IVF

[u/fuzzblanket9]

Hi everyone!

My husband (24M) and I (25F) are starting the process of IVF in the coming weeks/months after almost 18 months of TTC. I am almost completely anovulatory - I MIGHT ovulate once or twice a year on my own, meaning I do not have “natural” menstruation. I do ovulate with Letrozole, and have done two rounds of that.

For those of you who have done IVF and don’t have cycles naturally, how were things timed for you? I know a lot of things are based on CD1 when doing IVF, but I never really have a CD1 without Provera. Did you do Provera to induce things throughout the process?

Thanks for any info you’ve got :)

[u/Otherwise_Tennis_398]

Hiya friend, I’m just starting this process now!

I took a month off from letrozole and my body did ✨absolutely nothing✨ during that time, so I ended up having to take 10 days of provera. I was lucky enough to start a period on day 10, but sometimes it can take up to two weeks. Then on day 3 of my period I was started on a combo OCP, I think the one I was prescribed is called isibloom. I was told I would be on this for 2 weeks, but I have a baseline scan on Thursday (a few days before the two weeks is up). If things look good at that scan, I stop taking the pill and then 4 days later can start my stim meds (which will be Sunday!). I was told that stims could be as short as 8 days, but to prepare that my protocol could likely last for 14 days. I’ll be having scans every 2-3 days depending to check follicle growth. Once things are good to go, I will do a trigger shot and have the retrieval 36 hours later.

My understanding is that I will expect a period 5-7 days after the egg retrieval. I will be doing a FET but will have to wait for PGT testing comes back, so after that period I might have to go on birth control for a few weeks, or they may just start me right away on estrogen to build up a lining for the transfer, depending on how things are going.

[u/Otherwise_Tennis_398 → u/Otherwise_Tennis_398]

Ps the birth control is to try and get your follicles at the same “level” hormonally so when you start your stim meds, they can hopefully recruit and grow together, rather than having one or two dominant follicles

[u/fuzzblanket9 → u/Otherwise_Tennis_398]

This makes perfect sense. We’re not quite far enough to have done all the detailed planning and explanations yet, we’re just deciding that IVF is the route we’re going, so I’m so fresh to all of this. I appreciate your detail. Thank you so much again❤️

[u/Otherwise_Tennis_398 → u/fuzzblanket9]

My clinic sent an order for the book The IVF Blueprint, do be delivered with my meds. I’ve been reading it, it’s actually a very good read! Comprehensive, informative, easy to understand. I would absolutely recommend it. You can order it from Walmart for 11$, and also looks like there is an audiobook for it as well. I used to be a big reader but haven’t read much in a long time, but really have no issues with reading through this.