QuestionHi Dr.Ramirez, my name is Erin, and I am a 20 yo female from Oregon, I have recently started a diet plan, because I weigh about 220lbs. I have lost 13 lbs in just 3 weeks! I have been eating only healthy & organic foods. I have decided to be completely honest. My husband and I have been trying to have a baby for about 4 years now without success. We got married on march 20 2009 and shortly after that, decided to start trying with the prediction test kits. But my periods are so erratic and unpredictable that I never found the right time to start them. So as of now, oct 15 I haven't had a period since july 17th. They have been this way for years, on march 15th this year I was hospitalized for an ovarian cyst that was terribly painful, and caused me to loose a lot of blood! It was small and due to ovulation the er dr. Said. I didn't give it much thought after that. I have just recently started taking lutera birth control pills. I have taken four of them so far. This is the first method of birth control I have ever used. My husband and I were both virgins when we got together, and we were eachothers firsts.
My questions:
1. Should I be conserned about the birth control messing up my cycle even more? Or will this lutera regulate me?
2. How long should I take this lutera, for it to regulate my cycle? I am definitely wanting to start a family, but do not have insurance yet so I can not see any type of fertility doctor.
3. After I stop taking the birth control when should I go back to ovulating normaly?
4. Finally, I got an idea from a friend who said it worked for her, to take the birth control for 3 months to "trick' my body, and then on the next pack miss the first 7 pills. She says this increases your chance of ovulation. Is this true at all?
Well thank you so much for taking your time to read my questions! This is very important to my husband and I! We would greatley appreciate a reply!
Erin and George
AnswerHello Erin form the U.S.,
The purpose of the birth control pill is to regulate your cycles because your ovaries are not functioning correctly. That is probably the reason why you are not getting pregnant. The first thing you need to do is go see a fertility specialist (not a general Ob/Gyn). It is most likely that you have an ovarian dysfunction called polycystic ovarian disease (PCOD), but there are other possible reasons why your cycles are irregular. Your fertility doctor will be able to do an evaluation and suggest an appropriate treatment to get your ovaries functioning correctly so that you can get pregnant. You only need to stay on the birth control pill until you start your fertility treatments. Your friend's advice is not correct about the "rebound" effect from birth control pills. When you stop the pills, your body will go back to the way it was before you took them. You probably need to go on some type of ovulation induction protocol (medication) to get your ovaries to ovulate properly.
Good Luck,
Edward J. Ramirez, M.D., FACOG
Executive Medical Director
The Fertility and Gynecology Center
Monterey Bay IVF Program
www.montereybayivf.com
Monterey, California, U.S.A.
for additional information check out my blog at http://womenshealthandfertility.blogspot.com check me out on twitter with me at @montereybayivf and facebook @montereybayivf.com
