New Girl on the Block

runnerchick4life

Hey Ladies! I just found this board, and it is just what I am looking for. I am 26 years old and my DH is 26 also. We have been ttc for over 2 years. I finally talked with my obgyn. I have unexplained infertility. Last month was my first round of Clomid. I am starting my second round today. I know we are still young, but so incredibly frustrated. I need your community and support. I will also offer community and support to you ladies. Thanks for welcoming me to your group! Much love!

twomommiestobe

Welcome! You will love the support here. I think "unexplained" is the worst! You feel like you don't know what to do to fix it. But hang in there there are still lots of things you can do to help. Are you temping? Has the dr given you a plan? Ask all the questions you need, this board is amazing bc there is no judgement

runnerchick4life

Thank you so much for your encouragement!! I am taking 50mg of clomid cd 5-9. It gives me the worst admonial pain in the world. I just knew last month would be the month. I am extremely new to all of this. What is temping? My doctor prescribed 3 months of clomid and wants me back in November for a follow up and to see where to go from there is it doesn't work. 

I am clueless! And just want a baby! Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support.

twomommiestobe

I do not know how different drugs affect your bbt maybe one of the veterans can help. You measure your bbt, basal body temperature, to find your exact day of ovulation. It measures the spikes and drops of your temperature throughout your cycle, it is amazing! The book taking charge of your fertility is a great resource or you can search the ttgp board for bbt and prob find great info as well. Also, I know most people here use the app fertility friend to keep up with everything. I recommend the mabis thermometer, about $8 on amazon and it was a lifesaver. Using that, I found out I was never ovulating. Again, I am not sure if any fertility drugs affects your temps, but I am sure someone else can help with that

runnerchick4life

You are awesome!! Thanks you!

misshopeful1

@runnerchick4life wish you luck! I have the same darn diagnosis. I'm 32, DH is 29 and we've been TTC over 3 years. I'm trying to get meds changed after 7 unsuccessful cycles of femara. 6 will be TI and 1 IUI.
We're a smart and helpful group and can give insight when needed.
Take care!

riveridgional

@runnerchick4life Welcome and I hope this round is successful! It's really best to be monitored closely through ultrasound and bloodwork while taking Clomid to ensure your personal health and increase your chance of pregnancy. The big concern safety-wise is taking Clomid with an ovarian cyst. Other than that monitoring can help you pinpoint ovulation and ensure you are responding appropriately to the medication (producing mature follicles and your lining is unaffected). Big, negative side effects of Clomid are reduced cervical mucus (what allows the sperm to travel and survive) and thinned uterine lining. While not always, these can frequently go hand in hand, at least according to my RE. I wasn't monitored by my OB when I did 2 rounds of Clomid and it turns out Clomid did nothing but hurt my chances of pregnancy. I found this out on my 3rd cycle when I was monitored by my RE. I ovulate on my own, but even on 100 mg Clomid, I still only produced 1 follicle. Also, it thinned my lining (on my natural, monitored cycle, it was 9.4 on CD 13 but only 5.2 or 5.3 on CD 13 of Clomid). I think I'm a rare case in not responding any better, but thinned lining is a pretty common side effect.

So, basically, I do recommend monitoring while on Clomid. I also understand, however, that money can limit an ability to see an RE and sometimes you just need to measure your risks and benefits. So, if you cannot be monitored, I highly recommend purchasing a BBT thermometer as PP stated (a normal thermometer won't be specific enough because you need 2 decimal points to truly see fluctuations in temperature). Take your temperature every morning at the same time and before getting out of bed or drinking anything. I kept mine on the nightstand, would roll over, and pop it in trying not to fall back asleep!! I used fertility friend app, which is useful in helping you identify your day of ovulation. While actually taking Clomid, your temp will likely be higher than normal but should drop down about 2 or 3 days after the last pill. Your day of ovulation is the last day of a lower temperature before it rises. Three sustained temperatures is needed to confirm ovulation. Once you do it for a while and, if it turns out you are regular within a few days, you can usually have a strong hunch of your ovulation date before it is confirmed 3 days later. This, coupled with monitoring your CM, can really help narrow down the best days to do the deed. Also, it can help you see if you are ovulating or not. If you're not ovulating, you may need a higher dose or to switch to different treatment options. Alternatively, BD'ing every other day of your cycle should also cover all grounds!

This is a lot in one reply, so feel free to ask me any additional or further questions and I'll do my best to help. I don't get emails from the bump, though I have requested them, so I don't see personal messages very easily. I check these boards pretty regularly though.