Infertility and low fertility issues

So, I know irregular cycles usually mess with your ability to conceive, but I’m wondering if these won't-know-when periods can actually lead to permanent infertility or some other kind of reproductive system issues down the road?
My cycle is all over the place because my progesterone levels are basically non-existent.

so, what actually causes low progesterone?

Is it an ovulation issue or maybe just a luteal phase deficiency? Who knows.

It’s hard to say if irregular cycles lead straight to permanent infertility—not quite that simple—but the underlying issues causing those irregularities can definitely cause long-term damage, making it way harder to conceive naturally or even with basic help later on.

Take PCOS, for example. Eventually, you can end up with so many cysts that ovulating becomes nearly impossible—even with fertility drugs—and for some women, they might even need surgery just to stand a chance at getting pregnant.

Plus, skipping periods isn't exactly great news for your uterine lining, either.

Technically, infertility is just when a couple can't conceive after a year of trying

which doesn't mean they're actually barren—or that kids are totally off the table

So, what does it actually mean when someone says they have a corpus luteum deficiency?
I just got back from my OBGYN, and she put me right back on Dabronstone, which I’d already been taking from around December through May. It feels like such a cycle because even after I stopped, my period is acting totally wonky again. Like, I get that sticky discharge right in the middle of my cycle, but then about 28 days in, my breasts start aching and my ovaries feel all weird... it’s that exact sensation where you're convinced your period is coming any second, but then nothing happens. Now I'm stuck back on the medication, and her next suggestion is to just jump straight onto birth control. Is this actually the right way to handle all this, or am I just spinning my wheels? Does anyone here actually know what's going on??

I dealt with the exact same thing
. My doctor kept prescribing me birth control to manage it, but as soon as I stopped, the irregular cycles came right back.

It drove me crazy, so I finally went out to get a second opinion.

After just a five-minute chat with the gynecologist, she figured that based on my symptoms, it was likely a thyroid issue and sent me for some blood work.

And that’s exactly what it was... my thyroid was acting up.

Everything has been perfect since then. For the first time in my life, my cycle is actually predictable.

The lesson here? Find the actual root cause instead of just treating the symptoms.
If only doctors in this country would realize that.😕

I'm currently on thyroid meds... taking Synthroid because of hypothyroidism, and honestly, I'm pretty sure that’s playing a role in all this too. 😢

I’m telling you, there’s definitely a connection here... My endocrinologist straight up told me that one thing triggers the other. Basically, if you’re dealing with thyroid issues, you’re almost guaranteed to run into irregular periods or all sorts of cysts—just standard gynecological chaos. And it works both ways, too. If your reproductive health is a mess, your thyroid is gonna take the hit. That’s exactly what I’ve been dealing with myself.😢

so, has a doctor ever actually sat you down and tried to push contraception on you like it’s some kind of magic fix?

Morgan Miller7 said:Oh, please... so you've never had a doctor actually suggest birth control as an option?

Nah, not really. I was on Diane-35 for a bit a few years back, but that was strictly because I had a cyst on my ovary and needed to get my cycle under control. It wasn't even about contraception, just managing the cyst.

Hey
My girlfriend is 20, we've been together for a year and a half... and honestly, the last three months have just been pure misery and despair. It all went south two months ago when she went for a routine checkup at some student clinic over at the local university hospital. She told me basically what the OBGYN said: that she probably won't be able to have kids, and if she ever did get pregnant, either she or the baby wouldn't make it. Everything just fell apart after that because we've always talked about starting a family, and she’s obsessed with having kids. Now, she refuses to even see a private specialist for a second opinion or more detailed testing. We've lost all hope. She's so young to be living like this. Ever since that appointment, everything has crumbled. She’s miserable, she avoids me—she says she doesn't want to hurt me, but still. Can anyone recommend specific tests I should suggest she gets done? What kind of thing would lead a doctor to say something like that? Is there any way to fix this? I don't even know what's actually wrong because she won't tell me, though I suspect she's just as confused by what he said as I am. I'm just clinging to the hope that it isn't all over.
Thanks for anything you guys can tell me.
Mario

She should have received her full medical history, including the specific diagnosis established by her doctor. While second opinions are always an option, there are other ways to start a family too. I am truly sorry.

There are all kinds of gynecologists out there; honestly, it wouldn't be surprising if she was given completely wrong advice. It would definitely be in her best interest to seek a second opinion from another specialist.

A standard checkup isn't enough for a doctor to determine if someone is actually infertile or if they'll have trouble conceiving. There’s just no way to know for sure from a basic visit. To get a real answer regarding infertility, you need to go through much more specific diagnostic testing.

wearyranger10 said:Hey
I’ve been with my girlfriend for a year and a half—she’s 20. For the last three months, we’ve just been stuck in this loop of grief and despair... It all kicked off about two months ago when she went for a routine checkup at the university clinic—I think they just opened a student health center there. She told me, basically in passing, that her gynecologist said she probably won't be able to have kids, and that if she ever did get pregnant, either she or the baby would die??? ...Mario

😲 Excuse me? What kind of lunatic is that? Where did he even get his medical degree? 😕 Seriously, you run into some total hacks and crazies in the OB-GYN field!😠 His job isn't to play fortune teller—it's to treat actual gynecological issues if there are any! At this point, calling him a "licensed witch doctor" feels almost too kind.🙄 Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if he's just some moralizing jerk who wasn't thrilled that your girlfriend is sexually active before marriage, so he decided to use her as a target for his little scare tactics and judgment sessions.👎

Tell your girlfriend she needs to find a new doctor immediately. Just be there for her and support her through this. If she can swing it, tell her to see someone in private practice; if not, stick to the local clinic, but please—for her sake—make sure she does her homework on who she’s seeing so she doesn't end up landing in another idiot's office.🙄

Honestly, just tell her she needs to find a different doctor for a second opinion... because this guy isn't just being difficult—he’s actually borderline incompetent, and frankly, he probably shouldn't even have a medical license in this state anymore.

I had someone like that say the exact same thing to me when I was eighteen—telling me I’d never be able to have kids—and I just have standard PCOS, which is incredibly common these days and totally manageable with the right care...

At the end of the day, maybe she should just show him what we've all been saying here... you know, just to prove that he really is out of his depth...

SHE ABSOLUTELY HAS TO SEE A DIFFERENT DOCTOR, NO MATTER WHAT!!!!

I have a feeling you might just be trolling here.

wearyranger10 said:... that she probably won't be able to have kids, and if she ever does get pregnant, either she or the baby will die???
...
she doesn't want to go back to a private gynecologist for a full exam
....
but I suspect she might not even fully grasp what he told her...

First off: that doctor deserves to have someone spit in his face—or maybe just a good old-fashioned beating—because he showed zero compassion and didn't even provide a legitimate diagnosis. To tell a patient something like that so bluntly— 😲 I honestly cannot believe my eyes!!! Based on what, for heaven's sake? 😲 You have to realize that every woman—well, probably every other woman, really—runs into some kind of issue, and most of the time, those things can be managed or fixed. There are so many modern treatments available today, and plenty of ways to assist with fertility. 🙂

That being said, a few things are completely unclear to me here:
1. If this girl is truly this devastated and the news has crushed her, why hasn't she sought out a second, third, or even fourth opinion? She absolutely MUST get another opinion and undergo a thorough examination, because that "amateur" checkup was clearly incomplete. She should find a reputable specialist and take her time getting everything checked out properly. I’m fairly certain that if she did, she wouldn't be grieving needlessly; in fact, a different doctor would likely tell her something entirely different. I remember having a doctor who was quite the character back when I lived in Chicago (a few other people on this forum had similar experiences too), and she certainly knew how to rattle my nerves, but then there was another lady here who was told to just accept she'd never have children, only to end up pregnant without any issues at all.

2. What is the actual diagnosis? It makes no sense to me how a gynecologist could be so incredibly harsh and claim with 100% certainty that she’ll never conceive, or that she and the baby would both perish 😕 Don't take this the wrong way, but I'm thinking: either she's exaggerating the situation (since she hasn't mentioned a specific diagnosis) or that doctor is a total psychopath who needs his medical license revoked immediately. 🤷 👎

RUN TO GET A SECOND OPINION, and a third if necessary, and make sure she gets a COMPLETE exam, not just a half-hearted one.
And please, ask her for the diagnosis—what exactly did he say?!? She can't just shut herself away and spiral because of one idiot doctor. Once she tells us what the diagnosis actually is, we can try to help figure things out here.

From what I've seen, if you're facing any kind of serious diagnosis, you really ought to get two or three independent doctors to weigh in. That’s the only way to make a call on things like surgery or heavy-duty treatments, I guess.

Infertility isn't just one thing—there are all these different types, and each one needs a totally different approach. You have to actually understand the root cause first.

And honestly, here’s a real story from someone I know. A woman was told she had severe infertility and basically wouldn't be able to have kids, ever. So, she headed off to Australia on a scholarship, figured since kids were out of the question, she might as well go all in on her studies and career. While she was there, she met a guy, and when she finally came back home, it turned out she was pregnant. The three of them—including a perfectly healthy kid—moved around a bit for work, but they've settled down in the States now. They have a wonderful, healthy child, and both of them have built these incredibly successful careers.

Oh, absolutely. I know someone who was actually told by a top specialist that she wouldn't be able to conceive, yet she ended up pregnant almost immediately—even though she was being extremely careful. Just my two cents.🙄.

Carol Rodriguez16 said:From what I’ve seen, you really shouldn't make any big calls—like surgery or intense treatments—without getting a second or third opinion from independent doctors first. It's just common sense.

Infertility isn't one-size-fits-all; there are different types, and each requires a totally different approach. You have to actually figure out the root cause.

And honestly? There are endless stories out there. A friend of mine was told she was completely infertile—basically a closed case. She decided to move to Australia on a fellowship, figuring if she couldn't have kids, she might as well focus entirely on her career and studies. While she was over there, she met someone, and when she moved back to the States, she found out she was pregnant. They’ve traveled all over for work, they live in the US now, and they have a perfectly healthy kid along with two great careers.

Oh, please—there are plenty of stories. My mom was told she’d never have children. To be fair, she dealt with five miscarriages before things finally clicked—each pregnancy lasted longer than the last, and she eventually had twins (me and my sister) at 39. She had to be on bed rest the whole time, but that was the least of our worries.🙂

I know others, too. Some friends were married for 20 years without kids—they started young, after all. She was being treated for endometriosis, which was labeled as "infertility." They weren't exactly obsessed with having kids since they both focused on their careers, but then, after two decades of marriage, she got pregnant and had a baby at 41.🙂

There are as many of these stories as you want to find.👍