Other Fertility Methods After Clomid

Clomid is a great infertility treatment drug for many women. However, most doctors only recommend trying Clomid for three to six cycles and if you still haven't found yourself pregnant after this time, it's time to look for other options. The good news is that there are many, many other fertility treatment options available. Don't despair - hopefully, one of these other ideas will work for you.

Various Treatments after Clomid

If you've tried Clomid and it hasn't worked to help you to conceive, then your doctor will take your fertility treatments to the next level. What this means will depend on your specific needs and the causes of your infertility. While we can't give you a specific answer to your individual fertility needs here, we can tell you about a few of the other options that your doctor might suggest.

FSH

FSH stands for follicle stimulating hormone and it is a fertility medication used to stimulate the ovaries. FSH tends to be stronger than Clomid and to have a more pronounced effect on the ovaries. It is given by injection to create a follicular development. Patients are monitored during this process with transvaginal ultrasound and with measurements of estradiol. The FSH dosage will vary with each patient, depending on their response to the treatment and their needs. Once the doctor can judge that the follicles are mature, you'll be given an injection of human chorionic gonadotripin (hCG) and then retrieval will be scheduled for 36 hours later. There are, unfortunately, a lot of possible side effects with FSH. These include multiple births and hyperstimulation. Speak to your doctor about this process and make sure that a reproductive endocrinologist is the one administering your fertility treatments. Doctors will usually do three to six cycles of FSH stimulated IUI. If this treatment does not work, then patients will often turn to IVF.

IVF

For many years, IVF was considered experimental in the United States by the American Medical Association. However, it is now very popular and is given as a common treatment method for many infertile couples. The woman gives herself daily infections of gonadotropins and is regularly monitored by her doctor. The female's cycle is closely watched and controlled, since timing is incredibly important with IVF. Once the eggs are mature, they are retrieved at the clinic and are combined, outside of the body, with the sperm. The embryos are then kept in a controlled environment for 3-5 days until they are transferred into the woman's uterus. The number of eggs that are transferred will vary depending on many factors.

Keep in mind that these are just a few of the options available if Clomid fails. Speak to your doctor about other options that you might have to enhance your fertility. Try to banish the stress that you feel in the course of this process and to keep your energy, and your enthusiasm, up for the journey to parenthood that you have ahead.