Hi everyone. My name is Sarah and you can read a little more about me in the Welcome section of the site. I am 28 and my husband is 30. We have been happily married for 4 years and have been TTC our first child since January 2007. With each period, I have felt a mixture of disappointment and relief (b/c we still enjoy some aspects of being childless). However, the disappointment is starting to outweigh the relief and I would like for us to conceive before the disappointment and frustration becomes overwhelming.

My husband and I both make an effort to eat healthy and get exercise. I would consider us both in very good general health which is one reason I believed conceiving would be fairly easy. Can you say "naive"? I was on orthotricyclin BCPs for the 4 years we were married and not TTC. No problems except I got very sick to my stomach on the few occasions I forgot a pill and had to double-up. Since I stopped BCPs, my cycle has not been the same as it was prior to BCPs. It is still 25-28 days in length (I am thankful for the regularity of it), but I now experience cramping for many days in the middle of my cycle. I assume the cramps are brought on by ovulation. For the first several cycles after ending BCPs, the pain was a diffuse lower abdominal pain... like a milder version of menstrual cramps. They typically lasted for 5 days. Then I'd get a break and a few days later, my menstrual cramps would begin and my period would arrive. However, the pain was different with this last cycle. It began at the same time (around ovulation), but was localized in the lower right side of my abdomen. It felt like a burning, angry (I might even say feverish) type of pain. It lasted for at least six days. Now I am experiencing normal menstrual cramps and I anticipate that my period will arrive today.

I saw my OBGYN for an annual exam in mid June and she acted as if the cramping did not alarm her. She said that cramps are non-specific and can be caused by many things. She recommended that I use OPKs for three months so that we could establish whether I am ovulating, which I now know I am. I have an appointment to see her again in September.

Has anyone out there experienced cramps like those I described? Is it normal or a sign that something is wrong? I have been recording all of my feelings and physical observations (some pre-AF spotting, for example) for these 7 months, but I have not been recording my temperature. I may start doing that next cycle so that I can learn more about my body and give my doctor as much information as possible. Thanks for reading my story.

Hi Sarah~
First off, you have found a great place with a lot of support! TTC can be very frustrating when you want it to happen so badly. My obgyn always reminded me that "most" healthy women will be able to conceive within a YEAR. A YEAR? AGH! How irritating, although she was right. Unfortunately, I never did.

I too was on bcps for many years, and when I went off I started ovulating right away too. Just so you know, just because you get a +opk, does not confirm you are ovulating. You can get an LH surge and not ovulate. The cramping around o time is common also. I get strong cramps at that time, but mine only last a day, or two.

Tracking your basal body temp is so helpful. It would be a good idea if you want to know exactly when you ovulate. You can open a free account at www.fertilityfriend.com You can see all of our charts in the www link below our siggys. Fertilty Friend also has a free charting course which is very helpful when learning about charting.

Again, welcome, and feel free to ask questions and jump right in!

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Sarah, I don't think I experienced the severe cramping for the number of days that you're talking about after coming off of BCP although the cramping was definitely much more severe almost to the point of being sick to my stomach. I was also on OrthoTricyclen, off and on for several years and also would get really queasy when I missed one and had to double up. In addition to the more severe cramping, I also had a much heavier and longer period so it would feel as if it took up 10 days or more of the month from start to finish. I'm glad you've started using the OPK's....I think they definitely made it happen for us because I had no idea when I O'ed so having an idea of which days to focus on was great. Are you already taking a prenatal vitamin while you're trying as well?

Amy

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Amy,

Another Tennessean! Yes, I began taking prenatal vitamins in January when we decided to start trying. I was taking a folic acid supplement in addition to the prenatal vitamin, but decided that I might be overdoing the folic acid (especially since we try to eat green, leafy vegetables anyway) so I stopped taking it. I started reading "Taking Charge of Your Fertility" yesterday since so many people have recommended it. I have learned a lot about my cycle in the past 7 months and hope that the book will teach me even more. The author seems to imply that cervical fluid even more than temperature is the key to fertility and I've heard alot about EWCM and I know that my own mucous changes in appearance over the course of my cycle, but I can think of very few times (in my entire life) that it has seemed as plentiful and elastic as some people describe experiencing. I have wondered if the quality of my CM is impeding conception.

Thanks for your response, Sarah

Has your doctor done an ultrasound of your ovaries and/or uterus? It's possible that ovulation is really painful for you because of cysts, or endometriosis. BCP tend to supress cysts and can help with the pain of endometriosis so it's possible you were not having those pains before for that reason. If it's really seriously uncomfortable with you, I'd press your doc to do an ultrasound.

If you're worried about CM, you can also try Preseed, which is a sperm friendly lubricant. Lots of ladies have used it and had great results. CM is a good indicator of fertility, but only your temp (or an ultrasound) will really prove that ovulation happened and your body is producing progesterone.

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My doctor has not done an ultrasound or blood work. At the time I saw her last, my husband and I had been TTC for 6 mos. without charting my temperature or using OPKs. We had simply been trying often, especially focusing our efforts in the middle of my cycle. I think her recommendation to use OPKs for 3 mos. before coming for another visit was a very reasonable and moderate one. If nothing happens before September's visit, what do you think she is likely to do? Draw blood? Take an ultrasound? Both? I have read of laparoscopies and histosalpingograms, but those seem too agressive for this early in the game. Also, I know that my insurance covers infertility treatment if it is proven "necessary". Should I contact my insurance company prior to going back in September to make sure whatever she does on that visit is covered?

Sarah,

Your re will probably start doing b/w. There are two major times to take blood to check hormone levels, on CD3 and 7DPO. The first checks three different things, one of which is your thyroid. If your thyroid is out of whack that can prevent you from becoming pg. They will give you medication to regulate that. The 7DPO checks your progesterone level. If this is too low, it can signal that you are not ovulating strongly enough. A lot of us are on clomid to increase our progesterone.

He/She may also recommend charting, it depends on how knowledgeable they are with this technique. Ask any of us on here and we HIGHLY recommend it. It gets easier as the time goes on and it can provide a wealth of knowledge about your body. If your re has studied the charting technique before it can be helpful for them to see patterns and any abnormalities that jump out at them.

I hope this helps!

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My suggestion for ultrasound was not so much even for the purpose of trying to conceive, but for the pain you said you are having. Cysts and endometriosis can be exacerbated by the change in hormones around ovulation and menstruation. If the pain is manageable, then you're probably fine. When I first started TTC I had horrible pain around ovulation that would have me doubled over for like a week. It felt like there were little monkeys running havoc on my abdomen with a pick axe. It turns out I had a cyst, but by the time I got the ultrasound it has already resolved itself.

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Sarah - I answered you here http://conception-tips.com/viewtopic...=114315#114315

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