https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sun, 19 Apr 2026 18:30:37 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/clomid-when-ovulating-yes-or-no-how-to-test-dhs-sa#post-2629996 Fri, 30 Sep 2016 11:57:30 +0000 OurEastAndWest 2629996@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@NorthStar: I am going to start by looking into some fertility specialists in the area just to see what options are available. And, unfortunately, start looking into our insurance coverage, UGH :meh: We did upgrade our insurance plan to the "Cadillac" version as it was described to us in July, but that doesn't necessarily relate to good coverage on things like fertility treatments I'm sure! Either way, I always feel better when I have more information! Then I will contact my ob/gyn office on Monday to see about what, if any, of those tests might be able to be done by them ordering it and go from there! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/clomid-when-ovulating-yes-or-no-how-to-test-dhs-sa#post-2629993 Fri, 30 Sep 2016 11:52:06 +0000 OurEastAndWest 2629993@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@DesertDreams88: Interesting that it seems to be a common theme for OBs to think that. I'm sure there's at least some truth to it, I just wonder if just a few days really impacts it by that much?? This month I ovulated on CD 18 so it was my latest one of all, oops! :silly: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/clomid-when-ovulating-yes-or-no-how-to-test-dhs-sa#post-2629984 Fri, 30 Sep 2016 11:44:31 +0000 DesertDreams88 2629984@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Just adding in - my OB also thinks ovulation should be days 13-15, like others above. He thinks that the further you go past that timeline, the more degraded the quality of egg and chances of conception. I don't know if I buy that completely with things like days 16-18 but just wanted to say that line of thinking isn't crazy uncommon. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/clomid-when-ovulating-yes-or-no-how-to-test-dhs-sa#post-2629979 Fri, 30 Sep 2016 11:37:52 +0000 OurEastAndWest 2629979@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Tionn3: Thank you!! I will 100% get him tested before going forward with it! And do the other/right tests too I should add :silly:<br /> @Mrs. Pajamas: @SweetiePie: I would love it if DH shared some of the brunt of this TTC stuff ha! He's super supportive but if all the supplements, researching online, getting blood drawn, etc, etc were up to him we would have already completely moved on from TTC at all and started the adoption process, seriously... (which we do want to adopt someday but that's another convo for another day :happy: )<br /> @LAZB: I have taken Vitex for the last few months and it has helped regulate my cycle better than anything else!! I'm so glad it and Clomid worked for your family :heart: I hope to have a happy story to share someday too! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/clomid-when-ovulating-yes-or-no-how-to-test-dhs-sa#post-2629961 Fri, 30 Sep 2016 11:20:18 +0000 Mrs. Pajamas 2629961@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Sweetie Pie ha! my DH has totally been on clomid since our original MFI diagnosis so @Oureastandwest she may be right! your DH 100% needs to get a SA. It really makes me insane how much testing and scrutiny is given to women TTC when something like 50% of IF diagnoses are on the male side. And MFI is WAY easier to deal with. There's a stigma around it I guess...men feel "less manly" if there's something wrong with their sperm but that's life! Happy to give you more info if you need it @oureastandwest. I've been on this rodeo for years now. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/clomid-when-ovulating-yes-or-no-how-to-test-dhs-sa#post-2629948 Fri, 30 Sep 2016 11:06:48 +0000 LAZB 2629948@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm surprised your doctor doesn't require a SA before giving you clomid, that is pretty standard.<br /> I had very similar issues as to what you describe (I ovulated cd18-19, and had a short luteal phase). I got pregnant with our son on the first cycle using clomid after trying without for a year. I also got pregnant with our daughter after one cycle of clomid.<br /> Now I'm pregnant with our third child, but this time I just took vitex. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/clomid-when-ovulating-yes-or-no-how-to-test-dhs-sa#post-2629941 Fri, 30 Sep 2016 10:57:17 +0000 NorthStar 2629941@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>You are welcome! Honestly, if you think that you would eventually want to start seeing a fertility specialist, I might start researching it now and see if you can get an appointment made at the 1 year mark. It took me 4 months to get into mine, but every clinic is different. </p> <p>I would also see what your OB can do for testing as if she orders it, it is more likely to be covered by insurance (i'm not sure what your coverage is). If an RE orders the tests, your insurance might not cover them at all. I'll try to respond more later, but I totally get the inpatient side of things. Plus, women sometimes just have an intuition about these things and it certainly doesn't hurt to get checked. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/clomid-when-ovulating-yes-or-no-how-to-test-dhs-sa#post-2629940 Fri, 30 Sep 2016 10:51:22 +0000 OurEastAndWest 2629940@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@NorthStar: Seriously, thank you for your thorough response!! You just made all my 'crazy' thoughts seem not crazy anymore!! I didn't feel informed at all about the 'how' to get pregnant part with going to my ob/gyn honestly. She just kept telling me I was still very young at 32 and that she has tons of 40 and over pregnant patients. Which makes me so happy to hear but I'm not really looking to spend the next 8 years TTC... I just would like professional guidance in figuring out any potential issues and solving them. And if it's just a waiting game, I'll stay patient! (After 4 years of dating/living together before getting engaged and then waiting until we were married/hubby was ready to start trying, I am level:expert on being patient haha!) I would like to feel like I'm DOING something towards the goal I guess. </p> <p>So now I wonder if it's best to call my doctor's office to see if those tests are something I can schedule with them or just waiting until we reach the year TTC mark before being referred to a fertility specialist? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/clomid-when-ovulating-yes-or-no-how-to-test-dhs-sa#post-2629933 Fri, 30 Sep 2016 10:41:22 +0000 NorthStar 2629933@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@OurEastAndWest: Also, you shouldn't need a referral to see an RE. I just made an appointment after I was fed up and my OB kept saying that nothing was wrong. </p> <p>On day 21, she was testing your progesterone level, which should be above a certain number to show that you ovulated and can sustain a pregnancy. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/clomid-when-ovulating-yes-or-no-how-to-test-dhs-sa#post-2629929 Fri, 30 Sep 2016 10:37:15 +0000 OurEastAndWest 2629929@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@DesertDreams88: @Mrs. Pickle: @Tionn3: Thank you, thank you, thank you! Really appreciate 'backing up' my thought about him needing a SA first! I will call my ob/gyn's office to see if she can order it/refer him/whatever needs to be done! </p> <p>@PurplePumps: I LOVE my doctor- I have gone there since I was 14 for terrible periods and am turning 32 next week! Howeverrrr I don't really feel like she is the person I need to be going to about fertility stuff. I only went there because I knew that was the first step. She brought up how anxious I seemed at the appointment (and admittedly I was, I just didn't know what to expect and was worried she was going to say I was totally broken or something just by looking at my charts ha!) but that I needed to just relax about TTC and it was all still super early. I know that 7 months TTC is early, but I also could tell that something was off physically and I wanted to figure it out and fix it versus doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results! If that makes any sense. I don't know what was tested with my blood draw really, just that she was confirming I was actually ovulating and to make sure I didn't need a booster for my Rubella vaccination I believe? I honestly wish I could skip the ob/gyn step and just go straight to a fertility clinic. Not because I want to do anything drastic right now but just because that's the language they speak all day, every day, and it's their expertise... if that doesn't make me sound like a total crazy person! I just want to identify and solve any potential problems and even if they said, just keep doing what you are doing and give it more time, I would be fine with that! I just wish guidance about TTC was a little easier to come by I guess. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/clomid-when-ovulating-yes-or-no-how-to-test-dhs-sa#post-2629923 Fri, 30 Sep 2016 10:28:14 +0000 NorthStar 2629923@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I agree with all the ladies here and many of us have been there/done that (including more extensive fertility treatments). Keep in mind that OB's are not trained in HOW to get a woman pregnant, only how to deal with their health before and after conception. So, with that in mind, I would definitely do the following before taking clomid:</p> <p>*have DH get an SA. It's as easy as getting it scheduled, having him do his thing into a cup and a few days to a week later, you have the results.<br /> *Have them do some blood tests on you, including thyroid, FSH and AMH. These should be easy to do and will tell you if you have any hormonal issues or if your egg reserve is on the low end (how old are you?)<br /> *Do an HSG. It will see if your tubes are clear, because if they aren't, then no amount of meds are going to get you pregnant if the egg can't get through.</p> <p>Once you have done these and feel comfortable starting Clomid, I would seriously insist on at least one ultrasound to monitor the follicle development while on the meds. Many OB's just prescribe Clomid as a fix and don't actually do any monitoring, which can lead to multiples or the adverse. Perhaps you aren't even responding to the Clomid and need something stronger, but without the ultrasound, they wouldn't know that.</p> <p>Sorry this is long, but I've been where you are and feel like I lost a year of my trying with my OBGYN, so I'm a huge advocate for you guys. This is a good place to be for asking questions!</p> <p>eta - also, if you are concerned about your luteal phase, I would ask about taking progesterone supplementation to help sustain a pregnancy. It's super easy and prometrium is very reasonable (might even be covered by insurance). It definitely doesn't hurt to take just in case. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/clomid-when-ovulating-yes-or-no-how-to-test-dhs-sa#post-2629921 Fri, 30 Sep 2016 10:26:44 +0000 SweetiePie 2629921@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Definitely get your husband SA first, it's super easy and it may turn out he's the one that needs clomid! :silly: That's what happened to my friend! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/clomid-when-ovulating-yes-or-no-how-to-test-dhs-sa#post-2629916 Fri, 30 Sep 2016 10:18:09 +0000 Tionn3 2629916@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Please have your hubby get an SA before you do any treatment! It is seriously the easiest least invasive thing you can do right now, and you'll get results within 3-5 days. You should know the whole picture before taking any meds. Also, if you ovulate on CD 17, you shouldn't be going in for a progesterone test on CD 21, you should probably be going in on CD 23, that is when your progesterone should be at its peak, and CD 21 assumes you ovulate on the 15th. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/clomid-when-ovulating-yes-or-no-how-to-test-dhs-sa#post-2629839 Fri, 30 Sep 2016 08:44:00 +0000 PurplePumps 2629839@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@OurEastAndWest: My OB was like that too. She insisted that cd14 was ovulation day and it HAD to be 14... and didn't believe that I was ovulating around cd21-25 and insisted my cycles were annovulatory cause they were so long cause she didn't believe in charting either. I don't understand how an OB can be so closed minded about not everyone having a *perfect* 28 day cycle. 8 or 9 does seem a bit short, but 12/13 is "normal" I think. My RE didn't think that anything over 11 days LP was too alarming. And yup, your OB can give the orders for your DH to get SA and HSG. And I'm assuming they've done a full bloodwork up for you too? TSH, FSH, AMH, etc...? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/clomid-when-ovulating-yes-or-no-how-to-test-dhs-sa#post-2629817 Fri, 30 Sep 2016 08:26:56 +0000 Mrs. Pickle 2629817@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would definitely have your DH get a SA before starting any type of treatments. My OB was able to write my DH a referral so he could get one. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/clomid-when-ovulating-yes-or-no-how-to-test-dhs-sa#post-2629816 Fri, 30 Sep 2016 08:23:01 +0000 DesertDreams88 2629816@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'd definitely tell your OB you don't feel comfortable taking anything until DH gets a SA and maybe a HSG for you. You only get 6 months of clomid, you don't want that wasted. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/clomid-when-ovulating-yes-or-no-how-to-test-dhs-sa#post-2629810 Fri, 30 Sep 2016 08:17:11 +0000 OurEastAndWest 2629810@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mamaof2: Okay, thanks!! My husband offered it earlier in our TTC process but that was when my cycle was so wacky I knew the bigger problem was on my end. Now that I seem to have stabilized I was thinking about just double-checking his side of the equation too. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/clomid-when-ovulating-yes-or-no-how-to-test-dhs-sa#post-2629803 Fri, 30 Sep 2016 08:14:50 +0000 OurEastAndWest 2629803@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@PurplePumps: Thanks for your input! I didn't think CD 17 was late either but my doctor was the one who said it. She said she wanted it more around CD 13-15. </p> <p>I was having 8 or 9 day LP but with consistent use of Vitex, B6, supplements I'm now up to a 12/13 day LP- 13 DPO when my period officially starts but 12 DPO when I start spotting or my temp drops. 12 is soooo much better than 9!</p> <p>I think you're right about testing DH first... Is that something my ob/gyn can order?? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/clomid-when-ovulating-yes-or-no-how-to-test-dhs-sa#post-2629802 Fri, 30 Sep 2016 08:11:51 +0000 Mamaof2 2629802@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@OurEastAndWest: Definitely get a SA for your DH. My OB at the time had me do 6 rounds of Clomid assuming it was an issue for me - changed OB's and she suggested a SA for DH - turns out we had a MFI problem - just wasted 6 months and took clomid for nothing! ugh!</p> <p>Your OB should be able to help you schedule a SA for DH - good luck! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/clomid-when-ovulating-yes-or-no-how-to-test-dhs-sa#post-2629793 Fri, 30 Sep 2016 08:05:07 +0000 PurplePumps 2629793@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@OurEastAndWest: I would definitely have you DH tested before taking any meds. My OB highly recommended a SA for DH and a HSG for me before doing meds just to be sure that everything else was clear and that taking meds wasn't a waste of time if something else was off. Clomid is kind of the first easy point of attack to try something to help out. Day 17 is not really considered that late for ovulation though, how short is your LP? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/clomid-when-ovulating-yes-or-no-how-to-test-dhs-sa#post-2629787 Fri, 30 Sep 2016 07:57:04 +0000 OurEastAndWest 2629787@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>When I went to see my ob/gyn for basic testing since we had not been successful yet after 6 months of charting/timing/using OPKs, she suggested that I may need Clomid to help give me a stronger ovulation- especially since I had been ovulating on CD 17 and my luteal phase was short. Then I had bloodwork done (on CD21 I believe) and the office said my results were 'normal' but she would still give me a script for Clomid if I wanted. </p> <p>I'm going into Cycle # 8 now and feeling frustrated with the process and confused on what to do now. I'm wondering if I should take Clomid for a bit to see if it helps me, even though I am ovulating. BUT I know that there is a limited number of times that you can take Clomid so I wasn't sure if it was important to test my DH before going that route. And if so, how do I have a SA done?? (My husband would prefer to wait until we've been trying a full year before using Clomid but that comes from a place where he hates taking any medication except vitamins unless he's really sick or it's a necessary treatment. So he even admitted it was more of a personal bias about drugs in general versus a strong conviction about Clomid itself.) </p> <p>Any tips/past experiences would be greatly appreciated!! :heart: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/losing-my-patience-today#post-1374399 Fri, 24 Jan 2014 17:14:25 +0000 LindsayInNY 1374399@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@macintosh: I second @CatchAFallingStar:'s podcast recommendation! Creating a Family has a TON focused on male infertility. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/losing-my-patience-today#post-1374332 Fri, 24 Jan 2014 16:42:29 +0000 CatchAFallingStar 1374332@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@macintosh: Oh, sweetie. It will all be OK.. there are ways to work around this problem! I thought this might be helpful to you... <a href="http://www.creatingafamily.org/radioplayer.html?file_name=Getting-Pregnant-Male-Infertility.mp3&#038;year=2013%20&#038;day=May%201:&#038;title=Getting%20Pregnant%20with%20Male%20Infertility" rel="nofollow">http://www.creatingafamily.org/radioplayer.html?file_name=Getting-Pregnant-Male-Infertility.mp3&#038;year=2013%20&#038;day=May%201:&#038;title=Getting%20Pregnant%20with%20Male%20Infertility</a> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/losing-my-patience-today#post-1368770 Wed, 22 Jan 2014 21:50:24 +0000 Happygal 1368770@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@macintosh: Oh, I'm so sorry. And I"m sorry about your mom's insensitive comment--sometimes people say unfortunate things when there are tough situations. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/losing-my-patience-today#post-1368670 Wed, 22 Jan 2014 21:05:09 +0000 LindsayInNY 1368670@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@macintosh: I'm sorry. But at least you have the results now and can move on from here. I would definitely look at what your insurance will cover to figure out finances. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/losing-my-patience-today#post-1368658 Wed, 22 Jan 2014 21:02:29 +0000 swedishfish 1368658@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@macintosh: talk to the RE's billing office to see if they can work something out for you. Does your insurance cover IVF at all? We did IVF with ICSI because my husband had issues and it worked for us. Yeah...my MIL said some things to us that were meant to be helpful but really hurt me at the time. Hugs. :heart: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/losing-my-patience-today#post-1368608 Wed, 22 Jan 2014 20:52:01 +0000 mrsbookworm 1368608@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@macintosh: I'm sorry that the news wasn't better. I hope you find a viable way forward soon! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/losing-my-patience-today#post-1368569 Wed, 22 Jan 2014 20:43:47 +0000 macintosh 1368569@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@FaithFertility: @Lindsay05: thank you :heart: </p> <p>@swedishfish: DH was going to have surgical sperm extraction, but that was before we found out he was able to ejaculate (he couldn't for a while after the accident). My RE wants to freeze his sample 3-4 more times then proceed with IVF and ICSI. My concern is the cost of all that freezing and if the odds are good enough to make it worth it. I'm crushed, and my mom doesn't understand. She actually said I should just use donor sperm. WTF, mom? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/losing-my-patience-today#post-1368385 Wed, 22 Jan 2014 19:48:01 +0000 swedishfish 1368385@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@macintosh: is surgical sperm removal an option? So sorry that the news wasn't good. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/losing-my-patience-today#post-1368352 Wed, 22 Jan 2014 19:32:15 +0000 Lindsay05 1368352@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I am so sorry. I hope you have options available to you. &lt;3 </p>