Ovarian stimulation at PFCLA

The process of ovarian stimulation

Your doctor and personalized care coordination team are happy to address any concerns or questions you have about the ovarian stimulation process, and will be guiding you throughout each step of this process. For now, here’s what you or your partner can expect when undergoing ovarian stimulation at PFCLA.  

Using birth control pills

Your doctor and personalized care coordination team are happy to address any concerns or questions you have about ovarian stimulation, and will guide you throughout each step of this process. For now, here’s what you or your partner can expect when undergoing ovarian stimulation at PFCLA.

Using Lupron® injections

Lupron® is sometimes used to suppress the pituitary-ovarian axis—in other words, put the ovaries to sleep—to control them through fertility medications. If Lupron® isn’t taken when prescribed, there is a significant risk that the ovaries will release the eggs before your doctor is ready to retrieve them.

Medication administration cadence

Your doctor may ask you or your egg donor to take daily Lupron® injections with the dose indicated on the calendar provided to you.

If directed, you or your egg donor would self-administer the Lupron® as a subcutaneous injection (under the skin) with a small needle. Your doctor will tell you to take the injections daily (unless indicated otherwise).  

Note: Other intended parents (depending on differing factors) may use ganirelix or cetrotide® to prevent ovulation, instead of Lupron®. These subcutaneous injections are usually taken once a day, starting a few days before the egg retrieval procedure.

Starting your course of fertility medications

Your clinical coordinator will arrange all the medications for you, with instructions on how to administer them. Your doctor will indicate the dose you need to take on a calendar provided to you. 

These medications will stimulate the ovaries to produce multiple eggs and may include one or more of the following:

• Gonal-f®, follistim® or Bravelle® (given subcutaneously (SQ))
• Repronex® (intramuscular (IM or SQ)) or Menopur® (SQ)

Note: How you or your egg donor responds to these fertility drugs varies according to age, ovarian reserve and the amount of medications given. 

Medication administration cadence

Your doctor will either tell you or your egg donor to take these drugs once or twice daily. Your doctor will also provide essential instructions before starting the treatment on how to mix and self-administer the injections. 

Note: If you or your partner stop taking these medications prematurely, it might lead to the cycle's cancellation.

You or your partner will take these drugs usually for 10 to 14 days before the egg retrieval procedure. However, some women need to take these medications longer or in greater quantities. 

Note: This is common in older patients or women with elevated FSH levels.

Approximately one week after starting these medications, your doctor may ask you to complete a vaginal ultrasound examination.

Learn more about the egg retrieval procedure ➜

Additional medications

Your doctor may also prescribe you with a hormone drug called progesterone at or around the embryo transfer time to help promote pregnancy.