PCOS and Donor AI

[Rockhopper81]

Hi,

Not sure if this is the right forum, or whether Donor Conception/Parenting is more appropriate?

I have PCOS - irregular cycles, I'm not sure I ovulate regularly at all. My PCOS was diagnosed from a scan about 10 years ago - told there were cysts on both ovaries - and nothing has been done/looked into since then.

I'm now at the stage of life where I feel it's time to be a single parent through donor AI - I don't feel I 'need' a partner to have a child and would rather be a parent alone than not at all.

Now, I am looking at known donor insemination at the moment and have a donor 'lined up' (for want of a better way of wording it). Obviously, if I was ovulating and had a regular cycle, I would be looking at at-home insemination, as that would be the least stressful for me (and, in all honesty, the cheapest option too).

Could my GP prescribe mediation to make me ovulate? I've read conflicting advice on whether GPs will prescribe Clomid or not...

(As an aside, when I first brought this up with my GP, they said they would do what they could to help through the NHS to help with costs - blood tests etc. I have accepted the fact there will be some financial outlay of course, but anywhere money can be saved is always a bonus).

If they won't, would a private infertility clinic prescribe me drugs to aid ovulation, without ICI/IVF cycles initially? I won't qualify for any appointments on the NHS as I'm single.

Has anybody been in this - or a similar - situation?

Any advice or information would be gratefully received - thanks in advance.

[Persipan]

I would be very wary of using clomid unmonitored; you really need someone keeping an eye on how many follicles are developing or multiples are a risk. Why not have a chat with your GP first, to see if there's anything they can do to assist, and then maybe go along to a clinic to explore your options?

The other thing to be aware of, if you're using a known donor, is that if you do it at home then legally the donor would be considered the father of any child you conceive. Even if your donor currently isn't interested in this, they could revisit it later. Whereas, going through a clinic, the situation would be a little clearer legally.

Depending on your age and other factors you might be eligible to be an egg share donor, if this is something that would interest you? This would mean donating half your eggs from an IVF cycle, and in return getting free or significantly reduced treatment yourself. Obviously, it's a big commitment, but it might be something to explore.

Good luck!

[broodynmoody]

GPs normally won't prescribe clomid and you'd very lucky indeed if you got one that did.
I would suggest doing it privately. You will have to pay the initial consultation, scans and then monitoring while on clomid but it's best to be safe.

[UppityHumpty]

Clomid is usually prescribed by a gaene and tends to be on the NHS for women with PCOS. They can also recommend Metformin - your GP can't actually prescribe it for pcos without their recommendation.

[Rockhopper81]

Thanks for your replies - I think making an appointment with the GP for another chat and then going from there is the best option.

I am unfortunately ineligible for egg sharing - I am already 35 and my BMI would likely be too high (I'm working on this currently). It's a shame, as I would be interested in egg sharing.

I think I'll also contact a clinic and see what they have to say - it can't hurt.

I don't think I could be prescribed Clomid on the NHS via a gynaecologist, as I'm not in a relationship?