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I also want an answer and according to the dr monitoring me there is a 10% chance of having twins and it is up to God as to whether you do or not.Chances increase if twins in the family.Hope it helps.

hi, I've been reading all yr comments, I think everyone trying on clomid should be nice to each other and offer support. Stop ripping each other to pieces. I will be taking clomid very soon, for very different reasons than all of you, I wish to have a baby, 1 will do, but will also be trying to concieve a baby for someone else, that can't have babies,(surrogate). This is why I am trying clomid, to have a multiple birth, as I am getting on in years (33).
good luck to you all, for whatever reason you are on here

Why are you guys fighting? Nothing better to do? If these girls want to work so hard to have twins let them. Baby dust to them. Nobody says demeaning things about people trying to make more money, why would you about making more babies...but at the same time, ladies, understand where the protests come from, years of heartbreak on the baby-front. How about we all just do our own thing and leave judgement to our higher power (whether it be God, allah, karma, whatever) and baby-dust to all.

Who's fighting? One chick came on here with no interest in the topic, only an interest in preaching her personal ethics which no one seems to care about, save her. Or maybe she just likes to talk.
Anyway, to the chatty kathy woman, I did my med school in the US so there's no cultural difference at all save in your insular 'brain'. EVERY SINGLE month a woman who ovulates will start to ripen a number of follicles and only 1 will be released. Clomid increases the likelihood that a second will be so ripe by the time the biochemical process of 'stop' goes out that a second egg will escape. It does not open the floodgates and has NO PROVEN CONNECTION TO HIGHER ORDER MULTIPLES OR IDENTICAL TWINS AT ALL. That isn't a cultural difference, it's you being less than intelligent. If 2 eggs are released and both by fluke of nature split into identical twins during cell division then you could get quads or if that happened to only 1 you could get triplets with 2 being identical but those divisions are not affected by Clomid, they're just random happenings. They lucked out, in short (or didn't luck out, higher multiples are hell from the get-go). Also, the term geriatric is tossed around a lot by the media but it's medical concern is perimenopause and primagravida. I know you don't know either of those terms so I'll explain - a woman who hasn't given birth to her first child by age 35 is considered at higher risk of complications due to her own aging as well as her eggs aging. A woman over 40 giving birth to her second or more child is viewed the same way. A healthy 36 year old having her 3rd child isn't of much concern - the equipment has been tested and functions well and she's not at such advanced age that the other concerns (HBP, DS, etc.) are rearing their ugly heads yet. Anyone who has any questions about these studies can do their own research, just don't pay attention to any site that has .com. - look for .edu. if you want anything current and valid.

Yas, the difference in dosing is a matter of finding what works with your system. We all have different hormone levels so it's just a matter of what works for you. The usual starting dose is 1 pill for days 5-9 of your cycle (1st day of full flow counts as day 1). There's no telling that you've been on Clomid as far as pregnancy is concerned. Your chance of triplets is very low but if you had twins there would be no effect on the pregnancy and nothing abnormal in your routine bloodwork. The only way people will know you conceieved them on Clomid is if when they say 'Are they natural' you say, 'No, Merck' ;o)
Watch out for excessive pain (expect plenty of 'cramping' sensations that will worsen as you get to ovulation) and excessive bloating - they're signs of Ovarian Hyperstimulation and you'll need to get in to your local hospital and tell them what you're on - take the meds with you. It's rare to get that far though and the usual cramping and bloating are best handled with lots of water/gatorade and a hot water bottle.
Good luck!
Sorry I'm not around much - we're on our own little ttc project and with the other kids it's hard to find a mo!

Liza, I just read your last post and you seem to know a lot about this business so may I ask you a few questions? I was on Clomid 100mg cd3-7 because of recurrent miscarriage. I have no problems conceiving. On cd12 my u/s showed no follicles on left and 5-6 (my RE didn't say, I just saw a handful) small ones on my right. He said I wouldn't O and they were too small to bother repeating the u/s and not to bother with the hcG injection either. Well on about cd24 I thought I was o'ing. I called my RE yesterday,cd27, and they agreed to a prog. level and this a.m. they called to say that I did o. I am to start prog. injections on Mon. OK, my question is, I have been having a lot of cramping for about a week I normally don't have any around O time.They are about the intensity of menstrual cramps. Based on your last post, should I be worried about hyperstimulation? Would my RE have said something yesterday or today if it was a possiblity based on my last u/s? He did say that day that in general, regardless of your normal ovulation, Clomid rarely causes the release of more that 1 egg. He seemed to believe that it was next to impossible that that would happen. That is different than what a lot of people say. He also said I wouldn't O but here I am :) Thanks for any imput!!!

WOW liza, I wonder why it is that while on prescribed Clomid, I at one point released 7 eggs, etc... in fact, I only relesed one egg ONCE, and I took clomid for 4 cycles.. now isn't that odd? Why would my doc want me to come in to be checked when I ovulate to see how many eggs I've produced if it is SO RARE for more then one to make it out... Also.... When I was dealing with the whole infertility issue, I was a member of many support groups... and there were SEVERAL parents of FRATERNAL twins/triplets as a result of taking Clomid. It is obvious to everyone here that you only get identicals if you have a family history, as identicals are a genetic issue. So were all these people.... my doctor and the parents of these children.... lying? And... just to clarify.... I never used the word geriatric . The phrase that was used was "Advanced Maternal Age," which, um, even by YOUR definition is when mom is 35 or older when she gives birth. and yes, this info is from a .edu site....although anyone with a library card can find this information.. So I have to wonder, how long ago did you study in the US, and how do you "know more" then the fertility specialist that I see?? I mean, there is what is taught in the text book, and there is real life............ and how can you, as a medical person, support the illegal use of unprescribed medications???? NO ONE here has a problem with PRESCRIBED meds. These women could have pre-existing conditions, risk factors, etc for any of the many risks and side effects of Clomid.... cysts, etc. Yes, a risk they are willing to make... etc etc etc.... but how can a person with MEDICAL background think self-medicating is a GOOD idea??????

7 eggs eh, then you have a marvellous ovulation rate for a woman and must eat very well. Without your chart, my guess would be that either you pulled that figure out of thin air, you have a history of hyperovulation or you were given misinformation/didn't quite understand what was being said, simple as that. 7 eggs rupturing and the hormonal surges involved would be a bit on the pinching side. Your doctor, if you were being monitered, would be observing your maturing follicles, not 'how many eggs you produce', it's standard to observe follicle numbers and size as part of RE treatment. You also seem confused, it's FRATERNALS that are genetic. 75% of all twins are fraternal, plenty of women multi-ovulate, and once a woman has one set she's at increased risk of another. (My gran had 2 sets, a neighbor had 3 within 10 years, all boys and all born before the advent of fertility drugs, they're daddies now) IDENTICAL twins are NOT GENETIC, they're flukes of nature. Or rather, the most advanced theory is that there may be a genetic mutation in the parents that interupts the symmetrical division process, hence not only identical twins but also conjoined twins (which only occur in identical twinning). You clearly know almost nothing of what you speak and I doubt you have the ability to grasp anything but the simplest cliff notes version of the subject. There is an increased chance of fraternal twins with Clomid because of the stimulation of the ovaries and possibility of both ovaries releasing an egg or two (or one ovary releasing 2/3/4) in that state. There is very little correlation with higher order multiples and Clomid is consider one of the least risky drugs as far as higher order multiples are concerned. You should be far more concerned about your LSH trigger dose on that front. There is no correlation with identical twins. I've repeated this 3 times now and it still doesn't seem to be sinking in. Of 100 women taking Clomid, between 5-10 of them will end up with fraternal twins, less than 1 will end up with triplets or identical twins and if they do it's more them/chance than the meds. I really can't make it any simpler then that so if you don't get it you'll have to live in the darkness of your own ignorance or go back to University, get a Biology degree, apply to Med school and start into an Obstetrics specialty. You'll hit twinning in Biology 101, you'll get to the inner workings of twins if you do a side course in genetics. Then maybe you can challenge me. As it is, you look more foolish each time you speak.
I studied in America from 1986-1995 (USC, UNV). Your RE sounds like he can't get any concrete info into you either but opinions differ and maybe he just figured you weren't the type of patient that needed to understand your condition, only it's ramifications. We call them NTKs - need to knows, patients you give a sketchy outline to so they'll fall in line and obey you. And that's why I don't mind helping out women here. I believe every patient has a basic right to be an informed and decision making partner in their health care, understand the business workings of pharmacy and the sales involved and dislike the 'I know best' attitude of my older, less bright or more cowed colleagues. I've seen doctors refuse to treat a woman because she was obese, I've sat around an operating table while a surgeon made a joke about the anest. patient and I know that they don't always know best, do make very human judgement calls and can be patronizing to their patients and flat out wrong. All this malpractice and yet some people think their doctor is super-human and can't make mistakes. Silly. If a woman is up against that sort of professional attitude and willing to educate and moniter herself, so be it. Better she hear some facts from someone who knows then codswaddle from an agendist like you. I also kept my mouth shut about a colleague having an unassisted home birth back when that was 'illegal' in the state at the time too. Many of the laws on the books are there, like prohibition, as a temporary societal control measure. I don't approve of that practice and refuse to abide by it on philosophical grounds. Rebellion I think they call it.
There are only 3 things to watch out for - weak liver, weak kidneys and ovarian hyper-stimulation. All of that can be checked by an informed patient and I trust women so involved to be that informed patient. A cyst will be painful but not life-threatening. If they have no humble, cooperative doctor willing to work with them then they have to work alone. American society is far too dependant on miracle workers in white coats and needs to reclaim some of it's independence and sense of self responsibility in my view. When women think they need an epidural to give birth they've gotten the wrong end of the stick. With accurate and full information I believe in a woman's ability to take responsibility for her health, especially her reproductive health. To me, a doctor is simply an assistant, not a demigod.

Michelle, your RE is right to downplay the risk of fraternals, it is still quite rare to release more than one egg and most women will not need to worry about that. You don't need to worry about hyperstimulation for those pains, they're sadly very common on Clomid because of the stimulation. Hyperstimulation is quite rare and you'd find the bloating would be very clear-cut - you wouldn't be zipping your jeans and would have quite sharp pains. It's kind of like determining if you're really in labour or not - if you're wondering if you are, you're not. OHS is like labour - you have no doubt when it hits, something feels seriously wrong and you'd want help. With a recent U/s and confirmed O I wouldn't be worrying about OHS. When you go in for your prog. on Monday you can discuss the pains with him in more detail but he'll probably reassure you as I have - they sound very much like ovulation pains on Clomid and are a common side-effect of the drug. Irritating but there you are. Sorry you missed your chance at trigger this month but maybe you didn't need it and will get that + test result in a couple of weeks. It never hurts to have hope :o) Best of luck with it.

Liza, thank you for your input. I know what you mean about labor; I've had 4 babies, 3 unmedicated. It is very distinctive :) Obviously, the size of our existing family is why I was concerned about multiples. We would like one more child, not 3 more. Thank you for putting my mind at ease. I tend to be distrustful of MD's, and for my health, prefer the care of midwives. They felt that I needed this guy's help after my last m/c, and we agree. I trusted his knowledge of an area of maternal medicine that I am somewhat unfamiliar with. I consider myself to be highly educated in terms of normal pregnancy and birth. When he was incorrect about my ovulation, it made me question his statements about multiples. It's good to know that that part is accurate! Thanks again!

Thanks Liza for all your encouraging comments and USEFULL information! My Clomid just arrived today and I am supposed to start next week!!!! We can't wait we are so excited!!! We have been ttc for a while now with no luck, so we thought we would give nature a little push!! Good Luck to everyone and Baby Dust!!!!!

I have been lurking around these boards now for about 3 months and thought I better introduce myself. I really want your advice please, Liza. I am a 35-year-old woman who ovulates naturally; I have a 4-year-old son and have just found out that mother and grandmother both reached menopause at age 41, and 42 years of age respectively. This concerns me greatly since I really would LOVE more children. My Clomid arrived this week (un-prescribed) and I intend to start take it around Feb, March next year. My cycles are long in length and vary from anything to 33 days to 40 days. Could this be due to early onset of menopause? My stats indicate that I am ovulating but I wanted to know about the Clomid and the days to take it given the early menopause information, they say take it later i.e. days 4-5 for better quality eggs or early for more follies? How does this apply to me and my situation and my desire to have more than one child? I would really love twins; my husband is an identical twin. I don’t want to take the Clomid too early for fear of miscarriage given my age but I also would love twins. Could you help please? Would you also know what my odds are of having twins? Hels.

i'm 27 years old and just got married 2 months ago. i have three children and he has 4 children outside of our marriage. we want to have twins. twins run on his father's side of the family and his father was a twin. he has no boys and very much so wants twin girls. even if our pregnancy doesn't result in us having a girl at least it could be twins. i love my husband with all my heart and more. i want us to have a baby together. i was in a very abusive relationship for years and god has blessed me with a beautiful family. i am gonna try using clomid in december. pray for us. i am confessing with my mouth and believing in my heart that god will bless us with twin girls. you have to speak what you want into existence. best of luck to everyone trying to conceive and i will pray for those who criticize others actions. god bless everyone .

you deserve all the happiness you can get...keep faith adn belive in it and i wish and hope it will come true for you...may god bless you!i will pray for you so keep us posted and tell us how you get on!

UNPRESCRIBED CLOMID IS ILLEGAL. UNPRESCRIBED CLOMID IS DANGEROUS. THE STATS SAYING HOW "SAFE" CLOMID IS ARE BASED ON IT BEING TAKEN BY THE PEOPLE IT WAS INTENDED FOR.... WOMEN WHO DON'T OVULATE ON THEIR OWN. YOU ARE PUTTING YOUR FAMILY IN HARMS WAY JUST BECAUSE YOU WANT TWINS. WHY NOT GO HERBAL, OR ASK YOUR DOCTOR FOR A LEGAL PRESCRIPTION?

To both you and mama-bean please just mind your own and remove yourself from these boards please. Hels.

WHAT ABOUT MY ABOVE STATEMENT IS UNTRUE? CENSORSHIP. YOU ONLY WANT TO HEAR THE GOOD, AND NONE OF THE BAD. HOW CAN YOU CLAIM TO MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION THAT WAY?

Hi everyone, wow I read this all today, and lemme say there is a lot of info...and fighting. LOL Well, I am just requesting information....I want to know the same thing as Whitley, does taking Clomid days 3-7 increase risk of twins? Thanks for the info.
PS you can have ANY # of follicles on any fertility drug, so if the one lady says she had 7, I would not be hasty to judge she is lying. When I did a donor cycle for someone a while back, I got 40 follicles, with 28 viable eggs. That is ALOT even for an IVF cycle but it still happened. My recipient got pg first try....I just want to know FOR ME how to increase my chances of twins. Any help or info or even success stories would be great! Thanks
Lynn