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Clomid is a commonly used fertility drug. It works by encouraging your ovaries to ovulate. It is taken by mouth, and is not an injection. It is commonly the first treatment for infertility, regardless of cause... Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, luteal phase defects, ovulatory problems, etc. It can even help your chances if it the man that has fertility problems, because the sperm have more "targets" when the female takes clomid.
If you are going to an reproductive endocrinologist to find out why you are having trouble getting pregnant, you are probably wondering what to expect. And even if you are in the middle of seeing one, you may still be wondering where all the tests are going. Well, it is different for everyone, but here is an example of an average series of appointments with a reproductive endocrinologist.
1) Scheduling the New Patient Appointment with the Reproductive Endocrinologist: This can take a long time to get in to the clinic, so don't put off scheduling it. If you can't get in soon enough, keep calling around different clinics, get on the will-call lists, try academic institutions, and call back... these appointments get cancelled when people get pregnant waiting for the appointment.
Continue reading "Reproductive Endocrinologist: What To Expect From Your Visit" »
Plum magazine is a new magazine for pregnant women over 35. It is published by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. The name comes from plum meaning 'something especially prized'. There should be free copies in many OBGYN offices, or you can order it. The magazine describes its own contents as: "With topics ranging from birthing plans, prenatal testing, pregnancy myths, and mothering to entertaining, travel, fashion and culture, Plum gives the 35+ mom-to-be the know how and the support she needs throughout her pregnancy and beyond. She will be informed, entertained and moved as she learns about the best healthcare practices, the hottest trends, and the most poignant personal stories."
Continue reading "Plum: Magazine for Pregnant Women over 35" »
Pre-implantion Pregnancy Loss is a cause of recurrent pregnancy loss. One cause is that there is either a problem with the embryo that caused trouble with it implanting. Another common cause is that the endometrium does not provide a good environment for implantation.
Since it is "pre-implantation" pregnancy loss, you often do not actually know that you are pregnant, and may just start your period a little bit late.
The treatment depends on the cause and can include anything from donor sperm, egg or empbryo, surgery, hormonal medications an dimmunotherapy.
Click here for more information.
Preconception.com is a good resource for people trying to get pregnant. I found their article on Trouble Conceiving very interesting and proactive.
Here is a magazine that you don't want to have to subscribe to for very long: Conceive. But it is great idea to stay up to date on issues relating to conception. Seems to have some good topics, such as a three-month guide to getting ready to get pregnant, information about miscarriage, important questions to ask, etc. A fact or myth section is in every issue, which examines common ideas about conception, and explains which ones are or are not accurate.
Stop birth control pills 2 to 3 months before trying to get pregnant.
Check with yours doctor to see if you are up to date on your immunizations. (MMR - Measles, Mumps, Rubella in particular) Your doctor may draw some blood and see that you are immune even if you know you have been vaccinated, to make sure the vaccine was effective.
Check with your doctor about any medical problems you have to see how to best manage them during pregnancy.
Look at your diet and try to have a healthier diet. See a nutritionist if you want or need.
Continue reading "Things To Do To Get Your Body Ready For Pregnancy" »
Molar Pregnancy is such a terrible term, and so is hydatidiform mole, which is another name for a molar pregnancy. A terrible term for a terrible thing. The hydatidiform mole is a mass that develops in the uterus instead of the fetus. Basically it is because of a chromosomal abnormality. It is NOT common and happens in about 1 in 1000 pregnancies. The rate is slightly higher for women over the age of 40 and in Asian countries.
How do I know if I have it?
The latest in fertility tests involve viewing your saliva under the microscope to check for 'ferning' which indicates you are fertile.
Pros: You can re-use it over and over, so cheaper in the long run. Less gross to focus on a bodily fluid other than urine or cervial mucus.
Cons: Must do it first thing in the morning. Slightly more difficult. May not be as reliable.
It is more difficult than peeing on a stick for the urine ovulation tests, but if you start viewing your saliva a week or so before you expect ovulation and then you will be a pro by the time ovulation starts. When you are about to ovulate, your saliva starts to 'fern' from the increase in estrogen. There is nothing magical about the kits, but most of us don't have a microsope around the house, so it is nice to have it all in a kit with instructions.
Click here for a chart that illustrates what the saliva looks like during fertile and non-fertile times.
Implantation bleeding is mild spotting that occurs about a week after ovulation and about a week before you expect your next period. It is bleeding that you actually WANT to have when you are trying to get pregnant. So if you are trying to conceive and are following your cycles, you may be confused by the off-timed bleeding, but don't be dismayed... be encouraged!
We've all done it. That abdominal pain means implantation, when it is actually gas. The recent weight gain is because you must be pregnant and not related to all the cookies you were consuming. Feeling tired must mean you are pregnant... not that you stayed up too late last night.
Well, here are some early signs of pregnancy to add to the things you can look for and obsess about... and maybe it will mean that you are pregnant!
If you haven't started trying to conceive or if you are disappointed that you did not get pregnant this month, make sure and do those things which will be forbidden during pregnancy:
Get a massage. (Can't have one during 1st trimester.)
Drink a glass of wine, or a shot of whiskey... whatever is your pleasure.
Take a hot bath/ soak in a hot-tub.
Go to the sauna.
Get your hair dyed. (Consider going back to natural, since there is debate about getting hair dyed when pregnant.)
There are lots of different answers that you may get to the question: How Often Should You Have Sex When Trying to Get Pregnant?
1) Days 10, 12, and 14 of your menstual cycle if you have a 28 day menstrual cycle. (Day 1 is the first day of your period.)
2) 3 times a week
3) Every day during your most fertile days.
4) Not every day, but every other day in order to allow time for sperm supply to increase.
Here is what that information is based on:
1) Sperm live for 2 and up to 5 days in the female reproductive tract.
2) When you ovulate, the egg is available to be fertilized for 12 and up to 24 hours. (To find out when you ovulate, click here for a calendar method and click here for the temperature method.
Continue reading "How Often Should You Have Sex When Trying to Get Pregnant?" »
There are lots of things to avoid in pregnancy. Alcohol and smoking are pretty well known. Some less well known things are:
1) Avoid saunas, hot tubs, or other things that will elevate your body temperature. (Although appropriate exercise is encouraged.)
2) Many types of fish. (Because of the possibility of mercury poisoning.) Start limiting intake of these fish 3 months prior to trying to conceive. Do not eat Shark, Swordfish, King Mackerel, or Tilefish. For details on safe amounts of other fish click here.
3) Too much Vitamin A. (Can cause birth defects. The amount found in most Prenatal Vitamins is appropriate and is usually also a safer formulation of vitamin A.)
4) Cod liver oil. (You may consider taking this because of the omega-3 content; however, it actually contains a high amount of Vitamin A, so should be avoided.)
Ovulation Kits test how much LH (Luteinizing hormone) is in your urine. This is helpful since the amount of LH increases 1 - 2 days before ovulation. So, it is a marker that ovulation is soon to occur.
There are some really expensive ones that over a hundred dollars and some that are pretty cheap for a few dollars. The cheap ones work fine, but the more expensive one has a digital read and alerts you to your most fertile days. (Thought the cost is high, it is nothing compared to the cost of the kid!) When you buy the expensive one though, you are not done... you still have to buy strips for it, and they aren't cheap either.
You can tell when you ovulated by your body temperature! (Related to hormones released after ovulation.) This is called Basal Body Temperature Monitoring.
1) Obtain mercury thermometer from any pharmacy. (The newer electronic thermometers are usually not accurate enough.)
2) Take your temperature in morning, WHILE YOU ARE STILL IN BED. (Before you get up, use the bathroom, eat or drink.) Record the date and your temperature every morning.
3) A 0.5 degree F rise in temperature usually occurs 1-2 days after ovulation and persist for 10+ days.
The problem is that the temperature does not increase 1-2 days until after ovulation. Which everyone says it is too late then, since the egg is only around for 12-24 hours. Still, it seems like you would give one last try that morning that your temperature was elevated. Also, it seems helpful to know that you should be trying soon before your temperature increases.
Continue reading "When Do I Ovulate? Temperature Monitoring" »
Many home pregnancy tests claim up to 99% accuracy on the first day of the missed period, however, this can be very misleading.
An article at JAMA reports that the best of the early pregnancy tests are only positive for 90% of pregnancies on the first day of the missed period.
Continue reading "Home Pregnancy Tests: Not As Good As They Claim" »
In general, you ovulate 13-15 days before the first day of your next menstrual cycle.
There are lots of ovulation calendars available online. A nice simple one that you don't have to sign up or pay for is found at the March of Dimes website. It calculates your ovulation date and corresponding due date from the first day of your last menstrual period.