IVF can be a very overwhelming process for many patients trying to conceive.  At Texas Fertility Center we do our best to make your IVF cycle as stress free as possible.

Attending the monthly IVF orientation prior to your starting your IVF cycle is extremely helpful.  The IVF orientation is presented by one of our physicians, one of our embryologists, and one of our nurses, and it gives you a really good overview of the IVF process and what to expect.  It also gives you an idea about what happens in the embryology lab.  The physician and embryologist stay after the presentation to answer any questions you may have about your personal situation.  It is a great way to further educate yourself about IVF at Texas Fertility Center.

We want you to take the IVF process one step at a time.  You will work very closely with your IVF nurse who will provide you with step by step instructions throughout your entire cycle.  Your IVF nurse is your direct point of contact, and she will be there to answer any questions or concerns that you may have and guide you through your IVF cycle.  It is important to ask your IVF nurse and your physician any questions that you have as they arise about your IVF cycle, as it is imperative to have a clear understanding of the treatment plan that was recommended for you.

Once your plan is developed, you will meet with your nurse one on one to review your customized IVF treatment plan, provide injection lesson training, and sign the necessary paperwork that is required for your cycle.

Although we will give you a clear, typed plan that provides you with both an overview and step by step instructions for every part of your cycle, it may be helpful to look at each office visit during your IVF cycle like a checkpoint.  At each visit, we will tell you what you will need to do next and how to prepare for your next visit.   You do not need to try to remember everything all at once as you will get the information each time you’re seen in the office.  Although you will be seen by your physician at every office visit (one of the unique aspects about how we do things at Texas Fertility Center), please feel free to ask to meet with your IVF nurse anytime you are in the office.

It is essential to understand the time commitment involved in an IVF cycle.  The IVF process itself is usually takes six to eight weeks from start to finish.  Our office will always try very hard to accommodate your schedule – we even hired a certified ultrasound specialist so that we can offer to see you very early in the morning to help decrease the amount of time you may miss from work.  Once you begin the stimulation part of your IVF cycle, you will be seen for blood work and an ultrasound examination about every three to four days.  We suggest that you take the day of your egg retrieval off from work, and we also recommend that, if possible, you take two days off for the embryo transfer – the day of the transfer and the following day – so that you can rest at home. 

It is important to avoid caffeine, cigarette smoking, and high impact exercise as well as excessive aerobic exercise during this process.  We usually recommend no more than four hours of cardiovascular exercise per week.  There is a suggestion in the literature that endorphins you produce during exercise can sometimes interfere with the way your body responds to stimulation. Give yourself a break during this time; light walking is a great way to relieve stress and exercise without getting your heart rate up too high.

We have an on-call IVF nurse who is available from 6-830am before the office opens, from Noon to 130 during lunch, and from 430 to 10pm, after the office closes.  You are never without a way to contact someone at our office should a question arise after hours. 

Your IVF nurses are here for you to help support and guide you through your IVF cycle.  Please do not hesitate to contact your IVF nurse at 512-451-0149, option 4 for IVF.  All of us at Texas Fertility Center are committed to making this process as easy and as stress free as possible for you and your partner.