My Reproductive Endocrinologist Predicts for me
Apr 01 '00
I have already written a review about infertility, but found this category on Fertility Prediction Methods very interesting. There are several ways to predict when a woman is fertile. I believe the most common is charting your temperature with a basil body thermometer. Other methods are ovulation prediction kits, and checking cervical mucus. Then there are the women who are able to tell when they are fertile just by knowing their bodies. Some women are able to tell when they are about to release an egg by feeling a cramping sensation in their pelvic region.
I have tried all of these methods and none of them worked for me. My body has betrayed me. I started seeing a Reproductive Endocrinologist (RE) after a year and seven months of trying to get pregnant. My RE and I talked about the above methods and he literally told me to forget about them. He said he will take the guess work away from me so I would not have to worry about it anymore. Boy was I relieved!
This is how my RE predicts when I am most fertile. On the first day of my cycle, I call my RE and set up an appointment for the third day of my cycle. On the third day, he does a transvaginal ultrasound to look at my ovaries. What he is looking for this day is to see if I have any residual cysts (left over cysts from my last cycle). If I do not have any residual cysts, he has me take 100mg of Clomid (ovulation induction drug) for the next five days. He has me come back day 15 of my cycle to do another transvaginal ultrasound. During this ultrasound, he looks for any new follicle formation and measures how big they are. A mature follicle will measure from 18mm to 23mm. If I have any follicles in the 18-23 range, I get a human chorionic gonadotropin shot (hCG). This shot will trigger the follicles to rupture on my ovaries-make me ovulate. This will typically happen approximately 24 to 36 hours after the hCG shot. If my follicles do not measure with in the 18-23 range, he will have me come back in another day or two depending on their size. A follicle will normally enlarge by 2mm a day. Once they reach at least 18mm, I get the hCG shot. 24-36 hours after the hCG shot, my RE does an intrauterine insemination (iui) to deposit the semen directly in the uterus, bypassing the cervix all together. Then the following day, he will do a follow-up ultrasound to see if my follicles ruptured. If my follicles ruptured, it means I ovulated. If they did not rupture, he increases the dosage of my Clomid.
The process sounds very confusing, but in essence it is not. Anyone who has been through it knows how uncomplicated it really is!
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
shyann
|
|
Location: Missouri
Reviews written: 20
Trusted by: 21 members
|
|
|
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.