How long do you have to TTC before TRI-CARE will let you get checked out to see if anything is going on? Me and Dh have been TTC for almost 7 months now and were still not Pregnant. Iv been charting for 5 cycles now and they seem to be getting longer the first cycle was 35days then 31days, then 36days, 34days, and i started spotting this morning so af will probably be hear tomarrow so this cycle will be 40days. Im starting to wonder if something is going on in thier. Im 21 and dh is 23 we shouldnt be having any problems my periods last any where between 4and 6days with two days of spotting after. what do you think ? is something going on will TRI-Care allow me to get checked out to see if anything is wrong? thanks for any help you ladies can give me ...

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The Marines I have seen around the world have the cleanest bodies, the filthiest minds, the highest morale, and the lowest morals of any group of animals I have ever seen. Thank God for the United States Marine Corps! Eleanor Roosevelt, First Lady of the United States, 1945

You have to be infertile for a year,let your PCM that you've been ttc for a year and have not conceived. They will be able to order bloodwork and a HSG. From that they will either put you on clomid or refer you to a RE. Keep your charts. Some PCMs require you chart. Mine didn't. I had/have irregular menstruals, my RE tested me for PCOS, which I have. If you have anymore questions, feel free to ask me.

What is PCOS iv heard a couple people talk about it a couple times but iv never been shure what it is. I too seem to have irregular menstruals and they seem to be getting longer. the only time they have been regular was when i was on Birth Control i was on that for two years and it gave me nothing but problems my PCM dident seem to be able to help me find something that dident give me horible side effects so i quit taking it i was off it for 9 months i believe it was Dh was deployed for 7 and i went off it a month or two before he left. my cycles never seemed to get regular after i quit the BC we have now been TTC for 7 cycles now i believe and were still not prego and since i started charting iv realized how long my cycles are sometimes and how irrigular they are will they see me now because they are so irrigular and see if thiers something causing them to be this way or am i going to have to wate 5 more months thanks for all the help i dont know anyone where i live to talk to or ask questions too

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The Marines I have seen around the world have the cleanest bodies, the filthiest minds, the highest morale, and the lowest morals of any group of animals I have ever seen. Thank God for the United States Marine Corps! Eleanor Roosevelt, First Lady of the United States, 1945

It's no problem. I see this board doesn't get much activity. PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) is the most common endocrine disease that affects women of reproductive age (puberty to menopause). It is also one of the most confusing. It affects approximately 10% of women in the reproductive age group. There have been some new developments that are giving us a much better understanding of this problem.

PCOS is an unfortunate term because the word "ovarian" appears in the name of this syndrome. For years, many people automatically assumed that it is purely an ovarian disease. We now recognize that it is in fact, a systemic endocrine and metabolic disorder. Multiple factors are at work. It should really be called the "Poly-Cystic Ovary/Excess Androgen Production /Adrenal Hyperplasia / Insulin Resistant / Hyperpipidemic / Often Overweight / Anovulatory /Hirsute / Sometimes Acne" Syndrome.

PCOS is a total body endocrine disease. It is unfortunate and confusing that the word "Ovary" appears in the name. The abnormalities in the ovary are really more the result of the problem - not the cause.

The problem is further complicated by the fact that there is really no universal definition of PCOS even though most endocrinologists would agree on a set of criteria necessary to make the diagnosis. If there is one absolute that is necessary to make the diagnosis of PCOS, it is the complete or almost complete lack of ovulation. Women who are ovulating regularly on their own, cannot, by definition, have PCOS. There are however Reproductive Endocrinologists who feel that women who have all the features of PCOS except for the fact that they ovulate may have a subset of the syndrome. However, these women are much less likely to be insulin resistant.

The other criteria that must be satisfied is that the women have either clinical or laboratory evidence of increased androgen (male hormone) production, either facial hair and/or acne. Laboratory confirmation is important because women from certain ethnic groups such as Oriental, Hispanic, or Native American may show very little clinical evidence of increased androgen production even in the face of significantly elevated blood levels.

The vast majority of women with PCOS have very irregular periods - usually on the order of every 2 to 3 months or even less frequently. One definition of PCOS requires that the woman have fewer than 6 periods a year. (As I have said, there is no one universal definition of the syndrome).

Another cardinal feature of PCOS is increased androgen (male hormone) production. Therefore, women with PCOS almost always have facial hirsutism (excessive hair) and frequently have acne as well.

Another common feature of PCOS is obesity. Many women with this syndrome are significantly overweight. PCOS is dx by a blood testing, test for type 2 diabetes.

(in other words, it's extremely similar to type 2 diabetes) w/ PCOS you'll be put on either Metformin or Fortamet XR

If you decide you want to use BC, try the patch. I've heard other ladies with PCOS use Yasmin, but for me, the patch was great. The sides were little to none.

Word of advice, you have to have one year of unprotected sex before the doctors will do any kind of Infertility testing. Your PCM may let you side w/ your Dh being deployed, I dunno about being on BC. My Re put me on BC while my dh was deployed to keep AF regular.

thanks for the explanation i always wondered what exacly it was. I tried the Patch it had horable sideeffects too i tried nuva ring also i was told it would have even less side effects let me tell ya they were wrong. all the BC i tried i had sever migraines that would last any where from 2-7 days i alway had Nausea no matter when i took the pill and no matter where i stuck the patch. even the nuva ring gave me a little Nausea. It Dried my CM out so bad it was increadably pain full to have sex(im still having problems with that) the only good thing was i knew when AF was gonna show but i can figure that out now using FF when i Ovulate and buy the length of my lutel phase. I can figure out why we havent gotten pregnant yet we have the best timing possible. Im gettin so frustrated to think i have to go through this for five more cycles before they will even look into seeing if something is wrong. GRRR.

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The Marines I have seen around the world have the cleanest bodies, the filthiest minds, the highest morale, and the lowest morals of any group of animals I have ever seen. Thank God for the United States Marine Corps! Eleanor Roosevelt, First Lady of the United States, 1945

It's ok. I know how frustrating it is. Believe me. I liked he patch although combined w/ Fortamet the side effects were horrible, I stuck with it though. Some ladies try robuitussin cough syrup to make their CM better. If it's not working before intercourse, trying using pre-seed or astroglide. Pre-seed is on the expensive side. Both are water based and work great.

I had problems getting the patch to stick verry good the only place i could get it to stick good was my shoulder but i hated it their because i had to be careful of what i wore im not a walking ad for Ortho Evera. i always hated seing women walking around in a little tank top or bathing sute with a big ol patch stuck to their shoulder lol. any way aside from that iv tried astro glide and KY both they dont do a hole lot of good in the way of lubercation and neither one of them are recommended for people TTC because of how harsh they are on sperm. I checked out pree seed iv been told that infertility Drs recommend it but its prity expensive for the amount of times we BD during any given cycle expecially since ,my cycles are so irrigular i never know when exactly im going to ovulate we try to bd every other day. we usually mannage to bd on O day if i feel it comming we bd the day before and the day of. i alway lay down for at least an hour after but it hasent done us any good so far. i wish pree seed wasent so expensive

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The Marines I have seen around the world have the cleanest bodies, the filthiest minds, the highest morale, and the lowest morals of any group of animals I have ever seen. Thank God for the United States Marine Corps! Eleanor Roosevelt, First Lady of the United States, 1945

I've read the so called reports about astroglide, and believe it or not, but the u/s gel the Dr. use in his office is the same thing as astroglide. Dh and I won't even buy pre-seed b/c it's so much. Since we're going to be doing IVF, I get to skip the whole BMS. There's nothing worse then having BMS while you're dry as dirt. Usually after BMS they lay down with your hips elevated for about 20-30 min or so.