I ordered this awesome book, "What To Do When You Can't Get Pregnant" off of Amazon.com and I highly recommend it to anyone dealing with infertility issues. It does a great job of explaining everything and also going through the emotional side of the infertility roller coaster. It has a section that explains "super-ovulation" or ovulation induction - which is the first part of the in-vitro cycle. There are four phases during ovulation induction:
- Preparation: This phase began when I started taking birth control back on 12/20/2010. The purpose of the birth control is to "reset" your cycle so you can start fresh. For my IVF protocol, I'm taking it for 3 weeks - so this week will be my last week of birth control.
- Ovulation Suppression: This is the phase that I started today (1/2/2011) with the Lupron. The purpose of the Lupron is to block the premature LH surge which stops ovulation to allow optimal follicular development. I'm taking 10 units of it everyday until I start the next phase (Ovulation Stimluation) - where I will reduce it to 5 units each day.
- Ovulation Stimulation: This phase will begin when I start taking Gonal-F (tentatively scheduled for 1/15/2011, if all goes well). Daily injections of gonadotropins (such as Gonal-F) will start follicle growth and egg maturation. Typically only one egg is matured each cycle - but the Gonal-F will cause my body to mature more eggs. I will have to take a shot in the morning and a shot in the evening. The doctor will also monitor me closely during this phase with bloodwork and ultrasounds every couple of days.
- Egg Maturation: This will be the last step before the egg retrieval, when I will receive one shot of Novarel (HCG). The purpose of Novarel is to complete egg maturation & prepare the follicles for rupture.