1. A Baby Step Towards Fertility
Clomid is the mildest of fertility drugs, given to women who have been having difficulty conceiving. Clomid stimulates ovulation in women who don't ovulate on their own. It also works for women who do ovulate, but have low hormone levels that are preventing her from becoming pregnant. Clomid increases and regulates hormones to help achieve a pregnancy. Doctors are not trying to produce multiple eggs with the use of Clomid, rather to produce one quality egg and proper hormone levels. When Clomid is successful in helping a woman conceive, it's usually during the first three cycles that she takes it. Rates of success drop after the third cycle, and most doctors won't prescribe it for more than six months.
2. Ovulation Is Just One Aspect of Fertility
It's important to rule out several other causes of infertility before trying Clomid, because other issues may need to be addressed first. For instance, Clomid won't help a couple to conceive if the male has a low sperm count. Most doctors insist on a semen analysis for the male, and run tests to check the thyroid, pituitary and adrenal functions in the woman. If those tests all come back within normal levels, and there's no reason to suspect endometriosis, Clomid is usually prescribed as a first step.
3. Monitoring Through Ultrasound
Your doctor will prescribe Clomid for five consecutive days early in the menstrual cycle to initiate ovulation. Typically the doctor monitors egg development and checks for multiple eggs using trans-vaginal ultrasound during the cycle. If no egg develops, your doctor may increase the dosage of Clomid in subsequent cycles. If you ovulate but a pregnancy doesn't result, expect to stay at the same dosage.
4. The Downside of Side Effects
Side effects of Clomid are usually mild and some women report having no side effects at all. Headaches, blurred vision, ovulation pain and nausea are not uncommon but are manageable. Ovarian hyperstimulation is a rare but potentially serious side effect that usually resolves itself except in the most serious of cases. Multiple births, usually twins, occur when using Clomid 5 to 8 percent of the time. Giving birth to more than twins while on Clomid is very rare.
5. Conceiving of Success
Success rates vary based on a variety of factors, but generally 30 to 40 percent of women who take Clomid become pregnant. Pregnancy does not always occur during the first month of using Clomid, but 85 percent of these women do get pregnant within three months of use. Women who are having difficulty ovulating have more success with Clomid than couples with a diagnosis of unexplained infertility.
