Community post

Looks like I will end up being pretty close with a FET transfer as well! I started bcp on Sunday and will start lupron next week on 3/6 with a transfer on 4/4. So that would be like I had a retrieval on 3/30 since I have all 6 day blasts frozen.

How exciting that we are all moving forward with new cycles!

It's interesting how different doctors follow different protocols. Online, when I look up IVF, it says to have the patient do birth control for 4 weeks or more, but my doc chose just 9 days -- while you don't have to take it at all!

Did they say what the purpose is of the antibiotic for both of you? I'll be prescribed one after retrieval, but that's it.

Last time they only got 8 eggs, and only 3 fertilized normally, and only 2 were good enough for transfer on Day 3. Hoping for a MUCH better showing this time around!

My first round I really sat around feeling alienated and sorry for myself, but I'm vowing not to fall into that this time. This is going to work, and I'm going to be excited about it!

I always do bcp for at least 2 weeks and lupron for like a month. That's because I am a super responder due to pcos and it takes a lot to suppress my system. Making eggs is the only thing I am good at it seems! I normally have 15-20 follicles in each ovary at baseline.

I just take an antibiotic right before transfer because they want to reduce the risk of infection from putting the catheter up there. The catheter is sterile but just in case...

We both actually start the antibiotic prior to retrieval and then I continue it through transfer. I guess I didn't need the BCP's since I'm able to time my cycles somewhat... although I know if it doesn't work this time I will have to take them for a month between the next one.

mnor - I can't believe you normally have 15 or so follicles at baseline... I had none.

I'm a little nervous that I don't have another ultrasound until Sunday though. I'll be taking a lot of follistim injections between now and then! First two went smoothly... so, so many more to go though.

Interesting.

I had some follicles at baseline, but not sure how many and I think they were very small -- docs said it was good. Better than that cyst, for sure!

When I'm on stims, my docs have me come in every other day to monitor/ultrasound to ensure I'm not overstimulated.

Evidently I need stims to even grow any follicles at all :( My old doctor use to always say we need to "wake things up in there"!

Starting Sunday (day 6) I will have bloodwork and u/s everyday through day 12 or 13.

I'll ask on Sunday what the antibiotic is specifically for, but it's probably the same thing mnor said... to prevent infection from the catheter.

I've not had any trouble growing follicles in a normal cycle. I didn't grow as many as fast as they hoped with the first IVF cycle, but what we learned from that was that my eggs kind of suck. They're not very good quality. Hopefully this time they'll get it together! :)

I agree the antibiotic is probably for that -- though why your husband, too? Mine are prescribed the day of though rather than in advance.

Good luck!

I get a dose of antibiotics during the retrieval too. It's just through the IV since I go completely under for the retrieval. Some clinics do it with just a mild sedative and you are awake. Definitely think I prefer being out cold!

I have the opposite problem where I produce too many small follicles but then they don't mature enough to release on their own without stims and a trigger. I usually go in for u/s and bw every other day until about cd10 or 11 when I go everyday up until the retrieval to make sure I don't become over-stimulated which could easily land me in the hospital due to the number of follies. Sometimes my ovaries are super scary looking!

Ugh bad news ladies...well maybe a little good. The hsg showed some possible scar tissue in my uterus. It's minor but right in the "target zone" she said for the transfers and might be why I keep miscarrying early. So, good news that there might finally be an explanation and bad news is that I need to have surgery to get rid of it and my fet is getting delayed to probably the end of april. :-(

Aw, mnor, that's too bad. But like you said on the positive side, perhaps that can help things!

Was this your first hsg test -- after already undergoing IVF?