Hi I'm new

[Lani Sgaraglino]

My name is Lani I have suspected an inability to get pregnant since my early 20's, as I was young and wild and never managed to get pregnant. I was married for 7 years together for 10 no pregnancies. There was an occasion when i was 20 that a miscarriage  was questionable. I am now 32 and desperately , heartrendingly, ready for my family to start!!!  I have suffered with some cysts in my 20's but haven't had much trouble  for along time, also possible endometriosis, tho i believe it to be mild . My periods are short, crampy, (extremely so it seems every other or third month) not bright but clotty and brown at first, then brighter with a few days of just barely brown discharge. My boyfriend and I are trying for our spawn and as I research I find  I am right in line with most of the low progesterone symptoms: raging nut before my period, low sex drive, clots, tender breasts, insane cravings, weight gain in the middle, and much more, which has brought my hopes up higher then they have been in years that there may be a remedy within my means. I am preparing to start progesterone cream  with a vitamin b3 supplement. also considering cod liver oil therapy. Hoping this site will be a good community to make friends, get info, and not feel so alone in my quest for a child. 

[LindsayDawn]

Hi, I'm jumping in to say good luck to you. Have you spoken to any doctors, to get checked about your progesterone levels? It's so hard when you suspect and just don't know. Self-medicating is always a tiny bit scary (says the girl who did trial-and-error self-medicating all through 2009).  :P  I know all about extreme periods too -- up until I had my little boy, I had primary dysmenorrhea. For some reason, having a baby was the cure!

[Jaimee]

Weclome to MDC!!    You have definitely come to the right place for advice and support!  You might also try posting in the infertility forum for additional responses.

It is certainly possible that you're dealing with fertility issues, but it's hard to say until you either get your levels tested, get an u/s to check for endo and/or cysts, or start to chart.  Charting your basal body temperature and cervical fluid will tell you when you are fertile, if/when you are ovulating, how long your luteal phase is (it is generally agreed that you need at least 10 days to sustain a pregnancy), when to test, when to expect AF, if you are pregnant, and if there is anything of concern happening with your cycle.  Charting is a great place to begin so that you have a better picture of what is happening in your body so that you can seek better answers in your own research and from your care provider if necessary.

If you suspect low progesterone, I suggest supplementing with 50-100mg of vitamin B6.  Cod liver oil is a great supplement in general, certainly no harm in adding that.  I personally would not start the progesterone cream until you have charted a few cycles and can see that low progesterone is actually your issue.  After you've gotten those few charts under your belt and you can spot some issues, then it would make sense to me to start some other supplements or speak to your doctor about hormone testing.

If you're interested in learning how to chart, just post!  Also, jump on in to some of the other TTC threads in this forum like the ONE thread or those for different age groups.  Good luck!

[doularebekah]

Hey Lani! Welcome to Mothering. You've definitely come to the right place for support and friendship, this is an amazing group of diverse women with a huge range of experience and knowledge. I definitely second Jaimee's suggestion about charting, is that something you're already doing? Using fertilityfriend.com has really helped me to start to get an idea about what my body is doing, when I ovulate (although Jaimee can attest to the fact that I still haven't figured that out, ha) and just record what's going on so I can start to look for a pattern.

I wanted to invite you over to the 30 somethings group if you're interested, it's specifically for those of use trying for our first and I've really enjoyed having a bunch of women who are in a similar position to me to get help from, cheer on and provide a safe place for venting because let's be honest this journey can be frustrating and emotional. Here's the link http://www.mothering.com/community/t/1340936/new-year-more-bajingo-juice-ttc-1-in-our-30s-january-2012/120#post_16856063

Good luck!