A lot of people think that turning 21 is the last transition to make into “adulthood”. However I think most people forget about the real last big step one takes: turning 26—aka having to find your own health insurance plan (if you haven’t already).
Thanks to my dad’s job, my parents have incredible insurance through the state. They (very generously) have allowed me to stay on their insurance to take advantage of such a great deal as long as I could. But of course once you turn 26 you’re legally required to have your own insurance. November is open enrollment and I knew that I wanted to get insurance then instead of near my birthday in January. (I did not want to deal with the stress of having to find insurance during what is usually one of the busiest months of the year for us!) That being said, knowing that I was going to be getting new insurance starting in 2021, it made no sense to try to find a new doctor before then.
Wait. Did I just say “new doctor”..?? Let me explain more.
I know I mentioned it briefly in a previous post, but to recap: ever since the end of January Mike and I have been trying to get pregnant. We wanted to wait one full year into marriage to start trying, so we could completely enjoy our first year of newlywed bliss without any of the stresses involved with the whole trying to conceive process. Other than some slightly high thyroid levels (which are only a recent occurrence, based on last year‘s results at my annual visit), there’s been nothing to indicate that there should be any issues. However, after stopping my birth control in January, it took until June for my period to come back. In addition, ever since my period has come back it’s been extremely irregular.
Before birth control my period was as consistent as possible—I could predict down to the day when to expect it. Since June, it has been irregular as far as: when to expect it, the length between cycles, and whether to expect it at all (there have been one or two months I just didn’t get it). Currently I have not had my period since the end of October...and no, I am not pregnant. I’ve checked. Several times.
According to my current doctor, Dr. Naga, this is all very normal. She said it can take up to a year for your period to come back/regulate after stopping birth control. However, after looking into some things online and speaking with friends/family, it’s been suggested that this is actually not the case.
My doctor told me at my last visit in October (to recheck my thyroid level) that if things weren’t normal by the our next check-up (which is in January) that she would recommend that I go see a Gynecologist. And, seeing as apparently she would be referring me elsewhere anyways, I decided to look into a new doctor sooner. But with the plan to change insurance and the possibility that coverages and doctors in-network may not line up, I figured it made much more sense to wait until my new insurance started.
I’m happy to say that I found new insurance at the beginning of this month and I’m very happy with the plan I choose. I went with BlueCross BlueShield again because I enjoyed having them while I was with parents plan, and overall they are a very well-known and reliable company. Also, as of today, I found the new Gynecologist that I will begin seeing just a few days into the new year! His name is Dr. Joseph Martin and he is located in Naperville (which is much closer to me than my current doctor in Lemont). He has very high reviews—so many people cannot say enough nice things about him! And, this may not be a popular opinion, but I have always preferred male gyne doctors. The doctor I used to work for (who is an Ob/Gyne) was male, and in general the male doctors I’ve had in the past have always had better bedside manner and overall listening skills than the female doctors I’ve had. All those things being said, I just felt like this was the right doctor for me.
I’m very excited to see Dr. Martin in January and start taking these next steps towards having a baby. I know I haven’t even met him yet, but I have a hopeful feeling in my gut that he is going to play a big part in my journey to conceive. I am praying that there is nothing of concern as to why I’m not getting my period or having irregular cycles. Or, if there is, I’m praying that it would be an easy fix (by simply taking a medication to correct it, etc).
Or, maybe, it really does just take this long for things to normalize. Only time will tell, but I think that being proactive and seeing a doctor sooner than later isn’t a bad thing. Plus, if I have any questions overall about trying to conceive, it’ll be a great time to discuss anything and everything relating to the subject during my appointment.
