Share
Home › Experts › Am I Fertile? ›

Am I Fertile?

QUESTION

Dear Midwife,

I know the most logical thing for me to do is to probably visit my gynecologist, but I can't get an appointment for the next two weeks, so I have decided to try and get some information from you.

I have a history of irregular menstrual cycles. Over the past year I have only had three cycles. I have visited with my doctor several times this past year and have been given medication that would cause my cycle to begin, but once off the medication, my cycles tend to stop coming. I do spot very little each month, but I feel as though I can hardly consider that an actual menstrual cycle. So, my question is how hard will it be for me to conceive seeing as though I must not be very fertile do to the lack of menstrual cycles? I'd appreciate any and all information you can give me on this matter.

ANSWER

In order to conceive, you need to ovulate, and in most cases, you need to menstruate. If the medication is helping your to ovulate, I would certainly take it!

Good luck.
-- Cynthia, CNM

Cynthia Flynn

Cynthia Flynn, CNM. PhD, is the General Director of the Family Health and Birth Center which provides prenatal, birth, postnatal, gynecological and primary health care to underserved women and their families in Washington, D.C. Recently Cynthia served as Associate Professor of Nursing at Seattle University. There she not only taught, but remained in full scope clinical midwifery practice at Valley Medical Center where she cared for pregnant and birthing women, and practices well-woman gynecology, family planning, and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases.

Cynthia founded Columbia Women's Clinic and Birth Center, where she took care of pregnant women and infants up to two weeks of age and attended both birth center and hospital births. Before Cynthia earned her CNM, she worked as a registered nurse in labor and delivery and postpartum and is a certified Doula and Doula trainer.