Good and Bad News from my Scan Today

[kittykitchn]

Ok, good news and bad news today. It was an eventful day in term of TTC.
This morning was my mid cycle scan to see if clomid is working it's magic...

- Good news, YES, it seems to be working. My lining is nice and thick and she estimated that I would ovulate today.

- Iffy news. It seems to be working a little too well, and she saw 4 large follicles. If that's the case, and they're not cysts (which they may well be, all or some of them - especially seeing as how much pain Im in) that would indicate a high percentage of multiple eggs, and so more than one embryo... If I were to get pregnant this cycle, there is around a 1 in 5 chance of twins/triplets/ect. She advised us not to continue having sex.

If I don't get pregnant this cycle, I have to half my clomid dose from now on.

Husband wants to continue having sex, and of course so do I. There are so many variables here - those follicles may be cysts, even if they are follicles it may not end in multiples.

IF I become pregnant, I will need a scan at 7 weeks to see how many there are. If there are more than 1, I will be given the choice to terminate the others. She expressly told us to think about that scenario now, with a clear head (high risk of miscarriage, still birth, maternal death, premature births, various other problems - essentially do what is best to keep the most viable). I would struggle greatly doing this at 7/8/9 weeks, I don't think it would be a possibility.

Surely they can do it earlier than 7 weeks?

Just wanted to get this out, and maybe see what others would do in that situation? I know it;s a bit forward thinking. Even considering it turns my stomach, ESPECIALLY after "meeting" so many lovely people on here who would give anything to have a little one.

Really hope I don't offend anyone by posting this.

 

[MrsS143]

By terminating some youre almost securing the life of the other and possibly yourself

If its twins no biggie
If its 3+ ... man... how would you even pick

Go for it if it feels right
You never know what's in store
If youd dtd in last couple days then you could conceive anyway! Xx

 

[Holi]

I think the thought of picking is absolutely awful! It would be torture for yourself!

Can I ask, why would it be so high risk? People have twins/triplets and are ok? If you fell pregnant with twins surely that would be ok?

Really hope that you just catch one little eggy and you don't have to make what looks to me like an impossible and horrendous decisions! X

 

[kittykitchn]

Apparently with PCOS the chance of miscarriage is fairly high already, it's higher with multiples... all the other scenarios I guess they just have to say, to watch their own back. I don't know any facts, she just said if it comes to it I'll get all the info I need to make the choice.

 

[Holi]

Bless you Hun, I see your predicament! Hope there are some ladies who have been in similar situations that can shed some words of wisdom! Xx

 

[skeando]

We had 2 iui cycles cancelled for this reason and were advised not to TTC. The first cycle we had 5/6 follicles and def didn't want to chance it.
The second cycle on a reduced dose there were 3, and we didn't TTC naturally that cycle either, but given the fact we haven't been successful I sorta wish we had the second time. It's a really hard choice.

 

[kittykitchn]

We had 2 iui cycles cancelled for this reason and were advised not to TTC. The first cycle we had 5/6 follicles and def didn't want to chance it.
The second cycle on a reduced dose there were 3, and we didn't TTC naturally that cycle either, but given the fact we haven't been successful I sorta wish we had the second time. It's a really hard choice.

I think it's slightly off when at my last consultation when I was given the clomid they told us to DTD in the lead up to my scan, which of course we have been doing. You would think they would want to see what happened on the medication first, modify it if needed, and then go from there

 

[Dee28]

It's tricky, do you have any other known fertility issues? We have tubal and male factor so I would go for if as our chances are greatly reduced anyway but if everything else is ship shape I'm not sure I would risk it. I had a similar thing with one of my iuis and they testing my oestriodol levels to decide whether to proceed. The result suggested not all the follicles had eggs so we went ahead with it, even with 2 or 3 eggs we didn't succeed that cycle however xx

 

[Sugarpop]

IMO she is covering herself. Unless she is a qualified doctor who specialises in something or other I would completely ignore her. Many ladies fall pregnant naturally with twins / triplets and go on to have perfectly healthy babies. What if you stop trying and don't fall pregnant at all? What if you keep going & fall pregnant with just one baby?

If it was me it would be worth the risk. Two babies would be. Three babies would be. The chance of having more than 3 babies (even using clomid) has got to be quite small. Just because there are follicles there does not mean that there will be more than one or two eggs released?

My advice would be to follow your instinct. Yes you are using something to aid ovulation but that doesn't give her the right to tell you to stop trying. If you weren't using anything to help you would have no idea the possibility of how many babies you could have. Surely that's a risk that we all take every time we start TTC.

 

[skeando]

Blueflower has had 3 actual embed put back and was told that the chance of having triplets was minimal (1/100 possibly?) so I'm not sure how likely 1/5 is for triplets. And you haven't got as far as embryos yet.
As others have said, a follicle doesn't guarantee any egg, or a mature one that can be fertilised.

 

[Belfa]

I was told the same when I started clomid and they do this for the wider NHS resources i.e. you've already pointed out the mc risk but then there's the fact you would be a high risk pregnancy with multiples, they'd have a risk of being premature and the resulting health issues and NHS resources that would be used to care for them etc.

Same reason you need your rubella tests etc before starting fertility treatment - they're trying to wipe it out but if you weren't immune you'd have to wait until you were to start treatment whereas ladies who don't have fertility problems get pregnant and then find out about rubella through routine bloods.

It always feels as though they're putting barriers up to protect the for wider issues the NHS have.

As what I would do if I were you...I would probably BD anyway. I produced follicles on clomid but they didn't release an egg and just stayed as cysts so if 2 of your follicles do that alone then your chances are already reduced.

 

[Louise2013]

To my mind it's all semantics tbh. Personally, I would keep dtd and just get hope to get pg in the first place and deal with whatever came my way after that when it happened, though my instinct would be if it were multiples to carry on as normal, but that is based on inexperience of the situation of course. Big hugs, and great news that the clomid is working! Xxxx

 

[RAFMrs]

My last 3 IVF cycles I have had 4 blastos put back (North cyprus clinic), was well aware of the risks but the chance of 4 or even 3 of them implanting was very slim, and these were day 5 blastos. So yes I would take the risk, but go into it knowing you may have multiples but that chance is slim it will be 3 or 4 (but could happen!).

 

[kittykitchn]

Or, none at all apparently! Surely if it was going to happen, it should have happened this month