IVF Preparation

SandyEggo5 · May 2011

Can someone help me understand what goes on when moving on from IUI to IVF? Are you able to jump into an IVF cycle right away after the IUI BFN or is more time for preparation needed? I hate getting ahead of myself, but I'm a typical type A and always like to have a plan.

KaliChick · May 2011

I didn't do IUI, but I think a lot of it depends on protocol. My assumption is your RE will have you wait 1 cycle out. You'll get your AF after your last IUI cycle and could potentially start stims on the next cycle.

hootie123 · May 2011

You are in luck - I just asked my RE this very question when we met with him to go over our upcoming Injectable/IUI cycle (since we are not doing more than 1 or 2 cycles). I asked if we could start IVF right away if the IUI cycle didn't work. (Of course - he then reassured me that he is hopeful that the IUI will work). But he said that I could call and they would start me on birth control right way for about 2 weeks - so they could schedule everything and do a mock transfer. So that made me hopeful too - I'm a planner like you so I needed to know.

Of course, every RE is different - so yours could do something completely different. GL! I hope you don't need it!

girlofsummer78 · May 2011

We started right away after IUIs not working. It was on my next cycle that I went in for my bloodwork and then started bcp. Technically it takes (at least with my doctor) 2 cycles for IVF. We do bcp for the 1st cycle and then on the 2nd cycle we are starting our injectibles and everything.

blueberries8 · May 2011

I think it really depends a lot on your RE, how busy the practice is, and the way that they organize IVF cycles. I know of women who have begun the suppression phase of their first IVF cycle the cycle after a failed IUI. I am sort of on the other end of that extreme - my 6th (and final!) IUI cycle was in March and I knew in March that IVF was our next step and that I wanted to begin asap but with all of the bureaucracy and huge patient load in my clinic, I won't be starting stims until June (as awful as that sounds, we have socialized medicine here that will fully cover IVF so it is hard to complain too much and I know many of the Canadian women have longer waits).

Also, some REs have patients cycle together during designated blocks, so in that case you would need to sync up to a scheduled group cycle. Definitely raise the issue with your RE and see what their practices are and ask how you can streamline the process. I really hope your current cycle will bring you success and that this will be a moot point for you, but I completely understand wanting to feel prepared:)

STL34 · May 2011

A lot of that will depend on your RE and the protocol he/she wants to use. It will also depend on whether your RE had additional testing that they do before IVF but not before IUI. I didn't do IUIs, but I did have my RE do an RPL panel (even though I had never been PG/had a m/c). He wouldn't have agreed to it for IUIs without an m/c, but since I was going to be paying so much for IVF, he agreed to make sure we didn't have any issues.

If there is no testing, some REs want a natural cycle after a medicated cycle before starting BCPs before an IVF cycle. Others don't use BCPs or don't require a break cycle. So, those things should all be factored in.

Good luck!

wordslikeswords · May 2011

I didn't do an IUI, but I know my RE requires more testing before IVF, like the SHG. They also require BCPs, so I did the HSG while on the BCPs. Otherwise there was nothing unusual or different about it until stims. Good luck!

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