Post # 1
Member
2787 posts
Sugar bee
Today I had a follow-up appointment with my doctor after my chemical pregnancy.
I asked her about my short luteal phase (7-8 days), she said that is a non-issue and it should not prevent me from getting pregnant.
She also said that BBT is not the most accurate way to determine ovulation since in most cases ovulation occurs a couple of days before the temp hike, and being that the case my luteal phase would be a couple of days longer than 7-8 days.
She said that OPKs are the most accurate way to detect ovulation, so I told her that OPKs haven’t worked for me since I have never gotten a positive OPK (I’ve gotten a test line almost as dark as the control line, but never darker than the control line). I’ve tested in the afternoon, holding urine for a couple of hours, but still never a positive. She told me that may be a concern and I may not be ovulating at all, but there’s nothing they can do yet. They cannot do any further testing until I have been trying to conceive for a year or if I have at least 3 miscarriages…
She also told me to not try this cycle at all, then if the next cycle is back to normal (which for me is 28 days) then I can try the following cycle, since I could have another chemical pregnancy/miscarriage if I were to try this cycle. This would mean to wait until January, I’m not sure if I want to follow her advice. I waited for my period to be late 5-6 days before testing and I got a BFP, it turned out to be a chemical pregnancy and I got AF about a week after that, so AF was “late” 12 days from expected date. Do you think it’s a good idea to hold on TTC for 2 cycles?
I’ve been using Wondfo OPKs and I’m thinking that maybe I should try another brand, which OPKs do you use?
Post # 3
Member
9142 posts
Buzzing Beekeeper
- Wedding: November 2013 - St. Augustine Beach, FL
Keep TTC and start taking a vitamin B6 to extend your LP. Unfortunately a lot of OBs don’t learn much about holistic treatments for problems TTC.
Post # 4
Member
1611 posts
Bumble bee
@Turtle Bride: I think it varies person to person. I wasn’t able to get positive OPKs either (I tried many different brands), but, according to my BBT, I was ovulating, and it was pretty much the same every month. I just made sure we had sex a week or two leading up to it, and once FF marked my O date we took a break. I started to consider a “close” OPK pretty positive since that is all I was getting. This worked for me because I am currently 22 weeks. I will still do both, and base everything off what your body does since everyone can be more different. I would be concerned with a short LP, but I am also not a Dr, so it may totally be a non issue.
Post # 5
Member
11752 posts
Sugar Beekeeper
@Turtle Bride: If you don’t agree with the doctor’s recommendation then I would seek out a second opinon and a doctor more in line with what you’re looking for. I don’t really see the point in staying with a doctor if you are just going to actively ignore their advice.
I’ve never used OPKs, but I hear the clearblue ones are easier to read then the wondfos.
Post # 6
Member
290 posts
Helper bee
I know they are expensive but I would advise you to get the Clearblue Easy Digital Ovulation Test Kit or the Clearblue Advanced Digitial Ovulation Test Kit.
Wondfo is too much of a guessing interpretation.
Post # 7
Member
669 posts
Busy bee
@KS240030: +1. This is what I used to get pregnant in Aug (unfort a miscarriage in Sept) and then to get pregnant again the very next cycle. (I’m 6 wks)
Personally I think (esp with a chemical pregnancy) that since it is just technically a late period as far as your body is concerned, that it hasn’t gone through any trauma that would make it necessary to wait. Of course, I’m NOT a dr by any means, and I think if you aren’t trusting your OB’s opinion it would be wise to get a second opinion. Regardless you want to have an OB moving fwd that has a philosophy you agree with.
Sorry for your recent loss and I am hopeful for you that good luck will come your way soon.
Post # 8
Member
2787 posts
Sugar bee
@beachbride1216: I started taking B-6 last cycle, no improvement yet, but hopeful it’ll help.
@onyx81: My “close” positive OPKs so far have not aligned with my BBT, but you’re completely right and I’ll just do it until the day I ovulate per FF and then take a break. Thanks! Congrats on your pregnancy!
@MrsWBS: This is the first time I have doubted my ob-gyn, so I don’t think this is “actively” ignoring her. I may consider looking for another doctor, thanks for the suggestion.
@KS240030: I just ordered this from Amazon, thank you for the recommendation!
Post # 9
Member
513 posts
Busy bee
@Turtle Bride: I’ve seen people recommend B6. Let me share my experience…
I decided to start taking a B-Complex two cycles ago (but I didn’t take them as regularly as I did this cycle). It seemed to work okay…it just delayed ovulation a bit, and my temps seemed to be really irregular and no clear pattern came about. So, then I tried taking them again this cycle, but much more regularly. Now I’m on CD 45/10DPO when I usually have 33-35 day cycles. I didn’t ovulate until AFTER I stopped taking the B vitamins this cycle. Looking back at the last two months, I don’t even know if I actually ovulated at all because of those damn vitamins.
I definitely learned a lesson, and I won’t be taking anything other than prenatals and folic acid.
Oh, and I also wanted to say that my doctor told me the same thing about my LP. Mine is right around 10-11 days with spotting starting on 9DPO. I was told that there was plenty of time and that I should be good to go. So, yeh. Either the internet is hyping me up about something that isn’t an issue for me, or my doctor isn’t taking me seriously.
Post # 10
Member
8884 posts
Buzzing Beekeeper
@beachbride1216: +1 Totally agree
I started with a 7-day luteal phase and it was just too short. I’m not sure why the doctor would say that isn’t a factor. With vitamin B6 and a B-Complex vitamin it did not take long to get me to a 10-day luteal phase, after that I got pregnant.
Good luck!
Post # 11
Member
2787 posts
Sugar bee
@Peffy: Thank you for sharing your experience with B-6. I started last cycle and it delayed my ovulation day by a couples of days as well. I ovulated on CD24 instead of CD19, but it did cause my luteal phase to increase by 2 days and I got pregnant last cycle (ended up being a chemical). Not sure I can make an assessment on its effectivity yet with only 1 month of data, so I will keep using it for now. Have you considered changing doctors?
@Lyndzo: 3 days increase, nice! I hope it works for me as well! Congrats on your pregnancy!
Post # 12
Member
4009 posts
Honey bee
I started taking B100 a couple cycles ago. It extended my LP by 1, maybe 2 days. Didn’t really do much and I’m not even sure it was the B100 that did the trick, or just my body figuring itself out.
I just saw my OB on Monday. As soon as he confirmed I was ovulating, he goes by OPKs too not temps, he asked about my LP. Mine is generally about 10 days, maybe 11 if I get lucky. He’s aid that it’s not impossible to get pregnant with a short LP, it’s just a lot harder. AF starts before anyone has a chance to implant! He put me on progesterone supplements to lengthen my LP and give the egg time to implant.
Post # 13
Member
2787 posts
Sugar bee
@sunshinebee: I also think it’s technically a late period for my body, so I don’t think I’m going to wait. I’m considering getting a second opinion/changing doctors.
The appointment this morning started in a very bad note when right after saying hi she told me it was my fault for testing too early and I would have avoid the distress if I had tested only after my period was late. I was so angry at being lectured about something that did not happen and I had to explain that I actually tested 6 days after a missed period. It turns out the nurse that took my information last week wrote the information incorrectly on my chart! And even if that had been the case, I don’t think that was the best way to start our appointment.
Congrats again on your pregnancy! 🙂
Post # 14
Member
2787 posts
Sugar bee
@Glasgowbound: My doctor told me my 7-8 days luteal phase was enough time to implant and to not worry… She mentioned progesterone supplements would be an option after a year of trying without success. I think I’m going to start asking some of my friends for ob-gyn recommendations.
I hope you get a BFP soon! 🙂
Post # 15
Member
4009 posts
Honey bee
@Turtle Bride: I am 39 (will be in 2 weeks) and this is cycle 8. I also know I CAN get pregnant as I did in July but had a MC at 6 weeks (also possibly due to low progesterone). these things may have sped up my doctors willingness to “do something”
Post # 16
Member
513 posts
Busy bee
@Turtle Bride: I just talked to my friend’s friend who’s a nurse and she told me to try with my GP and discuss what’s going on to see if they’ll do a bloodwork up for me to check my levels. If it comes back that they’re low, then I can move on to fixing that. But if I DO get my GP to do that work up, I think I’ll look into switching doctors. I want someone who is going to take me seriously. I just REALLY hate how all doctors seem to just say, “It hasn’t been a year? DON’T WANT TO HEAR IT!” I might tell my GP it HAS been a year, just so they’ll take me seriously. Isn’t that a shame? We have to lie to get the person we’re PAYING to pay attention to us.