Well, I’m feeling crampy as hell today, so I’m not too hopeful about this cycle. Fuck.
I’ve been off BC for over a year, now. We’ve been actively trying since June of last year. Some months, more than others . . .since when, october, maybe?, we’ve been super duper trying. There was one month (September, I think) where we tried not to try, because of our vacation next month, but did have one unimpeded round of GOF. After that month, we went to every other day, and last cycle I had the great OPK result and started PreSeed, and this cycle we had JUST started a vitamin regimen right around ovulation, so that doesn’t really count. Next cycle will be vitamins, PreSeed, and maybe? OPKs, I’m not sure. I feel like I can rely on my CM pretty well, since the OPK sort of proved to me that I was ovulating.
So, then, we’re in April. 10 months of TTC, with long cycles, and nothing doing. I plan on talking to my regular doctor this month, about TTC and other things, assuming I’m not pregnant (and I really don’t believe I am, but you know, Schrodingers cat and all) and then what?
I’m lucky in that Dave is ready to do what he needs to, jiz in a cup, get blood drawn, whatever. I’m okay with getting various tests, but how does it start? How does it go from talking to your GP and saying "So, we’ve been trying really hard and nothing’s happening" to the next step? Does a GP schedule/perform those tests, or do you get referred? Do you get referred as a couple? Dave and I use the same practice/office but different docs, so would it be done in house?
We go on vacation in two weeks. I remember booking the trip and being sure that I’d be pregnant. And I’m not.
(ETA: No, I haven’t tested. . . but I’m crampy and bleh and having my usual PMS symptoms.)
I’m trying to remember. I think Lance & I each got separate referrals from our GP – me for a visit to the RE, and him for a semen analysis. After that everything got billed in my name. But that was just how it worked with our insurance. You probably need to find out how it works with yours.
However, I would definitely NOT recommend you have your GP run the tests. If there’s a fertility clinic that your insurance will pay for, absolutely have the semen analysis run there; they have much better equipment and methods. The same goes for your tests – especially since it sounds like your current doctors are not paying enough attention to your long cycles. If you want to know whether there’s something going on with your hormones, I really think it pays to go to someone who specializes in just that.
It does depend on how fast you want to move, though. If you think ideally you want to be sent home and told to just keep trying, it might not matter as much where you have the tests done. By the time you need an RE you might want to repeat them anyway. But if you’re hoping to start Clomid – or anything else – you really should be under the care of an RE. And it will be easiest if the clinic has all your tests run according to their standards.
I hope you won’t need to follow through with any of this, Gretchen. But I know it always makes me feel more secure to have a Plan B. So I’m glad you’re putting one together.