treelo, that's pretty much correct for a full IVF cycle.
Although, for oddballs like me, it's the pill, horrendous bleeding, more pill, synarel (spray), more bleeding, no response, trigger, no response, progesterone tablets, more bleeding, lucrin (injections instead of spray), then FSH injections (puregon), no response, too much response, trigger, EPU... then ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome and no transfer. *sigh*. IVF was rough on me.
But I did at least manage to get some embryos in the freezer, so we're doing frozen embryo transfers now. My little Caterpillar was a FET, and this cycle is going running in very much the same way - right down to being sick in the same way at the same time of my cycle and needing the same antibiotics!
My FS prefers to do natural cycles, but I don't ovulate without assistance. For me, a frozen embryo transfer cycle involves taking drugs to force my body to ovulate - I take letrozole on days 4-8, which is similar to clomid (taken for 5 days at the start of the cycle), but operates on a different mechanism in the body. This is my third cycle on it - I used it on a break cycle between my stim cycle and my first FET. When we hit day 12 or so of my cycle I start going in to the clinic for blood tests to check hormone levels. When they spot the LH surge, they schedule a transfer for 5 days after ovulation. The night before transfer I use a crinone pessary, then it's back to the clinic where we get to see our embryo through the microscope before it goes back in, then I try to not go insane for 9-10 days before final blood test. If it's positive, we book in to the FS for a scan around 2 weeks later, if it's negative, we wait for AF and start the letrozole again.
So... that's the big scary IVF essay - mostly! Where I am at the moment... day 9 of my cycle. So I had my last dose of letrozole last night, and the hot flushes should start to subside in a day or so, and my anxiety levels will steadily build until ovulation, and then decline again. My first blood test with the clinic is on Tuesday, which will be day 12. The results then will determine when I next have to go in. I started not-safe-for-pregnancy antibiotics today, and will finish them in 10 days (sinus infection). From previous cycles, I'll ovulate around day 18-20, so we're about two weeks away from transfer, and I'll be finished the antibiotics well before then. The best thing about our blastocyst embryos, the TWW is nearly half over before we're even in it!
And there it is - making babies the complicated and high-tech way. The only difference with this cycle compared to last one is that on the day of transfer I double my dose of prednisone. There's some evidence that my miscarriage was caused by my over-active and slightly confused immune system, and we're hoping that this will help prevent it happening again.
I hope I haven't frightened anyone with all the IVF information - I've had a much more complicated journey through it than most, and I do tend to get carried away when someone gives me an excuse to share what I've learned about it all.
BW
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