Irregular Menstrual Cycle

[ashleyarizmendi]

I want to conceive a baby but my periods are irregular. I don't have medical insurance, what advice can you give me? I also tend to bleed for months at a time without stopping. What can be the cause of this?

[ChristineMP]

I think you should wait until you have medical insurance before you conceive a baby. If you cannot afford insurance, you cannot afford a baby. Trust me, babies are a LOT more expensive than insurance. For prenatal care in a normal pregnancy, my doctor charges $120, not including any tests (of which there are many) per visit. You have to see an OB every month from about 8 weeks through the 2nd trimester and then every two weeks for a month and then every week until you deliver (add that up, its a lot). Then when I deliver, for a normal, uncomplicated vaginal delivery my OB charges about $4200 which doesn't include the hospital charges. That is just BEFORE the baby is born. Expect to pony up an additional $10,000-12,000 in the first year and a total of $286,000+ to raise a child to age 18.

Be a responsible parent and wait until you can afford to raise and care for your child before having one.

As to your cycle problems...it sounds as though you have a hormonal imbalance. You need to see a doctor. Do a web search for family planning Ohio (your profile says you live in Ohio, if you live elsewhere, fill in the correct state) to find free clinics in your area who can offer pap smears, birth control (while addressing contraception they will explore your irregular cycles) and testing and treatment for infections if needed.

[coffeebuzzedliz]

I know this might not help, but I would strongly recommend getting health insurance before getting pregnant. Some insurances will not accept you if you have a preexisting condition like pregnancy. And paying for pregnancy out of pocket would cost a ton of $$$$$
If you can go to a specialist they will be able to research and do what they: for example let you know if you are ovulating etc....and why you are bleeding that much. Losing weight is definatly a great thing to do, I have heard it can really help, good job :)