Re: trying to concieve a few questions
From: Kelly Shanahan, MD (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Sat, 18 Nov 2000 01:39:05 -0600 (CST)
At Fri, 17 Nov 2000, anon wrote:
>
>We have been trying for a baby for several months without success so
>far. My periods usually are every 5-6 weeks and it is not unusual to
>skip a cycle every three or four months.
you are not ovulating
Since trying to concieve, they
>have become somewhat even more irregular so i guess the stress of trying
>for a baby has hindered my menstrual cycle? I have just recieved blood
>results for prolactin, progesterone and LH and all are at normal levels
>and i am apparently ovulating from the test results.
you certainly are not ovulating regularly, if you skip periods
periodically and have 6 week cycles
I tend to know
>when i am ovulating with some pain and discomfort around my ovary area
>mainly the right side and have been using ovulation kits to detect my
>surge which tends to coincide with my ovarian pain. However even with
>three attempts of concieving around my surge, there has been no success
>so far.
it may take up to a year
I have noticed that i have one surge and then a week later the
>kit detects another one. It is after the second surge that i get a
>period literally 14 days later.Why is this and am i doing something
>wrong with the testing kits? We make sure we have regular intercourse
>around my surges!
>
>My doctor said that under immense stress,that this can cause anovulation
>or irregular ovulation. I think she also mentioned that even if the egg
>is fertilised, stress could prevent the fertilised egg implanting into
>the uterus as its natures way of telling the body that its not ready to
>cope with pregnancy yet, is this true? Also if an egg is fertilised and
>is not implanted, how long after would you get a period and could you
>still get early trimester pregnancy symptoms even without implantation?
>
>I have been doing regular areobic exercise 6-7 times a week but have
>decreased this to 3-4 times max as i believe strenous exercise can
>hinder ovulation, is this correct?
yes
>
>My husband and i used to be smokers but we have both given up obviously.
>How long is the recovery period to increase the fertility chances since
>i believe smoking can decrease the sperm count and affect the womens
>fertility? I read it can take three months for a man but am not sure for
>a woman???
it is a pretty quick return to normal
>
>My husband is waiting for results of his sperm count and i guess if they
>are normal the next step would be to check for tubal blockages. I am
>relieved to know my results are okay, thats one hurdle overcome but it
>is still causing a great deal of concern to wait for my husbands
>results!!! It seems like a catch 22 situation because you can't get
>pregnant if you are stressed and you get stressed if you can't get
>pregnant!!! I feel that this is controlling our lives and it is easier
>said then done to be told to try and relax!!!! Does stress effect sperm
>count too?
not as much as it affects ovulation
>
>I have also read conflicting information about how long sperm live
>within the womans reproductive system. Most text books say 24-48 hrs
>but i have also read that sperm can live up to 5 days in the woman.
>WHich is correct?
up to 5 days
>
>I am having reflexology treatment to regulate my cycle and enhance
>fertility as well as to reduce my stress levels, are there any reserach
>to say that complementary therapy can help?
yes
>
>Finally, i got pregnant when i was seventeen within two months of
>unprotected sex but had a termination at 11 weeks(which i bitterly
>regret!) I can't help but feel that a) my previous abortion is now
>preventing me from becoming pregnant and b) whether my partner who i am
>with now is infertile. A whole range of emotions flood through me with
>guilt, anger, resentment, for my past and to my husband. He does not
>know about my abortion so i grieve in private and he can't understand
>why i have mood swings when a period arrives or the anticipation of
>hoping one does not arrive!!!This has put immense strain on our
>relationship as you can imagine!!!
you should seek counseling to deal with these emotions
>
>I have just started a period but it is 2-3 days earlier than anticipated
>from the results of my LH surge. This has never happened before. Could
>this possibly be implantation bleeding?
maybe
It is my third day now. The
>first day was a small spotting of pinky/brown discharge. Yesterday was
>pink/ brown and only a small amount on my pad but pink when i wiped
>myself and early this morning it became red and i had tummy cramps but
>its gone back to pinky/brown and is lighter than usual. I know this is
>wishful thinking maybe but who knows!??!!. My breasts are sore, swollen
>and tender but usually i get this pre-menstrually and it immediately
>subsides when my period starts.
>
>My biggest fear is never to be able to have children like many other
>couples trying to concieve. Is there any light at the end of the
>tunnel???
yes -- and I have the sleeping almost two year old to prove it!
>
>I am now 31 and my husband is 33
>
>Sorry to ask so many questions!!!! But i would appreciate your time.
You may want to see a fertility specialist -- a reproductive
endocrinologist
--
M. Kelly Shanahan, MD, FACOG
South Lake Tahoe, CA
This information is for educational purposes only and does not construe a doctor-patient relationship. It does not replace the need for you to consult your own doctor.
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