Patient Education: In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) Fresh Cycle, Using GnRH Antagonist Protocol
CHR's patient education for IVF with GnRH Antagonist (Antagon) consists of the following components:
- What is an IVF? - a brief description of the procedure
- Pre-cycle checklist - a list of pre-cycle tests and preparations
- Timeline of IVF at CHR - what needs to be done and when
Please read each item carefully, and make a list of questions you might want to ask. This way, you will be more prepared when you meet with your nurse coordinator for your training session. When you are unsure about something along the way, you can always come back to this page to refresh your memory.
Every cycle stimulation may have to be individualized and, therefore, may end up deviating from the here described routine. Please always follow the instructions, given by the CHR staff. When in doubt, call CHR at 212-994-4400, rather than taking the wrong step. Our staff is available for inquiries 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Once you have read through all the relevant material according to the type of IVF you will be going through, please complete the Completion/Question Form.
IVF is a procedure that can offer a chance of parenthood to women who have blocked or absent fallopian tubes, or men with low sperm counts. In an IVF cycle, you will use injections and other medications to encourage your ovaries to produce more than one mature egg. You will be closely monitored using ultrasound and blood tests to determine when your eggs are mature. Once your doctors have determined that your eggs are ready, your retrieval will be scheduled. Retrieval is a short in-office procedure for which you will be given light sedation. After your eggs are retrieved, they will be mixed with sperm (inseminated). The following day, our embryologists will check to see if the eggs accepted the sperm, and if they are fertilized. Three to five days later, some of the resulting embryos will be placed in your uterus (embryo transfer), bypassing the fallopian tubes. Two weeks after the embryo transfer, you will find out if you have achieved pregnancy by having a blood test.
OPTIONAL: If you need more general information on IVF, you can continue on to read about IVF. (A new window or tab will open.)
A series of tests are required before an IVF cycle can take place, on both female and male partners. Specific requirement may vary depending on various factors, but please briefly look through the Checklist, and bring it with you for your appointment with your nurse coordinator.
Download the Pre-Cycle Checklist. (A downloadable PDF will open in a new window or tab.)
3. Timeline of IVF Using Standard Antagon Protocol
After the initial consultation with a physician (which determines the type of treatment you will be undergoing), you will need to complete all the required pre-cycle tests (please refer to the Pre-Cycle Checklist). After your checklist is complete and before starting a cycle of treatment, you should carefully review the material on this web page and schedule an appointment with one of our clinical nurse coordinators to review instructions for preparing and injecting your medications, in a step we call a "Teach."
This appointment will be an opportunity for you to address any questions that you may have after studying the information provided on this page. For this appointment, please bring a copy of the completed questionnaire provided at the end of this material. This visit will also provide an opportunity for you to receive necessary prescriptions and to initiate any required pre-authorization from your insurance carrier, if applicable.
At CHR, if you are using an "GnRH Antagonist Protocol," you will return for a blood test and sonogram about 10 days before your next anticipated menstrual period (about day 18 to 19 of a normal 28 day cycle). If your tests confirm that you have ovulated, you will begin using estrogen patches (see the medication list for more detail). About 10 days after beginning your estrogen patches, your normal menstrual period will start. On day 1 of flow, you need to call CHR to schedule another sonogram and blood test for the following day.
