Taking time off from work for IVF or IUI treatment?

For those girls that work and are currently doing IVF or IUI, do you use your personal/vacation/sick days when you have to go to your RE?
My company goes by a PTO (personal time off) system, which pools my personal, vacation and sick days into a lump sum so I don't have unlimited sick days. How do you girls balance the time you need to be at the RE office and work?
Also, do your bosses know about your "situation"?

Message edited 2/26/2010 1:43:21 PM.

Re: Taking time off from work for IVF or IUI treatment?

I'm curious about hearing this too .. By coincidence, my DH and I were JUST talking about this a few mins ago since we are considering doing an IUI this cycle.

I'm a teacher so I have limited days I can take as well!!

Message edited 2/26/2010 2:01:27 PM.

Re: Taking time off from work for IVF or IUI treatment?

I tried to schedule all of my monitoring appointments for before or after work. I'd get a 7am appointment for bloodwork and then come back at 3:30 for a sono when needed. It was a pain, but it helped me to not use all of my days! (I'm an SLP in a school).

For times when it couldn't be avoided, I'd take a 2-hour personal leave (we got 1 of those each month) or just use hours from my sick days.

I didn't tell my superiors about my situation because I didn't feel comfortable doing so (we had a new principal and VP at that time).

Re: Taking time off from work for IVF or IUI treatment?

Fortunately, I'm very close with my boss and she's actually going through IVF as well. I use vacation days for the ET and for bw/sono I just schedule them early in the morning.

Re: Taking time off from work for IVF or IUI treatment?

I have not had to take too much time off. I have scheduled all my appointments for after school and go in for bloodwork before school. the bloodwork only takes 5 minutes. I took a day off for the IUI, but only b/c it had to be done smack in the middle of the day and I am a teacher and couldn't just go and comeback. I did not tell work about my situation.

Re: Taking time off from work for IVF or IUI treatment?

This is one of the major burdens of the whole infertility fiasco, called my life. It gives me anxiety because i work for a small firm, although we have unlimited sick days, its FROWNED upon heavily. Especially last moment "call outs" or "ill be in late" calls.

I have tried to schedule everything as early as possible. I haven't missed any days yet, but my 745 IUI at american fertility, didnt happen till 10am, i had no choice but to call in (last minute) and say i was going to be late. I got a MILLION questions when i came in at nearly 11am. Just another thing i dont want to deal with. I refuse to tell anyone yet, because i feel like A. thats admitting the problem, and although DH and I are coming to grips with this, i am simply not ready to "come out" to everyone and have 100 pitty eyes on me 24/7. and B. i don't think my boss would be understanding anyway. I am only 7DPIUI and i am already worrying about what i am going to say/do for next month.

Re: Taking time off from work for IVF or IUI treatment?

I was thinking about this too.. I'm actually pretty lucky that I work in a family business that I NEVER take time off for but when i had to start making all my appointment then I had to fess up what was going on and it got very easy for me to leave early come late or whatever.
But i always sit and wonder how everyone else can balance all the appointments.

Re: Taking time off from work for IVF or IUI treatment?

The way my RE works is that they have morning monitorning hours... no appointment, first come, first served. M-F 6am-7:30am. So doing my monitoring was never an issue when it came to work. I used try to get there when the doors opened at 6am, and I'd end up at work early.

When doing IUI, there was no need to take any time off. My RE scheduled all IUI's during a certain window in the morning (I think it was like 8:30-11am or something like that). I'd just go into work late. I'd tell my boss I had a Dr. appointment and would be in a little later than normal. I was never more than an hour late for work anyway.

For IVF, I took 2 days of PTO. The day of retreival (You do need that day off... you are going under general anesthea), and the following day because I was always worse the day after ER.

When it came time for ET - I took a couple of PTO days as well. It wasn't necessary, but DH wanted me off my feet for a couple of days.

Re: Taking time off from work for IVF or IUI treatment?

My company uses the PTO system too. Everything is built into 1 lump sum. First, my job has no idea what is going on. The only thing my boss knows is that i have Drs. appointments. She is pretty understanding. I try to schedule everything as early as possible. I start work at 8:30 and the earliest appointment i have been able to get is 8:45. i'll let my boss know i am going to be a little late and i will make up the time by staying late that day or one day during the week. If i can't get an early appt. i will go during lunch and come back a little late. So far i haven't been asked any questions or for Drs. Notes or anything. We are hopefully doing our first IUI in March. I might take the day only because i don't know what to expect. If we have to do another IUI, i will take it from there. The whole work/RE Appts confilct thing is the only thing that bothers me about all of this. I hate being late so much without a valid excuse other than I am going to the DR.

Re: Taking time off from work for IVF or IUI treatment?

My job is pretty flexible as well. My normal working hour is from 730am until 4pm but due to the busy work, I usually end up staying until 6pm sometimes. Since I do stay late, I don't usually feel bad if I call the receptionist in the morning and letting her and my boss know that I'm coming in late.
I'm just curious because someone mentioned to me about FMLA and I was wonder if anyone had considered using it.
I haven't told my boss anything. Well, first, he's a man, so I definitely don't feel comfortable tell him and I"m sure he's going to feel awkward too and second, I feel like it's none of his business.
I guess I just have to see how it goes and decide when I'm there.
Thanks girls for your input! IT's been really helpful!

Re: Taking time off from work for IVF or IUI treatment?

I've had 3 months of IUI so far, and thankfully haven't had to take a day yet! I've been lucky in that they've fallen on the weekend and also on Mondays that I've already had off (and DH, too!). But, my RE did say that I could go in anytime during the same workday that DH drops off his sample for the IUI (although I'm not 100% sure she knows what she's talking about! ).

That said, if we end up having to take the IVF route, I will likely have to tell my principal (I'm a teacher) what I'm going through so she'll be understanding of me showing up a little late here and there - or whatever exactly is required!