Irregular Periods/Cycle: Stress or Age?

CSS

I'm 39 and have been lucky enough to have had a regular period my whole life. Then all of a sudden last month, just as I was getting the sperm bank/artificial insemination process rolling (and aiming my first IUI for August), my cycle went haywire. I bled lightly to moderately for 12 days before morphing into what I believe was my regular period (it occurred on the right day and was the usual, heavier flow, plus it ended five days later).

After that, I hoped I'd be back on track this month, but sure enough, the irregular, early bleeding has started again, about 13 days before my regular period should start. Except that this time it's a little heavier, so I don't know what's going on exactly.

My doctor tells me this is common among women getting ready to start IUI, and it's usually induced by stress. I haven't actually felt all that stressed, but I'm certainly aware that I have a lot on my plate. I also took a somewhat stressful trip last month and injured my back (which is now mostly healed) along the way, which probably added to the stress factor. So if it is stress, I suppose I could just try and relax (meditation, yoga, etc), wait it out, and do my IUI once my cycle is back to normal.

But I'm afraid that could take a few months (if ever) and at 39, time is of the essence. The age factor also leads me to wonder whether this really is stress or whether I've simply moved into another phase of fertility, where, let's face it, I'm not ovulating (or not doing so regularly anymore).

With that in mind, I'm considering setting up a fertility evaluation with my doctor and doing the Clomid/ovulation induction (possibly w/injectibles) process. The main problem is I have to set all that up for day 3 of my cycle and my cycle's so irregular right now, I'm not sure how I'm going to figure that out. Hopefully, my "regular" period will commence on 7/28 as it should. But if not, I may just have to wait it out, see what happens, and take it from there. In the meantime, tick tock, tick tock...

I guess my question to the ladies here is does anyone have any opinions on whether I should ramp up the fertility assistance procedures or wait out my natural cycle? Any similar experiences?

Thanks,
CSS

jesselynn

I am so sorry you're off track!! I know how you feel! My cycle has been PERFECT for as long as I can remember and the month we did our first IUI it went crazy... Then the second one was out of whack again. We think we did get the timing ok, though both IUIs failed. Most likely it is stress, even though I don't feel very stressed. I guess its just all the anticipation and excitement about the whole thing, not necessarily "negative" stress.

I wanted to wait a few cycles to see if my cycle would go back to normal, but I can't bear the thought of waiting anymore...we have been preparing for this for some time now. :) My doctor decided to try Clomid this cycle, during days 5-9 so thats where we are at now...day 3 of Clomid. I wasn't too excited about using meds, but at this point I am pretty open minded...the more BFNs I get, the more I am willing to do to get pregnant.

Good luck!!!!

CSS

Thanks, Jesselynn. Sounds like this is very common.

I thought about winging it for the timing of my first IUI, but I'm trying to make every dollar count, plus I could end up having my irregular period (if it continues) during the days slated for insemination.

So I think I'm going to go for the Clomid process during my next cycle, if I can figure out when Day 5 is...

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ualtigger

CSS: Same thing happened to me... NEVER been late on a cycle... had my IUI... was four days late and got the BFN. I think it just has to do with our bodies anticipating so much... worrying over every little twinge we get or don't get for that matter.

I'm going to be trying again in August and keeping myself relaxed until then... I know what to expect now and, hopefully, I'll get a BFP this time.

Good luck!!

MistyandCarla

CCS...it's probably a combination of both, but it's just weird that it happened this cycle. Hopefully your doctor will get you adjusted and well on your way to a BFP!

Good luck!

CSS

Thanks, ladies. I've decided to just relax and see what happens. Not much else I can do at the moment and it seems like a more Zen approach :-)

--CSS

P.S. I'm just learning all these news acronyms. BFP here I come!

MistyandCarla

Zen is good...hang in there!

CSS

I don't know if anyone is still following this thread, but just in case (and for my own venting purposes!)...

Despite the irregular bleeding preceding it, my regular period did indeed arrive on schedule (although much heavier and longer than usual).

So I was able to undergo a fertility evaluation (so far, so good on the results) on Day 3 and to start Clomid on Day 5 (take for 5-9). I'll go in for another ultrasound on Day 10 and then depending on those results, do the IUI within the next few days (and an Hcg trigger shot 36 hours before).

So all has worked out so far and here's hoping that continues!

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MistyandCarla

CSS...sounds good...KUP!

vegaschic

well, my cycle went out of wack too! but i dont feel stressed about it either? I already have one baby. He is 21 months old, but i'm a single mom and dont want him to grow up alone, so i set off to give him a sibling.. and AS SOON AS I went to the DR and got this process started, my period is weird. lol i started all the blood work this month and i'm worried the tests wont show what they need because my cycle seems "off". i'll be peeing on a stick later this month to see when i ovulate... so i hope i'm able to see and figure out this pattern for my IUIs that i want to start in OCTOBER.

CSS

My doctor tells me this happens all the time, so we're definitely not alone. It's weird because it never happened when I was trying to conceive the old-fashioned way, but perhaps there's something about the anticipation of the IUI process that does it?

Hopefully you'll be able to get back on track by October. I jumped the gun and went with the Clomid routine, although now I'm considering skipping the trigger shot and just letting my body ovulate naturally. I would have preferred to wait my cycle out and do the whole thing au naturale, but time's a wastin'. We'll see what happens...

--CSS