Please tell me your experience with IVF

I looks like my next step might be IVF. Can you please tell me your experience with it. What meds do you have to take, what's the schedule of doctor visits, etc., problems with insurance,etc. I know it may be different for everyone but I know nothing about IVF so just figured some insight would help.

Re: Please tell me your experience with IVF

A few of the girls did ivf journals which might be a good start! Try doing a search for those! Good luck...

Re: Please tell me your experience with IVF

Your experience will definitely vary based on your personal circumstances and your doctor.

We went through two rounds of Ivf. I think that the drugs were the same for both rounds - lupron, Menopur, Follistim, hcg trigger, and then progesterone.
Once I started the atoms visits were every other day and then daily til retrieval. But visits were very quick and early an appts.

I went to NSUH.

Good luck. It's actually not as daunting as it all seems!!!!

Re: Please tell me your experience with IVF

Here is a link to my IVF journal

Once you get to my journal, there is a link to my first IVF journal as well.

Like the pp said, every IVF experience will be different. My first time, I had 35 follies and 9 eggs, though I got to transfer right away because I had a great lining. We transferred 3 embies and I had nothing left to freeze. Two took, one split which is how I had triplets, but I lost all of them just short of 8wks.



This IVF cycle that I just had, I had around 50 follies, 30 eggs retrieved (different protocol, you can see the details in the journal) ... but my lining STUNK!! We're thinking it's likely a result of my D&C which I had in May and this was my first cycle back since then. I have 14 embies on ice. We had to freeze everything and convert to an FET which I will be officially starting next week!!

One thing about IVF as you can see, is that it's unpredictable!! Expect the unexpected and hope for the best- because I can promise you- seeing that flickering heartbeat (or heartbeats, as it was in my case!) makes it all worth it!!

Re: Please tell me your experience with IVF

here is a link to my IVF journal

good luck!!

Re: Please tell me your experience with IVF

I started with BCP, and stimmed with gonal-f and repronex. Took dexamethasone at night... The last 6 days of stims (I stimmed for 13 days), I took ganirelix as well. Then the trigger shot of HCG on my 14th day. RE appointments started at 3 days apart, then eventually went to every other day and then everyday. Good luck!!!!

Re: Please tell me your experience with IVF

I think I'm most worried about the schedule. Is the schedule based on your cycle or is it possible to shift the monitoring appointments forward or backward a day?

Re: Please tell me your experience with IVF

They tell you when to come in for monitoring and you have to be there on those days. You can always delay the cycle by staying on the pill longer... if you are not ready to get started just yet, or if are afraid of it interfering with a vacation or something!!

Re: Please tell me your experience with IVF

My IVF Diary
Here is my IVF link. I was very upset in the beginning and didn't think I could ever do it, but when all was said and done it wasn't so bad and I would be able to do it again in a heartbeat. Good Luck!

Re: Please tell me your experience with IVF

My advice to you is to listen to your gut..if something doesnt sound good....do whats best for you..certain people will tell you its worth a try but if you think its not you're probably right..remeber its your $$$ you are spending and some people only think about their own LARGE bank accounts!