Why you need to be monitored on Clomid

One of the most common questions that we get asked on TB is "why do I need to be tested before taking Clomid and why should I be monitored"

First, let's address the testing. Making sure that there are no underlying issues is essential to making a treatment plan.

Proper testing before starting ANY fertility med includes (at a minimum) 

-An HSG for the female partner
-CD3 and 7DPO blood work for the female partner
-SA for the male partner

So why bother with all of this testing? Imagine your eggs are race cars, your ovary is the gas station, and your Fallopian tubes are the roads to the finish line. If you have tubal scarring, a defect, or blockage, no matter how much race fuel (Clomid) you pump into the cars at the gas station, your car won't make it to the finish line.

And the bloodwork? That's important because it can rule out underlying disorders (thyroid, adrenal hyperplasia, etc) that can be making getting pregnant even more complicated.

And the SA (semen analysis)? There's also no point in pumping the race cars full of race fuel if they make it to the finish line alone. If your partner's little swimmers aren't able to get to the egg, no amount of clomid in the world is going to solve that problem.


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And then there's the monitoring. At this point, many people have spent $1,500-$2,000 on testing alone and are questioning why in the world they need to have MORE tests done every month.

Proper monitoring on clomid looks like this:

CD3 ultrasound & bloodwork to make sure you don't have any cysts forming

CD10-14 ultrasound (depending on when you normally ovulate) to check your response to the drugs. If you haven't responded, they can increase the dosage, and if you responded too well (hyperstimulated) they will cancel the cycle so that you don't end up like Kate Gosselin. Clomid also has a nasty habit of thinning out your lining, so they'll measure that to make sure you can implant.

7DPO (NOT CD21) bloodwork- to check hormone levels to ensure that your body will be able to sustain a pregnancy if implantation occurs.

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We're talking about your health. Your risk of maternal death increases when on unmonitored clomid due to the risk of higher order multiples. You could also develop OHSS which can be fatal, and you risk significant damage to your reproductive organs.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.