Femara stimulation

Infertility treatment options vary depending on the underlying cause of infertility, the age of the individuals involved, and their preferences. Here are some common infertility treatment options:

1. Fertility Medications : — Clomiphene Citrate (Clomid) : Stimulates ovulation in women who have irregular or absent ovulation by blocking estrogen receptors. — Letrozole (Femara) : Another medication that stimulates ovulation, often used when Clomid is ineffective. — Gonadotropins : Injectable hormones (FSH and LH) that stimulate the ovaries to produce multiple eggs, often used in conjunction with intrauterine insemination (IUI) or in vitro fertilization (IVF).

2. Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) : — Sperm is washed and concentrated before being placed directly into the uterus around the time of ovulation to increase the chances of fertilization.
3. In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) : — Eggs are retrieved from the ovaries and fertilized with sperm in a laboratory dish. The resulting embryos are then transferred into the uterus. — IVF can involve various techniques such as intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), where a single sperm is injected into an egg, and preimplantation genetic testing (PGT), which screens embryos for genetic abnormalities before transfer.
4. Surgery : — Surgical procedures such as laparoscopy or hysteroscopy may be performed to correct structural issues in the reproductive organs, such as blocked fallopian tubes, endometriosis, or uterine fibroids.
5. Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) : — This term encompasses various advanced techniques used to achieve pregnancy when other methods have failed. It includes treatments like IVF, ICSI, and embryo freezing.
6. Donor Eggs or Sperm : — In cases of severe male infertility or diminished ovarian reserve, using donor eggs or sperm may be an option.
7. Gestational Carrier (Surrogacy) : — A woman carries and gives birth to a baby for another individual or couple using their embryo through IVF.
8. Lifestyle Changes and Alternative Therapies : — Making lifestyle changes such as maintaining a healthy weight, quitting smoking, reducing alcohol consumption, and managing stress can sometimes improve fertility. — Alternative therapies like acupuncture and herbal supplements are sometimes used in conjunction with medical treatments, although their effectiveness is not always supported by scientific evidence.
It’s crucial for individuals experiencing infertility to seek guidance from a reproductive endocrinologist or fertility specialist to determine the most appropriate treatment plan based on their specific circumstances. Additionally, counseling and support groups can provide emotional support throughout the infertility journey.

Hi! I apologise for any mistakes, English is not my first language. So… I’m 30 and couple of years ago I got diagnosed with PCOS. My doctor just did an ultrasound, told me I need to lose weight and that I’ll have trouble concieving. That was it. She never mentioned it again (In my country we’re having preventive chechuos every 2-3years).
Years later I found a love of my life and we decided to try for a baby. Currently it’s been 7 months and still nothing. I lost cca 25kg in past 2 years, my body hair got its shit together, my periods were quite regular. 3 months ago I asked for an appointment with my doctor and she told me she can’t do shit unless I’m trying for more than a yeah. Prescribed me some pills(Femara) that would stimulate my ovulations and that was it. No physical check, nothing. In past 4 months my periods were excellent and always on time +-2 days. Soo… this month I should’ve gotten my period last tuesday, but nothing happened. Did a pregnancy test and it was negative. I waited for a week, did it again, same result. But still no period.
I am okay with fact that I didn’t concieve this cycle, really. It’s just that missing period blows my mind atm. I’m still overweight (never ending battle), but I eat quality and diverse food, I am active (bike, hiking, walking), eating all those vitamins and supplements recommended. What else can I do? I’m afraid I don’t do enough even tho I changed my lifestyle a lot. I don’t drink and I stopped smoking. I was thinking about changing my doctor to someone who would take me more seriously? I’m really lost here, and everyone around me seem to be getting pregnant in the first try, even the ones with the same condition. Sorry for long read. And thank you.❤️

Since experiencing my last miscarriage, I have tested positive for endometritis (chronic inflammation of the uterus). It has resisted antibiotics and a low dose tapered steroid that they prescribed due to my controlled lupus. Now my doctor and the university team are saying they are now not even certain the persistent plasma cells are a concern. They would now like to screen me with a test called Receptiva, which looks for elevated level of a certain protein in the uterine lining that could indicate endometriosis (abnormal endometrial tissue growth outside of the uterus). If the Receptiva test is positive for the the protein, then the recommended treatment would be 2 months of Depot Lupron and Femara prior to embryo transfer. The purpose of Depot Lupron and Femara is to temporarily suppress estrogen levels so that any endometriosis is also suppressed (endometriosis growth is stimulated by estrogen), and the body has time to heal and inflammation is reduced prior to starting an embryo transfer cycle. I have been on Lupron for my retrieval and I know it's hell, but I'm open to doing this treatment before transferring my final tested embryo. Has anyone had a similar experience?

I'm a 27F and we just had our first IVF cycle. I have PCOS. We have tried clomid and femara for 6 months and one cycle of IUI in October. Doctor suggested we move directly to IVF, had our first cycle in December. My ovaries have always responded to all stimulations (clomid, femara and puregon for IUI) but for some reason when the doctor gave me stimulations for IVF they didn't work. I got gonal f 150 for 6 days along with decapeptyl for 7 days, followed by four more days of injections where the injections were changed but still no response. Should I be concerned or does this happen sometime? Never had a problem before for stimulations of ovaries as I always got good follicle size (18-24mm, mostly between 18-20mm) I feel very disheartened and depressed with this first cycle. Anyone else who faced this problem?

Hello, lovelies.
If any of you have used Letrozole (Femara) as part of your modified natural FET protocol and did not respond to the medication, I would love to hear your experience. Last week, I took 5 mgs of Letrozole daily for five days in preparation for my next FET. Yesterday, I had my first ultrasound after finishing the medication, and I was shocked to learn that there had been no growth in my follicles. This news completely caught me by surprise because I didn't even know this was a possibility. When I did IUI a little over a year ago, I took a similar medication (Clomid) and responded very well. I have a follow-up appointment in a couple of days, but I am honestly not expecting for them to see any significant progress on the ultrasound. If this is case, I'm wondering what comes next? Will I need to wait to get my period so that we can start all over? I don't suspect I'll be prescribed more follicle-stimulating hormones this late in my cycle? If anyone has been in a similar situation, it would be nice to hear your story.
For reference, here is a brief summary of my fertility journey: I am 37 years old, and I had my Paragard IUD removed in June of 2020. Since then, I have had one spontaneous pregnancy in March 2021 (which ended in early miscarriage) and an IUI pregnancy in August 2021 (which turned out to be ectopic/pregnancy of unknown location). I started IVF in December 2021 and, after two egg retrievals, was able to create 5 euploid embryos. I have had two failed FET transfers using a standard transfer protocol, and due to the fact that I have gotten pregnant before, my doctor suggested we try a modified natural protocol for this next transfer. I don't think it matters, but I was on birth control for 7 weeks before starting Letrozole last week, so I haven't had a period in two months.
I was incredibly disappointed by the news yesterday as it represents yet another setback in this already difficult and long journey. I'm feeling pretty discouraged and wondering why Letrozole didn't work at all for me. Please share your experience, if you feel comfortable doing so. Thank you, and I hope all is going well for you in your journey.

I'd only shared this with super close friends and family members. But recently, I posted my entire journey (as a blog post, on social media, and here). It includes when we tried, what we went through, who was used, how we felt. It may seem like TMI, but it’s all relevant and, unfortunately, part of life. It also has info on medications, price quotes, and resources (including this incredible community). I just wanted those in my life to know what's been going on + everyone else to know that they are not alone.
I thought it was about time for me to share the details of my infertility journey. Yes, we actually have been trying to reproduce…It just hasn’t happened. From when we tried and what we went through to who was used and how we felt, all of the info is down below.
On our second wedding anniversary in April 2018, my husband and I started trying to conceive. After a bit, we both went in for check-up appointments, too, to make sure everything looked good; I saw Austin Regional Clinic’s Dr. Rachel Breedlove (perfect name, right?), and Tommy, Austin Fertility’s Dr. Luke Machen. We thought we found out why we had never had any scares: Tommy needed a varicocelectomy. It turns out there can be swollen veins inside the scrotum (varicoceles), and this surgery removes them. The procedure took place around Thanksgiving in 2019, and we were told we should be good three months later. However, three months and then some came and went, and we still were not pregnant. This kept happening, despite the fact that all of our tests kept coming back and showing how healthy and perfect and fertile we were.
By December 2020, we had moved from South Austin to Leander, so I visited a new OB-GYN, Austin Regional Clinic’s Dr. Jayme Evans, who recommended Austin Fertility’s Dr. Dan Lebovic. There, I had blood and hormone testing done again, as well as a saline infusion sonohysterogram, which is a vaginal ultrasound that uses saline to look at the inside of the uterus. (This was done in February 2021, after being postponed by Winter Storm Uri). After, once again, determining that everything looked great, Dr. Lebovic started me on Letrozole to induce ovulation in April 2021. This was my first (of many) experience with fertility medication, and during the next sonogram, he told me there was a high chance of a multiple pregnancy. The next steps involved an Ovidrel shot (which provides hCG and stimulates ovulation), Tommy dropping off his sample, and me undergoing my first round of IUI (intrauterine insemination, which places sperm that have been washed and concentrated directly into the uterus). Oh, and this all happened during National Infertility Awareness Week.
We did our duty by patiently going through the two-week wait period…and then my period came. We did it again and again and got the same result (with the third/last failed IUI happening in June 2021). So, after three failed rounds of IUI, I started researching IVF (in vitro fertilization, which combines sperm and eggs in a lab then involves transferring embryos into the uterus), as well as looking into adoption a bit. A family friend had gone to Dr. Thomas Wincek at Baylor Scott & White in Temple, and my research also showed this option as one of the most affordable ones (but, you know, still thousands and thousands of dollars). Dr. Wincek was retired, but I drove an hour and met with Dr. Mohamed Mitwally. His advice was to take vitamins (CoQ10, a vitamin b complex, alpha lipoic acid and DHEA for Tommy), which, at first, did not seem like the answer we wanted to hear, but I was open to trying anything…especially since he is the doctor who invented Femara, the brand name of Letrozole!
NOTE (for those interested in pricing): I also looked into the DFW Fertility Specialists of Texas (with a quote of $1,700 + $16-20k + medications), Texas Fertility Center ($13K + $3-$6k for meds), and Embryo.net ($12k). I found out you could ask about financial aid, discount programs, and little tips and tricks like getting multi-dose vials instead of those that can be used only once. All the prescriptions I had to get/take can be seen here, and that was a chore within itself: hunting down the best price and obtaining all these different drugs from different places. My doctor and my research both said that Menopur, the priciest one, can be more affordable when purchased from a different country. My quotes just for it included MDR for $5,394, Metro Drugs for $5,39, Win Fertility for $5,383, Mandell’s for $5,099, SMP for $5,069, Freedom Fertility for $4,734 (used them for my HCG), oneheart for $4,080, IVF Meds for $2,160, IVF Pharmacy for $2,100, IVF Prescriptions for $2,094, and FastIVF for $1,920 (the option with which I went).
Now, getting back to the main event, it turns out that Baylor Scott & White is not in my insurance network, and a good amount of money had already been spent on three IUIs plus all the appointments, medications, and ultrasounds that went along with that. Dr. Mitwally has his own fertility clinic in San Antonio, so I started driving two hours there and back, in order to see him. Most infertility treatments are not covered by insurance, and in the area from Leander to San Antonio, he is one of only two OB-GYNs that come up under “female infertility” with my insurance. Therefore, due to his knowledge, expertise, and kindness, I was willing to drive and drive some more, in order to save some money (as all of those appointments add up quickly).
I started taking Letrozole again for three months then had an HCG trigger shot around Thanksgiving in 2021, followed by another IUI (my fourth evefirst with him). When my period came about yet again, we were beyond ready for IVF, and the first step was actually to start birth control (for the first time in my life and which led to heavy spotting and a weird cycle schedule after that). In January 2022, I started receiving four shots a day for two weeks: two of Lupron (to prevent premature ovulation during this ovarian stimulation process) and two Menopur (for follicle stimulating hormone [FSH] and luteinizing hormone [LH], which help ovaries make eggs). The side effects included cramping, fatigue, breast tenderness, and pain/redness/bruising at the many injection sites. The egg retrieval portion of the IVF procedure was scheduled for Friday, February 4, 2022, and another winter storm came through that week. We were nervous about the icy roads, so we ended up heading to San Antonio on Wednesday evening, before the weather got too bad.
At the hotel, I had to take my Pregnyl trigger shot, and I brought the wrong needle size. So, while this was already a big and bad injection going into my butt, it was even bigger and worse than usual. But wait…The story gets better. The morning of the egg retrieval, Tommy woke up with a horrible migraine. Thankfully, they only come around about once a year, if that, but they are bad, and he throws up over and over. So I drove us to the Fertility Center of San Antonio, and while we were in the waiting room, he had to visit the restroom a couple of more times. When they called him back to do his part, though, he was able to perform, even under the pressure and even while being sick! About a half hour later, I went back to change into my gown, answer a lot of questions, and get hooked up to lots of fun things like the pulse oximetry, blood pressure cuff, EKG, and nasal cannula. Next came the anesthesia, the 30-minute procedure, and me waking myself up by snoring loudly (how embarrassing/yay for a good nap). I became alert pretty quickly and called Tommy while I was changing…but he was asleep (ha, poor guy). He felt better after his nap, too, so he drove us home after stopping off at Dr. Mitwally’s for a quick ultrasound and stopping for food at In-N-Out.
During the procedure, they retrieved 16 eggs. After the next update, there were 10 of them. Here is an interesting video of what was actually happening inside the lab: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1g4hA\_XpDI. Afterwards, I had to take an antibiotic (doxycycline, which Tommy was also on, before the retrieval), as well as Letrozole and Lupron again for a couple of days. During that time, I had to report on how much I urinated and how much I weighed, as well, and I actually dropped 10 pounds, after finally being done with all of those shots! On Valentine’s Day 2022, we got our final number: Out of the 16 eggs that were retrieved, two made it to the final stage. The expectation was 3-5, so we were told this gives a bit of insight into why we maybe haven’t been able to get pregnant.
In between the retrieval and the transfer, I had to, again, take birth control and Letrozole and have several appointments, in order to keep track of what was happening inside of me (to time the transfer perfectly). On March 16, 2022, I had my trigger shot of Ovidrel, and a couple of days later, I started taking Estrace (estrogen) and Prometrium (progesterone), both vaginally. The transfer took place on Wednesday, March 23. Even with IVF, there is a two-week wait time before you can find out if you are pregnant. I got curious, though, and took a pregnant test on Friday, April 1 (no joke;). It would’ve been neat to tell Tommy the news that weekend, as it was our six-year wedding anniversary, but the test was negative. My doctor and I talked regularly, and he said it could have been too early. I was having regular blood work done, too, including on Tuesday, April 5, and I thought, “If I’m having that done today, then I should go ahead and just take another test.” I did, and it was positive.
Dr. Mitwally was out of town, so the next visits were via FaceTime. Tommy took off twice (April 11 and 18), and the first time, we got to see the tiny little being on the black-and-white screen, just like in the movies. The second time, we even got to see the heartbeat!
Another doctor appointment came, and he said there was some blood around the embryo and that it seemed to be measuring behind. He didn’t seem overly concerned in a negative way…he just wanted to see me again in a few days. On Saturday, April 30, I went to the doctor while Tommy was working. And on that day, I was told there was no detectable heartbeat. I had originally scheduled my first official OBGYN appointment for Monday, May 9. One week before, though, I got in with another doctor, due to the latest news. There, I was told that they couldn’t see an embryo, so they couldn’t tell if there was/wasn’t a heartbeat. That weekend, Tommy and I actually met up with family in San Antonio (a trip that was already planned). Saturday, we went to Mitwally’s, and then and there, it was confirmed that we had lost the baby. I went to my regular OBGYN on Monday, just to triple check. And finally, on Friday the 13th, I experienced some light spotting before bed. Now, we move into the next part of this story, which involves a trigger warning/a graphic content warning: the loss of the baby.
I didn’t have detailed discussions with my doctors about what this would look like. The only other person I could talk to whom had had one was my mom, and she had a D & C (a procedure, which is one of the three options, along with a pill that moves it along or allowing it to happen naturally, which is what I did/was recommended by both docs, since I wasn’t that far along). Saturday morning, I awoke to cramps (like bad period cramps, which I am used to). When I went to the bathroom, a lottt of blood came out. Tommy, thankfully, didn’t have to work, but he was going to get a haircut, so he was able to pick me up some pads and adult diapers. The third time I went to the restroom that morning, as tonsss more blood was filling up the toilet, I got a wave of nausea. I broke out in a sweat (like, dripping from me immediately). I stood up and thought I was going to pass out. I went to the bed and told Tommy something was wrong.
Earlier, I mentioned that I didn’t have a ton of info on miscarriages, but the details I did learn came from Reddit. And when Tommy came into the bedroom, he turned to Reddit, to see if what I was experiencing was normal (it was, unfortunately). For the next six hours, I was writhing and crying on the bed. I took Tylenol, Ibuprofen, and even T3. I put on Bengay and a heating pad. Nothing could even touch the pain. And remember, my periods are bad and always have been: a superrr heavy flow and verrry painful cramping. This was that times a thousand. I wanted Tommy to take me to the doctor (though one Redditor said they just gave her a morphine drip, which also did nothing to help the pain). He said he was almost in tears, feeling so helpless and so sorry for me. On top of this, my pad/diaper filled up quickly, and each time I went to the bathroom, I got that nausea/weakness again. It was so strong and unbearable. I didn’t even have the energy to — TMI — wipe or change my pad (Thank you, Tommy), as I was just bent over the trashcan (but only threw up once).
Eventually, I just stopped going to the restroom and put down a towel for extra protection; I couldn’t deal with the cramps AND the standing up just to feel like I was going to pass out. Tommy also called my doctor, to double-check this was normal and see if there was anything else we could do for the pain. There wasn’t, but he assured us it should be over in six hours…and it was!
By Monday, it was like a normal period, with my normal amount of blood and cramping (though — WARNING — more than just blood comes out, since there was a bean-sized thing inside a sac in there). But tampons are a no-no, as that can increase the risk of infection. I did lose the diaper, though, but may just keep them around…pretty handy, if you ask me. I went back to Dr. Mitwally’s on May 25 to see if the bloodwork from the past three weeks shows that my HCG is back down to zero and discuss next steps. But my lining is still thick, so I’m on yet another prescription for two more weeks before anything else happens. We have one more frozen embryo. Some say your chances of getting pregnant naturally increase after a round of IVF. But honestly, at this point, I’m just over it. I just want one week where I don’t have to go to Quest to get a needle stuck in me/a bruise, take any medication, or drive four hours for a sonogram.
So. That is where we are. And that is what has been happening in our lives. Every day, you hear of someone else expecting a baby, but I think there should be more conversation about timing ovulation, taking fertility drugs, researching IVF, and having miscarriages…because these things are real and happening all the time, too. If you made it this far in the post, thank you for reading. If you can relate to any of this, I am so so so sorry. If you have any questions, feel free to comment or reach out — I’m an open book, obviously. And if you have shared advice or sympathies or recommendations or your experience (as a person I really know or a stranger on the internet), thank you so much.

Hey y’all!
My wife and I had our first appointment today and left fairly hopeful! The doc explained the process in great detail. He also explained he’d put me on Femara to stimulate ovulation right before I do my first IUI.
Anyone have any experience with this route/drug? I googled Femara and it says it’s a chemo drug which is a bit daunting… Also, I forgot to ask the doc himself and will at the next appointment but based on y’all’s experience, is it typical to still take the ovulation stimulating drugs even if you have regular cycles/ovulate regularly?
Any and all input is appreciated! 🙂

Hi Everyone! After putting off seeing a doctor for quite a while (due to anxiety from the typical treatment I received as an overweight woman with PCOS) I finally found an amazing doctor who is so thorough and truly cares about her patients and their end goal. We went over my blood work results today and she told me my levels and what issues occur due to them being out of whack and we worked out a plan to get my hormones and weight in control. I was hoping people on here would have some experience with the medications or can get an idea of what they may want to ask their doctors about as options for themselves. This sub has helped me so much along my own journey so thank you all!
Testosterone @ 57
Hormone Range 3:1 (estrogen to progesterone)
Thyroid 1.1
I am starting Provera (1 pill on the first day of each month to bring on a menstrual cycle)
Aldactone (lowers testosterone)
Victoza (daily injection - noninsulin diabetes medication that helps with weight loss)
She also mentioned the following but didn’t want me to be overwhelmed and said after 3 months with the above treatment we will follow up / reassess and go from there.
Femara (daily - to lower estrogen level)
Wellbutrin (mood and weight loss)
Clomid (ovulation - makes your body think that your estrogen levels are lower than they are, causes the pituitary gland to increase secretion of follicle stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone)
My main goal is to be as healthy as possible. To me that means: losing weight, being physically active daily (without feeling like I ran a marathon when I only did a 30 minute workout or 2 mile walk), feeling mentally clarity and experiencing less depressive episodes, getting a consistent period, being able to conceive and carry a healthy baby to term. My husband and I are not in a rush to get pregnant but that is our goal within the next year. I know part of my goal is dependent on myself and the decisions I make re: food, alcohol, etc. but I am hoping this combination will get me to feeling more like myself each day.
Has anyone had any experience with Femara, aldactone or victosa? Any help would be greatly appreciated!
ETA- I also started Ovasitol 2 weeks ago
Sending love and healing to you all 🤍

Hi All, Newbie here. Have been perusing though trying to learn. I'm starting my meds this month. I've received them and they're in my fridge awaiting my start. There's a lot of needles. Yikes. I've emailed my coordinator to ask the following question but wondered if in the meantime someone can dumb it down for me. What are these meds going to do? If it helps to know, our situation appears to be male-factor infertility. My husband has non obstructive azoospermia. He had microtese and the andrologist says we have 8 vials of sperm some of which are fully developed and motile and others which are not.
Here's what I have.
Femara
Ganirelix
Gonal-F RFF
Leuprolide
I've been googling a little and have read everything I can about the general process of IVF. birth control, stimulation, trigger, retrieval. But, I can't seem to figure out where my protocol fits in. I know there will be more drugs later, if we are successful and get embryos to transplant, but I still don't get it.
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Thanks in advance for any help! I don't have any friends who have gone through IVF so it's nice to see a community of you all with so much experience and wisdom.

I and my husband have been trying for almost 4 years . I had three miscarriage and one chemical pregnancy. Since we live in Norway seeking health care in public sector is very common here despite the long waiting time. I was referred to this gynaecologist through my family doctor after one year of attempts with no success. The second year I was prescribed Femara to stimulate ovulation. I got pregnant after one year and 3 months but ended up with miscarriage after two weeks. Two more miscarriage in two years. By the way when I started Femara I got very strong symptoms of PMS. And during three years of TTC I was always sick and tired because of PMS. This gynaecologist didn't want to do more tests or to figure out what was wrong with me. She kept saying you need to try more and more and more. Even I explained was tired and I got so much painful cramps, she didn't show any empathy. we asked for more tests and IVF trial she rejected our requests. The last cycle, I had too much pain and I couldn't leave the bed for 5 days. That was the last straw in the back. I urged my husband to get private medical treatment coz I couldn't wait any longer. Which we did. The private endocrinologist is very professional and has long experience with infertility and IVF. He suspects I could have mild to moderate endometriosis and that was the main reason of recurrent miscarriages and struggle to conceive again. Now He prescribed OVITRELLE injection before one day of ovulation and CRINONE ( progesterone) for 15 days after ovulation. He said that in case of endometriosis, getting pregnant is the best treatment because it can go away after one or more pregnancy and he advised to try to get pregnant this year. If the pain don't go away he will ask for clinical test with laparoscopy and seek treatment but it can take long time
PS : In Norway it takes one to two year to change the gyneacologist so it is very common to be supervised by one gynaecologist in public health. And another reason we didn't change is because my husband trusted her blindly and never questioned her competence ( it is a norwegian thing). Thirdly, to get to endocrinologist in public hospital you need to be referred by the gyneacologist. Yet my first gyneacologist refused to do it
Also after asking many questions and reading reddit posts here, I realized that I had to change the gynaecologist and seek more help with IVF. I am very grateful for this subreddit.
I feel a bit upset and angry coz I feel I was duped by my first gyneacologist and all the time wasted because of her lack of expertise and incompetence.
Has anyone been on my situation ? How did you find out about endometriosis ? Do I need to go to be test by laparoscopy or continue with the treatment that I got recently ?

Me and my husband started trying four years ago the second year after no success i got a Femara shot once from my gynaecologist to stimulate ovulation I got pregnant three times in 3 years yet none of them lasted more than 2 weeks again we did DNA test nothing is worrisome i did other test like blood clots or something genetical diseases and hormonal test nothing no warning signs i am 34 and he is 49 yet we are fresh normal and no infertility signs. My husband don't have sperms problem as the gynaecologist said I went to 4 gyneacologists still no answer and they don't recommend IVF as my body reacts very badly to injections is there anyone who have been through this ? i would love to hear your stories and how did you managed it

This is a story of our fertility journey, which is lengthy, sorry. It has been a struggle at times, but hope kept us moving forward. It is what being human is all about.
I am over 40 and my wife was in her late 30’s (with very regular cycles) during the beginning of our journey. It first started off with us meeting and starting to date, after prior marriages, we both found what we were looking for in each other. She had a prior unexplained infertility diagnosis with a miscarriage during her first marriage. I had a vasectomy years before after my abusive first spouse convinced me to do so (it would benefit her if I didn’t have any more children). We had been together for a couple of years but not married yet, but our first step was for me to have a reversal. So, after nearly 8 years after my vasectomy, I had the reversal completed. We opted for a clinic in RI that was bare bones, low cost as my insurance wouldn’t cover the procedure. Under a local anesthetic, the three hour procedure commenced with just the physician, me on the table, and my soon to be wife holding my hand. I could feel everything. It was painful and long, but I was hopeful of the outcome. Just prior to our wedding, we received the news that I had a decent motile sperm count, on the low end of normal, but it only takes one!
We started to try to conceive on our own. For the next 14 months we tried and tried (and we didn’t make it a job, which is difficult, but worth every ounce of it; keep the love alive!). We timed, had OPK kits, basal temperature monitoring, the whole shebang. Still there was no success. We went for an initial consultation with a local, very high profile IVF clinic. We met with the head physician of the practice and she gave us the lowdown of our chances on naturally conceiving – less than 1% given our histories. It was so depressing!!!
My wife then found Dr. David at 5th Avenue Fertility in NYC after reading his book. We set up a skype consultation with him where he spent an hour and a half with us, going over our histories and what we had tried so far. He put us onto his plan, which seemed very doable. We were excited to get started.
First off, we did the standard infectious disease/active infection testing. I had a very minor ureaplasm that required antibiotics to clear up. Easy peasy.
My wife did the typical blood tests to see what her egg reserve was and what her hormone levels were at various times during her cycle. All done at the local lab at various times. Those damned vampires.
I had a second morphology test completed and my values improved slightly. Still plenty of normal motile sperm, but on the low end of normal values. I wondered if it would be enough. I was almost 8 years from my vasectomy to my reversal.
Second was for my wife to test her immune system. We had to have a special blood collection kit sent to us and then find a lab to draw the blood. We met up with a local OBGYN who agreed to assist at this point and we had her blood drawn there in his office. It was shipped to a lab in Michigan where we discovered that she has slightly elevated T16 receptors, which can cause infertility, but we remained very positive.
The third step was to visit the radiologist and have a HSG test for my wife so we could see if there were any issues with her fallopian tubes. The test was successful and she had open tubes.
At this time, Dr. David began to try to stimulate egg growth and try to get some umph behind our natural cycle timing. We did three rounds of Femara and the last try was with a trigger shot. No luck, nada, nunca, nothing…
Finally, we journeyed to the wonderous land of NYC, nearly 29 months after we started our journey for the final test: the sperm anti-body test. We went to Cornell and had the test done which is to mix my sperm with each of our blood samples. Finally an answer – I was positive for sperm antibodies. Dr. David put me on a low dose of prednisone timed to match my wife’s cycle to give us the best odds. He also gave us very good advice on starting the IVF as we weren’t getting any younger and nothing so far had worked. So we went back to that IVF clinic and met with the physician again – Dr. Number Dump. If this was our chance, we’d have to take it or we’d both regret not doing so. IUI wasn’t the answer for us. We needed to go straight for the most successful rate – IVF with embryonic genetic testing.
We got into the program, paid our entrance fee, did the initial blood work, and bought the drugs in preparation for the egg retrieval – damn it’s expensive! All we needed to do now is wait until my wife ovulated…she goes in for a blood test two days after her normal ovulation day. The answer comes back – sorry, but you haven’t ovulated yet. You need to come in next week if you haven’t ovulated and we will do an ultrasound to confirm. 6 days pass and we’re asked, “are you taking any fertility medications right now”? Nope, we weren’t. We had four beautiful follicles ripe and ready. Over a week after my wife would have normally ovulated, we were told to go home and try on our own and to wait another month to start preparing for the egg retrieval.
We waited and waited, and we tried on our own.
…………………………………………………..
Then one morning, on day 36 of my wife’s cycle (because she was a week late ovulating), she did a home pregnancy test. “Honey, I need your eyes in the bathroom (ewww!!!, but not for that!). Do you see two lines?” Yes! We were in total shock!
Let’s go get a blood test! Positive?!?! YES!!!!!
We have since been released from the fertility clinic. We continue to be monitored by Dr. David and his office and we have moved to the OB. The baby is growing normally and we are super excited. Tears streamed down my face every time I hear the baby’s heartbeat. We’ve had multiple blood tests, hormone tests, HCG tests, and multiple ultrasounds (four done so far).
There is so much to do, and I’m still in shock! So much to be thankful for! The pregnancy is still early, as we are now at 10 weeks. We are hopeful that nothing bad will happen, and if it does, we will go back to the IVF route. We have a plan and a backup just in case.
To everyone who struggles with infertility: don’t take no for an answer. Keep pushing forward and do all you can do, even if it means traveling thousands of miles to find resources within your budget. It’s ok if you find out you are pregnant, and its ok if you can’t get pregnant. Just make sure you don’t leave a stone unturned and go to the backup plan if you are able to.
Love and joy to everyone!!!

Hi friends,
I've just completed my first cycle of IVF, which failed. I had two mature follicles (6 immature) and only one fair quality egg was retrieved. It fertilized but degenerated by day 3.
I have endometriosis, and have had surgery 2x on my right ovary to remove large cysts. Between the endo and the surgeries I believe I'm firmly in the DOR camp.
This is the stimulation protocol I was using:

Days 3-7 : Gonal F 225 IU, Menopur 75 IU Days 8-11: Gonal F 225 IU, Menopur 75 IU, Cetrotide .25 mg Day 12: Cetrotide .25 mg, Lupron trigger p.m. Day 13: Lupron trigger a.m. Day 14 retrieval 

I'm also I'm on a ton of supplements: CoQ10, prenatal, vitamin d, wheat germ oil, fish oil, DHEA (recent addition), and iron.
For 5 of my IUI cycles I was on a medium dose of Femara - 5 mg, I think? Each of those cycles I produced 2-4 follicles. That's part of the reason that this IVF cycle was such an incredible disappointment.
Tomorrow I have a meeting with a provider to discuss plans for a second cycle. Is anyone with DOR willing to share a stimulation protocol that was successful for them? I've also cross-posted this to the Infertility sub.
My sincerest thanks to anyone who can help! I've tried researching and have honestly been overwhelmed - there doesn't seem to be any consensus or any best practices regarding DOR patients. Between this and the general dumpster fire that is my life (serious elder care issues and a high stress job during a high stress time of year), I'm running out of energy for research. And it would be reassuring to hear success stories!

Hi friends,
I've just completed my first cycle of IVF, which failed. I had two mature follicles (6 immature) and only one fair quality egg was retrieved. It fertilized but degenerated by day 3.
I have endometriosis, and have had surgery 2x on my right ovary to remove large cysts. Between the endo and the surgeries I believe I'm firmly in the DOR camp.
This is the stimulation protocol I was using:

• Days 3-7 : Gonal F 225 IU, Menopur 75 IU
• Days 8-11: Gonal F 225 IU, Menopur 75 IU, Cetrotide .25 mg
• Day 12: Cetrotide .25 mg, Lupron trigger p.m.
• Day 13: Lupron trigger a.m.
• Day 14 retrieval

I should also add that I'm on a ton of supplements: CoQ10, prenatal, vitamin d, wheat germ oil, fish oil, DHEA, iron.
Tomorrow I have a meeting with a provider to discuss plans for a second cycle. Is anyone with DOR willing to share a stimulation protocol that has been relatively successful for them? I'm also going to cross-post this to the InfertilityBabies sub, but I wanted to ask here because we're all still in the trenches.
My sincerest thanks to anyone who can help! I've tried researching and have honestly been overwhelmed - there doesn't seem to be any consensus or any best practices regarding DOR patients. Between this and the general dumpster fire that is my life (serious elder care issues and a high stress job during a high stress time of year), I'm running out of energy for research. I've checked the FAQs, but I wasn't seeing a ton of replies from people with DOR.
ETA: for 5 of my IUI cycles I was on a medium dose of Femara - 5 mg, I think? Each of those cycles I produced 2-4 follicles. That's part of the reason that this IVF cycle was such an incredible disappointment.

This is a story of our fertility journey, which is lengthy, sorry. It has been a struggle at times, but hope kept us moving forward. It is what being human is all about. I am over 40 and my wife was in her late 30’s (with very regular cycles) during the beginning of our journey. It first started off with us meeting and starting to date, after prior marriages, we both found what we were looking for in each other. She had a prior unexplained infertility diagnosis with a miscarriage during her first marriage. I had a vasectomy years before after my abusive first spouse convinced me to do so (it would benefit her if I didn’t have any more children). We had been together for a couple of years but not married yet, but our first step was for me to have a reversal. So, after nearly 8 years after my vasectomy, I had the reversal completed. We opted for a clinic in RI that was bare bones, low cost as my insurance wouldn’t cover the procedure. Under a local anesthetic, the three hour procedure commenced with just the physician, me on the table, and my soon to be wife holding my hand. I could feel everything. It was painful and long, but I was hopeful of the outcome. Just prior to our wedding, we received the news that I had a decent motile sperm count, on the low end of normal, but it only takes one! We started to try to conceive on our own. For the next 14 months we tried and tried (and we didn’t make it a job, which is difficult, but worth every ounce of it; keep the love alive!). We timed, had OPK kits, basal temperature monitoring, the whole shebang. Still there was no success. We went for an initial consultation with a local, very high profile IVF clinic. We met with the head physician of the practice and she gave us the lowdown of our chances on naturally conceiving – less than 1% given our histories. It was so depressing!!! My wife then found Dr. David at 5th Avenue Fertility in NYC after reading his book. We set up a skype consultation with him where he spent an hour and a half with us, going over our histories and what we had tried so far. He put us onto his plan, which seemed very doable. We were excited to get started. First off, we did the standard infectious disease/active infection testing. I had a very minor ureaplasm that required antibiotics to clear up. Easy peasy. My wife did the typical blood tests to see what her egg reserve was and what her hormone levels were at various times during her cycle. All done at the local lab at various times. Those damned vampires! I had a second morphology test completed and my values improved slightly. Still plenty of normal motile sperm, but on the low end of normal values. I wondered if it would be enough. I was almost 8 years from my vasectomy to my reversal. Second was for my wife to test her immune system. We had to have a special blood collection kit sent to us and then find a lab to draw the blood. We met up with a local OBGYN who agreed to assist at this point and we had her blood drawn there in his office. It was shipped to a lab in Michigan where we discovered that she has slightly elevated T16 receptors, which can cause infertility, but we remained very positive. The third step was to visit the radiologist and have a HSG test for my wife so we could see if there were any issues with her fallopian tubes. The test was successful and she had open tubes. At this time, Dr. David began to try to stimulate egg growth and try to get some umph behind our natural cycle timing. We did three rounds of Femara and the last try was with a trigger shot. No luck, nada, nunca, nothing… Finally, we journeyed to the wonderous land of NYC, nearly 29 months after we started our journey for the final test: the sperm anti-body test. We went to Cornell and had the test done which is to mix my sperm with each of our blood samples. Finally an answer – I was positive for sperm antibodies. Dr. David put me on a low dose of prednisone timed to match my wife’s cycle to give us the best odds. He also gave us very good advice on starting the IVF as we weren’t getting any younger and nothing so far had worked. So we went back to that IVF clinic and met with the physician again – Dr. Number Dump. If this was our chance, we’d have to take it or we’d both regret not doing so. IUI wasn’t the answer for us. We needed to go straight for the most successful rate – IVF with embryonic genetic testing. We got into the program, paid our entrance fee, did the initial blood work, and bought the drugs in preparation for the egg retrieval – damn it’s expensive! All we needed to do now is wait until my wife ovulated…she goes in for a blood test two days after her normal ovulation day. The answer comes back – sorry, but you haven’t ovulated yet. You need to come in next week if you haven’t ovulated and we will do an ultrasound to confirm. 6 days pass and we’re asked, “are you taking any fertility medications right now”? Nope, we weren’t. We had four beautiful follicles ripe and ready. Over a week after my wife would have normally ovulated, we were told to go home and try on our own and to wait another month to start preparing for the egg retrieval. We waited and waited, and we tried on our own. ………………………………………………….. Then one morning, on day 36 of my wife’s cycle (because she was a week late ovulating), she did a home pregnancy test. “Honey, I need your eyes in the bathroom (ewww!!!, but not for that!). Do you see two lines?” Yes! We were in total shock! Let’s go get a blood test! Positive?!?! YES!!!!! We have since been released from the fertility clinic. We continue to be monitored by Dr. David and his office and we have moved to the OB. The baby is growing normally and we are super excited. Tears streamed down my face every time I hear the baby’s heartbeat. We’ve had multiple blood tests, hormone tests, HCG tests, and multiple ultrasounds (four done so far). There is so much to do, and I’m still in shock! So much to be thankful for! The pregnancy is still early, as we are now at 10 weeks. We are hopeful that nothing bad will happen, and if it does, we will go back to the IVF route. We have a plan and a backup just in case. To everyone who struggles with infertility: don’t take no for an answer. Keep pushing forward and do all you can do, even if it means traveling thousands of miles to find resources within your budget. It’s ok if you find out you are pregnant, and its ok if you can’t get pregnant. Just make sure you don’t leave a stone unturned and go to the backup plan if you are able to. Love and joy to everyone!!!

I wrote up something similar a long time ago in response to a question but can’t find it now so I thought I’d (try) to do it again as a stand alone. Having been through 10+ FET protocols I feel like I have a pretty good idea how this goes, and people often ask what FET protocols can or do look like.
I’m going to start with a quick, simple primer on the menstrual cycle. The menstrual cycle has three phases: follicular, ovulation, and luteal. Each one is dominated by a specific hormone(s) and FET protocols intend to mimic or manipulate one or all of them.
Menstrual Cycle Overview
Follicular phase is roughly the first half of your menstrual cycle. Textbook is 14 days. It starts with the first day of menses and ends with ovulation. This phase is dominated by Estrogen (E2) and Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH). The production of FSH causes follicle(s) to begin growing and in turn create Estrogen. The increasing estrogen causes the endometrial lining to begin to thicken.
Mid-cycle Luteinizing Hormone spikes, causing the egg(s) to mature and release. This is ovulation and what I’m calling the second “phase”. Estrogen, LH, and FSH drop at this point and through the next phase.
The final phase is the Luteal phase which is textbook 14 days as well and dominated by Progesterone (P4). The empty follicle (now called a corpus luteum) causes Progesterone to be secreted which causes the endometrial lining to compact and become receptive. Textbook would be receptive on day 19, after 5 days of progesterone exposure.
If the egg is not fertilized, does not form and embryo, and does not implant, progesterone levels will begin to drop which causes the endometrial lining to deteriorate and shed which starts the follicular phase again. If an embryo is formed and implanted during the luteal phase, progesterone levels will remain elevated and begin to increase along with estrogen (again). At roughly 24 days, HCG will begin to increase to detectable levels.
Transfer Process
There are effectively four phases or steps to a frozen embryo transfer. It’s slightly similar for a fresh, but lining growth happens as a response to the stims medications and ovulation is simulated by the trigger and egg retrieval.
The first step is down regulation or suppression. This serves a similar purpose as for retrievals and is most commonly done with BCP, Lupron, or both. This is effectively not necessary, but may infer some benefits such as better insurance that natural ovulation won't occur and scheduling. A natural start is also an option just like for stims.
The second step is lining growth to emulate the follicular phase of a natural cycle. This is done by introducing estrogen for a medicated cycle whether or not down regulation or suppression was also used because and will have the effect of “shutting down” the natural cycle. If a natural start was used, medication can be used to supplement the natural cycle or to stimulate it for a stronger response. Medicated cycles use exogenous (outside the body) estrogen sources which can be taken intramuscularly, vaginally, orally, transdermal or any combination of the former. Vaginal and oral seem to be the most common for the ease of administration. “Natural” cycles use endogenous (inside the body) estrogen sources which can be stimulated with Clomid, Femara, stims, or the unmodified natural response. Some folks, myself included, refer to the modified natural cycles as “semi-natural”. Sometimes exogenous estrogen can still be added to a natural cycle particularly if an ovulation inducing medication is used.
Ovulation is the third step and if the natural cycle was “shut down” trigger isn't necessary since there will be no follicle growth. If the cycle is natural or semi-natural then ovulation may simply be tracked with OPKs, a trigger may still be used, or both – just to cover all bases an ensure timing of progesterone exposure.
The last step is emulation of the luteal phase to cause the lining to compact and become receptive to implantation. Again, if the natural cycle was “shut down” this must be medicated with the introduction of exogenous progesterone. Progesterone can be administered intramuscularly, orally, or vaginally with gels, suppositories, or creams. The most common is intramuscularly and/or vaginally. If a natural or semi-natural cycle, then the naturally occurring endogenous progesterone may be enough or it may be supplemented with exogenous progesterone. Some clinics test levels to determine if supplementation is necessary, but most seem to just add it as you can’t have too much progesterone.
Some things to note
It’s not uncommon for there to be other adjuncts to a transfer protocol. Adjuncts tend to fall in to two categories. First are those aimed at either increasing endometrial growth through increased blood flow (pentoxifylline, Vit E, Viagra) or hormonal sensitivity (Tamoxifen). My thin lining post talks about these more. Second are those aimed at increasing the likelihood of implantation and are most commonly antibiotics and/or steroids. Steroids (like prednisone) are believed to depress the immune system causing the body to be less likely to view the embryo as an invader. Antibiotics are to address known, or the possibility of, subclinical infections that would cause the body to reject implantation.
Lastly! There was a study recently published that demonstrated that in a medicated cycle, PIO every 3 days in conjunction with progesterone suppositories is as effective as PIO every day with out suppositories BUT showed that suppositories alone had a lower success rate than the protocols with PIO. Not all clinics are up to date on this yet so it’s something you might want to address. If your clinic is a PIO every day then you could save yourself some ass shots. If your clinic is suppositories only, it may be decreasing your success rate. The study did not evaluate natural or semi-natural cycles. It’s believed that in natural or semi-natural cycles that any progesterone supplementation is really “extra” so how the progesterone is administered is less critical.
Hope that helps folks understand the mechanics and options for transfer protocols a bit better. Apologies for anything I got wrong in my simplification of the processes.

Hi Everyone,
​
This might be lengthy, but I appreciate any help we can get. My wife (30F) and I (30M) are trying to conceive, and have been since September of last year.
​
Our doctors and us suspect she has endometriosis, due in part to cysts found during a midcycle ultrasound. We're having another in the next few weeks to confirm this. This will be relevant later.
​
After consulting a fertility specialist, we decided our first course of action would be a round of Letrozole (Femara), followed by a Pregnyl trigger shot to induce ovulation. This was in late January. She started taking the Letrozole, and several days (before the trigger shot) began experiencing intense pelvic pain. It was bad. She's generally very good with pain, but there were days where she almost couldn't function. This continued throughout her next cycle. When she did get her next period, it was almost unbearable for her, and really difficult to watch. I felt helpless and it was terrible for the both of us.
​
The following cycle was still bad, but the pain was less frequent and intense. She just began menstruating yesterday, and now is pretty much back to baseline; there's still a rare flareup of pain, but these manageable and don't last long. Basically, it seems like the further away she got from taking Letrozole, the pain that seemed to be triggered by the drug became less and less.
​
Here's where we're in a difficult spot. We've consulted two fertility specialists, both of whom are equally confused about her extreme reaction to the Letrozole. They can't explain it. We've done research (we realize using the internet for stuff like this can be just starting a brand new fire, but anyway) and the only possible theory we've come up with is that somehow the increased production of FSH and LH temporarily exacerbated her probable endometriosis.
​
My questions are then, has anybody had a similar experience?
Can anyone explain why she had this reaction?
We want to try another cycle of medication before IVF or any type of procedure for endometriosis. I know Clomid works differently, but achieves the same result of stimulating FSH and LH production. Is it likely she'll have the same reaction to Clomid then as well?
​
TL;DR, wife had an awful reaction to Letrozole including months of intense pain. Why would this happen, and would it be safe for her to take Clomid?
​
Thank you all very much!

Since we are a fairly quiet subreddit as of now, I would like to make a list of who's here so we can all get to know each other or reconnect since the birth of our children. Give us a little intro on what you have gone through and what you plan to do to get your next bundle. Infertility still exists and we all still need each other for the next step in our journeys.
This list is old and hasn't been updated in a while, I wonder if these ladies have succeeded.
lilpeapod -
• Daughter via natural, trying for #2 via IUI.
organizedsprinkles -
• Dennis 2014 via IUI surprise, waiting to try for next baby
katiric -
• Daughter via natural, trying for #2 via IVF
Limaris35 -
• Daughter born via ovary stims, trying for #2 via stims
bellebridge -
• Son 2013 via second round of IVF, trying for #2 via FET
cupcait27 -
• Son 2011 via natural, trying for #2 via meds/injs/IUI
exilius -
• Daughter 2014 via FET from ICSI, trying for #2 via FET
perpetuallonging -
• Son 2014 via 2nd round clomid/IUI, Thinking about #2, hoping for natural but could go back to IUI
hokoonchi -
• Sam 2010/11 via natural, trying for #2 via natural + TBD @ doctor consult
tfwaifu26 -
• Elijah 2015 via natural surprise, trying for #2 via metformin
dabeezkneez -
• Son 2014 via IVF / PGS, trying for #2 via FET
GinJon -
• Son 2014 via Natural, trying for #2 maybe via Clomid
tulipsanddaisies -
• #1 via Natural, trying for #2 via femara
Rudysgoldfish -
• Son 2014 via IVF, trying for #2 via FET
bandgeek_foreves -
• Son 2015 via IVF, trying for #2 via FET
cheshirecat99 -
• #1 via IVF, trying for #2 via natural or maybe RE
vibeee -
• Son 2015 via DIVF w/ PGF, trying for #2 via DFET in Aug/Sep
ImHereReluctantly -
• Son 2003 via natural, trying for #2 via IUI
hazelowl -
• Daughter 2010 via Fresh IVF w/ ICSI, trying for #2 via wondering what to do next
queenofshinies -
• Daughter (7 y/o) via natural, trying for #2 via clomid
yamiesagan -
• Son (3 y/o) via natural, trying for #2 via waiting to see Dr.
Sumi40 -
• Daughter 2006 (10 y/o) via natural, trying for #2 via IVF x4 and figuring out what to do next.
Pandagirl17 -
• Daughter 2014 via Metaformin, trying for #2 via IVF
rebeccabrixton -
• Son 2016 via natural (2yr ttc), trying for #2 via natural until 5/17
pnutbutterjellyfine -
• Daughter 2005 natural, trying for #2 via IUI
Sugarnipps -
• Son 2015 natural on the first cycle; trying for #2 naturally. (Aug 2016)
wonderstruck_
• Daughter 2010 via Natural; trying for #2 via natural (July 2016)
Red_Queen
• Baby 2016 via metformin; trying for #2 via metformin again.
pearl_benick
• Daughter 2014 via natural @ 34yo; trying for #2 via IUI/IVF
sammacleod
• Daughter 2015 via natural, trying for #2 (Feb 2016) RPL testing and IF treatments within this year.
attemptingtobe
• Daughter 2016, trying for #2 via FET in 2018
MsZuko
• Son2016 via FET, trying for #2 via FET
jaina_jade
• Daughter 2015 via DFET, trying for #2 via natural, debating treatments during fall. Vasectomy after this year.
babychickyellow
• Daughter 2015 via clomid; trying for #2 via natural until meds in September.
Purplebunnylady
• Daughter 2001 via natural (fluke?); trying for #2 via natural.
kate_kate_
• Son 2014 via natural; trying for #2 (2015) via IUI/IVF w/ PGS
sarahkat0 -
• Reed 2014 via IUI; trying for #2 via IUI.
marysaurus213
• Son 2015 via IUI; trying for #2 via IUI IVF
Yellowbug73
• Daughter 2015 via natural (after 9.5 years of trying many routes); trying for #2 via Femara/Dexamethasone +TI
MrsNutella
• Son 2016 via natural (after several CPs); trying for #2 via possible RE visit in a few months
mentalaquaducts
• Son 2015 via FET; trying for #2 via FET.
megara_74
• Daughter 2014 via natural (2 years); trying for #2 (2016) via waiting on results from RE.
mend052
• Daughter 2013 via natural (5 years, 4 IUI, 1MC); trying for #2 (2014) via IVF
leedsfreak
• Daughter 2012 via clomid and metformin; trying for #2 (2013) via clomid -> RE in 2018
biogenmom
• Son 2014 via IVF; trying for #2 via possible FET 2018.
ryca13
• Son 2015 via Letrozole (PCOS); trying for #2 via letrozole + pregnyl.
dksmama
• Son 2017 via IVF ICSI; trying #2 naturally, FET in 2018 (2 on ice)
a_little_bit
• Daughter 2015 via natural; trying for #2 via natural (MMC x2 and testing) maybe clomid?
sonalogy
• Son 2016 via IVF (x6); trying for #2 via working out the plan with the RE for #2.
it_pats_the_lotion
• Daughter 2013 via natural?; trying for #2 (2014) via testing at RE (OR, RCL)
qwertydaisyunion
• Baby 2016 via natural; trying for #2 (2017) via letrozole + TI (Maybe IUI)
ecl85
• Son 2015 via natural; trying for #2 (2017) via IVF/ICSI (MFI)
tamoss
• Daughter 2016 via ICSI/FET; trying for #2 via ICSI again, no frozen embryos.
whats_her_bucket
• Daughter 2015 via meds+ IUI (unexplained IF); trying for #2 naturally (2017) RE visit 4/2018
bajna
• Daughter 2015 via natural; trying for #2 via natural (2016- ectopic 2017->tubal removal) Looking at possible IVF
margotssummerday
• Daughter 2014; trying for #2 via natural (2016) possible PCOS
FireyLily
• Daughter 2016 (IVF, FET, Natural miracle); trying for #2 via seeing what happens off BCP
sweetstuff2017
• Son 2015 via natural (14 Months); trying for #2 (2016, MMC) via IUI + letrozole
roxicology
• Daughter 2011 via stimulated cycle (PCOS; Hashimoto's); trying for #2 (2017) via stimulation
pattituesday
• Daughter 2015 via natural (4th try); trying for #2 (2017; ectopic) via natural -> clomid + TI and possible IVF
Abseys
• Daughter 2017 via IVF/ICSI (33/PCOS/MaleCF); trying for #2via Currently stimming for IVF/ICSI for baby #2 as our daughter was our only viable embryo from round #1.
aDOThart
• 3 Kids via natural. (31/PCOS/MFI) Vasectomy 8 years ago -> vasectomy reversal 2 years ago -> second reversal 1 year ago with a urologist at the VA. Just had our first appt with the RE who diagnosed me with PCOS making it even more difficult coupled with my husband's low count.
queentacosaurs
• Daughter via natural; trying for #2 (2016, Low T) via IUI.
Pickle_Juice_Slurper
• B/G twins 2017 via IVF (4 IUI+3 IVF); trying for #2 via natural (considering another round of IVF)
beggles16
• #1 2017 via letrazol + IUI (32F/ano PCOS); trying for #2 letrazole + TI (on cycle 9, thinking about moving on to IUI in the next cycle or two)
FSHtoohigh
• #1 2016 via natural (31F/HFSH/LAMH 2018); trying for #2 via going with the flow.
nittanygirl
• Son in 2012 via natural; trying for #2 via Letrozole + IUI (2017, 1MC, PCOS)Was pregnant with #2 in 2016 with no problems but miscarried at 10 weeks.
ni3nk3 (31F)
• Daughter 2016 via 4 IUI + Gonal F+ Prog; trying for #2 via natural for 6 months before considering IUI/IVF
worldwinds22 (33F)
• Son 2015 via natural; trying for #2 via meds + monitoring (5MCs via natural) possible IVF
idoyogasometimes (33F/low motility)
• Daughter 1 & 2 via natural; trying for #2 (2018) via IUI five failed cycles we will probably move to IVF.
longing4bean
• Son 2018 via IVF; trying for #2 via IVF

TL;DR: Has anyone had experiences with multiple immature follicles on a CD12 scan leading to late, but otherwise normal, ovulation?
Sorry for the wall of text. I'm on cycle 2 of Femara, 5 mg. Cycle 1 on this dose got me two mature 18-24mm follicles, measured on CD 14 (I went in later than the standard CD 12 due to an overlapping vacation.)
Today, on CD 12, I had "several" follicles on both ovaries measuring between 10 and 12 mm. The largest was 12.1mm. My doctor said there weren't any that stood out as dominant. She recommended immediately moving me up to 7.5 mg of Femara for the next 5 days to continue stimulating my ovaries, but for complicated reasons I'm choosing to just ride this cycle out and see what happens.
She said I COULD still ovulate on my own sometime in the next 8-9 days, but that an ovulation that late is less likely to be viable.
Since I've gotten home, I've been doing exactly what you aren't supposed to do, and asking Dr. Google his opinion. Now i have a couple questions:
1) My doctor said that ovulating late would be less likely to be healthy because my luteal phase would be too short for implantation. That's not right, is it? Does late ovulation decrease the length of this phase? I would think it would just lengthen my cycle overall. Are there other reasons a late ovulation would be less healthy?
2) I had probably 6-8 follicles from what I could see on the screen (she only took measurements of 4 though). She said it was a good sign that so many are growing, but I feel like it's more of a bad sign that so many are growing...but not growing enough. Has anyone else had experience with this? Would it be a better sign if I had just one or two dominant follicles measuring 10-12mm? Is it less likely for one to become dominant when there are so many in this weird limbo?
I've seen posts on forums saying their doctors were alarmed that too many follicles were maturing when they were in my situation and told them to hold off on sex or risk multiples. I've seen other posts saying that the follicles in this situation aren't likely to mature at all. I've seen others that say they had one or two follicles pull ahead after a few days.
Has anyone else had a similar experience? Any idea what I can expect? I'll keep temping and tracking, but if you hadn't guessed it I HATE uncertainty.
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IVF and IUI are both Assisted Reproductive Technology methods aimed at helping couples facing fertility issues. Infertility causes a great deal of suffering for both men and women because of not being able to conceive. IVF treatment The literal meaning of “in vitro” is “in glass”. IVF treatment involves fusion of eggs from the female and sperms from the male outside the body in an artificial environment. Few reasons for conducting In Vitro Fertilization are bilateral tubal damage and azoospermia. IVF treatment involves providing medications to the female for maturing more than one egg in each cycle. During pre ovulation stage, the physician retrieves the egg and fuses them with the sperm of the partner or donor in the laboratory. The embryo formed is later transferred to the uterus of the women for implantation. The pregnancy may be confirmed post blood tests. Steps involved in IVF A) Ovary stimulation for producing multiple eggs The physician prescribes medications based on the treatment plan which helps in ovary stimulation. B) Egg retrieval This procedure takes less than 20 minutes and is usually painless. Ultrasound machine is used to identify the ovaries. C) Egg fertilization under laboratory conditions The eggs and sperms are placed in a dish for fertilization D) Embryo transfer. Embryo is placed in the uterus for establishing pregnancy.
IUI Intrauterine Insemination is also called as artificial insemination. Prior to insemination, the sperms are washed and stored which are then inserted and placed into the uterus with the help of a catheter. The IUI method drastically increases the amount of sperms that reaches the fallopian tube thereby increasing the chance of fertilization. Some of the conditions that require IUI treatment are reduced sperm motility, low sperm count and poor cervical health. The entire procedure is timed according to a women’s ovulation. The entire procedure may be performed multiple times in a day post detection of ovulation. At NU Fertility, best intrauterine insemination procedures are followed adhering to strict medical protocols. Steps involved in IUI The best intrauterine insemination procedure involves the following steps A) Pretreatment counseling and testing for IUI The doctor may advice tests such as semen analysis, ultrasound scans and hormone tests. B) Ovary stimulation At this stage, oral medications such as Clomid and Femara may be given to stimulate the ovaries. When oral medications fail, injectable gonadotropins may be given. C) Ovulation monitoring The doctor monitors for the sign of ovulation for ensuring the right time of insemination. D) Insemination procedure The doctor collects the stored semen and inserts it into the uterus by using a catheter. E) Luteal support This step involves administration of medications for increasing the success rate of implantation. These are the best intrauterine insemination procedures that are followed at NU Fertility. The doctor at NU Fertility may advice you on the treatment method based on the condition after a detailed examination. For more: http://www.nufertility.com/