13 days. She did say it takes about 3 cycles with AP to regulate your cycle and this is only the second, but I saw improvement the first time and if this cycle is going to be crappy again then I maybe it's not working

Thanks for the hugs, I forgot how much TTC sucks. Really wanted a smaller age gap than this but what can you do. I am very blessed to have 2 beautiful girls to begin with, so trying to concentrate on that

The other thing is I'm still BF DD2. It's only 1 or 2 times per day but I wonder if I went to the Dr if they would tell me just to wean? Or that they won't do anything until she's weaned? As much as I want another baby, I won't wean DD2 to get pregnant. I got pregnant with DD2 when I was feeding A LOT more than this so I don't think it's the problem anyway.

[Arimeh]

I don't know much about ttc but just wanted to add I had a short LP and it was different every month (12 days, 14 days, 9 days) it was never the same. I put it down to still breastfeeding. So your short LP may not be an issue? I don't know much though, but thought it might make you feel better about them being a bit all over the shop.

[Sopdet]

Any practitioner should have already gotten you to get a barrage of tests done anyway. My natural therapies practitioner gave me the list of what they needed, I went to a bulk-billing GP and asked for them, then took the results back to the naturopath. I've got levels that the GP say are within the normal range (which they are) but they are either too low in the scale or too high in the scale, which is impacting on me. So in conjunction with my naturopath (and a couple of my lecturers at uni) we are doing a few things to get levels more mid-range.

[juniper76]

Wow! If your TSH is that high I'd have thought you should be on meds now! And the 0.4-4 "normal" range (my GP's office says the same) is not actually recommended for TTC - most REs (reproductive endocrinologists, ie Drs who specialise in fertility and hormones) recommend your TSH be between 1-2. There are a few REs in Brisbane, but I'm not sure where. I think there was one at South Bank (QFG) and one at Sunnybank, but that was a few years ago and I think there's a couple more I've forgotten.

A high TSH indicated hypothyroidism. You can find plenty of information online about that. It definitely impacts on your fertility and is linked to m/c. And it's not good for your general health either, so even if you weren't TTC you'd want it treated.

If you find a GP specialising in women's health, I'd be interested in hearing where (if there are others aside from the Indooroopilly clinic mentioned above). The GP I see is very accommodating with doing any tests I request, but her interest is in other areas.

I hope you can find a good Dr to help you get your levels back in the right range asap.