Clomid and Ovulation

[pippilongsmurfing]

I started my first cycle of Clomid this month, now normally my cycle lasts for 41 days, but now I'm on the Clomid will it change the time I ovulate, or make my cycle shorter (as it's quite long at 41, I thinkmost people are 28-32?).

We are DTD every other day anyway, but just can't really tell the best way to know if and when I'm ovulating or not.

As I sort of have PCOS (no cysts on ovaries, but hormone imbalance) I'm on Metformin, and was told that ovulation sticks wouldn't work for me, but do you think they are worth a try anyway? Or are they just a waste of money?

I'm taking my temp everyday, in the morning at the same time, and checking cervical mucus (eew), but now I don't know if my cycle is still going to be 41 days or if the Clomid will make it different I'm a bit confused!

Who knew making babies was such a military operation!

It all gets a bit stressful really,as my GP says one thing, then the people at the hospital say another?!

Any handy hints/tips most appreciated.

[AttilaTheMeerkat]

Would not use ovulation predictor kits at all and particularly as you are now taking clomid. Waste of money in your case; spend it on something else instead.
Would also refrain from temp charting now and checking cm as its not going to be all that helpful anyway because your cycle is irregular.

Clomid's main and only job is to encourage the ovaries to work harder and is often prescribed to women with the problems you describe. It can markedly affect levels of LH (the OPK reads LH levels and could well give you false readings as a result) so you should be monitored whilst on it.

BTW the cystic follicles associated with PCOS do disappear only to be replaced by further cystic follicles.

You must be monitored now and regularly as well. Blood tests to check your hormone levels and weekly internal ultrasounds are the best way forward now to determine whether clomid is doing what its supposed to. No monitoring is a complete no-no as you will have no idea whether its doing its job or not!.

Are you still seeing the GP, your care now should be primarily under the subfertility dept (you shouldn't be needing to see the GP now and such problems are well outside such a person's remit anyway). You should be seen regularly by these people rather than the GP.

Ensure that you are properly monitored. Ask questions of these people and do not be fobbed off. Ensure too you fully understand why tests are done.

[pippilongsmurfing]

Basically, they've given me 3 cycles worth of Clomid, and told me to take it on days 2-6 of my cycle, and that's it!

It's really hard to get an answer for any of my questions out of them as everytime I go I see a different person, and they are so busy it's like a supermarket checkout type customer experience!

I'm not having bloods done even to check if I have even ovulated!

Should I get onto my GP and discuss??

[MrsHY1]

Hi pippilongsmurfing
I'm using Clomid at the moment for unexplained infertility - my 'natural' cycles range from 30 to 50 days with O happening cd 20 plus. On Clomid my cycles are never longer than 30 days and O moves forward to around cd17/18.
I have PCO - used to have PCOS (that showed in my blood results) but since losing some weight and taking metformin I have the cysts but not the syndrome, if that makes sense?
I was told by my consultant to use OPKs to pinpoint ovulation and so far they have given me a positive each month, corroborated by follicular scanning and BBT. The only false positives I've ever had have been caused by some over zealous peeing (!) - I use the Clearblue smiley face ones and I've had it smile at me twice when the ink has run.
You really ought to be monitored for at least one cycle - if nothing else you need to make sure you're not over-responding as that could do more harm than good. If you can afford it, there are clinics who can scan you privately - at least then with a combo of OPK, BBT and scanning you could feel confident ovulation was taking place?
Good luck xx

[pippilongsmurfing]

After reading all the Clomid/conception posts on Mumsnet, I rang my GP, as the hospital said if I wanted to see the consultant again I'd have to wait until May, and even though it was only 2 questions they couldn't even get a nurse to phone me back with the answers.

So, am going to ask my GP if I should be having blood tests to check that I am Ov'ing, and that the Clomid is working, and see if on one cycle if I can have a scan of my ovaries.

The OB/GYN clinic at my hospital (which is a large well equipped/funded hospital), is really quite poor. The other clincis (neurology, cardiology) that I've had appointments at, everything was explained to me, and I could ask as many questions as I liked.

But at the OB/GYN clinic, they seem really understaffed and very busy, and they don't give you much information, and if you forget to ask something you wanted to whilst you're in there, it's bad luck, you have to wait for the next appt.

Also, you see a different doctor (and I've been going for 2 years!) everytime you go to the OB/GYN clinic, so there is no continuity of care, so you have to start off right from the beginnning with them again, which can be frustrating, as it can take 3 or 4 months for another appointment or more tests, which one of th other doctors already did but they can't find the results, which wastes time, which could be used up for babydancing!

Hopefully my GP (who is very good), will be able to put my mind at rest, and answer the many, many questions the consultant at the hospital didn't seem to have time to.

I'm sure it's because it's second nature to them at the OB/GYN, they deal all day with infertility, but just because they know all about it, they seem to expect the patients to know just as much, which is ridiculous. I keep myself informed of my treatment, but expect to be able to ask questions if I don't understand something.

Sorry for the rant, as you can tell, I am a bit emotional and very frustrated.

Thanks Mumsnetters' for listening and giving me some sound advice :)

[eurochick]

I think in those circs dtd every other day is the best course of action.

I am in a similar position to you with regard to PCOS and do find that ov sticks and temping work well for me. I am now on Letrozole (similar to Clomid) and my consultant has told me to use ov sticks (so that he can time my monitoring scans). I've tried them before and I only ever get one positive per cycle so I know they work for me. I have tried alternatives but I like the smiley face sticks. There is no need to spend ages peering at the line trying to work out how dark it is with those. They are expensive, but simple!

Bizarrely, my first cycle of Letrozole made my cycle longer (I went from oving on days 14-16 to day 20). I am giving it another go on a higher dose this cycle, so we will see what happens.

BTW, I also temp. It doesn't give you any warning as to when you will ovulate but it does indicate when it happened, so you know how many days past ovulation you are. I like it because it lets me know when to expect AF, and I am currently on some other drugs that I can only take after ovulation so temping lets me know when I have laid my egg. Despite my PCOS, my acupuncturist describes my charts as "textbook" so temping can work for people with PCOS.

[pippilongsmurfing]

eurochick, am I correct in thinking that when temp charting, that before ov'ing that the body temp will be lower and then elevate slightly for 3 or so days after ov'ing?

I am defo DTD every other day, as I don't know when I'm ov'ing, so don't want to miss the golden window iyswim?

Also, the FertilityFriend site you told me about, it has a bit about checking cervical mucus.

Sorry if this is TMI, but sometimes mine is watery, but I have never, ever had the stuff they describe as egg white cervical mucus, and I have been pregnant before and did not notice it then either.

Do all women get this EWCM stuff, and is it a vital thing to check for?[bconfused]

Thanks for answering my frantic questions, all this stuff is so stressful, and I'm trying to de-stress as I know stress can be a factor for not conceiving, but it's difficult not to think about it all the time!


I like the sound of the smiley face strips,so think I'm going to try them out.

[eurochick]

Watery CM is considered fertile (along with egg white). Sticky and creamy white CM are not. I do get EWCM but only for one day and I don't spot it every month. I don't know if everyone gets it. I haven't spotted it for the last few cycles (I think I might have had so much swi that I didn't notice it). I found that as I charted on FF I did notice a pattern.

Basically my cycle goes period-dry-sticky-watery-sometimes ewcm-dry-creamy-period. I'd never noticed this pattern before I started logging it!

Smiley face trips are cheaper on Amazon than in Boots!

[pippilongsmurfing]

Oooh, thanks for the tip, I'm off to Amazon me a few smiley face kits!!

Glad to hear watery is good too, as even prior to getting prego before I never ever noticed any EWCM!!