New to INCIID, not so new to PCOS

[tiggerlover2000]

Greetings Ladies and fellow PCOS sufferers! I'm new here, but I've suffered from PCOS most of my adult life. I was just recently diagnosed last year in July when my husband and I finally visited the RE when we realized that things just weren't happening. We have a son, and as we both were only children, we feel that our son deserves to have a sibling. I for one don't want him to feel as alone as I did growing up when there was nobody else to play with.

Since our initial visit to the RE we have been working with him to try and get pregnant. He constantly reminds us that our son was conceived purely by accident, and that he is truly a miracle to even be here. I'm starting to understand that more and more with each passing cycle that ends with AF making her ugly visit. We just recently finished our 4th Clomid Cycle. I'm on the highest dosage that he is willing to prescribe. 100mg Days 3-14. Last cycle we did IUI on Ovulation day, and still no baby.

My question is, to those of you who've been through all 6 Clomid Cycles... what's the next step? Is there a next step? Or is this the last step before IVF? I'm so worried that if we don't get pregnant using Clomid in these next two cycles that it will be the end of the road for us, as we won't be able to pay for IVF, and I don't think we would qualify for the Heart program because we already have a child, as I've read they give preference to couples with no children.

Most people tell me, be happy with what you have. I know I should, but having been an only child, and knowing the loneliness that being an only child brings, I don't want my son to go through that! I never got to experience the "sibling rivalry" that everyone talks about. I never got to experience the secret chats that close sisters share. Even in adulthood, it brings tears to my eyes when I go to a friend's wedding, and their sister or brother share stories of the good times (and bad) that they had growing up. I want to experience that as a parent with the addition of a second child. I just don't feel whole.

I always wanted 3 kids, but honestly, now... with everything happening the way it has, and the costs involved, I'll be very happy with 2. I just want my son to have someone to share experiences with. Thanks for reading.

[Annette]

Hey tiggerlover! I'm surprised I didn't see you posting until now, I'm on here quite a bit! Welcome to INCIID To answer your question about the number of Clomid cycles and what's next, to be honest it really depends on your own personal situation. If you don't ovulate on your own and Clomid has helped you to ovulate, it could be that your eggs aren't maturing quite enough which often happens with PCOSers. If that is the case, your doctor might suggest that you move on to injectibles with IUI so that your eggs can be matured through the use of the injectible medications. In my case, we also have male factor and a blocked fallopian tube so our doctor stopped us at 4 Clomid cycles and said our only chance is IVF. I seem to ovulate on my own without Clomid anyway, so the Clomid was just helping me produce more (but probably immature) eggs.

About the Heart scholarship, I know of a few people personally that received scholarships even with already having one child. It just depends on funding and how many scholarships are able to be given out at any given time. If you think you qualify in all other areas, I would definitely apply.

Good luck to you!! When do you think you will do your 5th IUI cycle?

[lpayne]

Hi Trigger Lover,
I am new to both PCOS and INCIID. I was on Clomid for 6 months and then they switched me to a shot called follistim with IUI. I had no success so I went to a Fertility Specialist and just found out I had PCOS. So there are other options out there before IVF. Good Luck to you!!

[melissam1117]

I am new to this I was on clomid for 6 months and no baby. How do you know if you dont have mature eggs or not.

[Annette]

Of course I'm not a doctor, but I think one way they can tell is by ultrasound, like the size of the follicles. Although when I had my IVF's, they said they couldn't tell me how many eggs were mature until they looked at them under the microscope after they were retrieved.

[tiggerlover2000]

Wow... I was beginning to think nobody talked here! I kept seeing the number of visitors climbing, but no answers!

We just finished round 5 of clomid. again we did IUI, and according to my RE, he said everything looked great. My hormones are great, my follicles looked great, everything looked beautiful. He says its only a matter of time. He did explain to me that there are many things that can go wrong with ovulation. The follicle could be empty, egg could be immature, it could be dead, it could shoot off in another direction and miss the fallopian tube, or even with IUI, the sperm could go all in the opposite tube of the side that is ovulating, or they could miss the tubes all together. There are still so many variables. unfortunately at the end of round 5 we lost our health insurance, and so we have to stop for a bit. DH found a new better paying job, with greater opportunities than the old one, and because of that we are in a 90 day waiting period for the new insurance kick in. Less than 60 days left. He wanted to put me on birth control, but I declined. I figured it happened naturally the first time. Maybe it'll happen again... he tried talking me into it telling me DS was surely a miracle, and we have no chance in getting pregnant on our own, but BC would seal that deal! He wants me to come in if I don't have AF by CD 40.

[Annette]

Do you know what your new health insurance will cover? After your 90-day waiting period, will you do another IUI?

[tiggerlover2000]

No I don't know what, if anything, is covered. My old insurance company covered absolutely nothing labeled "fertility." That included, meds, shots, IUIs, etc. They did cover all of my ultrasounds. But they would not cover tests like estrogen and other hormone checks, but they did cover all my initial blood tests, such as auto-immune diseases, insulin, etc... (the "medically necessary" tests)

So I'm used to paying for all the appointments now out of pocket, but I know if we have to take the next step it will be out because I know we cant afford $1200 for the injectables, on top of all the other out of pocket expenses!

I think we will continue to do IUIs because our post coital test was poor a few cycles back. Plus it gives me peace of mind knowing that my cervix is one less obstacle the swimmers have to go through!

[lpayne]

So I was on clomid and no baby, I then went to see a specialist and they diagnosed me with PCOS. I just started taking metformin and I was wondering if there was anyone else that has taken this medication and had success.

[Annette]

I have heard that metformin can be really helpful for success, it helps regulate insulin which in turn helps ovulation to happen more regularly. I have been taking it for about 10 years, I actually detected my glucose intolerance before the PCOS was discovered. I have other infertility issues so unfortunately metformin alone hasn't helped me in being successful but it could definitely happen for you because I have heard of other people where that's all they took and they got pregnant. Good luck to you!!

[Annette]

Is your doctor going to induce AF if it doesn't happen by CD40?

[tiggerlover2000]

I would assume a pregnancy test would be first... afterwards I would assume that would be the plan... on my last break I had a leftover script for provera from my OB, so I filled it and used it. My RE was furious! He said without monitoring that can be dangerous. I told him I took an HPT before taking the provera, but thats not good enough for him, he wants blood... :-/ After that, I had another period on my own at 34 cycle days.

I've been feeling crampy the last couple of days, so I'm hoping that means my ovaries are doing something!

[Annette]

So it sounds like your doctor wants to do a blood pregnancy test first before inducing with Provera. As I recall my doctor did the same thing with me, I guess it's standard procedure. What CD are you at right now?

[Annette]

But lets hope that there's something going on in there and there won't be a need to induce!!

[tiggerlover2000]

Okay, not sure what happened to your posts on here. I had to go to your posting history to read comments...

I'm at the end of CD17, which is the usual time I ovulate on Clomid, but I've also had HCG triggers following my ultrasound that show the follicle is ready... I've tried OPKs in the past but they don't seem to work for me. I can have dark ones for days in a row. So either I'm not reading them right, or I'm in the small percentage that they dont work on.

Only thing I have found to be somewhat accurate is paying attention to my body's signals, which I am still learning to interpret. Cramps are usually consistent with ovulation now... so we shall see!!!