You really should at least see your Ob/gyn, and he/she may order some tests/bloodwork. They may decide to refer you to a fertility specialist. My advice??? Go!

Honestly, I've undergone a TON of testing in the last 6 months -- much of it invasive -- and I've gotten a lot of bad news as a result. But my only regret is not learning the truth sooner. I'm 37 now, and I really would have been better off if I had known this info at 27!!!

Getting bad news is crappy, no matter how you cut it. But I know that I didn't want to be left in the dark. I called this battery of tests my "knowledge quest," and although it brought me down a road with lots of obstacles and lots of tears, I'm stronger and more equipped to move forward.

Good luck to you!!!

Thanks for your reply. It's true-bad news is still bad news whether I find it out now or 6 months from now. Would you have done things differently if you had known at 27? Are there things you are doing now? I'm scared of going through testing only to be told that there's nothing to do about it.

What you have sounds like a textbook case of Luteal Phase Defect. There are many manifestations of this but it can be something that a reproductive endocrinologist can fix with certain drugs like progesterone. ABSOLUTELY get tested! You may just have a progesterone deficiency and taking a supplement after ovulation might easily fix your problem. I would also want to know because it might make the difference between another future miscarriage and a full term healthy baby.

There is rarely "nothing to do about it" in terms of infertility problems. I was 'unexplained" and that was really hard because in our case since there wasn't a "problem" to be fixed there was little we could do but just keep trying and trying different things. I did end up getting pregnant (am 12 weeks) and I have no idea what worked, which is both wonderful and frustrating at the same time.

Knowledge is power. Good luck and I hope you find answers!

I have heard of this. It happens to me only slightly different. I do not ovulate so my body overreacts. Because of this I stay on the pill for regularity.

I am 28. and found out two years ago.

you should get tested. Having an answer could set you on the right path to a healthy baby.

Keep us posted

In response to your questions...
Yes. I am doing something about it now. I've found out that our only option is IVF, and we are due to start cycle #1 in a few weeks. I've felt somewhat rushed into making a decision, since the chances for success are much greater before age 38. That's a decision I wish I had a bit more time to process & come to terms with.
Also, if I had known sooner, we would've had time to save up for IVF. Our out-of-pocket cost is close to $17,000 (including meds) for just a single cycle. This is a huge financial burden & I would've like to have had this money socked away, rather than having this surprise expense sprung upon us.
I also would've considered adoption at a much younger age. Now, we would need to rush into paperwork & hiring lawyers, seeing as couples over 40 are usually much less likely to successfully adopt.

Knowledge is key! It often hurts, but it's what you DO with that knowledge that counts.

Keep us posted on your prognosis!

wow, thank you for your replies. I actually went to two o/b's a few years ago, but didn't get any answers from them. I think they tested my thyroid or something and that's it. It's actually quite a relief just to hear some actual possibilities.

I know I don't want another miscarriage, but how heartbreaking it would be to learn that that baby might have been okay if only I had done something differently. That's another thing I am scared of finding out!

congratulations on your pregnancy. You must be happy!

and good luck with the IVF. I really hope that you get your baby soon.

Thanks again, you've given me some courage, and I knew I was asking the right group of people! Im 31, by the way. Not too old, but I'm already feeling the pinch.

Hi friends,
thanks to your encouragement, I did finally schedule an appointment with an Ob/Gyn, and I went two weeks ago.

I had a saline ultrasound done (the only test so far), and he found a fibroid in my uterus. From the picture it looked kinda large, and I'll be getting surgery next week to get it removed.

This *may* be the cause of both the bleeding and the inability to get pregnant. Or there could be other problems, too.

He claimed that unless my cycles are short, I shouldn't need hormonal testing. He said that women with luteal phase defect have short or irregular cycles. Do any of you know about this?

I also got a little freaked out that I might have endometriosis. I never even considered this b/c my periods never seemed super painful, but he said that infertility is the 2nd most common symptom after pain. Ugh! Now I'm just worried about that, too.

Wish me luck on the surgery. Any advice or info you have would be appreciated :)

I'm so glad you followed up... both with the doctor & with us! I'm sure the surgery will be a breeze. I had my hysteroscopy & laparoscopy to remove my left Fallopian tube in late July. Aside from a few days of feeling like someone beat up your internal organs, recovery was quick and made me feel like I was taking control of my own infertility. Good luck to you!!!

I'm so glad you're getting answers!

The fibroid is a good find and it definitely may be a cause of your bleeding just due to some changes your uterus goes through at ovulation that might be affecting it. Also, it very well might have caused your miscarriage. My cousin had three miscarriages - two past the normal time when you can be considered safe in your pregnancy because they didn't realize that she had a fibroid taking up a third of her uterus.
The surgery would also find if you had any endometriosis, so try not to be too worried about that.

Check out this site for info on luteal phase defect.

http://www.webmd.com/infertility-and-reproduction/guide/luteal-phase-defect

There are others as well but it gives a good overview.
Your doctor is correct in that the MOST COMMON sign of this is a short luteal phase - which means that your period would come more often than normal - every 20 days v. every 25-30. However, this is only one symptom of it and bleeding during the middle of your cycle is another symptom. I would encourage you do to some research for yourself on it. Your doctor will be knowledgeable of course, but I found that some of them only think of people in "textbook" ways and if you don't fit the common case then they won't consider it, even though that may be your problem. Don't take everything they say for granted.

Good luck with your surgery and keep us posted!

Thank you so much, your comments are reassuring! I went in for my pre-op appointment today, and unfortunately they had to move the surgery to week after next, because next week will be my period.

After getting over the news, I do feel more hopeful after learning about the fibroid. Somehow I feel like it's not "me" that's wrong, it's just a mechanical problem. And yes, the fibroid was taking up 1/3 of my uterus, too. So even if it didn't cause the early miscarriage, it would have out my baby in jeopardy further along. Not that anything can make it less heartbreaking for me, but I'm glad that the miscarriage was early, and I'm glad I didn't suffer a few more before finding this out. Maybe some things do happen for a reason. I hope, hope, hope that this is the main problem!!

It would be a great relief to know if I have endometriosis or not after the surgery, but I thought that they need to do a laproscopy to diagnose that?

At the same time, I'm a little pissed that I need surgery in order to conceive, but I'm sure all of you are familiar with that feeling. I'll keep you updated on how it goes :)