TTC Timeline

Background: I have always had irregular cycles. More often than not, my periods had seemed to last forever, and they were usually quite heavy. I had never been on birth control. I had always had a strong feeling I may not be able to get pregnant.

January 2007: We got married at 21 and 'foolishly' experimented with 'not not trying'. We weren't yearning to get pregnant, in fact we knew we weren't ready financially or perhaps, emotionally. But, we refused contraception for a variety of reasons. Turns out, the foolishness of it all was thrown out the window.

End of 2007: We started to get our hopes up that it would happen soon and began to wonder why it hadn't happened yet.

Summer of 2009: We visited a family doctor who proceeded to talk us out of pursuing treatments/further help. She explained that we were young and healthy and that we had to give these things time.

June 2010: We visited a different family doctor, as we had moved. I had my first pap. All clear. Colin and I had baseline infertility tests. Colin's came back normal. Mine came back indicating high levels of testosterone and low levels of estrogen. The doctor suggested I do a cycle's worth of ovulation kits to see if I was ovulating.

July 2010: I wasn't ovulating. The doctor referred me to a women's clinic doctor who specializes in obstetrics and gynecology. He suggested a round of clomid. I tried it. It was horrible for me- made me bleed for 6 weeks. There was no ultrasound done until after the clomid. It showed a cyst on my right ovary, and perhaps a smaller one on my left. We don't know if it was the clomid that caused them or if they were previously there. I asked the doctor if there was anything I could do to get rid of them, and he basically said no, don't do any gymnastics, and I could come back next cycle for another ultrasound to see what was happening with the cysts.

September 2010: I did NOT go back to the male doc. He was not helpful with the emotions I was experiencing, and well, was not helpful at all. I was fed up with my excessive bleeding and saw the previous female doc to get prescribed birth control pills for the first time. I did 3 cycles.

October-December 2010: Birth control pills. They totally worked to get me back on track, and I had never felt better about my cycles. I loved the predictability.

January-July 2011: Off birth control. My cycles have wavered between 22 and 47 days. But, no excessive/lengthy bleeding. Trying naturally. No plan followed. No timing things out. One round of ovulation kits was used that indicated a likely ovulation last cycle.

Currently: I am on CD 24. I am reading Making Babies and will follow its plan as soon as CD 1 hits me. Perhaps for 3-6 months. One day at a time.

Future: Colin and I have discussed seeing an RE for further answers and perhaps treatments. Our insurance will not cover anything, and we are not sure what we are even willing to do as far as medical intervention goes--financially, emotionally, and spiritually. We are anticipating a visit soon, but are waiting until we know what we are willing to try, and are secure financially to give it our all. We have also discussed adoption, even before TTC. We feel God has laid it on my heart to adopt from Ethiopia, and Colin's heart, China. We have not yet started any processes and likely won't for a few years. We are only 26 and don't anticipate adopting until we own a house.

Lots of prayer and lots of love have kept us afloat during these 4 1/2 years of our marriage. Although some days are more difficult than others, I think our bond has grown stronger over this time. Patience and trust have been tested and learned. The future is in God's hands and we can't wait to give Him glory through the family He has planned for us. Hope is floating.