# BCP before IVF/ICSI...?!



## valentine1

I'm wondering how many women were put on BCP before an ivf cycle? I've read all about the reasons why they do it but I have a few questions...

How long were you on them?

Does the actual IVF cycle begin immediately after?

Did you have to wait until the first day of your next menstrual cycle to begin them?

Hubby and I have our next appt end of this month to sign all the forms and start the process, my worry is that I'll probably be about CD 3 or 4 when we go and that because of that ill have to wait until the beginning of my next cycle to start BCP if the FS puts me on them and then potentially have to wait another 2 months to even actually start our ICSI cycle!

I'm so over all this waiting :( really struggling!!!


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## Jess1202

my RE had me start them a few days after my CD1 of last cycle. I only took it for about 18 days. They do it to batch their patients because they only do IVF for about 10/14 days of the month. I think it also ensures that you start at a specific time so that they can monitor from the very start. 

When it was CD1 for me this month, I had to call the RE and then went for my CD 3 monitoring appt today. 
Dont be afraid to ask them tons of questions as to why the BCP and when you can get started when you have your CD1 after you stop. 

I think im on the brink of driving my office bonkers lol


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## valentine1

Thanks for the info :)

I'm not even 100% sure that I will be put on them as my FS said we'd talk about the outline at our next appt, I've just been doing a LOT of Internet reading haha! And I read that and panicked! 

18 days isn't too bad, bet it felt like a lifetime though! I've never known time to go as slowly as it does when your infertile :(

Maybe I will call them and ask if I will be put on them or do a phone appt with my FS! Good thinking! 

I'm sure they're used to having a million phone calls, it is all so confusing! But good on you for calling and getting the info you need :)

What CD are you at the moment? So you're in the middle of an ivf cycle or about to start?


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## valentine1

Bump...anyone else?


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## C&J

I took the bcp (microgynon 30) as part of my down reg before Ivf. I started the bcp around day 14/15 of the cycle before, then day 21 or there abouts I started the suprecur/buserelin as well. I then stopped the bcp on day 28 and carried on with the injecting and then had to wait for my period to show.


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## Jess1202

currently I am CD 4. Yesterday was my first full day of giving myself injections. He also did an ultrasound and not in the good fun way to get a baseline of the follicles


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## valentine1

C&J said:


> I took the bcp (microgynon 30) as part of my down reg before Ivf. I started the bcp around day 14/15 of the cycle before, then day 21 or there abouts I started the suprecur/buserelin as well. I then stopped the bcp on day 28 and carried on with the injecting and then had to wait for my period to show.

Thanks for replying C&J! It really is so different for everyone! I assumed it had to be started on CD1. How long after stopping did your period show? I can see in your signature you've had a few unsuccessful cycles :( I really hope your next cycle is the one!!! When are you doing your next cycle?


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## valentine1

Jess1202 said:


> currently I am CD 4. Yesterday was my first full day of giving myself injections. He also did an ultrasound and not in the good fun way to get a baseline of the follicles

Wow how exciting! How did you find giving yourself the injections? Is this your first ivf?


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## valentine1

Anyone else had to take birth control pills before ivf? And how long for?


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## CanadianMaple

I started them on CD5 (or was it 7?) in January. I took all 21 of them and then started suprefact the day before they ended. After 12 days of suprefact, I have started my stims today and dropped my suprefact dose in half.


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## valentine1

CanadianMaple said:


> I started them on CD5 (or was it 7?) in January. I took all 21 of them and then started suprefact the day before they ended. After 12 days of suprefact, I have started my stims today and dropped my suprefact dose in half.


Thanks for the reply! How long after deciding to go ahead and signing the forms was it until cycle day 5/7 to start them? And sorry but what is suprefact? I don't know the names of the drugs. When is your egg retrieval? Wishing you a BFP for your cycle!


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## CanadianMaple

We decided to go ahead with IVF/ICSI in early December and had to redo our bloodwork and then start the BCP after that cycle was done. We also had to get a mock embryo transfer done a month before starting the injections.

Suprefact is the drug they used along with the BCP to shut down my ovaries. It puts you in fake menopause so they have total control of my hormones for the stims. I am still on a half dose now, but only to keep my body from trying to interfere with the hormone levels.

Thanks! I can't believe we even have a chance for a BFP! First time in 18 months of TTC!


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## valentine1

That's so amazing, it's like there's a light at the end of the tunnel! That's how I feel about icsi for us too! 

What was the mock embryo transfer for? Bet it all feels so real now! I've read some people don't have any drugs to shut down their ovaries but from what I've read it sounds like a good thing for ivf!

Oh had his carrier bloods done and we get the results back end of this month, I'm so worried as at our appt ill be about cd 3 or 5 and I really don't want to have to wait a whole cycle again to start bcp as that will be 2 months before the actual icsi cycle starts. I'm wondering whether to book an earlier appt for next week, sign it all (the plan was to do that at OH's blood follow up) and that way I can start BCP this coming cycle!


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## 2have4kids

I'm doing long protocol as well in March/april. IUI this month. I won't be able to take it if the iVF fails, it's going to cost us $8000 and $5000 is covered by insurance. We won't get another shot, it's just too expensive. 

The fc warned me that all of the eggs might not grow at the same time giving me a low turn out. We're throwing 3-4 back if we get decent ones. Are you able to choose how many blasts to put back?


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## valentine1

CanadianMaple said:


> I started them on CD5 (or was it 7?) in January. I took all 21 of them and then started suprefact the day before they ended. After 12 days of suprefact, I have started my stims today and dropped my suprefact dose in half.




2have4kids said:


> I'm doing long protocol as well in March/april. IUI this month. I won't be able to take it if the iVF fails, it's going to cost us $8000 and $5000 is covered by insurance. We won't get another shot, it's just too expensive.
> 
> The fc warned me that all of the eggs might not grow at the same time giving me a low turn out. We're throwing 3-4 back if we get decent ones. Are you able to choose how many blasts to put back?

Do you know why they do long and short protocols and how they decide? I'm happy to do what's best but I want it to hurry up :(

I really hope this works for you 2have4kids!!! I'm interested to know if you get to choose how many go back too?!


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## 2have4kids

Hi Valentine. I think for diminished reserve people they shut down all of the hormones before hand so they have better control over the situation (long protocol). The waiting is killing me too. All of my colleagues on second babies now. I will throw back 4 blasts if I have the choice. I know at my age they won't all be good (m/c stats are 1 in 3) so if I get 1 great, 2 even better, 3 wow, I've got it made with an instant family and I think having 4 just wouldn't happen to me, hopefully not!!! I want 4 kids eventually but not all at the same time.

It seems unfair and a little misleading with the timing. In Jan I said we just want to wait 2 cycles to do IVF so they wait 2 cycles, send the package to me on the 3rd, I start the pill on the 3rd month and do IVF on month 4! That's not 2 months, it's 4. Yesterday was my AF and I called them to mail the package out instead of waiting yet another month. It's too much waiting, I'll be done menopause by the time they call lol :haha:


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## valentine1

2have4kids said:


> Hi Valentine. I think for diminished reserve people they shut down all of the hormones before hand so they have better control over the situation (long protocol). The waiting is killing me too. All of my colleagues on second babies now. I will throw back 4 blasts if I have the choice. I know at my age they won't all be good (m/c stats are 1 in 3) so if I get 1 great, 2 even better, 3 wow, I've got it made with an instant family and I think having 4 just wouldn't happen to me, hopefully not!!! I want 4 kids eventually but not all at the same time.
> 
> It seems unfair and a little misleading with the timing. In Jan I said we just want to wait 2 cycles to do IVF so they wait 2 cycles, send the package to me on the 3rd, I start the pill on the 3rd month and do IVF on month 4! That's not 2 months, it's 4. Yesterday was my AF and I called them to mail the package out instead of waiting yet another month. It's too much waiting, I'll be done menopause by the time they call lol :haha:

Ok that makes sense! I'm about to call my FS office and make a time to talk about which protocol we'll be doing, it's really stressing me out! That's really hard, my friend is pregnant again and we started trying before she gave birth to her first :( but its ok we'll get there and I'm sure we'll be those women to someone else, it's a vicious cycle!

Wow good plan! I know there are risks with multiples but it would be amazing, I agree! 3 or 4 would be struggle town though haha until they're at school!

Yes it's very misleading, when you want to start you literally want to start! Good for you, taking charge; hoping it all goes really well for you!!!


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## 2have4kids

So you're about 1-2 months away as well then? Let me know what your fs give you. What's your condition, do you know why you're infertile? 


Is there anyone else here having IVF soon?


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## C&J

valentine1 said:


> C&J said:
> 
> 
> I took the bcp (microgynon 30) as part of my down reg before Ivf. I started the bcp around day 14/15 of the cycle before, then day 21 or there abouts I started the suprecur/buserelin as well. I then stopped the bcp on day 28 and carried on with the injecting and then had to wait for my period to show.
> 
> Thanks for replying C&J! It really is so different for everyone! I assumed it had to be started on CD1. How long after stopping did your period show? I can see in your signature you've had a few unsuccessful cycles :( I really hope your next cycle is the one!!! When are you doing your next cycle?Click to expand...

My period started a few days later than it normally would. Yeh we're hoping for 3rd time lucky although it's hard not to think the worse now. We're doing a frozen cycle at the moment , transfer is a week today.


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## blessedlife

Hi! I was put on a strong BCP at the start of our second IVF b/c I became hyperstimulated the first time and all our embryos had to be frozen. The idea was that if my hormones started off much lower, we may not grow as many eggies but we could have a chance at a fresh transfer.

Turned out I was shut down too much and it had to be converted to an IUI but that's why I was put on BCPs. I was on them for 20 days. Good luck, I know the witing is awful but try as much as possible to ust keep living your life and take one day at a time. :flower:


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## IvyEffer

Hi. I'm now in the tww after ICSI. I was on bcp for about 3 weeks before starting my protocol. The day after stopping I started estrace for 4 days and started my stims the next day. I got my period 2 days after I stopped the bcp. Seemed to be the right protocol for us because we got a 26 eggs at egg retreival.


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## valentine1

IvyEffer said:


> Hi. I'm now in the tww after ICSI. I was on bcp for about 3 weeks before starting my protocol. The day after stopping I started estrace for 4 days and started my stims the next day. I got my period 2 days after I stopped the bcp. Seemed to be the right protocol for us because we got a 26 eggs at egg retreival.

How exciting! I really hope you get a BFP!!! And wow that's heaps, definitely the right way for you to go!!! If you don't mind, can you tell me the complete timeline of what you did sicne it's to fresh in your mind, what drugs, what days they did what? I've changed my FS appt so ill see him before my next period and IF he puts me on BCP I can start my next cycle! The nurse told me when I called that its best not to 'rush it'. I was offended cause I'm not trying to rush it I'm just trying to maximize time! OH's carrier bloods don't come back for two more weeks but I figure in the mean time it's better to get started. Too much waiting around when I could be doing something to get ready for our cycle!


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## IvyEffer

Ok, here it goes:
Bcp 1/7-1/27
Estrace 1/28-1/31
2/1-2/7 100iu follistim & 1 vial of menopur
2/8-2/9 1 vial of menopur
2/10 lupron trigger because of risk of OHSS
2/12 retrieval- 26 eggs retrieved
2/13 egg update- 20 eggs mature and fertilized
2/15 transfer- 2 8-cell embryos grade 1/2- 17 embryos made it to freeze

I was lucky that my RE was on top of the risk of OHSS and the lupron trigger worked. I only had bloating the two days after retrieval. I'm still on a few meds. Mostly pills. I finish the medrol (it tastes really bad), cabergoline and doxycycline today. I start estrace 7 days after retrieval until they say to stop. I am continuing to take my pre-natals and baby aspirin. At night I get a shot of progesterone and I am also on endometrin 3x a day (yuck). It's a lot but its all worth it in the end!


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## 2have4kids

WOW IVy, I could only wish for so many eggs to freeze & develop with the stims, I know my doc is really worried that i won't respond well because I have diminished reserve. I'm so excited to try, we'll see if the iui this month does anything and if not, on to IVF with the exact same protocol as you. Congratulations and Fx for a quick BFP for you. Would you like twins then if this happens?


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## valentine1

That is so amazing! Doesn't seem that long a process when it's written down although in sure it felt like it! So many eggs, I bet you're so happy! How long until you go back for bloods?


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## IvyEffer

2have4kids: twins would be great but I would be just as excited for a singleton. Any more than twins I would be petrified! Fx for your IUI!
Valentine: i go back for my beta on Feb 27. My RE really doesn't monitor bloods until then. Time for me went by pretty fast...those shots keep you pretty busy!


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