As any woman who’s spent more than a few months trying to get pregnant can tell you, figuring out when the best time to try to conceive isn’t exactly easy. Sure, it would help if you had advanced degrees in chemistry, biology and mathematics. A little bit of expertise in astrology or voodoo might not hurt, either. The point is that ovulation isn’t always easy to predict. If you could just ovulate on command, you’d make the whole process of trying to get pregnant a heck of a lot easier.

It’s slightly easier if you have that magic, regular cycle of 28 days. The fact is that many women have a cycle that’s at least a few days longer or shorter than 28 days. For women who have an irregular cycle – one that changes in length from one month to the next – the process of getting pregnant can be even more challenging (and more frustrating).

There are lots of things that can cause an irregular cycle. If you have an irregular cycle every month, it could be a problem with the hormones produced in the thyroid gland. It could be some other condition that affects your balance of hormones.

When a woman has one or two irregular cycles in a given year, you can begin to consider acute causes. It could be caused by an infection or illness. Sometimes, stress can cause irregular cycles. Dietary issues like anorexia or even just poor nutritional choices can throw off your cycle. Strenuous exercise can cause an irregular cycle, as can a number of different prescription medications.

If you have either severe pain or prolonged bleeding that accompanies an irregular cycle, it could indicate a severe problem. You should talk to your doctor right away. In any case, if your cycle is irregular in the long term you might consider talking to your doctor about having some blood work done to see if there is a thyroid problem. It could be something that can be fixed relatively easy, and that will make trying to conceive a much easier process.

This entry was posted on Friday, May 7th, 2010 and is filed under Ovulation.