I know my appointment with the RE is on Friday, but I'm feeling soo impatient! From the documents I read about how IVF works at my clinic, I get the impression that they have you call on day 1, and start stimming on day 2 after all your baseline B/W and scan. Seems like most of the ladies here take BCPs beforehand. I'm curious as to the experiences of those who have done cycles without BCPs or Lupron prior to the beginning of your IVF cycle. What meds did you take and what type of protocol was it?
Thanks
*** If you want to know where I (and soo many others) have gone, click here ***
My REs office is adamant on the BCPs. Partly for the hormone suppression and other part is that they can essential choose my cycle start date when they are ready. I go month-to-month with insurance approval so each month we have to wait for the ok (even though I get an automatic 6 cycles). Every time I bring up doing a natural cycle it seems I get talked out of it. GL
I did antagonist without BCP. My clinic doesn't do suppression because it is not necessary. I went on cd3 for baseline and started stims that night. I started on 4 vials of menopur a night and by the end I was on 7. I really hate to think what suppression would have done to me I was already slow growing in the beginning if I had been suppressed I don't think that would have helped.
I did my last cycle w/o bcps. I was having an issue with a dominant follicle. We did a long lupron protocol and ditched the bcps & it helped a lot. I used high doses of gonal f (I'm a poor responder) & added in a small amount of menopur after 4 days of stims. GL to you with your upcoming cycle.
Me & DH (33), 3 Furbabies, TTC since October 2011 Day 3 #’s (Dec 2012) FSH 9, AMH .77, LH 2.4, E2 31, AFC 9
DX: Me-DOR + No Tubes, DH-Fine
Ectopic 2007; lost tube/2nd tube removed Dec 2011
(hydro)
April 2012=IVF#1- EPP Antag+ICSI, 2R,0F (BFN),
Now dx’d with DOR.
June-July 2012=IVF#2- MDL+ICSI&AH,
8R,4M,3F (BFP 9dp3dt) Beta#1 at 11dp3dt=36, Beta#2 at 15dp3dt=156, Beta#3
at 19dp3dt=671, dx'd with SCH, no growth-m/c at 7wks/Lap Dec 2012 to remove small
fibroid.
Feb 2013=IVF#3-MDL, 2/1=baseline, started
10 units mdl, AFC-7, 2/3 start gonal f, self cxld cycle b/c of low
e2.
April 2013=IVF#3.5-(with new RE)AG/ANT Conv + ICSI. 4/10-4/23
bcp's, 4/20-4/27 lupron, 4/28-ganirelix until end of stimming, 5/2-600 gonal f,
5/4-add 1/2 vial menopur, 5/13-ER (9R,1M,1F), 5/17-ET, 1 beautiful 8 cell
(please be my sticky baby!!!!) 5/28-BFFN.
Oct
2013=IVF#4-LLP+ICSI &AH, 10/14 (6R, 2M, 2F), 10/17-ET, 1 seven cell &
a six cell, BFP at 9dp3dt, 1st beta=56, 2nd beta=52, CP.
Jan
2014=IVF #5-LLP, Cxld after 6 days of stims due to fast
response and lead follicle.
March 2014=IVF
5.5-LLP, Lupron 3/10, BL 3/18, 11 days of stims, Trigger 3/29, ER 3/31. 7R, 2M, 2F. ET 4/3. Txfd one 5 cell & one 9 cell. BFP on hpt from 7dp3dt & on. Praise be to God. Beta #1 at 11dp3dt=106, #2 at 13dp3dt=239. First u/s 4/28, measuring on track & heartbeat seen. 5/5-2nd u/s, measuring on track with strong heartbeat. 5/12- 3rd u/s & released from RE. Grow baby grow, we love you! Baby G&T is a BOY! Born 12/2014 via c/s! 8lbs, 8oz & 21 inches.
I am on #3, haven't used BCPs at all. I wonder if it has to do with the clinic's capacity? I go to a very large clinic, so they are not limited in when they can start people. My RE never brought it up as an option. I usually call Day 1 of a naturally occurring period, start stims day 19 or 21 of that cycle, call again on Day 1 and begin stims after that.
I don't think BCPs are necessary. My clinic does it so that they can better control how many patients are stimming at the same time. Over the summer when I was still doing IUI, there were a lot of women cycling and the wait for bw and u/s was a little long. It helps the RE have less patients and it saves us time in the waiting room.
For our mini-ivf we did not do BCP's. I was on letrozole for 3 days then menopur(4 days) and ganerilex(3days) with hcg trigger shot at about day 11
TTC since March of 2012
Me: 27 Dh: 35
Testing Begins 3/5/13
Six SA's show DH has low numbers across the board = severe MFI Genetic testing for me = MTHFR+, also carrier for blood clotting disorder Otherwise all else normal Dh's karotype= Normal!!
I did not use BCP my body can not tolerate it, it makes me super sick. Anyway my current RE doesn't use them which was great for me. It seems other offices use BCP so they can lump women together in groups for the convenience of the dr. I had a consult w an office like that and dropped them real quick. They were all abt $. My current office (while actually more expensive than the other) treats you as a person and not as a dollar sign.
I did not use bcp for my antagonist cycle (I was on estrace /androgel priming instead). I may use bcp for my second try. I got a second opinion from a doctor who told me that bcp can help make sure the follicles grow evenly (avoid dominant follicle problem)
Official diagnosis: Unexplained IF.
I am 32. I have low ovarian reserve (low AMH), and poor egg quality. I've also been diagnosed with mild glandular developmental arrest (lining problems, detected with EFT).
We are using open ID donor sperm.
IUIs #1-7=BFN.
IVF September 2014 antagonist protocol, 8R,5M,3F, 5 day transfer of 1 morula = BFN. IVF#2 planned for January 2015 (antagonist protocol + HGH).
Another who did a long lupron/ no BCP IVF cycle. My RE feels that I might have been slightly oversuppressed when they had me on the BCPs for IVF#1, which was eventually cancelled.
I did antagonist without bcp. I called on cd 1, went in for baseline on cd 3 and started stimming on cd 4. Was on bravelle and menopur for 11 days I believe, with ganirelix added in on the 6th day of stimming.
I'm currently doing a no BCP antagonist cycle. My RE doesn't do BCP cycles. I called on CD1, went in for ultrasound and e2 on CD2, started stims that night. I am taking Gonal-f (and follistim, bravelle), Menoupr and Ganarelix with a lupron trigger.
My RE first planned on BCPs, but after my AFC he came up with a different protocol: Estrace and testosterone priming, and a microflare. It's my first cycle so I can't weigh in on how effective it is. My clinic is a big one, so using BCPs doesn't have anything to do with syncing patients for them.
*** Losses Mentioned ***
Me: 35 this month DH: 35
TTC since January 2013
2/13: BFP 4/13: MC @ 9 weeks - D&C - no chromosome testing 7/13: BFP 10/13: MC @ 3 1/2 months - D&C - chrom test normal
11/13: 1st RE visit for testing only - AMH .4 - FSH 11 - positive MTHFR (one copy)
2/14: BFP 4/13 (identical mono/tri quads, 2 conjoined) - MC @ 8 weeks - D&C - chrom test normal
10/14: RE 2nd opinion & IVF consult - Dx small uterine septum - AFC 3 total - recommended banking 3 ERs - DH slightly low morphology 12/14: First ER cycle - EPP w/testosterone, Lupron microflare w/Saizen. 4R/3M/2F. Both abnormal. RE strongly recommends donor eggs.
I did a no BCP antogonist cycel for IVF #1. I called on CD1 and had Base at CD 3 and started Stims on Day 4 with Bravelle, Menopur, Genarelix, and generic HCG trigger. This cycle I am doing BCP with Gonal-f, and/or follistim, menopur, Ganarelix with ovidril trigger.
I did estrogen priming for our last cycle (no BCP) and at our WTF, we discussed a long Lupron protocol without BCP as well. I don't think it's all that uncommon? For our last cycle, I called in on CD1, and since I have pretty predictable ovulation and LP, she had me come in on CD22 to check to make sure I ovulated and didn't have any huge cysts before starting Estrace. Then I called in on my next CD1 to set up monitoring to start stims.
Re: Who's done stimming without BCPs before IVF?
Every time I bring up doing a natural cycle it seems I get talked out of it.
GL
Me & DH (33), 3 Furbabies, TTC since October 2011
Day 3 #’s (Dec 2012) FSH 9, AMH .77, LH 2.4, E2 31, AFC 9
DX: Me-DOR + No Tubes, DH-Fine
Ectopic 2007; lost tube/2nd tube removed Dec 2011 (hydro)
April 2012=IVF#1- EPP Antag+ICSI, 2R,0F (BFN), Now dx’d with DOR.
June-July 2012=IVF#2- MDL+ICSI&AH, 8R,4M,3F (BFP 9dp3dt) Beta#1 at 11dp3dt=36, Beta#2 at 15dp3dt=156, Beta#3 at 19dp3dt=671, dx'd with SCH, no growth-m/c at 7wks/Lap Dec 2012 to remove small fibroid.
Feb 2013=IVF#3-MDL, 2/1=baseline, started 10 units mdl, AFC-7, 2/3 start gonal f, self cxld cycle b/c of low e2.
April 2013=IVF#3.5-(with new RE)AG/ANT Conv + ICSI. 4/10-4/23 bcp's, 4/20-4/27 lupron, 4/28-ganirelix until end of stimming, 5/2-600 gonal f, 5/4-add 1/2 vial menopur, 5/13-ER (9R,1M,1F), 5/17-ET, 1 beautiful 8 cell (please be my sticky baby!!!!) 5/28-BFFN.
Oct 2013=IVF#4-LLP+ICSI &AH, 10/14 (6R, 2M, 2F), 10/17-ET, 1 seven cell & a six cell, BFP at 9dp3dt, 1st beta=56, 2nd beta=52, CP.
Jan 2014=IVF #5-LLP, Cxld after 6 days of stims due to fast response and lead follicle.
March 2014=IVF 5.5-LLP, Lupron 3/10, BL 3/18, 11 days of stims, Trigger 3/29, ER 3/31. 7R, 2M, 2F. ET 4/3. Txfd one 5 cell & one 9 cell. BFP on hpt from 7dp3dt & on. Praise be to God. Beta #1 at 11dp3dt=106, #2 at 13dp3dt=239. First u/s 4/28, measuring on track & heartbeat seen. 5/5-2nd u/s, measuring on track with strong heartbeat. 5/12- 3rd u/s & released from RE. Grow baby grow, we love you! Baby G&T is a BOY! Born 12/2014 via c/s! 8lbs, 8oz & 21 inches.
*******Ticker Warning**********
"God's Delay is not God's Denial"
Me: 27 Dh: 35 Testing Begins 3/5/13
Six SA's show DH has low numbers across the board = severe MFI
Genetic testing for me = MTHFR+, also carrier for blood clotting disorder Otherwise all else normal
Dh's karotype= Normal!!
Official diagnosis: Unexplained IF. I am 32. I have low ovarian reserve (low AMH), and poor egg quality. I've also been diagnosed with mild glandular developmental arrest (lining problems, detected with EFT).
We are using open ID donor sperm. IUIs #1-7=BFN. IVF September 2014 antagonist protocol, 8R,5M,3F, 5 day transfer of 1 morula = BFN. IVF#2 planned for January 2015 (antagonist protocol + HGH).
*** Losses Mentioned ***
Me: 35 this month DH: 35
TTC since January 2013
2/13: BFP 4/13: MC @ 9 weeks - D&C - no chromosome testing
7/13: BFP 10/13: MC @ 3 1/2 months - D&C - chrom test normal
11/13: 1st RE visit for testing only - AMH .4 - FSH 11 - positive MTHFR (one copy)
2/14: BFP 4/13 (identical mono/tri quads, 2 conjoined) - MC @ 8 weeks - D&C - chrom test normal
10/14: RE 2nd opinion & IVF consult - Dx small uterine septum - AFC 3 total - recommended banking 3 ERs - DH slightly low morphology
12/14: First ER cycle - EPP w/testosterone, Lupron microflare w/Saizen. 4R/3M/2F. Both abnormal. RE strongly recommends donor eggs.
***EVERYONE WELCOME***