It's also to control cysts. The BCP helps to keep them away

Depending on the protocol, you will be put on Lupron or BCP to quiet your ovaries. They want to control when you produce eggs. They don't want you to prematurely begin to grow 1 egg, when they want you to grow many many eggs.

Thanks, PP. Good info to know. As I just assumed we go into stims on CD 3 as usual. Why do they do that?

Yes, they put me on BCP for 18 days before stimming.

I have gone through 3 IUIs at SG and next up is IVF. Will I have to do BCP before stimming for IVF?

I didn't have a mamo either and I start STIMS next week.

Most clinics only require a mammogram at 40 and most insurance companies aren't going to cover you for one sooner without a family history or other need for one sooner.

Anonymous wrote:You will probably need a mamo anyhow. I was 33 and ended up getting one. Especially if you have fibrocystic breasts or anything like that. Good luck!

I'm 29 with fibrocystic breasts and nobody said a word about a mammogram to me.

You will probably need a mamo anyhow. I was 33 and ended up getting one. Especially if you have fibrocystic breasts or anything like that. Good luck!

I didn't have a mamo or psych consult but I'm 31. We have to do PGD so that tacked on an extra 9 weeks before IVF and 2 weeks after retrieval.

The pps did not include being current on regular gyn stuff, recent mammo, and psych consult, all of which take time. It's longer than you think. If you're a busy person at least four months.

OP here, thank you that is really helpful!

Depends on when the start of your period is. You will need an initial appointment with the RE, 3 day testing (at the start of your cycle), the HSG and there are also some other tests you may need from your clinic - like proof of a pap, std testing. If anything comes back abnormal (like your thyroid levels) then you would need to postpone things until levels are back on track. Providing everything is OK you would then need 1 month of BCP or other form for your ovaries, then you would start the stim meds and retrieval, then transfer then 2 week wait. Then 6 weeks of beta tests and ultrasounds (if you are pregnant) and dismissal to OB at around 8 weeks pregnant and you would go to OB at 10 weeks.
So probably 3 ish months if you are lucky.

It really depends on how much testing you need before hand and what protocol they use on you.
In general, if you haven't already done it, you will have 2-3 months of testing. Then 1 month of BCP, lupron or some other way of quieting your ovaries. Then 7-14-21 days of stimming meds. Then trigger, retrieval (3 days), then you tranfer at 3 or 5 days after retrival/fertilization. Then the two week wait to see if you are pregnant.
So without testing, you are looking at about 2 months for each cycle of IVF.

If you end up pregnant, you will stay with your RE for about a month as they check to make sure it's a viable pregnancy then they release you to your OB.

Hope that helps.

Just starting to think about ivf. If I walked into a clinic tomorrow, and everything went absolutely best-case scenario, how long until I'm being handed off to an obgyn? Forgive my ignorance in advance please.