AM I INFERTILE???

[LALKA]

MY HUSBAND AND I CONCEIVED BOTH OUR TWO CHILDREN ON THE FERTILITY DRUG CLOMID AS 5 YEARS AGO MY PERIODS WERE VERY IRREGULAR AND WE WERE HAVING NO LUCK FALLING PREGNANT. MY DOCTOR PRESCRIBED THEM. SINCE HAVING MY 2ND CHILD TWO YEARS AGO MY PERIODS HAVE BEEN VERY REGULAR (EVERY 31 DAYS) BUT BLEEDING HAS BEEN BROWN AND AS EACH PERIOD COMES THERE IS  LESS BRIGHT RED BLOOD. I HAD AN ECTOPIC PREGNANCY AT CHRISTMAS AND LOST MY LEFT FALLOPIAN TUBE  (THIS PREGNANCY WAS CONCEIVED WITH THE HELP OF CLOMID ALSO) AND SINCE THEN EVERYTHING HAS GONE BACK TO NORMAL AS FAR AS REGULARITY YET MY PERIODS REMAIN BROWN THEY LAST AROUND 7 TO 14 DAYS ALSO THE LAST ONE LASTING 14 DAYS OF JUST VERY LIGHT BUT BROWN BLEEDING. I LONG FOR A THIRD CHILD BUT THE DOCTOR WHO TREATED ME AT THE HOSPITAL HAS TOLD ME NOT TO TAKE CLOMID AGAIN AS HE BELIEVES IT MAY HAVE BEEN PART OF THE REASON I HAD AN ECTOPIC PREGNANCY AS MY PERIODS ARE REGULAR I DIDN'T NEED THEM. AND THAT I SHOULD WAIT FOR IT TO HAPPEN NATURALLY, I REALISE MY CHANCES OF FALLING PREGNANT ARE NOW QUITE RADICALLY REDUCED AFTER THE ECTOPIC AND ONLY ONE TUBE. BUT ARE THE BROWN PERIODS A SIGN THAT I AM NOW REACHING MENOPAUSE  AND I DON'T HAVE LONG LEFT? OR IS THERE SOMETHING WRONG WITH ME INSIDE? DO I HAVE AN INFECTION?  AM I INFERTILE? I JUST FEEL THAT BECAUSE MY PERIODS ARE NOT BRIGHT RED IN COLOUR THAT MY WOMB'S LINING IS NOT GOOD AND SO A THIRD PREGNANCY IS GOING TO BE IMPOSSIBLE? YET  EVERYTHING ELSE SEEMS QUITE NORMAL. PLEASE HELP?

[clomidkid]

Hi. I'm nearly 27 and because I knew I'd have problems we started ttc 5 years ago,we have our first iui/ivf appointment nxt monday. My periods are sometimes brown at the beg and the end and I'm not sure why the bleed isn't bright red either,but if you are still having periods I'd presume you are fertile. My mum thought she was going through the menopause when she was 40 her periods for mths lasted longer than normal and the colour and flow altered and some mths she didnt have a period she had got use to her erratic cycles and at 41 she went to her gp who suggested she was going through the change she went back 3mths later still concerned and discovered she was 3mths pregnant with me! I know everyone is different but the body is a strange and wonderful thing eh. My mum had conceived when she was 17(my brother is now in his 50's) then aged 19 she fell pregnant(janice would have been my big sis) the baby died during labour and had spina bifida and my mum then didn't use protection again and just decided to see what happened and no pregnancy occured until 22 years later n the doc said that egg had been floating around since mum was born,think that's why people think I act a lot older than my age-maybe I matured like a fine wine :]  Good luck x x Keep me posted,clomidkid x

[Heather5]

I agree with Tina, but just wanted to add that brown blood is basically old blood...meaning it takes a while for the blood to reach the cervical opening, so it turns brown. Many women, myself included have brown discharge at the end (or even at the beginning) of their periods. However, I'm not sure if it's normal to only have brown blood. If I were you, I would just ask my doctor about it.

Take care, Lalka, and best of luck to you!

[tina1111]

If you were pregnant at Christmastime, you are not infertile. The definition of infertile is the inability to become pg after 12 mos of timed intercourse. So, technically you would not be considered infertile.

As for the brown blood, it can be several things. It doesn't necessarily mean your lining is not capable of sustaining a pg. You may have a minor hormonal imbalance which is not telling it to shed when it should. Your best bet is to ask your dr to run some blood work. A day3 and day21(or so)panel will tell a lot about what is going on. I doubt it's menopause related(not to be ruled out 100% yet) but the day 3 FSH would let you know what is going on as far as that is concerned. If your tests come back normal, seek an RE (reproductive endocronologist) and they can delve deeper.  I hope you get the answers you need :)

[jjsh44]

I can imagine how frustrated you are.  Since everyones body is so different I think you should find an RE near you and have a consultation app with him/her to find out your options and see if maybe they can do some testing to give you an answer as to what is going on.  It seems to me you are way too young to be going through menopause.  It is really strange that your not bleeding during what is supposed to be your period time, it's almost like the blood is not passing through properly.  I really don't know, I am sorry.  Definately try to find an RE, I think that would be your best option. good luck to you!