As I said in the previous post the doctor sent me for a blood test to determine whether I am ovulating. Which I guess is the obvious first step in this process. The test is meant to be taken 7 days before your period, therefore if I have a 28 day cycle day 21 would be the day I needed to have the blood test. My period started the 1st of March so 21st was the day I gave blood. The test shows the level of progesterone which determines whether or not you ovulated that month. I've been researching on line for a while, and from what I have read, the levels are supposed to be between 30-80 to be able to get pregnant.
I had an anxious couple of days waiting for the results. Thankfully they only took a couple of days to come back. I phoned the surgery hoping for the results to be given to me over the phone, however the receptionist told me the doctor needed to talk to me and will call back the next day. Another day to bite my nails down to the knuckle!! The doctor phoned while I was at work. He sounded concerned so I instantly began to worry. He started by saying I didn't ovulate that month and that my levels were very low. I asked what he thought I should do which he then said he would like me to go for another blood test. As I have been researching for a while I was intrigued to know what the progesterone level was (even if it wasn't what I wanted to hear). The progesterone on day 21 was just 2. Which is obviously too low, meaning I didn't ovulate. He reassured me that it could be wrong and another test would be the best idea. Obviously I felt so disappointed and in that split second all I could think about was "maybe I am infertile". Of course it can happen I just didn't think it would happen to me. I kept thinking "I am young and healthy what can be wrong". I know it doesn't work like that and unexplained infertility can happen but that news at the first step is quite scary.
I went straight to google as I'm sure most people do. Luckily so many people go through this and the advice and tips from other women is both helpful and comforting. I think I may not have a 28 day cycle which could mean I went too early for the blood test. This could be one of the reasons my progesterone was so low. Anyway we are staying hopeful as always. After reading so many successful and not so successful stories I realised this was the first hurdle of many and we cannot be discouraged at the first step. This process isn't going to be easy and we knew this when we started. I will take another blood test at the end of the month and pray for a higher reading but in the mean time I may buy an at home ovulation kit just to try and put my mind at rest! Fingers crossed I ovulate next month as we aren't giving up that easily!!
