tracy

Hi everyone...I just need some advice and input...we've been using
OPK's every month for the past 6 months...I have already started
testing for this month and tomorrow will be my 8th day of testing...I
have never had to test this long...my husband seems to think I may be
pregnant even though I had a full period last month....I can't believe
I am since I had my period just a couple of weeks ago...the thing is,
I'm not feeling like I normally do around ovulation and the second line
on the OPK usually gets gradually darker as it gets closer to ovulation
time and it's not getting any darker...I'm considering doing a
pregnancy test tomorrow morning if the OPK comes out the same as it has
been...I just need some advice and input...could I really be pregnant
even though I had my period...it was pretty normal but lots of
cramping....please help!!!
Thanks.
Tracy in TX

susan from texas

You couldn't be pg if you had a period. You could be pg if it was just
break through bleeding though. If it seemed like a full on AF though..I
wouldn't think it was BTB.

You don't necessarily O every month either. Most women don't do it
every single cycle of their life. I miss about one O out of every 12.

Best of luck.
Susan ~ TX

tracy

Thanks Susan....I did break down and do a pg test the other day and, of
course, it was negative. I had no idea it was normal to skip a month
of ovulating....I guess I shouldn't be worried then if the second line
doesn't turn dark on the OPK....just a missed month of trying I
guess.....

Tracy in TX

ellen

Tracy,

I seem to remember with the OPK's that the darkness of the line had
nothing to do with how close you are to ovulation. As long as there is
a line that is what matters. I did those what seems like a hundred
years ago, so maybe it's changed. Anyway, best of luck to you!

Ellen

tracy

Thanks Ellen....actually with the tests they have now - or just the one
I use - the second line needs to be as dark or darker than the
first...but, I'm feeling a little better because the second line was
almost as dark today so tomorrow will probably be the day...

Thanks for your advice and input.

Tracy

whodunit

I personally know 2 people who had 'periods' throughout their
pregnancies, and had normal babies...so it does happen, but I think
it's more a hormonal imbalance issue (not enough estrogen or
progesterone or whatever).

Wish I could tell you more, but I will keep you in my prayers.
IF is probably the most aggravating, irritating thing I've ever
dealt with in my entire life, and so not fair when all you want is
simple answers!! :*(

Hang in there,
Carolyne in TX

tracy

Carolyne,

Thanks for your words of encouragement...IF is so hard to deal with and
even harder when everyone around you seems to get pregnant anytime they
want. We're still plugging along trying to conceive naturally...looks
like we'll be visiting a doctor if it doesn't happen in the next month
or two. I have a feeling the first thing they're gonna tell me is to
lose weight so I'm trying to work on that. I've read that even losing
20% of your body weight could make a big difference. I've also read
that overweight women have problems conceiving because they aren't
ovulating properly but so far, according to OPK's I seem to be
ovulating...so, we'll see. It helps to know there are people out there
I can talk to and can help me through this.

Good luck with your quest to get pregnant. Hopefully someday soon
we'll all have good news. I'll be thinking about you...

Tracy

whodunit

Thanks, Tracy. :-)

One of the first questions I asked my RE years ago was "Should I lose
weight?" and he said if I wanted to, I could, but it really wouldn't
affect my treatment all that much--but I have also read that the more
overweight you are, your body produces excess estrogen and insulin which
*can*(though not always)interfere with fertility. I've heard references
that about 10% or so of obese women have to deal with infertility, which
means about 90% or so DON'T! So I think that's why my RE didn't make a
huge fuss about it.

Here's some articles:
http://www.ninemonths.com.au/content_page_1.asp?page_id=339
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=12926529&dopt=Abstract

That being said, I have gotten pg in the past when my weight was lower,
so I'm going to use this extra month of waiting to try to lose some more
weight myself (I've lost 16 lbs since the holidays, but of course could
stand to lose more)--it seems to me that it won't *hurt* anything, and
it might help, PLUS the benefit is that I will be in control of my diet,
which is the extrememe opposite of how I feel about my infertility!! :-)

If you want a diet buddy, let me know. :-)

Carolyne in TX, drinking more water right now!!

tracy

Carolyne,

Thanks so much for the articles and the encouraging words. I know I
need to lose weight but I also know I am healthier now that I was
almost 20 years ago when I got pregnant with my daughter at 19! I feel
confident that if my ovulation is ok then my weight isn't a huge factor
in my infertility, but I guess only my doctor can really tell me that
for sure. I do know that it would be better and healthier for myself
and the baby when I do get pregnant to have my weight and diet under
control. So, I'm doing the same as you....working on it while I'm
waiting for the "miracle" to happen...

And, yes, I would LOVE a diet buddy....any support I could get would be
greatly appreciated!!!

Tracy

whodunit

Tracy--how's the diet coming along?

I've lost some more weight this past week, not really on
purpose, just from fighting the flu, but I *have* upped
my water intake, and I've started drinking lots of hot tea,
which seems to help me stay full so I don't graze. I like
green tea, raspberry royale, and also Lipton has a lemon and
honey tea I've been living on with all this coughing and
head congestion fun.

Anyone else trying to drop some weight? I'm hoping to get back to
24Hr Fitness once I'm over this sickness completely...I really had
intended to last week but then this hit. I'm also still recuperating
from the plantar fasciitis and bone spur stuff, but the exercises for
that seem to be helping a lot, plus the doc showed me how to tape up my
heels so they don't hurt so much.

Carolyne in TX