CD12 Ultrasound Report

Thanks to all of you for your support about the conversation with my aunt. I have a feeling that she won't bring up the topic again anytime soon.

The CD12 ultrasound showed one 16 mm follicle on my right ovary, with a uterine lining of 8.5mm. Dr. A checked my left ovary, too, and measured one semi-decent looking follicle, but he decided that it was too small to count, and he didn't give me the exact measurement on that one.

Anyway, I am kinda disappointed. I mean, really, I ovulate every month without Clomid, so what is the point of this medication and its required 2 ultrasounds if I'm not even going to make more than one egg?? To summarize, I have taken Clomid 50 mg on CD3-CD7 during each of the past 3 cycles. With Clomid #1 I had two follicles measuring 15/16 mm on CD12, and I ovulated on CD16 or 17. With Clomid #2, I had the giganto-follicle (28mm) on CD13, along with two 15 mm follicles. I was having my LH surge at the time and ovulated on CD14, so I assumed that the two 15 mm follicles didn't have a chance to develop further. And now this...one 16 mm follicle. It's annoying because I always ask them if I should take a higher dose of Clomid, and they keep saying, "No." I do think I am happier with this little egg than with giganto-follicle, however. That one was so large that I kinda worried that there was something wrong with it.

Anyway, I expressed my frustration to Dr. A, and in his usual hurried way, he tried to put a good spin on it by saying, "But Clomid will help make your ovulation 'stronger'." Unfortunately, that is a too much of a hand-waving, nebulous of an explanation for my taste, but I'll try to go with it.

I am trying to overcome my regret about the Clomid dose by thinking that if had taken more Clomid, maybe my lining would be thinner right now, and that would make me really sad. On the other hand, I don't think I'll ovulate for 4 more days or so (based on my IUI cycle #1 and my utter lack of egg-white cervical fluid today), so the lining still has plenty of time to thicken up. Dr. A said that 8.5 mm was fine, by the way.

The good news is, right after the, "Clomid makes a stronger ovulation" comment, I asked Dr A about whether I need to take vaginal progesterone. He said, "Probably not, why?" I told him that it causes irritation and that my luteal phases are really long anyway, and he said, "OK, don't do it then. Clomid should give you a good luteal phase." So, I'm not going to. Hopefully S won't be upset with me, because I asked the same question of Dr G a few days ago (in front of S at our IVF discussion appointment) and he said to keep using the progesterone. Oh well!

For now, I am going to try to relax and hope that this 16 mm follicle is making a nice healthy egg!