Hi everyone! Happy Valentine's Day!

jeg07

Hello!
A little bit about me: I'm a pediatric speech pathologist and in my late 20s. I've been married to my DH for 4 years but together for 10. I got off birth control in July 2016 thinking that we would just let it happen and be happily surprised if it did. We didn't plan for those first 6 months but just waited to see what happened. I had my annual checkup with my gyno about 8 months after getting off of birth control and she told me that if we didn't get pregnant in 6 more months then I should come back in. Well... we kept trying and trying with no luck. My DH wasn't too concerned and I tried not to get too concerned. We had trips and busy jobs and we weren't "really" trying... at least that is what I kept telling myself. Late last summer I made an appointment to consult with my doctor but then ended up rescheduling because I was so nervous about what I would hear. I just wasn't ready to start testing because I didn't want to accept that we couldn't get pregnant. In November, we sat down and realized we both were really invested. I made an appointment again and unfortunately my gyno was really booked out so I'm just now seeing her next week. It has been 19 months since I got off birth control, eek! 

Now we are both kicking ourselves for waiting so long. So many of my friends and relatives have gotten pregnant since I got off birth control. I'm ready to hear what the doctor has to say but I'm nervous about the tests and about the costs. We have saved up a big nest egg in preparation for a baby but I'm now worried it will all go to testing and treatments (our insurance sucks and I don't get maternity leave through my work so the cost is scary). I'm joining this board to get some support and learn from you all. I haven't confided in any friends or family because I don't want to deal with the questions or expectations so I'm looking forward to being able to share with you all. Thank you for letting me join! 

suzycupcake

Happy Valentines Day to you too! So you have been diagnosed with Infertility? 

meganttc3

Happy Valentine's day! Do you have an infertility diagnosis? 
I know it can be scary to get all the testing done and get the answers however I can tell you that it has helped me to know. Knowing what's going on and beingable to create a plan helps big time but if you don't have a diagnosis of infertility and you get your period regularly I wouldn't worry too much until you get results telling you to worry. Sometimes it can take a little bit and it is all about timing. You need to track your period, test for ovulation, and have sex when you are ovulating. 
Downloading an app that lets you put your cycle days in and will tell you your ovulation days helps big time. 
I also find the clear blue digital ovulation tests a big help. You can get them at Wal-Mart. They are about $30 a box and they track your hormones every day and let you know when there is a change. 

Good luck to you!

cheerfulboots23

Happy Valentine's Day!! I'm a day late on wishing Valentine's Day! @meganttc3 is right! Definitely track your period and when you ovulate. Also have sex for fun - you don't want to make it seem like it's a task!!

wishing-and-hoping

@jeg07  just want to say that I have those thoughts too about regretting waiting. MH and I were married for 5.5 years before we started trying.  Around year 4.5 we wanted to and couldn't because of other health factors at the time.  As soon as we COULDN'T try I regretted the 4 years when we "weren't ready" and just questioned that decision so much.  Now that we've almost been married 7 years it's a tough pill to swallow.  BUT I just have to remind myself that we really WEREN'T ready during those years and this is all out of our control and to stop being hard on myself when this is hard enough already.  

Also, just a thought - if your insurance covers it, I would go ahead and book an appointment with a fertility specialist rather than OBGYN.  Great that you're getting in next week though either way!

jeg07

Thanks, everyone! No official diagnosis from a doctor yet, do I need one to post here? I'm so sorry to post prematurely if that's required. I have had Fertility Friend and Dot for the last year and also did temping last summer (I have such a random work schedule that the temping didn't seem accurate). I have been doing ovulation tests every few months since Nov 2016, too and consistently since last spring. I was originally part of the TTC board (when I first got off birth control and then again last summer) but it just made me feel so discouraged to see others get BFP so I stopped.

@wishing-and-hoping thank you for your post. I will definitely see about booking a specialist appt ASAP.  

suzycupcake

@jeg07 You're allowed to post here, but you also might want to check out this board here https://forums.thebump.com/categories/getting-pregnant

Infertility is usually when you've been actively trying every single cycle for a year with no result, but the cause should be looked into. I am of the opinion that one shouldn't be thinking of infertility unless they've done that. It's an unnecessary stress to add. A lot of the time, there is a simple hormone imbalance that can be fixed which does not equal infertility.

And contrary to popular belief, I think it's something like 40% of cases end up being an issue with the man, not the woman. There are factors like sperm count, motility, morphology, hormones, etc.

How many days on average is your cycle? Are you having a period every month? Are the opks detecting a lh surge or are you getting multiple positive opks in a cycle?

The 6 month rule only pertains to those 35 years old or over. Unfortunately, our bodies can take quite awhile to balance out after birth control.

For temping, if you have such a random work schedule then 5am might be something that you'll have to do. I did that in the past and it worked out well for me because I could go back to sleep afterward. It's the only way to confirm that you're ovulating unless you wanna go in every cycle to get an ultrasound and Progesterone blood test.