How did you get started on IUI/IVF? HELP

[newlywedgal]

If you can afford the travel (as far as travel time with taking off work and the costs) you should look into the IVF trial that I am in. It is in NYC. This was definitely a godsend because we would have to save for another year if it wasn't for the trial. The only thing you have to pay for is meds. You would also have to pay for monitoring if you want to get that done locally instead of in NYC. Obviously you would need accomondations as well while in NYC so it may not be worth the hassle, but here is the link just in case.

https://www.ivfclinicaltrial.com/

Newlywedgal: If IVF was covered I would be doing it too. Oregon doesn’t cover anything. Not even ultrasounds. Just IUI is expensive.

Flagirlie7: I don’t see any problem with seeing two and getting a feel. I am glad that I clicked with mine right away. We were both on the same page and he really just felt right. I hope you find an RE that you like. I hear people complain about theirs all the time.

Mbrink: Good luck next month. I hope you get your BFP sooner rather than later.

 

[karenh]

My RE didn't do any testing becuase of what we had already been through with the OBGYN. I assumed we would do IUI, but the doc was the one to bring it up. He was really nice though. He gave it as an option and we could choose if that is what we would do.

That is nice! I'm hoping my RE is like yours. I've been feeling kind of down about going because I'm terrified they will say "well, try some more and come back in three months to do another SA". I will be devastated. I just don't want to put myself through anymore disappointment or give myself false hope.

Did they give you IVF as an option as well, or just IUI?

DH doesn't have any issues in the sperm department, our issue is that I don't ovulate, not even on Clomid four rounds working up to 150 mg. I think because of that IVF really wan't our next step. He did briefly mention it, but we focused on IUI. He did give us three different options for meds with the IUI. I really do hope your doc is like mine. I was so nervous before the meeting that he would want us to jump into IVF or tell me I was too fat, I need to loose weight and come back, or something like that. He works in a clinic with three other REs. I have heard not so nice things about them sometimes, but never about my doc. I feel really blessed.

 

[karenh]

If you can afford the travel (as far as travel time with taking off work and the costs) you should look into the IVF trial that I am in. It is in NYC. This was definitely a godsend because we would have to save for another year if it wasn't for the trial. The only thing you have to pay for is meds. You would also have to pay for monitoring if you want to get that done locally instead of in NYC. Obviously you would need accomondations as well while in NYC so it may not be worth the hassle, but here is the link just in case.

https://www.ivfclinicaltrial.com/

Newlywedgal: If IVF was covered I would be doing it too. Oregon doesn’t cover anything. Not even ultrasounds. Just IUI is expensive.

Flagirlie7: I don’t see any problem with seeing two and getting a feel. I am glad that I clicked with mine right away. We were both on the same page and he really just felt right. I hope you find an RE that you like. I hear people complain about theirs all the time.

Mbrink: Good luck next month. I hope you get your BFP sooner rather than later.

I really wish I could do that, esspecially since I have never been to the east coast. However, I could never afford it. I think it would be a wash with the month off work and the month of hotel bills and the meds, which are really expensive. Thank you though!

 

[karenh]

If you can afford the travel (as far as travel time with taking off work and the costs) you should look into the IVF trial that I am in. It is in NYC. This was definitely a godsend because we would have to save for another year if it wasn't for the trial. The only thing you have to pay for is meds. You would also have to pay for monitoring if you want to get that done locally instead of in NYC. Obviously you would need accomondations as well while in NYC so it may not be worth the hassle, but here is the link just in case.

https://www.ivfclinicaltrial.com/

Newlywedgal: If IVF was covered I would be doing it too. Oregon doesn’t cover anything. Not even ultrasounds. Just IUI is expensive.

Flagirlie7: I don’t see any problem with seeing two and getting a feel. I am glad that I clicked with mine right away. We were both on the same page and he really just felt right. I hope you find an RE that you like. I hear people complain about theirs all the time.

Mbrink: Good luck next month. I hope you get your BFP sooner rather than later.

I really wish I could do that, esspecially since I have never been to the east coast. However, I could never afford it. I think it would be a wash with the month off work and the month of hotel bills and the meds, which are really expensive. Thank you though!

Yikes! Make that six month and 20 visits.

 

[karenh]

If you can afford the travel (as far as travel time with taking off work and the costs) you should look into the IVF trial that I am in. It is in NYC. This was definitely a godsend because we would have to save for another year if it wasn't for the trial. The only thing you have to pay for is meds. You would also have to pay for monitoring if you want to get that done locally instead of in NYC. Obviously you would need accomondations as well while in NYC so it may not be worth the hassle, but here is the link just in case.

https://www.ivfclinicaltrial.com/

Newlywedgal: If IVF was covered I would be doing it too. Oregon doesn’t cover anything. Not even ultrasounds. Just IUI is expensive.

Flagirlie7: I don’t see any problem with seeing two and getting a feel. I am glad that I clicked with mine right away. We were both on the same page and he really just felt right. I hope you find an RE that you like. I hear people complain about theirs all the time.

Mbrink: Good luck next month. I hope you get your BFP sooner rather than later.

If I am not sure about it, but think, hey maybe I should get more info, should I apply and see what happens? They probably won't take me based on my weight anyway.

 

[flagirlie7]

that trial sounds good, especially since i have a sibling up there! but i am afraid it would not really work with my job... i got a reply from the second place, which was my preferred one over the first one (that charges $358 for initial consult and perhaps more expensive from the reviews), the reply came from the doc, he seemed nice and copied his financial peeps on it, couple hours later they sent me the full pricing of everything!! prices are ok i guess, not cheap but I have def. seen worse!

Question: do you ladies think I need to wait for consult(s) until after my current, 3rd round of Clomid cycle, is over?? I am technically still under my OB, although she's the one that suggested scheduling the appt. However the impression i got was that it won't take too long to get in, at least at the first place. I hate to throw away $$ if I still have some chance naturally?? Also, I have been ovulating on Clomid, although I don't know more about my plumbing down there: lining, egg quality etc. Would a FS be able to start me with just Clomid (and considering I have 3 rounds already) or would they go with injectables? How do they decide??

 

[karenh]

one of my options with my RE was clomid. We had already done four rounds with my gyno with no luck. So the RE put me on Femara. I have my second IUI today and I am going to talk to him about injectables for next cycle. If you are ready to move on go for it.

 

[Mbrink]

Are most RE's willing to let you choose your course of action for IF? Like in our case, we have an exceptionally low sperm count, so I believe we would be given IVF with the ICSI (please forgive me if my spelling is off on this, typing on my phone) as an option, as don't they typically have to have higher numbers for IUI? His motility and morphology are both low, too, so I'm assuming thats what they would do unless they gave him hormones and told him to check back. Which honestly at this point, that would be my worst fear.

 

[karenh]

Sorry, I can't speak to other REs. I have only been to mine. However, it is my opinion that this is YOUR journey, so should take the reins. The doc is just there to assist. Go in with a listening ear and be willing to consider what he says, but also voice your concerns and opinions. If the doc isn't willing to listen at all, find a new one. There are those out there that care. They are rare, but you deserve to find one. Good luck! When is your appointment?

 

[Mbrink]

Sorry, I can't speak to other REs. I have only been to mine. However, it is my opinion that this is YOUR journey, so should take the reins. The doc is just there to assist. Go in with a listening ear and be willing to consider what he says, but also voice your concerns and opinions. If the doc isn't willing to listen at all, find a new one. There are those out there that care. They are rare, but you deserve to find one. Good luck! When is your appointment?

Thank you for that, I really needed to hear that. My appointment is November 14, which seems SO far away. We made the appointment a week and a half ago though, so I feel like time wise that is pretty good since some places take longer to get in than most. I just KNOW I want to go proceed with IVF, I just don't want to walk in and say "give me IVF or I'm out of here", lol. I'm such an introvert in most cases but I know I can't be with this. I mean, DH's SA showed 900,000 with everything else being low. I'd say that IVF is our only real shot, and I don't want to go through months of treating him for a low count that might not even improve his numbers when we can move to something with higher success rates. UGH. I hate this.

And to make matters worse, I woke up to numerous pregnancy announcements on facebook and gender reveals . Has anyone deleted their facebook yet?

 

[newlywedgal]

I think it's worth looking into if you want to do IVF and don't have insurance coverage. There is some exclusion criteria, but once you are in, it's a godsend.

So far I have only been there twice. You go for your initial consultation, you and your partner, and you either get all the screening tests done before or get them done while there. They do bloodwork, ultrasound and SA. You should know then if you are excluded or if there are things you need to do (like lose weight). I actually did have to lose. They want your BMI to be between 18-32. Mine was 32.6. But I still scheduled my next visit and was down to a 30.8 BMI before the next visit.

So anyway, at visit 1, if ultrasound and b/w come back okay, that's it. You get randomized into either mini IVF or conventional IVF. I got randomized into mini. I left with my Rxs and that was that. They give you options for some of the medications so that you can get whatever is more affordable for you. And they work directly with www.freedompharmacy.com where you will find rock bottom prices on the meds. They will fax the Rx right over to them.

So I am currently on Lupron. I am going to be doing local monitoring since my insurance covers it. You can do local monitoring if you can find a local place that will do it, or you can camp out in NYC to get everything done there. I work full time, so taking off a month was not feasible. About 5 days before your ET, you will be required to be in NYC. So I am going to have to take off that week. If you do fresh transfer, that will be 5 days every ET - if you do frozen, that will be a month later.

So for me, all in all, this will be my time spent in NYC:

10/3 (flew in in AM, out in PM).
10/19 (flew in in AM, out in PM).
Approximately 11/12-11/16 for egg retrieval.
Approximately 11/21 for tranfer.

And that's it! All my monitoring is done locally. And they only do one retrieval. So if the first one is not successful, you will only have to go back for your next transfer.

If you can afford the travel (as far as travel time with taking off work and the costs) you should look into the IVF trial that I am in. It is in NYC. This was definitely a godsend because we would have to save for another year if it wasn't for the trial. The only thing you have to pay for is meds. You would also have to pay for monitoring if you want to get that done locally instead of in NYC. Obviously you would need accomondations as well while in NYC so it may not be worth the hassle, but here is the link just in case.

https://www.ivfclinicaltrial.com/

Newlywedgal: If IVF was covered I would be doing it too. Oregon doesn’t cover anything. Not even ultrasounds. Just IUI is expensive.

Flagirlie7: I don’t see any problem with seeing two and getting a feel. I am glad that I clicked with mine right away. We were both on the same page and he really just felt right. I hope you find an RE that you like. I hear people complain about theirs all the time.

Mbrink: Good luck next month. I hope you get your BFP sooner rather than later.

If I am not sure about it, but think, hey maybe I should get more info, should I apply and see what happens? They probably won't take me based on my weight anyway.

 

[newlywedgal]

The RE will have Clomid as an option, but if you have already had a few unsuccessful cycles with it they will probably want you to try something else. He will probably offer Femara before moving on to injectables. High order multiples are more likely on injectables. You should be able to try Femara before getting any "work up" done, but he is likely going to want you to get a few procedures done to check out your "plumbing" just so he is aware of all the obstacles.

that trial sounds good, especially since i have a sibling up there! but i am afraid it would not really work with my job... i got a reply from the second place, which was my preferred one over the first one (that charges $358 for initial consult and perhaps more expensive from the reviews), the reply came from the doc, he seemed nice and copied his financial peeps on it, couple hours later they sent me the full pricing of everything!! prices are ok i guess, not cheap but I have def. seen worse!

Question: do you ladies think I need to wait for consult(s) until after my current, 3rd round of Clomid cycle, is over?? I am technically still under my OB, although she's the one that suggested scheduling the appt. However the impression i got was that it won't take too long to get in, at least at the first place. I hate to throw away $$ if I still have some chance naturally?? Also, I have been ovulating on Clomid, although I don't know more about my plumbing down there: lining, egg quality etc. Would a FS be able to start me with just Clomid (and considering I have 3 rounds already) or would they go with injectables? How do they decide??

 

[flagirlie7]

karenh - good luck with IUI!!!

Mbrink - sometimes i do feel like jumping to IVF instead of going through rounds of IUI, but then I think the latter one might just work for us and cheaper? But i like the chances for IVF better, of course.

newlywedgal - good luck with the trial!!

Do you guys think they will put me on metformin for PCOS? I have no idea how severe my PCOS is (the only thing I have is elevated LH and irregular periods)...

 

[karenh]

I think it's worth looking into if you want to do IVF and don't have insurance coverage. There is some exclusion criteria, but once you are in, it's a godsend.

So far I have only been there twice. You go for your initial consultation, you and your partner, and you either get all the screening tests done before or get them done while there. They do bloodwork, ultrasound and SA. You should know then if you are excluded or if there are things you need to do (like lose weight). I actually did have to lose. They want your BMI to be between 18-32. Mine was 32.6. But I still scheduled my next visit and was down to a 30.8 BMI before the next visit.

So anyway, at visit 1, if ultrasound and b/w come back okay, that's it. You get randomized into either mini IVF or conventional IVF. I got randomized into mini. I left with my Rxs and that was that. They give you options for some of the medications so that you can get whatever is more affordable for you. And they work directly with www.freedompharmacy.com where you will find rock bottom prices on the meds. They will fax the Rx right over to them.

So I am currently on Lupron. I am going to be doing local monitoring since my insurance covers it. You can do local monitoring if you can find a local place that will do it, or you can camp out in NYC to get everything done there. I work full time, so taking off a month was not feasible. About 5 days before your ET, you will be required to be in NYC. So I am going to have to take off that week. If you do fresh transfer, that will be 5 days every ET - if you do frozen, that will be a month later.

So for me, all in all, this will be my time spent in NYC:

10/3 (flew in in AM, out in PM).
10/19 (flew in in AM, out in PM).
Approximately 11/12-11/16 for egg retrieval.
Approximately 11/21 for tranfer.

And that's it! All my monitoring is done locally. And they only do one retrieval. So if the first one is not successful, you will only have to go back for your next transfer.

If you can afford the travel (as far as travel time with taking off work and the costs) you should look into the IVF trial that I am in. It is in NYC. This was definitely a godsend because we would have to save for another year if it wasn't for the trial. The only thing you have to pay for is meds. You would also have to pay for monitoring if you want to get that done locally instead of in NYC. Obviously you would need accomondations as well while in NYC so it may not be worth the hassle, but here is the link just in case.

https://www.ivfclinicaltrial.com/

Newlywedgal: If IVF was covered I would be doing it too. Oregon doesn’t cover anything. Not even ultrasounds. Just IUI is expensive.

Flagirlie7: I don’t see any problem with seeing two and getting a feel. I am glad that I clicked with mine right away. We were both on the same page and he really just felt right. I hope you find an RE that you like. I hear people complain about theirs all the time.

Mbrink: Good luck next month. I hope you get your BFP sooner rather than later.

If I am not sure about it, but think, hey maybe I should get more info, should I apply and see what happens? They probably won't take me based on my weight anyway.

Thanks! I did fill out the application
and it said I don't qualify. That is OK, I don't think I am ready for if yet. Good luck to you. Sounds like a good deal for you!

 

[Mbrink]

I think it's worth looking into if you want to do IVF and don't have insurance coverage. There is some exclusion criteria, but once you are in, it's a godsend.

So far I have only been there twice. You go for your initial consultation, you and your partner, and you either get all the screening tests done before or get them done while there. They do bloodwork, ultrasound and SA. You should know then if you are excluded or if there are things you need to do (like lose weight). I actually did have to lose. They want your BMI to be between 18-32. Mine was 32.6. But I still scheduled my next visit and was down to a 30.8 BMI before the next visit.

So anyway, at visit 1, if ultrasound and b/w come back okay, that's it. You get randomized into either mini IVF or conventional IVF. I got randomized into mini. I left with my Rxs and that was that. They give you options for some of the medications so that you can get whatever is more affordable for you. And they work directly with www.freedompharmacy.com where you will find rock bottom prices on the meds. They will fax the Rx right over to them.

So I am currently on Lupron. I am going to be doing local monitoring since my insurance covers it. You can do local monitoring if you can find a local place that will do it, or you can camp out in NYC to get everything done there. I work full time, so taking off a month was not feasible. About 5 days before your ET, you will be required to be in NYC. So I am going to have to take off that week. If you do fresh transfer, that will be 5 days every ET - if you do frozen, that will be a month later.

So for me, all in all, this will be my time spent in NYC:

10/3 (flew in in AM, out in PM).
10/19 (flew in in AM, out in PM).
Approximately 11/12-11/16 for egg retrieval.
Approximately 11/21 for tranfer.

And that's it! All my monitoring is done locally. And they only do one retrieval. So if the first one is not successful, you will only have to go back for your next transfer.

If you can afford the travel (as far as travel time with taking off work and the costs) you should look into the IVF trial that I am in. It is in NYC. This was definitely a godsend because we would have to save for another year if it wasn't for the trial. The only thing you have to pay for is meds. You would also have to pay for monitoring if you want to get that done locally instead of in NYC. Obviously you would need accomondations as well while in NYC so it may not be worth the hassle, but here is the link just in case.

https://www.ivfclinicaltrial.com/

Newlywedgal: If IVF was covered I would be doing it too. Oregon doesn’t cover anything. Not even ultrasounds. Just IUI is expensive.

Flagirlie7: I don’t see any problem with seeing two and getting a feel. I am glad that I clicked with mine right away. We were both on the same page and he really just felt right. I hope you find an RE that you like. I hear people complain about theirs all the time.

Mbrink: Good luck next month. I hope you get your BFP sooner rather than later.

If I am not sure about it, but think, hey maybe I should get more info, should I apply and see what happens? They probably won't take me based on my weight anyway.

Thanks! I did fill out the application
and it said I don't qualify. That is OK, I don't think I am ready for if yet. Good luck to you. Sounds like a good deal for you!

I hope you don't mind me asking, but what did the application entail? I'm going to try to pursue IVF and I'm nervous I won't be able to do it.

 

[newlywedgal]

If you are a paying patient, I don't know if there is any reason they would ever exclude you. So I definitely don't think you need to worry. But for the clinical trial, they are comparing outcomes, to they have to make sure that certain variables are consistent. Here is what is listed on the website as eligibility, inclusion and exclusion criteria. But again, this is just fo the clinical trial.

Eligibility


Ages Eligible for Study: 18 Years to 38 Years
Genders Eligible for Study: Female
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:

•Valid indication for IVF or ICSI
•First IVF/ICSI attempt
•Couples or female, with female between the ages of 18 and 38 years
•If couple, partner 18 years of age or older
•Both partners HIV free.
•Must be able to understand that they may NOT become pregnant..
•Female must be able to understand that she can not use the following medications during undergoing IVF: Advil, Alleve, Anaprox, Bactrim, Botox, Celebrex, Claritin D, Flax Seed Oil, Flexeril, Methotrexate, Motrin, Norethindrone, Phenobarbital, Procrin, Septra DS, Sudafed, Sulfa Methorzple Trimethoprim, Tylenol Cold & Sinus, Vioxx
Exclusion Criteria:

•Not willing or able to sign the consent form.
•Either partner has symptoms of a sexually transmitted infection (including: Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Syphilis) and has not been treated.
•Female with active Varicella or/and Rubella infection.
•Either partner with Hepatitis A, B or C and has not been treated.
•Positive Genetic test results for: Fragile X (only if both partners are carriers), Cystic Fibrosis, Ashkenazi Panel (for Jewish Subjects) Hemoglobin Electrophoresis (for Asian, Latinos and African Americans)
•Abnormal Pap Smear.
•Abnormal Colposcopy.
•Female with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome without regular period (PCOS)with irregular menses.
•Female with diabetes, heart disease or/and has had heart attack or stroke.

I think it's worth looking into if you want to do IVF and don't have insurance coverage. There is some exclusion criteria, but once you are in, it's a godsend.

So far I have only been there twice. You go for your initial consultation, you and your partner, and you either get all the screening tests done before or get them done while there. They do bloodwork, ultrasound and SA. You should know then if you are excluded or if there are things you need to do (like lose weight). I actually did have to lose. They want your BMI to be between 18-32. Mine was 32.6. But I still scheduled my next visit and was down to a 30.8 BMI before the next visit.

So anyway, at visit 1, if ultrasound and b/w come back okay, that's it. You get randomized into either mini IVF or conventional IVF. I got randomized into mini. I left with my Rxs and that was that. They give you options for some of the medications so that you can get whatever is more affordable for you. And they work directly with www.freedompharmacy.com where you will find rock bottom prices on the meds. They will fax the Rx right over to them.

So I am currently on Lupron. I am going to be doing local monitoring since my insurance covers it. You can do local monitoring if you can find a local place that will do it, or you can camp out in NYC to get everything done there. I work full time, so taking off a month was not feasible. About 5 days before your ET, you will be required to be in NYC. So I am going to have to take off that week. If you do fresh transfer, that will be 5 days every ET - if you do frozen, that will be a month later.

So for me, all in all, this will be my time spent in NYC:

10/3 (flew in in AM, out in PM).
10/19 (flew in in AM, out in PM).
Approximately 11/12-11/16 for egg retrieval.
Approximately 11/21 for tranfer.

And that's it! All my monitoring is done locally. And they only do one retrieval. So if the first one is not successful, you will only have to go back for your next transfer.

If you can afford the travel (as far as travel time with taking off work and the costs) you should look into the IVF trial that I am in. It is in NYC. This was definitely a godsend because we would have to save for another year if it wasn't for the trial. The only thing you have to pay for is meds. You would also have to pay for monitoring if you want to get that done locally instead of in NYC. Obviously you would need accomondations as well while in NYC so it may not be worth the hassle, but here is the link just in case.

https://www.ivfclinicaltrial.com/

Newlywedgal: If IVF was covered I would be doing it too. Oregon doesn’t cover anything. Not even ultrasounds. Just IUI is expensive.

Flagirlie7: I don’t see any problem with seeing two and getting a feel. I am glad that I clicked with mine right away. We were both on the same page and he really just felt right. I hope you find an RE that you like. I hear people complain about theirs all the time.

Mbrink: Good luck next month. I hope you get your BFP sooner rather than later.

If I am not sure about it, but think, hey maybe I should get more info, should I apply and see what happens? They probably won't take me based on my weight anyway.

Thanks! I did fill out the application
and it said I don't qualify. That is OK, I don't think I am ready for if yet. Good luck to you. Sounds like a good deal for you!

I hope you don't mind me asking, but what did the application entail? I'm going to try to pursue IVF and I'm nervous I won't be able to do it.

 

[Mbrink]

If you are a paying patient, I don't know if there is any reason they would ever exclude you. So I definitely don't think you need to worry. But for the clinical trial, they are comparing outcomes, to they have to make sure that certain variables are consistent. Here is what is listed on the website as eligibility, inclusion and exclusion criteria. But again, this is just fo the clinical trial.

Eligibility


Ages Eligible for Study: 18 Years to 38 Years
Genders Eligible for Study: Female
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:

•Valid indication for IVF or ICSI
•First IVF/ICSI attempt
•Couples or female, with female between the ages of 18 and 38 years
•If couple, partner 18 years of age or older
•Both partners HIV free.
•Must be able to understand that they may NOT become pregnant..
•Female must be able to understand that she can not use the following medications during undergoing IVF: Advil, Alleve, Anaprox, Bactrim, Botox, Celebrex, Claritin D, Flax Seed Oil, Flexeril, Methotrexate, Motrin, Norethindrone, Phenobarbital, Procrin, Septra DS, Sudafed, Sulfa Methorzple Trimethoprim, Tylenol Cold & Sinus, Vioxx
Exclusion Criteria:

•Not willing or able to sign the consent form.
•Either partner has symptoms of a sexually transmitted infection (including: Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Syphilis) and has not been treated.
•Female with active Varicella or/and Rubella infection.
•Either partner with Hepatitis A, B or C and has not been treated.
•Positive Genetic test results for: Fragile X (only if both partners are carriers), Cystic Fibrosis, Ashkenazi Panel (for Jewish Subjects) Hemoglobin Electrophoresis (for Asian, Latinos and African Americans)
•Abnormal Pap Smear.
•Abnormal Colposcopy.
•Female with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome without regular period (PCOS)with irregular menses.
•Female with diabetes, heart disease or/and has had heart attack or stroke.

I think it's worth looking into if you want to do IVF and don't have insurance coverage. There is some exclusion criteria, but once you are in, it's a godsend.

So far I have only been there twice. You go for your initial consultation, you and your partner, and you either get all the screening tests done before or get them done while there. They do bloodwork, ultrasound and SA. You should know then if you are excluded or if there are things you need to do (like lose weight). I actually did have to lose. They want your BMI to be between 18-32. Mine was 32.6. But I still scheduled my next visit and was down to a 30.8 BMI before the next visit.

So anyway, at visit 1, if ultrasound and b/w come back okay, that's it. You get randomized into either mini IVF or conventional IVF. I got randomized into mini. I left with my Rxs and that was that. They give you options for some of the medications so that you can get whatever is more affordable for you. And they work directly with www.freedompharmacy.com where you will find rock bottom prices on the meds. They will fax the Rx right over to them.

So I am currently on Lupron. I am going to be doing local monitoring since my insurance covers it. You can do local monitoring if you can find a local place that will do it, or you can camp out in NYC to get everything done there. I work full time, so taking off a month was not feasible. About 5 days before your ET, you will be required to be in NYC. So I am going to have to take off that week. If you do fresh transfer, that will be 5 days every ET - if you do frozen, that will be a month later.

So for me, all in all, this will be my time spent in NYC:

10/3 (flew in in AM, out in PM).
10/19 (flew in in AM, out in PM).
Approximately 11/12-11/16 for egg retrieval.
Approximately 11/21 for tranfer.

And that's it! All my monitoring is done locally. And they only do one retrieval. So if the first one is not successful, you will only have to go back for your next transfer.

If you can afford the travel (as far as travel time with taking off work and the costs) you should look into the IVF trial that I am in. It is in NYC. This was definitely a godsend because we would have to save for another year if it wasn't for the trial. The only thing you have to pay for is meds. You would also have to pay for monitoring if you want to get that done locally instead of in NYC. Obviously you would need accomondations as well while in NYC so it may not be worth the hassle, but here is the link just in case.

https://www.ivfclinicaltrial.com/

Newlywedgal: If IVF was covered I would be doing it too. Oregon doesn’t cover anything. Not even ultrasounds. Just IUI is expensive.

Flagirlie7: I don’t see any problem with seeing two and getting a feel. I am glad that I clicked with mine right away. We were both on the same page and he really just felt right. I hope you find an RE that you like. I hear people complain about theirs all the time.

Mbrink: Good luck next month. I hope you get your BFP sooner rather than later.

If I am not sure about it, but think, hey maybe I should get more info, should I apply and see what happens? They probably won't take me based on my weight anyway.

Thanks! I did fill out the application
and it said I don't qualify. That is OK, I don't think I am ready for if yet. Good luck to you. Sounds like a good deal for you!

I hope you don't mind me asking, but what did the application entail? I'm going to try to pursue IVF and I'm nervous I won't be able to do it.

GREAT information!! My insurance luckily covers it, but we haven't tried anything else (yet). My DH has horrible sperm and I ovulate normally, so I'm keeping my FX that they hear that we just want to skip ahead and are okay with that. This wait for the appt. is driving me crazy!

 

[karenh]

I can't imagine your wait! So sorry! I have to wait until Nov 5 for my beta and that is long enough. I really wish my insurance paid for IVF. That will be so nice.

 

[flagirlie7]

guess my PCOS with irregular periods just knocks me out of the trial
anyway, have an appt with a clinic on 11/15!!

 

[Pilotswife]

We tried 3 cycles on Femara with our OB. After that we got referred to our RE. We got in quick and liked him a lot. His first thing was to do SA on DH & an HSG on me. He said if there was a blockage or something else keeping me from getting pg then it didn't make since to keep giving me fertility meds. HSG revealed that one tube was blocked, but dye opened it up so all appears normal. But it also showed that there's a polyp/fibroid in my uterus. So we are doing hysteroscopy next cycle. Hoping he can remove whatever with one procedure and not have to do a follow-up lap. Also DH motility was very low (14%) and a lot of abnormal sperm. RE has suggested after hysteroscopy we move straight into iui cycle. He said we would try that for 3 cycles. The reason he said to do iui is b/c of the motility and they can control it better with a sperm wash. I'm guessing after iui cycles he would suggest ivf. But since its not covered by our ins we will have to take some time off to save for that if we get to that point. I'm so jealous of you ladies whose ins covers ivf!

Also RE said the fibroid/polyp should come out b/c it can cause a miscarriage if we did get pg. So I'm glad we found out about it before dr suggested iui.

(Btw DH and I are both 28, healthy, and have been trying to conceive since May 2011, but off bc since Aug 2010. Never been pg/no miscarriages.)