Clomid Buddies (moved from TTC board)

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Welcome fluffy! With PCOS your chances are good of conceiving within 3 cycles if you ovulate on clomid. I've seen many ladies come and go on this thread who conceived in their first few months on clomid. Hopefully you are one of them!

Lucy - I'm sorry you are experiencing the anxiety of limbo. It sucks! Have you tried a FRER yet? They are very sensitive and were giving me faint lines when my blood hcg was only 6!

I hate symptom spotting but I had AF like cramps and back pain all afternoon. According to FF I'm only 4dpo but I think I may have had a delayed temp rise and may be 6-7dpo. It's probably just the progesterone giving me the side effects. Anyway, even if I do get pregnant again I have over a 50% chance of miscarrying. :cry:
 
8dpo... my "symptoms" have disappeared PLUS low post O temps makes me believe 1) 1x a day on Progesterone isnt enough 2) Im not pregnant or 3) I have no idea. :wacko:

Welcome Fluffy!!
 
Thank you Ask and Earth for the welcome! :)

@Lucy
I'm sure the RE will get all the right blood tests sorted out, but do send me a message any time if you have any questions about PCOS or your blood results, maybe I can help! Popcorn and movie with hubby sounds like a much better plan than worrying about AF btw :)

@Ask
I would love to be one of the within-3-cycles ladies <3 However, combined with the sperm motility issue, our doctor has been gently prepping us for the idea that we might well need IVF/ICSI I think. He said our chances right now could be 10-20% each cycle for the first three (after that it drops which is why they then advise IVF), but if hubby's second SA comes back the same or lower, it's more like 5-10% in which case we would not do another IUI.

I've had a look at your journal and I can't imagine how difficult things must have been for you! :hugs: I really hope that now you know what is causing the problem, things will be sorted out for you!

@Earth
Not a lot of experience here, but I was given progesterone last cycle (to finish the cycle) and I felt all sorts of strange "symptoms" even though I knew for sure I wasn't pregnant. So I think progesterone makes symptom spotting pretty impossible... you just need patience I guess (and if you find some, do let me know where because I could use a good load of it myself, haha!)
 
I hate how every month I just can't help but get my hopes up, and then every month I end up feeling like a fool.

AF is here in full force this morning. Now I wish our RE appt was sooner. I am so tired of wasting cycles. I will be on CD 12 on the day of our RE appt. I intend to ask for something other than clomid, because I figure if I wasn't pregnant after 5 rounds of it, we might as well start somewhere else.

DH is still sleeping right now. Once I knew AF was here I couldn't sleep anymore.
 
Argh, so sorry Lucy. Don't beat yourself up about getting your hopes up, we all do it and we all try and convince ourselves that every symptom could be a pregnancy symptom. I definitely think it sounds as if you could have PCOS- neither Fluffy or I have any of the 'classic' symptoms, yet my AMH result is the second highest my fertility clinic has ever seen and that together with ultrasounds and amennorhea means I am veeeeery polycystic.

I would hope the RE wouldn't suggest another round of Clomid. From what I've seen, around 5 or 6 cycles is quite standard- I was stopped after 2 though. It could be worth asking about injectables which have been suggested to Fluffy and I too.

I know waiting for these appointments just feels like forever sometimes. :hugs:
 
Thank you ladies. I really don't know what I would do without the support of these kinds of groups. There is literally no one in my life that I can relate to. My mom never had any trouble getting pregnant, my sister never had any trouble, and my best friend is one of those annoying people who has gotten pregnant on the first shot TWICE now.

And apparently my younger brother and his wife are planning to start trying in September. I really, really hope we can get pregnant first. I really don't care if we are pregnant at the same time; I just need to know that I am pregnant before I find out about them, so that I can be nothing but happy for them and not jealous.

Is there anything I can do to increase my chances while waiting for the RE to give us a game plan? I looked into Vitex, but there seemed to be some caution towards PCOS conditions with high LH. I have never really had a super weak OPK, so I can't help but wonder if that might be me.
 
aww Lucy, I feel exactly the same, without the support of the other women on here and people like steph (I must have chewed off both her ears by now, haha), things would be so much harder for me too! My next door neighbour has had two kids 14 months apart, it feels like a slap in the face sometimes but remember their story has nothing to do with yours. Everyone faces different challenges: maybe their marriage is rocky, maybe they have other health issues, maybe they are going through financial problems, who knows!

I tend to set deadlines for myself too, like "I want to be pregnant by...". I would love to be pregnant by early September (our one year anniversary), if not that then Christmas. I try really hard to let go of those arbitrary deadlines, but it's not that easy, is it? :hugs:


I'm afraid I don't know anything about Vitex, but from what I have learned about PCOS so far, the one thing that seems to make a difference for many women is a change in diet. This is because many women with PCOS, even lean ones, are insuline resistant and insuline spikes can mess up your hormonal balance and thus cause more cysts. My doctor confirmed that diet can have a big impact, but only if you are indeed insuline resistant. Meanwhile, it doesn't hurt to eat an insuline-resistance-diet, it's very healthy anyway! What you should do is try to eat every 3-4 hours or so and make sure you stick to foods with a low glycemic index to avoid insuline spikes. Hope this helps a bit!
 
Hey ladies, DH's SA is tomorrow. We have received conflicting info on how long to abstain. Thoughts?
 
Our clinic gave us something in writing, I just pulled it out: It says no ejaculation for 2-5 days prior. They also told us that smoking or drinking heavily would affect sperm quality, as would very hot showers or hot baths!

Fingers crossed everything comes back fine with the SA :)
 
Think 2 days is enough? Otherwise we would have to move his appt. Theoretically it would be a good test right, since general advice is to BD every other day?
 
Our paperwork says 3-5 days, but you're right, they say to BD every other day so I think two days would be a good indicator. Best of luck Lucy &#128522;
 
Well fx 2 days is enough. I really don't think DH is the problem anyways.

Hey ladies, what should I expect from our first RE appt? I am ready to hit the ground running, lol. Is it just going to be a talking type appt, or will they actually run some tests, take some blood, etc?

Two things I am worried about; one, that they will drag their feet getting started. I don't want to waste anymore cycles than I have to. I imagine he is going to recommend IUI, and if that is the case, I would want to start in September; is that realistic?

Second is how often I am going to have to go. The RE is like 2 hours from my house. I know to be monitored you have to go in for blood; think they would let me get the blood drawn somewhere more local?

I also ordered FertilAid and Ovaboost, and have been researching lifestyle changes to help with PCOS. I really do suspect that is what the doc is going to find.
 
Hey Lucy, not sure how reliable my experiences are as I'm in a different country, but it might help!

When I was under the NHS clinic at my first appointment was talking and an transvaginal ultrasound, blood tests were then done at my local hospital along with an HSG. The tests took place over a couple of months.

Now I'm under a private clinic it's a little different. They do their own blood tests in their labs so I was able to get all that done on the same day as my appointment which is really handy. I think if you have monitored cycles, they will likely be doing ultrasounds so you could expect to go maybe 1-3 times during a cycle.

I know at my clinic patients can start monitored cycles pretty much as soon as they want, so September seems feasible to me, but again it could be different where you are.

Go armed with lots of research and lots of questions!

Hope DH's SA goes well &#128522;
 
So at our first appointment, they took blood samples from both of us to test for all sorts of STDs and hormone levels. I also got a sonogram. We both had to fill out a medical questionnaire, family history, any illnesses, treatments already tried and such.

Otherwise we just came with lots of questions written down. It's so easy to forget things in the heat of the moment! I asked how often I would have to go in as well, and I was told probably once a week on average, so not too bad. I would think starting in September is realistic, but it really depends on how fast your healthcare system is (I'm in Germany where things tend to be relatively fast).

I would also suggest reading up a bit on the different hormones which play a role in fertility so that you can follow any explanations from the doctor more easily. Certainly helped me in our first talk. Good luck!

AFM:
On CD7 today, third clomid tablet of 50mg. Only two days to go now and so far I've been feeling a little more moody perhaps, but well within the manageable range. Hoping it will stay that way! I'm prepared that 50mg might not be enough to make me ovulate, but who knows!
 
Lucy - I've had 2 "first" appointments with 2 different REs as I feel my first RE was not aggressive enough. I'm assuming you've already had your day 3 ovarian reserve / hormone levels checked? If not they will want to do that (estradiol, AMH, fsh, lh, etc). Otherwise it will most likely be an "intake" appointment - getting your full history. They may do a transvaginal ultrasound or may schedule that for a different date. They may also recommend an HSG to make sure your tubes are patent (open / working correctly). I would suggest doing the HSG before starting IUI and most REs will require it.

Whenever I see my RE I write down a list of questions and topics I want to discuss or else I'll forget!

Good luck!
 
Hello, sorry, I've been "away".. currently back in Bangkok.. :) I hope that I won't ovulate before Sunday night, as thats when hubby is arriving... I've spent my days with friends and in the shelter with my kitties, boy I missed them all! I have to find a job when I get back so soon I will have to brush up my CV and probably work on a French version.. If I find a job I will instantly join the health system.. I will aim to start in September, as I would like to stop by Norway (home for me) and Budapest for a wedding in August..

I have been drinking a little bit the past few nights with different friends, I almost never drink, and since its early in the cycle I have just let go a bit,haha :)
 
SA done. Now we wait for the results. I doubt it was a perfect sample; we didn't abstain for quite as long as we prob should have, and the sample was obtained somewhat unconventionally. Ask, we tried the collection condom; you were right, DH said it was extremely uncomfortable and gave up on it. But I really don't think he is the problem, so it probably won't matter.

So all that's left is our RE appt next week. I now regret waiting this long to go. I was naively hoping it would become irrelevant. And now I just want to tell the doc to be aggressive about it, lol. Personally, I would like to go straight to a medicated IUI cycle. Or at the very least the medication. I am starting to doubt whether or not I was even ovulating without the clomid.

In the meantime, since it will be at least one cycle before we can do that, I have decided to live as though I have already been diagnosed with PCOS. In addition to the supplements I ordered, I am also planning to change my diet, cut down on carbs, dairy, etc, and be a little more intentional about exercise. I definitely don't need to lose weight, I think I just need to change what I eat. Will be very interesting to see if that helps. But first we need to use up all the food in the house that doesn't fit the new rules, lol.
 
Ladies, I'm struggling and need somewhere to vent! I don't like sharing marital problems with close friends and family so I guess this is a better place that anywhere. DH lost his job 3.5 months ago. A company is in the process of making him an offer this week but the stress we have endured the last few months is enough to tear our marriage apart. DH has become an uptight, irritable, negative a-hole. I understand it's a result of the situation but I feel like I can't take it anymore. Lately I feel like we truly hate each other. I wake up hating him and go to bed hating him. This will sound selfish but I feel like he has ruined my summer. This time was supposed to be a time to relax and recoup and GET PREGNANT. He is too stressed and irritable to care at all about my well being. Our relationship has become a constant power struggle and shouting match. He won't compromise anymore. I feel like running away. I feel like the man I married is nowhere to be found. Honestly, he was the least sympathetic of anyone after my Turner Syndrome diagnosis last week. I'm at the end of my rope. Please tell me it will get better! In the past when we would argue we would make up and all was well again but lately it seems we aren't getting over it and are both developing major resentments.
 
Hi Ask, that's a tough situation. You are doing the right thing though; sometimes telling friends or family can backfire if word gets back to your DH.

If you aren't able to calmly discuss your feelings with each other, would your hubby be open to counseling? You are dealing with two big things, either of which on their own would put a lot of strain on a marriage, but put them together and you are in a truly tough situation. It sounds to me like you have tried to be sympathetic, but your DH is so focused on his unhappiness that he can't see yours. Sometimes an unbiased third party can help put things in a different perspective.

In the meantime I will pray for your DH to get that job offer, hopefully that will take some of the pressure off ASAP! <3
 
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