Ovulation Induction with Cycle Tracking

What is ovulation induction?
As its name suggests, Ovulation Induction is a way to induce or get your ovaries to produce an egg. It has to be coaxed out with medication such as Clomid or Leterazol. Clomiphene citrate can be taken as part of IUI treatment for unexplained infertility to increase the likelihood of a pregnancy. An injection of Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) will further boost your chances of success. The idea is to either help along the natural conception process or intra-uterine insemination.

Why may I need it?
You may have to undergo ovulation induction if you are not producing enough of the hormones that lead to ovulation or if you are not ovulating at all. The medication stimulates the production of those hormones.

We will determine this by testing your blood for hormone levels at different times in your cycle. We also use a transvaginal ultrasound to check on the follicles in your ovaries and the thickness and appearance of the lining of the uterus.

How long does this take?
We will start you on the medication on day 2 of your cycle, further testing depends on whether we are using an injectable or tablet form of the drug.
Day 1: (of your menstrual cycle) Call the center to make an appointment for a blood test.
Day 2: Start taking the medication we give you.
Day 7: Visit the clinic for a blood test to determine your hormone level.
Day 12-14: (approximate) Attend the clinic for an ultrasound. This will determine if you are about to ovulate.
If you do not have a regular menstrual cycle it may take some time to ovulate.

What does cycle tracking involve?
As we put you through the ovulation induction, we will keep monitoring the process of ovulation by giving you ultrasounds to see the size of the eggs or ovum. This will help us make several decisions, including whether we need to extend the treatment depending on the number and size of the eggs.

Once we see that the egg is mature, we give certain injections (such as HMG) to release the egg from the follicle. Then we advise you on what would be the best time to try to conceive or undergo assisted conception. If it does not happen by the sixth cycle, then we move to other options such as IUI or IVF, according to your condition.