January 2018 IVF

kristimh80 · December 2017

@kiwi2628 Awe so sorry you landed here with us, but we are happy to have you! My clinic's lab's are closed during the holiday, so wasn't able to start anything this cycle either. So frustrating, but in hindsight, at least we can enjoy the holiday cheer without any stress.

efavell02 · December 2017

@J1006 @hoffmanr7 sounds like our schedules are similar! I have my baseline and start stims january 2nd with followup us on the 6th!

sparkle0404 · December 2017

Thank you @marfi236 @kristimh @J1006 @Bababatty!!!

Aunt Flo is here.. whoop whoop

hoffmanr7 · December 2017

@J1006 How exciting! My pharmacy included Hershey kisses too! So nice. I ate them all that night

Anyone else taking Lupron or has been on it in the past? Did you notice any difference in breast size while on it?

Mine got bigger since being on BC. One day I noticed they were bigger, but that was earlier on and they hadn't seemed to get any bigger since.

Now, 2 doses in to my Lupron and they seem bigger again....and again it seems to have happened overnight. I was laying on my stomach watching Netflix. When I sat up they were super sore and I noticed they felt significantly heavier. I did read breast swelling was a possible side effect but would it really occur just after 2 doses???? If they get any bigger I'm going to have to buy all new bras for sure....and then I'll be pissed.

efavell02 · December 2017

Sorry @hoffmanr7 I’m not on Lupron. They will put me on Ganirelix once my lead follicles reach 14 mm. I would be so pissed about buying new bras too!! Sorry the meds are doing weird things so soon in to the process

kiwi2628 · December 2017

@efavell02 @J1006 and @hoffmanr7 I start with you guys too! BC until the 2nd and start stims on the 2nd assuming baseline is normal!

J1006 · December 2017

@hoffmanr7. I start my Lupron tomorrow so not sure yet. From the birth control I’m on now they HURT. It feels like I did about a million push ups which I did not haha. Hopefully if it is a side effect it goes away. That would be super annoying to have to buy new bras from side effects.

halfanewt · December 2017

Hi all,
I think I’m safe to join the board, now! Don’t quite feel like it’s real, yet, but I’m sure I’ll get there soon. Tentatively starting stims 12/30, injection class tomorrow. Eek!

A few questions, if I may. It sounds like many of you have already ordered meds. No one has talked to me about that yet...should I start pushing that? Also, can someone talk to me about exercise and IVF? It’s my destressor and my side job so I want to be prepared if I need to make some changes.

Hope your weeks are off to a great start!

kristimh80 · December 2017

@halfanewt Welcome!! They should give you a prescription or will send your RX to a pharmacy to fill on your behalf. You should definitely ask tomorrow at stim class. Luckily, most companies ship overnight or within a day. I was told no strenuous exercising during the process. I'm sure you could get away with doing arm and leg weights, just nothing that will affect your core like abs workouts or running, etc.

hoffmanr7 · December 2017

@halfanewt I have to agree with @kristimh80 on the exercises. With the stims there is the risk of OHHS and as my RE explained to me high impact exercises or anything that is a lot of bending or twisting should be avoided because of the increased risk of ovarian torsion due to how enlarged your ovaries can become. I was told no running or core type exercises, and advised against any type of yoga poses that require bending/twisting. Low impact stuff like walking is encouraged. I would think some light free weight training would be ok too but you should definitely consult with your RE as to what specifically you should avoid.

efavell02 · December 2017

@halfanewt welcome! I was given the same advice as the other ladies about exercising.

Bababatty · December 2017

@halfanewt Ditto on the exercise. My last cycle I was allowed to exercise for the first 3-4 days of the cycle, but once I started stims, that was it.

AlohaKumu · December 2017

*lurker* @hoffmanr7 Yes, I can tell you that your boobs may be in for a wild ride during IVF. I've gone up 2-3 cup sizes and at times it did seem like they exploded overnight. It can be a normal "side effect" from all this medication. I'm rooting for all you ladies!

halfanewt · December 2017

@Bababatty @efavell02 @kristimh80 @hoffmanr7

Thanks for the welcome and the advice! I’ll definitely be asking them to define what exercise is/isn’t allowed. I guess if I won’t feel like doing it anyway, it won’t be such a big deal, but I hate being told no

@J1006 @hoffmanr7 I hope you don’t have to buy new bras from side effects! If you do, though, I hope you can at least splurge on pretty ones!

hoffmanr7 · December 2017

@AlohaKumu Thanks for the input. They are feeling less sore today so we will see what happens. So far they are still fitting in the bras......but just.

Bababatty · December 2017

I talked with the billing person at my clinic this morning about IVF rates--since last time we did a special program (that we're not eligible for this time if we want to do a freeze-all) so I never knew the "true" cost--and just about fell out of my chair. We're definitely leaning far away from the PGS testing, simply because we could probably do failed transfers of all of our embryos and still come out ahead financially (if not emotionally). We're still thinking freeze-all anyway because I think it's easier on my body, based on past experience. But we'll see. Anyway, I'm attempting to negotiate with the clinic because they're saying I have to pay entirely OOP (with their "discounted rate"), but I know my insurance will cover the monitoring because they did so for our last IVF and last FET. So I'm curious what the rate would be if I insisted they bill my insurance for the things I know it will cover. On the plus side, my insurance confirmed today that they will cover the medications, so that's one less cost.

beachbunnyxo123 · December 2017

@kiwi2628 are they going to have you start stims the day you stop BCPs even if you didn't get your period yet? I'm not as familiar with how that works but I know I counted cd1 as the day of my period even if it was super light for only a week or 2 of BCPs

@kristokekerooni so i got a call back from the pharmacy about meds. I am all OOP for meds but they will cover the Lupron since its not considered a fertility med. The quote I got was $3500. I was kind of shocked to be honest since i was expecting atleast $6k. They said they enrolled me into discount programs (probably like compassionate care). It's for low dose hcg trigger, noveral, cetrocide, and gonal f. I know you called for prices does this sound good to you? It’s only for ER not for FET. Our protocols seem somewhat similar. I know you're also doing a natural start so they having you wait to start the Lupron until your cycle starts?

kristimh80 · December 2017

@Bababatty Best of luck to you!!! I know I about fell out of my chair the day the pharmacy called saying RX would be $4700, so that's wonderful that insurance will cover yours! We have to do PGS testing, my dr requires it if over 35

If this doesn't work out, then I may look into getting a "fun job" with a company that covers IVF stuff...prices are ridiculous to say the least.

KristoKekerooni · December 2017

@beachbunnyxo123 , I actually don't have any calendar yet, so I have no idea what the plan is, I just have a med list. I know the bulk of my expense came from menopur and follistim (as opposed to your gonal F) I was quoted by my pharmacy 6K, but cornerstone brought it down to about 3K. have you checked cornerstone yet? (Now I am second guessing... maybe it was freedom). With cornerstone, they took all my meds, PLUS all the ones my insurance covered, took off the insurance coverage, and it was still 3K. So I assume since you have much cheaper meds to start with, you can do better elsewhere. I also recommend checking with MDRX, which was the second cheapest I have found, outside of using international pharmacies, which if that's an option, I'd go with them.

Also sending you a PM.

kiwi2628 · December 2017

@beachbunnyxo123 nope. So I stop BCP on the 29th, I go in for BW and an ultrasound on the 31st and I will start the microcode lupron on the 2nd, with stims on the 3rd (assuming my BW and u/s on the 31st are normal). Sooooo...whatever that is, lol.

AFM- as kind of stated above, I got my prelim calendar and doses! I started BC last night, I will be on it until the 29th (so 12 days total) and then I have BW and an u/s on the 31st. Assuming thats all normal, I start 20 microunits of MD lupron on the 2nd, and stims (300 gonal-F and 150 menopur) on the 3rd with a hopeful ER between the 10th and 12th

kristimh80 · December 2017

@kiwi2628 Yay!! It's almost time for the big-time meds to start!

lablover78 · December 2017

Do any of your REs have you take the BCP vaginally? I find it so strange! I called my RE today to find out when ER would be if I start stims 1/12 b/c I'm a lawyer and am scheduled 3 months out for hearings & it just occurred to me today that this could be a huge problem. Lucky!! My schedule is wide open the 3 potential days 1/24-1/26. Anyway she mentioned that I would take BCP orally while bleeding & then switch to vaginally.

lablover78 · December 2017

*TW- Also I just saw on the news that a 26 yrs old woman gave birth to a daughter using a donated embryo that was frozen in 1992!

J1006 · December 2017

@lablover78 I saw that on the news too. I find that stuff really cool!

As for the BCP, that’s kind of strange. I’ve never heard that before. Did your RE say why?

hoffmanr7 · December 2017

@lablover78 that's a new one for me too on the BCP. Odd.

kiwi2628 · December 2017

@lablover78 I have never heard of vaginally. Also, just a word of caution, try not to bank too much on having it be in that 3 day window. It easily could, but on average people stim for 10-12 days, but I know someone who stim'd for only 7 days (and that was her 3rd IVF, on her first 2 she stim'd for 12 and 13 days), and last cycle for me they guessed I would stim for 9 days, and on stim day 11 I not only hadn't triggered, but they canceled my cycle. Just saying, be prepared for things to not go as planned, but hope they do.

lablover78 · December 2017

Thank you! I guess its good for me to know that. I looked up vaginal use of BCP and some of the articles I read seem to state that your levels rise more gradually when taken that way so maybe bags why but given everyone else's responses I am going to ask. My RE is one of those renegades that does his own research and does not just fall in line with typical protocol unless he is certain it's right for that particular patient so I'm not terrible surprised though...

lablover78 · December 2017

Ugh sorry mobile is the worst and I always have typos

sparkle0404 · December 2017

Hello ladies,

Just a quick update started by BCP and antibotic called Doxycycline Hyclate today. Me and DH both have to take the antibiotic twice a day for ten days. DR start date is set for 1/8..

Hope all is well for eveyone!!!

marfi236 · December 2017

Is anyone else not taking BCP before starting their cycle? Maybe I'm just the weird one who's not taking it?

kristimh80 · December 2017

@marfi236 No...I think you're the lucky one not having to take it!

lablover78 · December 2017

@marfi236 you are lucky! I do terrible on BCP- like vomit them up terrible- and asked if we could avoid it but because my RE has predetermined days where plans to do ER I'd only be so lucky if my cycle perfectly lines up

Bababatty · December 2017

@marfi236 No, my clinic doesn’t do it either. I think a lot of clinics do it because it can help them schedule patients by regulating cycles.

AFM I heard back from my clinic and they will let us bill my insurance for monitoring, but only because I pushed. That actually annoys me quite a bit; like are you trying to drive patients to pay OOP because it’s more work for you to bill insurance for monitoring? Oh well, it’s neither here nor there, but I’m glad I pushed back.

tosh24 · December 2017

Hi Ladies! I've been going back and forth about whether to intro here or just stick to the December thread, but I've been lurking here anyway for the last couple of weeks so I might as well jump in! I am CD 3 today but I have been estrogen priming since after O last cycle and I just finished my last Estrace pills today. They had me stay on the Estrace to suppress my ovaries for one extra day to avoid me having to go in for monitoring on Christmas day. I go in for my baseline tomorrow and then will hopefully start stims tomorrow night! I am on an antagonist protocol (200 Puregon + 75 Menopur). It's been a bit of a long journey to get here since we started casually TTC in summer 2012 (dx. unexplained secondary IF). *TW loss mentioned* I got pregnant spontaneously in 2016 but due to some extremely bad luck contracted parvovirus and had a host of complications and lost my baby at 9+1 after a massive SCH formed. We got serious about TTC after that and went back to the RE. We had 3 unsuccessful IUIs this year (with one that ended in a CP @ ~ 6w) and two more that were cancelled for various reasons. *END TW* My first IVF cycle in November was cancelled due to an unrelated health issue. I've finally got everything sorted out and hope that our 2017 ends on a much happier note than it started. My anticipated ER will be somewhere around Jan 1 and hopefully a 5 day transfer after that around Jan 6th. Excited to be here with everyone, especially so many other first-timers like myself

kiwi2628 · December 2017

@tosh24 oh hey! Good to se you here! Sad we aren't on the same cycle like last time, but good to see you around here

kristimh80 · December 2017

@tosh24 Welcome!! We're happy to have you here! I remember you I believe from the Spring IUI boards or maybe from my lurking at Dec IVF one's lol I was hoping to be getting started this month too, but labs will be closed, so will prep early Jan. Best of luck to you!! Hopefully, 2018 is the beginning we all need

marfi236 · December 2017

@lablover78 and @Bababatty That actually makes a lot of sense. There are 4 doctors at the practice I go to and depending on the day you have your egg retrieval/transfer you might have a different RE than your normal one. The one benefit is they do ER and transfers every day of the week!

J1006 · December 2017

What are your thoughts on drinking during this whole thing? I very very rarely drink. Some co workers are planning on going out for drinks after work tomorrow to celebrate our start of Christmas break. My workplace is like a baby factory so if I’m not drinking I’m sure I’ll get asked plenty of questions. Has anyone’s doctor mentioned alcohol use before ER? Mine didn’t say anything but probably because it’s rare that I do so anyway. I’m on BCP now and three days in to my Lupron. Over a week away from starting stims.

kiwi2628 · December 2017

@J1006 My RE doesn't have a problem with moderate drinking, and actually encourages a glass of wine the night before the ER to keep stress down. He says less than 3 drinks a week, and no more than 2 in one night.

efavell02 · December 2017

@J1006 my RE said the same thing as @kiwi2628. Her words were “the main thing is to keep your stress level down. If you want to have a glass or two of wine, do it, just don’t over do it.”

January 2018 IVF

Re: January 2018 IVF

Choose Another Board

Search Boards