I stopped ovulating (I think) - how do I get it back?!

[happy2bamama]

Hello -

I have always had really regular cycles and TONS of fertile fluid around the time I ovulate... until two months ago.  Two cycles ago, I had a really strange AF (intense cramping, but blood was really thin, no clots and only for one day).  I even thought I might be pregnant, but I got a BFN.  Then I waited to get my fertile fluid and it didn't come like normal.  I think a little bit came around my normal O day, but it was barely even noticeable and WAY different than usual.  I was either dry or had creamy CM (neither of which are normal for me) and then I felt 100% sure I was pregnant with how my body felt as AF neared, but I kept getting a BFN.  Five days late, AF showed up and it was more intense than usual.  I bled for two days longer and there was more cramping and more blood and clots.  It made me wonder if we conceived but it didn't take.  I think whatever didn't come out that cycle before must've come out this time!  So here I am, around day 11 of my cycle and I'm not noticing any fertile fluid, just sticky or dry - not my norm at all!  I did notice some fertile-like fluid near the end of my AF, but it was hard to tell since it was tinged brown and DH and I had BD a few times, so it's always hard to tell what fluid is what!  But perhaps I am ovulating earlier now??

I am really confused!!  I don't know if my cycle is shifting and if I'm ovulating or not.  I am hesitant to chart it with temps because I don't want to be thinking about TTC all the time.  DH and I are just at the beginning of it and I know from previous experience (it took 18 months to conceive my DS) that I don't want it to be a "thing" that I obsess about and for me, charting caused that.

Does anyone have any thoughts or any tips about how to either know if I've ovulated (other than charting) or to bring on ovulation?  Any help would be much appreciated.  TIA! 

[dejagerw]

Are you taking any medication? Allergy medicine or cold medicine could dry up cervical mucus. Also, the only way for you to tell if you are ovulating is to chart your temperature. There's really nothing you can do to make yourself ovulate (but being healthy helps). If you are concerned you aren't ovulating, just chart for a month or two and then go back to not charting. That way, you won't obsess over it, but at least you'll know where you stand and can take steps to improve things if your chart doesn't look good.

[Jaimee]

I agree... the only way you'll know what is up with your cycles is to chart. And like the pp said, you could always chart a few cycles just to get a feel for what is happening, take additional supplement/medication steps if necessary, and then stop charting when things normalize and you can settle into TTC without wondering if you're Oing or not.

From what you're describing you certainly could have had an early loss or even two early losses that are affecting your cycles and your body may need some time to get back on track. Usually, though, with early losses CF doesn't dry up, but ovulation may be delayed.

Some women have success with herbs like vitex, but I would be very hesitant to start anything before knowing for sure what is happening in your cycles. And clomid is the other obvious answer, but that's a big step.

[happy2bamama]

Thank you ladies for your replies :)  Yeah, I think charting may be in my future!  And no, I'm not on any medication.  I feel healthy, I eat well and I even do acupressure for my womb area, so I would imagine it would all be in ship shape.  

The only other thing that may be part of it was that I started exercising more than usual (take dance classes and yoga) a few months ago and I've heard that that can affect it, but by no means was the exercise super strenuous.  It's not like I'm training for a marathon or anything!

I was also digging through old posts on here and someone had mentioned that they weren't drinking enough water, but once they did, their FF came back, so I have been downing the stuff.

The other piece of this is that I had some energy work done a few months ago (actually, while I was on AF) and the woman (my friend) told me that she saw lots of cleansing going on in my womb.  It wasn't surprising to me that it affected that one cycle, but two??

I know my body is capable of producing fertile fluid - I just need to help it get back to doing what it has done so well for almost 20 years.  Thanks!

[happy2bamama]

One more thing to add - my breasts have kept their tenderness and fullness (not complaining about that) since last cycle when I thought I was pregnant.  This is not a usual thing for me, so I thought it was interesting.  

Jaimee, I have seen you post on here before and you seem to know a lot about cycles, so I was wondering if this part of it meant anything to you :)  Does breast tenderness with lack of FF signal anything to you?

[Jaimee]

Originally Posted by happy2bamama 

Jaimee, I have seen you post on here before and you seem to know a lot about cycles, so I was wondering if this part of it meant anything to you :)  Does breast tenderness with lack of FF signal anything to you?

Well, I would think the two could be related due to hormonal imbalance. Low estrogen could be a cause of not ovulating and lack of fertile CF. High progesterone could cause pregnancy like symptoms including breast tenderness. My guess would be that your hormones are fluctuating and that could lead to all sorts of things like heavier and irregular bleeding, irritability, wacky CF, cramps, hot flashes, headaches, acne, etc. Charting would clue you in! With the symptoms you're describing I wouldn't be surprised to see erratic temps in the higher range.

And a new exercise routine and the womb work you're doing could absolutely be affecting you for multiple cycles. The body needs time to adjust. Charting during this time would be sort of fascinating so that you could see the changes happening.

[happy2bamama]

Jaimee - thank you so much for the insight :)  That would make SO much sense because last month, I SWEAR I felt pregnant - it was nuts and played such mind games with me.  But having high progesterone could explain it.  Any tips about how to even those hormones out a bit?  Or perhaps I need to not do anything but just be patient and let my body work it out! !!

[Jaimee]

How many months postpartum are you?  Are you still breastfeeding?  These things could be affecting your cycles as well.  And in my own case, it took 16 postpartum cycles before I become fertile again after my first baby.  Though usually breastfeeding would be suppressing progesterone and it sounds like you may have the opposite problem.  At any rate, Vitex is usually the herb of choice for hormone balance, but again, I would personally be hesitant to take anything before knowing more about my cycles via charting. 

[happy2bamama]

I'm 68 months post-partum! (my son is almost 5!)  I had to do the math on that to see how ridiculous it looked in months!  So, we stopped BF about 3 years ago.

What I find interesting is that it seems like I do have high progesterone based on the symptoms, but last month when it felt like I conceived, and then it never took, all the reading I did talked about that happening with low progesterone.  Perhaps we didn't conceive, but all the symptoms just made me feel like we did.  Regardless, it's a bit wonky and I know it needs some time to sort out.

I did start charting today, but I'm on day 15, so I don't know that I'll be able to really tell if I ovulated or not this month.

[Jaimee]

Oh, okay!  Yes, I don't think that birth or breastfeeding are affecting you at this point!  Which didn't really make sense anyway, b/c low progesterone is usually the problem with breastfeeding.  And you're right, some early losses are due to low progesterone and/or short LP.  But not all early losses are caused by that.  Many are caused by chromosomal abnormalities.  Anyway, it will be interesting to see what your chart looks like!  Hopefully you'll catch that spike!  What was your temp this morning?

[happy2bamama]

It was 98.3 and I'm on day 15.  I think I usually run a little low, so that may have been part of the spike already.  We will see...  Thanks for all the help :)  I'm sure I'll be back and asking for more when I have some more data!

[Jaimee]

Could be, but if you're dealing with erratic hormones and/or high progesterone, that could be a pre-O temp.  You're right, we'll have to wait for more data.

[Stevi]

Have you considered getting a blood pregnancy test? It is rare but there are women who do not get BFP on HPTs, and there are women who get "periods" while pregnant. I know it's a long shot, but a quantitative test might tell you something, and if it is negative you will know that adding herbs or whatever will not harm a possible pregnancy. I know it's a long shot...

Either way, you should talk to your doictor about it. Perhaps he/she can do some tests on your hormone levels.

[happy2bamama]

So, Jaimee, I wonder what you will make of this - I am on day 16 now and two nights ago, after DH and I BD, I noticed a tiny bit of pink on the toilet paper.  Then yesterday, I had just the slightest bit of pink again.  Then today, I have had the tiniest bit of brown with a bit of sticky brown stuff.  I feel really not myself today, I am really irritable and so judgmental which is not me at all.  Perhaps this is just part of the cycle recalibration, but I wondered if this spotting meant anything to you that either lines up or doesn't line up with our hormone theories :)  BTW - temp was lower this am - 98.0.

Thanks for the response, Stevi!  If things aren't worked out in a few months, I think I will get some tests done.  About the blood pregnancy test, hadn't thought about that.  With the amount I bled last cycle, I swear there's no way anything could still be in there from last month!

[Jaimee]

Well, that could be a few things.  Sometimes DTD can cause a bit of spotting if the cervix gets bumped.  You could be having O spotting due to hormonal fluctuations (like a dip in progesterone and surge in estrogen) or actual blood from the egg bursting forth from the ovary.   A cyst can cause some bleeding.  Or it could random hormonal fluctuations not associated with O.  Pink would suggest a very small amount of bleeding and brown would indicate old blood.

98 is a bit lower, but probably not significantly so.  You could post a link to your chart in your siggy!