Get pregnant w/ irregular periods? Love to hear your story!

future_mrs.lambdin · September 2009

Hi ladies!

I'm not TTC just yet (very soon though!) but I am a bit worried about being able TC. I am currently on Yaz because a few years ago I was developing ovarian cysts (nothing major) so I went on BC. I have been on a few kinds trying to find just the right one and have only been on Yaz for about 3 months. My cysts have been gone for a while now, but without BC my period is very irregular.

I will go 2-3 months without one and never know when to expect it. I know I still have this issue because about a year ago I tried to go off the BC and never got a period. I decided to get back on the BC about a month or so later and had to take medicine to make me bleed so I could get back on it.

This of course has me worried about my ability to conceive. It brings up questions like, am I even ovulating? and I can't think of any reason why I wouldn't be or why I'm even so irregular for that matter. I have no known reproductive issues.

Have any of you had this problem? How did things turn out? Were you able to get pregnant? How long did it take? Was there anything you did that made a difference? Were you ever able to tell when you were ovulating? Any advice or stories would be great to help alleviate my concerns! Thanks ladies!

Sorry for so much info and so many questions at once. I had to put them down while I was thinking about it

madhatter2003 · September 2009

If you have irregular periods and were getting ovarian cysts you need to be checked for PCOS. I have it, and those are pretty common signs. It definitely affects fertility in some women by affecting ovulation as well as increasing the risk of miscarriage, so you need to figure out what is going on there if you have something like that.

karskaren · September 2009

Before I had DD (5 yrs ago) I could go 6 months between periods. That Sept, my OB said if I wasn't pregnant by December, we could start Clomid. I was pregnant the next month. We had tried for about 6 months.

After that pregnancy - something clicked - and I now have regular periods (well not now - since I am BF AF hasn't returned). I got pregnant with DS#1 when DD was 6 months old and got pregnant with DS#2 the first month we tried.

JCM083009 · September 2009

madhatter2003:
If you have irregular periods and were getting ovarian cysts you need to be checked for PCOS. I have it, and those are pretty common signs. It definitely affects fertility in some women by affecting ovulation as well as increasing the risk of miscarriage, so you need to figure out what is going on there if you have something like that.

This is pretty much what I was going to say as well. I have PCOS and don't ovulate at all on my own so we did fertility drugs and then when those did not work, I tried traditional chinese medicine (acupuncture/herbs/diet changes) and I ovulated and got pregnant that way. Good luck!

MidwestTexan · September 2009

I have had very irregular periods most of my life. I got my first one at age 16. As an avid runner on the cross country team in high school, I only got it every 6 months. In college I trained myself for 3 marathons and hardly ever got my period then either. At age 20 I started on Zovia to actually have a regular period. Then I went off of it and my periods started going 4-5 weeks apart. At age 24 I went on Yasmin so I could time my period for my wedding. I went off of it after our honeymoon and it took 8 weeks for me to get my period. That was the last time I had my period because we conceived DS on my first cycle off!

Beccaboo0713 · September 2009

I have PCOS and IR. I didn't have a period for nine months after getting of the bill and every month I didn't get pregnant and they could find out what was wrong with me was hard. Finally they discovered my IR and put me on metformine I started having period and was pregnant 5 months later. I delivered early due to placenta problems but I don't know if that has to do with any of my medical problems.

Temp159135562506975 · September 2009

I agree you should be checked for PCOS.

I have PCOS and got pg easily with clomid/IUI. I did get pg once on my own but m/c. PCOS pregnancies that are not medicated have a higher chance of m/c because a long cycle produces less than great eggs in general. It's not impossible to have a healthy pg with PCOS unmedicated, but to me the chance of more m/c was not worth it to me- and we went to the RE after only 3 months TTC on our own... .and then went right back when TTC #2.

Don't do the testing with an OB either- see an RE (reproductive endo).... and never take clomid with out being monitored. That's my big advice

best of luck to you!

future_mrs.lambdin · September 2009

Really? Acupuncture helped? I hadn't thought of that. I've heard that that can do wonders for the body in many different ways but I had never considered ovulation. Nice to know

jessNdean · September 2009

I have had irregular periods since I even got it.

my husband and I tried for a while and I even got checked out and everything was okay. The OBGYN put me on Clomid I was on 3 rounds of clomid by the time I got pregnant. My husband also took a supplement that his dr recommended. It was expensive though. But with both of us on the meds for 3 months together we finally conceived!

NDwife07 · September 2009

Buy this.

I honestly believe i would have never gotten pregnant without it.

future_mrs.lambdin · September 2009

I don't believe that is what I had. My doctor never mentioned PCOS and they were just very small. I would occasionally get pains that were very mild (hence how it was discovered) but that was it. BC took care of them very easily. Isn't PCOS a severe case of ovarian cysts?

madhatter2003 · September 2009

No, PCOS can appear even without a lot of cysts. It's more hormonal and how those hormones impact ovulation. I barely have any cysts at all but have many other symptoms (acne, irregular periods, late ovulation when I do ovulate, etc)

Erin5849 · September 2009

I always had irregular periods, sometime only having 2 per year. My OB told me that I would probably have to go on clomid if I ever wanted to conceive. My husband and I were very careful before we got married just in case, but after we got married, I thought, hey, the OB doesn't think I can get pregnant on my own, eff the condoms now. We were married for TWO weeks before I got knocked up. Needless to say, my OB was surprised.

future_mrs.lambdin · September 2009

I didn't know that. I will be sure to ask my dr. about that. Thanks!

grinsandgiggles · September 2009

My periods were usually every 3-6 months apart but every once in a while I would get 2-3 periods that would come somewhat regular in a row (around 45-ish days apart). I was on Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo to regulate my periods and I got pregnant while on it, during one of my more "regular" cycles. I don't think the pill worked for me (well, obviously), because it never fixed my cycles.

Best of luck to you! I would definitely see a doctor about you possibly having PCOS, and maybe they can help you out with the TTC process. It is possible for some (whether naturally or through fertility treatment), don't give up hope!

ETA: I should add that I started puberty at the age of 8 and had my first period when I was 9. Since the beginning my periods have been like this.

mechanicsgirl · September 2009

You need to be checked out for PCOS (poly cystic ovary syndrome). I have it, and it took me about a year to conceive (almost to the day). I had to be on Metformin for months, then it took three months of Clomid to get pregnant - along with other prescriptions as well, and an hcg shot to get me to ovulate. But, we did get pregnant! Don't give up hope!

GypsyEsq · September 2009

Ditto what everyone else has said re: PCOS but additionally please consider doing some reading (pp suggested Taking Charge of Your Fertility which is a great resource) to learn more about your body, cervical changes which may predict ovulation, "normal" menstrual cycles" and other reproductive topics. You may have already done this but its my opinion that being educated about what should be happening with your body is Step #1 in getting a doctor (whether OB or RE - but I concur, seek an RE) to listen to your concerns. Good luck!

I've never had ovarian cysts but I do have PCOS and after treatment we conceived. Without treatment I'm convinced I had never ovulated once.

coliecarryon · September 2009

I was using the Nuva ring for a year, got off of it with no period for six months. My husband and i got pregnant 3 months of no B/C. It can be done!!!

Chrisy-Wyobride · September 2009

I've always had irregular periods...it took me 6mo to get pg the first time w/ charting. My 2nd child took over a year to conceive & I had cycles that were over 60days at times. We eventually just had sex daily for about 35 days & it worked. My 3rd was not "tried" for & a bit of a suprise. I ovulated on cycle day around 35 with her (I found this out later of course because I was clueless)...so I had to have 3 ultrasounds at the beginning to see how far along I was & make sure the baby was really developing on track. It can be challenging to ttc w/ irregular periods---my big suggestion is to have a lot of sex--LOL! That & you can get medications to help if you have no luck on your own. Good luck though!

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