What to do next

[sjbaily84]

Hello
I started having periods at the age of 12 and periods were all normal no problem i became sexually active at the age of 16 and they carried on to be normally, having a period every month like clockwork no problem. Then back in March 2007 i started seeing this guy (who is now my husband) and since October 2007 my periods became irregular ( as in every other month have a period for 5-14 days) to start with we thought i was pregnant which i wasn't. As well as family started to notice that i was putting on more weight so went to the doctors they did loads of tests everything came back normal nothing to worry about the doctor encouraged me to loose weight which i tried to do but nothing was working if anything i was putting more weight on so i continued to see my doctor to do more blood test all came back normal so they advised me to go the gynecology unit at the local hospital which i did they did ultra scan, more blood tests, internal examinations everything. Everything came back normal.
By this time me and husband had decided that we wanted children but the problem being there was no regular pattern to my periods so we never knew when i was fertile or not fertile and it is starting to get to me we have been together 5 years and we have a healthy sex life and yet we can't seem to make a baby as my body is doing it own thing yet i know people who have been together less time in a less committed relationship and yet they have children. I look into conditions such as polycystic ovaries and endometrisos, under active thyroid (which runs in my dad's side of the family) and i have the symptoms but yet when i talk to my doctor about it he does blood test and yet i am all fine.
I have had enough i have no idea what else to do
Please help

[Dr Heather Currie]

Having a period every other month does suggest a mild hormone imbalance and irregula egg production. If thyroid test is normal then the most likely cause is a tendency towards polycystic ovarian syndrome, which varies hugely in presentation and severity. Weight loss often does help the hormonal imbalance and in this situation, taking a very low carbohydrate diet can be very helpful (cut down on pasta, bread, rice, potatoes, biscuits, sweet foods and processed foods and eat loads of vegetables, salads, proteins etc). If relevant to yourselves, cutting down alcohol and caffeine and not smoking can also improve fertility.
You should ask to be referred to a gynaecologist/fertility clinic. Baseline tests, including analysis of your husband's sperm, should be carried out and treatment to improve ovarian function, ie egg production, could be considered.
I hope that this is helpful.