Follicle Size and Ovulation Question

[jense927]

Hey GKU, 

So at my SHG on Friday 1/29 the tech measured my dominate follicle and it measured 17mm. She said I should ovulate within the next few days. I then read online that follicles grow 1-2mm a day. And ovulation occurs Between 18-24 mm (please correct my if I am wrong, this is just information that I have in my head not from a a documented source). Anyways. If my follicle was growing 1mm a day today would be 22mm. I have not ovulated yet. I am just wondering if a follicle gets too big before ovulation, can that be a problem? 

I have an appointment with my RE on Friday so I will definitely ask her then but I am just curious and wanted to see if anyone knows anything about this!

Thanks in advance! 

[joy]

Yes, follicles can get too big. They will ovulate either a dud egg or turn into a cyst.

How do you know you haven't ovulated yet?

Also - the growth rate is average. Don't freak yourself out.

[jense927]

Thanks joy!

I don't know for a fact that I haven't ovulated yet. I am just speculating at what else could be going on behind the scenes that testing with and RE wouldn't necessarily show. When she said I should ovulate within a few days based on the ultrasound on Friday and I am fairly certain that hasn't happened yet it just got me wondering. I do think ovulation is close as I did get an almost positive OPK today.

It is less worry and more just analyzing.

[joy]

Fair enough. Are you temping and have confirmed ovulation in the past?

I'm not sure where you are in treatment, but trigger shots are often used in conjunction with fertility meds and they will force ovulation on your follicles. If you are ovulating over-ripe eggs in natural cycles, then the trigger shot will hopefully fix that because it's used when your follicles hit the threshold.

[mugster]

Feb 3, 2016 7:36:54 GMT -5 jense927 said:

Hey GKU, 

So at my SHG on Friday 1/29 the tech measured my dominate follicle and it measured 17mm. She said I should ovulate within the next few days. I then read online that follicles grow 1-2mm a day. And ovulation occurs Between 18-24 mm (please correct my if I am wrong, this is just information that I have in my head not from a a documented source). Anyways. If my follicle was growing 1mm a day today would be 22mm. I have not ovulated yet. I am just wondering if a follicle gets too big before ovulation, can that be a problem? 

I have an appointment with my RE on Friday so I will definitely ask her then but I am just curious and wanted to see if anyone knows anything about this!

Thanks in advance! 

Yes, follicles can get too big, but normally that is when they are over 30mm. Naturally (and on letrozole), I tend to ovulate when my follicles are between 26 and 28 -- this seems to vary considerably person to person and stay relatively stable from cycle to cycle, from what I've read. Research has suggested that on letrozole cycles, triggering between 23 and 26 is ideal (and the follicle then grows slightly before ovulation). I wouldn't worry at all that you haven't ovulated yet.

[kleigh]

Aren't SHGs normally done right after menstruation (well before ovulation)? I guess I'm thrown off by someone having a 17mm follicle that early

[joy]

Feb 3, 2016 9:24:21 GMT -5 kleigh said:

Aren't SHGs normally done right after menstruation (well before ovulation)? I guess I'm thrown off by someone having a 17mm follicle that early

HSGs are.  I know nothing about SHGs.

[requiressnacks]

SHGs are saline ultrasounds and typically done to evaluate the shape of the uterus. I don't think it was an SHG that the tech was doing - perhaps a transvaginal ultrasound? I

I had an SHG last cycle and there was no measuring of follicles - since it should typically be done between CD 6-10.

[kleigh]

Feb 3, 2016 9:55:12 GMT -5 requiressnacks said:

SHGs are saline ultrasounds and typically done to evaluate the shape of the uterus. I don't think it was an SHG that the tech was doing - perhaps a transvaginal ultrasound? I

I had an SHG last cycle and there was no measuring of follicles - since it should typically be done between CD 6-10.

That's what I'm thinking, maybe it was just a transavaginal ultrasound. Doesn't help answer her question but I was confused as I'm thinking a 17mm follie would be early at that time.

www.rmact.com/getting-started/fertility-testing/shg-sonohyesterogram

[mugster]

I had my SHG within three days of ovulation (my RE's office just require that they be before ovulation, and does not always do them as standard testing. Mine was done after they suspected a polyp on my ultrasound). We also did the polypectomy to remove the polyp they found. They checked follicle size during the SHG for two reasons. First, they do a mid-cycle check on testing cycles at my RE's office, to make sure hormone levels and follicle growth are within an expected range. And also, because they needed to do the polypectomy before I ovulated (so as not to disrupt a potential pregnancy... hahahaha). I think my follicle was already a 22 when they did the SHG, and I probably ovulated the day of the polypectomy, but they still went ahead with it. Technically, looking at my ovaries was not part of the SHG, but both required the ultrasound machine, so I can see how they might blur together.

[kleigh]

mugster Thank you for clearing it up!

[jense927]

Feb 3, 2016 9:55:12 GMT -5 requiressnacks said:

SHGs are saline ultrasounds and typically done to evaluate the shape of the uterus. I don't think it was an SHG that the tech was doing - perhaps a transvaginal ultrasound? I

I had an SHG last cycle and there was no measuring of follicles - since it should typically be done between CD 6-10.

Yes I had my SHG on CD12. The tech came in and did an ultrasound and she measured the follicle while she was doing that. The doctor came in a few minutes later to perform the SHG procedure.

I thought it was weird that I had a 17mm follicle already on CD12 since I normally O closer to CD19-20.

[jense927]

Feb 3, 2016 8:35:45 GMT -5 starbuck27 said:

Feb 3, 2016 8:23:33 GMT -5 jense927 said:

Thanks joy !

I don't know for a fact that I haven't ovulated yet. I am just speculating at what else could be going on behind the scenes that testing with and RE wouldn't necessarily show. When she said I should ovulate within a few days based on the ultrasound on Friday and I am fairly certain that hasn't happened yet it just got me wondering. I do think ovulation is close as I did get an almost positive OPK today.

It is less worry and more just analyzing.

May I ask how you know for a fact? Are you temping?

ETA QFP

No as I said above I DO NOT know for a fact. I have temped for the last 11 cycles and have been lazy/worn out and not temping this cycle. Just using OPKs to detect the surge. The OPKs line up for me with ovulation in previous cycles and I have never not ovulated based on temps.