My wife and I would like to start our family. She stopped taking BCP’s 2 years ago. For the first year she didn’t menstruate at all, then the next 6-7 months it was hit or miss, over the last several months it has been pretty regular. We have been to 2 OB/GYN’s and both hone in on the same thing…too much exercise. I have to debate this. If you saw my wife, you would certainly not mistake her for a scrawny, amenorrheic (sp?) female endurance athlete. She runs around 18% body fat at 5’0", 125#. Also her training really isn’t consistent enough for me to believe that is the factor. There was a time last year when we were hitting it pretty hard with track sessions, 3 hard swims/wk, long runs/rides with big hills with a few 2-a-days, maybe then the exercise was a factor. For the last 7 months however, that has not been the case. We went into Ralph’s 1/2IM on a wing and a prayer, just hoping to finish because our training was so lackluster. No 2-a-days at all, and I would say she probably misses more workouts than she makes, probably going 3 times per week max.
We are waiting to see an infertility specialist, there was also some talk last year about a trial of Clomed (or something like that).
As for me, I had my little guys counted. The total sperm count wasn’t setting any records, on the bottom end of the “normal” spectrum, but they sure were active little devils (at least that’s what they tell me, I didn’t actually see them). Anyway, they said I was in the clear.
So, given this info…is exercise a likely factor? I really think the only way she could exercise less it to not exercise at all. Any other suggestions?
My wife is 41 and just got pregnant for the first time. She is a trainer, meaning not only does she teach aerobic-like classes during the week, she travels EVERY weekend training other people to be instructors. We tried for about 4 months the old fashioned way and then, because of her age, went to see a specialist. She was on Clomed for 4 months, then went on injectables and then went back on Clomed. It helped tremendously to produce more follicles. I’m a triathlete, training 2X/day… but my sperm was off the charts good if I do say so myself.
I would recommend seeing the specialist. Our doctor told us that even while pregnant, we couldn’t lose the pregnancy if we tried by over exercising.
Hope this helps. I’ll get my wife to answer more detailed questions if you’d like.
Ok, I’m not a Doctor but I have been through this. I have had amenorrhea (lack of periods) on several occasions. (Sorry, Slowtwitchers, this is undoubtedly too much information).
I was also mystified because I was not at a particularly low bodyfat when it started. It’s sort of the standard thinking…when you don’t have enough fat to support a fetus your reproductive cycle shuts down. But that’s just a theory.
I came across a study of amenorrhea in female athletes that made it all make sense for me. The study followed a group of female runners (at Stanford, I think). All of the women worked out the same amount and had bodyfat percentages very similar to one another. Some of the women stopped menstruating. What they found was that the group who stopped having periods ate fewer calories than the group who was having periods. So these women must have just had slower metabolisms since their weight and BF% was the same as the menstruating group. This resonated with me, because my first bout of amenorrhea coincided with a diet. (Another time they stopped after I went off the pill). I know I have a very slow metabolism. That time, when I started eating normally again I had to go back on the pill to jump start my periods. I have had them start again after other bouts of amenorrhea of their own accord.
During the period when they stopped and I was dieting, I went to an endocrinologist and found that I had low estrogen. Who knows why? Maybe I was not eating enough fat to produce the hormone?
Two things you should know:
I got pregnant during one of these periods (just cause you haven’t bled yet doesn’t mean you haven’t ovulated!!)
The doctors became very concerned about me because I was starting to show early signs of oesteoporosis (I was 27). In fact I had a very bad wrist break (they said it looked like something they would expect from a 70 year old) A lot of female athletes feel like not having your periods stop is a good thing, an indication that you are training hard. But estrogen is a necessary part of the binding of calcium. If you do not have adequate levels of estrogen, the calcium you eat may not be getting laid down as bone.
Has she had her estrogen levels checked? I understand her reluctance to just give up or minimize exercise, sounds like the doctor gave you the easy answer. But if there is something to the theory that you need a certain amount of calories to make estrogen, anything you do to either side of the energy equation will have an effect.
FYI, I exercised until I got pregnant and then through my pregnancy. I have a smart healthy 10 year old to prove it can be done!!! And I haven’t had amenorrhea since childbirth.
First off congratulations on deciding on starting a family…
There are many reasons (male and female) for your infertility… (yes 1 year of attempts withou pregnancy is considered infertility)
You are doing the best thing. The infertility expert should be trained in endocrinology and Ob and should be able to tease apart the gyn causes, the endocrinological causes and the male causes.
Endocrine dysfunction (such as secondary ammennorrhea from exercise) is only one of the causes of infertility. There can be anatomical (uterine) abnormalities, immune abnormalitites (anti-sperm atnibodies), gyn abnormalities (abnormal cervical mucus)
Your infertility expert should be able to address the various causes of infertility and start you on the roght treatment.
If you have any other questions you had youcan feel free to email me
Her absolute body fat is not entirely the issue. She may be built to need more–like 20-25%. Also, estrogen is made from cholesterol. If her fat intake is inadequate, even if she is not skinny, this may effect ovulation.
I had a high school coach that said it took him and his wife about 3 years after quiting birth control to get preganant. If I remember correctly, his wife performed no exercise. Maybe it is what it is and only time will help the process.
I can tell you of two stories of couples having trouble conceiving. My wife and I took way longer than two years to finally get one past the goalie. Neither of us had physical impediments, it just wasn’t happening. We finally quit worrying about it and it happened. Some good friends of ours were also having trouble. The wife went through 2 in-vitro tries and hormones shots and the whole nine yards. Nothing worked. They finally decided to accept not having a kid and were pregnant 2 months later. In the end, difference between them and us, about 35K$. So I guess the moral of the story is, stressing about it may be counter (re)productive. Good luck either way.
you got me thinking… i reread the original post. i don’t think he actually says they are doing “it,” which could be the problem. after all it’s not the exercise, it’s the “it” that makes it happen.
Well, without divulging too much information…“it” is happening. We’re not going at it like dogs in heat or anything. I tried to convince her that we should just keep doing “it” until she gets pregnant. She quickly passed that off as me being a typical horny male.
We have been taking daily morning temperatures to try and determine when she is ovulating. Her temps are kind of all over the place, but there seems to be a pattern.
Lot’s of great responses. Good to hear that we’re not entirely unique in our situation. Thanks much.
it could be, as Tom D might say, your position. maybe posting some pics… uhh, welll, maybe leave that for a different forum.
Kidding aside, my wife drove herself crazy each time we tried. Both times it took quite a bit longer than we had hoped.Patience grasshopper and make sure to have lots of “it.”
i speak from experience…you first must get her FSH levels tested with a simple blood test. this will tell you how ‘fertile’ she is. low FSH numbers are good. seach google for “FSH ovaries”.
i’m not a doc…but i know a little about the subject.
The temperature thing is hard to do, my wife tried it and her temp was all over the place. It has to be done immediately after waking up, before getting up from bed. If she goes to the bathroom in the middle of the night it throws things off. My wife ended up getting the ovulation kits that are like pregnancy tests but they are expensive so should have an idea when to use them.
You didn’t mention age range of your wife, after 35 things get harder. I have heard if she is under 30 then you should give it 2yrs before ivf.
Finally, this may be tmi, but position during and after matters. You want to keep everything inside her for as long as possible. Get her hips up, I know some women that almost stand on their head for 10-15 minutes to help things along. You should also hold off the sex for a few days before she ovulates.
Went through the same thing. Turns out the problem was me. Sperm count good, but I had what is called a varicocele (sp?). Have yourself checked by a urologist. Had mine taken care of (surgery - don’t ask me to describe it, i’ll pass out) and 4 years later I have two kids. Good luck -Andy
Went through the same thing. Turns out the problem was me. Sperm count good, but I had what is called a varicocele (sp?). Have yourself checked by a urologist. Had mine taken care of (surgery - don’t ask me to describe it, i’ll pass out) and 4 years later I have two kids. Good luck -Andy
Same here, but only one kid (so far), running into difficulty again with #2. We’re both 42.
I think we share a scar, Andy - let me guess, not where’d you suspect, but just below the Speedo line???
