Clomid timing and sway

[twointow83]

I have the green light to TTC as soon as my first PP AF shows its ugly face so I am in planning mode now... trying to make sure my ducks are in a row.

Does the timing of taking clomid (3-7, 5-9, etc.) affect the sway? As in if you take it sooner or later in your cycle, does it make it any more or less effective sway-wise? Is there any data on this or is the jury still out?

Also, does anyone know if you take it sooner if you will ovulate sooner? I am a late ovulater (usually CD 20-30, though there are a few random 14-18s thrown in here and there), which is why my doc is Rx'ing them (definite perk that it also sways pink :D ). When I took them before I did CD 5-9 and ovulated in the same realm I would have anyway. So, does anyone know if I were to do 2-6 or 3-7 if this would help me ovulate sooner?

Finally, I know clomid sways pink because it can make things more hostile... and I can see that in my clomid charts. I normally get copious amounts of EWCM but on my clomid charts I peaked with creamy CM. So, is that how I leave it... no lubes, etc? Or am I supposed to use lube to increase chances of preg?This part confuses me as I know to sway girl you want things more hostile, but I have also read that a lot of ppl use lubes. Can someone clarify please?

TIA!

[atomic sagebrush]

It doesn't affect the sway, some believe that it may up odds of twins to take it sooner. I am not convinced of this and I think we have seen better rates of conception with CD 3-7 so that is my recommendation.

Ovulation on Clomid a toss up. Some O earlier, others O late, and there is really no pattern to it (as in people who O late may O even later or may O earlier or it can vary by the month)

We honestly don't know WHY Clomid sways. WE assumed it was the hostile CM but now that we've learned Femara (which doesn't make things hostile) is actually better, I am scratching my head and not really wanting to hang my hat on anything just yet. So, that having been said, we've tried to skip the lubes on Clomid but if you need one, a small amount of Preseed has not cut odds of conception and seems neutral (larger amounts may sway blue so use the minimum amount.)

[twointow83]

Thanks atomic! I will go with your recommendation of 3-7 :) Thanks for the info!! I don't know what he will Rx as far as dosage (does that have any effect that you know of?) but I am guessing 50mg since this time around I am ovulating on my own (last time I didn't ovulate at all) but we are just trying to A. increase my odds of conception and B. try to make my ovulation earlier.

Off-topic question... what is CFR? I see it a lot and don't know what it means.

[maidentomother]

Compressed Frequent Release - DH releases 2-3x in as short a period as possible then use 3rd/4th batch to BD with. It lowers sperm count which seems to sway pink.

I also recommend CD3-7 but I think you probably need a higher dose to O earlier, though taking it earlier should help you O earlier, that doesn't always work especially with late Oers unless you're on a higher dose.

[twointow83]

Good lord! In one night?? would there be anything left?? statistically I think saw it has the highest success, which is why I was curious, but WOW! Seems like it'd lower sperm count to the point of non-existence...

I can't remember what dosage he had me on before, unfortunately.

[Hitmebabyonemoretime]

Just to throw it out there - im on Clomid CD 3-7, and im on day 17 and just got my first pos opk. So certainly not o-ing early. I also have tons of CM, whereas last cycle I had none (first PP Af) idk if it means much for my sway in terms of harming it, but I need to get pg anyway and it just makes me feel better about that part.


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[atomic sagebrush]

Compressed frequent release, it isn't worth the effort IMO. Very difficult to pull off , probably doens't work really well, and I'd never use it with Clomid.

[atomic sagebrush]

Good lord! In one night?? would there be anything left?? statistically I think saw it has the highest success, which is why I was curious, but WOW! Seems like it'd lower sperm count to the point of non-existence...

I can't remember what dosage he had me on before, unfortunately.

The stats on CFR are terribly misleading, it's a small sample size and always done with one attempt, so the results are deceptively high. We get 70-75% with one attempt, and one "lucky" sway with that small a sample size can make the numbers look artificially high, if that makes sense.

CFR is 2-3 releases for 2-3 days and then the day of attempt is usually the second batch of the day. I don't recommend ever having 4 releases in one day and I don't think even 3 is going to work for most people. But I am not recommending it any more because it caused several people to be unable to "complete the transaction" when it came time for the attempt.

[twointow83]

Yeah, I went back and looked and saw that after my last post. Hubby isn't thrilled with the idea of complete abstain, so we will prob do every 4 days since it seems to have good stats too. Or we may just use rubbers all month till the one attempt.... which do you think would be better?

[atomic sagebrush]

"Let him do what he does" is a viable method too!! (meaning just do what DH is "up" for so to speak)

The "every 4 days" in the stats right now is having hubby release every 4 days. NOT unprotected BD every 4 days. THat method is really too new to have results.

The advantage of the every 4 day unportected is that you're covered in case you don't get a positive OPK or have a false surge. I do think it's best, when on Clomid, to be in with attempt regularly so you don't miss a month, but I am also ok with starting with hte one attempt and then relaxing over time.

[twointow83]

On the "do what he does" are you talking about him releasing himself or BD as often as he wants? If it is the latter then protected or not? DH has a pretty high drive and if he had it his way we'd BD everyday... sometimes more than once a day, lol. Which, if unprotected kinda blows the "one attempt" out of the water. If protected, then that is kinda what I was talking about with just using a condom all month until our one attempt... though *I* didn't mean everyday. I just meant kinda doing what we would normally do if not TTC, but just use a condom. Frequency of "what we normally do" varies based on my own sex drive, though. Could be daily, could be 1-2 times a week and everything in between. I am willing to do whatever I need to to sway... even if I am not in the mood and even if it means BD'ing a couple times a day.. though they'd both be evening because DH goes to work at 5am and doesn't get home until 7 pm 6 days of the week.... don't know if that would factor in at all but figured I'd mention it just in case. Whatever you think is best is what we will do... except the abstain as like I said, DH isn't too thrilled with that and he'd never make it lol. He was going nuts having to wait after my D&C...

As far as OPKs here are my stats on how much warning I generally get. There is a first time for everything but I have never not had at least 1 +OPK when testing. There aren't many cycles where I used OPKs as I only started useing them the last couple months TTC'ing my second (TTC'd 2 years but wasn't until then that I learned about internet cheapy OPKs), then to TTC my 3rd, 4th, and now this cycle which sounds like a lot of cycles given the chunk of time but when you factor that for me, esp back then, 5 months of TTC could mean only 3 cycles.

8 cycles
4 days: 1
3 days: 2
2 days: 4
1 day: 1

ETA: "days" include the day ov ovulation. So, for example, the cycle I only got 1 day, it was the day of ovulation.

Again... don't know if it will help but I figure having as much info as possible can't hurt.

[atomic sagebrush]

Either, or, or a combo of the two. It just means to kinda leave the ball in his court on that and not put any pressure on him because that is one thing that isn't really seeming to do a whole lot beneficial anyway, and it's a big source of contention for couples with swaying.

I'd probably use protection if not doing every 4 day method though.

What you'd want to avoid are long periods of abstain (longer than 5 days) and then also long periods of daily or more than daily BD 7-10 days, and even up to 4-5 in a row may deplete the swimmers) Not because these things sway blue but because they are probably going to cut odds of conception considerably.

RE the OPK, there is really not a strong pattern to them. People are seeming to get results all over the map with them and not any kind of real pattern developing. I think you're best off either DTD u nprotected every 4 days or doing one attempt the night of your FIRST positive, even if you get a darker test later on, and even if the positives last for several days. After you have that one attempt, you can start up the every 4 days even after that if you weren't doing it before, this way you'll be covered in case of a fake surge - by continuing attempts even after you think you've Oed, you won't miss the month in case of delayed ovulation. :)

[twointow83]

Thanks a ton for the info. It is very helpful :D I'll talk it over with DH and see if we can reach a consensus :D

[twointow83]

oh.. and if we do either method I already know at some point this question will come up... Ok, so hypothetically speaking DH and I do our one attempt (or our every 4 days falls in such a way that the same occurs) and it ends up being a long surge. (still hypothetical) BD was 4 days ago and I am ovulating today... do we BD again? As that would technically be 2 attempts within the fertile window...

[atomic sagebrush]

If you're due for your attempt, have it, even if it's O day. BD 4 days before O and also O day have surprisingly low odds of conception (so it is probably a good idea to have attempt ust for that reason) and also because if there was anything left from the first go-round, it would already have fertilized the egg before the second batch could capacitate, and if not, the second batch was needed anyway (hope that makes sense, a bit hard to explain)

If you're just at a loss what to do, this is a bit of a play-it-by-ear kind of thing. You can look back at that prev. attempt and decide if it was a "good" one n which case you may want to stick with the one, or even flip a coin if you really can't make up your mind. We don't have the data yet to really know and so I have to leave that decision in your hands.

[twointow83]

Makes perfect sense :) Thanks.