Had my doctor appointment today

Schieffelin · #1 Mar 21, '12, 3:23 pm

An update for those of you who remember me from this thread http://forum.catholic.com/showthread.php?t=643680

DH and I are in month eight of TTC. Beyond the fact that we're not getting pregnant, I had started to worry about my overall health because my temperatures have been very low which I've read indicates low thyroid function. Also the past year has been a rollercoaster ride with weight gain, depression, sleeping problems and a number of other things.

Anyway, went to a new ob/gyn today. She's trained in NaPro/Creighton and wants me to start using it so we can see if there's a hormonal imbalance. I currently use SymptoThermal but apparently that's not good enough for diagnosing a problem. She said she thinks my thyroid is fine since I've been tested for that last year. Also I got the impression that she thinks I'm being paranoid about my fertility--she said there's absolutely no reason to worry unless we've been trying for at least a year.

Anyway, I still just don't feel good about this whole situation. I just feel my body telling me something isn't right. I hate that I have to learn a new form of NFP, but I guess I will do it since the doctor says so. Any of you have experience with both methods?

TheRealJuliane · #2 Mar 21, '12, 7:46 pm

Did your doctor take blood to test your TSH? Your symptoms certainly seem consistent with low TSH.

Lacour · #3 Mar 22, '12, 12:42 am

I would really recommend an endocrinologist. Also take a look at where in the range your thyroid levels fell. The normal range is just a range, not everyone has the same normal. I for example have to be brought to almost the hyper range or I feel awful. Your doctor should look and the results of your tests in conjunction with your symptoms (too many doctors now just treat the test results).

Good luck!

RedSoxWife · #4 Mar 22, '12, 4:13 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Schieffelin

An update for those of you who remember me from this thread http://forum.catholic.com/showthread.php?t=643680

DH and I are in month eight of TTC. Beyond the fact that we're not getting pregnant, I had started to worry about my overall health because my temperatures have been very low which I've read indicates low thyroid function. Also the past year has been a rollercoaster ride with weight gain, depression, sleeping problems and a number of other things.

Anyway, went to a new ob/gyn today. She's trained in NaPro/Creighton and wants me to start using it so we can see if there's a hormonal imbalance. I currently use SymptoThermal but apparently that's not good enough for diagnosing a problem. She said she thinks my thyroid is fine since I've been tested for that last year. Also I got the impression that she thinks I'm being paranoid about my fertility--she said there's absolutely no reason to worry unless we've been trying for at least a year.

Anyway, I still just don't feel good about this whole situation. I just feel my body telling me something isn't right. I hate that I have to learn a new form of NFP, but I guess I will do it since the doctor says so. Any of you have experience with both methods?

I would give Creighton a try! I know so many women who have been helped through NaPro technology and they do that using Creighton charts, which is why she needs you to learn the method and use it, so that she can see if there is a problem hormonally.

I go to a NaPro doctor and was hoping to take the Creighton class soon if it had taken too much longer to become pregnant. I started with SymptoThermal, but wasn't great about doing temps now that I'm up with our girls and the time I get up each morning varies so much, and had basically gone over to using CM exclusively as a sign of fertility, so I'd been going that direction anyways. In Creighton you'll learn a lot more about your CM as an indicator of fertility (I've been grilling my friends who use it on everything they learn since we didn't get to take the class...).

I know it's hard to be patient while charting for longer and collecting the info your new doctor needs (I spent the last 7 months terrified that I was infertile after a hospital and several doctors made a very bad mistake after a second trimester miscarriage and I retained placenta for three months), but try to focus on the reason your learning this new method. So that your doctor has the info that she or he needs to help you.

Prayers that you have some great news soon and this doctor is able to help!

NSFrame · #5 Mar 22, '12, 7:56 am

Did she do a full battery on your hormone levels (such as FSH)? And what about a SA on your husband? For some reason the link to your thread doesn't work for me, although I do remember you posting, just not every detail, so I don't know if he had the SA or not already. Also, do your charts show monthly ovulation?

rachella14 · #6 Mar 22, '12, 9:28 am

I didn't see your OP (and the link doesn't take me to it), but I just wanted to throw out there that the low temps don't necessarily mean that anything is wrong. I have always had pretty low temps and did get all of the thyroid stuff checked, and it turns out I'm fine, I just have low temps. Also, it took me 8 months to get pregnant the first time - then the second was a surprise and the third took 3 months. I totally understand feeling frustrated and wondering if there is something wrong, but it really is in the realm of normal. Not saying that to make you feel silly about worrying (it's only natural to wonder what the hold up is when you're excited about something like this!), just to let you know that it's totally possible that everything is fine and things will still happen naturally

Good luck with your new doctor. If I were in your shoes I'd give the Creighton method a shot, it can't hurt right?

linnyclaire · #7 Mar 22, '12, 1:19 pm

I use the Creighton model and love it. When we first learned about it i learned a lot about my body from doing it, they told me some vitamins to take and we went over a ton of options of working with your body for getting pregnant if you have infertility issues. We got pregnant the first time we tried on it. I think you should try it, I would always advocate exhausting any methods that are mostly natural and work with your body before going elsewhere, you never know and i dont see any harm in learning another method, you might love it and it could work for you.

Schieffelin · #8 Mar 22, '12, 6:39 pm

Thank you all for the feedback. To answer some of the questions posed... She didn't test my hormone levels or my TSH levels. I kept asking about the thyroid so she said I could come back for blood work but she said she really doesn't think it's a thyroid problem since I've been tested for that before and levels were "normal." I asked if my husband should be tested and she said no, not unless we've been TTC for at least a year.

I guess I'll give Creighton a go. It's good to hear some of you like it. I am very good about taking temps every day and I like having that cross-check because my mucus can be very confusing. But as one of you mentioned, I'm willing to try and natural options before anything else.

NSFrame · #9 Mar 22, '12, 7:00 pm

Do you use OPKs as well? I find them extremely helpful.

Schieffelin · #10 Mar 23, '12, 5:46 am

Sorry - what does OPKs stand for?

Schieffelin · #11 Mar 23, '12, 5:49 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by rachella14

I didn't see your OP (and the link doesn't take me to it), but I just wanted to throw out there that the low temps don't necessarily mean that anything is wrong. I have always had pretty low temps and did get all of the thyroid stuff checked, and it turns out I'm fine, I just have low temps. Also, it took me 8 months to get pregnant the first time - then the second was a surprise and the third took 3 months. I totally understand feeling frustrated and wondering if there is something wrong, but it really is in the realm of normal. Not saying that to make you feel silly about worrying (it's only natural to wonder what the hold up is when you're excited about something like this!), just to let you know that it's totally possible that everything is fine and things will still happen naturally

Good luck with your new doctor. If I were in your shoes I'd give the Creighton method a shot, it can't hurt right?

Thanks for this feedback rachella. It's good to know that it might now mean anything. Do you mind me asking what a "low" temp is for you? Mine have gradually gotten lower since I started NFP almost two years ago. My pre-ovulation temps are so low they don't fit on the chart most of the time.

Em_in_FL · #12 Mar 23, '12, 7:39 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Schieffelin

Sorry - what does OPKs stand for?

ovulation predictor kit...

rachella14 · #13 Mar 23, '12, 11:43 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Schieffelin

Thanks for this feedback rachella. It's good to know that it might now mean anything. Do you mind me asking what a "low" temp is for you? Mine have gradually gotten lower since I started NFP almost two years ago. My pre-ovulation temps are so low they don't fit on the chart most of the time.

I don't mind at all

I went and looked back at my chart from TTC #3 - pre O I was getting temps like 96.3, 96.4, etc etc. Post O around 97.5/6ish. I used fertility friend to track it so I don't know if that's lower than the charts that people print out will go.

Schieffelin · #14 Mar 23, '12, 11:47 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Em_in_FL

ovulation predictor kit...

Thanks! No, I've never used those. Maybe sometime in the future.

Schieffelin · #15 Mar 23, '12, 11:48 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by rachella14

I don't mind at all

I went and looked back at my chart from TTC #3 - pre O I was getting temps like 96.3, 96.4, etc etc. Post O around 97.5/6ish. I used fertility friend to track it so I don't know if that's lower than the charts that people print out will go.

Thanks! Mine are the same as yours.