How bad is it if I show up to 1st day of medicine residency pregnant? Here's the context. I'm a 30 y/o MS4, ttc since beginning of the year, currently on clomid cycle #2. I want to keep trying clomid for the next few months. If I do get pregnant, I'll need time off really early in my intern year, and I'm sure my future co-interns and program director will hate me. As an MS4, my schedule is pretty light, so it's a lot easier to schedule for monthly doctor and U/S appointments. If I stop ttc and wait until I'm an intern, taking calls is going to mess up taking BBT, not to mention actually having time to ttc. I do have a supportive husband and family in town, and the programs I'm applying to seem to be pretty family-friendly. I know that intern year is probably one of the worst time to have a baby, but I'm having so much trouble ttc that I'm really worried about waiting another year.

You should continue on... ultimately it is not the end of the world to be off for a while. The job will still be there, your fertility window won't. It will probably be more difficult to have an infant during internship, but with supportive family nearby, it should be doable. Good luck!

That's a tough one. I'm an MS4, too, and personally I wouldn't...but I don't have any experience with infertility, so I don't feel I can comment on that. I do have kids, though, and if you're already worried that intern year might be incompatible with fertility treatments, there's a good chance that you'll find it incompatible with having a newborn. But resmom is right, too, you only have one window in time.

So....I don't know.

I would add that I was pregnant at the end of my intern year (last 3 months) and found it pretty easy to cope... but at that point I had already figured out the whole being-a-doctor thing and had well established resident friendships, which helped.

I think that you should go for it! If you're having trouble conceiving you may regret taking time off from trying. And the truth is, you'll figure it out. Having family nearby is invaluable (mine is close and helps out sooo much). It won't be easy to be pregnant or have a baby during intern year but it is certainly doable. My son was 4 1/2 months when we both started intern year and we survived. Sometimes I look back and wonder how but at the time you just get through it!

Good luck!

My first son was conceived with IVF; I was a medical student at the time. In general, I take a dim view of procreation during intern year, but I think this issue is the exception.

Unless you're dealing with pure MFI -- which it sounds like you're not, if you're taking Clomid -- I would never put fertility treatment on hold for medical training, not even intern year. Sure, a complicated (possibly multiple) pregnancy and/or a newborn during internship is far from ideal. But it beats not becoming a mother at all, which is a real risk, depending on what your particular situation is.

Having said that, if the Clomid cycles don't result in a pregnancy, keep in mind that IVF pregnancies are more likely to be a) multiple, b) complicated, c) preterm. So, chances are, your colleagues/PD may at some point feel a little miffed with your uterus. At which point, you can tell them to suck it.

You too? Did I know this and just forget?

We were dealing with normal fertility independently, but together just couldn't get it "together". IVF worked for us the first pop (thank GOD). I do have complications, but strangely, not from the IVF. And a singleton (again, thank GOD!).

I am also 35 and felt waiting much longer would be too much, esp for intern year. My school was willing to work with me, and have been so wonderful. I think we picked the right time to do it rather than waiting, but there really is no "good" time.

After intern year, we plan to just try naturally for another child and what happens, happens. In the meantime, we'll pursue adoption just in case. We're looking at 3-4 years down the road for another kid. But I feel much less anxious about the future of more children than I did when faced with the possibility of having none. I think I've even become a much more laid-back person because of it, too.

Oh yes, the BBT, cervical mucous, OPK strips, etc, etc. I know them well. I say go for it. Being a mom is a wonderful thing.

Dunno. I'm pretty open about it.

Also meant to say: stop checking your BBT. What a waste of time. Just have sex (at least) every other day. Stress relieving rather than anxiety provoking!