Dude, where's my egg?

I'm on CD38 with no sign of O and it's driving_me_crazy. For the past couple weeks I've been staring at my chart as if somehow that's going to change it. I started perusing FF's chart gallery to see if there's still hope for me to O and get a BFP this cycle. I even POAS a week ago thinking maybe my chart was just not showing O due to my crazy wake times, which this cycle have ranged from 6 am to 4 pm. I've only had one day of EWCM on CD27 but I've had no positive OPKs yet and no thermal shift. What gives?




I know a lot of people believe that it can take up to a year to regulate your cycle once you go off BCP but I don't think that is the norm. I found this answer regarding fertility after birth control from Amos Grunebaum, MD, medical director of the WebMD Fertility Center:

The birth control pill works by preventing ovulation. Once you stop taking the pill, the hormones are out of your body quickly, usually within a couple of days. When the hormones are gone your body needs to start again on its own to function. That mean it will start producing follicles again, which eventually lead you to ovulate. Everybody acts differently, some may take a couple of weeks to ovulate, other may take some months, but in general your body should be in "normal mode" within less than two to three months after stopping the pill. So if you now ovulate normally, that means your body is back to its normal rhythm.

Now, if you had problems with ovulation before you started the pill then the same issues may still be there. Some women take the pill for irregular periods and ovulation, and you cannot expect this to change once you stop the pill.

I've also read that if you had irregular cycles before BCP and you still have them after going off the pill, it's best to see your doctor to rule out any issues. I know it's only been 4 months but I decided to make an appointment to see my doctor since my cycles seem to be getting longer. (No flaming, please!) I just don't want to waste any time if there is some kind of hormonal imbalance going on. Then again, I also don't want to jump into taking prescription medications to regulate my system. I guess I just want to know what the heck is going on.

In the last couple of days I've become a Googling fool, scouring the internets for information on irregular and long cycles. Lots of doctors are pretty quick to prescribe Clomid if your charts show you seem to be ovulating, your timing is good, and you haven't conceived in a year or so. Obviously I don't expect to go down that road any time soon but I wanted to share some information I discovered. Apparently, some insurance companies label you "infertile" and if you ever try to apply for individual insurance this may be considered a pre-existing condition and you may be uninsurable.

Before I would ever consider prescription medications, I would definitely want to try natural remedies to help regulate my system. One that has sparked my interest is vitex or chasteberry. It's an herbal supplement that is supposed to help regulate hormones and promote normal ovulation. A 2004 study published in the Journal of Reproductive Medicine showed a significant increase in conception rates in a group of women taking a supplement called Fertility Blend, which included vitex. (Read the abstract here or the entire article here.) Vitex is available at health food stores so I think I may pick some up. It's worth a shot if it'll help shorten and regulate my cycle!

Finally, I'm also considering acupuncture. I'm hoping it'll be the all encompassing treatment for all that ails me, such as low back pain, fatigue, and now, my irregular cycles. I figure it can't hurt (well, it can if you hate needles, but you know what I mean). From what I've heard, it's very relaxing once you get past the slight discomfort, and gives you a general sense of well-being. I could definitely use that, TTC or not!


So what about you? Have you tried any of these alternative fertility boosters? Thoughts? Suggestions?