7 replies to this topic

Just wondering how long your RE recommends you wait between cycles. My clinic says a minimum of 2 cycles. TCM says 6-12 months. I'm wondering how to balance out the two recommendations, taking into account age vs need for body to rest. I'm wondering if too short a wait can contribute to a poor cycle. Maybe difficult to tell....Thanks for any input.

[pookie]

Hi Stillhoping

not an expert, but my RE says she would go ahead the next (following) 1 or 2 cycles after a medicated cycle as long as my bloodwork (day 3 FSH/estradiol) and day 3 us are ok (no cysts). My TCM was ok with that too. I elected to take a month or two off between to let my body try o have a normal cycle in between and also let me emotionally recover after my failed cycle- still working on that!

Good luck,
Pookie.

[pookie]

oh yeah- I am 35

[Silke]

Hi stillhoping,
My clinic recommends waiting one cycle after IVF, and as long as the bloodwork and u/s are good they would go ahead. If the cycle was converted to an IUI, my clinic would say it's OK to try again the very next cycle - again if the bloodwork was good and the u/s clear. I asked if the ovaries need a break because of the intense work they are doing (with the drugs), but they said that wasn't the reason for the break - it was because they didn't want to poke the ovaries two months in a row (i.e. with retrieval).

My TCM recommends a minimum of 3 months.

[Katherine e]

Thanks for posting this topic.

I am "anxious" to try again due to my age (35) but also want to wait the recommened time....
Katherine

Thanks for posting this topic.

I am "anxious" to try again due to my age (35) but also want to wait the recommened time....
Katherine

Thanks for all the replies. Because of the Age Factor (argh), a lot of clinics like you to "get going" asap. I was so surprised by the 6-12 months recommendation by TCM. I think it makes sense to allow body to rejuvenate -- but 6-12 months might be more for younger women who have a few more years (my uneducated opinion) to work with. Dr. Yan (TCM) on this site recommends 3 months because of my age.

At near-42, I'm hesitant to wait more than a few months and even that makes me nervous. At 35, I might feel ok with a little longer wait but this is just me and who knows, I might still have wanted to get going on it ... so hard to sort out!

We are leaning towards a happy medium of 4 months, since our RE is okay with this. It's shy of the TCM recommendation, but at 42-minus-2-months I am just too nervous to wait a full 6 months. You definitely have to feel "ready" before trying again, though. I'm still hoping for free miracle pregnancy before we get to IVF but that seems very, very unlikely.


Good luck to everyone.

[Silke]

Thanks for giving us your update stillhoping. I know what you mean about age.... waiting a few months seems like forever.

I'm 8dp3dt now, and thinking I can feel AF. My blood work is on wed. I'm seeing a new TCM and feeling really good about her. I've decided that if this doesn't work, I am going to wait 3 months to do my 2nd IVF. (I was going to wait 2, but am wavering to 3 after reading your email! I mean heck, we're pretty much the same age. I just turned 42) And in between, I'll do the TCM herbs and accupuncture. Of course, if my antral follicle numbers and blood work are bad at the start of the cycle, I'll wait another month.

Thanks for giving us your update stillhoping. I know what you mean about age.... waiting a few months seems like forever.

I'm 8dp3dt now, and thinking I can feel AF. My blood work is on wed. I'm seeing a new TCM and feeling really good about her. I've decided that if this doesn't work, I am going to wait 3 months to do my 2nd IVF. (I was going to wait 2, but am wavering to 3 after reading your email! I mean heck, we're pretty much the same age. I just turned 42) And in between, I'll do the TCM herbs and accupuncture. Of course, if my antral follicle numbers and blood work are bad at the start of the cycle, I'll wait another month.

I hope you are just feeling early pregnancy twinges rather than AF. The 2ww feels like forever. Does your clinic do antral counts before the start of each cycle? My last one was w-a-a-y back in November/December 2008....

I can't decide whether I should try TCM herbs or just focus on diet, exercise, etc. I think I will get acupuncture before and after ET transfer, though. Unfortunately, continuing full TCM trtmt is out of the question for us because of $. Two extended health plans and neither cover any of it. Who'd have thunk...

Hope you get good news from your blood work and sending you big positive wishes! Hang in there!