"It's probably fine" - a vent

[milletpuff]

I've been trying to get pregnant for almost a year now with frozen sperm and IUIs. We are moving to fresh donor sperm and I've really excited but there's a narrow window when I can get the goods this next month.

I'm in better shape then I have been in 2 years, my stress is at an all-time low, it's spring and I'm in love with everything blooming, and I have excitement about this process for the first time since I miscarried almost a year ago (checmical on our first cycle).

And I am now bleeding mid cycle. I went to get it checked and "everything looks and feels great" and the bleeding may be a touch of endo, a cyst, a polyp, a fibroid, or a hormonal thing, but not anything major since I'm ovulating regularly and everything looks OK.

The thing is, since the beginning there have been all these little things that are not problems, per se, but just not ideal really. Like:

- a "sort of" short LP (11 day, even after trying 1,205,986 things to correct it)
- "not very much" fertile CM (even after trying 1,205,986 things to correct it)
- a "sort of" late O (CD 17)
- a slow temp rise
- "low-ish" pre-O temps (thyroid fine)
and a bunch of other stuff that I can't even recall.

Both midwives that I've been working with, a naturopath, and my accupuncturist all say that everything is "probably fine" and that all these little things "probably aren't going to be a problem." I'm SO SICK of hearing that! If that's the case, why am I here a year later without getting pregnant?

I'm just over this process, and I'm OVER new "borderline" problems arising that aren't definitive problems and of course therefore don't have definitive solutions.

/rant. Thanks, I just needed to get that out.

[LessTraveledBy]

I have had most of those "little problems" + infertility. I do have hypothyroidism... Just wondering what your actual numbers were on the thyroid tests. You do know that many times people are told their levels are "just fine" when this is really not the case?

[milletpuff]

Yeah, I should get the actual numbers. I feel like I've had some tests done at various places and the results have been kind of minimized. I want to sit down with one person and look over all of it and see what I should do.

When I write out all of the things it's just crazy to me that everyone's just like "oh hey, don't worry about it." Especially when we are spending $1200+ a cycle and we're over $10k into this so far, is just doesn't make sense to be so dismissive.

[MI_Dawn]

That's me to a T - and I am hypothyroid.

And you can still be hypothyroid if your numbers look "normal."

[mom2fussy]

I understand!!! I've had some of the same issues & feelings.

Originally Posted by MI_Dawn

That's me to a T - and I am hypothyroid.

And you can still be hypothyroid if your numbers look "normal."

Might be a silly question, but... then how would you know if you're hypothyroid? And would anyone do anything about it if the numbers were "normal"?

[PixelGeek]

Other potential thyroid issues...

Another thing to check out is Hashimotos Thyroiditis. If they are only checking your Thyroid hormones, and not the Thyroid antibodies, then you may be missing it. Hashimotos is an autoimmune disease that can slowly develope. It can cause "episodes" in hormonal fluctuations that are not always caught in the Thyroid hormone test.

I, my cousin, and my best friend have all been diagnosed with Hashimotos. I do not have enough hormonal fluctuations to require thyroid medicine. However, both my cousin and friend were treated. You will probably have to go to an endocronologist to get it identified.

[JustLooking_30]

Yes, definately check for anti-thyroid antibodies. If this is negative, and your TSH is still 'high', for example in the 2s or even the 3s), forget about it.

I've got a TSH of 2.74 and my mom developed hypothyroidism in her 40s (at which point her TSH was a 5 or 6, but before that she went on to conceive without issues 4 times). Check out my chart too(my pre-O temps are definately low)

http://www.fertilityfriend.com/home/2b034a

Given all of this stuff, I'm still not worried about thyroid effecting my fertility because so far everything (hormones, ultrasound, etc) looks just fine.

My point is, don't think hypothyroidism just because of low BBTs, and sometimes some peoples TSH is naturally in the 2s or even the 3s. Giving thyroid hormone if you are NOT hypothyroid is not a good idea.

Of couse, if you have the anti-thyroid antibodies, THEN start taking it seriously