Clomid thread 2019

[Bear88]

Hi all,

Am about to start my Clomid journey and reading through the 2018 Clomid thread this is what I'm looking for. It's extremely difficult to talk about the issues with people who don't actually understand them so if anyone wants to join in the more the merrier!

I'm 30
TTC #1
Cycle #?? Been trying for 5 years
Have mild Prolactinoma
Taking daily 1mg Bromocriptine for tumour
Just been given 3 months of Clomid
Am also slightly overweight but have never ovulated.

@Seven201 this month I got my positive opk super early CD12am, so we didn’t manage to abstain for that long, but we had only done it once prior to it, so hopefully it won’t affect our chances.

Also that’s why I opk test twice per day, my surge is quite short so didn’t want to miss it.

My consultant just said to dtd every 48 hours. We dtd the night before the positive opk and then for the two nights afterwards. I guess time will tell...

I'm trying not to get my hope's up just because I got a positive OPK. I need to keep my expectations in check.

@pinktruffle, I always get positive opk’s even though the Drs told me I wasn’t ovulating.

You can guess at my frustration when I told them I had positive opk’s, a regularish period (every 26-32 days), and even had an increase in BBT which correlated with the opk’s yet was told I wasn’t ovulating. (This was when trying for DD and I had a different Dr).

It’s really had when you’re in the dark. I do kinda wish they’d offered me monitored cycles, but never was and still haven’t.

It’s even more frustrating considering my Dr is this guy . Professor Kingsland is the founder and clinical director of care fertility and the Hewitt centre at Liverpool women’s hospital. He’s been on the media loads of times and is a professor in reproductive medicine at edge hill University.

I’m guessing the lack of monitoring is down the the funding that my CCG allocate to fertility treatment in my area.

When I tried for DD we were going to go for ivf and I got funding approval for x2 cycles of IVF, but as the clomid worked, we lost that and can’t apply again as we now have DD. Also my local CCG only funds 1 round now for couples with no living children, so it’s got tighter in the last 2 years.

If it gets to ivf this time we’ll have to fund it ourselves.

We're in a similar situation @doomkittycleo. I live near London and the best price I've found is about £6k for a cycle including embryo freezing of any remaining viable embryos. That's assuming everything goes smoothly of course, OHSS would mean an extra £2k ish

Thank you @doomkittycleo

@Marmite83 have you hear of ABC fertility? I'm not sure if you'd meet the criteria or not though. It's newish and a sort of show box approach where everything is less personalised. Like the easyJet of ivf! They only take on straightforward patients though. My friend just had a cycle with them, which sadly didn't work, but she liked the clinic. She'd had two previous cycles at one of the big London hospitals.

My consultant said I could either go straight for ivf (I'd have to pay as I have a dd) or try and have my tube unblocked. Whilst I'm waiting for that I'm trying the clomid. I still don't know if we've made the right decision as I'm quite impatient so maybe should have gone for the ivf ASAP. So hard to decide these things.

@seven201, ABC aren't an option for me unfortunately, thank you though.

How’s everyone doing? I’m 9dpo now and it’s really dragging.

I’m determined not to test early this month as the bfn’s were too upsetting last time. Maybe I’ll test 1 day before af cus it’s my birthday the day before af is due so at least I’ll be able to have a drink if it’s a bfn.

DD has a fever this afternoon too, so she’s gone for an early nap and I’m feeling a little off colour myself.

Anyone got any nice plans this weekend?

I'm currently 4dpo so got quite a long way to go yet. I guess the question is, would it ruin your birthday if you got a bfn @doomkittycleo? I don't really have anything planned for the weekend, the weather doesn't look great where I am so I'll probably try to get some bits done around the house and maybe a play date or soft play with my dd. Trying not to spend too much money atm as we're saving for IVF. Went to an IVF clinic open evening on Tuesday and I really liked the vibe I got there so we're going to book the initial consultation I think, that's when the costs start rolling in! Hope you're both feeling better soon!

Hope you and DD feel better soon @doomkittycleo.

I'm 2 DPO so no chance of me finding out if I can have a drink on my birthday which next week. I'm actually near-total and have been for nearly 16 years (other than the one drink I had on our first wedding anniversary) but due to this whole process, I'm feeling more and more like I just need to go out and get totally sloshed one day. Maybe if I get a BFP this time, DH and I can do a late birthday celebration/commiseration

@Marmite83 I think I’d get over a bfn if I had a couple of glasses of wine in me 😊.

@Pinktruffle DP and I go with a little and often approach when it comes to alcohol. Much safer to have 1-2 drinks once or twice a week, than a bender once in a blue moon.

That was meant to say 'if I get a BFN...' I need to stop posting on my phone, always make typos.

I don't drink at all so if I do, one or two drinks is all I need to act like it's a bender! It goes straight to my head

I'm on cd 10. Opk is nowhere near positive yet, only the tiniest hint of a second line. I'm really intrigued and impatient to see when I'll ovulate. I read it's meant to be between 5 and 9 days after taking your last pill, so soon hopefully. And I've been enjoying less sex, as would have done it tonight on our old regime, for want of a better word!

@Pinktruffle oh dear, it sounds as though you’re not a good drinker anyway. That’s probably not a bad thing as it’ll be easier when you do get that elusive bfp and have to give up for 9 months 😊.

@Seven201 my first month on clomid I got really anxious as I started testing CD9 and didn’t get a positive opk until CD16, then this month it went positive on CD12.

It’s so hard when the goal posts move so much from one cycle to another (which I’ve found much more so on clomid). Hopefully you’ll get your positive opk soon enough.

@doomkittycleo thank you, that's really useful to know.

I hate the waiting period PO. But I'm the same with alcohol, if I know I'm not pregnant and the frustrations are too much I will drink a little. It's slightly annoying when potential nights out fall before this point! Right now I am on day 45 of my cycle, apparently, 28 dpo, if the test was correct, which it obviously couldn't have been. My period is nowhere in sight! I'm frustrated beyond words. I just want it to appear so that I can start a new cycle of chlomid! On the plus side I've been able to drink guilt free for the past 17 days!

Oh gosh @papercottage that’s so annoying. I hope you get some answers soon. TBH after TTC DD for 2 years I just drink when I feel like it, and will continue to until I get a bfp to tell me otherwise. I only ever have a small amount, so as long as I stop the minute I know otherwise I’m sure all will be fine.

It’s not like I’ll get to the point of being more than 1 day late without doing a test.

@Papercottage so annoying! I've had a few cycles like that, the ones that feel like they never never end!

I have the occasional glass of wine at home but do really like having a couple of glasses if I'm out. Problem is I'm quite a lightweight so if I'm in the two week wait I've been limiting myself to one glass if I'm out. I think I might sack that off soon as it's been a year and a half of limiting myself for no results!

@Seven201 exactly, life can’t stop just cus we’re TTC for some people it ends up being years and years. I try to carry on as normal as possible for my own sanity.

I haven't felt normal in 2 years! Possibly adding to the stress levels and certainly not helping. My options are now limited to 4 more cycles only. In order to manage my stress and anxiety, I've been advised to seek counselling!
It is also a great help sharing with you lovely people! What is your top tip for staying positive?

@Papercottage I’m not positive lol, I sit moping to DP about how I don’t believe it’s gonna happen again and how I’m a rubbish mum to DD anyway .

But I guess experience is where I’ve learned to manage my expectations. With every bfn I used to get disappointed, but now I expect the bfn and if it’s any different it’s a bonus.

My sanity wasn’t that great to begin with, I’ve had anxiety and imposter syndrome for years anyway before TTC.

I guess deep down I know if I could conceive DD, I should be able to do it again. But it’s hard when months go by and nothing happens.

@doomkittycleo Thank you for sharing, I feel somewhat similar, i already have a 5 year old and then miscarried a year ago. I know it's possible, I just feel drained. I expect negatives too!
I keep going but think I'm going to crack up at some point, my tip is to keep talking but there's only so much advice people can give.

It's really fuckingn hard. I'm a bit of a rollercoaster - sometimes I'm quite positive but other times just so so pissed off with it all. I too expect bfn. A year and a half ago I used to get my hopes up when end of cycle was approaching, but now I just wait for my period. As my cycles are weird now sometimes I do end up doing a pregnancy test just so I know if I can get a bit drunk!! In January I was really low and properly worried about my mental health. I was on a downward spiral. I downloaded meditating apps and started going for a walk in the evenings. I think I'm the kind of person who bottles things up and then it comes to a head and then I'm 'ok' again. I felt really depressed on cd 5 and 6 this month on the clomid. I just wanted to cry in bed all day. I think that was the clomid though. I think you need to cope however works best for you. I hate talking about myself in person, so this place is great for me.

@seven201 thank you for sharing, I don't wish feeling like this on anyone but it's bloody great to know you're not alone. I've thought about meditation, I might give it a go. What app did you use? Clomid can cause so many side effects, for me dizziness and hot flushes! I double my dose next cycle which means double the side effects! I think knowing that the chemicals in our bodies (clomid) are causing us to be different to usual, gives us something to blame and understand.
We must look after our mental health, this group helps a lot.

Me and hubby decided not to tell anyone what is going on and I limit what I talk to him about as stress can impact his performance (if you know what I mean ). I've really struggled with holding myself together, however I've started swimming daily and it's made such a difference. I'm less stressed and sleeping better (clomid side effect) it also makes me feel as I have some control as I do need to lose weight if we do get to the IVF stage. Currently 7dpo on cycle 2.