Hellobee Boards Topic: this is what my doctor told me

Hellobee Boards Topic: this is what my doctor told me https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sat, 11 Apr 2026 23:44:27 +0000 CupQuakeWalk on "this is what my doctor told me" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/this-is-what-my-doctor-told-me#post-913432 Mon, 08 Jul 2013 15:28:16 +0000 CupQuakeWalk 913432@https://boards.hellobee.com/ #1 is def wrong. I am living proof. My doctor confirmed my LP was only 6 days long (last year when we first started TTC our son) with ultrasounds by measuring uterine lining thickness and looking at follicles and confirming I had ovulated on day 17 but got my period on day 23 which was only 6 days later. Then, I got pregnant ONLY with the help of progesterone to increase length of LP. Then- I got pregnant once more, only to lose the baby because I didn't use progesterone and my LP was still very short. So, no....LP aren't always 14 days. lindseykaye on "this is what my doctor told me" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/this-is-what-my-doctor-told-me#post-913255 Mon, 08 Jul 2013 14:50:03 +0000 lindseykaye 913255@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @fotolori1: On the timing of your temperature taking - my advice is the same as @anandam: just try your hardest to temp after the longest stretch of sleep, before you get up and moving at all. I was awful at being consistent with my times, but made sure that my temps were always taken after at least 3 hours of uninterrupted sleep. My charts were always pretty clear as long as I was at least consistent in that way. anandam on "this is what my doctor told me" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/this-is-what-my-doctor-told-me#post-912963 Mon, 08 Jul 2013 13:46:20 +0000 anandam 912963@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I second all the people who said your doc's advice is a dud! Luteal phase is generally consistent within a few days for any given woman, but may range from 8-17 across women. Less than 10-12 might cause issues maintaining pregnancy, so it's good you're thinking of tracking it. Follicular phase varies a lot for some women based on stresses and things. For night shifts, they say just take the temp immediately upon waking from your longest stretch of sleep, no less than 3 hours. In my own personal experience, daytime sleep made for some screwy temps, but often still showed a shift that could be interpreted. It might be tough if the swap from day to night happens just before ovulation. I'd recommended you double-check by tracking your mucus patterns and the OPK since you have them already. fotolori1 on "this is what my doctor told me" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/this-is-what-my-doctor-told-me#post-883700 Tue, 25 Jun 2013 15:37:15 +0000 fotolori1 883700@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Wow! You all are great! I just got home from walgreens where I got a basal temp thermometer, some pre-seed and ovulation predictor kits! I have used the kits before, but never temped. I am 39 years old and we have tried for about the last 6 mo ths as far as trying to time it right etc, but we have not done anything to prevent it in the last 3 years. I work night shift and he works days so we have to PLAN when we can BD. One more question.... with me working night shift, I will be able to temp for 7 days in the morning when I wake up, then I will have to temp in the afternoon when I wake up for the next 7. Would I still be able to pick up a pattern that way? I am scared this is going to take too long and I will give up. Im already too old. :( Happygal on "this is what my doctor told me" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/this-is-what-my-doctor-told-me#post-883526 Tue, 25 Jun 2013 14:56:34 +0000 Happygal 883526@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I don't agree with what he said based on the very good explanations other people have provided for you. In general, a red flag is raised for me when there are a lot of absolutes thrown around--definitely this, always that..... citymouse on "this is what my doctor told me" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/this-is-what-my-doctor-told-me#post-883424 Tue, 25 Jun 2013 14:32:36 +0000 citymouse 883424@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @pui @lindsayinny <----what they said! :-) LittleFox on "this is what my doctor told me" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/this-is-what-my-doctor-told-me#post-883393 Tue, 25 Jun 2013 14:26:04 +0000 LittleFox 883393@https://boards.hellobee.com/ If you've never charted your basal body temperature or cervical mucus, I suggest trying that to try to figure out when you are ovulating. A good book to teach you how (and dispell cycle related myths) is Taking Charge of Your Fertility. They have it at Amazon and many book stores, and I believe she has a whole section on charting to help get pregnant. Charting will help you figure out your luteal phase, when you're ovulating, etc, etc. I also agree with others that your doctor is wrong on both counts. Like a previous poster, I charted to avoid for several years. Even with a pretty standard cycle length of close to 28 days (28-30) my luteal phase was only 10-11 days (at least before I got pregnant) because I ovulated a little later in the cycle. LindsayInNY on "this is what my doctor told me" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/this-is-what-my-doctor-told-me#post-883270 Tue, 25 Jun 2013 14:02:16 +0000 LindsayInNY 883270@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Along with what @pui: said - the noticeable temperature rise must stay that way post-O to be confirmed that O in fact occurred. It's not just a spiked temperature. If you're on FF, I can share my charts with you! Adira on "this is what my doctor told me" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/this-is-what-my-doctor-told-me#post-883156 Tue, 25 Jun 2013 13:41:13 +0000 Adira 883156@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Make sure if you're going to temp you get a basal thermometer and be sure to take your temp in the morning, at roughly the same time, before you get out of bed! I wasn't consistent about taking it at exactly the same time, but I was still able to see the biphasic pattern clearly. And I agree with @pui. fertilityfriend.com has a ton of resources! And also, the book Taking Charge of Your Fertility is very good at explaining exactly what's going on! pui on "this is what my doctor told me" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/this-is-what-my-doctor-told-me#post-883123 Tue, 25 Jun 2013 13:35:43 +0000 pui 883123@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @fotolori1: With temping, you are looking to see a biphasic pattern, meaning that before you O you will see a lower temperature and then a noticable rise the day after you O. This is why temping cannot help you predict O, because your temperature rises after O when you are no longer fertile. Temping helps you confirm O. Check out fertilityfriend.com. They have a lot of useful and free resources. How long have you been TTC? pui on "this is what my doctor told me" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/this-is-what-my-doctor-told-me#post-883098 Tue, 25 Jun 2013 13:31:54 +0000 pui 883098@https://boards.hellobee.com/ It's very likely that you are ovulating normally since your cycles are very, well, normal! If you want to confirm if you're ovulating (and when so you can plan BD) use OPKs and track your basal body temperature. Some people have a very short LF, others have a LF even longer than 14 days. Maybe what your doctor meant is that your LF is usually pretty consistent from cycle to cycle, while your Follicular phase can vary more. ShootingStar on "this is what my doctor told me" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/this-is-what-my-doctor-told-me#post-883081 Tue, 25 Jun 2013 13:29:23 +0000 ShootingStar 883081@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @fotolori1: You are *probably* ovulating regularly because your cycles are regular. I think you can occasionally have an anovulatory cycle, but it would be unlikely to have one every month and still get a period. But a lot of women have a weak ovulation, especially if you're older. So the egg you release may not be a good size or genetically viable. Clomid and other fertility drugs would help that. I would not continue going to that doctor if you need help getting pregnant. And RE would be much better. fotolori1 on "this is what my doctor told me" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/this-is-what-my-doctor-told-me#post-883080 Tue, 25 Jun 2013 13:29:13 +0000 fotolori1 883080@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Can someone explain what the temp should do exactly before during and after ovulation? citymouse on "this is what my doctor told me" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/this-is-what-my-doctor-told-me#post-883058 Tue, 25 Jun 2013 13:26:27 +0000 citymouse 883058@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @fotolori1: if youre unsure if your ovulating, temping is best. Once an OPK detects a positive, you should ovulate between 12-36 hrs later. However, some womens bodies gear up to ovulate, but then dont. Thats why temping is helpful bc its the only way, at home, to know for sure if you did ovulate. CM and cervix position can help predict O, but cant confirm that it actually occured. citymouse on "this is what my doctor told me" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/this-is-what-my-doctor-told-me#post-883037 Tue, 25 Jun 2013 13:23:13 +0000 citymouse 883037@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Wrong on both. My LP is 13 days. He is right that FP can change month to month but your LP is more consistent. That doesnt mean its always 14 days though. fotolori1 on "this is what my doctor told me" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/this-is-what-my-doctor-told-me#post-882960 Tue, 25 Jun 2013 13:09:20 +0000 fotolori1 882960@https://boards.hellobee.com/ He is an ob/gyn. Because of my age, he sent us for a semen analysis, but said I didnt need clomid or anything to produce ovulation because I was obvioulsy ovulating since I have a regular cycle. This is so confusing! Why cant I just be like those girls who just HAPPEN to get pregnant the ONE time they have sex all month! mrswin on "this is what my doctor told me" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/this-is-what-my-doctor-told-me#post-882949 Tue, 25 Jun 2013 13:07:24 +0000 mrswin 882949@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @fotolori1: You could start temping now for sure since you would only be CD6 today. At least you could start tracking your temps to get an idea of when/if you ovulate. Running Elley on "this is what my doctor told me" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/this-is-what-my-doctor-told-me#post-882946 Tue, 25 Jun 2013 13:06:40 +0000 Running Elley 882946@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @fotolori1: It does sound like you probably ovulated around day 14 based on your surge! Mine varied month to month so it's always worth keeping track :) And I don't think it's too late to start temping if you haven't ovulated yet. Running Elley on "this is what my doctor told me" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/this-is-what-my-doctor-told-me#post-882936 Tue, 25 Jun 2013 13:05:42 +0000 Running Elley 882936@https://boards.hellobee.com/ No :( Like PPs have said, those are things that are "in general" true for a textbook TTC case. However, my LP was never longer than 12 days and I know that for certain from tracking ovulation using BBT. I also had regular periods for awhile without ovulation. Unfortunately it seems like a lot of doctors who aren't specialists (and even some who are) keep these misconceptions going. fotolori1 on "this is what my doctor told me" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/this-is-what-my-doctor-told-me#post-882928 Tue, 25 Jun 2013 13:04:59 +0000 fotolori1 882928@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Ugh!!! I was afraid of that. I guess I am going to head out to get an ovulation test to be sure. Last month my ovulation test detected the lh surge on day 12, does that sound like I probably ovulated around day 14? I have checked cm and cp and I am having a hard time pinpointing it by that. Is it too late to start temping if I started my period last thursday? I have finished my period but havent been temping yet. mrswin on "this is what my doctor told me" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/this-is-what-my-doctor-told-me#post-882917 Tue, 25 Jun 2013 13:03:18 +0000 mrswin 882917@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @fotolori1: On #1 he is generally right EXCEPT that your LP should be a consistent length for YOU! My LP is typically 16 days so if I ovulate on day 12 I still have a 28 day cycle, just like @Sugar.Biscuit: and @Dandelion: mentioned #2 he is wrong. Pick up a copy of Taking Charge of Your Fertility if you are interested in the technical explanation but it is possible to have a period without ovulating Is this a GP/PCP or a GYN? ETA: I was slow to post this and see that @evansjamie: @MerryC: @lindseykaye: @spaniellove: all have similar comments avivoca on "this is what my doctor told me" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/this-is-what-my-doctor-told-me#post-882889 Tue, 25 Jun 2013 12:58:16 +0000 avivoca 882889@https://boards.hellobee.com/ 1) Prior to pregnancy, my cycles usually varied between 32-35 days. I've had some longer cycles where it took longer for me to ovulate, but my LP was generally 13 or so days long. It varied sometimes, especially if I had been sick that cycle. 2) Just because you have a period doesn't necessarily mean you are ovulating. You can have a period with an anovulatory cycle. I think his statements are being based off of modern gynecological information, but this information doesn't necessarily take into account that every woman is different. It's just an average. I would suggest reading Taking Charge of Your Fertility. It has a lot of information in it about a woman's cycle. twinmama on "this is what my doctor told me" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/this-is-what-my-doctor-told-me#post-882885 Tue, 25 Jun 2013 12:57:40 +0000 twinmama 882885@https://boards.hellobee.com/ No and no. Unfortunately I hear about gyns giving out not so great cycle/ttc 'facts' all the time. Luteal phase is usually relatively consistent for each woman but can vary widely...like 8 days to 18. Mine are typically 11. Regular periods often indicate ovulation, but not always. And regular ovulation isn't a guarantee of pregnancy. lindseykaye on "this is what my doctor told me" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/this-is-what-my-doctor-told-me#post-882882 Tue, 25 Jun 2013 12:57:21 +0000 lindseykaye 882882@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I tracked to avoid conception for years and my luteal phase is 12 days. Sometimes it was 11, sometimes it was 13 but that was not common. I think he is right that the luteal phase is usually very consistent, but it is not a fact that everyone's is 14 days. spaniellove on "this is what my doctor told me" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/this-is-what-my-doctor-told-me#post-882874 Tue, 25 Jun 2013 12:56:37 +0000 spaniellove 882874@https://boards.hellobee.com/ No, and no. In that your LP should be somewhat consistent, but not necessarily 14 days. 14 days give or take a couple might be a healthy number, but for instance you could consistently ovulate on day 16, have a 12 day LP and end up with a 28 day cycle. Some people have a 9 day LP (there would be an issue there). And you could have a 28 day anovulatory cycle! This doesn't sound like a doctor I'd go to for TTC advice... Lindsay05 on "this is what my doctor told me" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/this-is-what-my-doctor-told-me#post-882871 Tue, 25 Jun 2013 12:55:40 +0000 Lindsay05 882871@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I have no knowledge in this but doctors are being paid to go by the book. Of course there are exceptions to every rules so I wouldn't say it's completely correct. Sugar.Biscuit on "this is what my doctor told me" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/this-is-what-my-doctor-told-me#post-882860 Tue, 25 Jun 2013 12:52:06 +0000 Sugar.Biscuit 882860@https://boards.hellobee.com/ #1 is kinda true. I had 28 day cycles the LP is usually the same number of DPO every cycle. If I ovulated on CD 14 I knew that in X amount of days AF would come (usually 14DPO). BUT if I ovulated on CD 12 I would get AF on CD 26, still 14 DPO. Etc. It can very a day or two but usually your LP is the same ish every month. The number of days before O can change because of delayed O. Does that make sense Dandelion on "this is what my doctor told me" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/this-is-what-my-doctor-told-me#post-882850 Tue, 25 Jun 2013 12:48:52 +0000 Dandelion 882850@https://boards.hellobee.com/ re: #1: Before I got pregnant, my cycles were about 40-42 days...but no matter what the cycle length, my LP was always 14 days. That's obviously not everyone's experience, but it's what is *supposed* to happen. #2. If there's something going on, than it's not 100% that you ovulate every cycle. MrsH on "this is what my doctor told me" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/this-is-what-my-doctor-told-me#post-882847 Tue, 25 Jun 2013 12:47:58 +0000 MrsH 882847@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I think his statements are generally true but that there is an exception to every thing. Dapple Grey on "this is what my doctor told me" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/this-is-what-my-doctor-told-me#post-882846 Tue, 25 Jun 2013 12:47:15 +0000 Dapple Grey 882846@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I think hes wrong on both accounts..scary!