How long do I wait before asking for testing?

DH and I are currently in our 5th cycle of actively TTC. I have been off the pill since end of February and to be honest I used to flush the occasional pill down the toilet for months before hoping I would "accidentally" get utd! I'm just frustrated as there is no real reason why we shouldn't be able to conceive quickly, we are both in our 20's, healthy weight, eat well, no medical problems. My question is how long do we have to wait before asking to have some sort of testing done to find any potential problems? I have a family history of PCOS but although my cycles have been irregular and on the longer side, I have only charted the last 2 cycles and definitely ovulated both months (albeit later than I would like). So I'm not sure if I should ask to be tested for that. Aside from irregular cycles I don't have any of the other classical symptoms of PCOS. I never ever get period pain or O pain of any kind and don't have heavy periods either so don't think endo will be a problem for me either.

I also worry that DH's sperm may not be the greatest as he has a crazy sleep cycle and also consumes HUGE amounts of caffeine every day. Is it easy to get a SA done and does it cost anything?

Am I just being too impatient or is it reasonable to ask for these tests (or any others you can think of)? Any experiences you can share would be great :)

Six months is considered to average conception time for a healthy couple, i believe but could be wrong? I would suggest to your DH that he cuts back on his caffiene intake and you both start taking a multi vitamin..if he does'nt listen then maybe a trip to see a specialist is required to put the facts before him..sometimes we need to hear it from someone else...you would need to see a fertility specialist which costs $$$ and i can't remember if the sperm A costs anything or if its part of their service?
Goodluck maybe a weekend away here and there and doing some different things might help? often when you relax these things fall into place, easy said than done though!!!

Thanks :) I suspected I was just being impatient. Just want my baby now now now! Like most others here :)

Been there done that.. my baby who took 18 months in the making, was by far my most enjoyable pregnancy..I loved everyhting about it and was'nt even sick of being pregnant at the the end...get DH's caffiene cut back a little bit each week..:) it will happen soon.

Its 12mths of TTC for under 30's befoe an FS will see you. My Dh and I waited nearly two years and got pregnant right after our first appointment. He was well worth the wait (our son).

Its 6mths of TTC for over 30's.

My DP drinks crazy amounts of caffeine and we had no issues concieving both our babies. Though we did try when i was 18 and we never successful so i'm not sure what was up with that. I do agree with both taking multi-vitamins and i reccomend menevit for your DP. GL :)

It will depend on what doc you see. Some will do testing and refer you sooner than others. My GP wrote me the referral after 3 months as I have endometriosis and was having long cycles. The gyno diagnosed me with PCOS too. It can take months to get in to see a specialist so maybe just go and have a chat with your GP espec since PCOS does run in the family.

I am a healthy weight but have long cycles (sometimes ovulating late, sometimes not at all) but my hormone levels were completely out of whack!

Wishing you all the best!

Hi Stephie - I totally understand your frustration.

We asked for basic tests at the six-month mark (blood tests, ultrasound and sperm count). There were costs for these but you can get some money back from Medicare. Everything was fine or borderline, so we kept trying and then saw a FS at 10 months. It took 14 months to conceive, and we're a young(ish!!) healthy couple.

If you're concerned, it wouldn't hurt to at least ask for blood tests to see what's happening with your hormones. Don't worry too much about the caffeine thing, although anything you guys can do to make sure your diet is shipshape is a good idea. We did see an improvement in my DH's sperm quality after he started eating better, exercising more and taking Menevit.

Good luck, hope you get that beautiful BFP very soon.

I've had pre-conception tests which include hormone levels, iron, folate, vit d levels, immunity levels, cmv exposure etc. It wouldn't hurt to get these done through your GP. Then if there's a concern, getting a referral to an FS.

The 6/12 month thing is a guideline based on the average couple, most of whom wouldnt know when ovulation occurs. There's no reason not to investigate earlier if you're concerned.