steering fertility treatment to have multiples?

perry7285

hi everyone,

my husband and i will be trying to conceive using clomid soon (i'm totally infertile without it) and it might be a good thing for us to have twins (i confess i'd be excited about triplets too) since for a variety of reasons this might be my only pregnancy. the problem is that it's not like we get to pick how many eggs fertilize, the best we can do is try to pick the number of eggs we want to use and target the clomid dose accordingly. did any of you try to induce your multiples with fertility treatments, and do you have any advice on how to do this without accidentally ending up with sextuplets?

thanks for any advice!

tmp-56639375003849

Best of luck! I would think you would not want to try to have more than twins since you would want the safest pregnancy. Is IVF and option and then you can control the amount of embryos?

mmbench

Ooh - be prepared for the comments you'll get.  With all the complications a multiple pregnancy brings, very few of us would "try" for multiples.  Just do what you need to in order to get *one* healthy baby.

 

perry7285

yeah, rationally i know that it's a bad idea medically to have more than twins, that's just my emotional side talking. (i've always wanted to have three kids so it's hard to accept that that might not work out.) anyway, i know that my doctor will have to give the final word on what's a good and safe idea, i was just curious if any of you guys had similar situations. thanks for any thoughts!

MandieSueM

Good luck!

MNheidi

You need to do more research on what multiples mean to your health as well as health of your young babies. 

If you're truly hoping to use your infertility treatment to create an instant family (which seems like a crazy thing to do imo), I'd talk to your RE about moving straight to IVF.  IVF is the treatment w/ the best control.

good luck

stillhoping

Okay I am going to play devils advocate here, because that is what I do best

Just recently, within the past two weeks a beloved nestie lost her twins after they were born at 24 weeks due to being a multiple pregnancy. 

 

There has never been a triplet pregnancy that goes to term, your babies will be premature, which brings the possibility of many issues. One triplet mom to be from the bump died on the operating table while giving birth. And I know many triplet moms who have children with severe disabilites.

Have one baby, that is what was meant to be and with clomid you do not pick your eggs and how many implant, clomid has a chance of twins or triplets (rare with triplets) 

 

the more I type the more I say mud. Go to tripletconncetion.org and read the breavment board or the special needs board and then ask yourself do you  want a baby or do you want the attention that comes along with a multiple pregnancy. 

macchiatto

"Even" twins brings with it lots of complications and risks for you and your babies. I would not try for multiples. If you want to, talk to your RE about it, as others have recommended.

RobynK

Ditto what others said.  Also, the dose of clomid doesn't "help" you have multiples.  There are ladies on the lowest dose that get pg with triplets and ladies on the highest that don't get pg. 

You should honestly research the risk of multiples a lot more before you move forward.  It's a heck of a lot more than "I want three kids".  Carrying more than one baby is not what your body was made for -- stick to one if you can.

Partyof6?

When you go through fertility treatments you need to be prepared for the possibility of multiples - but you do not go through treatments wanting or expecting multiples.  So many things can happen, and it has nothing to do with the dosages of the drugs you are using.  Your doctor is not going to try to gear your meds so you will have twins or triplets, unless you are going to the same doctor the Octomom went to.   

I don't think anyone on this board who dealt with IF expected multiples as a result.  It's kind of insulting, and sorry, but this is the reason why IF treatments get a bad reputation. 

gymrat

Oh sure...I was on 50mg of clomid, trigger shot and did timed intercourse. I had 2 eggs ready to pop at my monitoring ultrasound.

I got PG with triplets, lost one of the babies between 9-12wks, was put on hospital bedrest at 24 1/2 wks and gave birth to my premature twins at 26wks, 6 days. We spent the summer going back and forth to the NICU (54 days for my son, 89 for my daughter). 

So yes, it is possible to conceive multiples on clomid but be careful what you wish for. 

ETA: And I consider my story to be one of the happier ones.

april062604

i went through IF and used injectibles to get pregnant, clomid didn't work for me. ?i was monitored very closely and still got PG with twins. ?the goal is to help the patient get pregnant with one baby, but we knew the increased risk of multiples and we're overjoyed with our twins. ?that said...it was a very rough pregnancy, i went into pre-term labor at 19 weeks and was on bedrest till i delivered very very very early at 26w1d. ?my children spent 80 and 88 days in the nicu. being a twin mommy is very special and very exciting,but the pregnancy is high risk and a triplet gestation is even higher risk.?

Temp159135562506975

i think everyone else has said it well on here.... do not try for multiples. Try to get pregnant - and let God decide what is right for you.

Make sure you are monitored on clomid - never do it without monitoring - not only b/c you can hyperstimulate and be an octomom - but because it can ruin your uterine lining and cause cysts, too.

I got pg with my son on 100mg clomid + IUI + trigger. I had one mature egg on IUI day.  My twins were concieved with the same protocol.  I had 2  mature eggs on IUI day. 

while i am thrilled to have twins- it scares the hell out of me every minute, too - as others have siad- your body is not meant to carry more than one baby- so adding even one more to the mix creates many issues and medical worries.

I have seen far too many twin and triplet moms on here and IRL lose babies before they are born and after.  Many end up on hospital bed rest for months... and their babies end up in the NICU for months on end - often to leave with life long disabilities.  It's not something to play around with.

Best of luck to you in your IF journey.  Be optimistic and be responsible.

BelleBaby

I don't know about picking the # of embies that fertilize and stick.  Most REs are going to tell you that their goal for a pregnancy is 1 baby.  They really don't shoot for twins, triplets, etc. because of the higher risk to the mothers and babies. 

I'm currently 31w3d with twin boys and it is NOT easy.  I understand where you're coming from though because I wouldn't have been able to get pg without IVF (I only responded 1 month out of 5 to clomid).  Just keep in mind the extra issues you will have to deal with being pg with multiples. 

Good luck. 

 

Empwr

Multiple births can be very complicated and sometimes have very sad outcomes. I would say do what you can to try and have one healthy baby. If you get 2 then great:) I wish you best of luck starting your family. All the other moms advice is very true. If you want more kids and cant have them there are plenty of children out there without homes that would love to be adopted.

pea-kay

a triplet pregnancy is not fun, it's terrifying. and i had an easy pregnancy! i do wish you the best of luck getting pregnant, though.

FaeryStarGazer

Goldie_Locks_5:

i think everyone else has said it well on here.... do not try for multiples. Try to get pregnant - and let God decide what is right for you.

I  really really want to say something totally arsehole about this but I like way to many people here to piss them off that much.

But yea, instead, I'll just say don't be fuckingstupid. Be glad IF you get one child, and be thankful.

wndrwmn1998

FaeryStarGazer:

Goldie_Locks_5:

i think everyone else has said it well on here.... do not try for multiples. Try to get pregnant - and let God decide what is right for you.

I  really really want to say something totally arsehole about this but I like way to many people here to piss them off that much.

But yea, instead, I'll just say don't be fuckingstupid. Be glad IF you get one child, and be thankful.

perry7285

thanks for the thoughts guys. don't worry that i'll actually shoot for triplets . . . like i said in my second post, i know that that's irrational--although these posts have helped me to realize that it's REALLY irrational!

i actually have done a lot of reading/research on multiples ever since i started thinking about this, but of course some things you read are a lot more optimistic than others, so it's easy to hear what you want to hear. hearing your guys personal stories made it hit home a lot more what the risks are. i was prepared for the fact that a multiple pregnancy would completely suck and involve miserable things like bedrest, but you guys are right that i should be worrying more about having an unhealthy baby.

thanks again for the thoughts.

 

Tammy06

I can understand someone, who as a child didn't wish for twin babies, at least I did.

I never in a million thought it would happen, nor when we started fertility was that a goal, in fertility the goal is ONE baby, no more. The extra eggs are too up your chances of that one. I had 3 follicle, two which my doc thought would never release and just one leading one. So, I was shocked at the twins, they aren't identical, so they came from two eggs. I was scared and excited. Celebs make the twins so IN right now it seems, and make it look too easy.

It's hard, the pregnancy, the symtoms, the delivery, and twins in general. It is wonderful. I am glad I had twins, and they are wonderful, but they were born 2 months early, thankfully they were strong and only stayed in NICU for 19 days. Two weeks prior I had pre term contrations, had to be in for 5 days on Magneisium, which is awful, then strict bedrest, only my surprise to deliver at 32 weeks bc of Severe Pre E and Hellp, I wouldn't have lived to my due date, they had to be out right then. You never know with twins, it's can be a easy pregnancy, or can be like the majority and have dangerous complications.

Try for one and see what happens. You wouldn't want to be shooting for twins or more, and have them, and have a neg outcome. I at least wouldn't want the guilt of knowing I helped my babies be in the NICU hooked up to many scary machines, and watch their tiny bodies fight to live.

Good luck and wish you the best.