I just realized that the email signature of my new nurse is “You will never regret having hope” and I am not sure that’s either true or helpful…
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Alright, question for folks who are working with fertility clinics. Do you feel like you have to do a large amount of project management?
I’m figuring out if it would be to our benefit to switch clinics or to start working with my OB/GYN instead, mostly due to the large amount of project management I’m having to do with my current clinic. For example, I asked for a checklist of everything we’d need to do to move foreword with our known donor. I met with our doctor once, have made a phone call, and now sent 5 or 6 emails with clarifying questions (like back and forth, not in a row!) and still don’t have a clear sense of next steps. I’m generally a competent person and things have gone wrong when I didn’t ask for this level of clarification, so I don’t think it’s a me being dumb or missing the big picture thing.
I’m wondering if this is just normal! I’d hate to start over with someone else, delaying our timeline even more, and have to deal with the same thing. I know make a baby with science and project management are not the same skill set.
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With my first clinic, cheap clinic, yes. With the expensive travel destination clinic (that I was local to, but travel from Asia and Europe is a big business for them), no. I think you pay for man hours/responsiveness/access/organization. The question is, is it worth it.
ETA more nurse turn over with cheaper clinic, too.
And by cheaper, I’m still talking $17,000 per IVF cycle, just not $32,000 per IVF cycle. lol.
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Obviously not telling you anything you don’t know, but it is mind-boggling how expensive IVF is, in every single dimension (time/what it asks of people/hormone changes/$/etc).
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I mean, I do have to do a lot of project management, but I think all of my clinics have given me something resembling a checklist of tasks I need to do.
The project management comes in with things like, figuring out which drugs are approved by my doctor, covered by my insurance, AND available at the pharmacy, which took some exciting triangulation. Not trying to piece together the steps of the process. They should be telling you the next steps. I think even my clinic where IVF was $13K (not counting meds and workup, of course) was reasonably responsive.
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Deleting my comment. I started reading “It Starts with the Egg” and think it’s not as research-driven as I want my resources to be, but of course have no opinions about what anyone else does and only wish others well.
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Fuck 
SirB will be gone the whole week coming up so I won’t be able to do a blood draw this cycle. No childcare and kids are strictly forbidden at this (and most) fertility clinics. So another cycle to wait, and hope he’s not out of town for the next CD3.
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Can I help? If Latte wouldn’t be too freaked out, I could come babysit. I could bring my vaccinated teenager and we could just play with her at your house while you get your blood draw.
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Not gonna lie, noticing the 20th anniversary of my first marriage made me feel a smidge on the old side… (I’m 40. I was practically a child bride, really. One of my college friends dug up a picture of him with “the guys” outside the church, and we all just look like a bunch of dressed-up children to my more mature self.)
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Part of the issue is that it’s going to be very early morning, because it’s a fasted AM lab, and Latte is having INTENSE separation anxiety. Like, recently made herself barf from crying so hard because I left her with SirB when I went to the store 
so I appreciate the offer but this is a hot mess situation haha.
My mom might be here? So I have to decide if it’s worth leaving Latte/trying to concoct a lie/etc or just waiting one more cycle.
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Ugggggh I was hoping it would be simpler than that when I saw @anon15984371 offer. Blech.
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@Bracken_Joy I’m so sorry Latte is having such a hard time with separation anxiety. Poor kid and poor you. I really hope you’re able to get in next cycle!
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The thing that super sucks on this is that it was SirB’s last week long trip that really kicked it off, and so I’m extra dreading this next week long trip.
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My cycle is so far 3 days longer than average, and of course this month I dropped the ball on testing for ovulation so I don’t know if I ovulated late or not. I also keep forgetting to take an hcg test until I’m mid pee past the point of no return, but I definitely don’t feel pregnant. Not trying yet, but it wouldn’t be the worst.
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At least so far, the test is blank AF.
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Stress and sleep affect cycles and I think both of those have changed for you in the past few months?
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Illness is a common one as well.
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Yeah, stress has gone down somewhat. Food intake this month has been quite a bit lower quality too. I also find it interesting that premom is saying I’m late given I logged a cycle this length before, and without an ovulation date it’s not clear if I’m late.
I think I’m feeling the cramps, it’s just taking its time.
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Getting very light spotting today at 10DPO…last month it took about 2 days to ramp up to a full period. I didn’t have high hopes given we only got to try once, 2-3 days before ovulation.
For now I will take the return of regular cycles as a win… Where regular for me was/is apparently 35-40 days.
Still need to reach the RE department. I will wait 2 days to make sure this is a period and then redouble my efforts (also have work deadlines and don’t want to hang out on hold right now).
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Fuckin hell. The right hand knows not what the left hand does. Our insurance company advised us poorly, and didn’t tell us/progeny how to correctly interface. So now I probably need to wait on labs anyway because progeny approval does NOT occur through primary insurance, but apparently no one knew that. 
it was our clinic who sorted it out, bless them, but this also means we’re probably on the hook for the initial consult. Only $210, so nothing compared to what we’ve spent on fertility treatments over the years, but still very annoying.
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