need advice about what tests to have at appt

[wehrli]

hello all...
august was my #3 try and it was a failure, i'm pretty sure, no AF yet but my temps never went up.
i've been charting since feb and have had some irregularities... in may i had an annovulatory cycle (or maybe delayed O, but i'm pretty sure it didn't happen). so i think it may be happening again... i continue to use OPKs to see if it will just be delayed. my luteal phase seems to be 11 days, sometimes 12, once 9 days. about 5 years ago i went almost 2 years with only having 3-4 AFs. never saw a doc for it...
my CF is only EW a few days before temp rise... only for one day... anyway, i am thinking of going to see a doc. i really don't want to have to and i know after only 3 tries they might poo-poo me but...
i want to know what you guys think. what could my first step be? what kinds of tests can be done? i want to go to the doc as informed as poss because i always feel like i don't even know what the heck they are telling me, giving me, testing me for, etc. anyway, thanks for taking the time...
Rose, CD23 and still waiting to O

[indigoscot]

based on your post i'd check for:

thyroid - tsh, free t4 and t3. anti-thyroid antibodies if your family has a history of auto-immune issues (lupus, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, hashimoto's or graves).

pcos - u/s to determine if you have the polycystic ovaries associated with this, blood test for insulin resistance.

prolactin - even a slightly elevated level of prolactin can prevent ovulation or make ovulation poor.

while not always the reason for skipping ovulation and having few cycles a year, they are the major ones for most women and can be easily treated. most ovulation issues are hormone related. my dp has thyroid issues (hashimoto's thyroiditis) and mild pcos. we had no idea about the thyroid until she had a blood work-up prior to us trying to get pregnant with her. i had elevated prolactin before getting pregnant with our son and a simple rx for dostinex resolved that.


good luck!
g

[wehrli]

indigo, thanks so much! i can't express enough how glad and relieved i am to have everyone here to help...

[indigoscot]

no problem! i think the medical community does a terrible job of educating patients and unless you know exactly what to google, the internet can be extremely confusing AND mis-informing.

since my dp and i had some issues wrt ttc, i feel it's important for me to pass on the info i have.

g

[FtMPapa]

Push to get a HSG done - there's no point in sending sperm up there if there's a blockage and it is supposed to help clear out any minor issues and get the tubes ready to perform (and boost fertility) for the three months following.

Good luck!

[astropeep]

Wehrli, you did 3 at-home insems with frozen, right? If so, I'm not too surprised that it hasn't worked yet. With IUI and frozen it's a 20-30% chance per try, but with at-home it's considerably lower.

But you're asking about cycle irregularities. One thing to ask yourself and your doctor is, "Am I really ovulating?" How many days long are your cycles? Do you get a clear, strong BBT rise? On what day?

I had a similar problem, so after I got a + OPK, I would go for an u/s at the clinic, and then another u/s the next day, to catch the egg-containing follicle swelling, then breaking. It was $100 per u/s, but it kept us from wasting $$ when the cycle was egg-less.

So before I would worry about HSG (which tests whether there's a path the egg can take to the uterus) I would want to be sure I was making eggs.

As indigoscot says, there are lots of tests for hormone level and thyroid function to check for a problem with ovulation (all are cheaper than an HSG, b/c they're just blood tests.)

Also, the lesbian pregnancy books suggests healthy diets to promote regular ovulation. No idea whether they work.

[wehrli]

ftmpapa, thanks for the suggestion... i want to wait and have some blood testing done first (like astro said, it's cheaper). but i will def consider it if everything comes back normal.

astro, you are right... it is no surprise that i haven't gotten preg yet! but it is my charting that is making me nervous... i feel like i can tell something isn't right. i've felt that way for a while. it's prob because all those years ago when i was just not bleeding, i was sure something was wrong then but i didn't have insurance and i was traveling with the "circus" (not really) so going to see a doc was the furthest thing from my mind then... shame on me. i am pretty sure i O most cycles. there has been a substantial rise 2 days after +OPK all accept for 2 cycles since i started charting (in feb).

indigo, i looked up the things you were suggesting and i am suspecting maybe i have prolactin issues... not sure but i have some other symptoms too. like nipple discharge... i never brought it up to the doc because, i'm ashamed to admit it but, i was scared to find out something was wrong. i have gotten these "tiny whiteheads" all over my nipple and areola for at least 9 months now.

so anyway, ladies, thanks again for all the advice. if anyone has anymore, it is always welcome!

[jjnoho]

wehrli - i am new to the board so maybe everybody else knows the answer to this question but i don't.

you haven't mentioned your age - perhaps you should also have your fsh checked to make sure that you have sufficient egg supply left. insufficient egg reserve can also prevent ovulation. this is a blood test on day 3 of your cycle, but first response (i think that's the company) now has a pee stick to tell you the same thing that you can do at home and buy OTC.

good luck!

[wehrli]

jjnoho, i am 29 yrs of age... i have heard of the first response fsh test... i have been sceptical about it, i guess because it seems too easy.

has anyone used this OTC test???

anyway, thanks for the advice!