Oh wise women of the IVP, I need your help. On Wednesday, I have a consultation with Dr. Mug about my next steps. He said he thought this should probably be my last natural cycle. Assuming I’m not pregnant this month (which I’m trying to do, though I really hope that I am), what will I do next? What questions should I ask him? What do you think your next step would be? Thanks in advance.
We left our mac charger in our vacation home. I am writing this post on our old PC. When I say old, I mean if I want to scroll down, my computer does this: oh! What’s that lassie? You say you want me to scroll down eh? Therefore you mean you want me to show you the part of the window that isn’t on the screen? Oh boy. I’ll try. Can you help me up, missy? Wow scrolling down is hard. Why are you so demanding? Whew. That was a doosie. What’s that you say? You didn’t just click on a link, did you?
That explains why I don’t have any links on this post. Nor will I be doing photo Friday or uploading my picture of Cakie’s cakecake. If any of you live anywhere in the vicinity of Brooklyn and you have a MacBook charger I could borrow for a day, I’d be much obliged.
As I await your advice and doctor questions, I will try my darndest to get a new charger or find the old one. Now, what will this old biddy of a computer do when I ask her to publish this post. Let’s see…
10 Comments
August 20, 2007 at August 20, 2007
I am not much help in the advice area. Our OB let us go 6 cycles before mentioning Clomid. But Lois was ovulating and very regular, plus she did get pregnant on the first try before the miscarriage, so our OB didn’t want to go into what she would do for women she felt needed fertility related help. I don’t know, maybe we didn’t even get the best advice. It’s funny how cycle 1 on clomid worked.
August 20, 2007 at August 20, 2007
I have no advice, never been through this particular challenge… I wish you the best though …
the voice of your old pc – very funny stuff!
August 21, 2007 at August 21, 2007
I have been reading your blog for a while and loved it. I hope our comment is unnecessary for you.
Our situation is quite similar to yours. I am 35, and I started TTC this year. I had 4 failed natural cycle IUIs, and I have no obvious cause of infertility. I had a consultation with my RE last month.
We are going to continue with natural cycle up to 6-8 cycles, and then we are going to move on to IVF.
Our decision is based on our medical, financial, and age factors.
1) My RE did not push clomid/injectables because I ovulate on my own regularly.
2) Then, my insurance does not cover medicated IUI cycles.
3) Finally, we want to try natural cycle longer because it takes longer to conceive naturally at my age. At the same time, we want to move quickly after the try.
August 21, 2007 at August 21, 2007
We went to very pro-drug doctors, and they had us start on Clomid after our first failed cycle, which is I’m sure what you will do. We did approx. 6-ish cycles on Clomid before we switched the heavy-duty hitters–the injectibles. And this is our 3rd injectible cycle (and our 13th insemination). That seems to usually be the progression of suggestions from docs. Otherwise, have you had an HSG or a sonoHSG done?? If not, the doc would probably suggest that to see if everything’s all clear in there. It’s unpleasant, but checks to make sure things are all working properly!
August 21, 2007 at August 21, 2007
Yeah, first-level fertility meds are probably the recommendation you’ll get. Not that you *need* them. 3 failed IUIs in the scheme of fertility is nothing. But given how much time and money we put into all this, it’s hard not to jump to the next level sometimes. (I know I did.)
He might recommend either 50 mg or 100 mg of Clomid (both reasonable dosages given your age), or maybe Femara instead of Clomid. The chance of Clomid twins is 5-10%, FYI. Ask him about the twins risks for whatever he recommends, since I know you really want a singleton pg. You might also just ask him about OHSS and any other risks/side effects from meds he recommends.
I don’t think there’s any reason for you and your R.E. to consider anything beyond that unless you want to. You might want to ask how many medicated IUIs he’d recommend before he would recommend bringing out the really big guns (injectibles or IVF). My R.E. wanted me to jump to IVF if my 4th IUI didn’t work. I know you’ve said he’s aggressive and you seem more cautious, so you might just want to know when your R.E. is going to try to wheel out the big guns on ya. Not that I’m worried. You know what you are comfortable with.
August 21, 2007 at August 21, 2007
Oh and enjoy the meeting b/c after you have it, you’ll find out you’re already pregnant, I hope!
August 21, 2007 at August 21, 2007
You are welcome to my mac charger for the rest of the summer – would just have to coordinate with D or next door to get into the house.
I feel for you with that PC.
As for the fertility stuff – I am no help because I get panicky and want to try whatever means possible to get results as quickly as possible. I think I went up to 100 clomid pretty darn quickly – but it did work…
August 22, 2007 at August 22, 2007
I agree that Clomid is probably your next best step. You may want to inquire about estrogen supplementation with it (after the clomid doses are finished) as that seems to be the new “thing” in the last couple of years. I’d also consider an HCG trigger, just to help with timing.
Oh, and I’m new to your blog, but a fellow IVP-er, so hi!
August 22, 2007 at August 22, 2007
Thanks, ladies. I knew you wouldn’t let me down.
August 22, 2007 at August 22, 2007
I know I am a bit slow to comment but…I think you should try the Clomid and the HCG trigger shot, if he suggests it.
Injectables are evil but so is crack and the potential is huge.
Was that even helpful?