Hope this helps others TTC

[PGTips83]

Hi ladies,

I wanted to share what's just happened, in case it helps others to get pregnant more quickly.

I just went to my gynaecologist and told him I've been TTC, but not for very long. He whipped me up on the bed for a vaginal ultrasound scan and said my cervix looks great (tmi???) but that my ovaries aren't producing quality eggs. He said it was good that I'd come because I could've been trying to years... it's not impossible for me to get pregnant but he's saying it could take its sweet time.

I was actually hoping I was already pregnant, but it turns out I've been tricking myself. Silly me...

He's prescribed Clomid to me and said that most people with this problem that take this medicine get pregnant within a month! Okay, that's quite a bold statement, so we'll have to see on that front...!

Honestly, I'm still a bit in shock that there's actually something up with my ovaries, I just kinda assumed everything would be fine. So, if you haven't done it yet and you're wondering why you're not pregnant - GO and get checked! Just in case. I feel like I could've just saved myself years of waiting. Well, let's see what this Clomid actually does for me first, but at least I know...

Fingers crossed you guys don't have the same, but if you do there is hope!

How did you get a gynaecologist appt???! I've been to my gp 3 times in the last 6 months and they still won't even give me a blood test??!

This is a strange post... are you in the U.K.?

I'm struggling to understand how he could tell that you weren't producing good quality eggs just by looking at your ovaries. That doesn't make sense to me but perhaps I'm missing something. Clomid didn't work for me so not always the miracle drug and as far as I know clomid helps ovulation, not egg quality. Was this a private appointment or via the NHS?

I too find this odd. Clomid is prescribed to help women who don't ovulate.

Agree with pp who asked how he could tell the quality of your eggs?!

Well spotted, FrowningFlamingo! No, I'm in Belgium but I'm British. It's true that the health system is much faster here, but I paid for it privately (100 euros for the appointment, scan and tablets) and will get the money reimbursed through the system in a few months. So you see there are good and bad points to different countries.

But, I've seen this gynaecologist even before I was living in Belgium (I used to come here for work from the UK), because I knew it would be much faster than on the NHS. So if you're not being listened to in the UK, it is possible to get answers elsewhere if you pay. At least in Belgium, you don't have to be living here to do it.

I booked the appointment, saw him, had the diagnosis and got the meds - all today! So if you get tired of waiting and fancy a trip to Brussels you can do it for about 100 euros. I'm not saying you should, and maybe staying with your doctor is better, I'm simply stating that other options do exist.

WelshMammy - It's the corpus luteum left in your ovary after ovulation that the gyno can see. Hands up right now I'm noooo expert on this, (I've been learning a lot today!) BUT, something like: once an egg leaves the ovary, it leaves something behind called a corpus luteum. A healthy egg will leave behind something that looks different to an unhealthy or damaged egg. So from those traces I guess they can tell.

Also WelshMammy, did you have any side effects from Clomid? Are you on something different now?

Anyway, I don't know lots about this. But I AM glad that I found out now and can start doing something about it.

One thing that had been happening was spotting during my cycle, which is apparently one of the tell-tale signs of "weak" ovulation. In case that helps anyone!

Also, I just did a quick google and Clomid seems to often be prescribed for weak/low quality ovulation. I guess it does different things?? I'm no doctor! :)

I've never heard of Clomid improving egg quality.

...My post was really just to help other ladies out who might not have had a pre-conception check up. Main message: go get checked if you haven't!

The post wasn't really to debate whether my gyno was right in what he was prescribing me. But on that point, I've just re-read my post from before and maybe I should be saying that my ovulation is poor quality, rather than my eggs. It's that the corpus luteum left behind from the egg is crap - whatever that means. And whether that's the egg or the ovulation process - beats me. Maybe I should've asked more questions for you guys ;)

Clomiphene - which is what Clomid is - is used to improve quality of eggs:

Clomiphene - This fertility medication works by stimulating the pituitary gland. This causes the pituitary to release more FSH and LH, which in turn helps stimulate the egg follicles resulting in improved egg production and ovulation.

www.fertilityfactor.com/infertility_egg_quality.html