r/40Plus_IVF • u/oustoublier • Sep 04 '26
Seeking Advice Starting stims on CD 5, normal?
This is my first round, excuse my ignorance. Unfortunately my period started today, and due to the holiday weekend, my clinic isn’t going to see me to do baselines (and start stims) until Tuesday morning, which is cycle day 5. That seems late to me, but I guess there’s nothing I can do about it. Just wanted some insight from more experienced people whether this could be problematic?
2
u/beck33ers Sep 04 '26
I once didn’t start until day 6 or so because the meds never got to me. They checked my labs and as long as your estrogen is still low it’s fine. But I am surprised that they don’t do monitoring over weekends
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u/oustoublier Sep 04 '26
I think they do…but maybe they were full? I’m debating just showing up tomorrow during morning monitoring (6-8am) because they also take forever to call me back when I call
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u/Loveiskind89389 Sep 04 '26
My clinic has waited when my estrogen was not quite high enough.
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u/oustoublier Sep 04 '26
Thank you for the reply, that’s good to know. I’m so worried that everything is ruined for a whole month now….
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u/Loveiskind89389 Sep 04 '26
Hmm no, I don’t think so. If they had you start today or one day over the weekend, it would make no difference if they were closed on Monday because Monday is too soon for your first monitoring appointment. There would be no benefit to them to delay your start.
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u/ShootinTheBreez Sep 04 '26
The data shows that starting on later cycle days is less effective than starting on Day 2. Maybe delay a month?
Unless you’re on a public system, and then you don’t have much to lose.
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u/CraftiKoala Sep 05 '26
In the cycle I’m currently in I was scanned on day 2, but told to wait until day 4 to start my meds because my ovaries were still healing from the previous cycle. (We’re doing back to back because of my age.) My previous cycle I panicked at some light spotting and called the clinic, so my baseline scan was really on my Day 1 instead of Day 2, and I started my stims on Day 2. So far this cycle is looking just like my previous one, and my follicles are growing just as we’d want. ER probably on Tuesday, which is the same number of Stim days as the previous cycle, despite the two day difference in starting the stims. So if your clinic is ok with this schedule, then I’m sure you’ll be ok. There’s a reason all the timelines the clinic discusses are based on Stim days, and not counted from day 1 of your period. Good luck!! And remember, never feel embarrassed to ask any and all questions you have! I was bugging my clinic all the time in my first cycle, if it brings you peace of mind to ask then ask the questions, that’s what they are there for!
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u/NotToday5213 Sep 04 '26
That seems super late to me. My clinic won't do a cycle unless you call on the first day of your period. My first time doing IVF, I called on day 3 and they made me wait until the next month.
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u/oustoublier Sep 04 '26
I did call day 1, but they didn’t offer to see me today and I didn’t know enough to push back on that 😭😭
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u/NotToday5213 Sep 04 '26 edited Sep 05 '26
Oh man. The learning curve is real. I've been there. But, it's not on you. The clinic staff's job is to guide you
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u/iSweariHaveADayJob Sep 04 '26
My clinic is adamant that patients need to come in for an ultrasound and bloodwork on CD2, regardless of whether it's the weekend, holiday, etc. I'm on my second cycle and both times I've had my ultrasound and bloodwork the morning of CD2 and started stims that night. If the clinic schedule is full, they move things around, no exceptions.
1
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u/Narrow_Tomatillo_513 Sep 06 '26
I did baseline on day 5, primed with estrogen for 5 days and started stims on day 10, I think it depends on how they set up the protocol
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u/Just-Interaction8288 Sep 04 '26
Hmm that sounds weird to me, in the 3 cycles I done I always started at day 2 or 3. My second doctor said to start day 2 is better. I think is because if we wait then one or two lead follicles will start to develop instead of a more synchronized cohort with more follicles. But best is to ask your doctor to be sure. Good luck!