We finally had our appointment to discuss Clomid with my GYN. I started taking the baby pill towards the end of January. This medication is taken on certain days during a cycle. Everything revolves around cycle days (CD). On CD 21 my GYN office drew blood to determine my progesterone level. An increase in progesterone signals that ovulation has most likely occurred, meaning the medication did its job. After two rounds of Clomid, my blood progesterone levels indicated that the medication hadn’t worked and no ovulation had occurred. I was disheartened and frustrated, as I had hoped this medication would be all the baby magic we would need.
Though the medication didn’t do its job, the side effects sure did. Clomid has the potential to make you feel like a complete crazy person. Just google “clomid memes” and you can get a glimpse of what it might be like to be on this medication. There were moments that I experienced a strange dissociative out-of-body experience where everything made me cry and dark thoughts would creep in. Other moments would bring hot flashes so bad that I felt my blood was literally boiling. Lucky for me, the answer to failed ovulation on Clomid is to actually INCREASE the dose. I am sure Matthew wished he could have slept at the hospital during this time or shipped me off to my parents house!
Following this dosage increase, I went in for my usual blood work on CD 21. A couple of days later the nurse called and informed me that my lab values were different this time. They showed that I had ovulated. Y’all, the crazy Clomid tears came falling as I repeated over and over “thank you, Jesus, thank you!!” You would have thought the nurse had told me I was pregnant by my reaction. I quickly called Matthew, who was a bit worried at first as we have a rule of not calling each other while we’re working unless it’s an emergency. As soon as he picked up, I shouted “I ovulated” so loud the neighbors probably heard. He chuckled and replied “Yay, those crazy pills worked!” Though my reaction was probably a bit dramatic for the circumstances, it was such a relief to know that my body could actually ovulate with a little medical intervention.
About a month prior to this following the second unsuccessful round of Clomid, my GYN had referred me to a Reproductive Endocrinologist (RE), sensing that we may need some more specialized assistance. I had an appointment scheduled for the end of May, about a month away. Holding onto the thought that THIS news of ovulation meant a positive pregnancy test might be just weeks away, I hoped that this appointment wouldn’t be necessary and I could move on from medication and start preparing myself to be a mother.
