can I get pregnant if I dont ovulate?

[chattycathy13]

Hi i was wondering if anyone could help as I am an emotional wreck just now regarding fertility.
I have recently been referred to a fertility clinic at my local hospital,the reason for this is myself & partner have been trying for a baby for 3 years and the doctor had confirmed i do not ovulate.could someone advise what procedures i can expect at the clinic? also if I have never ovulated is there any procedures that would enable me to get pregnant e.g would ivf work? ....also im 28 years old if this helps :-)

[milkyman]

Hi, they will probably do a HCG (dye inserted to check fallopian tubes aren't blocked) and various blood tests. I was then given Clomid a pill to make u ovulate. I don't ovulate, it worked first time, I have a baby boy now! You also have time on your side - I am 37. Best of luck

[chattycathy13]

thank you that has given me a bit of piece of mind.fingers crossed they can do the same as they did for you.does the fertility clinic supply this or doc? if you dont mind me asking did they tell you the reason for no ovulation?

[AttilaTheMeerkat]

Ovulation problems are often caused by hormonal imbalances; in this regard they should be looking to see if there are problems with the thyroid gland and to also check whether PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) is present.

You need a diagnosis first and foremost.

[AnyFucker]

hello sweetheart, I am sorry you have had such worrying news

I was diagnosed with this problem when I was 27. I was initially told I had undergone an early menopause, however further tests revealed that I could be stimulated to release an egg with drugs

After a couple of false starts, I now have 2 healthy children

I had no real clear reason for failing to ovulate. PCOS was mentioned and also a low body mass index.

Interestingly, I started to ovulate by myself after having the successful pg's

Good luck !

[chattycathy13]

thank you for your replies.if I get given clomid should they start this straight away? as i have seen on a few forums that if you need treatment you then go on to another waiting list :-( .should they carry out all fertility tests on my appointment date? are there any that are daunting?

[cherrycoconut]

Anyfucker that's heartening to read; I'm 33 and in the beginnings of being diagnosed as post menopausal. Gutting as we do want a family. Did you have any cycle at all? What were your bloods like if you don't mind me asking?

[Thisisanoutrage]

I have only ever had about three periods a year. I asked a doctor about it once and they diagnosed me with irregular periods! Very helpful! My sister and most my female cousins have PCOS so I presumed I did too.

i took agnus castus liquid to try and help me regulate my hormones. It worked and I was pregnant in the first couple of months. I now have two agnus castus babies

I found out about it online. I should probably have consulted my doctor before taking it but I did find my them rather uninterested in my fertility.

Good luck

[AnyFucker]

Hi cherry, I am at work on my phone

Will reply to you fully later this evening on the pc x

[cherrycoconut]

Thanks Any - sorry to hijack your thread Cathy this stuff is so emotionally draining hey? Feel like such a train wreck just now.

[AnyFucker]

Hi cherry

I am sorry for you (and anyone) that goes through this shit. It is indeed an emotional bloody nightmare and some of the worst experiences of my life.

Bear in mind this was 20 years ago now, so things may have moved on

I was on the pill for years (ha! the irony!) and came off it at 23. No periods at all, no cycles

Got referred to an gynae who did initial bloods that showed flatlined LH (am assuming you know the abbrevs) and a high FSH, indicating premature menopause. Progesterone also flatlined, no ovulation.

This was a devastating shock at 27 and pre children, of course. Told to go away and investigate adoption or surrogacy.

However, I pushed to see an endocrinologist as I had a previously diagnosed underactive thyroid (treated, and within normal range). I have some medical knowledge so wanted to leave no stone unturned.

Saw the endo, who repeated bloods over 4 weeks instead of a one off snap shot. They revealed my FSH was not staying high and flatlined but fluctuating (indicating my ovaries were capable of responding to stimulation). The LH and progesterone was rightly dismissed as simply indicating no ovulation.

Had a few cycles of Clomid. Had a couple of miscarriages, so although that was very sad (and frustrating) told at least I could conceive. Had some more tests to check for reasons for recurrent mc (they usually wait until you have 3, but I pulled strings). All ok from that POV so told to carry on trying.

Next cycle of clomid...I had my healthy daughter. Waited 5 years until brave enough to consider trying again. In that time, there was something trying to happen...had a few light and half hearted periods so told to use contraception (more irony..)

When brave enough, took one cycle of clomid...had my healthy son in 2000.

Since then, those bastard periods have been ovulatory and getting worse as I approach my natural menopause < sigh > God knows why.

Have never had a proper explanation. My endo was very honest with me and said that slim women can tip over into knocking out the hypothalamus without being actually anorexic and some people have more sensitive hormonal feedback loops that can get buggered up more easily. That caused me some guilt and recriminations, for sure, as I have had periods of being controlled around food in my life. At that time I was 5ft 10 and 9.5 stone, so not very low BMI but borderline. I was advised to put half a stone on, which I am pretty sure helped and I have kept it on, so think of that what you will.

I also had some very small cysts on my ovaries that could have indicated PCOS, but because I didn't fulfil any other criteria they wouldn't diagnose me with the syndrome.

Anyway, this turned out rather long so sorry for that. Once I started typing, it just grew. I could type forever, actually....my sympathies massively go out to anyone trying to negotiate tests and treatments and still get on with day to day life and the insensitive questions from people who didn't realise how hurtful they were being. I wasn't always very successful at that.

Good luck everybody, I hope you get the families we all have hoped for x

[cherrycoconut]

Wow Any thanks for sharing and sorry to hear you have been through so much trauma. Glad to hear it has a happy ending for you though!

I'm just at the beginning of all this but it's really knocked me for six TBH. My bloods were FSH 109, LH 57. The GP diagnosed 'primary ovarian failure, you've had your menopause' without a second glance but I'm beginning to realise she wasn't in possession of the full facts and there could be hope. I've already shed tears for England though and it doesn't stop the dread now I've heard those words either!

Luckily I'm now under a really good consultant but waiting further test results and so no further forward yet. I've also just had a consultation with a nutritionist and after speaking to her I don't think this is purely about ovulation - more like full endocrine system.

So, I'm not out yet but it still feels like a hard road ahead. Thank you again for taking the time to write this, it helps a lot. x

[thaliablogs]

OP, if you have low bodyweight you may have hypothalamic ammennorea - basically you don't ovulate because your hormones are out of whack because you don't have enough body fat. I have been part of the infertility blog world for a long time and one of my close friends from that group has this, she now has three sons. Her blog post on how to deal with HA is here noperiodbaby.blogspot.co.uk/2009/06/hypothalamic-amenorrhea-recovery.html and contains a bunch of links.

Good luck with the next stage of the process.

[AnyFucker]

thalia, thank you for posting that

hypothalamic amenorrhea was suggested for me (as in my post above)

putting half a stone on helped

it is treatable, as evidenced here

cherry those bloods do sound worrying but they are a snap shot...keep pushing for more tests, you have to push sooooo hard, I found

everyone isn't the same though, remember that

[AnyFucker]

Sorry, meant to say

GP's, I love 'em

but they are not qualified to diagnose POF, push to see an endocrinologist who specialises in female reproduction problems

you may have to travel

thankfully, I happened to work in the hospital where a rather eminent person practiced