Long cycle

Long Cycle:

Down regulation drugs may be administered via daily subcutaneous injection throughout the IVF cycle.  These drugs are designed to turn off the woman’s hormonal system and has the same effect as sending the body into a pseudo menopausal state for the time these drugs are taken.

A couple of blood tests are required to ascertain the hormonal levels of the woman to make sure she has “down regulated” appropriately.

If the clinic is satisfied that the hormonal levels are adequate, then ovulation stimulating drugs will be added in – usually administered via injection 12 hours after the down regulation injection.

At approximately eight days after ovulation induction drugs have started, the woman will be asked to present to the clinic for a vaginal guided ultrasound to ascertain a number of things including:

• Uterus size and thickness
• Number of follicles (fluid sac which contains the egg)
• Size of the follicles

The clinic are looking to see the follicles measure between 15-21 mm in size.

It is very normal at this first scan that you may be asked to continue with the drugs and represent a couple of days later for another scan.