Infertility treatments to help women with PCOS conceive
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Now that the myth has been erased (you CAN get pregnant with PCOS) I’ll review the most common fertility treatments used to help women like us fulfill our dream of having children.
Once you decide that you want to try for a family you will need to be evaluated by a Reproductive Endocrinologist (infertility doctor). They are the most experienced when it comes to dealing with infertility treatments, and PCOS in general. They will do a very detailed exam, gather your history, and possibly perform some tests if your previous doctors haven’t already done so (Semen analysis, HSG, etc.)
Once these results are in, they will review your results and discuss a plan of attack, which medications (and or procedures) will benefit you the most.
The most common medications used to help women conceive are ovulation inducing medications such as Clomid and Femara. The purpose of these medications is to help your body produce, mature and release follicles (eggs).
You will first receive a baseline ultrasound, this is ESSENTIAL for women with PCOS as the majority of us already have ovarian cysts. If we were to take this medication while already having cysts, it could cause Ovarian Hyperstimulation which can be extremely serious. Therefore, a baseline ultrasound given before we start these medications to give the doctor an idea of what is there prior to treatment. It is possible to take these medications if you have cysts, it all depends on the size and number… your doctor will make that decision after reviewing the ultrasound results.
The “basic” schedule for the medication is the following:
- Cycle days 3-7 (or 5-9, all depending on your doctors directions) you will take the recommended dosage
- You may be instructed to monitor your ovulation signs (cervical mucus, ovulation pains/twitches, cervix location & height) or to use some Ovulation Predictor tests, however most doctors tell you to simply have timed intercourse during cycle days 12-15 (again, this can vary depending on the doctor and the patient)
NOTE: Clomid has been shown to negatively affect a woman’s cervical mucus, often making it difficult to conceive due to the hostile environment Clomid creates. Stay tuned….I will review a product created specifically, and one that has been clinically proven, to combat this problem and increase your chances of conception while using Clomid.
- On cycle day 21 most women will return to the doctor for a blood test. This test will determine if you ovulated or not, therefore letting the doctor know if the medication worked or not.
If you did not ovulate, the doctor may add additional monitoring (blood work and ultrasounds during the cycle) to see if the current dosage is sufficient. He/she may also add additional medications to the plan (such as injections, I will go over this in the next post). If one is ovulating but does not get pregnant (generally) within 4-5 cycles of using Clomid or Femara, he/she may introduce the injectables and/or an IUI (I’ll go over this as well).
There are a LOT of details that can vary in these medicated cycles…. it all depends on the woman and how she reacts to the medication. Is she having side affects? Is she creating any follicles? Is she ovulating? (or releasing those follicles) These are the points the RE will take into consideration when deciding upon a plan, and whether or not to adjust it. This is just a very general, basic idea of the most common infertility treatment to conceive a child.
Next post…..
Further review of the medications and procedures used to help conceive (HCG trigger shots, Estradiol levels, and injectables).
