LemonTea
Baby makes three
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- Oct 13, 2010
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Hey Chloe! I hadn't done a ton of research about Clomid before I was prescribed it -- I didn't even think it would be an option for me since I ovulate every month on my own -- so I asked my doctor the same thing. She said that for women who ovulate on their own, 100mg on days 3-7 is the usual protocol that has been shown to be most effective. That wasn't enough info for me, so I went home that night and googled it for myself lol.
From what I've read, if a woman is not ovulating, the goal is to get her to ovulate with as low a dose of Clomid as possible -- so women in that group are usually started with 50mg on days 5-9. If they don't ovulate that first month, then they're usually moved up to 100mg then 150mg (I think the max dosage is usually 150 mg, but I've heard of people being prescribed more). FSH is produced naturally in the body for about the first 3 days of your cycle, and then the production starts to slow down -- the biggest follicle there when FSH starts to slow is usually the follicle holding the egg that will emerge when you ovulate. So starting on days 5-9 helps that one strong egg be as ready for fertilization as possible come ovulation day -- it pushes the body to give more FSH to the follicle/egg that your body had already self-selected as the strongest one.
For a woman that already ovulates, 50mg is not considered enough to make a huge difference -- the body is already making enough FSH to produce an egg. So the doctor's rationale for an ovulating woman would be to start her at 100mg but on days 3-7. Since FSH is produced in the body naturally up until about day 3 (and then your body's production starts to slow down) a day 3 start is supposed to keep that high FSH in your body for a few more days in hopes that it forces your body to make more than one strong follicle/egg (and therefore give you and your partner more eggs to aim at after ovulation in hopes that one will be fertilized and implant). After day 7, your FSH levels will drop, but hopefully there will be at least two follicles that are strong enough to ovulate at least two eggs at or around the same time.
I also read that Clomid is supposed to help lengthen/strengthen your luteal phase, which is definitely a problem for me. I almost want to finish out this cycle without progesterone to see if Clomid gives me a 14 day luteal phase with little to no spotting on its own, but I'm too afraid to risk it, so I've started taking the progesterone supplement too.
So much for my EWCM Christmas night! Nothing yesterday, and my OPKs were super light. This morning I think I might have watery CM...unless it's leftover swimmers from Sat night, but I don't think that would still be the case 3 days later right?!?! 
