Doctor has questioned my fertility

LegacyUser

I'm female and after having a chat with my doctor last week she told me that in the future i 'might' need intervention if I want to conceive. She based this on the knowledge I gave her about my menstrual cycle when I was off the pill last year. My cycle was irregular and extremely light when it did occur.

I went back on the pill in December and due to this I can't have any fertility testing completed. I spoke with the nurse and doctor and both of them didn't feel I had a real need to get tests done right away. To have tests completed I would need to come off the pill and rely on non-hormonal contraception.

The nurse did say however say that if I do want to try and conceive in the future that I should try before I'm 30. This would mean I have to try for kids in the next 5yrs!!!! Something which I had never considered. I had always thought I'd have kids in my thirties. My mother had me when she was 41.

I'm semi-decided about leaving fertility testing till I'm nearer 30. But the above has left me a little sad about the whole thing. However, if the worse came to the worse I could always adopt.

Do other people have experiences of being told something similar by their doctors?

MLE

Ive always had very irregular periods when not on the pill since they began. They went from 5 to 12 weeks apart with no apparent pattern. I never really thought anything about it only it was one of the reasons for getting the pill in the first place.

I got married when I was 27 and went off the pill ( having been on it 6 yrs) and got pregnant on my third cycle. The only thing was that I couldnt rely on my dates due to irregular periods but the dating scan in the hospital gave me a due date so that was fine. Had a baby girl btw

Anyway fast forward 2 years and I was having weird symptoms ( sore teeth) and my dentist said I might be pregnant and to go to a doctor so I went to a doctor that I dont normally see and he didnt know my history. Anyway he checked me out did a test and I wasnt pregnant. And asked me about my cycles etc and then proceeded to tell me that I was probably infertile ( I was 30 at the time) and would need help to concieve by going on a drug called clomid.

So I told him that I already have a child and he looked shocked and then asked me where my cycles like that before I had her and I said yes. I still left the doc feeling very upset that I might now be infertile, Anyway said it to my own GP who said that long irregular cycles only mean that you dont know when you ovulate so its harder to plan a pregnancy. Anyway 2 cycles later I was pregnant and six months ago I had my little boy.

So I wouldnt be too worried about what your gp said they are just giving you the worst case scenario. But there are plenty of us out there who have irregular periods and conceive just fine.

I hope this helps ease your worry a bit?

LegacyUser

I find it strange that a doctor would diagnose you on a conversation without testing.

embee

fertility wrote: »

The nurse did say however say that if I do want to try and conceive in the future that I should try before I'm 30. This would mean I have to try for kids in the next 5yrs!!!! Something which I had never considered. I had always thought I'd have kids in my thirties. My mother had me when she was 41.

From a medical point of view, and in an ideal world, all women would be having children before they turn 30 - is it possible your doctor meant his comment about trying before you're 30 in this context? I know you said that your mother had you at 41, but she would be the exception rather than the rule.

If you are unsure at all as to your GP's advice, you can always seek a second opinion from a different GP. Unless you've been diagnosed with a specific condition like polycystic ovarian syndrome, endometriosis etc, then I can't see why irregular periods with a long cycle is considered a problem.

MLE wrote: »

I wouldnt be too worried about what your gp said they are just giving you the worst case scenario.

I would agree with that too.