Questions

Hi ladies, I posted last week about my friend who was having secondary infertility problems and is considering IVF. I am helping her research doctors, medications, etc.

If you have a minute, will you answer a few questions? Thanks!

1. How long do you have to wait to start an IVF cycle? Can you start right away or do they make you wait a few months?

2. What tests are involved before-hand?

Thats all for now! Thanks so much!

Re: Questions

Has your friend had any sort of testing yet? Does she know she definately has to go the IVF route? Have they determined IUI's won't work?

1. How long do you have to wait to start an IVF cycle? Can you start right away or do they make you wait a few months? - I know some RE clinics only cycle at certain times, they are not staggered. So if you miss the start of one of their cycles, you have to wait until the next one. My clinic, I was able to start whenever I was ready. I had all my testing done at my initial RE consultation, but we did 3 rounds of IUI's before moving to IVF.

2. What tests are involved before-hand? - As indicated above, all my testing was done at my initial RE consult. They would not start any sort of treatment on me until all my bloodwork and my husbands bloodwork came back, and my PAP/Cultures came back. They also made me get a mamogram, but I'm on the older side.

Re: Questions

2 rounds of IUI's were unsuccessful, so she is preparing herself for the IVF route.

She has gone through pretty extensive testing and there is NO reason why she is not getting pregnant. She has 2 children, conceived naturally with no problems, so its completely unexplained. This has been going on for about a year. Her last IUI was just a few weeks ago.

Re: Questions

I'm a secondary infertility club member, facing IVF.

I did a total of 6 rounds of IUI, 3 were unmedicated, 3 using follistim injections, with no luck.

As I'm sure your friend has undergone as part of her RE's practice, I underwent a battery of tests, including 2 post-coitals, a whole blood workup, an HSG, a mammogram and an MRI to delve further into a cyst they discovered on my ovary.

I have my first IVF consultation on Tuesday. I have been informed by my RE that they require one month's rest before doing an IVF cycle, which I will do. In the meantime, during my month of "rest" I do have to undergo some additional testing for IVF, including a hysteroscopy, an endometrial biopsy and I believe a water sonogram.

Hope that helps!

Re: Questions

was her DH checked as well? sometimes sperm counts can fluctuate due to diet, medications, stress, etc.

Re: Questions

1. How long do you have to wait to start an IVF cycle? Can you start right away or do they make you wait a few months?

Depends on the clinic. Most clinics do IVF cycles in "series" that last about 6-8 weeks. As long as they are in a series or about to start one, you can start IVF right away (well, after you get AF).
You generally don't have to wait months, usually a couple weeks once everything is in order.

2. What tests are involved before-hand?

Usually a full panel blood workup - anywhere from 6-12 vials of blood to test for all sorts of things. An HSG if one wasn't done already. A saline sonogram and the male would have a SA if he hasn't had one already

That's about it..HTH!

Re: Questions

Don't take this the wrong way but do you think your friend might be interested in joining LIF so that we can support her directly?