Irregular Periods and Getting Pregnant

(continued)

Getting Pregnant When You Have PCOS

If you have PCOS and you're overweight, losing weight is one way to improve your
chances of pregnancy. Your doctor also might prescribe medication to lower your insulin
levels, since elevated insulin levels -- caused by your body's inability to recognize insulin
-- has been found to be a common problem among many women with PCOS. Chronically
elevated insulin levels can also lead to diabetes.

Clomid is often used initially to start ovulation. If that doesn't work, your doctor may
prescribe hormones that you can inject at home each day. Your doctor will monitor your
blood levels and likely do ultrasound imaging tests of your pelvic area. Women who use
the hormone injection method develop multiple follicles and run a slight risk of multiple
pregnancy if they conceive. They have a 30% risk of ovulating with multiple eggs.

A procedure known as in vitro fertilization, or IVF, is another potential treatment for

women with PCOS.

How to Get Pregnant With Irregular Periods

By Kendra Dahlstrom

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A common myth is that every woman has a period every 28 days. In fact, this myth is
what gives us our pregnancy due dates. Typically, you are given a due date that assumes
you have a "normal" 28 day cycle. The reality is, women's menstrual cycles can be all
over the board. Some women, particularly young women, will see 2 periods in a 20 day
cycle, and then will not have one for 3 months. This is called irregular, but is actually
quite normal. Although irregular periods can be normal, it can also be slightly more
difficult to get pregnant. This is not because your fertility is any lower, it is simply
because it can be harder to predict when ovulation occurs. This article will show you how
you can easily get pregnant even with irregular periods.

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Instructions
Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Thermometer
• Graph paper
• Pencil
• Notebook

Step1
Take your temperature each morning before you get out of bed. Use a thermometer that
can measure to the tenth of a degree at least. Don't even sit up before you take your
temperature. This could affect your results.
Step2
Graph your temperature for 3 months. If your periods are irregular, typically that means
your body is ovulating, but the time between your period and ovulation varies from
month to month. You will eventually notice your temperature rise and stay risen until you
get your period. This means you have ovulated.
Step3
Write down and observe any breast soreness and describe your vaginal discharge. Breast
soreness typically occurs during ovulation. Vaginal discharge continually changes
throughout a woman's menstrual cycle. Typically, discharge resembles stretchy raw egg
whites during ovulation, and becomes tacky after.
Step4
Look back at your past charts and determine if there are any re-occurring symptoms you
have before you ovulate. If you notice that every month right before and during the time
your temperature rises, your vaginal discharge is stretchy, you can use this as an indicator
of ovulation. You may not be able to pinpoint weeks in advance when you ovulate, but
you will have a couple of days notice.
Step5
Have sex regularly, but when you begin feeling your pre-ovulation symptoms, have sex
every day. Once your predetermined symptoms begin, have sex often. Since you are
irregular, however, continue having sex every few days just to be sure.
Step6
Continue charting your basal body temperature to see if your ovulation prediction was
right. If you sensed you would ovulate, then keep taking your temperature to see if it
actually rises when you predicted.
Irregular periods: does this mean I am less fertile?
by Toni Wechsler

My periods are very irregular. Usually, they come every 45 to 60 days, but sometimes I
only have one period every few months. Can irregular periods mean I am less fertile? If
so, why?

Yes and no. Irregularity, per se, is not necessarily a problem if you learn how to chart
your fertility signs (especially cervical fluid) to determine when you are approaching
your small window of fertility. But, if cycles are as long as yours, it means by definition
that you are not ovulating as often as the somewhat typical monthly cycle.

There are numerous factors that determine how fertile a woman is, such as her age,
whether and how often she ovulates, whether her cervical fluid is wet enough to sustain
sperm, and whether her fallopian tubes are open. But the most important of all is the
release of the egg itself. If you don’t release an egg that often, you don’t have as many
opportunities to get pregnant.

Women with irregular periods who are having problems conceiving can be prescribed
fertility drugs like clomiphene (clomid) to increase the number of times they ovulate. But
if you would rather try a more natural approach, you might want to see a naturopath first
to see if they can prescribe a less invasive option for you.

Ultimately, what may determine your decision regarding whether or not you want to be
aggressive in your approach is your age. The younger you are, of course, the more time
you have to alter your cycles naturally.
Irregular Periods and Getting Pregnant
Irregular or abnormal ovulation and menstruation accounts for 30% to 40% of all cases of
infertility. Having irregular periods, no periods, or abnormal bleeding often indicates that
you aren't ovulating, a condition known clinically as anovulation.

Although anovulation can usually be treated with fertility drugs, it is important to rule out
other conditions that could interfere with ovulation, such as liver disease, diabetes,
problems with the ovaries, and abnormalities of the adrenal, pituitary, or thyroid glands,
which produce important hormones.

Getting Pregnant When You Have Ovulation Problems

Once your doctor has ruled out other medical conditions, he or she may prescribe fertility
drugs to stimulate your ovulation.

The drug contained in both Clomid and Serophene (clomiphene) is often a first choice
because it's effective and has been prescribed to women for decades. Unlike many
infertility drugs, it also has the advantage of being taken orally instead of by injection.
These drugs block the effects of estrogen throughout the body.

This leads to an increase in the production of certain hormones -- luteinizing hormone

(LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) -- that bring about ovulation. These drugs
induce ovulation in about 80% of women with anovulation and, of that number, about
50% will become pregnant within six months. Up to 10% of women on Clomid will have
a multiple gestation pregnancy -- usually twins. (In comparison, just 1% of the general
population of women delivers twins.)

The typical starting dosage of clomphene is 50 milligrams per day for five days,
beginning on the third, fourth, or fifth day after your period begins. You can expect to
start ovulating about seven days after you've taken the last dose of clomiphene. If you
don't ovulate right away, the dose can be increased by 50 milligrams per day each month
up to 150 mg. After you've begun to ovulate, most doctors suggest taking Clomid for no
longer than six months. If you haven't gotten pregnant by then, you would try a different
medication.

These fertility drugs sometimes make the cervical mucus "hostile" to sperm, keeping
sperm from swimming into the uterus. This can be overcome by using artificial
insemination to fertilize the egg.

Depending on your situation, your doctor may also suggest other fertility drugs such as
Gonal-F or other injectable hormones that stimulate follicles and stimulate egg
development in the ovaries. These are the so-called "super-ovulation" drugs. Most of
these drugs are administered by injection just under the skin. Some of these hormones
may overstimulate the ovaries (causing abdominal bloating and discomfort), thus, your
doctor will monitor you with frequent vaginal ultrasounds and blood tests to monitor
estrogen levels. About 90% of women ovulate with these drugs and between 20% and
60% become pregnant.

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)

A common ovulation problem that affects about 5% to 10% of women in their
reproductive years is polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). PCOS is a hormonal imbalance
that can make the ovaries stop working normally. In most cases, the ovaries become
enlarged and appear covered with tiny, fluid-filled cysts. Symptoms include:

• No periods, irregular periods, or irregular bleeding

• No ovulation or irregular ovulation
• Obesity or weight gain (although thin women may have PCOS)
• Insulin resistance (an indicator of diabetes)
• High blood pressure
• Abnormal cholesterol with high trigylcerides
• Excess hair growth on the body and face (hirsutism)
• Acne or oily skin
• Thinning hair or male-pattern baldness

Getting Pregnant When You Have PCOS

If you have PCOS and you're overweight, losing weight is one way to improve your
chances of pregnancy. Your doctor also might prescribe medication to lower your insulin
levels, since elevated insulin levels -- caused by your body's inability to recognize insulin
-- has been found to be a common problem among many women with PCOS. Chronically
elevated insulin levels can also lead to diabetes.

Clomid is often used initially to start ovulation. If that doesn't work, your doctor may
prescribe hormones that you can inject at home each day. Your doctor will monitor your
blood levels and likely do ultrasound imaging tests of your pelvic area. Women who use
the hormone injection method develop multiple follicles and run a slight risk of multiple
pregnancy if they conceive. They have a 30% risk of ovulating with multiple eggs.

A procedure known as in vitro fertilization, or IVF, is another potential treatment for

women with PCOS.

The Stress Factor

For couples struggling with infertility, it's a particularly cruel fact: Not only can infertility
cause a lot of stress, but stress can cause infertility. It's known to contribute to problems
with ovulation. For many people, the longer you go without conceiving, the more stress
you feel. Fears about infertility may also lead to tension with your partner, and that can
reduce your chances of pregnancy even further. After all, it's hard to have sex if one of
you sleeps on the couch.

While it's a fact that coping with infertility is stressful, that doesn't mean you have to give
into it. If your doctor can't find a medical cause for your ovulation problems, consider
finding support groups or a therapist who can help you learn better ways to cope with the
anxieties that come with infertility.

The American Society of Reproductive Medicine offers these tips for reducing stress:

• Keep the lines of communication open with your partner.

• Get emotional support. A couples' counselor, support groups, or books can help
you cope.
• Try out some stress-reduction techniques such as meditation or yoga.
• Cut down on caffeine and other stimulants.
• Exercise regularly to release your physical and emotional tension.
• Agree on a medical treatment plan, including financial limits, with your partner.
• Learn as much as you can about the cause of your infertility and your treatment
options.