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Frustration with my doctor
I know baby day was yesterday but I'm so frustrated and really need advice. My OPK's have been negative and I had a sono done on Monday which was day 13. I took 50 mg of clomid on days 3-7. The sono showed very little response to the clomid. Today is day 16 and still no positive OPK. Now here's the thing. This is our third cycle trying and I've been using OPK's for months. I've tried Answer, First Response, Clear Blue Easy, and store brands. I have never gotten a positive on any brand yet based on the sono's I've had in previous cycles we know that I ovulate.
The first cycle my doctor did multiple sono's to follow follicular growth and did the IUI based on that when I told her that the sticks don't work for me. That cycle was a bust. The next cycle she did just one sono and said call if you get an almost positive and then we'll do the IUI. I did that and it was also a bust. This cycle I call her today and say that they are still negative. She didn't even offer another sono she simply said "keep testing and if it's not positive by the weekend send the swimmers back". Not only that but it's taken 3 cycles for her to say okay on the next month I can increase the dose to 100mg of the clomid.
I don't know if it's just frustration of this cycle not working the way we thought (especially with our anniversary coming up) or if I'm really frustrated at my doctor's lack of interest. I don't really feel like she listens to me when I tell her that the sticks don't work for me. I don't really feel like she's all that interested in trying other medications or procedures to help us conceive. So now this leads me to the question: is it time to find another doctor? Should we give her one more chance with the increased clomid? If we do switch doctor's should we find an RE or stick with an OB/GYN? I don't even know of any "lesbian friendly" RE's because when I called around before we settled on the doctor we are using now they all said the same thing- "we only take married heterosexual couples". I'm just starting to get so beat down and it's hard to stay positive when after 3 failed attempts nothing changes.
Sorry this turned out to be so long.
Re: Frustration with my doctor
Every day is baby day on the SSH board.
From what you've described above, I'd start looking for a new doctor. May as well at least start the search. I think if I were you I'd probably look into an RE rather than just another OB/GYN. Where in Texas are you?
Do you have PCOS? OPKs frequently "don't work" for people with PCOS (though I think it may be in the direction of false positives, which isn't your situation). You might google a bit and see if that could be the issue.
Hang in there!
IUI #3 gave us the best 2nd anniv. gift ever: 2 babies! (born 03/09/10)
Peanut and Little Man are getting so big! 2 years old already!
finally blogging again at This Will Be: An Adventure
I am so sorry! How frustrating. Having a doctor who listens is so important. Please consider switching. S and I spent a year and thousands of dollars staying with a doctor who didn't listen. We ended up with broken hearts and checkbooks instead of a baby.
As far as the OPK's go, if you are sure you don't have PCOS you may have a short surge and be missing it. S had to test 3x daily to pinpoint her surge. Otherwise, Clomid may not be the drug for you. Some women just don't respond and need something else.
If your next U/S shows some growth ask if she would consider boosting the follicles you do have with an injectible medication. That may help them along and the cycle won't be a total loss. We did that one cycle, it gave us 2 more follicles when we triggered. No baby, but at least we had a shot.
Good luck and hugs to you. I know how frustrating it can be.
Sorry you're feeling so frustrated. Here's my "lesson learned" from 21 months of TTC: There is no objectively right or wrong answer when it comes to conservative v. aggressive approaches, but you need to find a pace and a protocol that feels good to you or you'll go crazy. Believe it or not, you're not as far on the conservative side of the spectrum as you might think. Our first practitioner took things much slower than yours is. She reluctantly gave in to my pleas for an HSG after cycle 6 or 7, but waited until around cycle 9 to write the script for 50 mg. clomid. Looking back, I can see there is nothing inherently wrong with her approach - why not assume fertility until proven otherwise? - but it was the wrong approach for us because it didn't jive with my intuition and I was ready to get more aggressive long before she was. I really wish we'd gone to an RE sooner than we did.
In the grand scheme of things, three cycles really isn't long enough to say there's a problem. It takes many perfectly healthy heterosexual couples longer than that to conceive on their own, and they have unrestricted access to the fresh stuff. That said, if you're feeling frustrated and unheard by your doctor, it's probably time to move on. The stress may not be hurting your chances, but it can't be helping them either.
Good luck. I hope this whole conversation becomes a moot point when you get your BFP this month!