PREMATURE OVARIAN FAILURE (EARLY MENOPAUSE) AND FERTILITY

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I have watched helplessly as my body changedover the last year or so to the point where I became very concerned that I could be entering into early menopause.   I Remember telling a friend of mine that I feel like I am living in someone else’s body as I cannot predict what will happen around ovulation and menstruation for any given month. I also felt at times like my body was literally turning on me. As a result of this, I consulted Dr. Google, but luckily the symptoms associated with early menopause is not really what I have been experiencing.  I have since summed it up to just age taking its natural course, because it is said that a woman’s body changes in function as she ages.

According to an article in Medical News today, my concern was certainly not too far off, because Premature Ovarian Failure (POF) or Early Menopause seem to be on the rise, affecting 1 in 100 women. The good news though is, there is still hope for women who wish to have a baby.

From the article

"For women who wish to have a baby, the options include either adoption or achieving a pregnancy by oocyte or embryo donation. In oocyte donation it is necessary to prepare the endometrium for implantation. This can be successfully achieved by incremental doses of estradiol valerate and then progesterone therapy. This creates an endometrium receptive to embryo implantation.

The cause of POF is still largely unknown. The condition is usually permanent but ovarian activity can resume and fertility has been noted among 5-10% of women with the diagnosis. 

The main symptoms of POF include irregularity of the menstrual cycle, oestrogen deficiency in the form of hot flushes, night sweats and loss of libido.

A physical examination, including height, weight and body mass index, is essential. Once POF is confirmed the main areas of treatment include education, counselling and psychological support, treatment of oestrogen deficiency symptoms and fertility management.” 

Read more about Premature Ovulation Failure (Early Menopause) by following the link below.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/222689.php

IS OVULATION PAIN NORMAL?

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So, it is just about two weeks after your last period (around the time that ovulation usually takes place) and you realise that you are experiencing lower abdominal pains. You know that your next period is not yet due, you could not possibly be pregnant and so you are wondering, could something serious be happening to you, could you be dying?

This is exactly what happened to me when I first started experiencing what I now found out, is ovulation pain. I was prompted to conduct some research and has since found out that painful ovulation is very normal and affects up to 20% of women, some more severe than others and it is especially prevalent in women like myself, who have been diagnosed with PCOS.

After  doing my research, I now understand more about this issue and now sees it as a good thing for some of us women,  who are trying to get pregnant, because there will be no guessing as to when we are ovulating exactly and as a result our chances of conceiving is greatly increased.

For further reading on painful ovulation, what causes it and how is it diagnosed, etc., please check out the following link  http://www.babyhopes.com/articles/painful-ovulation.html

From the site

“All women are familiar with cramping, headaches, bloating, and constipation or diarrhea that accompany periods every month. But some women also experience mid-cycle ovulation pain. This is absolutely normal and surprisingly common. Painful ovulation or mid-cycle pain affects about twenty percent of women. Although the pain may feel like something serious is wrong, painful ovulation or is rarely serious.

Painful ovulation, when severe, is referred to as mittelschmerz, a German word that means “middle pain.” Most women who experience painful ovulation usually report a nagging pain that begins as a sharp twinge and diminishes into a dull ache for the next day or so. But for some women, the pain can be severe enough to be disabling and can even be confused with appendicitis. Occasionally, in addition to mid cycle pain and cramping, some women may experience nausea, and/or light menstrual spotting. Mittelschmerz lasts for 6 to 8 hours in most women; however, occasionally it can last as long as twenty-four to forty-eight hours.”

"TIMING IS EVERYTHING"

Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him.

Children born to a young man are like sharp arrows in a warrior’s hand
Psalm 127: 3 & 4

"HOPE MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE"

Without ovulation, pregnancy cannot take place and for most of us women who have struggled or are still struggling with infertility, irregular periods is among the issues we face, trying to become pregnant. This is especially so, if Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), is the reason for infertility, as irregular periods, is one of its symptoms.

I remember, because of my PCOS and my irregular periods, it was so frustrating trying to track my ovulation, I even used ovulation predictor kits, but to no avail as I did not always ovulate.

Luckily for women without infertility issues and has a regular 28 days period, tracking ovulation is easy, as they often ovulate around mid cycle (day 14). For women with longer cycles though, e.g. a 35 day cycle, ovulation is not mid cycle at all, it is actually a few days later.

Some women find that they have to use Ovulation Predictor kits, to help track ovulation, especially those diagnosed with PCOS , because their periods are more erratic and they do not always ovulate.

Please visit, the site below, to read more about ovulation and please find also, an ovulation predictor calculator.

http://www.babycenter.com/0_the-importance-of-timing-intercourse_1809.bc?scid=preconception_20100309:2&pe=2Uxia4K

Catch you for my next post and keep holding on to hope.