Is it possible to have a dominant follicle but not ovulate?

**nicjay** · May 19th, 2008, 01:29 PM

Hi everyone,

I hope I'm posting this in the right spot

We are in our 18th month of TTC our second child and our 7th month since a miscarriage. Since the m/c my cycles have been very erratic, so I am now having cycle tracking (no OI as yet) to try and work out what if any problem there is. I am on day 15 today and yesterday my oestrogen was 600 (down from almost 900 the day before). My clinic decided to give me an u/s today to check things out and there was a dominant follicle measuring 16mm on my left ovary. I haven't got my blood results from today back yet.

I know I am probably just stressing about what can possibly go wrong this cycle, but is it possible to still not ovulate even with a dominant follicle? And if my oestrogen levels go backwards further, is it possible to have some sort of OI this late in the cycle? It's just getting a bit depressing month after month with no luck and wierd cycles that are all over the place

TIA

**butterfly_warrior** · May 19th, 2008, 02:07 PM

Megsmum, I'm not sure I can actually answer your questions in full, but I do know that it is possible for your E2 levels to jump up and down a bit before ovulation occurs. Are the blood tests also checking LH levels to see when that surges? That's the best indicator of when ovulation will happen. It's also possible that stress can delay ovulation - I've seen this happen in the ovulation tracking for some of my FET cycles.

BW

**nicjay** · May 19th, 2008, 07:41 PM

Thanks for that BW, I wondered if anyone would be able to answer that question. Yes I am having LH tested as well as E2, and it has risen a little but has not surged yet. At least my E2 result today has gone up to 770, so fingers crossed we are on our way again. And I'm having tomorrow off testing to let my poor arms recover, so hopefully nothing will happen tomorrow either - I doubt it will, I think I'll be waiting for a surge until later this week.

I think you are probably right about stress

**anney** · May 19th, 2008, 08:03 PM

Hi megsmum,
16mm is a bit small for ovulation so you have a few days to go still so hopefully all will work out OK.

**Inanna** · May 19th, 2008, 08:30 PM

I was about to post what Anney has. 16mm says there is a few days to go yet before maturation of the follicle. But it is certainly possible to have a mature follie that does not erupt - it does happen but it is more likely that it will mature nicely.
I am hoping for you that this is YOUR cycle my love...

**nicjay** · May 19th, 2008, 08:38 PM

Thanks Anney and Flowerchild

That's pretty much what my nurse said when I spoke to her this afternoon. I forgot to say in my last post that she said this and also that she is pretty sure that I will O this month, so I am feeling a bit more confident. I just got to worrying a bit about it all this morning

and was hoping for some reassurance that all would be OK.

I generally have cycles on the shorter side (last month my LH surged on day 11), so this longer cycle has been a bit puzzling for everyone - oh well, at least I am seeing my FS next week too. Fingers crossed that this is the cycle!!

**anney** · May 23rd, 2008, 10:53 PM

Would love to know what happened Megsmum. did that follicle do the right thing?

**nicjay** · May 24th, 2008, 05:41 PM

Oh sorry Anney, how rude of me

Thanks for asking

I had the day off having my blood done on Tues (the day after the scan) to give my arms a rest because they were looking pretty bad

and went in and had it done the next day (Wed). Anyway, according to the nurse, my Wed bloods indicated that I was going to ovulate that day. So the surge had probably happened on Tues and we missed it because I had the day off testing! Fortunately though my DH and I got a quickie in on Tuesday night LOL We thought it was best to play it safe because we had no idea what my hormone levels were doing.

So yes the follicle did finally do the right thing on day 17 after all my stressing about it

, and I am now 3 DPO and in the TWW

And I'm using progesterone pessaries for the first time to lengthen my short luteal phase so fingers crossed they work! I am getting a few pg symptoms already - from the pessaries I know - but trying to stay hopeful

**anney** · May 24th, 2008, 06:07 PM

That is good news Meg. you sound very positive. Hope the quickie did the job.

**Inanna** · May 25th, 2008, 10:53 AM

That's great news Meg!!! I hope so much that this is your moth... Please keep us posted.

**nicjay** · May 25th, 2008, 02:51 PM

Thanks Flowerchild, I really hope so too

Will definitely let you know.

**nicjay** · June 2nd, 2008, 10:14 AM

Hi ladies,

I just wanted to let you know that we have had no luck this month

Oh well...

We've decided it is time to move on to Clomid + IUI at the recommendation of our FS, so hopefully that will do the trick. Fingers crossed!