Curious about fertility and marriage

[on_the_hill]

Here’s one that probably doesn’t have a clear answer:

My wife and I discussed having our daughter get checked out by her doctor because of certain characteristics that she shows. She is being treated for acne, she has some excess body hair, and her periods are averaging about 50 days apart. (she’s 16). So maybe there’s something off-kilter with her hormones. About 10 years ago we had her checked because she had been showing signs of early puberty.

So let’s say we get her checked out, and one of the conclusions drawn by the doctors is that her hormones and reproductive system as such that she is infertile. I have no idea as to whether or not that would, or even could be the case. It’s just that her current status is: acne, body hair, infrequent widely spaced menstrual cycles. That could mean anything or nothing so far as I know.

But–if we were told now that she is incapable of having children–would she be able to get married in the Church? Just curious.

 

[Falco]

Yes, she could marry in the Church. All it asks is for the couple to be open to conception, and to be able to carry out the marital act. The Bible is full of miracles of barren women conceiving.

Don’t worry about the infrequency of periods - this can be fixed by taking The Pill. I know from experience (mine varied from 28 to 158 days) that babies find a way of arriving. It will make it difficult for her to use NFP, though, as she won’t be able to forecast her fertile days.

 

[on_the_hill]

Yes, she could marry in the Church. All it asks is for the couple to be open to conception, and to be able to carry out the marital act. The Bible is full of miracles of barren women conceiving.

Don’t worry about the infrequency of periods - this can be fixed by taking The Pill. I know from experience (mine varied from 28 to 158 days) that babies find a way of arriving. It will make it difficult for her to use NFP, though, as she won’t be able to forecast her fertile days.

Thank you.

 

[pensmama87]

It’s actually not uncommon for teens to have very “irregular” cycles, because they frequently have anovulatory ones. Cycles can last a long time because the body tries repeatedly to ovulate but doesn’t, for whatever reason (or finally does), and then tries again the next cycle. The Pill can help give the appearance of regular cycles, but a person on it actually has the real cycle suppressed and what is happening is a simulation - theoretically there is no ovulation and the bleeding that occurs is a result of withdrawal from the drug by taking placebo pills (sometimes there is a breakthrough ovulation). Sometimes it can regulate hormone levels, though, such that after taking it for a while a person can come off it and then remain more “regular.”

Actually, it may be very wise for your daughter to learn to chart because she may be able to use the information to determine if she might have a gynecological health problem or not. She could determine if she is actually ovulating, and knowing the length of her luteal phase would enable her to predict when her period will come regardless of how long the time before ovulation is (that time almost never varies).

 

[Regina7]

OP, Look up Polycyctic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS).

The pill fixes the symptoms of a problem- it’s doesn’t fix the problem.

And, no, even if your daughter is declared infertile, she can still marry. A friend of mine, who was told by countless doctors through 10 years of infertility, has 3 girls (through nfp).

OP, check out the Pope Paul VI Institute in Omaha, Nebraska. Their website is very informative and also has a list of doctors.

Good luck!

 

[Viki63]

OP, check out the Pope Paul VI Institute in Omaha, Nebraska. Their website is very informative and also has a list of doctors.

This is good advice, after she sees her own doctor, if you think it necessary.
But it could just be that she’s a teenager. Their bodies go through changes and everyone is different.

Keep in mind, doctors don’t know everything. Always good to get a second opinion before accepting a conclusion.

 

[UbiCaritas]

This is good advice, after she sees her own doctor, if you think it necessary.
But it could just be that she’s a teenager. Their bodies go through changes and everyone is different.

Keep in mind, doctors don’t know everything. Always good to get a second opinion before accepting a conclusion.

Right. I had all the symptoms the OP described (still have some of them ) until I was in my early twenties, just a couple of years before I got married. My cycles ranged widely from 30-60 days. I suspect that my hormones were out of balance due to extreme stress; I was working a lot while going to school full time.

Now that I’m under less stress, I actually cycle very regularly, to the point that the rhythm method would work for me. (No, I’m not going to use it, because yes, of course this could change in the future; I merely mention that as an example of how regular a person can become in a short time.)

 

[thistle]

Here’s one that probably doesn’t have a clear answer:

My wife and I discussed having our daughter get checked out by her doctor because of certain characteristics that she shows. She is being treated for acne, she has some excess body hair, and her periods are averaging about 50 days apart. (she’s 16). So maybe there’s something off-kilter with her hormones. About 10 years ago we had her checked because she had been showing signs of early puberty.

So let’s say we get her checked out, and one of the conclusions drawn by the doctors is that her hormones and reproductive system as such that she is infertile. I have no idea as to whether or not that would, or even could be the case. It’s just that her current status is: acne, body hair, infrequent widely spaced menstrual cycles. That could mean anything or nothing so far as I know.

But–if we were told now that she is incapable of having children–would she be able to get married in the Church? Just curious.

Infertility is not a marriage impediment.

 

[Hockeygurl]

Yes, please get her evaluated. As a Family Nurse Practitioner also with PCOS, I have studied this extensively.

1. She needs to be exposed to progesterone in some way.

What is more important than the actual act of bleeding is the abnormal hormone levels that lead to irregular periods in women with PCOS. Women affected by PCOS do not ovulate on a regular basis. As a result, the inside lining of the uterus – called the endometrium – is exposed to the hormone estrogen for great lengths of time without being exposed to the hormone progesterone. It is the cyclic rise and fall in both estrogen and progesterone that cause menstrual bleeding. In the case of PCOS, there can be prolonged lengths of time without the production of progesterone. During this time the endometrium is continuously exposed to estrogen. The result of this prolonged estrogen exposure is the buildup of the endometrium. When the endometrium becomes too thick, heavy and irregular bleeding can occur. Also, when the endometrium is exposed to estrogen for prolonged periods of time, cell changes can occur in which the cells of the endometrium become abnormal and, if not treated appropriately, can develop into cancer of the uterus. Progesterone prevents the build-up of the endometrium.

Thus, in order to protect the endometrium from the effects of prolonged estrogen exposure we need to provide progesterone in some way. For most women, this is easily done using the oral contraceptive birth control pill. The pill, when used in this way, can provide several benefits at the same time. First, the pill contains a progesterone-like compound that will protect the endometrium from the cell changes mentioned earlier. Second, the pill will provide women with a regular and predictable menstrual cycle.

from: ae-society.org/faq

There are other anti-androgen therapies out there-spironolactone which can reduce the hair.

I was told by my MD that It would be a good idea for me to have babies sooner rather than later as my chances of pregnancy would go down rapidly even into the late 20’s

we used nothing for a year-no luck, then charted for a year-still no luck. I was able to get pregnant with my first daughter the first month on clomid and pregnant with my second daughter on the second month of clomid.

PCOS patients do sometimes ovulate… just rarely. I got pregnant with my third daughter (surprise!!) on my own when my second was 4 months old.

your MD will guide you according to her specific situation.

Good luck!

 

[on_the_hill]

Thank you all for the information.

I was not aware that there can be such “normal” variations in younger women. My wife hadn’t mentioned it at all when she expressed her concern, so maybe she doesn’t really know either (which would surprise me).

I don’t know what, if anything, we will do.

 

[pensmama87]

Thank you all for the information.

I was not aware that there can be such “normal” variations in younger women. My wife hadn’t mentioned it at all when she expressed her concern, so maybe she doesn’t really know either (which would surprise me).

I don’t know what, if anything, we will do.

A lot of people don’t know that there can be such a natural variation (even in adult women, some are more susceptible to things like stress affecting their cycles.) I’ve been like clockwork ever since I started and pretty much nothing interrupts me cycling normally - besides pregnancy and breastfeeding. So if your wife was like that, she might think it’s what should happen for everyone.

 

[EmeraldOak]

My wife and I discussed having our daughter get checked out by her doctor because of certain characteristics that she shows. She is being treated for acne, she has some excess body hair, and her periods are averaging about 50 days apart. (she’s 16).

This sounds like me when I was a teenager. I’m 36 and still have to see a dermatologist for my acne and excess hair and I still have irregular cycles. I have PCOS (Polycystic ovary syndrome). I had surgery as an adult to remove the larger cysts however they did grow back. My gynecologist treated my PCOS with the Pill for many years which I would not recommend because of the migraines and other side effects it gave me. (It did however regulate my cycles and control my acne). I was able to conceive a child after 7 years of marriage once my internist put me on an insulin controlling medication called Metformin. I do not have diabetes but insulin resistance plays a role in my PCOS. Excess insulin puts stress on the ovaries. When the ovaries are stressed they produce too much testosterone causing my acne and oily skin and excess hair. The Metformin helps some but I still have to treat those symptoms with appropriate cosmetic procedures and creams. The Metformin helps my ovaries to be able to ovulate. If your daughter does in fact have PCOS I’m sure her doctor will be able to tell you more. Sorry for all the info. Your daughter may not have PCOS at all, I’m just offering this info because I wish someone would have helped me out 20 years ago. I went undiagnosed until I saw a reproductive endocrinologist to help me figure out why I wasn’t conceiving after years of marriage. I applaud you and your wife for taking your daughter to the doctor about this at a young age, no matter what the issue ends up to be, if any.