Hard time getting pregnant after birth control

ANWL2007

So I'm sure we hear this story oh so often, but its never more frustrating then when your going through this tough journey yourself.

Long story but I have been on birth control for several years. Last year I took myself off as my husband & I were wanting to try this year. After 5 months of being off of the pill I still had NOT had a period. I started to do ovulation kits without any successful results. 

I saw my OBGYN & he put me on a 5 day course of Progesterone to "jump start" my system in hopes that my body would then figure out it needed to make its own hormones now. It has been almost a month since I cycled AFTER the progesterone. Again, I have yet to ovulate. I cannot begin to tell you how this makes me feel like a failure. I know it sounds silly but this is stuff my body should be easily doing, but yet its so easily NOT doing. 

My husband & I have been continuing to try despite not ovulating in hopes that maybe something will actually happen. I have also emailed my OBGYN in hopes that at some point we could try the Clomid. Each doctor likes to prescribe this medication at their own plan, but he had already offered it to me during the progesterone taking. I wish he would have given me more of an explanation on when he liked to prescribe it, or else I may have been open to trying that WITH the progesterone. 

I don't know. I guess I just needed to vent & see if anyone could relate to my experience, or offer any helpful tips. We really want a baby, but so far I feel like this may never happen. I know it takes some people several months, etc. Nobody ever expect this to be so hard & I of course, like many others, thought this process would be different for me. 

Thanks for listening to me. Any ideas, helpful hints, support, would be greatly appreciate.

Jags8

I haven't started TTC yet, but just wanted to say sorry! Normally I would tell you that it can take a healthy couple up to a year to get pregnant. But since you aren't even ovulating, I just want to say I'm sorry! We're you having normal periods before you were on BC?

KMW08

lurking...

Being this is your first post and it's not plastered across multiple boards I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt here.

I recommend that you see a Reproductive Endocrinologist (RE). If that isn't possible for you, please please please find another OB who will be proactive. You need to determine why you're not ovulating before you start any type of fertility medication (like clomid). You could have thyroid issues, PCOS, your tubes could be blocked, there's a multitude of things that could be going on preventing you from ovulating and with some there's no way you're going to get pregnant, even if you take fertility medications unless you figure out & treat the underlying issue first.

I have never used clomid myself, but that's a whole other ballpark. I'm sure somebody else will comment on that. There's a shit ton of reasons why you SHOULD NOT take this medication unless you're seeing a RE.

ANWL2007

First off, thank you SO much!! It's really hard to talk about this. Plus we don't want to tell everybody we are trying yet since things aren't going smoothly & I'd hate to be asked over & over if were pregnant again just to say no.

Second, My cycle was completely normal on birth control. Every 28 days I would cycle. I guess this is just one of the things that has me upset. 

This would be our first baby. AND my husband deploys frequently so as if ovulation/conception wasn't hard enough this just adds to the frustration. 

Ugh! :- /

RandiMT

I've noticed that some of these comments seem rude and condescending. I just want to say I'm sorry you're frustrated and it's awesome that you're seeking help from people who have been through this before. Being new to this whole trying to conceive thing myself, I understand the need to feel understood and desire to post on a community board. I don't find any of your questions/comments stupid; you can't get an answer to something you don't ask. 

I think it's a great idea to see your doctor again and explain exactly your concerns. I've started keeping everything written down in a calendar because I tend to forget my concerns or symptoms when I do go to the doctor. I would even ask the doctor if he believes you should be referred to a specialist. I have also started the using the app Ovia to help me keep up with symptoms and concerns.

Good luck! I hope you find answers for why things seem to be so hard!

Jags8

ANWL2007 said:

My cycle was completely normal on birth control. Every 28 days I would cycle. I guess this is just one of the things that has me . 

Ugh! :- /

Oh dears. Well first off, of course you got your period every 28 days while on bc. You were artificially controlling it. That's how it works. I was asking if you had normal/regular periods BEFORE going on bc. For me, normal is every 32-35 days.

I second everything Joy said about educated yourself as to how your reproductive system works.

@RandiMT not a single person was being condescending. Sensitive much?

DebateThis

RandiMT said:

I've noticed that some of these comments seem rude and condescending. I just want to say I'm sorry you're frustrated and it's awesome that you're seeking help from people who have been through this before. Being new to this whole trying to conceive thing myself, I understand the need to feel understood and desire to post on a community board. I don't find any of your questions/comments stupid; you can't get an answer to something you don't ask. 

I think it's a great idea to see your doctor again and explain exactly your concerns. I've started keeping everything written down in a calendar because I tend to forget my concerns or symptoms when I do go to the doctor. I would even ask the doctor if he believes you should be referred to a specialist. I have also started the using the app Ovia to help me keep up with symptoms and concerns.

Good luck! I hope you find answers for why things seem to be so hard!

You want rude and condescending? You're a moron. None of these posts are even remotely rude.

OP you're correct to be cautious and ask questions, and the other responses are absolutely, 100% accurate that OBs tend to hand out clomid like candy. It can be very dangerous unmonitored, even to the point where it can render a woman completely unable to conceive without IVF. Please do not take it with an OB*, and please ditto Joy that you really need to read Taking Charge of Your Fertility or at the very least take the tutorials on FertilityFriend.com. It's entirely possible that you are having issues ovulating, but it's equally possible that you're just missing your surge with OPKs or that you're misreading the OPKs. I spent years using them, and even though my basal body temperature chart (through Fertility Friend) confirmed ovulation, I don't think I ever once got a truly positive OPK.

*I'm assuming you're military and Tricare can be somewhat...annoying...about covering IF treatments from everything I've heard from other IFers. The ONLY way I would be comfortable taking Clomid with an OB is if that OB is your absolutely only option (this is incredibly rare) AND the OB is willing to monitor you. Proper monitoring includes CD3 bloodwork and an ultrasound, CD10-12 bloodwork and ultrasound, and 7dpo blood work - all of these things need to happen each and every cycle you take Clomid. And even then, that only gives you 3-4 months on Clomid before you'll need to find an RE anyways since the lifetime max for using that drug is ~6 cycles and most fertility specialists don't even recommend using it that many. If it doesn't work in 3-4 cycles, you'd need a different type of treatment, and for anything more than Clomid, you need an RE.

BUT. Before you even go down that road, start temping. If you notice another 2 or so cycles of no ovulation or you do not get AF again for 60+ days, start looking for an RE here: https://www.asrm.org/euclid/detail.aspx?id=2328

Please feel free to ask all the questions you can think of. Unfortunately for us but fortunately for you, there are a lot of posters here who've been through infertility, myself included, and collectively we can pretty much answer any question you can come up with. Good luck.

ANWL2007

Well I appreciate everyones supportive comments. It's just nice to have SOME support during this time in which I think only other women can fully understand. 

AND I'm not willing to just pop some pills. This is why I was asking for others experience with this! I don't want to be 'talked down' to as if I'm a complete moron.

Before starting the pill I was on a 28 day cycle STILL, always! Also, I get regular lab work yearly so I know my thyroid is fine. It's all hormone or reproductive 'problem.'

I actually have quite a few friends that have taken Clomid, so I do know side effects, etc. Also, I work in the medical field so I am not completely naive. 

Again was just looking for supportive people to talk to.

THANKS

LG2793

The ladies above make some valid points. Be careful with the Clomid! That sh*t don't mess around!

My story is similar to yours (see siggy). It's been about 11 months since I've been off bcp, and I JUST ovulated (hopefully) last week for the first time. Still haven't had my own period. My cycles were perfect before bcp, too. I also want to add that it took like 5 rounds of provera/progesterone before my cycle kicked back in.

Be patient! There are other options before jumping in to the C word. I almost took it back in September unmonitored, and these ladies talked me out of it. I thought they were being rude at first, too...but then I realized that most of them know what they're talking about!  Good luck!

jnnfrrose6

Can someone please point out anything rude or condescending that was said to OP?

OP, these ladies have great advice.  I saw nothing that was rude or condescending in anything written to you, but perhaps that's because I've been around a few months now and am familiar with how these women (and some men) respond.  Trust me, you were given very helpful, informative information with nothing rude.  Check out some other posts of women actually asking stupid questions (yours was not by the way, yay!) and you'll see real snark there.

And to my advice, I'm going to second learning more about your body and cycle.  Fertility Friend was super helpful for me with their tutorials.  Temping is a great way to take control as well so you'll actually know what's going on with your body and when and can be better prepared to speak to your doctors about it.  It's my understanding that if you do look for an RE, having charts with your temps to confirm the you are/aren't ovulating can be extremely helpful to the process as it will give the doctor that much more information to go on with your history.