TTC 2nd child, what questions should you ask... read on.?

Question

Going to the Dr and....?
I am headed off to the GYN's office Tuesday morning. We have been trying to conceive a second child. We have only been trying for about 7-8 months. How ever I have endometriosis and in June-July they told me I was no longer ovulating. I found out about 2 weeks ago it is due to HIGH prolactin levels.

I need to know what questions I should ask the Dr about. Do you have any?

I know I will be put on a medication to induce ovulation (which at the same time this drug lowers my prolactin levels) it is called parlodel.

Answer 1

I would ask the doctor about more natural methods to achieve ovulation. Are you overweight? Oftentimes it's as simple as losing weight to bring ovulation back. Of course, for women with PCOS and endometriosis, losing weight can be difficult. The easiest way is to eat a very low GI (Glucose Index) diet. Avoid processed sugar entirely. Many women with PCOS and endo just can't eat sugar, and a lot of times all the problems clear up when they stop eating it.

Ask about Vitex and other natural herbs, which help stimulate your fertility. Ask about vitamins like Zinc, which also helps.

Ask the doctor to test your progesterone levels. Progesterone is necessary for ovulation and also for a healthy pregnancy. Many miscarriages in the first trimester are due to low progesterone. I had a miscarriage at 10 weeks with my first pregnancy; afterward I was not ovulating. I lost some weight and began supplementing low doses of progesterone cream (like 10-20 mg a day) - got pregnant again and am now 26 weeks with a healthy girl.

Ask about Metformin (Glucophage). Metformin helps lower blood sugar levels and could help you lose weight, if needed. I have heard countless good stories about Metformin being a lifesaver for women trying to lose weight, with or without ovulation-inducing drugs like Clomid. In my case, I did not use Metformin - I decided to go without drugs for as long as possible. This worked efficiently and quickly for me - I just got my diet under control, took Vitex and EFAs (Essential Fatty Acids), a pre-natal, Zinc, drank raspberry tea and used progesterone cream. Like I mentioned before, I got pregnant fast, AND, thankfully, the persistent pain I had in my ovaries went away.

Most of all I would just ask about natural methods. Natural methods are always preferable. Drugs are necessary sometimes, don't get me wrong, but they cause other problems. Also, if you do start doing things naturally, make sure you chart your BBT (Basal Body Temperature), your cervical position and your cervical mucus. Check those every day - that way you aren't just shooting in the dark and hoping your dates are right when it comes to ovulation. Your body gives signals that ovulation is approaching or has just occurred.

One last thing - when I began getting my diet under control, I drank only organic milk. It's expensive stuff - but regular milk has lots of estrogens in it that may hurt your attempts to balance hormonally. I do think this helped me.

If you want or need to take Parlodel, I would probably just ask about side-effects of the drug, how long you would have to be on it and what the chances are of having multiples. Also, what other drugs will you need to take in conjunction with Parlodel, if any?

Best of luck! :)

Answer 2

What are the chances of multiples, side effects, and birth defects from this drug?